Easter Sunday carnage and the psychology of closure

Amongst these survivors are children who have to visit hospitals for regular checkups, some who have sustained severe burn injuries, some who are permanently disabled and some who continue to undergo trauma

Since 2019, there’s just one topic that almost every Sri Lankan is interested in particularly in April, other than the Sinhala and Hindu New Year. Seven years have elapsed since the Easter Sunday carnage but the mastermind has not yet been revealed. This means justice has not yet been done to victims and survivors of the deadly attacks. This also means that it would take many more years or even an entire lifetime to bring closure to these victims. 
The recent book launch titled ‘In search of the mastermind of the Easter Sunday attacks’ by a former minister, amidst a group of invitees who were in power when the attacks took place,  is both ironic and coincidental. The former minister who is also the author of the book asserted that the main suicide bomber of this incident is in fact the mastermind of the attacks. 
Opposition parties were up in arms when the incumbent government arrested former SIS Chief Suresh Sallay,  and the CID obtained a 90-day detention order. Following his arrest, former Minister Wimal Weerawansa announced that a satyagraha campaign would be launched against Sallay’s arrest. He claimed that the next target would be former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Many politicians expressed their disappointment towards the government following this arrest, claiming that the government is continuing its political witch-hunt. 
But Sri Lankans are still looking for answers. They want to know how the intelligence services and defence authorities ‘missed’ some important tip-offs, warnings and alerts regarding the deadly attacks. They want to know how the bombers were allowed inside leading hotels. If there were queries about the identities of these individuals,  why weren’t they under close supervision? Every dead end has ended up as a conspiracy, much to the dismay of survivors; many who are still trying to live a normal life. Amongst these survivors are children who have to visit hospitals for regular checkups, some who have sustained severe burn injuries, some who are permanently disabled and some who continue to undergo trauma. The psychological impact on victims whose loved ones were taken away by the attacks is indescribable. 
From 1970s and 1980s insurrections to the 30-year civil war, many families are awaiting closure for their loved ones. Many are yet to know whether their loved ones have died by natural causes or were killed during these uprisings. The transitional justice process has been slow, owing to various reasons. It has been criticised for lack of accountability, and most importantly the lack of political will. The Office on Missing Persons for instance needs more human resources and funds to function well. Even with ongoing excavations on mass graves, the OMP’s tasks have been limited due to staff shortages and other practical issues. This is on the part of disappeared persons. But in the case of the Easter Sunday carnage, the situation is much more different. 
Despite many committees appointed to investigate on the deadly attacks, the mastermind has not yet been revealed. The Easter Sunday carnage eventually became an election promise, when incumbent President Dissanayake was campaigning for presidency. He assured to bring justice to victims of the attack following a discussion at the St. Sebastian’s Church, Katuwapitiya,  in October 2024. Perhaps people placed their trust on him and his party with hopes that their loved ones could finally rest in peace. Indeed,  the government has taken many decisions indicating that the investigations are back on track. Chief Government Whip Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that comments made by certain factions indicate that investigations are being carried out in the right direction. 
There is some hope that the mastermind would be revealed sooner or later. An entire country or at least a majority of citizens are waiting to see the end results of these investigations. Victims and survivors need closure and the government right now has a huge responsibility vested on its shoulders.

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