Let wise counsel prevail

PRESIDENT Mahinda Rajapaksa has gone on record once again that he is committed to finding a political solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka and this position is bound to be applauded by the majority of the public who favour peace and political solutions to war and bloodshed.

The President expressed this sentiment to no less a person than Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee when the latter called on him Tuesday for the purpose of handing over Indian Premier Manmohan Singh's invitation to the Lankan President, requesting his attendance at the next SAARC Summit in New Delhi, and we would not be wrong in predicting regional applause too for the Lankan President's principled position on the Lankan conflict.

This is in view of the widespread recognition and realisation that the final solution to our problem is a political one based on the legitimate needs of the Tamil people.

Even so, President Rajapaksa is on record that he would protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka even from within a bunker if he is pushed to do so.

These positions which are not contradictory are illustrative of the most important obligations confronting the Government. While there is no denying that a negotiated political solution needs to be finally found to our conflict, the geographical integrity of Sri Lanka and its unity could in no way be compromised in the face of LTTE terror.

If the LTTE persists in its campaign of bloodshed and terror, the Government would be compelled to take strong, unyielding law and order measures to neutralize these dangers and contain the LTTE. In short, the President and the Government would fight tooth and nail to keep Sri Lanka whole.

This message, we hope, would be fully and unequivocally understood by the LTTE.

If they think they could achieve their political aims by force of arms, they are sadly mistaken. This would be a fully futile course because the Government would spare no pains to beat the Tigers into submission and ineffectuality.

However, if they choose to give negotiations a try, they could be assured of the Government's cooperation in working out a political solution.

We hope wise counsel would prevail among those sections of the Tamil community which currently favour the war option. The President has also gone on record that he would ensure the granting of Tamil rights. This is a sound basis to down arms and give the talks option another try.

The saner sections of the Tamil community would do well to prevail on the Tigers to traverse the talks path. As they could see, the path of war, zealously travelled by the LTTE, has only increased the travails and suffering of some sections of the Tamil people. It seems to be a long night of suffering for these sections.

Do the more sensible sections of the Tamil community prefer the prolongation of such suffering ?

Therefore, it is up to the more rational sections of the Tamil community and also the diaspora to pressurise the Tigers into downing arms and giving talks a try. A failure to do this would only result in the total ruination of the Tamil community. May wise counsel prevail, is our hope.

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