“Stop the media show; divulge mastermind now” - Easter attack victims tell Govt.

• The victims lament that they are being hoodwinked by successive political leaders with the objective of gaining power. Since the recent development of Ravi Seneviratne divulging that the mastermind behind the attacks had been identified, the Daily Mirror spoke to several family members of the victims to ask their opinion
• “We have waited long enough. If they know the main culprit, disclose the name without shutting it behind closed doors. That should be said officially and publicly,” – family member of victim  

By Sheain Fernandopulle 

In what would be a real twist in the tale, discussions in Parliament yesterday (09) revealed that the main conspirator behind the Easter Sunday bomb attacks has been identified prompting victims of the carnage to demand proper action instead of mere media shows.   
This was raised in Parliament after several MPs questioned the authenticity of a social media message posted by Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) MP Nizam Kariapper, stating that Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne had revealed that the main conspirator of the Easter Sunday bomb attacks had been identified.  The MP said in a post on X that Ravi Seneviratne had revealed this in response to a question raised by him before the Committee on High Posts.   
Despite over half a decade having passed, justice for the victims of the attacks has not been meted out. Leaders of successive governments have made a plethora of promises regarding the proper conduct of the investigation, yet nothing tangible has happened since the attacks took place in 2019.   
The victims lament that they are being hoodwinked by the political hierarchy for the sake of gaining power. Since the recent development is what everyone hoped for, Daily Mirror spoke to several family members of the victims to ask their opinion.   
Leslie Appuhamy, a family member of a victim told the Daily Mirror that the name of the mastermind should be revealed without further delay. “We have waited long enough. If they know the main culprit, disclose the name without shutting it behind closed doors. That should be said officially and publicly,” Appuhamy said.  Another relative who wished to remain anonymous stated, “Every government promises justice when elections are near, but once they assume power, the matter is swept under the carpet. We are tired of being used as a slogan for political gain.” Sudara Fernando, who lost his father Sudeera to the attacks, said “The entire issue surrounding the Easter Sunday attacks has turned into a political football, used by those in power to gain publicity and votes.”   
Furthermore, Nishantha Aluthmuhandiramge, President of the Welfare Society, which is a collective body of victims’ families at St. Sebastian’s Church, Katuwapitiya said “If it were true, they (victims) would be happy and that’s what we anticipated,” he said.   
“However, in my personal opinion, Ravi Seneviratne (if he had really said so) should have not said that in the committee. If they had really found the mastermind, the matter should have been brought before court and necessary legal action should have been taken,” he stressed.   With the comments made by the victims, it is clear that they have waited long enough and now they need justice. Many said they are losing faith in the promises made by politicians and are calling for real action instead of words.  President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his election pledge in 2024 said that the Easter bombings was a conspiracy by a group to achieve a narrow political objective by creating discord between ethnicities, causing communal riots and massive loss of life and property. The masterminds and those who planned this heinous crime must be brought to justice and doing so will be a top priority of the government of  National People’s Power, he had pledged.