An open hand.

18.05.09

No matter where you are in the world or what you might be doing right now, as Sri Lankans, today marks a victory. Victory in the sense of defeating terrorism; victory in the sense of uniting Sri Lanka; victory in the sense of being able to embrace the person next to you regardless of whether he/she is Tamil or Sinhalese. For many of us this day seemed so so far away but is finally here. As the world watches the developments in Sri Lanka, we as Sri Lankans cannot help but rejoice in all our glory. It is in our right to. We have been through over 25 years of hardship which has taken Sri Lanka to the bottom of the list of developing countries. The war has torn us apart ethnically, politically and economically.

As we rejoice, there is still a large group of people who do not know what the future holds for them. For many years this group believed that the LTTE and Prabhakaran were in fact there only true hope of a prosperous and happy life. Now that this is no longer the case, you can’t help but try to understand the thoughts that must be going through their heads. They must be hearing of the celebrations in Colombo and elsewhere around the island. Stuck in camps that have appalling conditions, without much food, water or the basic necessities that a human is entitled to have, they must be scared, frightened and in shock. I would be. “What now for us?” is the question that I can guarantee will be in their minds.

Let us take this opportunity, this moment in history, to reach out to them; offer them our hand; bring them under our wing and relieve them of their misery. There is so much we can do. What is the point of gaining every square inch of territory militarily when we can’t look after the people to whom this territory actually belongs to: Sri Lankans. It is not only a question of terrorism for me. As Mahindha Rajapakse has claimed this is about the people. So be it. Let it actually be about the people; but let it be remembered that is should be about the people who are actually in most need of assistance at the present time.

My hand is open and out-stretched. Is yours?

Bureaucracy and cricket.

So today Sri Lanka Cricket named the squad for the upcoming ICC World Twenty20 Cricket World Cup to be held in the UK in June. Many of us were eagerly awaiting for this day. After some good performances in the domestic tournaments as well as in the ongoing IPL, we were hoping against hope that the bureaucracy that has crippled Sri Lanka Cricket for so many years would not screw with the team selection.

And guess what! It was pretty much dead-on.

It was nice to Lasith Malinga being brought back into the squad. He deserves it to be honest. Not many of you may know this but there is more to his disappearance from the cricket scene than just a knee-injury. Once again bureaucracy of Sri Lanka Cricket is to blame for this. Need i say more?

It still remains to be seen whether our cricketers can put it all together and perform. Time will tell.

In search of a better life.

Today history was made in the tiny island of Sri Lanka.

The three-decade long civil-war between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan armed forces has taken a considerable toll on practically every aspect of life in the country. Today marked a historical change in the history books by the launching of a “humanitarian mission” to save the thousands of Tamil civilians trapped within the war-zone in the north-east of Sri Lanka. Most have lived in appalling conditions for a number of years and have finally realised that the LTTE no longer represents the true voice of the Tamil people.

The LTTE continues to argue its case. It continues to justify its existence. It continues to call for the international community to voice-out against the majority Sinhalese government. What is not well-known by the international community is that the LTTE does not represent the true plight of the Tamil population. It is a radical organisation which is based on fanatical ideologies of a few men who wish to control the country by using the “race card” as its ultimate and divine principle.

This post is not to inform you of the happenings in Sri Lanka. Rather, it is an intellectual call for all (especially the international community) to open their eyes to the true situation in Sri Lanka. The crossing of so many civilians into government held territory has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the people who have been at the centre of the civil war have finally spoken out, more in deed rather than in word. The oppression and suffering they have faced especially within the last few months has been ridiculous to say the least, for which I lay the blame on both the government and the LTTE. Today they push for change.

Whether this brings about a change in attitudes towards each other by the Tamil and Sinhalese populations remains to be the most pressing issue at hand. The LTTE may be a dwindling entity in the eyes of the Sri Lankan government and the world community but the truth of the matter remains. This is not about two competing parties fighting for their own interests. This is about Sri Lankans. It is about being able to accept one another for who they really are no matter what race, colour or religion you are from.

This may or may not be the beginning of a brighter future for Sri Lanka. How one handles the situation from now onwards is the most important issue. To be able to learn from history is another compelling issue. The power-driven ideologies of many leaders in the past were the main cause for the beginning of the war in the first place. What remains to be seen is whether history will repeat itself. If it doesn’t, then before long, Sri Lanka will prosper like it has never done before. That is something I will bet my life on. But there is always two sides to a coin. If the end of the LTTE is the beginning of more oppression against the Tamil population in the country, then there is no hope for Sri Lanka. Let us hope and pray that this phase in Sri Lanka will usher in a new era of prosperity into the country.

“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew”. – Abraham Lincoln

McLaren Magic?

Will we see a new Lewis Hamilton this weekend? It is a long-shot but not an impossibility..

First.

As the rain continues to pour down in London, sitting down and studying is an effort in itself. There seems to be so many things happening around the world (be it in sport or back home), that it magically makes ur mind drift away from what you should be seriously focussing on – work! Oh well..lets just try and hope i can focus..starting this blog thing isn’t gonna help much either..