Conscience - මට හිතෙන හැටි

These are some really interesting thoughts expressed by former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam.

Kalam: Let me tell you about my experience. In 1973 I became the project director of India 's satellite launch vehicle program, commonly called the SLV-3. Our goal was to put India 's "Rohini" satellite into orbit by 1980. I was given funds and human resources -- but was told clearly that by 1980 we had to launch the satellite into space. Thousands of people worked together in scientific and technical teams towards that goal.

By 1979 -- I think the month was August -- we thought we were ready. As the project director, I went to the control center for the launch. At four minutes before the satellite launch, the computer began to go through the checklist of items that needed to be checked. One minute later, the computer program put the launch on hold; the display showed that some control components were not in order. My experts -- I had four or five of them with me -- told me not to worry; they had done their calculations and there was enough reserve fuel. So I bypassed the computer, switched to manual mode, and launched the rocket. In the first stage, everything worked fine. In the second stage, a problem developed. Instead of the satellite going into orbit, the whole rocket system plunged into the Bay of Bengal . It was a big failure.

That day, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, Prof. Satish Dhawan, had called a press conference. The launch was at 7:00 am, and the press conference -- where journalists from around the world were present -- was at 7:45 am at ISRO's satellite launch range in Sriharikota [in Andhra Pradesh in southern India ]. Prof. Dhawan, the leader of the organization, conducted the press conference himself. He took responsibility for the failure -- he said that the team had worked very hard, but that it needed more technological support. He assured the media that in another year, the team would definitely succeed. Now, I was the project director, and it was my failure, but instead, he took responsibility for the failure as chairman of the organization.

The next year, in July 1980, we tried again to launch the satellite -- and this time we succeeded. The whole nation was jubilant. Again, there was a press conference. Prof. Dhawan called me aside and told me, "You conduct the press conference today."

I learned a very important lesson that day. When failure occurred, the leader of the organization owned that failure. When success came, he gave it to his team. The best management lesson I have learned did not come to me from reading a book; it came from that experience.

It is really hurting me to see some of the familiar faces among the death notice poster of the guys who caught the Fort Railway bomb on 3^rd February 2008.

As a school DS has had taken great strides towards inter community and inter racial harmony from its beginning. We had a time when we used to learn “Aana, Aawanna”(Hope I remember it correctly). We had Tamil head prefects in our history. We have a Hindu Kovil, a Muslim Mosque, a small Catholic Church, and a Budu Medura at school premises. We, the majority Buddhists used to come out of the classes and practice our religious believes every morning while others engaged in their respective religious customs at their places inside the school. I have seen a thousand times how Hindus wash their Kovil with milk and pray their stanzas with all the bells, drums and traditional oil lamps in the background. I have seen how Muslims kneel and worship their god. I have seen how Christians and Catholics pray with nice harmonizing voices. As a Sinhalese Buddhist I watched them with respect. I believe most of us did so and still do so.

We had English news, Sinhala news and Tamil news broadcasted in the school daily. We had equal rights. Besides being minority, the school’s Football and Hokey teams were dominated by Tamils and Muslims. Most of the other teams had Tamil and Muslim representation. We had all three Sinhala, English and Tamil debating teams. Each grade had two Tamil medium classes. That’s around 80+ students. Out of 400 in each section we had around 150-200 minority students who never made any complaint being minority. We had all sorts of religious and cultural festivals at school. Even we had Tamils and Muslims as our OBA presidents. As students and as old boys we enjoy equal opportunities. Most of the 6000+ students of our school are brought up with this type of mindset. So I believe where ever in this world we go, we carry what we think is good and we try to practice them at our best.

So looking at the culture where I grew up I don’t see anybody being made uncomfortable due to his nativity. If somebody is trying to be a winner among a whole bunch of losers I guess we should first make him a loser. As a school DS has taken these steps long before Mr. Pirapaharan dreamt of his so called EALAM. We have practically proved that his idealism is false and fake. Making predictions of the Sri Lankan community by staying under the ground in Kilinochchi seems to be misleading Mr. Pirapaharan because what he says does not exist here anymore. Visit Wellawatte, Dematagoda, Kotahena, Dehiwala, Cinamon Gardens, Sea Street, Slave Island, Hatton, Aagarapathana or anywhere. See the number of Tamils living there. They are being searched occassionally because these bombers explore themselves. Otherwise these people could stay in these areas without any problem at all. So for these occasional arrests also Mr. Pirapaharan is the one to blame. Ask him to stop the explosions so that we can stop searching. Visit Kilinochchy, Naagarkovil, or Muhumale. I don’t think we can find any Sinhalese. So it’s time to understand who’s right and who’s wrong. At least we can understand whose better. Where is ethnic cleansing? In Colombo or Kilinochchi? If South India gives us a separate land for us we could probably give Mr. Pirapaharan what he asks.

