Courage of a stateswoman

IT has taken the guts of a brave and courageous stateswoman to stand up to the naked violence and thuggerism of the JVP and its cohorts in doing what is right to restore the country to peace. In doing so she has put an end to JVP tin can rattling and called its bluff. Also those who were trying to have the cake and eat it.

As this is being written, a sense of relief pervades the country. This is the response of the people to the news that the demonstrations which were planned for yesterday, on the tabling of the P-TOMS proposal in Parliament, had fizzled out. The few attempts at anti-P-TOMS violence didn't snowball into a big bang but ended in a pitiable whimper.

The peace that held and prevailed yesterday - despite the doomsday scenarios conjured by some - was the result of firm law-enforcement. The law-enforcement machinery, coming under the guidance of President Kumaratunga, performed its duties with utmost efficiently and fairness and the result we had was calm and stability.

As some knowledgeable observers opined, the law should have been administered with the same firmness and discipline years ago, too, when earnest attempts at resolving the ethnic conflict by political means were first made.

A case in point is the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact of 1958. If the anti-peace rabble of those days were dealt with firmly, through the application of law and order measures, the conflict may have been resolved even at that time.

In other words, successive governments until now, displayed excessive faint-heartedness in the face of destructive elements who just didn't want to be fair and just by their own countrymen, whatever the region of the land they hailed from.

Mean-spirited to the core, they clamoured for the lion's share of power and believed in repressing their brethren of other communities.

These are the hegemonic, chauvinistic forces which are out on the streets even today, attempting to scuttle every effort at resolving the conflict by peaceful means.

Our thanks go out to the law enforcers and their head, President Kumaratunga, for the firm resolve that has been thus far shown, in the face of these unjust protests at the Government's attempts at resolving, our conflict by fair means.

They have shown abundant courage and this degree of firmness must persist if efforts are to continue in the direction of bringing peace.

Even before this newspaper hits the streets, the country would be aware of the contents of the P-TOMS proposal. As could be seen, it is not at all the bogey which its destructive critics made it out to be.

On the contrary, it could lay the basis for a renewed peace drive, for, it provides for Government-LTTE cooperation and implies recognition of the State by the Tigers.

As asked by President Kumaratunga, a few days ago, why should any party begrudge the LTTE an opportunity of entering the democratic process? It is the accommodative and democratic nature of the Lankan State which enabled the JVP - which practised brutal violence at one time - to enter the democratic fold.

Shouldn't the same opportunity be provided to the LTTE?