( Prof.Madan Menon Thottasseri)
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The rehabilitation process should have concluded by Dec,2009 prior to the Presidential poll in Jan,2010. It may be delayed due to the high volumn of War Displaced Persons.
Sri Lankan regime may know that India’s participation and valuable opinions will help them to be more proactive and moderate in designing the road map for a political solution to the ethnicity in the homeland of both Tamils and Sinhalese of all religions.Political parties in Tamil Nadu, in India have to be cautious as the people of both countries who have seen the war with different perceptive outlooks due to a host of reasons in the tiny island nation for many decades and despite having contradictory opinions on the close of the war, each group may have to necessarily have a gracious approach to the complex issue of rehabilitation of refugees and reach a consensus on the issue.
Of course there was international criticism against Sri Lanka on this matter. The promise to release Tamil refugees and detainees was cautiously welcomed by many international organizations and governments. The British Minister for International Development Mike Foster who had been to Sri Lanka expressed disappointment on the slow pace of releasing detainees and warned of withdrawing funding for refugee camps in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately Sri Lankan regime didn’t share the details of plans for resettlement of detainees which prevented global organizations to assist or guide on this respect. This was the main drawback.
The Sri Lankan regime was in a slow pace while deciding on the status-quo to be maintained for the ongoing rehabilitation. Taking into account the volumn of the issue wherein lakhs of people are to be moved out of camps to their respective villages, facilitating the members of a family to join together when they are accommodated in different camps, removal of mines in villages, providing them with house-hold kits etc. will be an enormous and challenging task. Unfortunately Sri Lankan regime didn’t share the details of plans for resettlement of detainees which prevented global organizations to assist or guide on this respect. This was a main drawback.
It was fine that U.S had sent Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary of State, and U.N had sent Maj Gen Patrick Cammaert as Special Envoy of the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to Sri Lanka. They would have delivered what they are expected to and advised the Sri Lankan government accordingly. There should be a humanitarian approach to the real problems of the innocent people of Tamil origin who are still not rehabilitated and few of them leading a sub-human life in Camps.
In fact President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to be appreciated to begin a CBM for showing a positive deviation for accepting the ‘Indian Concern’ in the Sri Lankan issues and paved the way for the visit of a delegation comprising Indian Parliamentarians from the state of Tamil Nadu, to refugee camps in the island nation in the last year. The Rajapaksa government gracefully came forward to hear opinions from the most responsible political front in India who have empathy to the victims of war in the island nation. The octogenarian Chief Minister Dr.M. Karunanidhi rose to the level of a statesman by interacting with the Sri Lankan regime and enabled a delegation to visit there. In fact the Sri Lankan government and its President were in the lime-light then. People of India, particularly from the state of Tamil Nadu praised President Rajapaksa when he prevailed on the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for steering a fresh relationship with the regime at Colombo and the rehabilitation of war-displaced people of Tamil origin.
Also, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister refined his vision for peace in Sri Lanka and the life of Tamil speaking people belonging to the island nation for generations. If President Rajapaksa was not sarcastic then, when he had asserted to the visiting Indian delegation that for the political solution to be arrived at towards the ethnic issues of Sri Lanka, he would expect the fulfillment of two conditions viz. the solution is to be acceptable to all communities and it should also be acceptable to the neighbor (India) as well! Even now he can seek the help of India, particularly Tamil Nadu in the ongoing rehabilitation tasks. The Octogenarian Dr.Karunanidhi, the high profile Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu can take the mantle and facilitate for a peaceful atmosphere in Sri Lanka wherein the refugees are to be accommodated back to their normal life in their own villages.
Sri Lankan regime must gather support from all sections of society to arrive at a consensus on a challenging and lasting political solution for the peaceful muti-lingual and multi-religious society in the island nation. It is very important that government has to offer an economic package to refugees returning to native places, for commencement of farming; trade, business and industrial activities for generation of employment opportunities in the regions where they are being resettled. They should be given the right support to live with pride while preserving their own esteemed culture.
