NEW DELHI: Elected leaders do not have the option of resorting to terror tactics even when fighting the deadliest terrorists, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera asserted on Thursday. "Sometimes, governments grappling with the scourge of terrorism respond to terrorist atrocities with equal amounts of brutality and violence. They seem to forget that democratically elected governments must be above reproach at all times," he said delivering the 14th Lal Bahadur Shastri memorial lecture here.

Despite having to battle one of the most ruthless terror machines in the world (the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) for three decades, Sri Lanka was "constantly aware" of the need to address the grievances of the affected minorities. "That is why we remain committed to a negotiated settlement to our ethnic question."

The solution in Sri Lanka lay in gently nudging or enticing these extreme elements to move towards moderation and democratic methods without compromising "our own" integrity. The need was to find a durable and lasting peace without "a craven surrender to a terrorist group."

Articulating the concept of a "radical centre" to tackle extremism and violence, Mr. Samaraweera said the middle path of the radical centre must be based on the courage of convictions based on the principles of decency, freedom and the rule of law. "It must be based on bringing the socio-economic extremists fearlessly and vigorously into a radically-committed centre where the rule of law shall prevail."

The "only way" to resolve the conflict in Sri Lanka, or similar problems in other parts of the world, was to develop the concept and practice of a "radical centre."

"This would entail the creation of a centrist middle way, where dissenting voices and opinions from every part of the political spectrum would have a place within the democratic framework through the decentralisation of governance and devolution of power to all stakeholders."

He said a return to centrist values was the only way to ensure the survival of democracy, whose credentials were being tested by forces of extremism and anarchy. "If we continue in our present path where even good people in desperation begin to feel that the only answer to extremism is more extremism, democracy as we know it today must surely be doomed."

Calling for the protection of democracy at all costs, Mr. Samaraweera said more powerful democracies must come to the aid of the less privileged ones. "While nurturing and encouraging new democracies, it is equally important to help existing, long-established democracies to survive."

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