Revisiting an epochal catastrophe

IT IS two years since the horrific tidal wave disaster, popularly known as the "Tsunami of 2004", wreaked catastrophe in Sri Lanka and some other parts of South and South East Asia, while plunging the rest of the world into a prolonged spell of overwhelming sorrow and mourning.

The State, very rightly, mandated that the country observes two minutes' silence on the morning of December 26 in memory of the great multitude of Lankans who were affected by the huge tragedy of December 26, 2004 which is bound to remain an excruciating remembrance in the collective memory of Lankans for a very long time to come. In fact, it will be remembered as the most nightmarish of our natural disasters by present and future generations.

What is remarkable is that the tragedy continues to trigger a great outpouring of sorrow both locally and internationally. We are expected to pick up the pieces from the horrors of December 26, 2004 and persevere on the path of rebuilding, reconstruction and rehabilitation but it is also important that the dark and troubling memory of the tragedy remains vividly etched in the collective consciousness of humanity.

For, mankind needs to constantly remember that "no man is an island" and that humanity needs to be of continuous assistance to each other, particularly in times of great sorrow and suffering. In other words, humans need to sense that they are in some vital way being "diminished" by the suffering of their fellow humans wherever they may be.

Sorrow, in other words, should bind humans closer together and strengthen the ties of interdependence, particularly in this era of globalization.

Tsunami 2004 had a cementing impact among societies which were thought to be geographically, physically, culturally and emotionally separate and distinct. There was certainly a grand coming together of peoples from around the world for the succouring of the tsunami-hit in our part of the globe and none should know this better than us Lankans.

We hope the bonds that were thus established between Sumatra, Tamilnadu and Sri Lanka - the biggest victims of the tsunami - and the rest of the world would endure and prove unyielding. The institutions and mechanisms of cooperation which were thus formed need to be strengthened and invigorated in the days to come.

To be sure, there is a long way to go by way of rebuilding, reconstruction and rehabilitation in particularly Sri Lanka. No impartial observer would assert that the path to these objectives has been free of bottlenecks and frustrating hurdles.

The State agencies and other entities engaged in this country-rebuilding effort are continuing to face such challenges but it cannot be said that nothing has been achieved in terms of bringing a degree of normality into the lives of the tsunami-affected. Much has been done and we call on the State in particular, to redouble efforts to rebuild in full the tsunami-affected areas in Sri Lanka.

In doing so, a degree of self-criticism needs to be exercised by the State institutions concerned. They need to think in terms of removing all obstacles to the quick delivery of goods and services in the affected areas.

The State also needs to rid the rebuilding effort of waste, corruption and inefficiency. There is no escaping the need to wield the big stick on wrong-doers whoever they may be.

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• Tsunami remembrance