Rebuilding lives....!!!

Lest we forget: Ten reasons to be happy

Just under a year ago, we were still worried about a bomb here or a bomb there. Threats of terror attacks were still a stark reality. Mother and father of the same family went to work by different modes of transport or at different times, to ensure that their children will have at least one parent left to care for them, in case the life of one was taken away in a bloody incident.

Mothers were losing their sons, wives, husbands, children their parents, those in love their loved ones, soldiers and LTTE cadres lost their lives in active combat, while others died in most unexpected circumstances. Today, thankfully that is over. That to me is reason number one, we could be happy.

Rebuilding lives
Over 400,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs); our own brethren stamped with a label, had to be looked after and cared for under most trying conditions.


Back to school but war-torn lives have to be rebuilt soon. File photo

That was less than ten months ago. Most of them are back in their own areas now, slowly but surely rebuilding their lives once again. Around 50,000 of them are still awaiting better conditions. Although they are free to leave the temporary shelters at their will, they continue to remain for want of a more solid and hopeful future. What we should be happy about, is that all this happened under the supervision of the very Armed Forces that ended the suffering and pain caused by the LTTE. Most of these people had earlier been in a state of captivity.

Working together with several key civil society organizations, INGOs and individuals giving their time, energy and resources, an end to their suffering was brought about. We should be happy that this happened without politicians being allowed to make opportunistic visits to the IDP camps to make ‘hay while the sun shone’ or give empty promises, that would have never been honoured.

Irresistible lure
The fighting was over and the calm set in. European winters were unusually severe and tourists began to arrive on our shores again, showing double digit growth. They demonstrated that the slogans sung of accusations of violations of rights, could not hold the lure of the sun, sand, green and the smiles of the Sri Lankans they knew. Presidential elections or the politics of vengeance that were on did not bother them. Except for the few stung by hornets (believed to be incarnations of the keepers of Sigiriya), the rest of them returned with fond memories of time and money well-spent. To me, that would be reason number three to make us happy.

Reaching out
Reason number four, relates directly to our Head of State, who had by now become quite a fluent speaker of the Tamil language.

The example set by him, even had the most ardent of his critics dumbfounded at times. Some even went on to suggest, he was using tele-prompters to make an impression.

But now we know that it was hard work done with tutors that made him in the least, be able to reach out to his Tamil speaking constituency.

The fact that they did not vote for him en-mass is not the issue here. It is the effort made and the honest intention, while some other leaders, after long years in politics struggle even today, to communicate in their Mother Tongue.

‘Learn and speak English your way’ campaign and the ‘IT for all’ program through the ‘Nane Sala’ centres need be seen also as attempts at national unification. Needless to say, that what make us all truly happy, will be when we see those words spoken transform into solid action, to make our nation entirely prejudice-free, where all communities will be able to live in harmony, celebrating our diversity to the fullest.

Due legal process
We get to the halfway mark on our reasons to be happy list, with assurances made to the Leader of the Opposition, by the Head of State that due legal process will take effect, in dealing with any alleged misdeeds committed by the former Commander of the Army.

We saw how convinced and confident, the Leader of the Opposition was of the validity of that assurance, when he spoke about it to the media upon his returning from the meeting. It even made us wonder if there was more on the discussion agenda, on that day. Whatever may have been, when political opponents meet for cordial discussion that must make us happy, for when they agree to work together, that indeed would be a ‘win-win’ situation for all Sri Lankans.

Independent supervision
We should be happy that our Election Commissioner is performing his duties without fear or favour, in difficult circumstances. We should not hold anything against him, when in extreme stressful conditions he confessed that he wished he had taken on early retirement.

We must be thankful and happy that he has agreed to remain in office to see another election happen under his independent supervision. We should be happy that conditions for that to happen has been facilitated by the powers that be, contrary to the statements made by the katakatha (rumour mongering) brigade just after the completion of the last election.

Wisdom of rural folk
For my seventh reason to be happy, I choose to salute the wisdom of our rural folk. In spite of wide-spread electronic media coverage, short message systems (SMS), the katakatha and door to door campaigning, they have remained loyal and grateful and supported the cause of taking on future development of the country based on a region centred approach.

They had seen through much of the ‘noise’ we urbanites hear, read and even believe to be true. Our rural folk have chosen to vote, not for rhetoric but for substance. While that should make us happy, we will be elated, if they choose to weed out the bad and elect only the good as our representatives at the upcoming general election.

Good governance
Pledges made to end nepotism, placing full-stops on bribery and corruption, drug dealing, consumption of alcoholic beverages, taking on mechanisms to establish transparent ways of running Government business, ending the waste and raping of our natural resources, bringing discipline on our roads and making the rule of law prevail, together make the eighth reason for us to be happy. But these may remain only pipe-dreams if our executive, legislator, the judiciary and right action by our civil society leaders, do not all gel to make the right commitments.

We know that there will be a way, if there is a will. Getting that will solidly behind the intent will not only make us happy, but also make us proud to be sons and daughters of Mother Lanka.

Without givers no takers
The ninth reason touches on our business community. The day they realize that seeking devious ways of beating tender procedures, applications for allocation of land, logging permits, privileges based on who knows whom and old school ties etc. not to be the right way forward for us, that should give us ample reason to be happy.

The dictum of ‘without a giver, there can not be takers’ must prevail at all times and that should help clean up much of the mess, we see around us.

Waste not
Last but not least, there is cause for happiness in the fact, that there is realisation that much is wrong in our midst.

The leadership has openly acknowledged that there is wasteful use of resources in carrying a burdensome Cabinet of Ministers and the hoard of privileges and facilities bestowed on those who are supposed to serve us. Expressions of power, pomp and pageantry without adequate hard work to show for it, has been the hallmark of many. The day these end, we can be happy for we may see a restoration of public confidence re-emerging on our system of governance.

The list can not be more exhaustive, for there is much weight on the ‘what makes us unhappy’, side of the scale. But then, we all know that, focusing on the positives can to a greater extent also help mitigate the negatives.

What we need to venture to do is to collectively lend our hearts and our hands, in whatever way we can, to make it happen. For such effort is not for the benefit of anyone or for any particular group, but for the well-being of all of us; sons and daughters of Mother Sri Lanka.


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