As much as it is a significant victory in contemporary Sri Lankan history, we must be empathic to how the tamil citizens of our country may feel about the Sri Lankan defence forces eliminating the LTTE. Without a doubt the majority of ordinary tamils must feel a difficult to explain mixture of sadness, hopelessness, resignation and even some relief. Understandably most would refrain without showing how they feel.
Sri Lankans must clearly understand that there is nothing to be gained by adding insult to the psychological and other injuries already sustained by the tamil bretheren living among us. Those who rub salt into the wounds of friends will only make enemies, and our true enemies of the pro-LTTE mob must be waiting for that to happen. Such behavior on its own could turn out to be another July-83 even if it is sans violence against anyone.
This is exactly why it becomes very important that the President, other prominant statesmen, opposition leaders, tamil politicians such as Devananda and Ananda Sangaree etc address the nation, not to give victory speeches, but to deliver cold sober 'Let's talk of where we go from here as a single nation' talks. There must not be any declarations which further alienate the tamil citizens of Sri Lanka, but only verbal attempts and actions that are aimed at healing the wounds. This is not a victory of one community over another, but the defeat of a tribal, racist terrorism no Sri Lankan will ever want to live with. However, all Sri Lankans must necessarilly be aware of how our tamil neighbors may be feeling deep in their hearts. Reaching out to the tamils among us and speaking openly of understanding those feelings and apprehensions will open an opportunity for free and honest dialogue which can lead to greater understanding of not our differences, but how common our future aspirations can be.
The next goal before our nation will be to find the common grounds on which all of our people can feel a sense of belonging, and pride of ownership. Finding the answers will not be an easy task, but as Sri Lankans have already proven that we are capable of accomplishing the impossible when we really want to. The journey may not be easy, but it will be one which rewards everyone on all sides, unlike the end of a war in which there is always the defeated and the dead.
The Buddhist clergy, long associated with sinhala nationalism also have a unique opportunity to change that public perspective and become pillars of a unifying force that embraces tamils and other minorities for their own cultural values. It is imperative that the leading buddhist monks and figureheads of other faiths all deliver a message of hope for a unified future in which the military aspects of our past are down played.
Here's an important message for some of you younger hot heads; Sacrifices made by our soldiers were for the purpose of unifying our nation and restoring dignity as a single nation which includes everybody. We just militarily beat the opposing view. At this critical time, we will remember the scrifices our soldiers made, but we will not talk of them and their actions in ways that will defeat the purpose for which they died.
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