Harbhajan Singh slapping of Sreesanth an ugly controversy

Arul says… Harbhajan’s slapping of Sreesanth is nothing but a form of violence. Violence by anyone, is an unlawful act.

In some developed countries even if a person uses violence against his or her own child, he or she would be punished and would even be sent to jail by the state, whether the child complains or not. If an owner of an animal uses violence against it, he or she would also be punished. Should sports persons be allowed to go Scot free if he or she uses violence, though he or she might apologise to the person on whom he had used violence later in private life. The violence by Harbhajan Singh is not only an unlawful act but is also an insult to the millions of spectators who in one way or other, pay the players. The sports bodies and governments should take appropriate action to arrest such conduct by the players. If not, there may come a time when players might even murder other players on the playing field. No man however great he may be in the game is indispensable. That point has to be driven into the players by taking action against offending players.

There will be hundreds of players in any country waiting to replace them.

If violence is condoned, especially in cricket, which is glorified as a gentleman’s game, what Bernard Shaw said about cricket - that it’s a case of eleven fools running about in a field in the hot sun, with eleven thousand fools sitting in the hot sun and watching it - would be absolutely correct.

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A vote for the UNP-SLMC at the EP polls will save the country

Yogadas Ram, UNP Provincial Councilor, said that the people need not look far to realize the current problems of the country and the disastrous future it holds for them with the Rajapakse Govt. at the helm.

Comparing the UNP two and half year tenure in Office when Ranil Wickremesinghe was the Prime Minister and that of Rajapakse, will bring home to any sensible person the peace, prosperity and lawfulness that prevailed during the UNP era. But, now, every Democratic Institution is threatened, peace is replaced by tyranny and lawlessness, and the country’s economy is in a shambles. People have never suffered such acute hardships as under this Govt. This Govt. is only prolonging its death throes by false promises and a fake war under which it is trying to cover its corruption, wastages, inefficiency and fiscal mismanagement. The cultural, social and Democratic values are crumbling before our own eyes, he bemoaned.

People are going to the Provincial Council polls in these dire circumstances. It is for the people to decide whether they are to vote for the Rajapakse Govt. backing the Terror inflicting Pillayan group wreaking havoc on the civilian population with intimidation and crimes, and court further disaster, or vote for the elephant symbol (UNP -SLMC) and save the country and themselves for the betterment of their children and future generation.

A vote for the UNP -SLMC means a vote for country’s peace, prosperity and progress; and a Society free of corruption, fear and lawlessness, he concluded.

 

Naming and Shaming does not work in Sri Lanka

Dr A. C. Visvalingam says… Naming and shaming is considered to be a-useful method available to the public to express their disapproval of public figures, business leaders and others in positions of power and authority who have failed to maintain reasonable standards of integrity. Sadly, naming and shaming does not work in Sri Lanka. Investigative journalists have risked their lives and livelihood over and over again in exposing hundreds of cases of corruption but their own journals and the rest of the media soon begin to look for new headlines and lose interest because they know, by past experience, that the chances of the Police or the Bribery Commission or any other relevant authority taking any action are pretty remote. It is more than likely that it is the journalist who will be harassed. Hence, for the miscreants, any shame that arises from unfavourable media publicity will last only a few days or so. They may even become heroes.

An appaling case of the kind of conduct that many vocal Sri Lankans applaud is the case of Rohana Wijeweera, who was responsible for leading a movement against the lawful government of Sri Lanka on two separate occasions, which led to the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent persons and misled youth. Leading members of the media were among his victims. Inter alia, he caused his followers to rob banks, kill hundreds of innocent civilians in a brutal manner, attack the Katunayake Airport, violate the sanctity of the Dalada Maligawa and attempt to kill Sirimavo Bandaranaike in order to capture state power. One would have thought that each of these crimes by itself was so shameful that no one would want to be associated with Wijeweera and his atrocities. But what do we see? Other than for a few persons who have publicly expressed shock that the life and achievements of Wijeweera continue to be commemorated with much pomp and ceremony, there has been little condemnation of those who persist in acclaiming him as a great leader. Have we became so foolish and shameless that we have lost our sense of right and wrong to tolerate this kind of nonsense without widespread societal protest? For his admirers to ask the public to forgive and forget Wijeweera’s crimes, would be one thing but it is quite a different matter to mislead gullible members of the public, particularly those who were not old enough in 1988-1990 to understand what the public was being subjected to then.

Moving from the national scale to a local one, we hear ad nausea endless speeches being made at funerals about the uncounted good qualities of the deceased irrespective of whether he was a rapist, drug dealer, torturer, murderer, rotten politician or just a good man. Those listening to the praise lavished on this kind of character, often by religious persona, must perforce wonder whether there is any merit in leading an exemplary, honest, compassionate life because such speeches, as well as appreciations in the media, do not differentiate between the admirable and the abominable. Simply put, when you die in Sri Lanka, all your sins are forgiven; so why hesitate to sin? In this lotus-eating land of ours, it is only the good that men do that lives after them; the evil is always interred with their bones. Anything, however appaling, that you have done will, for all practical purposes, not be mentioned publicly from the day you drop dead.

