Military defeat of LTTE has drawn attention to the need for national healing and reconciliation
The military defeat of the LTTE cannot be expected to resolve our National crisis. To the contrary, it has drawn much wider attention to the need for National healing and reconciliation
by Rt. Rev. Duleep de Chickera
At the Annual Sessions of the Diocese of Colombo of the (Anglican) Church of Ceylon which began on Friday October 16, 2009, the Rt Rev Duleep de Chickera, the Bishop of Colombo, delivering his Address to the clergy and people of his Diocese called for the displaced persons in camps to be treated with dignity and trust. We must never forget, he said, that they are also Sri Lankans who crossed over at the invitation of their government to be liberated.
He also urged that his Church should work with all faith leaders to recognise the year 2009-2010 as the Year of National Healing and Reconciliation when all would engage in rigorous self scrutiny and a rediscovery of inclusive behaviour; and that this process would lead to a spirituality of compassion, courage and humility in the journey of reconciliation.
The Rt Rev Dr Thomas Savundranayagam, Roman Catholic Bishop of Jaffna, was the Chief Guest at the Sessions. Key extracts from Bishop Duleep de Chickera’s Address are:
A family separated
“If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together.” (1 Cor. 12:26)
A part of our Diocesan Family is not represented at this Council. This is because most members of our Congregations of the Vanni (over 125 families) are presently in camps for displaced Sri Lankans. Our efforts to arrange for some Lay representation for these congregations were not successful. It is now up to us all to bear this in mind in our proceedings. Our thinking and decisions should carry the pain and responsibility of separation. I have also asked our Chaplains and those who lead our Bible Studies and worship to connect those who gather at Council and those who are scattered in camps, through our reflections and prayers.
Displaced Sri Lankans
The aftermath of the war created an unprecedented crisis of displacement affecting nearly 280,000 Sri Lankans. At the time of writing these persons are located in camps in the Vavuniya, Mannar, Jaffna and Trincomalee Districts. Since these tragic happenings, we have repeatedly expressed our views on the war, the future of those displaced and post-war reconciliation. The Standing Committee Report and the Report of the Board of Social Responsibility (BSR) further elaborate on our stance and ministry in these areas.
There is however, an aspect of this tragic story that needs to be highlighted. We must never forget that those who crossed over are Sri Lankans; and that they crossed over at the invitation of their government to be liberated. Liberation for the displaced requires that they be treated with dignity and trust, that their return to their original homes and livelihoods be expedited and that they thereafter receive equal opportunities for education, development and growth. Liberation also requires that they should not be hindered or harmed by any ideology or force that might want to exploit or suppress them all over again.
Reconciliation and healing of the Nation
The military defeat of the LTTE cannot be expected to resolve our National crisis. To the contrary, it has drawn much wider attention to the need for National healing and reconciliation which has eluded us for decades. As never before we are now called to strive after that way of life, which will lead us away from deceit and violence, hold us together and nourish us as equals.
While we must be thankful that we are still a very resilient, resourceful and hospitable people, certain obstructions to healing need to be acknowledged if we are to secure abundant life for all.
Past and current realities
While colonisation divided us and deprived us of freedom, our post independence history further aggravated these trends. Unimaginable violence has devalued human life and dignity. Layer upon layer of intimidation and discrimination have created deep social suspicion and antagonism. Both, fear and prejudice have created an unprecedented disregard in our society for the needs and rights of our neighbour. Repeated acts of extra judicial atrocities coupled with the absence of a fair judicial process of investigation, protection and prevention have led to an erosion of law and order and a culture of impunity. Impatience with dissent and critique has restricted the Media and public opinion. In fact the crisis of police violence, serious as it is, reflects the triumph of these trends in our society much more than it does the lack of professionalism in the Police Force.
