Sri Lanka is on the verge of a long overdue military victory against the world’s most ruthless terrorist organisation, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

To prevent its inevitable defeat, the LTTE and its supporters are on a massive propaganda campaign talking about ‘genocide’ despite the fact that many Tamil citizens of the country continue to live in Colombo and other government controlled areas without any problem. Sri Lanka’s is a fight against terrorism. This aspect receives very little attention from the international community and the international media.

Once terrorism is defeated, post-conflict Sri Lanka should closely examine all options to ensure that this terrorism never surfaces in the country ever. This should include examining whether there are any discriminatory practices in Sri Lanka which deny citizens certain opportunities.

Diversity is an asset to any country as much as it is to a region within a country, and it should be cherished. The LTTE’s demand for Eelam is about the creation of a mono-ethnic and mono-religious state.

Mono-ethnic societies are unlikely to bring prosperity in the long term in the modern era of globalisation. As individuals, our success depends on how well we can interact with others (countries /cultures) and the skills and abilities we possess to live and work among those who are different to you in many ways. Learning to co-exist is imperative.

Contrary to what the LTTE and its supporters may preach, living in a mono-ethnic state within Sri Lanka may not be the hope of all Sri Lankan Tamils. In particular, Tamil people living outside the North and East are unlikely to favour such a set up.

Two universities of Sri Lanka which have become mono-ethnic by default, are a case in point showing how bad the outcome of such a set up can be for its students who are clearly at a disadvantage not having much interaction with those of different backgrounds.

It is time to recognise that the government’s current efforts are geared towards creating an environment where all ethnic groups can live peacefully in a united Sri Lanka where everyone is judged on merit - equal opportunity for all, nothing more, nothing less.

But such a set up should be within a united Sri Lanka and within the legal and constitutional framework of the country.

As much as it is a great achievement to win against terrorism, taking every possible step to prevent it from re-surfacing, is equally important.