Reconciliation Is Happening

| by Gajalakshmi Paramasivam
( June 20, 2014, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian ! "el# dee$ly moved by #he re$or# %&hamma,
#he &i'k(ella (ay)* $ublished in #he Sri Lanka Guardian+
,s $er #ha# re$or# %!n 'on#ras# #o -ory s'enes a "e( miles a(ay in ,lu#h-ama, #he .hie"
!n'umben# Pries#s o" ei-h# /uddhis# #em$les in and around &i'k(ella led by &i'k(ella
Shasana /ala Mandalaya Presiden# 0en+ Godelle(ela 1a#hananda in an e2em$lary move s$en#
#(o hours on Monday ni-h# a# #he Muhiyibdeen Jumma Mos3ue a# 4onak$ura,
&i'k(ella55+6he de'ision #o visi# #he mos3ue (as made on Monday mornin- a# an
emer-en'y mee#in- held a# #he &i'k(ella Pradeshiya Sabha on #he ins#ru'#ions o" Minis#er o"
4ou#h ,""airs and Skills &evelo$men# &ullas ,laha$$eruma*
!" #here are s#ron- ener-ies su$$or#in- vi'#ims o" violen'e, #he e""e'#s o" #he violen'e are
balan'ed 'lose #o #he $la'e o" ori-in+ 6ha# renders i# 'om$le#ion and 'losure+ Su'h 'om$le#ions
em$o(er #he Pla'e and Peo$le (ho $ar#i'i$a#ed in #he 'om$le#ion $hysi'ally and7or men#ally+
6he above a'# o" 1e'on'ilia#ion by #he 8on &ullas ,laha$$eruma, Minis#er o" 4ou#h ,""airs
and Skills &evelo$men#, 'on"irms #he Governmen#*s 'laim #ha# 1e'on'ilia#ion is ha$$enin- in
Sri Lanka+ 6o #he e2#en# #he Muslims o" #ha# area s$eak 6amil 9 #he 1e'on'ilia#ion is (i#h
6amils+
6here (as s#ron- $ar#i'i$a#ion "rom various an-les o" #he Sri Lankan &ias$ora in rela#ion #o #he
,lu#h-ama violen'e+ Mos# s#ar#ed di--in- in#o #he %e'onomi' reasons* o" #he Muslims as is
o"#en done in #he 'ase o" Je(s : 6amils+ 6he (ay Sri Lankans o" Sinhalese ori-in a''use 6amil
re"u-ees #o be e'onomi' re"u-ees 9 Muslims (ere a''used o" bein- in Sri Lanka lar-ely "or
e'onomi' reasons+ 6his e2$lains also (hy #hey be'ome #ar-e#s o" #hose #o (hom $oli#i'al
$o(er in'ludin- #hrou-h asso'ia#ion ; is money $o(er+ <a'h one o" us (ould iden#i"y (i#h
(ha# ha$$ens as $er our o(n de$#h+ 6he more e'onomi' #he reason 9 #he more shallo( #he
level a# (hi'h (e re'eive #he in"orma#ion+ ,# #ha# level, (e need #he %o#her side* #o ha$$en #hen
and #here "or 'om$le#ion and 'losure+ 8en'e <3ual =$$osi#ion in $arliamen# and /usiness >ni#
a$$roa'h in &emo'ra#i' Publi' ,dminis#ra#ion+ ?here o$$osi#ion is (eak 9 #he ma##er #ravels
beyond #he borders o" i#s ori-in and is o"#en hija'ked by mer'enaries in all sha$es and "orms+
?el"are re'i$ien#s 9 be #hey o""i'ial or no# 9 "rom majori#y e#hni'i#y (i#h $o(er #o ele'#
-overnmen# 9 (ould na#urally develo$ #heir o#her side 9 e'onomi' $roviders+ 6he more su'h
'i#i@ens vo#e on #he basis o" ho( mu'h #hey re'eive as handou#s 9 #he more e'onomi' mi-ran#s
