"Yes; quaint and curious war is!

You shoot a fellow down

You'd treat if met where any bar is,

Or help to half-a-crown."

Quoted above is an extract from “the man he killed “by Thomas Hardy .

 

Two individuals  whose future is indefinite and bleak, presumably due to the lack of means to live,  join the war front, perhaps as soldiers of fortune. Neither of them is driven by vengeance or any patriotic sentiment when joining the battle front. One of them, eventually, happens to kill one of his comrades placed in an enemy camp. One who could survive death gains an insight into war,” Yes, quaint and curious war is”. This highlights the tragedy of war, which pushes two men who have no reason to hate each other to fight to the death.

Like any nation in the world we too have a history of fighting, you may call it crusades, ethnic riots, civil wars, rebellions or holy wars. No war, whatever the tag it is, is not free from violence.

In 1971, as a child, I saw the rebellion launched by JVP activists. It is an uprising of youths demanding equality and justice that the rulers  had failed  to   foster through  good governance .  The government, as usually, used violence to curb violence. Many were killed. A few was rehabilitated. The absence of justice and fair play remained absent even after the rebellion. Overall rough estimates suggest that between 8,000 – 10,000 people died during April of 1971.

Rulers,  passive and defiant response to the aftermaths of the  insurrection in 1971, led to another rebellion in 1989. Over 60,000 people; Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, majority of them youth, were killed during the second uprising of the JVP insurrection during 1988-1989.

 Then comes the age of upheaval, ethnic riots in Sri Lanka lasted 30 years. The number of people Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims , died during ethnic  riots is estimated to be 70000. The majority who were dead is young. Many who could survive the death became invalid. Those who died and got injured left perpetual misery upon the ones left behind, widows, children and parents. 

Easter Sunday attack, yet another horrendous attack, it is reported, killed 290 people leaving 500 injured.

Rulers , I don’t know why, perhaps due to ignorance, stupidity, arrogance   have failed to notice the message communicated in the form of  conflicts, racial or religious or political .  However, they are wise enough to dig diamonds hidden in the debris of war.  Hitler, for instance fully capitalized on anti-Semitic views in Europe in provoking people and then achieving what he desired.  Our history, ancient and modern, is not free from instances where racial prejudice indoctrinated in races was vehemently    used for their survival.  Eliminating reasons for war obviously is a threat to the existence of the leaders whose motto is to fish in troubled water.

Our challenge to survive the 21^st century is not the combat but collaboration. Collaboration with the rest of the world, animate or inanimate.

The first step of which is to renounce predicaments to peace. One’s racial, religious coconsciousness, so called identity, which I think is an element of regionalism is harmful to peace within and outside. One of the steps in eliminating prejudice of whatsoever is to acknowledge and appreciate the beauty in diversity.