Any Sri Lankan regime, here afterwards has to understand that there should be thrust on democratic principles of equality and devolution of power for people to avail equal opportunities and gain equal status under the constitution.
I strongly feel that island nation’s majority people are silently weeping for all carnages which seeded the feeling of abhorrence at the bottom of their minds. Of course, they can relinquish malevolence ideas over a period of time provided there are sincere efforts to put forth CBMs from all quarters.
Each and every citizen of Sri Lanka should contribute their individual might for Peace in their nation while rehabilitating the war displaced Tamil people and implementing a political solution for the Tamil ethnicity in the island nation
President Rajapaksa has to ensure that all citizens are to be assured of their safety and security and guarantee protection from any sources which instigate human rights violations. This will be possible only if an exclusive council with nominated members from the ethnic, minority and immigrant communities is formed in bottom level of Local Administration and Police Departments who can be contacted for any immediate assistance. This responsible council can be given the right to vouch the reliability of detainees who are still not released while suspected as threats to the nation. The high profile members can guarantee for their return to the mainstream society. Let all young people who had associated with militia and waged war be given the chance to return to their family and lead a normal life here afterwards.
At the same time the government should not let any nationalist movements in disguise which instigate people to nurse feelings of repugnance targeting people of a particular creed or culture, whether in majority or minority societies.
Let me recall our Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Sri Lanka in November,2009 primarily to deliver the 4th Lakshman Kadirgamar Memorial Lecture on Saturday 14th November, 2009 and be at the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Sri Dalada Malingawa Temple in Kandy. He urged Lankans to make use of the defeat of terrorism and secessionism to permanently change the complexion of inter-ethnic relations for the betterment of the island nation. He reiterated that it will be important for everybody in Sri Lanka to realize that a Political settlement is not a ‘zero-sum game’. As a down-to-earth advice, he even cited India’s experience in managing multi-religious and multi-cultural societies. His speech gave thrust on democratic principles of devolution of power, equality for accessing opportunities and equal status before constitution that facilitated India to address divisive tendencies of all sorts. His said “clear separation of powers, rule of law, social justice, secularism, free press, vigilant citizens and civil groups have ensured that threats to your sovereignty from within or without are tackled with an inner strength that can come only through the ballot”.
Every common man in India or Sri Lanka will wish to find a political solution to ethnicity in the war ravaged Sri Lanka. The Opposition front in Tamil Nadu too can interact with refugees in various locations in Sri Lanka and India and come forward with constructive opinions enabling to suggest a political solution package. There should not be any slightest element of Political advantage to target the sensitive linguistic-vote bank in Tamil Nadu while taking a stand in the issue of refugees, by the ruling or opposition fronts. They will be appreciated by the people for their constructive participation and valuable opinions for prompting the regime in Sri Lanka to be more proactive and moderate in designing the road map for a political solution to the ethnicity in the homeland of both Tamils and Sinhalese of all religions.
The Sri Lankan President holds the reins of a US$ 40 billion economy that has enjoyed a partial peace dividend, and is on the path to recovery with big Chinese and Indian investments into infrastructure plans to put US$4 billions into development. Or the nation wounded by decades of war and connected impasse in the development of local industry, business and agriculture, the new government have to heal the same by building a national identity and reconnecting the former war zones to the rest of the world.
Probably the Sri Lankan government has to rebuild the very basic infrastructure viz. power connections, roads, bridges, telephones etc. in the majority affected areas and international donors may be willing to contribute for the same. India can help Sri Lanka by giving assistance in our know-how on installation of telecommunication lines, construction of roads and bridges etc. Sri Lanka can seek help from Indian Railways not only for reopening of bunged railway lines in Sri Lanka but also for creation of a railway network linking small towns especially in north and east with the capital Colombo.
The Sri Lankan Government should apply caution and not to over-celebrate the war victory or election victory solely to enable the nation to have a transition from the very devastation.
India and Sri Lanka together will form a big Trade-Power in the region and can jointly formulate policies for safe-guarding the interests of both countries. Both countries are having almost a uniform export basket and thus can even jointly formulate export strategies for value addition through mutual import of high-quality of tea and plantation produce for further export to Europe and U.S market under the global trade regime and ensure that highest value in foreign-exchange are earned.
