'Lebanon and Lanka':

The colours of our people

by Nikhil Mustaffa

Landing at Beirut airport can be unnerving. The place is unpretentious. As the aircraft comes down, the sea runs parallel to the runway and one wonders whether the plane would stop rolling on time before reaching the water!

The reason to travel was a workshop on national reconciliation. This was close to year 2000. Beirut is a testimony to war, occupation, the rich, entrepreneurship and development in the finest Mediterranean way.

Our hotel was on top of a hill. The view was majestic. The breakfast and the indulgence, quite shocking. It was lavish in both European and middle-eastern cuisine. Amongst the staff were Sri Lankans, homesick but, glad to earn more than at home, for the security of their families.

The taxi ride to the city, left one bewildered by the sheer beauty of the people and the place. In places, thousands, possibly millions of bullet scars from the war, were visible, whilst development had also taken root. An extraordinary lady had cajoled and persuaded the city authorities to permit a memorial of land with trees and shrines in the centre, as a symbol of space for forgiveness and reconciliation.

On the land were historic pillars etc from, possibly, Roman times, still clearly visible, lying on the ground!

Seven years on, the sound of rockets and bombs have returned. Evidently, 80,000 Sri Lankans, a half of whom have no valid visas, are attempting to flee the current troubles. The US, reportedly, has 25,000 of their citizens fleeing. What chance do we have to pull out, with what resources we have, is left to be seen. Since the visit was before Syria, theoretically, pulled out, having murdered their Prime Minister, Syria's sinister presence was too visible in their barracks and intelligence gathering structures.

At the workshop, people were still reconciling past horrors, long after the war had officially ended. The blueprint of approaches they developed was shared in vain efforts to talk reconciliation in Sri Lanka subsequently.

Sanjana, in a recent column, had dwelt on this subject, since we are in July, in the context of 1983.

The sad events of July 1983, remain as a stark reminder to those who care for the crucial days that possibly led to the back of this nation being broken. Many families were shielded by courageous neighbours. Some gave shelter, turned away mobs, provided provisions. An article in the press, reminded us of the role of India,with the visit of GP, the arming of militants, the wars that were fought and the arrival of the IPKF, to name a few events.

tamilweek.com