A time to heal

Monday, 20 May 2024 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Civil wars leave deep wounds in a nation’s fabric. Unlike wars against external enemies, a civil war can scar a country for generations. Wars with external foes are often sources of unity, sometimes even defining an identity of a country while civil wars perpetuate the divisions and animosities within and seldom offer closure even when the guns and cannons fall silent.

Despite Sri Lanka’s civil war ending 15 long years ago, successive Governments have failed to channel this momentous moment into a source of strength and unity, rather perpetuating the fissures that divided the country and drew it towards war.

One such important tool that could heal some of these wounds is remembrance. Accepting that the experience of the war need not fit into one narrative of glory or doom while also recognising that pain and suffering is mostly private felt and expressed differently by everyone would be a good starting point. It is unfortunate that even after 15 years Sri Lanka has failed to make the anniversary of the end of the conflict a moment for remembrance, reflection and reconciliation that could unite a country in its shared grief.

Sri Lanka’s civil war has been framed in numerous ways. The South framed it as a contest for the territorial integrity of the land fought between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan State. Yet the fundamental cause of the conflict was the alienation of the Tamil community from the governance of the State since independence. From whichever perspective the conflict is seen, what is undeniable is the enormous human cost of the conflict. At least 28,000 personnel from the security forces and police sacrificed their lives for this cause. An equal number of LTTE cadres and tens of thousands of civilians, mostly Tamils, were also killed. Many more were wounded. All these persons were citizens of Sri Lanka and deserve to be remembered.

However difficult these discussions may be, they must be had, and the nation allowed to heal from the wounds that have been inflicted on its citizenry. The acknowledgement of the human cost, especially the deaths of civilians during the final phase must be in the very least acknowledged. In cases where there were deliberate killings of civilians those responsible must be held accountable.

One of the important aspects in this regard is not interfering with the remembrance events that are organised. Recently it was disturbing to note that even individuals preparing a meal of ‘kanji’, a rice porridge that was mostly consumed by the entrapped civilians during the last phase of the war, resulted in arrests. It is only a very insecure State that would resort to such lame intimidation against a community attempting to remember their loved ones. For a State that boasts of prevailing over a separatist group securing an absolute military victory such reactions can only suggest that the fault lines of divisions are far from being resolved.

As we mark the end of the catastrophic war 15 years ago, let us all remember the enormous human cost that it took. The loss of a whole generation of men and women and Sri Lanka’s lost opportunity towards economic progress and prosperity. Let this be a time for reflection and a moment of determination that such a calamity should never befall this island again. Let it be a time of healing for all of us.