Dawn of wisdom!

- The Sudar Oli Editorial

(August 31, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Lanka’s Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse has stated that it is foolish to lay down any time frame to defeat the LTTE and to bring the war to an end. He has further stated that the military operations are being carried out successfully according to their agenda.

The time frame to defeat the LTTE and to end the war, was, in fact, stipulated by those on their side. It was not stated by those in the opposition. There were announcements to the effect that LTTE leader Prabaharan will not be alive to celebrate his next birth day. There were announcements that the war could be brought to an end within a stipulated time.

But, it is a good sign that it has been said that there can’t be any deadline fixed to end the war. In fact, he has reflected the version given by India’s National Security Advisor M.K.Narayanan. It was he who some time ago, in a Press interview, expressed the view that the Lankan forces may win battles but it will be difficult to win the war.

The extremist Sinhala Buddhist forces are of the view that they can destroy the LTTE, win the war and thrust a solution that they propose on an unwilling Tamil people. In accordance with this agenda, there had been announcements from time to time about a deadline to end the war. This propaganda made the people believe that the ethnic problem can be resolved militarily.

Every successive government has realized the futility of a military solution!

(An English translation of the Editorial in The Sudar Oli, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo.) - Sri Lanka Guardian