CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

Out of place, opportunistic, ad hoc policies of the UNP bring death and more deaths.

Viduragomi Vithana University College London

Major General Janaka Perera, a gallant soldier, war hero, an illustrious son of mother Lanka, had to die at the hands of cowards. When I say cowards, they include political masters in Colombo, who used him to pull chest nuts from the political fire. Dr Johnpulle, the Tamil physician would have saved countless lives in his career. And not this time. So many lives so precious are no more.

There is a belief among tiger watchers that they do not waste a suicide bomber without a military or political purpose. When Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated he was attending an election rally in Tamil Nadu. He had the potential to be re-elected as Prime Minister of India. President Premadasa, Lalith, Gamini all posed political risks to the tigers. President Kumaratunga and General Sarath Fonseka had a narrow shave. Major General Perera in military retirement, out of power, being the opposition leader of a province, had very little or no immediate threat to LTTE. One would not have imagined him to become defence secretary for the foreseeable future. Then was Dr Johnpulle, a Tamil leader among Sinhalese, who was the real target?. Or is it a desperate attempt to divert attention from the dire situation that LTTE is in today?.

UNP recently took a sudden U-turn vis a vis the war. It was in the not too distant past that Ranil Wickremesinghe ridiculed the government for capturing strategically important Thoppigala jungles. It has only been a one year since the UNP's desperate attempt to unseat the government and defeat the war budget, failed. Despite past acts of sabotage, when the armed forces knock on the doors of Kilinochchi, a public show of whatever patriotism is a must for political survival. Therefore, it was only logical for the UNP bigwigs to get on the wagon and start visiting hospitals to see injured soldiers. Tamilnet.com said on 05 October "UNP lends support to GOSL's war effort - Meanwhile, UNP party members have also been visiting injured soldiers at the Anuradapura, Polonnaruwa, and other hospitals, political sources in Colombo said.
UNP has also lent its hand to assist recruitment to Sri Lanka military in many southern Sinhala villages, sources added". Read the keyword "Anuradhapura". It appears that all had been arranged.

LTTE seems to have turned the gun on its southern ally which nurtured and sometimes, rescued them through a bogus peace process. UNP has been caught unawares and has been now reduced to the proverbial man who caught the tail of the tiger. It is a pity that the UNP top brains failed to do a proper threat assessment in the light of changing policies. Inconsistent, incoherent, out of place, ad hoc, opportunistic policies of the UNP have led and will lead to more deaths and destruction unless there is a clear change in direction for the sake of the country.

All those precious lives lost- may you attain supreme bliss of nibbhana!.

Viduragomi Vithana
University College London

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