A noble deed

The Government's commitment to rehabilitate and reform surrendering LTTE fighters is certainly a noble deed given the circumstances under which such cadres have been inducted into the Tiger outfit.

There is little doubt from the confessions made by these surrendees that a majority of them are conscripts whose next option would have been certain death. The heart rending tales as narrated by the parents of some of these youth also provide a picture of their predicament. Most of them have been plucked from the first bloom of childhood and indoctrinated with thoughts of hatred and bigotry.

As reported in our main story yesterday Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has promised not only a smooth transition of these surrendees into civilian life but also to provide them with the necessary wherewithal to start life anew with even promises of employment abroad.

He said "The Government is committed to ensure that LTTE cadres willing to surrender to the Police or the Armed Forces will not be isolated in society and that their right to life is ensured".

One recalls that it was under a similar phase that the JVP youth who surrendered to the Government during the 1971 uprising were rehabilitated and reformed. Some of these youth were not only successfully inducted into normal society but also saw their entry into democratic politics.

A sizable number of them later entered Parliament and also held Cabinet portfolios. In this instance too the key to success will be an appropriate process of de-indoctrination that will enable youth to realise the futility of a life of violence and grasp the opportunities opened to them in civilised society.

The task with the LTTE surrendees of course would be a much bigger challenge given that they have been brainwashed into harbouring delusions of a separate state and are liable to treat the majority community as aliens.

Therefore handling them would need a different approach. The process should be gradual and carefully structured to ensure that optimum results are achieved. Above all these Tamil youth should be made part and parcel of our social mainstream so that they may feel a sense of belonging, without any perceived alienation.

Zimbabwe poll

At the time of writing Zimbabwe is in the throes of crisis of a great magnitude with its populace held in a state of heightened suspense over the eventual outcome of the Saturday's Presidential Elections. Not that this impoverished South African nation was without crisis earlier.

With inflation hitting a mind boggling level, livelihoods of the people shattered and current economic sanctions virtually squeezing the life out its population any uncertainty over the verdict of the poll can only plummet the country into further turmoil.

Already there are signs of a long drawn out political impasse with the results of the election unusually delayed leaving room for a political vacuum which can only aggravate an already hopeless situation.

While the opposition MDC has claimed an outright victory the official results keeps coming only in fits and starts giving rise to fears of another move by President Robert Mugabe to stay in power for a further term.

From all accounts the opposition is determined this time around to assert itself and not be swept aside by Mugabe who has the backing of the military. It will also be interesting to see how the West which had been clamouring for Mugabe's ouster would act this time around to salvage a situation that could only descend to further turmoil and conflagration.

Mugabe a former guerilla leader commanded immense support among his countrymen particularly those in the rural areas for his sweeping land reforms which evicted the British settlers who it was alleged illegally appropriated these lands during their rule.

Since then Britain and the West in general had ganged up against Mugabe relegating the country into an international pariah. Mugabe who has managed to resist the pressure even amidst stifling sanctions on his country did not succumb to the dictates of the West and continued his reign.

However, with time the overwhelming sanctions began to bite and took a heavy toll on the country's economy and brought down his popularity. Whether he will able to hold out, the coming days will tell. But even if he does it is doubtful that the octogenarian will be able to call the shots as he did before in his near three decade rule of the African state.