Abide by a humanistic vision

Terrorism is based on the belief that murderous violence and wanton bloodshed could cow governments and publics into subservience and bend them to the will of the terrorist.

Despite having been proved otherwise over the decades, some terror organisations are persisting in this strategy at great cost to the communities they claim to represent and the LTTE is one such group which has always been swearing by terror but to no avail.

Terror groups could make some progress towards the realisation of their agendas only in those states which are described as "soft". That is, "facade democracies" where the institutions of representational government have been relentlessly weakened and where ruling elites plunder and pillage the coffers of the State and commit human rights abuses in gay abandon.

Given this backdrop, it is encouraging to note that President Mahinda Rajapakse has reiterated his commitment to work towards a negotiated solution to the ethnic problem - continuing LTTE terror notwithstanding. Of equal significance is his pronouncement that his patience - bred of Buddhistic values - should not be misconstrued as weakness.

As we have often observed in this comment, the State should at no stage descend to the deplorable level of a terror group which is responsible to no one and holds nothing sacred. The State, on the contrary, gives to the people of a territory an abiding sense of community and is the unyielding upholder of law and order.

This is the reason why President Mahinda Rajapakse's consistent commitment to a negotiated solution needs to be commended. His steadfastness and commitment to law and order and to a democratic approach to problem-solving is statesmanship in the truest sense of the term.

It is such policy positions which keep the State strong rather than make it grow "soft" and weak. What is left to be done is to revive the peace-process swiftly and work towards a democratic solution to the conflict. It goes without saying that law and order should be upheld by the State and all wrong-doers brought to book but every effort should also be made to kickstart the peace process and keep it alive and vibrant.

It is plain to see that besides weakening the State through its acts of terror, the LTTE is maniacally intent on provoking violence between our communities. This heinous strategy should be defeated by the State by fostering unity and fraternity among our communities.

It is also important that all sections of the State act according to a single humanistic vision. It is plain to see that President Rajapakse wants ethnic unity to be the guiding vision of the State. All organs of the State need to keep this ideal as their aim.

Now as never before should this ideal be our guiding light. The aim of terrorists is to deviate the State from this ideal. This plan should be resoundingly defeated.