This destructive shift in social reality did not simply happen. It is the culmination of several short sighted socio-political initiatives. The intensification of divisive ethnic party politics has systematically undermined national integration. The absence of sustainable economic, educational, agricultural and foreign policies have further polarised us internally and isolated us internationally. Clearly discriminatory legislation such as the Sinhala only Act of the Fifties and the earlier dis-enfranchisement of large numbers amongst the plantation community, marginalised the minorities. The Tamil militant struggle for self government that emerged out of this discrimination grew into a movement which oppressed its own and systematically eliminated National leaders of all communities. The subsequent security drive against the LTTE caused untold humiliation and hardship for the Tamil community. A serious and systematic erosion of higher values on all sides, drove us to the “war only” option; which in turn brought about an immense loss of life, uprooted whole communities, polarised the Nation and left us with haunting memories of communal grievance, impatience and despair.
A process
If reconciliation and healing are to come to our beloved Nation in these circumstances, we are all required to take a right-about turn and engage in two initiatives. These are the ability to look within our selves and our communities and deal with the mistakes of the past; and the cultivation of a behaviour that respects and welcomes the presence of the other. These unwritten democratic values of self scrutiny and inclusive behaviour will require time, personal integrity and an abundance of generosity. But we don’t have to go far to find them. The respective spiritualities of our religions provide these values to those of us who want to live at peace with each other.
It is from here that we will together recognise how to address past grievance and future integration. And it will be only then that the journey towards getting to that place, where each will be received with dignity, none will violate another and all will be provided space for growth and fulfilment, will be discerned. From here our collective conscience will be required to invite and encourage the other repeatedly, till the call falls on good ground and bears fruit. This is the prophetic tradition of the Church without which there can be no reconciliation and healing in Christ.
A Year of national healing and reconciliation
Since all religions have a role to play in this National agenda I request the Diocese to please recognise the year 2009-2010 as a year of “National Reconciliation and Healing.” For this to happen most effectively we will be called to work even more closely with our Sister Churches and Faiths. Our own role in this collective task will be futile if we ourselves do not engage in rigorous self scrutiny and a rediscovery of inclusive behaviour. It must be our prayer that out of this process Christ will endow us with a spirituality of compassion, courage and humility for the journey.
I invite all Clergy and Congregations, Schools and other Church Institutions to spread this message and incorporate this thrust into our respective mandates and scope of influence. I request Standing Committee, Council of Synod and the Peace and Inter Faith Desks in particular to highlight this proposal and to give it priority in the coming year.
I urge all our Commissions and Boards to give this theme priority in our work during the coming year. I also intend carrying this proposal to the Civil Society, Ecumenical and Inter Faith Groups with whom we work
12 Comments
A collective effort from all faiths and societies starting from grass root level is what is needed for national reconciliation to happen.A mass educational campaign from people to people will definitely bring a change for better.Of course a change in political thinking as well.Best wishes towards such an endeavor.
This is an excellent initiative which can bring about reconcilliation and unity based on love and compassion for all humankind. Let us all, followers of the great religons, join together to heal this fractured nation and bring it back on the path of unity and brotherhood.
I hope that this call will be heeded by the clergy and religous leaders of all communities and come together under one umbrella to implement concrete steps to achieve this objective. If so this is bound to succeed as religous, spiritual and moral values can supercede the dirty politics and racist policies which are at the root of this problem. Too long have we remained silent and allowed the forces of evil to gain ascendency.
Rev. Duleep de Chickera: "While colonisation divided us ..."
No! The colonialists did not divide us at all. It is the Sinhala-Buddhist extremist followers of Anagarika Dharmapala who did through their mythical re-interpretation of history.
It was they who also invented the story that the British colonialists practiced a 'divide and rule' policy so as to justify their anti-tamil discrimination as being merely about remedying the results of the British policy (of divide and rule and favouring the Tamils).
The Rt. Rev. Duleep de Chickera is no doubt aware that the truth (about the past and the prsent) is what sets one free.
And so, No truth = No Reconciliation.
During the tail end of the war a Political scientist
predicted that MR in not presenting a "Solution" will
only Internationalize a domestic issue and this has
now happened - beyond any control of political nit-wits.
Mr.Dayan Jayetilleka could gauge such matters ahead
as he did when he wrote that article.
