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.
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