“Gahanna Gahanna wandina ekath modaya – Wandinna wandinna gahana ekath modaya”

I think it’s time to stop this bull head no matter what ever the price is so that the generations to come will live in peace and harmony.

Note: This was an article originally done by Fazeena Saleem and it was published in The Colombo Post on Tuesday, 27 November 2007.

Thamilselvan should have been tried for multiple murders and hung at the Galle Face Green - Ananda Sangaree

Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) president V. Anandasangaree says he can't understand why the culprits couldn't be brought to book. In Jaffna, three or four people were getting killed in broad daylight every day. If a person comes on a motorbike, shoots another and vanishes, he can't vanish into thin air. He has to travel a distance to hide. So what happens in-between, he asks. However, he says he can't blame the police in Jaffna as they are not allowed to do their duty and adds that an Inspector much loved by the people was hacked to death by the LTTE when he went to hold an inquiry. He was asked to come unarmed and without security and was hacked to death, says Anandasangaree. But, what is happening in the South, he queries.

The following are excerpts from V. anandasangaree's interview with THE COLOMBO POST.

Q: Are you happy with the prevailing situation in the country?

A: Not at all. First of all, I'm greatly disappointment with the government on one matter, the ethnic issue. I have been repeatedly saying over a period of time that if this country is not going to find a solution for the problem within three months of the President coming to power, then we will never find a solution.

Soon after the President was elected, I told him to solve the problem within three or six months the latest. It is two years since he came to power. The more you delay, more problems will crop up, like the de-merger and issues like the JVP demanding the abrogation of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA). All these problems are new ones because of the delay in finding a solution. This is not the first time a government has made such mistakes.

When Chandrika Bandaranaike came to power, she was the only one who got the largest majority in the history of Sri Lankan Presidential election. She got over 65% of the votes. She came to power with the promise of solving the problem. She delayed it or was made to delay. It ultimately went for six years and then another six years and that was the end of it. The same thing happened when J.R. Jayewardene was President. He was mandated by the people to solve the problem any way he wanted, but he didn't do it. It has been repeated over and over, as far as the ethnic issue is concerned. For the last fifty years this has been the situation.

Q: How do you see the escalation of hostilities?

A: That is very sickening. I can't understand why the culprits can't be brought to book. In Jaffna, three or four people are getting killed in broad day light every day. If a person comes on a motorbike, shoots another and vanishes, he can't vanish into thin air. He has to travel a limited distance to hide. So what happens in-between? Lots of people would have seen him. However, in Jaffna I can't blame the police for one reason because they are not allowed to do their duty.

Once an Inspector very much loved by the people was hacked to death by the LTTE when he went to hold an inquiry. He was asked to come unarmed and without security and was hacked to death. I will not blame a single policeman in Jaffna. In the North and East I can understand the situation. But what is happening in the South? In the South it is even possible for the people to get together and arrest the offenders. I don't know what is wrong.

Q: Have you lost faith in the political leadership and the opposition in Sri Lanka?

A: I can't say that because political leadership is up to the respective leaders. I only find fault for the delay in finding a solution.

Q: Do you think the Southern parties will come to a consensus to resolve the ethnic conflict?

A: This is a challenge. Forget about the Southern parties opposed to a solution. The people want a solution. I have told the President to go ahead with a reasonable solution and the people would be with him. He is the President elected for the entire country. It is wrong to say that it is the Southern people who elected the President. There is nothing called a government in the North and another in the South.

That is what we want to prevent. He is the President of the whole country and therefore has a duty to satisfy everybody. There is a wrong interpretation of democracy. Democracy is not the rule of the majority. It is the rule of the majority with the consent of the minority.

Q: Do you think the present government is genuinely committed to a political solution?

A: Yes. I think the President is very serious about it. I have discussed it several times with him. The President is very much interested in finding a solution. The main opposition United National Party is also committed to finding a solution. During the last election they faired well in the Tamil areas.

Q: Is there a collective leadership for the Tamil community?

A: I think there is. Forget about the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). Take the 22 TNA members as one member saying yes to everything the LTTE says. Forget about the number, whether it is 22, 23, 30 or even 100. They are yes men of the LTTE. They don't have guts to tell the LTTE what is wrong and what is right. For example, TNA members go around complaining of Human Rights violations. I'm telling the TNA there are more Human Rights violations in the LTTE held area than outside. They, including the LTTE leadership and Thamilselvan have sent their children to foreign countries for higher education. What about other children?

