Combating intolerance

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse's assurance that he is committed to safeguarding the rights of all communities would, we hope, have the effect of strengthening his secular credentials and establish him as a political personality who is free of the taint of racism and religious bigotry.

This clarification by the Premier comes in the wake of efforts by some sections to portray him as indulging in partisan, religious and cultural biases and our wish is that he would continue to campaign vigorously on the policy plank of religious neutrality and even-handed treatment to all sections of the Lankan polity.

As the Premier himself has reminded Sri Lanka, he has been at the helm of the Palestine-Sri Lanka Solidarity Organisation for more than 35 years and this should help in proving his commitment to helping the repressed and those suffering marginalisation.

All in all, it is Sri Lanka's democratic credentials and her multiethnic, multireligious and multicultural identity which would be greatly nourished and sustained by our Presidential candidates' open espousal of the cause of ethnic and religious equality.

We hope verbal pledges to religious and ethnic equality would be swiftly translated into action when Presidential power is acquired.

Here is where President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has clearly scored in her 11 years in office.

Her efforts to run Sri Lanka on the lines of a modern, secular democracy saw her steering clear of the forces of racial and religious extremism. Religious and racial equity were indivisibly linked with her vision of a forward-looking Sri Lanka which was eager to put her past of ethnic disaffection behind and forge ahead towards a secular, modern democracy where all communities would be equal stakeholders.

This precious legacy should be perpetuated by all hoping to attain to the highest position in the governing structure. It is no secret that the forces of religious and racial intolerance are very much alive.

It would amount to duplicity to ignore this troubling fact. However, these forces would gain in strength to the degree to which they are condoned and accommodated. If they are confronted, contested and isolated, they would lose themselves in the political wilderness.

This is the task before our Presidential hopefuls and we hope they would forge ahead in the task of defeating these forces of backwardness and regression.

We would be failing in our duty if we do not point out that these extremist forces should not only be ideologically engaged and defeated in the realm of thought but that their misdeeds should also be punished. A failure to do this would only provide them with a climate for growth.

For instance, those destroying the places of worship of minority religionists should be speedily brought to justice.

We need to take a leaf from the liberal democracies of the West where laws and institutions are in place to combat religious and racial hatred. Who is the Presidential candidate who could promise us this? They need to remind themselves that religious intolerance and hatred have led to the ruin of countries. Let us learn the lessons of history.