Sri Lankan regime may know that India’s participation and valuable opinions will help them to be more proactive and moderate in designing the road map for a political solution to the ethnicity in the homeland of both Tamils and Sinhalese of all religions.Political parties in Tamil Nadu, in India have to be cautious as the people of both countries who have seen the war with different perceptive outlooks due to a host of reasons in the tiny island nation for many decades and despite having contradictory opinions on the close of the war, each group may have to necessarily have a gracious approach to the complex issue of rehabilitation of refugees and reach a consensus on the issue.
Of course there was international criticism against Sri Lanka on this matter. The promise to release Tamil refugees and detainees was cautiously welcomed by many international organizations and governments. The British Minister for International Development Mike Foster who had been to Sri Lanka expressed disappointment on the slow pace of releasing detainees and warned of withdrawing funding for refugee camps in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately Sri Lankan regime didn’t share the details of plans for resettlement of detainees which prevented global organizations to assist or guide on this respect. This was the main drawback.
The Sri Lankan regime was in a slow pace while deciding on the status-quo to be maintained for the ongoing rehabilitation. Taking into account the volumn of the issue wherein lakhs of people are to be moved out of camps to their respective villages, facilitating the members of a family to join together when they are accommodated in different camps, removal of mines in villages, providing them with house-hold kits etc. will be an enormous and challenging task. Unfortunately Sri Lankan regime didn’t share the details of plans for resettlement of detainees which prevented global organizations to assist or guide on this respect. This was a main drawback.
It was fine that U.S had sent Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary of State, and U.N had sent Maj Gen Patrick Cammaert as Special Envoy of the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to Sri Lanka. They would have delivered what they are expected to and advised the Sri Lankan government accordingly. There should be a humanitarian approach to the real problems of the innocent people of Tamil origin who are still not rehabilitated and few of them leading a sub-human life in Camps.
In fact President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to be appreciated to begin a CBM for showing a positive deviation for accepting the ‘Indian Concern’ in the Sri Lankan issues and paved the way for the visit of a delegation comprising Indian Parliamentarians from the state of Tamil Nadu, to refugee camps in the island nation in the last year. The Rajapaksa government gracefully came forward to hear opinions from the most responsible political front in India who have empathy to the victims of war in the island nation. The octogenarian Chief Minister Dr.M. Karunanidhi rose to the level of a statesman by interacting with the Sri Lankan regime and enabled a delegation to visit there. In fact the Sri Lankan government and its President were in the lime-light then. People of India, particularly from the state of Tamil Nadu praised President Rajapaksa when he prevailed on the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for steering a fresh relationship with the regime at Colombo and the rehabilitation of war-displaced people of Tamil origin.
Also, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister refined his vision for peace in Sri Lanka and the life of Tamil speaking people belonging to the island nation for generations. If President Rajapaksa was not sarcastic then, when he had asserted to the visiting Indian delegation that for the political solution to be arrived at towards the ethnic issues of Sri Lanka, he would expect the fulfillment of two conditions viz. the solution is to be acceptable to all communities and it should also be acceptable to the neighbor (India) as well! Even now he can seek the help of India, particularly Tamil Nadu in the ongoing rehabilitation tasks. The Octogenarian Dr.Karunanidhi, the high profile Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu can take the mantle and facilitate for a peaceful atmosphere in Sri Lanka wherein the refugees are to be accommodated back to their normal life in their own villages.
Sri Lankan regime must gather support from all sections of society to arrive at a consensus on a challenging and lasting political solution for the peaceful muti-lingual and multi-religious society in the island nation. It is very important that government has to offer an economic package to refugees returning to native places, for commencement of farming; trade, business and industrial activities for generation of employment opportunities in the regions where they are being resettled. They should be given the right support to live with pride while preserving their own esteemed culture.
Any Sri Lankan regime, here afterwards has to understand that there should be thrust on democratic principles of equality and devolution of power for people to avail equal opportunities and gain equal status under the constitution.