I'm from Kilinochchi and I know the pain of the people. People weep over the telephone. Children have been forcibly taken by the LTTE. Girls from the upper class have been given compulsory training. At one stage, every family must give one member to the LTTE, but now every member has to go.

When you say collective leadership, take the TNA as one. The others like the TULF, PLOTE, EPRLF and the EPDP are committed to a solution. So there is a collective leadership. If there is violation by government forces or by the LTTE, we condemn them. The TNA doesn't do that.

Q: How progressive is your alliance with the People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and Eelam People's Liberation Front (EPRLF- Padmanabha wing)?

A: We are committed to finding a solution. We have agreed to continue to fight to get a federal solution for the ethnic problem. I have seen highly educated people writing rubbish. We shouldn't forget the fact that this is a country belonging to the Tamils, the Sinhalese, the Muslims and everybody. Who came first and who came last is not the point. As educated people we shouldn't condemn others. This is a country where the Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims have lived for generations. Sixty million Tamils are living across the Palk Strait. How radical is it to say that somebody came first?

Who came when is utterly irrelevant to the Sri Lankan problem, even if the Sinhalese claim their mothers had been Tamils. According to the Mahawamsa the two hundred followers of Vijeya, who came and formed the Sinhala community, as some radical Sinhalese claim, their mothers have been Tamils from Madurai. Let us take for granted that we all have equal rights in this country. Forget about the past. As the Buddhists are the majority, we consider that Buddhism can be the state religion. We are not talking about it. But other rights like the right to live, the right to move about, the right to do whatever democratically, we all must be entitled to do.

Q: What is the most acceptable solution in resolving the conflict?

A: We know what the problem is. It is fifty years old. The whole world knows what the problem is. The All Party Representative Committee (APRC) is sitting and they are the block. How can the APRC come to a consensus when people have radical views? So we know what the problem is. As committed at the Oslo declaration, which the LTTE too has agreed on, they must come out with a federal solution. That is what the international community also expects.

The whole world is expecting the country to come out with a federal solution. Use an alternative because some are allergic to the term 'federal' and unitary. So avoid those words. Just call it the Indian model or unity in diversity. The Indians are proud as they are united in diversity. Let us also have a constitution that will be accepted by the minority as well. As far as rights are concerned, there should be minority rights and majority rights. Rights should be equal to everybody and should be enjoyed without discrimination.

Whatever solution we find, it should be once and for all. There cannot be a solution in installments. We have taken fifty years to and are yet to solve the problem. If we are to settle it in installments it will take another fifty years to get the second installment and another fifty to get the other. By that time there would be some radicals in power. So whatever the solution, it should be the final one acceptable and reasonable to the Tamil community. As accepted by the international community, a federal solution or the Indian model.

Q: Can the LTTE be destroyed only by finding a political solution?

A: Every problem has a solution but concerned parties may not accept it as a solution. We are suggesting a federal solution, but the LTTE may not accept it. They won't accept it for two reasons. One is, if a solution is found the Indians will just come and take Prabhakaran away. He will have to face hundred years of imprisonment. Even if a separate state is given, Prabhakaran will find some excuse to get away from it. So, forget about Prabhakaran.

Satisfy the Tamils who are agreeable to a solution and for living in a united Sri Lanka, and that is the final solution. Once the Tamil speaking people are satisfied that the government will treat every body equally and give equal rights, then the problem will be solved. We don't need to bother about the LTTE after that.

Even the small support they have will vanish. Even people like Nedumaran and Vaiko in South India will keep their mouths shut, even though now, because of certain interests, they are shouting.

For example, Thamilselvan who should have been tried for multiple murders and hung at the Galle Face Green is now being hailed as a hero by some Tamil Nadu politicians as they don't know what is happening here. Prabhakaran and Thamilselvan should have been tried for sending the 21 suicide bombers alone, but they are being glorified. If a reasonable solution is found then the LTTE can't exist.

Q: How would the budget help the Tamils in the North and East?

A: I don't see the budget from a Tamil point of view or Sinhala pint of view. Our country is rich in natural resources. No one will die of starvation. We must consider one thing. I don't justify the government allocating such a large amount of money for defence. But then how can you blame the government when a rebel organization starts destroying the airport and giving an impression to the world that they have a strong army?