Many of us will recall the deplorable episode where a convicted rapist was given a presidential pardon and then made a JP in a despicable misuse of presidential power. With that as a disgraceful precedent, today we see a number of characters who have been prominently named in the media as having been involved in fraudulent cheque transactions, violence against public servants, dubious pyramid schemes, crooked privatisation, manipulating food supplies etc being installed in powerful positions in the machinery of the State and unashamedly protected and encouraged in their villainy. On the basis that a man is judged by the company he keeps, what is the public to think of the authorities who surround themselves with charlatans like these?

We may also mention that last year, the Supreme Court found two Ministers guilty of misleading the Cabinet and concealing vital facts from it. Do these Ministers feel even the slightest sense of remorse for what they did or mortification at being publicly exposed? Not at all. They are still in the Cabinet and even have the sheer effrontery to pontificate now and then on, of all things, the merits of Dhamma education.

Some time ago, a leading religious MP sold his duty-free car permit to a businessman to buy a Mercedes Benz. This monk’s illegal transaction was discovered later and given wide publicity. Did he apologise or express regret? No; instead he had the gall to say that, even if the pirated Mercedes Benz was returned to him, he would give it to the dogs in his pirivena. In defence of this monk, a senior Minister brazenly confessed that he, too, had sold his permits on more than one occasion and that the majority of MPs had done the same. He even said that, because of this, the best thing would be to make all these illegal transactions a thing of the past by changing the law so as to allow MPs’ to sell their permits legally! Not long thereafter, the JVP has revealed that, instead of the small Indian cars that they, in their election manifesto, favoured for MPs, they had gone in for more luxurious forms of transport. They admit that these had been purchased with funds provided by the party, claiming therefore, contrary to the law, that the ownership was vested in the party and not in the MPs in whose names the duty-free car permits had been issued. The party shows no contrition that it broke both its election pledges and the law.

One is compelled to conclude that the act of ordinary citizens or journalists naming prominent miscreants in the media does not have any impact at all on the scoundrels concerned because these individuals have no idea of what the word "shame" means.

Our organisation believes that only the Mahanayakes of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters - to whom every person of importance goes to pay public homage - have the necessary authority and influence to call forcefully for the government to distance itself from criminal elements and persons of dubious background. A strong demand needs to be addressed by the two Mahanayakes to the President that persons who have been credibly and publicly accused of having broken the law should not be appointed by him to positions of authority until such persons are cleared by a properly constituted body of independent persons. This body should preferably be the Constitutional Council, which the President has undertaken to activate very soon. The Mahanayakes should make it abundantly clear, in the form of a public statement, that they will refuse to receive or give their blessings to anyone of questionable character who is appointed to any important post without the specified clearance. We believe that, if the two Mahanayakes were to take such a firm stand, there would be a sea change in the quality of those who are entrusted with the resources of this country.

President, Citizens’ Movement for Good Governance Website: www.cimogg-sri lanka.org

 

Sri Lanka Universities Uncontactable…Why?

Indrani Devendra says… Last week I met a Vietnamese Bhikkuni in Bangkok who was keen to find out details of studies conducted in Sri Lanka’s Buddhist Universities. I assumed that this was easy and, yesterday [29/4] telephoned the Buddhist and Pali University[2593604/ 2580609] but there was no answer.

I next phoned the Post Graduate Institute of Paliand Buddhist Studies [2368894/ 250879] and nobody answered there either. In desperation I phoned the University Grants Commission hoping to locate the phone numbers of these institutions, and there was no answer.

I then emailed the Buddhist & Pali University [budd-pali-uni @sltnet,lk/ bplib@sltnet.lk as per the Phone Directory} The message has just bounced back with the comment "user unknown". Why have both these Universities and the UGC dropped off the screen? Who can help me and the Bhikkuni?

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Govt. thinks of the people only before elections

UNP Parliamentarian Gayantha Karunatileke emphasised that a Govt. elected by the people should not think of them and their welfare at elections period only, while burdening them with acute hardships and breaking Govt.promises given to the people all the other time.

He said, when the UNP pointed out, earlier, that rice price was shooting up beyond Rs. 80.00 per kilo when the price of paddy was as low as Rs. 16.00, and to bring about a price control, the Govt. ignored the pleas; and allowed its Minister and his brothers, owners of the biggest Rice Mills in Polonnaruwa to continue to operate a rice Mafia manipulating and monopolizing the rice market which allegedly was the cause of the steep price hikes about which a hue and cry was raised by the UNP, Media and Opposition .

