Archives

Equality, the cornerstone of peace

President Kumaratunga has done well to underscore a paramount need of not only Sri Lanka but of most South Asian states by stating in the course of her Madhavrao Scindia memorial lecture in India, that what is required most today is "Unity and harmony in diversity".

This concept is very much broader in meaning than plurality and peaceful co-existence among peoples and communities. For, a state may be diverse and varied in terms of ethnic communities and cultures and these groups may have an untroubled, frictionless existence but true peace and harmony doesn't consist in only these factors.

Mere tolerance and forbearance cannot be equated with peace in its truest sense. Peace and harmony could be said to reign in a country when its communities not only live in a state of tolerance but accept each other as equals and establish a constitutional and legal framework to enable equality - in terms of condition and opportunity to be a reality. Equality is thus, the defining essence of peace and harmony.

It is when equality of condition and opportunity becomes a solid reality in a plural society that peace and justice could be said to reign there. Nation-building, in other words, is the establishment of equality in a plural, multi-ethnic society. As quite rightly expressed by President Kumaratunga, Sri Lanka has "faltered in the task of nation building"; hence the twenty-year long separatist war.

So we need to reach beyond pluralism to multiculturalism - for this is what equality is all about. It is to realise equality of condition and opportunity among Lanka's communities that a system of power-sharing needs to be installed. Peace efforts over the last decade and more have revolved around this need to devise a system of power-sharing which would satisfy the legitimate aspirations of all communities.

We totally agree with President Kumaratunga that "alternatives to the monolithic unitary concept of the state" must be found. For, such a state structure, featuring power concentration at the centre, has only enabled the majority community to satisfy its power aspirations.

The task before the UNF Government is to restructure the state to satisfy the legitimate needs and aspirations of all communities, while retaining Lanka's territorial integrity. A power sharing arrangement among regions which would make equality a reality, is vitally needed.

Peace is the result of justice and equality is the cornerstone of justice.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager