Back to the Memories of WAR

I felt compelled to write this story because I was overwhelmed with sorrow after watching an old movie, 'Gamani', for the first time in years. This Sinhala war/action film, released in 2011, is profoundly emotional and based on the 30-year civil war in Sri Lanka. It draws inspiration from the 1999 LTTE terrorist attack known as the Gonagala massacre.

This film took me back to my past. In those days, when my father left for work, my mother would say goodbye, constantly wondering if he would return home. As I went to school by bus, studied in class, or attended extra lessons, my mother waited anxiously at home. 

This was Sri Lanka before 2009—a time when the entire country was terrorized by the LTTE, regardless of caste or religion. It was a period when we lived in constant fear, unsure if we would survive to see another day. It was a time when both the Sinhalese in the south and the Tamils in the north struggled for their right to live. 

Yes, that era was a nightmare. Our country was a swamp of blood where everyone paid a price, irrespective of gender, age, wealth, or status. Although technology was not as advanced as it is today, I have heard that our country witnessed the worst war of its time. Ending it was not a simple task, especially for a developing nation like ours. Yet, on the blood of thousands of young soldiers, Sri Lanka finally put an end to the war in 2009.

I remember May 18, 2009. I was in the 5th grade, preparing for the scholarship exam—a crucial test that could grant students the chance to attend better schools. On that day, our school was hosting a seminar for the exam when suddenly, we heard the sound of fireworks. People began shouting and celebrating in the streets—the war had ended. I was just a little girl, unaware of the politics or the complex demands of the conflict, but I had witnessed how deeply my country suffered. 

Back then, we didn’t have smartphones or laptops. Every night, the news would report the territories reclaimed by the Sri Lankan army. We had a large map of Sri Lanka at home, and my father would mark the areas yet to be liberated. I eagerly awaited these updates each day. I remember that, in the end, the final goal was to take control of a lagoon area called Nandikadal. A massive human operation took place there. Even as a child, I sensed that the end of the war was near. That memory still feels surreal to me.

Here’s how I define 'war':  

War is a ferocious period where Homo sapiens sapiens, the most advanced species on Earth, with the same red blood coursing through their veins, fight over a territory of naturally occurring land, destroying each other's lives without regard for the bonds of father, mother, son, daughter, sister, or brother.

Many are still haunted by the memories of those who lost their lives in that 30-year conflict. It was a war driven by a handful of greedy miscreants, using religion and race to divide people. 'War' is a word that should disappear from our world. 

If you think about it deeply, I believe peace is influenced by the resources people have and how they use and share them. Humans have divided themselves over resources like land, splitting into rich and poor based on their access to these assets. Religion, chosen for spiritual well-being, has become another dividing factor. But it’s not just about division. People are driven to gather more power for their group, forgetting that those they oppose are members of the same species, sharing the same genes. This trait is not exclusive to humans; it exists among all living beings. However, humans are unique—we are evolutionary superior to other animals. So why do we still fight each other?

Admittedly, this is not an easy problem to solve. You, who are reading this, and I, who am writing it, know that. We can never completely rid ourselves of ego—be it about our country, race, or religion. It is a part of human nature. But it can be controlled within certain boundaries, and that is what we must do to preserve peace. All I know is that war brings destruction to both the aggressor and the defender. Peace is the only state in which the mind can be free, and without it, humanity’s end is near.

Various organizations exist to maintain peace at national and international levels, yet conflicts persist around the world. So, what can we do? We can only pray. As Sri Lankans, we hope that everyone who has suffered due to war will find the breath of freedom soon. 

Peace is a feeling that must be cultivated within the heart, not something that can be enforced by law. Until that happens, sparks of conflict will continue to ignite across the globe. That is what I believe.