The all party sittings were only a gimmick and will be
a dead-letter, by the time the next Regime sits. The intensively insensitivity of holding 15% of a nations
population in barricaded-military supervised Camps is telling a civilized world what Sri Lankan Leaders
are made of. The treatment meted out to the "Mercy-Mission" shipment alone by this Regime, despite Indian intervention is telling - the attitude to Reconciliation?
The underline tone of the Bishop's speech seems to put all the blame for the current situation of the Tamils, solely on the present and past Srlankan administrations.He says colonization divided the society which is a fact But that division was the worst discrimination against the Sinhala Buddhist society. The colonization positively discriminated minorities and the people who converted to Christianity at the expense of the majority Sinhala people. It took over fifty years for the Sinhala Buddishts to acquire their rightful place in there own land thanks to the Sinhala education policy.
There are NO 2 nations in Sri Lanka.
There is ONE NATION.
The state functions NEEDS TO BE RE_STRUCTURED so that ALL individuals, families, communal groups benefits equally from the state.
The state is ONLY and organiser. This we must realise.
WHAT WE HAVE IN SRI LANKA IS A MANAGEMENT ISSUE. NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS.
Equitable, Fair, Just management policies needs to be adopted within a UNITARY SYSTEM of GOVERNMENT. That is tranparent, representative. That is ALL.
The whole nation has to get behind to achieve these objectives.
Mr. Buddhadasa
please think that all people of Sri Lanka as humans, not with a tag of racism or religion. I wish all this so called sinhala buddists, who are voiceferous about thier lost rights start to think in terms of budist philosophy. If dhamma is followed by the majority of Sri lankans we would have not been in this hellhole at present & the past too.
well said by the ReV. bishop .
when looking at the post independent history Of Srilanka I am not hopeful any reconciliation can take place in a Single unitary Srilanka.In my view Tamils have to decide their own destiney not by Sinhalees or any body else.
In keeping with the reconciliation and healing theme, the Rt. Rev. Duleep de Chickera will now no doubt issue a series of statements as to how important the welfare and release of the Tamil IDPs in the concentration camps is!?
My reply to Buddhadasa is that the sinhala buddhists have every right to "acquire their rightfull place" in sri lanka. However they have no right to acheive that at the cost of the others in society. Be they Tamils, muslims, sinhala christians or any other group.It is that demand and the lack of space for self advancement which lead to tamil militancy. This policy of Us or them is what has lead to one of the best countries in asia at independance becomming what it is now. Continuation of this policy is only going to lead to further problems. However I dont think there is any leader in the country who has the vision to lead, and the sinhala people seem to be mesmerised by the military success to demand bettter governance. So the travails of sri lanka are set to continue.
Bishop de Chickera makes many efforts to unite the country.This is deeply appreciated by all peace loving people. That is what is expected of good religious leaders. Colonialism (I believe that is what he means though he uses the word Colonisation) - in a way, brought the Island together, although the thinking of the British then was in terms of administrative convenience. It was false lay prophets on the Buddhist side, in preaching anti-Tamil hatred, planted the seeds of racial-religious discord which SWRDs racial gangs took to disgusting depths that ultimately set the country aflame. The LTTE moved in much later and did their own bit in dividing the two people further. The Anglican and Catholic church - uniting both Tamils and Sinhalese under their flock - are well placed to bring us the peace we are all yearning for. One hopes the powerful and numerically larger Buddhist clergy and followers will join hands with the good Bishop in his laudable moves to usher in peace and unity.
ISS
A collective effort from all faiths and societies should first focus their attention to get all the people who are being held against their wishes, in the internments camps to go free and settle down in their homes and villages. Then you could start talking about any other matters. Until this happens you can not win the hearts and minds, of the minority communities who are still languishing in refugee camps over 20 years, with out any sign of hope of returning to their own homes. If you don’t resettle these people, soon you are going to create new generation with animosity and distrust towards the majority community and a vicious circle of violence and mistress will be continued by the future generation until the country break in to two nations and one race. Are we heading for this?? The answer is in the hands of the current rulers. If they are wise enough they should stop this stupidity and make serious effort in uniting all the races and religions and built a strong country.