Point of view

Peace is not merely the absence of war

By Dr. S. Narapalasingam

Regardless of the duration of the ongoing war and needless loss of further lives, the reality is Sri Lanka will continue to remain as one multi-ethnic country. It is, therefore, important that unity in diversity is considered not as an abstract concept but a necessary goal.

The climate of anxiety, suspicion and disorder continues to help the extremists in their campaign to obstruct national reconciliation. The antagonistic feelings of those severely afflicted by the war will hinder the healing process. The moral fabric of Tamil society has been severely damaged by forces within acting in the name of liberation. Intimidation, violence, brutality, intolerance and deception have become the noticeable features of the new Tamil culture.

Since the ethnic conflict escalated into a brutal war, it is the Tamil society that has become disorganised because of the climate of fear and misguidance of those responsible for creating it. Among the professionals and mature persons a few have become apologists of the self-destructive movement and some others its propagandists whose business is to confuse and give false hope to the people. It is astonishing those who should enlighten the masses have themselves misunderstood the true meaning of liberation. Perhaps it means for them escape from the suffering that others are experiencing and will continue to face in the future, if the "liberators" maintain their grip on these less fortunate people. Their hypocrisy lies in the fact they are in safe places and some have a secure future where they are settled now, while some others hope to reach this state in due course by helping to prolong the conflict. Although violence and corruption have intruded into Sinhala culture, the situation has not reached the same desperate state. This is because of some courageous civic leaders who have been exposing the disturbing trend within their community and warning of its dire consequences in the long term. Although political violence raised its ugly head long before the North-East war intensified, there is no doubt that the latter has contributed largely to many evil practices .

Damaging party politics

The unprincipled competitive rivalry between the two parties inherent in the country's political system has contributed largely to the divisions in the Sri Lankan society. The consequent problems that arose from their acts of commission and omission and which gave vigour to the ethnic division and mistrust were also used as a means to defeat the competitor. For every move of one party the other takes a counter move to sabotage it.

Civil society's intervention

The intervention of the civil society is needed on two broad fronts. On the political front, efforts must be directed towards persuading the two main political parties to reach a consensus on the framework of a new constitution that is capable of standing the test of times.

The efforts of Sarvodaya Movement to bring people of different ethnic groups together for the common good are commendable. The recent call of the Association of Disabled Ex-Service Personnel to pressurise all concerned to end the war indicates that the poor who are the ones most severely affected by the war are anxious to organize a broad based anti-war campaign. Many women's organizations have raised their voice for peace and the indications are that their support for this drive will be readily available.

Peace is not merely the absence of war but extends beyond, requiring social justice, civil liberties, good governance, security and equal opportunities for all citizens to prosper.

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