Nelson Mandela on his 90th birthday!

- Thinakkural Editorial

(July 26, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Former President Nelson Mandela is 90. Madela, who resigned from public life, at the age of 85, is sensitive to the sufferings of the people. He cannot watch injustice in society with folded arms, passively. Nobody who is concerned about the welfare of humanity can really retire from public service or public life.

On the eve of his birth day, he appealed that the rich must help the poor.

In the wake of the whole country celebrating his birthday as an official celebration, he responded that it gave him a modest pride that they were celebrating the birth day of him, who is no more their President.

Prior to his being elected as the first black President, he had served a term of imprisonment for 27 years as the President of the banned African National Congress. Mandela is described as the greatest leader of the 20th century.

Although he is ninety, he is very active and lively. He is the Chairman of 3 foundations. He has been conferred with honorary doctorates by 50 prestigious universities.

Today, he treads along the international arena as an ambassador of goodwill. A notable feature of his leadership is that he volunteered to step down after having served five years as the President of his country without aspiring to serve another term. He had ensured a sound democracy in his country.

In the 60's, when the then apartheid regime unleashed oppression on his people, he launched a non violent, Gandhian struggle. Later in the 90's, he chose an armed struggle. Thereafter, he opted for negotiations after he was released from jail.

It is salutary that he turned down an offer by the apartheid government to release him from prison if he promised to give up his commitment to an armed struggle as a means to achieve freedom.

We are blessed to live in an era in which Mandela is hailed as a moral leader, who has an irresistible faith that the truth will triumph!

(An English translation of the Editorial inThinakkural, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo)
- Sri Lanka Guardian