COSTLY BATTLES FOR POLITICAL VICTORY IN MADHU

by Jehan Perera


There is a frustrating sense of stagnation in terms of problem solving that troubles the government and propels it to seek even short term results. None of the main problems, whether economic, political or military, seem to be getting resolved in a sustainable and long term manner. Although the government continues to enjoy majority support in Parliament, it has reason to feel insecure. The government's majority is contingent on support it is receiving from parliamentarians who were elected to opposition parties who are presently with it. But they could go back to their own parties if they feel the tide is turning. The forthcoming elections in the Eastern Province could prove to be a harbinger of things to come.

In the prevailing situation, where there is economic hardship and political volatility, the government desperately needs a success. It has apparently put a part of its faith in the ability of the Sri Lankan military to capture of the revered Catholic shrine of Madhu to provide it with a much needed morale booster. The government could project the capture of Madhu, which is currently in LTTE-controlled territory, as liberation of the religious shrine and the proof of capture of LTTE controlled territory in the north. The government may believe that the sight of busloads of Catholic pilgrims making their way to Madhu and performing their religious devotions at the shrine would be a powerful advertisement of its commitment to its multi ethnic and multi religious population.

International award winning defence columnist, Iqbal Athas has opined that "The military offensives in the Wanni assume a new dimension in the light of the Provincial Council elections for the Eastern Province on May 10. Particularly in the Mannar sector, the recapture of the Madhu shrine and its environs by the troops will bolster the ruling party's position at the polls. It could be argued, perhaps with some justification, that after recapturing the East, troops were now making progress in the North. For the same reason, Tiger guerillas would want to avoid losses of any territory dominated by them. They would want to offer stronger resistance at least until the polls are over."

The government needs a military success to justify its weak performance in other areas of governance, including the economy and basic law and order. The battlefield successes that took place in the east over a year ago, and which gave the government leadership an enormous popularity, have not been visible at all in the north where progress on the ground has been slow. The main success of the government has been its so-called kill rate, which now exceeds 3,000 LTTE cadres in a matter of months which was once claimed to be the LTTE's total battlefield strength. But as these figures are the government's own, and there is no independent verification, it is more difficult for the government to claim military success in this in comparison to territory that is captured on the ground.


PROBLEMS

The problem that the government is facing in achieving its political objectives is that the LTTE is putting up strong resistance in blocking the advancing Sri Lankan army. In doing so the LTTE has even violated the religious sanctity and neutrality of the Madhu shrine. Showing no regard to religious sensitivities of the Catholics the LTTE has come within the shrine area and stationed its armed cadres and their weapons inside it. It might be recalled that in the late 1990s the Sri Lanka army also entered the precincts of the Madhu shrine, but President Chandrika Kumaratunga immediately ordered them to leave when this act was brought to her notice. However, the efforts of the Catholic Church to persuade the LTTE to act in the same responsible manner have failed so far.

One of the consequences of the fierce fighting that has been going on in the areas around the Madhu shrine is that artillery shells have fallen on the church premises that house the shrine and damaging a part of the building complex. Shells have also fallen on the residences of the priests endangering their lives. With the danger of loss of life and destruction of the sacred statue of Our Lady of Madhu very high, the priests of the Madhu church decided to ask all refugees to leave and to leave the church themselves and take the statue with them to another church for safekeeping. This is quite clearly a sensible decision in the circumstances.

However, the decision of the Church authorities to take the sacred statue to the interior village of Thevanpiddy rather than to the town of Mannar has come in for heavy criticism by the government. The recapture of the Madhu church without the sacred statue will be a hollow victory. Government spokespersons have even alleged a plot to discredit the government by bringing the issue to the attention of the international community. The Church authorities are also being criticised for taking the sacred statue even deeper into LTTE-controlled territory, which is where Thevanpiddy lies, rather than to the government-controlled town of Mannar.

The response given by the Church authorities is that Thevanpiddy is more accessible from Madhu as both are within the LTTE controlled areas, as compared to Mannar which is the government controlled area. The statue was already within the LTTE controlled area. Coming over to the government area requires a long detour and also requires being subjected to a lengthy checking procedure at the military checkpoints where crossing over from the LTTE controlled area into the government controlled area takes place.


CHURCH'S SOLUTION

The crisis over the Madhu shrine has rallied the Catholic Bishops Conference, which comprises both its Sinhalese and Tamil members, to issue a strong public statement in which they "deplore the malicious attribution of motives and unwarranted interpretations given to the simple and inevitable course of action which was due solely to the exigencies of the given situation." This statement, which was signed by the Bishop of Kandy, Vianney Fernando and the Bishop of Anuradhapura Norbert Andradi needs to be taken to heart by both the government and LTTE.

In addition, the Bishops have pointed to the grim situation in the larger Mannar area caused by the war stating that "The statue has been moved out temporarily to the church in Thevanpiddy which alone has a Catholic community around it. All other parishes in the uncleared area of the District of Mannar are presently deserted by the people due to security reasons. It is to be noted that the displaced people of these deserted parishes numbering over 24,000 live in this area (Thevanpiddy). The statue is, therefore, enshrined temporarily in the said church and will be brought back to the hallowed Madhu Shrine at the first opportunity of safety."

By issuing this statement the Catholic Bishops have also expressed their solidarity with the beleaguered Bishop of Mannar, Rayappu Joseph, whose diocese of Mannar includes the only Catholic majority district in the country. His stance with the people has not yielded to the might of those with guns, and has earned him the respect of peace and religious groups throughout the world. The Madhu refugee camp for internally displaced persons has been one of then largest and best run in the country. But the Bishop's commitment to the material and spiritual welfare of the people as the primary concern has also made him a target of criticism on both sides of the ethnic divide.

The way forward is clear if a solution that meets the needs of the refugees in the area and the Catholic community throughout the country is to be found. The Madhu shrine area needs to be declared a zone of peace into which neither government forces nor the LTTE intrude again with their boots and their guns. The Pilgrimages Ordinance published by the Government Gazette Notification No. 185 of 1982 declares Madhu to be a religious shrine, which the government is legally bound to respect. The LTTE also needs to vacate the Madhu shrine area as called for by the Catholic authorities and do so with immediate effect. So far these appeals have fallen on hard hearts and deaf ears but they need to continue in the hope of dialogue that will lead to transformation.