Holding Out For a Hero
Repost This ArticleWell it’s not exactly a hero. What we are really holding out for is a statesman – but that wouldn’t have made a catchy title. Yet it is a statesman that is needed in Sri Lanka at this juncture in its history.  Having finally made it over the daunting hurdle of terrorism, which had us mired in a mud heap for so many decades, Sri Lanka is now emerging, scarred but optimistic, out of the wasteland of war. As flags fly in a uniting show of joy – a vast majority of people look forward with hope to a new dawn – a new country and another chance to catch up with the economic success of the nations around us.
To reach this destination we need to step on the right road – for there are many roads leading in diverse directions and it is easy to get lost once again.  To find the right path and keep us on track we need a leader who is capable of rising above the fray, in order to meet the gargantuan task that lies ahead of this nation. Mahinda Rajapakse’s victory speech in Parliament indicates that he is aware of what is required to put us on the road to a pretty future. But words are hollow if not followed by deeds.
“Those who love the country and those who do not” – are now apparently the only two groups that exist in this country. A wonderful statement – but one that should not be used to stifle dissent – whether the dissent originates from the opposition political parties, or from the media, or even from disgruntled but innocent members of the minority community. A statesman should be capable of cleverly deflecting the balls of negativity pitched at him – without losing his cool – or his opponents losing their lives. A statesman should also be able to discern the difference between the empty rhetoric of his distracters, and the constructive criticism of those who do love this country – but who have a different opinion to that of our leaders.
A statesman should not permit violence against foreign embassies in our country – even if the violence is only aimed at the walls of these embassies. A statesman does not stoop as low as the posturing, two-faced behemoth that is known as the “International Community”. A statesman wins them over with actions that indicate that we are a step above – that we abide by the tenets of peace and tolerance that is the basis of Buddhism.
When I try to think of world statesmen – very few come to mind – but the one’s who do are Abraham Lincoln, Mohandas Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. These are men who stood for lofty goals – who dreamt big dreams – the noble Gullivers who strode amongst us Lilliputians. These are men who stood for equality, peace and non-violence – whose achievements we all like to emulate, but which many of us don’t have the will to attempt. It is easier to give into greed, to give into power, to give into long festering preconceptions. But what made these men stand out is that they put their nations before themselves – despite the many physical and mental hardships they underwent, and the loud opposition they faced.
So Mr. Rajapakse – this is your moment. You have the approval of the majority of this nation. You, at this point in history can do no wrong – and as such you have the ability to do so much that is right. You have the opportunity to steer Sri Lanka away from racial distrust, to rise above petty politics. You alone, with the support of your lieutenants in Parliament and within the armed forces, can prove to the world that Sri Lanka is capable of moving beyond its dark past, to a society that is truly accepting of its racial diversity. It’s a tough call. As I pointed out – in history there are very few who were capable of transforming themselves into statesmen. Yet there were those who did – and their stories will never die.
Even within our history we fete King Dutugemmunu. He too united this country after winning his battle against Elara. But what we remember most about him was his respectful treatment of his slain enemy – and THAT is a true sign of a statesman.
People all over the world, watched in their living rooms, the horrible images that were telecast recently of the genocidal atrocities by the Sri Lankan state, and angrily questioned the utter inability of the UN and the International Community(IC) to protect about 50,000 civilans and stop the carnage cum criminality of an elected dictatorship.
The inabilty to protect would not have occured if Britain and the UN intervened and created Tamil Eelam(TE) as an indpendent state 32 years ago, acceeding to the democratic request of the people of North East(NE). But they failed and caused the problem to aggravate to the recent bloodbath.
Inspite of it, the people of NE were running a de facto state for the past 22 years with civil service, police, judiciary and defence. It was a mini state. Britain and the UN should have stepped forward, intervened, regularised and recognised TE state. They failed to do that also, inspite of Tamils holding their land firmly for long and asking for recognition.
People of TE were still a country, though lacking a few things. For the past 20 years, the state of TE was strong militarily to defend itself inspite of several attempts by SL to capture and occupy it with the fake excuse of “war on terrorism”.
Terrorism in Sri Lanka(SL) was always by the armed forces on Tamils. Recent bloodletting proved beyond any doubt wahatsoever to any one who was unsure of it. It is obvious now what Tamil Tigers did was retaliatory terror to silence state terror. If there was to be a war on terrorism, it should have been done by Britain and the UN forces against the armed forces of SL, as done by the USA on Iraq.
SL crooked the world and obtained massive military help to engage in dangerous terrorism. It engaged in wicked and cowardly acts such as throwing chemical bombs and cluster munitions on Tamil civilians. SL resorted to criminality to “win” this war as the world witnessed on TV screens.
My heart goes out to the families of those killed. I pray to God for speedy healing of the injured and traumatised people. I ask God in all earnestness for the independence of TE; a country given by Him to the people of NE.
Though the Sinhalese jump too much on streets and shout aloud, there is nothing much to crow about the “win”. Capturing the territory of TE by SL is not of much significance. Adolf Hitler captured many countries but lost them all. Sadam Husseinn invaded Kuwait but Kuwaitis got back their country. TE will be no exception and people will get it back.
