UNIQUE BLEND OF SAARC, SRI LANKA , BUDDHA AND LTTE

UNIQUE BLEND OF SAARC, SRI LANKA , BUDDHA AND LTTE

By Nav Raj Pokharel-Nepal

The 15th Summit of South Asian Regional Cooperation (SAARC) that oscillated between YES and NO until last hours of its preparation due to the rancor among political parties of nascent Republic Nepal was finally held successfully amid tight security in Colombo.

Sri Lanka, the host country of the 15th SAARC Summit, not only held the gala despite its many domestic and international challenges, but also showed the world that the country can develop itself as another Singapore in south Asia within few years, once the contentious group of terrorist is effaced from the legendary land.

When the delegates of the SAARC member courtiers were busy in Colombo, debating the issues and challenges facing the South Asia Region, devising a common ground to combat the challenges, journalists from many countries who gathered there to cover the event, were concomitantly keeping their newsy-nose alert to sniff and witness the news related to Liberation of Tamil tiger Elam ( LTTE) and have the peoples' real verdicts on the issue. And, as a journalist, I too was doing the same thing.

My participation to the event and the visit to the country and was the first. I had mixed reaction within myself- a bale of curiosities and trepidation - as I was visiting the legendary country amid peppering news of war and violence. My four nights and three days stay in Colombo but made me realize that the news related to government's offensive attacks on the belligerent side, as disseminated by many news agencies, were but belying. The LTTE that waged war now nearly 3 decades are capricious.

They violated their unilateral announcement of cease-fire and killed dozens of people when the summit was in progress in Colombo. Sri Lankan government estimates 5 to 10 thousands of Tamil Tiger secessionist hiding in Jaffna bastion whom most of Tamil despise for their unreeling subversive activities. I broached the issues of LTTE with many common people at market area, with the endemic journalists at convention center and media center, both the low and high-ranking Sri Lankan officers at lunch and dinner tables and during our informal and intimate talks. I tried to elicit their true feeling on the issue. Finally, I derived at and construed that Sri Lankan people are already fade up with the seemingly never-ending insurgencies.

They detest it. They want peace in their land and peace in their life. However, both the country and the have been bearing the brunt of the disruptive few. Although hapless they seemed, they have not given hope to have peace restored in the country in near future. More than 90 percent of the population follow Buddhism, more than that size of population are practicing Buddhism in their real lives as well. That was most impressive aspect at the sideline of SAARC I attended. I felt the aura on their countenance radiated with realization of wisdom that Buddha had found many years ago, still illusive to many to attain.

The friendliest in their approach and attitudes, the most polite in speech and finesse, the Sri Lankan are the ones who suffered the most from the seditious acts of the separatists. However, they have taken it as a penance and test to their endurance. Many of us were lodged at Trans Asia hotel and the venue for the SAARC summit was arranged at Bandaranayeke Memorial International Convention. The distance was roughly 10 kilometers. Every morning we were shuttled to the center and back to the hotel, for our safety reasons. The security checks we encountered were almost at every kilometer. But I never developed a feeling of fatigue seeing the security posts and their checking procedures. I found the security officials, who were perhaps dog-tired with duty, never lost their temper with us and with the locals. I rather curiously felt the checking as an opportunity to know them closely.

They greeted us, and I was dead sure that the smile that covered their countenance was never a forceful effort; it was rather coming out from their inner soul. They would inquire with the local security person who was always at the front seat of the vehicle ready to response to their queries, if any. I remember detail of all their body postures, cursory look of their eyes, expressions that would come and vanish immediately on their faces because I have passed through such occasions in my own banana republic. I have developed a concealed feeling that security personnel are not human being. whenever I encountered security personnel in my country during the period of insurgencies, I always heard sharp questions in harsh and terse voice that asked me from where I was coming or going or both, and why I was late in my work. They looked at me as if I was the thief or leader of some gang at large, and as if they were waiting me to arrest.

They returned my identity cards after meticulous inspection in such a manner that I would have been at their gunpoint, had I lost the card. Even a forceful smile on their face was a tantamount to irreparable and inexcusable slip-up. I had a different notion about the security personnel. But what I saw and experienced in Sri Lanka in very similar situation to my country bemused me, I should admit I was baffled in the beginning. I also remember the driver of Rupavahini Television who drove my cameraperson and me back to our hotel after we finished feed at about eight o'clock in the evening on the first day in Colombo, as the shuttle bus arranged for many media persons left us with our work. Taking three –wheeler was risky without any obvious reason to corroborate, we requested the officer on duty at the feeding station and he was more than happy to help us. It was dark and the street looked deserted, as public vehicles were restricted to ply on the major roads of the city. I suddenly felt a jerk with screeching noise of tyres. I suddenly came to alert with a chilling cold ranning down in my spinal cord. I looked out through the window of the vehicle; nothing was visible in the dark except few lights on the street posts and red traffic light at the road square. With great effort, I asked the driver why the vehicle was stopped. The answer suddenly changed my established perspective of law and order situation of my country. He said he is abiding by the traffic light. I inquired what immoral it was to ignore the light at the time when it is dark and street was deserted.

He politely replied, "Who will if I don't." Back at the hotel we were given coordinators t facilitate our requirements and programs schedules. One of the Nepal's coordinators, Prabhath Rathnayaka from the Department of Government Information was another Buddha on duty I met in Sri Lanka. He worked assiduously and relentlessly to cater our media requirements and movements from one venue to another. He gathered related information for us from the mini media center set up at the hotel. The summit schedule was busy pressing us to meet the timetable, and so was he while supporting us at every minute situation. We had few hours to sleep. However, early in the next morning, he was seen greeting us, as cheerful and agile as he left us last night.

He never seemed fatigued and fade up or withered in his job. Just like the Buddha! Calm and placid on every second in his life. And to my surprise so were other officers and security personnel at the hotel. I must admit I met many Buddha in Sri Lanka. I was wistfully longing to meet more and more Buddha during my short stay there. My bad! I just could not. Although the ministry of tourism had schedules for the journalist to visit the at various tourist and religious spots of the country, I could not participate in the free tour due to my pressing schedule to return home.

I could not see the sea during my short stay in the country despite my irresistible desire to do so. However, people in all stratum of society in Colombo have made my heart dance with delight. I feel contented that I have met many Buddhas in the in the legendary country of Pandit Ravana.