Lanka seeks God

Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru) Initiative

...but then, self-help is the way out
People turn to God as the last resort. And same holds true for the Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapakse, who, having failed to overcome LTTE, has recently looked towards the Pope for help. Two weeks before the visit, the Pope, in his Easter message, had expressed concern over Sri Lanka affairs – an indication that the Pope was willing to intervene in the Lankan peace process. And post meeting, the Pope has appreciated Rajapakse for improving Lanka's Human Rights record.

Both the Sinhalese and Tamil communities have almost an equal share in Sri Lanka's Church (Christians constitute about 8% of the Sri Lankan population). But the point is – does the Church enjoy any leverage in the region to bring about peace? “The Church has a strong presence in Jaffna peninsula. It can definitely play a very powerful role as it has a large number of followers on both sides,” the Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hussain Bhaila, told B&E from Colombo. However, Dr. N. Manoharan, a Sri Lankan Affairs expert with IPCS, New Delhi has a different take, "The church cannot really influence the situation on ground." Citing the example of Madhu Church in Mannar district, he further added, "This particular church was known for its neutrality & was used as a pilgrimage site by all communities. But a couple of years back, this church was attacked and its influence as a neutral actor too waned."

Despite claims by both the warring parties to work towards settlement, the peace prospects indeed look dim under the present circumstances. The five-year old Oslo peace process lies in shambles. The cease-fire agreement exists only on paper. Interventions by India, Japan, Norway and many others have failed to bring about desired change. Now, to expect the Pope for a miracle, is like asking for a bit too much. The two-decade-old dispute between the government and Tamil-tigers can only be resolved through well-meaning negotiations and winning the support of the people on both sides. The Pope can't do much here...

Edit bureau: Vivek Asri

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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