Former Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was a fearless man who stood steadfast in defending the peace process in Sri Lanka and paid for the belief with his own life, speakers at a commemoration of his second death anniversary said here on Sunday. The commemoration was organised by the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission.
Kadirgamar was committed to finding a viable and lasting solution to Sri Lanka’s internal conflict and believed that terrorism should be fought on various fronts, Mano Wijeyeratne, Sri Lankan Minister of Enterprise Development, who represented President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said.
Remembering the services rendered by Kadirgamar, who was assassinated by the LTTE, Mr. Wijeyeratne said by reaching out to the international community, he had played a vital role in urging them to curb the organisation, especially its fund raising activities.
An avid lover of books, he was pained by the war-time destruction of the Jaffna library and was instrumental in rebuilding and restoring it to its old glory.
Kadirgamar was keen on finding a just, fair and negotiated solution to the ethnic conflict and contributed to drafting of the Constitutional proposals from 1995-1997 and in 2000, Mr. Wijeyeratne said.
The Sri Lankan Government had never wavered in its commitment to find a political solution to the problem with the consensus of all parties and communities, he said.
Kadirgamar spoke fearlessly on the scourge of terrorism and its global impact and eventually lay down his life to expose the activities of the LTTE, P.M. Amza, Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner for south India, said.
He also helped to focus international condemnation on the LTTE’s practice of conscripting children as soldiers, a practice the organisation was still continuing.
Since 2006, approximately 20,000 Sri Lankan refugees had arrived in Tamil Nadu and 27 per cent of them were youngsters who had been brought to India by their parents, fearing forceful recruitment by the LTTE.
Kadirgamar also raised the issue of terrorism at several international fora, Mr. Amza said and recalled the various facets of the slain Minister: first as lawyer, then an international civil servant, a global advocate for curbing terrorism and a much-respected Minister.
Earlier, representatives from various religious groups participated in a ceremony to pray for Kadirgamar.
(Courtesy : The Hindu)
Post a Comment