The government is concerned about the security of the country and has to take that decision. If we are to find fault with the government for allocating such a large amount for defence, we must condemn the LTTE before doing that. In one night they caused losses of billions of rupees. So, without finding fault with the budget let us all get together and find a solution. The moment a solution is found; all what is spent on defence can be allocated for development. This is a war situation. We are not fighting against an ordinary rebel group. We are fighting against a group which has air power also.

Q: What else do you do apart of issuing statements and writing letters?

A: My letters have generally not been challenged by anybody. My writing had brought a big impact on the citizens of Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, I have a threat on my life. Otherwise I will prefer to take my message to every corner of the country.

Q: The media in Sri Lankan is under fire. Doesn't that mean democracy is under threat?

A: I strongly condemn those who meddle with the media. You have a right to write. But you see, we speak only about the English media, no one talks about the Tamil papers. Tamil papers enjoy more freedom than any other papers in the country. They have the liberty to write anything. They write all rubbish, they enjoy press freedom but no one speaks about that. As far as Sri Lanka is concerned, press freedom is limited only to others. The Tamil media can write anything, they glorify the LTTE and give them full publicity.

No one should meddle with the media and the press also should see that they don't come out with unwanted things. People who are killing and threatening journalists also should think that this can happen to them also when things change. There is a proverb in Tamil that says just by hiding the comb you can't prevent a marriage. The bride can even come without dressing her hair. Threats will not prevent journalists from writing or editors from publishing.

Q: When you say the Tamil media has freedom, how do you see the Tamil journalists being killed and threatened?

A: I didn't look from that angle. But with my experience, I see that the Tamil journalists have the utmost freedom, and I will hold some of the newspapers responsible for this large number of killings. But they don't condemn. There isn't a Tamil paper that has condemned the killings by the LTTE. That's how I look at it. But I don't know why and who are punishing them. Whenever the LTTE makes a mistake the Tamil papers have to collectively condemn.

Q: A top international terrorism expert says the government should protect the democratic Tamil leaders much more than the Sinhala politicians. Are the democratic Tamil leaders happy with the protection given to them?

A: All members of parliament are having their own security. In my case I'm given more protection because the risk is different from the others. Take the TNA. Aren't they aware that all these are happening because of the LTTE? There are many people in their prisons. They are failing in their duty and I'm doing my duty. I'm not pro-government or anti-government. I'm doing my duty as a patriotic citizen of this country.

Q: When did you last visit the North?

A: I didn't visit the north for a long time. This is the type of democracy we have in this country. If I go to the north what is the guarantee that I will return safely?

Q: As a democratic Tamil leader, what is your message to the people of the country?

A: I'm fully confident that the people in this country want to live in peace. I'm happy that that the Sinhalese in the south are not harassing the minorities. The Tamils in the north and east are a new type of minority for them. The Muslims have been there for a long time and the Tamils are just moving and live across Colombo to Puttalam.

Jaffna Tamils live along Colombo to Moratuwa. So the Tamils are confident that the ordinary Sinhalese are prepared to live as equals. People shouldn't be disturbed by ideas like who came first and who came last, who enjoys more rights and who enjoys fewer rights. Let us all live as equals so the country can prosper and even beat a country like Singapore.

Reference: http://www.thecolombopost.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=358&Itemid=57

In most of the parts of the modern world there is something wrong. In some place religious extremists are making trouble, some places racial matters, some places people are tread on due to cast differences. Being a developed country doesn’t give a proper answer to these problems. Black Americans have problems; Russia has a problem in Chechnya, UK has a problem in Ireland. So being developed is not an answer but it under controls the matters up to a greater extend.

When we talk of an animal we know there are specific behavioral activities of that particular animal group. Let’s say a buffalo. They normally eat something all the time. Let’s say an elephant. They normally don’t stay in the same pose for long. They sway or walk around or do something all the time. Likewise when it comes to human I think we all have some common behavior. A behavior of criticizing and getting divided. Dividing in the sense; objecting or accepting a particular idea.

Most of the time people find something to argue uponn. As an animal, human beings like the feeling of being recognized by others. It is not a must. But people like that feeling more or less depending on the personality. Some keep the grip on family while some other gets in to action in community level. Some do local politics. Some dance in the global arena. The stage is provided by different subjects. It may be politics, sports, arts or something else. Even though the basic needs are food, shelter and clothing humans are not satisfied. In the modern era we need money to get what we need. But just money and fulfilling our basic needs is not enough. We search recognition among others. So, we search for it. An easy way of gaining recognition among a community is find something common and make them feel you are a commoner so they recognize you as somebody. In the initial ancient stages these common facts would have been things like the area you stay, the skin color and so on. With time these things have evolved. Even now Sri Lankans say I’m from south, I’m from up country and so on. Skin color is a huge fact even in the modern world. Africans are black, Indians are brown, Chinese are yellow, Europeans are white, and Russians are red!

