Act on these insights

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s address to the country on the occasion of Sri Lanka’s 59th Independence Day anniversary, could be seen as an elaborate summary of the most important principles underlying his approach to governance.

Foremost among these principles is national unity. As explained by the President, all Sri Lankans should unite as one man to take the country along the path of peace and progress.

The President had just returned from Vakarai where he personally thanked the Sri Lankan Security Forces for a job well done. His theme in Vakarai was that the Security Forces had helped liberate the Tamil people of the region from the evil clutches of the LTTE. Indeed this is the aim of the military operations of the Security Forces.

They are seeking to free the Tamil people from the scourge of LTTE terrorism and integrate them fully into the rest of Lankan civil society. In short, make them free women, men and children. Right now, it is LTTE terror which is preventing a sizeable section of the Tamil people from leading lives which are whole and free of fear.

Therefore, the whole country should rally round the Government in its efforts to squash terror and attach supreme importance to the well being and progress of our motherland, Sri Lanka. This too is a recurring message from the President which found expression, once again, in the President’s Independence Day address.

Another point of great relevance made by the President which merits reemphasis is the proposition “that the most reliable weapon against terrorism is to do justice by the innocent Tamil people.”

This thought is profoundly important and should be understood by all whose thoughts and actions have a bearing on the National Question. While freeing the Tamil people from the bloody paws of the LTTE is of the first importance, it is also important to mete out justice to the Tamil community.

This is “a weapon” of undoubted value because it was the belief among some that they were being treated wrong which drove them to arms. Therefore, restoring justice and fairplay to all is the most effective means of defeating terror and bloodshed.

The policy implication of this position is that the well being of all must be secured by the State. In the East, in particular, the needs of the Tamil people who have been affected by the military operations must be met.

It would not do to remain content that all will be well from now on, merely on account of the routing of the LTTE.

It is equally important that the President sees national dignity as the “non-betrayal” of the democratic rights of the people. Indeed, who are the people who possess any dignity if they are living under the shadow of terror, for instance? Therefore, the enjoyment of democratic rights goes along with national dignity.

The President also did right by drawing attention to the economic well being component in the establishment and sustenance of national dignity. We would never be truly emancipated if we continue to be dogged by want and underdevelopment. This is the rationale for the ‘Decade of Development’ launched by the Government.

The numerous, mega development projects launched by the State are proof of its commitment to development. In fact rapid development and the equitable distribution of the country’s wealth is one of the most effective means of ending our woes.

While the country has thus been helped by the President in achieving a conception of what is needed to be done, we should now go right ahead and put these programmes into action with the utmost dynamism and conscientiousness.

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