I strongly feel that island nation’s majority people are silently weeping for all carnages which seeded the feeling of abhorrence at the bottom of their minds. Of course, they can relinquish malevolence ideas over a period of time provided there are sincere efforts to put forth CBMs from all quarters.
Each and every citizen of Sri Lanka should contribute their individual might for Peace in their nation while rehabilitating the war displaced Tamil people and implementing a political solution for the Tamil ethnicity in the island nation
President Rajapaksa has to ensure that all citizens are to be assured of their safety and security and guarantee protection from any sources which instigate human rights violations. This will be possible only if an exclusive council with nominated members from the ethnic, minority and immigrant communities is formed in bottom level of Local Administration and Police Departments who can be contacted for any immediate assistance. This responsible council can be given the right to vouch the reliability of detainees who are still not released while suspected as threats to the nation. The high profile members can guarantee for their return to the mainstream society. Let all young people who had associated with militia and waged war be given the chance to return to their family and lead a normal life here afterwards.
At the same time the government should not let any nationalist movements in disguise which instigate people to nurse feelings of repugnance targeting people of a particular creed or culture, whether in majority or minority societies.
Let me recall our Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Sri Lanka in November,2009 primarily to deliver the 4th Lakshman Kadirgamar Memorial Lecture on Saturday 14th November, 2009 and be at the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Sri Dalada Malingawa Temple in Kandy. He urged Lankans to make use of the defeat of terrorism and secessionism to permanently change the complexion of inter-ethnic relations for the betterment of the island nation. He reiterated that it will be important for everybody in Sri Lanka to realize that a Political settlement is not a ‘zero-sum game’. As a down-to-earth advice, he even cited India’s experience in managing multi-religious and multi-cultural societies. His speech gave thrust on democratic principles of devolution of power, equality for accessing opportunities and equal status before constitution that facilitated India to address divisive tendencies of all sorts. His said “clear separation of powers, rule of law, social justice, secularism, free press, vigilant citizens and civil groups have ensured that threats to your sovereignty from within or without are tackled with an inner strength that can come only through the ballot”.
Every common man in India or Sri Lanka will wish to find a political solution to ethnicity in the war ravaged Sri Lanka. The Opposition front in Tamil Nadu too can interact with refugees in various locations in Sri Lanka and India and come forward with constructive opinions enabling to suggest a political solution package. There should not be any slightest element of Political advantage to target the sensitive linguistic-vote bank in Tamil Nadu while taking a stand in the issue of refugees, by the ruling or opposition fronts. They will be appreciated by the people for their constructive participation and valuable opinions for prompting the regime in Sri Lanka to be more proactive and moderate in designing the road map for a political solution to the ethnicity in the homeland of both Tamils and Sinhalese of all religions.
The Sri Lankan President holds the reins of a US$ 40 billion economy that has enjoyed a partial peace dividend, and is on the path to recovery with big Chinese and Indian investments into infrastructure plans to put US$4 billions into development. Or the nation wounded by decades of war and connected impasse in the development of local industry, business and agriculture, the new government have to heal the same by building a national identity and reconnecting the former war zones to the rest of the world.
Probably the Sri Lankan government has to rebuild the very basic infrastructure viz. power connections, roads, bridges, telephones etc. in the majority affected areas and international donors may be willing to contribute for the same. India can help Sri Lanka by giving assistance in our know-how on installation of telecommunication lines, construction of roads and bridges etc. Sri Lanka can seek help from Indian Railways not only for reopening of bunged railway lines in Sri Lanka but also for creation of a railway network linking small towns especially in north and east with the capital Colombo.
The Sri Lankan Government should apply caution and not to over-celebrate the war victory or election victory solely to enable the nation to have a transition from the very devastation.
India and Sri Lanka together will form a big Trade-Power in the region and can jointly formulate policies for safe-guarding the interests of both countries. Both countries are having almost a uniform export basket and thus can even jointly formulate export strategies for value addition through mutual import of high-quality of tea and plantation produce for further export to Europe and U.S market under the global trade regime and ensure that highest value in foreign-exchange are earned.
