Whether the summoning of the National Advisory Council for Peace and Reconciliation, at this stage, was properly and purely motivated or not, the collective affirmation of the search for peace through negotiation and the rejection of war as a method of settling the national issue that emerged at the deliberations on Monday, holds out some light at the end of the tunnel, the country is passing through at present. This was indeed the fruition of a collective national demand.

It is also encouraging that the UNP, despite their absence at the conference, endorsed the need for such a collective effort. It would indeed have been much better if the UNP too participated and expressed their misgivings there. The TNA, which boycotted the meeting, forfeited an opportunity to demonstrate the sincerity of their commitment to peace and democracy.

Critics of the present exercise have dismissed it as futile, citing the failure of similar exercises in the past. What they have unfortunately overlooked is the phenomenon of change that constantly alter situations and conditions. Everything is in a state of flux, as the philosophers say. Many changes in attitudes and policies have taken place, since the time of those attempts in the past. Did anybody think, for example, that parties such as the JVP and EPDP who solely relied on armed struggles for liberation, would opt for democratic discourse and persuasion for solution of their problems. Likewise, further changes can occur in the thinking and attitudes of the recalcitrant LTTE - some unexpected changes have already taken place.

It is through collective efforts of this nature, therefore, that those in the destructive track could be pressurised to come back to the proper path. The LTTE says that the present exercise is a ploy to waste time. This impatience on the part of the LTTE is understandable. Their aim is to get the government to commit itself to the ISGA proposals as quickly as possible.

What is regrettable, however, is the attitude adopted by parties such as the TNA who claim to be democratic. As a moderate party of educated and experienced politicians, it should understand the difficulties that any Sri Lankan government has to contend with, in solving the present problem. They should understand the doubts and suspicions created in the minds of both Sinhala and Muslim communities, as a result of the atrocities committed by the LTTE over the years. It is precisely these doubts about the LTTE's conduct as a decent, democratic organisation that has driven sections in their communities to extreme positions against the LTTE.

The LTTE's continued aggressive and violent acts provide further ammunition to these parties and groups. It is the duty of the TNA, therefore, to participate in these discussions and dispel these fears, in the same way that some TNA MPs admirably do in TV talk shows and other forums, where they clearly express their desire to live in peace and harmony in a united Sri Lanka, enjoying equal rights.

This indeed is the preponderant aspiration of all the people in this country as it was convincingly brought out at the inaugural session of the NACPR. It was past mistakes arising from the opportunism of political leaders and parties that resulted in homeland concepts and separatist moves to gain ascendancy among minority communities.

So, the country, having traversed the inhospitable terrain of conflicts and confrontations, is today making a collective effort to revert to the proper track of peace and harmony, fortified by equal rights and opportunities, to achieve progress and prosperity. Therefore, it is the bounden duty of all those who have the country's good at heart, to support and cooperate with the present effort.