“Neengal ennai nambalam, naanum ungalai nambukiren” [You can trust me, I also trust you], the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa told a gathering of former Tamil Tiger combatants, who were rehabilitated under a government-aided programme.
The combatants — who had been captured or had surrendered during various stages of the Eelam War IV between the Sri Lankan forces and the Tamil Tigers — were segregated on the basis of nature of their offences. Of the nearly 12,000 declared fit for rehabilitation, a vast majority opted to learn trades such as carpentry, weaving and machinery work.
In the first phase, the government — in association with Commercial Banks — has extended loans totalling LKR 200 million (1 INR = 2.5 LKR), to 1685 beneficiaries, who were invited to Temple Trees, the official residence of the Sri Lankan President. The maximum loan amount for an individual was 2.5 lakh, and the average loan given was about 1.5 lakh. The soft loan came at four per cent interest.
The President recalled his school days to drive home the point that the Tamil and Sinhala communities lived in peace and camaraderie.
“30 varsham neengal patta kashtam podum” [The sufferings that you underwent in 30 years is enough], he said and wanted the ex-combatants to join him in creating a new strong and united Sri Lanka.
Keywords: Eelam War IV, LTTE, Tamil Tigers, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lankan Tamils
If the President really meant what he said "The sufferings that you underwent in 30 years is enough." Then he must impliment LLRC recommendation as soon as possible, release all the youths who are not charged, release all the innocent people from the IDP camps, and close all the army camps in North and East.
Peacebuilding is much more harder than winning the war. The president should speed up the process of peace building before chauvinists on both sides fill in the slack. There are extremists and skeptics who want the country to go down a slippery slope. MR should personally handle all settlement and rehabilitation issues, with utmost sensitivity. If he cannot solve the ethnic problem in SL, no one can.
Thank you sir for your write up in highly positive light in fairness to both, the Govt. and the combatants.
I ope and pray these youth will succeed in their new lives and help their ommunities and the country!
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