CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS





 .
 .

 .
 .
.
 

A MAN OF HONOUR AND DIGNITY – THE DEFENCE SECRETARY OF SRI LANKA GOTABAYA RAJAPAKSA.
"Acceptance of reality is magnanimity".

Noor Nizam. Sri Lanka Peace Activist Canada.

When India's National Security Advisor M.K. Narayayan's commented Tuesday to the (The Straits Times of India) that even if Sri Lanka won the battle against the LTTE it would not win the war because “they haven't got the Tamil population on their side”, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Defence Secretary of the Government of Sri Lanka which is in confrontation with a political militant group turned the world’s most ruthless terrorist outfit, does not lament, but simply tells the world media (INAS) that:

“There is nothing negative to what Narayanan has said”.

The humble former army officer, younger brother of the elected President of Sri Lanka turned Secretary of Defence is quoted to have further said –

"The only area where we have failed is to show our genuineness, to convince the outsiders, about our sincerity in resolving the problem. In action we have proved it. Unfortunately, we are not good at propaganda. If Tamils indeed are not with us, then it is our weakness”.

Notwithstanding the fact that Gotabaya Rajapaksa is not a politician, but a Civil Servant and a common citizen of Sri Lanka, the magnanimity of this man to face the reality of the criticism of India’s National Security Advisor, with such humble and realistic response without mixing words as normally done as “jargons” by so-called elected politicians and “chit” MP’s, tells more about what indeed this son of Sri Lanka is. It is a matter of fact that, the Secretary of Defence has opened the curtains of the political stage of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, to expose a ‘3 dimension” reality of the “REAL” issues of the Tamil people who indeed have the same right as that of the Defence Secretary has – as a citizen of Sri Lanka.

Has not the government failed to convince the world about its sincerity to resolve the ethnic conflict. Then, let’s face facts –

“On the whole it is the inability of the president and the government to show the sincerity to the Tamils and to the outside world. We have to improve that... It will take time...”

said the Defence Secretary to IANS as part of his response to the criticism of Mr.M.K. Narayan who during his recent visit to Colombo to attend the 15t., SAARC summit had by destiny to travel from the venue of the summit to his hotel in a taxi, as safe as an ordinary citizen of Sri Lanka living in Colombo. Did this real life experience influence and assure India’s National Defence Advisor to conclude that it is time that the Sri Lankan Government and the majority sinhalese have to 'get the Tamil population on their side' if this ethnic war has to be won. Or was it rather that Mr. Narayan felt that the Tamils will be safe if a Peaceful political settlement with honour can be discussed and deliberated to a consensus conclusion by all parties concerned along with “getting the Tamil population on their side”. When it is quoted that Mr. Narayan tells:

“India can give this advice better than the Norwegians or any other country.”…… “These are people ( “pediyangals” the Sri Lankan Tamil boys) that we know, we understand. Do they want a situation like many countries have faced?”,

India is most sincere to advice Sri Lanka accordingly as expressed by India ’s National Security Advisor in his interview with The Straits Times of India.

As a Sri Lankan Peace Activist and a freelance journalist, having been a NORAD-Fellow and lived in Norway for many years, I have a very deep insight knowledge of the unscrupulous manipulative engagements of certain influential Norwegian political VIPS and groups, of whose treachery I have constantly challenged and warned in many of the articles and Op-Eds since the signing of the so-called “Truce accord on February the 23rd., 2002”. The then Prime Minister Hon. Ranil Wickremasinghe was used as a political pawn by the Norwegian Politicians of the like of Ambassador Jon Westborg, Norway's then Foreign Minister, Jan Petersen, then Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik and the never heard Norwegian politician in Norway - Erik Solhiem who the international media crowned as the “Sri Lanka Peace negotiator”, when indeed he was not. I have also real life experience to account for how the Norwegians deceived the Muslim Politicians who supported and initiated pioneering the Norwegian involvement in the so-called Peace process since 1977 to 2002.

