Unity is the key to peace and harmony

By Dr Vickramabahu Karunaratne

(January 04, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) After reading my column last week one of my supporters, Mr. Mannan T Thamothirampillai circulated a document which I found very interesting. Of course I cannot agree with all what he says. In particular I cannot agree that we could trust comrade Practi to carry out a democratic programme after what he did as the Constitutional Minister in the coalition government. While proposing a republican constitution he ignored the rights of minority communities. He could not bring in his own policy of parity of languages to the new constitution. It is an irony of history that the reactionary Yankee Dickey, JR established equality of languages and the first step of devolution. But my friend Mannan’s central argument is quite valid. He said, “it is simple logic, a rather serious, broader and wider truth that if the Rajapaksa Government survives, the forces against this Government from Western interests are going to intensify on many fronts. If Sarath Fonseka takes over power, all racist, communal elements that have taken the upperhand and anti American groups and their voices are going to unite and create a lot of battle grounds to bring down this regime.

If the Tamils support Dr.Bahu, a new powerful front and a larger front to educate the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims on the basis of equality and brotherhood will evolve, that also will educate the International community that the Tamils are with the right thinking Sinhalese. An influential section of Sinhala society who acknowledge the Tamil speaking people’s fundamental rights and this movement will grow bigger to change future thinking and the destiny of Sri Lanka. The Tamils also will learn to acknowledge other’s rights and begin to believe that a Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim united movement is the only way forward to bring peace and harmony to our motherland in the future. We should all take the bold step to prepare and plan for the future, believing in our good intentions and work to create an environment on the ground, to take this mission forward. The ground is fully prepared now after the war, Tamils also have realized their shortcomings. Our political actions are so weak, that we have failed in achieving our fundamental human rights even after 60 years of struggle.

Practical way forward

Understanding our Fundamental Human Rights and working with those who also understand all our fundamental human rights is the best way forward and practical way forward if we believe in achieving something at least in the future. We have waited for 60 years and now we should be prepared to work for another few decades to bring meaningful change in the minds of the people. The so- called Tamil leaders have to take these facts into their minds at this critical juncture. They missed the opportunity once in 1982, by not supporting Dr.Colvin R De Silva and brought JR Jayawardane into power to go through this hell which we had foreseen and have fully experienced. We request the Tamil public to tell our so- called leaders not to make these mistakes again so as to bring complete destruction to our lives in Sri Lanka. To preserve our credibility and self respect we have to come forward and openly support Dr.Bahu to givemomentum to our mission to bring peace and prosperity to all of our people.”

My e-mail is full of letters of this sort indicating a political tendency within the Tamil nationality. It encourages me seeing that after a grave defeat in the military front, the Tamil people have not surrendered to the aggression of Sinhala chauvinism.