Together for all

We have arrived at a decisive juncture in the history of our country. While the heartless LTTE terrorists, together with their direct and indirect sympathisers both here and abroad, are threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our beloved motherland, two of the largest political parties of the country are heading for a historic alliance.

It is heartening to see President Mahinda Rajapaksa getting that much needed backing from the Leader of the Opposition, Ranil Wickremesinghe. The President, who had an overwhelming people’s mandate last year, has already gained the support of most of the major political parties in Parliament.

In fact the President has surprised the skeptics and has even succeeded in getting the SLFP’s arch rival, the UNP to back him to resolve an unprecedented crisis threatening the entire nation, using his well known charm, flexibility and strategic management skill of changing strategies, as conditions change.

The President has thus magically converted a slim margin at the last election to an overwhelming support of a large majority of citizens of the country. This should enable him to gain the support of all the stakeholders in the country to work out strategies for solving a spate of complex problems facing the nation.

This is the hallmark of a true statesman.

A few further rounds of negotiations with Mr. Wickremesinghe, would hopefully lead the way to a historic agreement, which should the pave way for delivering the aspirations of all the people of this country to lead a better life devoid of want and insecurity. Above all this would also strengthen the nation’s struggle to put an end to terrorism, which has for three decades bled the country with.

On the other hand, the brave sons of our soil are engaged in a vital mission to protect the nation.

While the politicians join hands, forgetting their petty party differences, to beat the common enemy, all peace loving citizens of this country should warmly extend their fullest support and cooperation to the security forces, which spend many sleepless nights to protect each and every citizen of this country.

The media campaign carried out to back the security forces has injected a greater feeling of courage and determination amongst the citizens of the country. It is for the first time that such a campaign has been carried out, that too in a highly successful manner.

Themed ‘Together for all’, the message has rightly conveyed that the members of the security forces belong to the whole nation and they have dedicated their lives to protect us all, be it Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher, Malay or any other.

Members of the security forces are our own sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, fathers and mothers.

Hence, we must not forget that they are suffering in locations far away from their homes, be it in a bunker in the North, a naval gunship in the East, a Kfir jet taking off from West or at a Police post in South. Practically, each and every one of us cannot go to the battlefield as we have been entrusted with various social responsibilities. But our hearts and minds will always be with those who sacrifice the present to make a better future for all of us. True that they are getting paid for their services but that is an incomparable job, beyond their pay packets. Those gallant men and women join the forces and even sacrifice their lives because they love and care for this beautiful country. They put their lives at stake to make a better future for our next generation.

The television commercial of ‘Together for all’ is an extraordinary creation, which generates a feeling of concern for the true sons and daughters of our soil, be he/she a young airwoman who takes an elderly Tamil mother on her bicycle to a kovil, a youthful sailor sharing a meal with some Muslim lads, a smiling soldier who gives a lift to a few Tamil schoolchildren in a tractor.

It is heart-warming to see a young pregnant woman offering her seat in a train to a soldier. She does that on her own, instantly, as she is well and truly aware that the future of her unborn baby lies in the hands of those soldiers. The members of the security forces and the Police sacrifice their youthful lives to protect our children and secure a better future for all.

Be it in the United States, the Middle East or in Sri Lanka, terrorists are terrorists. They have faith only in the bullet. The nations across the globe should unite to put an end to terrorism, which has posed one of the biggest threat ever to world peace.

Nobody wants war, not even in our wildest dreams. All of us need peace, but not at the expense of our nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. What matters is how we achieve peace. It should be an ever-lasting honourable peace, one which would bring all ethnic groups in this country under one umbrella.

All Sri Lankans are duty bound to protect our gallant soldiers, brave sailors and dynamic airmen. They are part of our lives, they are ours and we are with them! They keep awake at night today, to protect our tomorrow.

It’s they who miss their loved ones, get injured in the battlefront and make the supreme sacrifice to make us safe. Together for all.