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Resurrect Sri Lanka!

28 Apr 2019

Exactly a week after the Easter Sunday slaughter of 253 innocent people, the majority of whom were Christians celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ in church, the question that continues to linger is: why? Why, did a bunch of rich, educated Sri Lankan Muslims willingly blow themselves up, killing hundreds of their fellow Sri Lankans and knowing very well that the bombs they detonated at five-star hotels would destroy tourism and by extension, the economy of the country? The answer may well lie thousands of miles beyond our shores, in a caliphate in the making. The fact that many other nations have endured similar devastation in the name of Islamic extremism is of little comfort given the fact that these attacks could very well have been prevented. The silver lining is the resilience of Sri Lanka: People of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds rallied around the Christians; the dignified response of the Catholic community who were willing to turn the other cheek rather than seek revenge; and the admirable response of the security forces, police investigating teams, medical teams, and emergency services who made the country proud with their selfless, dedicated service. However, it is nothing but shocking that the country’s Commander in Chief, Minister of Defence, and now Minister of Law and Order as well, President Maithripala Sirisena declared that he knew nothing about the impending attacks. His second in command, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, although he does not hold any defence-related portfolio, was no better, having also complained that no one told him about the impending attacks. It is on public record now that the first intelligence communication of the attacks came as early as 4 April, a good 17 days before, and the last warning was issued minutes before. It is therefore preposterous for both the President and PM to claim that they were not informed when it’s their job to know! If for some reason these intelligence reports were kept away from them, they should by now know why and by whom. Leaving all this aside, the Palm Sunday attack on a Methodist Church in Anuradhapura, just the Sunday before, should have rung alarm bells in defence circles. But the lukewarm response of the Government would not have gone unnoticed. As expected, the President made Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando the scapegoat. His response to a question raised by a BBC journalist in the aftermath of the attack explains his mindset – “This is not the first time a bomb went off in this country. Even during the height of the war, bombs exploded. Why try to isolate this incident?” He obviously still cannot grasp the fact that 253 people perished under his watch, during what was supposed to be peacetime. There is no point in pointing the finger at this misfit; it is the person who appointed him to that position who must now stand up and raise his hand. It is no secret that the previous administration packed the bureaucracy, including the defence establishment, with their acolytes over a 10-year period. Many of these individuals continue to be in powerful positions. The current administration had four long years to purge the system and install their loyalists in these positions but was instead obsessed with infighting. The result is that the bureaucracy now seems more powerful than the Government itself which has proven its impotence by admitting it knew nothing about the attacks. Unfortunately, this pusillanimity of the Government has cost the lives of 253 people. It has cost the economy at least $ 1.5 billion on just the hit on tourism and a similar amount on lost Foreign Direct Investment and other economic repercussions. It must also be kept in mind that the President’s unilateral action last October resulted in a separate economic loss running into billions. The state officials who failed to act on credible intelligence could well be held liable for criminal negligence. They must collectively explain why the Jihadist National Thowheed Jamath and its radicalised leader, although consistently flagged by the intelligence community and Muslim civil society organisations since 2014, had never been questioned or any of its members apprehended. It must explain why one of its members, arrested with regard to the Mawanella incidents and the detection of a large haul of explosives in Puttalam last year, was released and has now been identified as one of the suicide bombers. It is clear that the political coup of 26 October last year considerably weekend the security establishment. The National Security Council became dysfunctional as a result of it. Even when the Prime Minister summoned the Council in a crisis situation in the President’s absence, no one turned up. It is not unlikely that the terrorists were privy to these divisions and like all terrorists do, took full advantage of the situation. Given the evolving scenario, it is not too late for the President to reconsider his refusal to appoint a Minister of Law and Order. Until and unless the President puts aside his petulance, there will always be questions about his competence. The dismantling of the wartime intelligence setup has been a monumental mistake. At least now, the security apparatus must be on high alert and ready to tackle any form of extremism with an iron fist. This has been key to the success of other top tourism destinations that have been targeted by extremists in recent times. If security can be assured, tourists will certainly come back. It is sad that this Government, which was elected with so much goodwill, has in a matter of four years managed to dissipate all of that goodwill and bring the wrath of the people upon it. With a year to go, at least now, it must focus on the legacy that it will leave behind. It still has the potential to rise from the bloodied Black Easter Sunday ash and redeem itself. As a first step, it must fast track legislation banning any and every form of hate, be it speech or in any other form. It must introduce legislation that bans the use of ethnicity in names of institutions, especially schools which is where the seeds for radicalisation are first sowed. We don’t need Sinhala, Tamil, or Muslim schools, what is needed are for all schools to be Sri Lankan and open to all. All three languages must be taught in every school and students of different ethnicities must be encouraged to associate with each other in the same classroom rather than be separated on ethnic lines. Therefore, the legacy of the Government will lie in its ability to forge ethnic unity. There is no better time to do so than now, in the aftermath of Black Easter Sunday, which has reminded us all of the catastrophic consequences of extremism. Almost all of us in the present generation grew up amidst bloodshed and devastation. No one in his or her right mind will ever wish to return to those dark days. The lessons of the past are too painful to forget. Therefore, it is our collective response to Black Easter Sunday that will define the course of this country for decades to come. Let’s all unite to resurrect Sri Lanka.

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


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