| by Gnana Moonesinghe
( March 31, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) A rational look at this whole process will demonstrate that in the passage of the resolution there are no winners or losers; no bogeyman to hound. The process must be looked upon as another wake- up call for the nation to get on with domestic matters which need urgent resolution to bring about reconciliation, peace and development.
It has to be recalled that immediately after the end of the war in 2009 there were no catcalls for accountability for the ‘deaths’ during the last days of the military operations; not from the foreign countries now in the forefront or from the diaspora or from India or Tamil Nadu. It was only when the government was seen to have no positive agenda for the reconciliation processes that would permit the Tamils to live as equal citizens in the country of their origin /birth that rumblings began with the space opening up for individuals and organizations to agitate for accountability at the end of the war. No doubt every country that has engaged in war will be aware that no one is throwing rose petals at the ‘enemy’; war is a call to win at any cost –kill or be killed or put in generous terms vanquish your enemy by any means. None of the countries that voted for the resolution calling for accountability can say that the wars they fought or are fighting does not end in casualties that if probed will end in the questionable state Sri Lanka finds herself in.
Turning the UNHRC resolution inside out looking for bogeymen and scoundrels will be time frittered away on a valueless project that will only end in making the country stagnate. Steps must be taken to move forward and bring about reconciliation and peace which will automatically bring about closure to the conflict and the war. Revisiting the war period, mementos et al, and rekindling anger will help no one. It will only open up old wounds and keep the country ‘festering" from the recollection of past horrors committed on all sides. If Sri Lanka puts all this behind - the war, the resolutions, the hostile constituency etc. - and attack with renewed interest the issues highlighted and agitated for within the country before and after the war, the first step in the act of uniting the people of this country can be said to have commenced. That the same issues have been addressed by the UNHRC resolution can be ignored. It can be a question of what came first- the chicken or the egg!
If it is considered necessary, Sri Lanka can get satisfaction from the fact that while 25 countries actively supported the resolution there were 21 countries that had reservations, a little less than half the total composition of the UNHRC. Let there be no dissection for the rationale behind this state of in between stand by the eight countries that abstained rather than voted for or against the resolution. Let the country as a whole think this is a period for positive thinking, for positive steps to be taken within the country to make us progress and bring happiness to all our people and not just sections of the people. We might then be able to present ourselves as a nation in control of our destiny.
The emerging trends for ethno religious fanaticism
It will also be timely to make a clarion call to halt the moves to rouse racial hostilities once again, this time against the Muslim minority that had always prided themselves on their ability to integrate successfully within the diversity of the nation. The country does not need this distraction; it cannot afford the consequences of a follow up to such irresponsible, ill informed, and ill-judged actions. It is to be hoped that in the light of the drastic consequences of the three decade war just behind us the leadership will admonish those who are raising issues with the Muslims creating ethno religious fanaticism. This will be the litmus test for the government, the opposition and the people as well. The country cannot be allowed to drift away on unnecessary ‘excursions’ with no acceptable logic or objective. The only dividend from such a course will be to slow our nation building process by creating new fissures in society. Wisdom must be permitted to prevail over folly.
The Buddha’s words of wisdom
It is also timely to revisit the profound philosophy of the Buddha and purify our thoughts as well as of those in the forefront of the recent ethno religious upheavals. The Buddha said:
* "Go now and wander for the welfare and happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the benefit, welfare and happiness of gods and men. Teach the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle and good in the end, with the meaning and the letter. Explain a holy life that is utterly perfect and pure".
* "By oneself alone is evil done: by oneself is one defiled.
By oneself alone is evil avoided: by oneself is one purified.
Purity and impurity depend on oneself.
No one can purify another".
* " No other thing do I know, O monks, that is so intractable as an undeveloped mind. An undeveloped mind is, indeed, an intractable thing.
"No other thing do I know, O monks, that brings so much suffering as an undeveloped and uncultivated mind. An undeveloped mind and uncultivated mind brings suffering, indeed……..
``No other thing do I know, O monks, that brings us much benefit as a mind that is tamed, guarded, protected and controlled. Such a mind, indeed, brings great benefit."
A reading of the above quotes from the Buddha’s teaching will help one to walk the path the Buddha expected his disciples to follow. The trail to be taken is self- explanatory. There is no room for aggression, for imposition, or for violence. There is only room for compassion, tolerance and accommodation and rectification wherever necessary by whosoever needs to.
