Listening To Her StoriesListening To Her Stories

By  Amjad Saleem  -

May 17, 2014

Amjad Saleem

Weekend will this wujek 5 years of the end of the Bloody conflict in Sri Lanka.  As has become customary, the Main protagonists and / or Their supporters will be very different but MARKING IT in Manners usual.  There is still a Lot of debate to As How Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans Mark the conclusion of Their History of One of the Most traumatic periods.  Remains The Whole Aspect of the War in Its entirety Tuluttut largely a subject and a subject that is often discussed is not necessarily in gatherings.  This perhaps alludes How to Needs to be approached the subject and also what is the perception of those bold Enough to approach the subject.  Thus Sri Lankans are not afforded and do not of themselves afford an Opportunity for healing and to some extent, this seems to be abrogated responsibility to the powers that be.  How the challenges of the country As a Whole understands and remembers this is still being debated, the National Peace Council As aptly   put   IT, ' No War Victory WISE country celebrates after a Civil War '. This thus an Remains All that obstacle Communities and stakeholders with an interest for the benefit of Sri Lanka, need to understand and overcome. Whilst the past Can not be a ball and Chain for the Future, We also need to understand IT in order for us to Move forward without.    

In the deliberations and commemorations that will follow this weekend, one thing that will be conspicuous by its absence will be the voices from the ground. Over the last 5 years, what has always struck me about the narrative that has been currently spun by all sides when discussing the war and commemorating it, is how far removed it is from the reality on the ground. There is much to be reflected at the top end of the spectrum in terms of reconciliation and moving forward. Equally though, it is not just at the top level that work needs to be done. It is important that work is done at the grass roots level. Unfortunately experience shows that it is hardly the case that grass roots are engaged with meaningfully. They are talked at, talked to and talked with. However rarely are they just allowed to talk and for the rest of us just to listen. My experience in Sri Lanka especially during the end of the War in the camps in Manik Farm , allowed to listen to ME MANY of the Tamil Refugees. Their message resonated with others I met with from other communities across the country, affected by the tsunami and the conflict. While May bring an absence of political solutions and Military War, However peace can not be sustained or about Come Without All Strata of society with significant engagements of Tangible benefit being seen by everyone, in particular the affected Communities. In other words, 'peace' means nothing if parents still cannot feed their family or cannot afford to buy medicines for their sick children or people do not live in an atmosphere of respect and understanding with the rule of law.                                                                  Read More