by Himangi Jayasundere
Elders are responsible for ensuring that the younger generation which has experienced a spate of killings and massacres in the recent past, shed whatever negative attitudes they may have developed and grow up with the right frame of mind, Principal of Zahira College, Colombo, Dr. Uvais Ahamed said on Monday

He was making a presentation at the Presidential Truth Commission appointed to probe into ethnic violence during the period between 1981-1984 with special reference to 1983.

The commission comprises former Chief Justice, S. Sharvananda, former national list MP of the SLMC, M. M. Zuhair (PC) and S. S. Sahabandu (PC).

Dr. Ahamed said that young children between the age of 5 and 15 who were attending school during this period have since grown into adolescence and adulthood with vivid memories of July 1983 and all that followed thereafter. This would have not only resulted in various conflicts in their minds but one could surmise that the value systems they had imbibed from peers, parents and religious leaders would have undergone a severe beating. "I am, sure every parent whether Sinhala Tamil or Muslim would have been concerned about the impact the gory images of this period would have had on the impressionable minds of their children" he said.

"We have now come to a stage when it is imperative that we face realities and search our collective conscience as to why this destructive tendency emerged and then been allowed to continue for such a long period transplanting a gun and bomb culture into the placid and peaceful life styles which all communities in this country had been accustomed to" Dr. Ahamed said.

An important question that has to be asked is what action have the elders in society, who themselves had been traumatised by these events, taken to help younger people to get over the bitter memories of the July riot, JVP and other killings, the massacres of Muslims in the villages, Mosques and the killings taking place in border areas. Whether they are parents, teachers, religious leaders or politicians, elders should take responsibility for the events of this period. "They must take meaningful steps to ensure that the younger generation sheds whatever negative attitudes they may have developed and grow up with the right frame of mind to live with a spirit of goodwill and understanding in an essentially multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-lingual country.

"This is a challenge to elders of all communities if we are serious about our assertions that our only salvation from this anarchic situation is to think and act in terms of a Sri Lankan identity and Sri Lankan society. The important question to ask is whether this has been done in my opinion the answer is an emphatic no".

He pointed out that ever since gaining independence, Sri Lankans have adopted a tendency to compartmentalize amongst different communities. This has resulted in an absence of linkages between the different communities making them easy prey when contentious issues come to the fore, allowing them to be easily manipulated by unscrupulous, self seeking individuals and parties".

Dr. Ahamed also opined that , while all three communities in the country have had their share of suffering during this period, there was no doubt that this period will go down in history as the worst the Muslims have experienced ever since they settled in Sri Lanka several centuries ago.

He said that while there was a Ceylon Moor settlement in the heart of Jaffna which had seen several generations of Muslims growing up in harmony with the Tamils, today there was hardly a trace of Muslim existence in Jaffna. "Every one of them have been driven away from the land of their birth and are now scattered around Sri Lanka as refugees".

"Their plight is as bad as that of the Palestinian refugees, but there is hardly any concern international or national expended on them.

He said that since 1983 numerous meetings have been held among political parties, NGO’s and independent individuals both with the government and the LTTE. "But still as evidenced by the recent Airport disaster and the sporadic killings taking place all over the country, some of which have no connection to the ethnic conflict, the culture of violence that had gripped our nation in 1983 still seems to be the order of the day".

He also said that in 1977, when the UNP was elected with a 4/5th majority, which included the Tamil population of the country, they did not attempt to address the ethnic problem. "This was a marvellous opportunity to work out a solution but instead the government focused on other issues". He said that the lost opportunity of 1977 and the miscalculations that followed had resulted in the most agonizing period from 1983 onwards.

"It is indeed tragic both to Sri Lanka and its citizens that it has not been possible to come to terms with the basic issues involved in the conflict and bring about a lasting solution so that all resources could be channelled to make our dear land a better place for us and the generations to come," he further said.

The next proceedings will be held today (18) at 3.00 pm.