ALI SABRY
COLOMBO : The latter part of July reminds us of one of the darkest and most painful chapters in our nation’s history Black July of 1983.
It remains almost unthinkable that such horrific violence could have taken place in our country. Yet it did. Nor was it the only occasion in our history when hatred, fear and division resulted in tragedy.
The consequences are well documented. As a nation, we lost our way and became embroiled in a brutal conflict that lasted nearly three decades, claiming countless lives, displacing families, and depriving our country of immeasurable opportunities.
History cannot be rewritten, but it can and mustbe learned from. The greatest tribute we can pay to all those who suffered, irrespective of ethnicity, religion or political belief, is to ensure that such horrors are never be repeated.
Much has been achieved since the end of the conflict. We have restored peace, rebuilt infrastructure, strengthened institutions and created the space for communities to live together once again. These achievements should not be underestimated.
Yet our journey is not complete.
We must continue to build a Sri Lanka where every citizen, irrespective of ethnicity, religion or language, can live in peace, security, dignity and self respect, confident that they have an equal stake in the future of our nation.
It is therefore deeply regrettable that, from time to time, attempts are still made to inflame communal, racial and religious divisions instead of healing them. Such efforts reopen old wounds, undermine trust and distract us from the far greater task of nation building.
No nation can realise its true potential unless it has the courage to confront its past honestly, preserve the lessons it offers, reject the mistakes that divided it, and move forward with confidence, wisdom and unity.
Seventeen years after the end of the conflict, there remains unfinished work. Truth and reconciliation, healing the wounds of all communities, meaningful devolution and inclusion, and engaging constructively with our diaspora should not be postponed indefinitely. They are investments in a stable, united and prosperous future.
The diaspora, too, has an important role to play. Many continue to carry the pain and memories of the past. Those experiences deserve to be acknowledged. At the same time, lasting reconciliation requires all of us, both at home and abroad, to recognise the realities of today and to work together in building a shared future rather than remaining prisoners of history.
The time has come to complete the unfinished work of reconciliation, not because the past can be undone, but because the future can still be shaped.
Let Black July remind us not only of where hatred can lead, but also of our collective responsibility to ensure that such tragedies never happen again.
Never Again.
( The writer is the former Foreign minister of Sri Lanka )
