Mahinda, the king of kings

Mahinda Rajapaksa did what many, including myself, thought was the impossible. Complete military defeat of the LTTE, and the reported killing of it’s leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran. Rajapaksa is scheduled to address the nation in less than an hour, and declare the end of the war, and the unification of the country. It’s a moment of mixed emotions, on one hand, the war that has ravaged the country for the better part of three dacades has come to an end. On the other hand, the end came at too high a human cost.

Patriotism and national security were used, and perversed even, in the process of bringing the war to an end. Bitter episodes of silencing of dissent, extra judiciary killings,  and even personal vindications were abundant, and in some cases, not even questioned. Those who questioned, were silenced one way or the other. The biggest voice to be silenced, was that of Lasantha Wickramathunga, editor of the Sunday Leader.

In the last editorial published prior to his assassination, Wickramathunga said regarding the civilian, and military casualties, “No one doubts that with an investment of nearly Rs. 200 billion per year, and the willingness to expend a few thousand lives and limbs, the government can in the course of 2009 credibly claim to have won not just Killinochchi, but all of the North. The Rs. 200 billion we plan to spend on bombing the life out of the LTTE’s remaining 4,000 cadres, after all, should do the job. As for the lives, there’s still plenty of space left on those stone tablets on the doormat of parliament for them.”

Whatever said and done, Rajapaksa is now king. Comments left on various news sites, social networking spaces, and the blogosphere in general, hailing him as the king of kings, the reincarnation of the mythical Diyasena Kumaraya, and in some instances even God Sakvithi himself, are evidence of the incredible amount of public support that the elimiation of the LTTE has brought him.

The destruction of the LTTE, and ending of active military hostilities is, and will be, just the beginning. Rajapaksa who has so far proved himself as a ruthless, swift and effective commander-in-chief, has to now prove himself as a worthy administrator. One who is strong enough to withstand fire from vocal critics, not douse it out. One who is able to rebuild and revitalize economy that was shattered by three decades of an expensive, yet lucrative for some, war. One who is able to heal the scars of a bitter and dark time that this island nation went through.

There is an equal, if not more important task that the (non-existing) civil society of Sri Lanka has to play. The state of affairs leading up to the conflict, and the war itself, was a result of not fighting for what you want, but placing your trust in someone and expecting them to deliver. The civil society should be active, should be vocal, should be vigilant, and should be ferocious in ensuring that no one, regardless of race, language or by which name they call God, is left behind.

The end of the war does signal the coming of peace. But not per se. There were deep rooted issues that transformed the conflict betweent the Tamils and the Sinhalese into a violent one, manifesting itself in the form of suicide bombers, villages being wiped out, leaders being killed, and the quality of life of millions suffering. The new war in front of Rajapaksa, is the war to rebuild the nation. And while I’m very very doubtful, for the sake of millions of people who inhabit this country, who have placed their trust upon this man, I am hopeful.