It was Easter Sunday, the day of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, the third day after his burial following the crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans. The world was solemnly commemorating the oldest Christian festival, as did the believers in Sri Lanka the island nation south of India, when series of explosions ripped three churches, The Catholic Church St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kotchchikade, The Catholic Church St, Sebastian’s Church Negombo, The Zion Church in Batticaloa. Explosions ripped as well at the Shangri-La Hotel, Cinnamon Grand Hotel, The Kingsbury Hotel and the adjoining Tropical Inn Hotel in Dehiwala. Soon after that explosions took place at a reception hall at Dehiwala and a Housing complex at Dematagoda. At the time of this writing, the dead exceeded 200 and more than 300 are seriously injured.
The peaceful island has been seemingly cursed with a bitter civil war between the Tamils in the North and the Sinhalese in the south for 26 long years, resulting in the Government’s victory against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. However, it left nearly 100,000 Tamils killed and a bitter aftertaste of intolerance and aftermath of subjugation of the Tamils by the Lankan government led by Rajapaksa. Abuses in the concluding stages of conflict were appalling and egregious.
Buddhists, the predominant people in the island extolled the army in their war against the Tamils and turned their attention against the Muslims of the island once the war ended. The Bodu Bala Sena, BBS, with its nationalist ideology claimed that the Sri Lankans had become immoral by shunning Buddhism and blamed the Muslims for that. BBS has links to Myanmar’s radical 969 movement led by monk Asin Wirathu, who claims himself as “Burmese Bin Laden.” What I intend to state is the peace and relation between the Buddhists, Christians, Tamils and Muslims is suspect and has worsened in the last decade.
The other aspect is the political power struggle between Ranil Wickremesinghe on one side and President Mathirpala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa on the other has led to deep divisions within the citizens, much like pro-Modi and pro-Rahul in India. The Chinese had made significant inroads into Sri Lanka with the support of Rajapaksa, that seems to have eroded for the time being, with the return of Wickremesinghe. The former President and Prime Minister, Rajapaksa’s refusal of permission to UN bodies to investigate the genocide of the Tamils and the gruesome human violations by the Army have left a deep scar in the hearts of the Tamils.
The Chinese have been licking the wounds, ever since Modi’s diplomacy has stemmed the proliferation of Chinese hegemony over Sri Lanka and Maldives and return of India supportive governments.
Any unrest, at this juncture, could once again open the wounds and expose the deep divisions within communities of the island nation. Whoever are the perpetrators of the heinous crime today killing innocent and peaceful citizens by the hundreds, ought to be brought to book and face the consequences.
In the meantime, the Sri Lankans must remain united and calm, much like the Mumbaikars and Indians, in the aftermath of 26/11 attacks, which though killed and wounded many, helped in a resurgent fervour of nationalism. India and every Indian join our Sri Lankan brothers and sisters in their hour of grief and mourning.
May hope and peace rise and resurrect, as Christ did on this day!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide voix
pic courtesy New York Times
