Let’s turn away from the demon of war

By Dr. U.L. Sarafdeen, Kalmunai

With the recent collapse of the fragile ceasefire agreement, our country has once again been taken towards the path of unwanted destruction of war that never brings any sensible and tangible solution to the nearly two decade-long suffering of the people in the face of ethnic strife, irrespective of their race and religion. The peaceful means and ways of seeking a solution to any problem are always associated with understanding and fathoming the root cause that led to the unpleasant situation.

The people of Sri Lanka periodically elect governments to find solutions to their day-to-day problems. Likewise, the people especially in the north and the east extend their fullest support and cooperation to those who pledge to bring an end to the hardship and sufferings they undergo in the face of the ethnic crisis. All in all, the people of Sri Lanka are in dire need of peace in the country whether they are Sinhalese, Tamil or Muslim.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil militant groups to respect the feelings of the people and their right to free and peaceful living by giving peace a chance. It is not too late for us to launch a new modus operandi by changing our attitude and mentality towards understanding the problems of our country rather than resorting to fratricidal fighting to vanquish each other in a destructive and meaningless war. It will further aggravate the suffering of the people and bring political and economic instability and calamity to our beautiful island.

The right thinking and peace loving people of Sri Lanka always prefer a meaningful and amicable way of solving problems by way of discussion and dialogue.

I hope the Government of Sri Lanka and Tamil militant groups will work for a new environment to restart the stalled peace process in the best interests of the people.