#heir leaders (ould a##ra'#+ ,ll (ho -e# in#o Governmen# jobs #hrou-h use o" subje'#ive $o(er
and $er"orm less #han an inde$enden# minded mi-ran#7minori#y (ould have 9 are on (el"are 9
(he#her i# be in ,us#ralia or Sri Lanka+ 6hose o" us (ho (ork more #han is re3uired as $er our
$osi#ions 9 na#urally a''umula#e o(nershi$ 'redi#s and (hen #his is in Publi' Servi'e 9 su'h
o(nershi$ is a# Aa#ional Level+ ?hen i# is in -lobal or-ani@a#ions 9 su'h o(nershi$ is a# -lobal
level+
<'onomi' mi-ra#ion is "ine so lon- as (e are #rans$aren# abou# i# 9 a# leas# a"#er (e -e#
a$$roval as 'ommon mi-ran#s+ /u# i" (e #ake u$ $oli'y $osi#ions (i#hou# 'om$le#in- #he
e'onomi' s#a-e and s#ar# inves#in- $rema#urely a# $oli'y level #hrou-h %ri-h#s* a'#ions 9 (e
be'ome #he $roblem+
6he Sri Lankan (ar (ould have been $reven#ed i" more o" #he Sinhalese =$$osi#ion in
$arliamen# had o$$osed #he Sinhala =nly la( as soon as i# (as $ro$osed+ ?hen a ma##er is
e#hni'i#y based, a #rue Sri Lankan (ould be able #o #ake #he $la'e o" a 6amil, Muslim or
/ur-her+ 6he /uddhis# monk (ho mani"es#ed #he ,lu#h-ama $roblem 9 invoked #he Muslim in
#he Sri Lankan leadershi$ no# only in &i'k(ella bu# in many o" us livin- #housands o" miles
a(ay "rom #he $la'e o" mani"es#a#ion and no# bein- $hysi'al $ar# o" ei#her reli-ion+ 6hose (ho
#ook #heir o(n side and #ha# (as no# majori#y are no# #rue Sri Lankans+ ,# a #ime like #his 9 #he
ri-h#s and (ron-s o" #he res$e'#ive side on #he -round do no# ma##er+ =ne needs #o em$o(er
#he minori#y #o be'ome o" e3ual s#a#us7$o(er a# #ha# $la'e a# #ha# #ime+ ?hen #ha# ha$$ens #he
ma##er has 'om$le#ion and 'losure and (e (ould learn "rom i# "or our "u#ure+ ?e (ho are
$hysi'ally "ar a(ay bu# are able #o iden#i"y (i#h #he 'om$le#ion are $ar# o" #he solu#ion+
?henever (e a'#7e2$ress as $er our sur"a'e kno(led-e 9 (e need #o ensure #ha# #here is an
e3ual o$$osi#ion $hysi'ally $resen# ; #o 'lose #he ma##er a# #ha# #ime a# #ha# $la'e+ 8en'e (e
should no# "ind "aul# (i#h #he dead and #hose (ho are no# #here #o de"end #hemselves+ Su'h
'losure (ould $reven# disorder in #hou-h# and kee$s i# heal#hy 9 as e2er'ise balan'es
indul-en'e in s(ee#s+ &isorderly one sided #hou-h#s #ha# boos# #he e-o lead #o lo( 3uali#y li"e
in old a-e+ 8en'e #he need "or 1e'on'ilia#ion #o seek and "ind #he o#her side #ha# (ould
'om$le#e #he $i'#ure+
&ee$ #hinkers develo$ #he o#her side as soon as #hey -ive "orm #o one side "rom (i#hin+ 6hey
(ould #hen iden#i"y (i#h all #hose (ho $hysi'ally -ive "orm #o #ha# %o#her side* #o 'arry #he bi-
$i'#ure o" o(nershi$ in #heir mind+ !n #heir hear#s, #hey (ould "eel $ar# o" all #hose (ho
$hysi'ally re$resen# #he side #hey "irs# -ave "orm #o+