Stand in solidarity

Wednesday, 22 April 2020 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Easter Sunday attack may have taken place a year ago, but the painful lessons it taught all Sri Lankans is still being navigated by the entire country. The colossal loss of life is all the more harrowing because it could have been prevented and the lack of accountability that has haunted Sri Lanka for decades reared its ugly head again last year and a multitude of questions remain unanswered.

Many Sri Lankans would agree that even though the law is supposed to apply equally irrespective of status, the reality is that there are some people who are above the law. Whether they wield Executive power or hold a high position in Government or the public service, they should be held accountable. The same goes for any citizen.

This is not a situation that is limited to the Easter attacks but arguably the people paid a higher price because the leaders of this country failed to discharge their duties, protect the people and take timely action when there was desperate need. There is no doubt that accountability is a necessity for the families and Sri Lanka as a whole to move forward and find closure.

The subsequent investigations and the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) report laid out where there were gaps in governance and decision-making as well as how critical intelligence was not conveyed to the right parties at the right time. To make matters worse, there was only shifting of blame and no comprehensive apology and acknowledgement of loss from the highest levels of Government.

A year on it is clear that the people have not forgotten and if anything the demands for accountability have become louder. But in the interim the political stars have realigned and with former President Maithripala Sirisena now allied with the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), the space for genuine accountability appears limited. The United National Party (UNP), whose Leader and top members also played vital roles in the run up to the tragedy, cannot be disregarded either.

The second lesson, which is as vital as the first, is the need to foster communal harmony in Sri Lanka. The targeting of the Muslim community a few weeks after the attacks showcased racism and intolerance in the worst possible light. It was clear they were well planned and carried out by highly-organised groups, as was seen in Digana, Aluthgama, Beruwala and elsewhere. The former Government had no answers and lives of innocent people were disrupted again and their hard-earned property destroyed. At least one person died in the violence and a year later these divisions continue to be created and inflamed.

A year later as Sri Lanka battles a pandemic the ghouls of racism have also been unleashed. From accusing Muslims of spreading COVID-19 to only allowing for cremation, it is understandable that the community feels that they are not just disregarded by policymakers but also deliberately targeted and demonised.

Sri Lanka has already known the devastation and loss that is the result of communal disharmony. At least for the sake of the 259 people who lost their lives and the dozens more who were injured and their families for whom life will never be the same again, the citizens of this country need to do better, our leaders need to do far better.