‘Independence Day’ celebrations were conducted yesterday, in grand scale and perhaps also coinciding with the funerals of some of the innocent civilian victims of Dambulla and Colombo Railway Station bombs. Those who received serious injuries at the twin bomb blasts on the previous day and their families might not have been in the mood to celebrate. Neither been the millions of poor who find it hard to make a living with the continuous and sharp price increases of all essential commodities. Still for the higher echelons of the society it was ‘independence’. For the vast majority of the have-nots, the faceless human beings from Point Pedro to Devundara and from Chilaw to Batticaloa, who live in constant fear worrying not only whether they would be a victim of next bus bomb, but also whether they could afford the next meal, given the hyper-inflationary price increases the words ‘independence’ and ‘freedom’ have different meanings.
‘Rivira’ cartoon on Sunday
No civilized society would celebrate at a time of mourning, but perhaps we have passed that stage. What importance a few more lives could have when more than 5,000 lives of civilians and armed forces were lost, since the restart of the war immediately after the 2005 Presidential Election? That would be the popular thinking of the day. Gone and long forgotten are the days of 2002-3, the only era in the recent history the terms of ‘FEARLESNESS’ (‘Abhaya’) and ‘FREEDOM’ (‘Nidahasa’) were truly meaningful. Most find it difficult to believe we had such peaceful environment in this country, under Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, a long two years completely free from a single bus bomb, anywhere in the country. How it became am almost weekly event now is a different question.
An image worth thousand words: This page taken from yesterday’s ‘Divaina’ tells it all. The entire page is covered with photographs of the victims of bomb blasts while a solitary advertisement in the bottom left says ‘KIREN PIRUNU NIDAHASAK’.
The bomb blast at Fort Railway station raises serious questions. This was Central Colombo, just walking distance from Galle Face, where the Independence celebrations were held. The entire area was quarantined for long house during the last few days for rehearsals, causing numerous inconveniences for general public. Pedestrians were thoroughly checked. It was the very day morning Mr. Dullus Alahapperuma, Minister of Transport guaranteed the safety of the bus and train passengers, saying he has taken every measure. It is ironical that even before his words were broadcast, a bomb blasted within the Fort Railway station, the second one at the very place in few weeks, causing 12 casualties. If we cannot stop preventing a bomb blast in the heart of the city would there be any meaning talking about the safety of unarmed civilians in Okkampitiya?
When the government cannot guarantee the safety of citizens, the next best thing it could do is to minimize mass gatherings. Mass gatherings give enemy an ideal opportunity to achieve its objectives. But common sense is lost in the wake of earning political milage. Next week the grand exhibition, conducted by spending the tax payers’ money at a time of financial difficulties, would attract millions. For government desperate to save its image now, its publicity, but how fair risking the lives of innocent people for political needs?
Finally, somebody asked me why UNP did not celebrate 60th Independence. Was it of no importance to us? No, on the contrary, perhaps UNP is the only political party in Sri Lanka, that truly understands the independence, having won it for the nation. It is just that we decide to commemorate it in a more meaningful manner. Yesterday we were at temples, not only remembering those who made independences but also wishing that the people of this country would be able to enjoy the independence in its true sense as soon as possible. That was the least we could give back to the nation which has been so much to us.