Enlightened role for Leadership
The UPFA government is a coalition of a diversity of opinions and policy makeup, some of them covering common areas and some so diverse it seems as if there is little hope for a unified approach. However, in a coalition, voices have to be mellow to express diversity of opinions and ideas, while there has to be opportunities available to accommodate compromises that can lead to a common approach. In such a situation the value of leadership is in facilitating a platform for all the coalition partners to express themselves while the leader uses his/her skill to keep the diversity in line so that a united approach can be carefully crafted for the government. Each constituent member of the coalition cannot be allowed to flag their own line deviating from the united goal for the nation and its citizens, citizen status being equal whether they are from the majority or the minority.
Sri Lanka is at the threshold of change; the nation has to move from limited action to a full throttle if we are to secure internal cohesion and amicable relations amongst the different ethno-religious groups and give no room for criticisms for ineptitude in fulfilling the tasks in the post conflict period. It is at this point that leadership matters; leadership must take a central position to provide the essential thrust to the movement forward.
In the pursuit of giving leadership narrow political advantage must not gain a lead role; an astute leader will realize that it is to his/her credit that he /she must install an effective process equipped with institutions activated by capable men and women to perform bearing in focus only the ‘vision’ for effective policy making. When a vision is in place and such vision gains advocacy from the leadership in unequivocal terms, then the process will take off. More frequently than not the ambivalence in policy matters without clear statement of support for initiatives have not only stalled but created controversy, in fact, encouraged controversy and dissension crippling energized initiatives from those in charge of implementation of policy decisions. Leadership must provide the push for programs initiated by the government while making it a committed policy decision to co-opt civil society, NGOs, the private sector, trade unions etc. to take the policies forward. It is paramount that people be empowered to live as one nation and unite on the basis of ethnicity and religion.
In dealing with and through the different institutions and agents for implementing policy for a variety of programs for economic growth and social cohesion (within the plural society) it should be instilled in the individuals involved that they have to be sensitive and respectful of the respective social and cultural norms prevalent among the people. These various social and cultural norms it must be understood are the identity makers of the social groups within the country and they cannot be submerged for uniformity or be wished away as the problems arising from the differences need to be tackled if the country is to be able to reach understanding with all the constituent groups within the polity.
Review UNHRC resolution as an opportunity to initiate change.
The resolution passed by the UNHRC sessions must be looked upon as an opportunity which will help the nation to focus attention on certain areas that have created disharmony, opposition and agitation within the country. Let us forget that there are problems that have permitted intrusive attention into our domestic affairs. Let us in unison work out our problems and find solutions some of which can be tackled, away from publicity and through what is known as "backstairs" politics which can be productive as compromises are easier to work out in a closed environment.
This should be the nation’s response to the criticisms leveled at Sri Lanka most of which without a doubt require immediate action: ethnic reconciliation, law and order, personal security, civil administration, lowering a couple of decibels on majoritarian politics, implementation of the homegrown report by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, liberal media and the separation of powers among the three branches of the government are the areas for joint initiative by government and civil society.
Micro approach crucial for Tamil leadership.
There has also to be a productive engagement by the Tamil leadership particularly in attending to the grassroots needs of the people. Some of the controversial issues can be tackled by the minority politicians by making a study of the status of the families, their losses both through death and through migration and classifying according to their economic capacity, income as well as skills, and the land requirements quantified as per person or village. Gender issues and war widows are yet another area crying for serious action. The macro process alone to the Tamil problem at this juncture is inadequate to resolve people’s problems.
Sri Lanka must DEAL with the country’s problems
The country needs to deal with its problems not to please or accommodate anyone outside but because people’s problems within the country need to resolved. In doing so, it does not become the personal concern of the leadership but has to be viewed from the national perspective. Individual leaders and parties do not matter. They become relevant only in the collective when combined with the polity. Political party sustainability for those involved is a negative, the only positive being the welfare of the people. The sum of the positive outcome of good governance procedures that will result from actions undertaken by the authorities may benefit the incumbent leadership. This is however incidental to the process, the centrality being the entire entity of PEOPLE in the country.
The nation must be allowed in the aftermath of the UNHRC Resolution to emerge as the winner and not the loser. Not by wishful thinking but by actions demonstrating positive approach to reconciliation, peace and security and accountability for this country. The nation can then get on with the task of living.
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