Mahinda Rjapakse said in his “victory speech” that he did not accept “military solution as the final solution. Rajapakse cannot find that “final solution”. It is not his job. It is the job of Britain, the UN and the IC. It is an unfinished decolonisation job outstanding from 1972, when the Sinhalese, of their own, unilaterally declared the British dominion of Ceylon as a Sinhala only republic called SL, refusing to grant the legitimate rights of the people of NE. Such a rebellion occured in Rhodeshia and was reversed by Britain by intervention.
Kuwait existed eventhough captured by Sadm and so TE is and will be. Like the people of Kuwait, the people of TE would campaign aggressively for Britain and the UN to send forces into TE, hold elections, draft a democratic cconstitution and recognise it like East Timor.
what about the srilankan embassies attacked in norway and england.also indian and chinese embassies attacked.are you agree statesman of those countries have failed?
“A statesman wins them over with actions that indicate that we are a step above – that we abide by the tenets of peace and tolerance that is the basis of Buddhism.”
What about forming a massive economic and military alliance with China, a nation that has invaded Tibet and destroyed hundreds of Buddhist monasteries and other artifacts, in addition to slaughtering hundreds of Buddhist monks and chasing the Dalai Lama to India? How does this reflect on the so-called “Buddhist” values of Sri Lanka?
[Inspite of it, the people of NE were running a de facto state for the past 22 years with civil service, police, judiciary and defence. It was a mini state. Britain and the UN should have stepped forward, intervened, regularised and recognised TE state. They failed to do that also, inspite of Tamils holding their land firmly for long and asking for recognition.]
So i suppose you were quite OK with the way this so called “state” ran it’s affairs eh?
all those forced recruitment that included minors etc?
You must be proud
[People of TE were still a country, though lacking a few things. For the past 20 years, the state of TE was strong militarily to defend itself inspite of several attempts by SL to capture and occupy it with the fake excuse of “war on terrorism”.]
ha ha ha
funny
short of few things?
there was NEVER a TE state and there will NEVER be one mate!
Learn to be Sri Lankans, fight for your legitimate rights in democratic means…
Don’t forever hold on to past failures cos this is indeed a new chapter in this country..
Take the initiative to make a difference or forever hold on to your mythical TE state and get us all to suffer…yet again. It’s your call as much as it’s ours to make this work.
In the great country of tamil ealam, the average age of marriage is 12 or 13. Because apparently the LTTE dont recruit amrried people as child soldiers. A teacher was saying how they took her 12 yr old son on the way back from school, and sent a post card with directions to his grave 3 years later. Her dauhgter, age 20 subsequently commited suicide. Don’t think this is government propaganda, i thought that until i went to the east and talked to this people. The LTTE have given the tamils more heartache than solutions. To say nothing of what they have caused the Sinhalese majority in the country, true, misinformed, sometimes racist, but a people the LTTE hunted and slaughtered by the thousands in civilan areas. Because of the LTTE, parents coming by train never took their slary home for children. I almost lost my mother (a tamil, one of many they have only succeeded in hurting) to their vicious central bank bomb. My family is one that has suffered in the riots. But they are also a family whose house the fernandoes living opposite saved (again, one of a hundred such stories). Please tamils abroad, if you want to help those here, stay out of this and let us rebuild our lives. Racism we can deal with, but first we need to be alive.
Nobody wants war, and what has been done is truly despicable. But why didn’t the LTTE acccept the generous solutions offered over and over?
For those of you so well informed, it was the LTTE who stopped the north voting in the less hardline UNP party.
Everyone’s view of the world is warped. The majority of this country doens’t know anythign of the positive impact NGOs have made to the land. The tamils have to stomache their own fears and go around bravely, trying to fall in line, and see what future they have here, trying to be accepted, trying to undo the damage, the embarrassment that a quarter century of foolishness and murder came to. Please don’t make it harder for us than it is.
Brecht had Galileo’s student Andrea chiding his teacher: ‘Unhappy is the land that has no hero’. And he got Galileo to say, ‘No Andrea, unhappy is the land that NEEDS a hero’. Are we an unhappy land? I don’t think so.
I sympathise with all the families and loves one of those who died, regardless of whether they were Sinhalese or Tamils, pro-LTTE or anti-LTTE. Families are not to blame.
I am also sad for Sam Thambimuttu. He should wake up soon.
sam thambipillai, i am saddened by your views and your ignorance about a seperate state in Sri Lanka.. Sri Lanka should always be a unitary state – do you not see what happened to india and Pakistan- the bloodshed post the declaration of two separate states! How can britian recognize a separate state TE when they themselves did not cede NI.. Anyway I would not want to have lived in a TE! what with that killer prabhakaran as my leader .. No! he was likened to a “fat grub oiled everyday and fed on curry and clint eastwood films.. Reminds me of the North Korean leader who loves his mcdonalds!!
I bet you live overseas mr sam and send your donations to the LTTE so that they can hide behind those tamils who they used as human shields.. Cowards!.. Prabhakaran was shot from behind! what does that say about your golden leader! did he carry a cyanide pill round his neck! oh no.. that is only for his minions.. not for him! he was the great Leader!.. wake up Mr sam and others who believe the LTTE was their leadership and want a tamil state. Please stay where you are and leave SL alone if you do not want to join in being part of a single state. I am a tamil too and this is what I wish for SL, I have lived here all my life, lived amoung sinhalese, tamils, muslims and burghers and never once wanted the country to be divided. If you want a separate state please go and live in tamil nadu.. I have lived there – may be you should try it sometime. Mr karunanidhi will no doubt welcome you!