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By Charles S.Perera

The circumstances have provided us with a unique opportunity to change the course of the history of Sri Lanka. An opportunity to escape from the protracted communal divisions, to rid ourselves of racial prejudices, and to build a real Sri Lankan Nation is within our reach. In order to make a success of it, this opportunity should be seized now, for to-morrow , it will be already too late..

Everyone seems to think, that the devolution of political power would end all our problems. If that were to be the case it would only be a short term solution of our problems. With the devolution of power we would still remain a divided nation. In a few decades financial and social developments will not be the same and discontentment will set in, resulting in another rising up of a dissatisfied community vying against other communities demanding economic, or social equality. Therefore, the solution we seek too-day should not be a mere superficial "bandage" to hide the reality, and let gangrene to set in later on.

But, with this singular opportunity before us, we should find a solution that will bring all communities together, fusing them into a single unity of a Sri Lankan Nation. In this issue which involves a whole Nation one should be a visionary to see beyond a short term political solution, to take into account the role of the generations to come. It would be a pity if the same situation we are in now, would be repeated a few generations after, and those of that generation would have to say, that this problem would not be there if our fore fathers ( that is we, of this generation) had taken a wiser solution.

What is therefore the wiser solution to take now ? Is it to settle the present issue by the political solution of devolution of power, or is it to look for a long term solution where all communities would go beyond their communal identity ,and build a Nation where all communities will be equal partners ?

The former, that is a short term solution of devolution of political power , will only accentuate the communal barriers, without solving the basic problem of racism towards the majority Sinhala Community. In trying to find a solution to the ethnic problem, every one peddles away from the strikingly apparent problem, that both the Tamils and the Muslims in Sri Lanka seem to be confronted with. The apparent problem, is the pseudo discrimination against the Tamils and the Muslims by the majority Sinhala Governments. If a means could be found to solve this problem, nothing would stand in the way of the communities to live happily together.

The whole idea of a Sinhala supremacist government is a mental conception. It is a mental conception because the Sinhalese people never had an attitude of supremacy over the Tamils, Muslims or any one else in Sri Lanka. They- the Sinhala, were ever ready to make concessions to accommodate the Tamils and Muslims in as much as possible a friendly environment where ever they happen to live together. The South of Sri Lanka is an example.

It is not the Blake-the American Ambassador, Chilcott- the British Ambassador, Maxime Bernier- the Canadian Foreign Minister , Benita Ferrero-Waldner-the European Commissioner of External Relations, Ban Ki Moon of UN, Arbour of the UN Human Rights Commission, Elaine Pearson of the Human Rights Watch or any such stranger that is going to tell us how we should live, or how we should administer our affairs. Our future has to be decided by all of us that share this land- the Sinhala, Tamils, The Muslims, Burghers and the rest. And a solution to the problem we have to day, has to be found collectively from within us. To do that, we should duplicate our way of living in the South with a racial mixture, in the North, and the East. In doing that we should renegade to usher in a new perspective of living not as isolated communities, but as a Nation with the communities integrated into it.

There should be a movement of the population from North and East to South, and from South to North and East, so that there would not be any area predominantly Tamil, Muslim or Sinhala. There should be a healthy mixture of communities in the whole of Sri Lanka. The religion is not a barrier in this, because in the West we see how our religions have been accepted at different levels, and exist side by side with other religions, without causing social disharmony.

Therefore, communal integration despite different cultural, religious, and other social identities, will not be an unsurmountable barrier. The generations to come may contribute to its growth, by perhaps an enhanced communal inter-mixture through inter-marriage etc., thus strengthening the communal bonds creating a single Nation of presently divided communities.

That is how a solution to the present ethnic problem should be reasoned out, not by looking at it through coloured glasses for short term political benefits, for a few or more persons to become political leaders, and wear the top hats of prestige. We hope that wiser counsel will prevail to find a long term solution that would leave no room for the ugly head of terrorism to rise ever again any where in Sri Lanka.

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