Far beyond my imagination - I did not expect the war to end so soon. There is a great deal of work to be done, starting with the welfare, rights and rehabilitation of our Tamil people who have been suffering for too long.
I am glad to see the LTTE cower into a small guerilla group, they are finished - no doubt in my mind that this isn't over, i know there will be more suicide bombings, attacks and calls from tiny caves and lame websites saying this is not over. But it is, that chapter is closed, and the country which i have only known as a war-ridden island is now free of war in one scale. It has been an emotional day for Sri Lankans, at home and abroad - but that is what we are - we are all Sri Lankans, and we are united whether we like it or not, in a semblance of shock, relief, fear and emotional compassion for those who we know need it most.
For my family who are not here any more to see this day, as many others will be thinking now, I feel a great sense of loss. It was not what I imagined it to be, there are clear cut celebrations at home with people feeling the gravity of this situation possibly moreso. After all, the country has beat it's enemy. But the enemy was never the Tamil people, just a meglomaniacal group of people who lost the plot a long time ago.
Word is that the top leadership have killed themselves Hitler style, fled the scene (no surprise) or have been killed without knowledge yet. Soosai's wife, daughter and son were captured fleeing with Rs. 600,000/- in cash in bags, gold and jewelry - that's one way of caring for your people.
The fact is, I feel refreshed today. I feel like we can really implement the change that my generation has spoken about for many months and years... we can finally show the world that Sri Lanka is full of united, warm-hearted and constructive people who want their country to be all that it can be, after living in the shadow of war for over 30 years. We are not Tamil-hating, malicious, nationalistic war mongers like the West believes so. And we are a tiny island nation who managed to bring a terrorist organisation to it's knees - without the help of the big super-powers who are still battling with their own around the world.
To this day I say thank God we are able to be a part of history. And only each of us as individuals can make the change we want to see - we can't leave it to others to see our aspirations through.
4 comments:
I couldn't agree with you more. I am happy, yet wary. It is up to the Sri Lankan people to ensure that the issues behind the militant struggle are addressed and we reconcile our differences. We have finally been given an opportunity to start over, to rebuild ethnic relations and to reconcile our differences. Yet my cynicism and lack of faith in the current government prevent me from being as happy as I could be. I find one of the most frightening developments is the new(and potentially dangerous) breed of radicalism rearing its ugly head, on both sides.
In the past few months, I have been more aware of my ethnicity than ever before. Since when have such things mattered? I sincerely hope that in the future, the ethnic divide will become irrelevant, that a healthy and mutually prosperous relationship is fostered between the communities, and the North and South, and that Sri Lanka will finally have peace at last.
We have the chance to make this Sri Lanka's finest hour.
soosai's family 4? 5? people were fleeing for their lives with all that they owned and it was a whole £3,341.60 (SL Rs. 600,000) - wow, thieving bastards, raping the country and attempting to flee to safety in the west with so much of the country's wealth.
wonder how much the raja bros have taken out of the country?
you disappeared for awhile - thank goodness you're back with your pearls of wisdom
Hello V, thank you for your comment - really appreciate it as I think not many people outside Lanka understand the complexities of our current situation. As you can see from the anonymous comment below yours, there are those who are quite ignorant of the gravity of what has happened to our country in the past few days.
I too have been feeling happy but wary. Also very uplifted but extremely aware of the task ahead - the main one being the welfare and protection of the Tamil people who have been literally spat out the other end of what was hell.
The current government have achieved what no govt have done so far, and believe me when I say - I am not a supporter. But as the past few weeks have wore on, I have come to realise through many of my friends who are working in the north and east to assist those in need, that you have to work through this govt in order to touch and help the people who need it most. Irrelevant of political/historical opinion and value.
The way we can do this is to encourage more and more moderate people to work with the country through the govt if necessary, from fiscal policy development to rehabilitation - that way we root out extremists and war mongers who do not want to see this issue settled once and for all. Many of whom are those who we think are helping us, like protestors and iNGO's etc.
The ethnic divide has not been felt so much by me, I have felt closer to Tamils than ever before - I have met many in the past month and have become great friends with them in light of this struggle because we all agree on the same thing. Which is, only the moderately voiced people of Sri Lanka through their actions, can make this the shining moment. We can't rely upon anyone else. Which is why we must have faith.
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