A clarion call to build the country

It was a significant moment in the annals of Sri Lanka's history when President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared with justifiable pride and dignity that the country has been liberated from the scourge of terrorism and hoisted the national flag at the Victory Day celebrations on Wednesday, at the Galle Face Green in Colombo.

During Sri Lanka's unrelenting battle against terrorism, certain quarters made a sinister attempt to paint a gloomy picture of the humanitarian operations, saying it was a war against a particular ethnic group and labelled it genocide.

The Security Forces have not only demolished the LTTE terrorist power in the North and the East but have also vanquished the Tiger propaganda through their mercy missions in the battlefront.

This was undoubtedly the greatest humanitarian rescue operation in modern world history as the Security Forces risked their lives to liberate hundreds of thousands of Tamil civilians, held forcibly by the LTTE as a human shield.

The war fought against the LTTE was not a war against the Tamil people. The heroic troops sacrificed their lives to save the innocent Tamil people from the clutches of LTTE terror. We certainly cannot forget the illustrious service rendered by the Security Forces and the immeasurable sacrifices made by them.

This is precisely why Sri Lanka's victory in defeating the LTTE becomes a victory for the entire nation.

It is the responsibility of the entire nation to make this victory more meaningful and give it a better value for the gigantic feats achieved by the Security Forces.

It is now time to win the hearts of the Tamil people, ensuring them the maximum protection. They are an essential part of Sri Lanka's community. We must usher in again the pre-LTTE era where Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese lived in perfect harmony in the North and the East.

To achieve that, we have to build the confidence of the Tamil youth who have only witnessed LTTE terror. Over the years, the Tigers brainwashed Tamil youth to show that the Sinhalese were their enemy.

We have to enlighten the youth in the North and the East on how close the three communities were before LTTE sowed the seeds of ruthless terrorism on our soil.

The true sons of our soil have achieved even more than the so-called superpowers - beating terrorism, and that too against the deadliest terrorist organisation in the world. The whole world is astonished by this magnificent victory.

Sri Lanka has a rich tradition of facing even the most ruthless invaders through thousands of years, defeating them, and saving our Motherland. It is home to people with a history of bravely facing up to invaders from the time of King Dutugemunu's reign.

Sri Lanka cannot afford the land that was won at such great sacrifice to be divided or even a shadow of separatism to fall on it. In the solutions that will be offered there will not be even an iota for racism and separatism.

The Government will move towards a political solution under a unified Sri Lankan flag.

It would be an honourable solution proposed through the APRC and one which would be acceptable to all. The end solution should be one which would bring all communities living here under one umbrella.

Sri Lanka is extremely fortunate to have a fearless leader with a vision.

Ever since President Rajapaksa was elected the First Citizen in November 2005, he made every endeavour to protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Unlike previous leaders, he is not prepared to compromise anything that devalues the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Despite immense pressure from certain countries and influential international organisations, the President stood his ground, without allowing any country or organisation to underestimate the sovereignty of a legal state. He only had the power of a nation and it was more than sufficient to beat all overwhelming odds.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the friendly countries which strongly backed us in the battle against terrorism. If not for their wholehearted support, Sri Lanka would never have become the first country to eradicate terrorism.

Those sincere friends in the international community have acted with the greatest responsibility towards Sri Lanka's freedom and sovereignty.

The time is now opportune to sink petty differences and join hands and work in the true spirit to rebuild our nation. The first step in that direction would be the speedy resettlement of the civilians who have been displaced due to LTTE terrorism.

Infrastructure development in the North and the East too will be done at a rapid pace so that the people living there too could make a positive contribution to build the national economy.

Following the defeat of terrorism, there will be a reduction in the budget deficit, paving the way for economic development. We could anticipate more foreign direct investments and better employment opportunities. With the additional contribution from the people in the North and the East, Sri Lanka could look forward to an encouraging growth rate.

Sri Lanka, which has been a symbol of courage to the world, must now stand on its own feet. We must make a determined effort to build the nation.

We have a rich culture and heritage and the country is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. We have the ability to stand tall. All what is needed is a clear ambition to reach the top.

Indeed, it is our bounden duty as true heroes to protect this country that is now being brought together under a single national flag.