The outcome of the conspiracy was the success of using Hon. Ranil Wickremasinghe to politically stab behind the back of the then President Chandrika Kumaratunga who had to carry the burden of the Norwegian oppression in Sri Lanka till 2005. It has been recently (now) proved beyond doubt that the Norwegians using their presence in Sri Lankan under the peace accord, the presence of the SLMM and their engagement in Humanitarian relief work and aid assistance have been the culprits who have been fanning the continued military involvements of the “boys – pediyangals” against the military and security forces of Sri Lanka, both sons of the soil of our land. What was the price the nation has paid for this Norwegian deception – lives of nearly 45,000 youths of the country, both Tamils and Sinhalese and around 15000 civilians of the Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim communities and not forgetting the billions of rupees worth of infrastructure and materials. To assist the Norwegians, there have been many a selfish Sinhala politicians. They are both formerly of the UNP under Hon. Ranil Wickremasinghe and the SLFP under HE. Chandrika Bandaranaike, and senior civil servants who helped the Norwegians to do what they have been involved with till the so-called Peace Accord was abrogated on 3rd of January 2008. These opportunists were well taken care of by the Norwegian interests in many ways. Some of the comrades of the JVP are also guilty of this accusation. It is sad to see that these opportunist politicians are even today in the cabinet of the HE. Mahinda Rajapaksa government wielding political power at the cost of the poor citizen’s votes and the senior civil servants are still hanging around the present government expecting foreign diplomatic assignments or high profile government statutory postings. In some of my earlier articles, I have warned the President to be cautious about such elements surrounding him and trying to wield their powers by giving the President wrong advice. The expressions made by Mr. Narayan and Mr. Gothabaya Rajapaksa are extra ordinary.

HE. Mahinda Rajakapsa should be very alert to the advice given (comments) made by India ’s Senior Defence Advisor Mr. M. K. Narayan and not sideline the comments as a “cry in the wilderness” by a Foreign Senior Civil Servant. In his humble younger brother – Secretary of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa, HE. The President should see the sincerity of what the Defence Secretary has said –

“If Tamils indeed are not with us, then it is our weakness”.

The two Civil Servants (Mr. Narayanan from IAS and Mr. Gothabaya Rajapaksa – Sri Lanka Administrative Service (formerly Civil Service) have attempted to fulfill - by one giving the most sincere and truthful advice and - the other accepting the reality of the situation and owning the folly. – (a magnanimity that needs untold praise humanly), to move forward in the right direction of resolution.

The Defence Secretary has attempted to interpret the advice of Mr. Narayan as follows:

“In my opinion, he has only put in different words what our president has been saying, that we need to defeat terrorism but the (ethnic) problem needs to be resolved”. (politically).

What then is the conclusion of the interaction of both the civil servants as seen by Civil Society?

It has been quoted that Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu of the Centre for Policy Alternatives saying:

“On the face of it, the Government has made great strides: they [the Tigers] are really hemmed in this time. “I’m just not sure the military progress can be translated into political progress.”

The humble Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has clearly demonstrated the need to translate the military progress into political progress. Will the President HE. Mahinda Rajapaksa listen to what both the Civil Servants of India and Sri Lanka have told (messaged) the President. In an interview given to the International Herald Tribune (Global Edition of the New York Times) datelined Thursday May 11th., 2006, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said:

"I'm not a warmonger”. "I am ready for talks, I'm ready for peace. But we will also be ready to defend our country. This is not a weakness. Our patience is not weakness."

Will the President then start work on the agenda to 'get the Tamil population on their side'. Will the President also give an opportunity to get the LTTE to understand the reality and give the LTTE a chance to join the Tamil population on their side. The President should also give thought to and respect the Muslim Factor in this scenario.



Disclaimer: The comments contained within this website are personal reflection only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the LankaWeb. LankaWeb.com offers the contents of this website without charge, but does not necessarily endorse the views and opinions expressed within. Neither the LankaWeb nor the individual authors of any material on this Web site accept responsibility for any loss or damage, however caused (including through negligence), which you may directly or indirectly suffer arising out of your use of or reliance on information contained on or accessed through this Web site.
All views and opinions presented in this article are solely those of the surfer and do not necessarily represent those of LankaWeb.com. .

BACK TO LATEST NEWS

DISCLAIMER

Copyright © 1997-2004 www.lankaweb.Com Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Reproduction In Whole Or In Part Without Express Permission is Prohibited.