Shocking news of the murder of 13 soldiers by Tamil separatists in Jaffna, hit us like a bomb. That was July 1983, well known as Black July.
People were on to the roads in no time to share their opinion and mostly their anger. Amongst them was me as a 14 yr old with my father.
No body had heard a news like that before. Sri Lankan army was never challenged in that way. It was unbelievable. How dare the Tamils could do such a thing! There was no doubt whatsoever in anybodies mind. The culprits should be punished and punished heavily!
For the first time I saw Tamils as enemies. Most of the other people did too.
As a result came the riots and people took the law into their hands. Generations of friendships amongst Sinhalese and Tamils were forgotten within minutes. Tamils were punished on sight. No body was spared, irrespective of there social states. Scores of innocent people payed the ultimate price with their lives for the sins which were done hundreds of miles away by some unknown people.
At that time I believed that Tamils were getting what they deserved and didn't have any sympathy towards them. Looking back I feel ashamed of myself for even thinking like that.
Since then I have come a long way . So has the country too. Today looking at the Tamil IDPs our attitude towards them is totally reversed. Brings tears to my eyes when I see how much they have suffered. Nobody is spared. All of them look like walking skeletons. Deprived of all known basic needs in life. Ironically this time around they've been punished by their very own people who were once upheld as there patriotic saviors.
Instead of hate,love and sympathy is what we have towards them today.They are not our enemies any more.
Lessons were learnt.Time to put the things right. Everybody is ready for a new country. A country where all can live in harmony.Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims all as SriLankans.
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