For Kumaratunga the Preference is People
After luckily surviving an LTTE suicide bomber's attack on her life on December 18 last Chandrika Kumaratunga said she was the only leader who had lived to "tell the tale".
When an atrocity is committed indoors under special confinement some survivors are needed to tell the tragedy. In the historic "Black Hole Tragedy" nature left behind some survivors to let the world know of Nawab Sirajudowla's (or his men's beyond his knowledge?) perpetrating cruelty upon the English captives. But killing outside in open spaces does not warrant any such survivor as eye witnesses are found handy. Still narrations from the escaped targeted person have special novelties filled with characteristic personal emotions and reactions.
Happily enough, what she reacted is complete wisdom - wisdom that was not let to be lost in the depth of personal sufferings due to loss of a major bodily organ like right eye. In her first interview with the BBC since that suicide bomber's attack she herself told, "Medically I can carry on but probably I have lost the sight of this eye" pointing to her right eye that kept shut during the whole show.
Kumaratunga has splendidly risen above this permanent mutilation of her own physique. Several factors may have contributed to this. First, while coming to power she had persistently committed to bring peace to the nation. Even in the last pre-election presidential campaigning on December 18 last which witnessed that suicide bomber's attack she repeated the vow. Second, she had clearly seen that there is no other way than a successful dialogue with the rebels that can end the battle and bring peace. She has said emphatically she detests the Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran but is willing to talk with him for the sake of peace on the island. Third, she has been able to dispassionately read the rising mood and mentality of the rebels.
Of the country's 18.8 million people the Tamils constitute about 3.4 million. They have learnt to nourish a hardened belief that under Sinhalese domination they cannot prosper. So they cry for a separate land in the northeast of the island that they consider their exclusive home. The rebels are fighting for this cause with mounting determination and zeal. They have raised up suicide squads that are too hard to be subdued by Sri Lankan government forces. LTTE venerates, with almost religious conviction, act of suicide and its cadres felicitate it as a holy privilege to be chosen for that mission. They enthusiastically crowd to draw lots to decide who is lucky to be promoted to the suicide squads. Ordinary rebels are also taught to commit suicide, rather than be captured, by taking cyanide capsules that they lovingly keep hanging around their necks. As nothing succeeds like success the rebels have romped in. In 1987 an explosive-laden truck ripped into an army camp killing 40 troopers. The squads carried off their apex prize in 1991 by killing Indian premier Rajiv Gandhi. In 1993 Sri Lankan president Ranasinghe Premadasa was killed by a suicide bomber in Colombo. In 1994 Kumaratunga's chief presidential rival Gamini Desanayake was killed by a suspected Black Tiger female member.
Fourth, ceaseless armed confrontations with the rebels have put a constant drain on state resources impeding asking development projects of the government. Fifth, Kumaratunga is clear and specific that it is the government that is burdened with the prime responsibility of exploring ways of conciliation even in the teeth of grave provocations. Government's unwise adamancy and ineptitude can at best lead the rebels to be hardened and desperate paving the path to a state of no-return.
Sixth, bringing dialogues to a successful end, that is containing the Tamils with autonomy rights within their territory to save the country from being parcelled out, which apparently looks like an impossible task but may not be beyond achievement if the government can really worm itself into Tamils' confidence by sheer sincerity and convince them that their autonomy will ensure their every right and well-being and it (autonomy) will never be interfered with by the centre.
Seventh, Kumaratunga's task of having negotiation with the LTTE is fraught with danger as suicide squads are prone to aim in on leaders who have proposed talks with the LTTE. Kumaratunga held talks with the LTTE and purchased their wrath. This fallacy can be destroyed by offering an olive branch of the brand that even the suspicious rebels can take up as pure and original instead of being spurious and sugar-coated.
Eighth, Kumaratunga has alleged that in the recently held presidential election the LTTE has espoused the cause of her arch presidential contender Ranil Wickremasinghe of UNP. She has continued that its cadres have visited villages after villages frightening inmates to vote for UNP failing which they would cost their lives. Kumaratunga feels an urgency to come to terms with the rebels to forestall the opposition to cash in on the situation. Wickremasinghe has, however, denied the charge and further offered to join his hand to establish peace in the country.
Kumaratunga instead of stiffening her anger has sobered it to a benign weapon to performing peace agreement based on mutual trust and respect. Probably there is no dearth of sycophants around her to lure her to intensify counter attacks on the rebels to wreak vengeance. But her wisdom well guarded her against those foolish counsels. She could realise that gone are the days of Hitlerian paranoia of annihilating a rising people. In this regard she has probably shown a better practical tact and accommodation than what Russia has applied to the Chechens.
Meanwhile tensions in Colombo have steadily heated up. The government has hardened security measures. House to house search, searching and interrogating hundreds of Tamils, clamping down curfew have come in the wake. LTTE has gone amuck with guerilla way of grenade throwing, shooting etc on men and installations of the government. Suicide bombers' attacks on the President, the Opposition public meeting, Prime Minister's residence have rocked the country leaving many dead and injured. Such tit-for-tat actions can only distance real resolve. Prabhakaran should realise that Kumaratunga is re-elected as President of Sri Lanka capturing over 51 per cent of people's vote. Her desire to sit for solution hardly affords to be left out as unnoticed. To clinch an independent Tamil land by harassing the government appears a far cry.
Conveying willingness to sit with Prabhakaran to bring peace despite disliking the person accounts for a specimen of classic leadership of Kumaratunga grounded on tolerance, foresight and commitment to people. It proves how she loves her country in preference to her own life that was almost taken away by an LTTE attack. Visualising that dialogue with the LTTE as the only means to catch the cord of peace is correct. Respecting this conviction even on the jaw of death is golden and likely to be productive of a breakthrough against an impasse. This stands out as a melancholy contrast to the temper and talent of our country's existing leaders who have often failed to sit, guided by a sincerity of purpose, across a table to remove their stand-off in preference to launching hackneyed street agitations and marshalling newly invented counter peace processions to wrest a decision in their own favour in gross disregard of people's sufferings.
The writer is retired Principal of Pabna Govt. Mohila College.
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