The north needs a new monument - EDITORIAL

The civil war ended 11 years ago, but people in this island find reasons to cause racial tension. The most recent incident is the issue that took place regarding a monument within the Jaffna University that was pulled down early this month. There are views that the monument was constructed to remember those innocent civilians who perished in the war; at a location identified as Mulliwaikkal to be precise. 

The views of those representing the majority race of the country opine that such a monument only sparks racial tension and would give the impression that the sculpture at work is showing dead terrorists. 
These arguments should have been laid to rest many years ago; in the year 2009 to be frank which is the year in which the war concluded. Sadly though there are ‘forces’ on both sides who can’t get over hostilities and will do all they can to keep alive the ‘civil war’ as a topic for debate. 

"And while doing so the state authorities need to intervene in a way that old wounds from the war are not cut open. People must take note that scores of armed soldiers died with the same suffering as those tiger rebels who perished in the line of firing."

Many books were written on the conflict after the war concluded, but reviews of these books suggest that the tone in which they were penned provokes people to agitate. May be former LTTE cadre Thamilini Jeyakumaran’s book ‘Under the shade of a sharp sword’ comes close to revealing some truths about the war. But it falls short of bridging the gap between the northerners and southerners which still exists as ‘hatred’. 

Right now what’s needed is for the Sinhalese majority race to do what it can to heal the wounds caused by the war that concluded. One of the best places to start that is at the Jaffna University where the brains of both the Sinhala and Tamil communities enroll for higher studies. 

True reconciliation can begin there and with student minds. The majority race must begin to make an effort to enjoy and appreciate Tamil culture; whether its art, food or music. The majority race can’t pick only Muttiah Muralitharan from this community and reject all other things they offer. The islanders remember the camaraderie shown by Sinhala brothers to this Tamil cricketer from the Central hills during his entire career. An entire nation cried when Muralitharan was no-balled in test cricket. It is this same cricketer who acted swiftly to nip in the bud a possible problem that would have occurred if the making of a film about his cricket career went ahead in South India. He asked the filmmaker to stop the filming. This he did fearing the safety of the filmmaker because there could have been a backlash. 

The need now is to have people to think far like Muralitharan. Sri Lankans need to eliminate even the little threats that could hamper the reconciliation process. 
And while doing so the state authorities need to intervene in a way that old wounds from the war are not cut open. People must take note that scores of armed soldiers died with the same suffering as those tiger rebels who perished in the line of firing. The deaths from the war were felt the same way by loved ones regardless of whether they were in the north or the south. 

News reaches us that efforts are being taken reconstruct that monument again within the Jaffna University premises. It’s good if the construction of a new monument underscores the suffering the war brings and also gives a strong message that everything can be lost if the human touch is lost. Let’s build that type of monument so that it sits firmly on the ground and reminds us that war was a curse and there was nothing good about it.