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Terrorism ri Lanka, the small and cute standing between Lankan President
island nation of south Asia,
Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minis-
ter Ranil Wickremesinghe only worsen
faces the new form of terror-
the situation as they failed to pre-empt
ism. With an aim to establish
revisits S relevance, the Islamists have the disaster that also snatched away the
chosen the country, which witnessed
live of over 40 foreign tourists staying
in Shanghai-La, Cinnamon Grand and
ethnic terrorism a decade back. The gov-
Sri Lanka, ernment in Colombo has taken strong Kingsbury hotels.
measures to counter the terror elements
The ill-preparedness to terror attacks
has already tarnished image of the is-
and succeeded to some extent. But the
land nation as three Catholic churches
fear factor among Lankan people might
but in a take years to get eradicated. faced the tragedy when hundreds were
attending Sunday praying sessions. Usu-
Terrorism, in a different package, has
returned to Sri Lanka claiming over 250
ally the churches along with mosques
different people’s lives and wounding hundreds and temples remain unprotected in the
country. The Islamic State (IS), which
other seriously in a coordinated serial
claimed responsibility for the Sunday
terror attacks. In fact, from ethnic insur-
gency to religious terrorism a changing
|attacks, only exploited the vulnerability
package face of organized violence has arrived of churches.
in the country floating on ocean in the
Churches may have been targeted by
Islamist forces across the globe including
south of Indian sub-continent.
The violent attacks perpetrated by in various Asian nations, but Sri Lanka
not less than nine suicide bombers on had no such report of rivalry and conflict
churches, hotels and other localities in between Muslims and Christians/Catho-
The government in Colombo and around Colombo on Easter Sunday lics. Rather both the religious groups
has taken strong measures to (April 21) also ascertained utter failure of had faced aggressions from a section of
counter the terror elements and the Lankan government as there were majority Sinhala-Buddhists and now-
prior inputs about the terror acts, even
defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
succeeded to some extent but the from foreign intelligence agencies, but (LTTE) in many occasions.
fear factor among public might the Democratic Socialist Republic of “Lankan Muslims never supported
take years to get eradicated, Sri Lanka regime in Colombo simply the primary goal of LTTE to establish a
homeland for Tamil people in north-
ignored it.
writes nava thakuria The infighting and lack of under- ern part of the small country. They can
