Bertrand Russell was of the view that peace can never be permanently secured until the education of children is changed. Warlike heroes such as Nelson, Wellington, Napoleon should not be glorified. He said: "In the teaching of history there should be no undue emphasis upon one's own country. The history of wars should be a small part of what is taught."

It was Russell again who said: "The most savage controversies, indeed, are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way. In such a case, you can make yourself aware of your own bias. If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason for thinking as you do. If someone maintains that two and two are five, or that Iceland is on the equator, you feel pity rather than anger, unless you know so little of arithmetic or geography that his opinion shakes your own contrary conviction. So whenever you find yourself getting angry about a difference of opinion, be on your guard, you will probably find, on examination, that your belief is going beyond what the evidence warrants."

As Russell said, we are all, whatever part of the world we come from, persuaded that our own nation or language or religion is superior to all others. Seeing that each race or language or religion has its characteristic merits and demerits, the intelligent man will admit that the question is one to which there is no demonstrably right answer.

We have defeated the worst terrorists in the world, not a race or something else. But the chauvinists will be jubilant, calling Mahinda a Dutugemunu or whatever. This is the time Mahinda has to be saved from praise-mongers. Dutugemunu fought an invader face to face, but Mahinda fought and perhaps will continue to fight a hidden enemy funded by imperialist superpowers whose filthy dollars have caused havoc in Vietnam, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and God knows where else!