Tyranny Dares To Plot And Democracy Fears To Preempt
S. Sivathasan
Who Helps When State is Paralysed?
The caption is a tragic commentary on the events likely to unfold in Sri Lanka in just three weeks. May not, is a distant possibility; but if they do what is the response of the International Community, the government and the people? When Tamils faced mayhem, there were certainly good and noble deeds at all times from the better ones. From 1977 to 2009 against the Tamils and in 2014 against Muslims, when pogroms were unleashed, the state apparatus stood idle struck by rigor mortis. Worse still paralysis was induced by the government itself. Blood-letting went unrestrained. Can these calamities of 37 years be allowed to recur?
Even after such harrowing experience should we have more of the same?
Electoral reaction however was continued applause and sustained endorsement. Successive governments had confirmation that evil found acceptance. Yet today even with impeding reservations, impelling sentiments seek a rare togetherness to see despotism out of their way. It may be noted that the entities are affected in different ways, but the target and the resolve are same. In the next 22 days they have to be strengthened resolutely.
Churchill’s Warnings
Far sightedness is rare. Decisiveness is rarer. They were manifest in Europe particularly in the thirties. As early as in October 1930, Churchill warned that Hitler will seize the first opportunity to resort to armed force. Even as Hitler rearmed other European countries disarmed. Chamberlain joined Hitler to dismember Czechoslovakia. Then he prated about “Peace for our time”. Churchill had foresight and spent impatient years. “Decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all powerful to be impotent”. So blurted out Churchill in 1930s, after witnessing for long, continued inaction of the British and their lack of preparedness for war with Germany. In July 1939, he warned of a Russo-German Alliance. A Pact was signed soon after and Poland was invaded on 1st September 1939.Read More