Poignant memories of Easter Sunday attacks

Commemorating the Easter Sunday tragedy, brings poignant memories to the friends and family members of the victims of the dastardly act.

Easter Sunday every year will go down in the annals of human tragedy of our country which reflects poorly on the image and integrity of our leaders, and the government of the day, which failed to act with a sense of responsibility.

It was neither the terror tactics nor the mediocre strategies of this ragtag religious extremists that outwitted our State security and intelligence system, but it was the crass negligence and indifference of our leaders and decision makers.

It is in this context, we have been confronted with a new revelation made by the former President during whose reign this tragedy happened. He made a controversial utterance a few days ago that he is aware of who is behind the Easter Sunday massacre and proceeded to make a statement to the Criminal Investigations Department on March 25. What a coincidence it is for this revelation to be made when Easter Sunday for the year 2024 is just around the corner? It is also intriguing to know that the revelation has been made by the former President at a time when the Presidential election is scheduled for the first week of October, 2024.

With the fifth-year commemoration to take place this Easter Sunday, the cherished memories of the dear departed would be honoured in the Churches on this hallowed day. His Eminence, Cardinal, Malcolm Ranjith, has been persistently pleading that an impartial and transparent investigation should be conducted, and this matter should not be allowed to be swept under the carpet.

The many investigations that have been carried out, up to now, have yet to yield the most plausible outcome to indict the mastermind and those who acted in collusion to perpetrate this crime. It is ironic that this new revelation comes from no other person than the former President himself who was the head of the state at the time the heinous crime was committed.

While the Catholic church remains skeptical about the outcome of the investigation, only time will tell if justice is being meted out to the hapless victims, whose fervent hope is now divine intervention.

DON PETER Dehiwala