By Mahesan Niranjan –
Prof Mahesan Niranjan
An intriguing day,
this eighteenth of May.
Between Devils and deep sea yonder,
men, women and children
hiding three feet under.
Comforting in embrace,
then the blasting of a grenade.
Screams of agony,
then silence so deadly.
From those bunkers they lay,
makes this atheist pray.
With the end of the Fascist,
the new dawn we toasted;
With strength of Leadership,
of a new plan we boasted.
Now what can we show,
for all that gore?
Pretty lovers’ benches
on Diyawanna shore.
Don Quixote / May 18, 2013
Indeed “what can we show for all that gore” is the crux of the matter !
The responsibility for the lack of any “real” progress towards reconciliation lies squarely with the dominant members of the Rajapaksa regime and their total stupidly and ignorance.
This damage is worse that all the alleged corruption they are being blamed for.
This is damage to the culture and the social fabric of our Country. This is damage that will destroy a 2500 year old civilization. This is damage that even despotic, mentally deranged monarchs of the ancient era couldn’t achieve !
It has been achieved under the guise of democracy in a socialist republic, in a “resplendent” land !
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / May 18, 2013
A fictionalized and riveting story ‘The Unsung Dirg’ by Ranasiri Menika de Silva appears in the ‘Island’ today (http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=79212). It is very readable and is complementary to Prof. Mahasen Niranjan’s poem.
I join in Prof. Niranjan’s lament, “Now what can we show,
for all that gore?”.
De Silva’s story though fictionalized brings out the scene in the Vanni towards the end of the war, in its many hues. These people faced death as very few have. They saw death around them. They lost fear of death! They experienced suffering as few have. They attained’ Nirvana’ in the battle fields. because they had lost their material possessions and learned the meaning of detachment, the hard way. Yet. they retained their will to live. They were emotionally challenged to an extreme extent over decades, but yet retained their capacity to care. This is a tribute to a great people, who were not honoured at the “Victory Parade’ today! They are also our heroes- probably the greater ones!
The government has to ponder Prof. Niranjan’s question, ” Now what can we show, for all that gore?”.
What is the government doing to make the war-affected Tamils be assured they will never again be the victims of the stupidity that engulfed and nearly consumed them and this nation?
The government has done much towards laying the foundations for material prosperity. To deny this is a grave sin.
However, has it done enough to win the hearts and minds of those who have seen the gore, experienced the pains and are yet suffering from mental, physical and economic trauma?
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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citizen silva / May 19, 2013
first they came for LTTE; for they asked for part of the land, no that cannot be
then they came for tamils; for those who harbored LTTE, committing complicity
Then they came for muslims; who helped in war but to eradicate any possibility
then they came for Singhalese; for those who wouldn’t allow the dynasty be
it wont be too long MR and GR, when united all these will rise against thee
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