Everyone is free to choose their life, some choose to live in the past. Reliving previous wounds, dying every moment, contemplating revenge. They live in hell and make other lives hellish. Some others choose to look to the future, let the past go, learning the lessons, forgiving grudges and looking forward to and working towards a better tomorrow. They live in reality and positivity. Unfortunately, there is a third category, who live in luxury on the misery of those who live in the past.
You can see all three types in contemporary Sri Lankan Canadians, which brings us to the topic.
There was an unauthorized structure at the Jaffna university (a public land) erected in Sri Lanka. A memorial said to be for those who died at the last stage of the terrorist war, however it was only used to celebrate LTTE cadres and LTTE leader’s birthday and other activities glorifying terror. Not a single event was held to commemorate the Sinhalese and Muslims died in the hands of LTTE. It was allowed to remain after the new government came to power but was a hindrance to the expansion of the Science faculty. The VC of the university took a decision to remove it.
Then all the hell broke loose in Canada. Canadian terror sympathizing politicians issuing statements condemning of something they know nothing about, Pro-LTTE mobs brandishing prohibited LTTE’s flag in Toronto, none of them had raised a finger to help Sir Lanka move forward from that dark chapter of it’s history. These are the third category mentioned above, those who live in luxury on others misery.
Where were those Canadian politicians when the statue of Sir John A. Macdonad, founding father of Canadian federation was toppled in August 2020? They are deaf and dumb then but cry hoarse when an illegally erected terror monument is removed in a far away country.
Where are those politicians when unarmed black and colored people die at the hands of the police, while a white man who charged Prime Minister’s residence armed with guns, is treated with kids’ gloves? Would they allow Al Qaeda / Boku Haram / ISIS to erect statues within Canadian universities and hold candle lit vigils for them? The answer is NO WAY!
We don’t need politicians who dwell in the forgotten conflicts in far away countries. We need politicians who help to build bridges and help to heal wounds in those communities. We need politicians who support building schools not useless monuments.
Unfortunately, such upright politicians are a dying breed in Canada.
Now the authorities have taken a decision to build a Peace Monument that depicts harmony and the future for youth who have to take the mantle of leadership as they are the future leaders of the nation. That’s a step in the right direction. Let’s wait to see what these self-serving politicians have to say about it. I bet they would say nothing, they might demean that if at all.
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