Triumphalism!

By what queer stretch of imagination?

By Hermes

(April 16, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Ever since the LTTE terrorists were crushed by the Government,their apologists and sympathizers both locally and internationally, never seemed to tire of hollering the refrain that the Sinhala people are suffering from an overweening sense of triumphalism,without their being magnanimous and generous towards the crestfallen Tamils in the North and the East.There have been bitter exchanges in the ‘Island’ expressing their individual views based on their own perceptions of the reactions of the Sinhala people,following the historic victory over a ruthless terrorist who entertained wild ambitions of the LTTE extending their writ over a good part of the North and the East, to the hill country and even to Colombo and perhaps to cover the rest of the island.Such attempts at hegemonic domination of the island,would not have been beyond Prabhakaran who was being encouraged in these manic dreams by the virtually inexhaustible funds given freely to the ‘cause’ by the Tamil Diaspora, spread across the Western world. Under a weak political leadership ever ready to kowtow to Prabhakaran, Sri Lanka would have lost at the very least, the North and East to the LTTE. One does not have to be reminded that just a few years ago,it was just writing on the wall!

Colombo residents will recall how the sympathizers of the LTTE in the city celebrated the horrendous triumphs of the ‘Sun God’ by organizing street processions/ ritual marches euphemistically called ‘Pongu Thamil’, to confer blessings on the ‘Great Leader’. The Government and the residents of the city knew only too well the significance of these marches but refused to be provoked and preferred to ignore them as they did not want to be accused of intolerance and of undemocratic behaviour,by disrupting these ‘peaceful religious processions’!Perhaps the LTTE and their sympathizers were acutely conscious of the raising of the tolerance threshold of the Sinhala people after the ugly backlash of 1983.This was perhaps the reason for Prabhakaran to launch on his reckless Mavilaru misadventure,which cost him dearly by vaporizing his Eelam fantasies and finally doing him in ingloriously,in the marshes of Nandikadal.It is indeed galling that they still have the brass and the effrontery to speak of triumphalism of the Sinhalese!

The above throw back, is to enable readers to comprehend fully why, the vast majority,particularly in rural Sri Lanka,keep expressing their gratitude and reposing their confidence and trust overwhelmingly in President Rajapaksa and his Government. These simple rural folk are indeed beholden to MR for having rid their country of the remorseless,bloodthirsty ogre who steeped the island in blood and carnage for over three decades,pursuing relentlessly his dream of Eelam.

With the sweeping majorities the President has received at the Parliamentary Elections he should do everything in his power to live up to the expectations and the trust people of all communities have reposed in him. Equity and justice are the two foundational prerequisites on which a democratic society worth it’s name,rests. It is the fervent expectation of all people of all communities constituting a United Sri Lanka,that the President will usher in such a society, under the overwhelming popular mandate given to him.