As a matter of fact our civilization has found reasons on our own definitions like Race, Caste, and Religion to use as facts of fundamental division. In the way I feel all the other divisions are secondary formations which have taken these as basics. It may be political division, community division, global division like Europe, America, Asia etc. What’s nice about all these is there is no atomic level. If you look in to one of the divisions it has so many inner divisions. Let’s say Asia. It is divided further as South Asia, East Asia and so on. If we take South Asia there are countries. Those countries are further divided internally to states or a similar administration unit. These types of divisions have their own benefits. This type of division is really significant to keep our civilization continuously evolving otherwise this world would be a one big mess. But the problem here is not every division is for the better use of human kind.

I hope most of us have experienced enough of Race, Caste, and Religion. So there’s nothing new to talk on them. Even though we have a huge population in this world our civilization goes forward because of a bunch of people who have a mind set which is broader, developed and strong. If all of us were disciples of so called Race, Caste, Religion most of us would have been still lighting fire with two stones in front of a cave somewhere in a thick jungle. But still Race, Caste, and Religion makes the world live in panic. The reason is the general public can be easily convinced to follow somebody. Depending on the vision of the person who is controlling the public the results get differed. The good purposes or future developments done by real thinkers are pretty harder to be carved in to the narrow minds of general public. What the public absorb is what is easier for them to realize and understand.

As I understand there are different levels of leaders. Depending on leadership capabilities and qualities the portion they can administer is decided. The intensions of a leader may differ. They may be good for the whole human kind or they may be good for a selected community or they may be bad for the whole world. But still they are leaders due to the fact that they can convince a huge number to follow them. That’s why Hitler is a leader. Even though he was a real harm he is still a leader as he could hold on to what he believed.

But in the modern times I see a pretty impressive solution to these burdens. That is money. Why I say that is the following reason. Sri Lanka has a problem which runs for more than 20 years now. Most of the people who are suffering are Tamils in the terrorist areas. There is a very large Tamil community in Colombo. Towns like Wellawatte, Dematagoda, Kotahena, Dehiwala are dominated by them. In the school where I studied we had two Tamil medium classes in each section. We have film halls screening Tamil films. Most of the shops in those cities display boards in Tamil. As I have observed they don’t have a big problem in Colombo. If they are bothered by government forces it is due to the barbaric acts of Mr. Pirapaharan. Unless he hides among innocent Tamils and kills people in Colombo the government forces would not need to check innocent Tamils. So if Mr. Pirapaharan stops his barbaric acts Tamils in this country would have a real nice life. Tamils who have money have Come to Colombo and settled. Tamils who had more money have gone abroad and settled. I heard majority of Colombo 7 residents (Colombo 7 is one of the high class residential area in Colombo) are Tamils. I have noticed the majority studying in International Schools or in the Modern Schools as they are called are Tamils and Muslims. So they are dominating in most of the cases passing over the majority Sinhalese. So, left alone poor innocent Tamil and Sinhalese people are taken as bait by the so called leaders of both Tamils and Sinhalese. This is a real world example of power of money. This shows money can solve a great deal of problems.

Since of late I have seen so many inter racial, inter religious and inter caste marriages. Most of the couples were sons and daughters of business tycoons, or political big foots, or celebrities in one field or another. No body questions. Why? I feel it’s money and most of the time that incident makes both of the families stand strong in their common interests. I think that’s what all of us should be concerned about. It should be nothing else other than well being of us and others. We should not put gods and everything else in between us and kill each other.

Why we make trouble is our so called leaders have made us blind and they keep us following them just to make sure their well being. I’m not blaming everybody but the majority. We, the general public don’t see their real intensions. The hardship of understanding the reality we make our lives a mess.

In the modern times money has a great answer. Some people know it. So they keep others in the dark to grab more money leaving very little to majority. That is how the environment is maintained. People who are strong survive. So others are made week by the stronger.

Money is a great universal solution in the modern world. But you can’t make money just by doing what ever. You can’t kill dogs and earn. The reason is it is just the conscience that is left when you leave this world. You can not take anything else when you exhale your last breath. You can get recognition when you are alive. But only the people with a conscience are recognized even after hundreds of years of their departure from this world.

So any matter at any place in this world can get a good solution if the engaged parties are not poor. So does the matters exist in Sri Lanka! I feel that is becoming a universal truth. It's time to open our eyes and see the truth.