After 77 years of Independence, let’s take on hate-speech

As we celebrated 77 years of independence yesterday, a line by the late famous US General MacArthur came to mind in slightly different context. In recognition of his status as one of the greatest living military leaders in US, Congress asked MacArthur to address a joint session on 19 April 1951.

His speech, is best known for its final lines in which he quoted an old army ballad: ‘Old soldiers never die -they just fade away’. MacArthur spoke of the reality faced by military people who served their country. When soldiers ceased being important and relevant, they were pushed into ‘Old Soldiers Homes’ to wait for the grim reaper. 
In our country, at different times we sang hosannas to the military men and women who served during the ethnic war. Many have been forgotten. Many others can be seen begging for a living on the streets of Colombo. In fact the general under whose command the LTTE terrorist organisation was defeated, ended up in prison for political reasons. 

He made efforts to capture power via the ballot, but was rejected by the electorate. He has now faded away.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of our corrupt and rejected politicians. They simply keep popping up, attempting to use any and every opportunity to gain publicity even at the expense of reopening old wounds which never really healed. 

The Easter Sunday bombings on 21 April 2020 killed at least 253 innocent people -the majority of them from the Catholic faith. It is widely believed an impartial investigation into the terrible deed was ever completed. The Head of the Roman Catholic Church in our country has been demanding an impartial investigation and justice for members of his affected flock.

The present National People’s Power (NPP) government has re-opened an investigation into that tragedy. Other than promising a fresh investigation which is now ongoing, the regime has not injected itself into the proceedings. 
Additionally during his recent visit to Jaffna in the last days of January, President Dissanayake and his colleagues from the NPP were able to build up a rapport with the minority Tamils in the north. Something none of our other executive presidents have been able to do.

This is an extremely important development. For unless a just solution to the problems of the minority communities in our country is found, the country will never be able to develop to its full potential. We will always be looking at each other through ethno-religious eyes and with suspicion.

The Muslim community too voted in large numbers for the present regime. It gives every appearance that at long last we are beginning to identify ourselves as ‘Sri Lankans’ rather than by particular ethnic grouping or religion.
It is at this particular moment in time, quite out of the blues so-to-say, politicians with anti-minority, ultra-nationalist stances have taken umbrage at the new investigation into the Easter Sunday tragedy. 

According to these politicians the new investigation targets former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. We do not know how these politicians came to this conclusion. But these unsubstantiated accusations can raise ethnic and religious tensions. 

Ex-president Gotabaya has been accused of anti-minority sentiments which became manifest during the COVID pandemic.

This country is still in the middle of repaying its international debts. We are dependent on foreign borrowings to tide the country out of its bankruptcy. The last thing we need is to see a new bout of communalism or religious hatred breaking out. 

According to the World Bank “...the impact of the ethnic war led to the destruction of infrastructure —including roads, markets, water and power supply stations, and irrigation tanks. It led to the breakdown of agricultural production, and stifled industry and growth of the private sector. Displacement and restrictions effectively halved production... Under the uncertainties of war, the private sector left, along with significant capital and employment opportunities. These impacts affected economic growth and productivity...”

The trouble with opportunistic politicians is that they do not care about the damage they cause, as long as they see some personal benefit for themselves. For everybody’s good, it’s time we brought in laws making hate-speech unlawful and with heavy penalties attached for indulging in the same.