But, now when the Elections at Eastern province is round the corner, the Govt. and its Minister Bandula Gunawardena are introducing a rice price control as an election ‘gundu’ to deceive the people by cheap publicity and tricks, for which the Rajapakse Govt. and his Minister have shown great skills since their advent to power. Indeed, the Minister of consumer affair is best known among the consumers, only if he is described as Minister of consumer despair and the Mahinda Chintana as Mahinda Karadara. Minister’s deceitful intentions are very clear because the Govt. which refused to price control when the paddy was Rs. 16.00 and Rice price was Rs. 80.00 per kilo, now, desperately, feels fit to introduce a muddled up price control when the paddy price is Rs. 35.00 and Rice price is Rs. 80.00, he asserted. The so called people’s Govt. did not even care about giving relief to the people during the Sinhala New Year when the rice price shot up to over Rs. 100.00 along with all other essential commodities making it the blackest Sinhala New Year ever in Sri Lanka’s history attributed to the ‘Sathakaye Saapaye’ or the ‘curse of the shawl’.

Only profuse lies and its endless false media reports which are sustaining this Govt. and the bloated Cabinet: when the Govt. cannot keep the rice price down, it blames on an imaginary world rice shortage. When Milk foods go up in price, they try to falsely explain it by pointing to Australia‘s shortage, the supplier of milk foods. Practically, every price hike due to Govt. bungling is justified on false excuses, he said. He recounted how during the UNP regime, Late Lalith Athulathmudali who was the relevant Minister did not allow the people to suffer on milk food shortage or by price hikes even when the milk food factory was burnt down !

Adverting to the forthcoming Eastern province elections, Karunatileke said, all what the UNP is asking of the Govt. is a democratic fair and free election. Let everybody be given protection and security, not to the Pillayan group alone. What the UNP is urging is to give the same security to all candidates legally and democratically without allowing Pillayan to carry arms. Which is against the laws of the land? The UNP is not against security to Pillayan, it is only against the Govt. not providing security to all equally, particularly because the Pillayans are involved allegedly in intimidation and violence.

 

The company our President keeps

Lincoln Wijesinghe says… A front-page picture in a prominent newspaper recently portrayed the President of Sri Lanka with a notorious ex-convict serial killer he had entertained at his official residence and is said to have rewarded him with a new house, at public expense no doubt!

Shortly thereafter another front-page picture appeared of the President walking over the fly-over bridge he had just opened at Peliyagoda, flanked by a widely despised character who apparently enjoys his patronage and protection despite the demands of the people and his own ministers for expulsion of this man they consider a disgrace to the title of "Minister."

These events were an insult to the people of this country! A disgrace to Sri Lanka!What did the pictures imply? What was the message to the people, of this country and to the world at large?

Birds of a feather?

If the President could not understand the implications of his company where were his numerous ‘advisers’ and ‘ministers’ maintained at public expense to give him good advice he obviously so badly needs?

If there are no decent people left in the SLFP to support the few outspoken ministers trying to introduce some decency to the government at least the UNP crossers-over - if they have any self respect - should lend their weight to put things right unless they are the self seekers they are reputed to be!

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Is JVP falling prey to plot set by GOSL?

Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai says… It is a pity the JVP is falling prey to the plot set up by the government to break them up. I am no sympathizer of the JVP. However I do feel that JVP was the only party in recent times who stood up against the doings of the government. It is quite plainly known that the government is taking the country downhill and thanks to the laid back attitude of opposition leader Ranil, they are having an easy time. Ranil is too much of a gentleman to be a politician. It is a pity he does not realize this. Either he must change or he must let the party leadership change.

The JVP must get some intermediaries to bring about a reconciliation and get back to its strong position once again. It will never be the same if it breaks up. Wimal must give up his "worldly" inclinations or must have talks with the party to change some of its’ policies. It is absurd saying – as it was quoted in one news paper last weekend – that his hairstyle and manicured nails do not fit the JVP style. What has that got to do with the policies of a party? O.K., they started as a rough shod group but that does not mean they have to look the same even now.

Anyway, the ultimate truth is that the country needs a strong opposition to keep a check on the government, to make sure they do not have a ball, governing the country without a murmur from anyone at all.

For the sake of the country, someone should come forward and keep this party alive, at least until the UNP wakes up from it’s long slumber; that is if it ever does.

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Sri Lanka in a mess blame who? How about us, the general public?

Dr. Manodha Gamage says… If we are to raise the question why Sri Lanka is in a mess today, we all would point our fingers to politicians, so called leaders of the country. That may be just a part of the reason and I have a different idea. I believe we have to blame no body else, but ourselves, the general public for this mess.

We always say that most politicians are corrupt, they accept bribes/commissions, misuse public funds and their authority, don’t do their job as expected, don’t care for the future of the country and the public, encourage underworld and crimes, never fulfil the promises etc. This is all true for almost all politicians. It is not only the politicians are at fault with regard to most of the above allegations.

Let me consider a typical government employee, though most of these things are common to employees in the private sector too. We know how hard it is to get any work done at most government offices without offering bribes and how inefficient most of the government workers are.

Most government workers don’t come to their offices at the specified times, though they always leave early. Even if they come in, to mark the attendance before the red line, they are not ready to start work at the specified time. How many workers can we identify, who wish to do their jobs with responsibility? They make all their private calls from the office, use the official vehicles for their private travel, use the photocopy machines and printers for their personal work, always take the stationary, pens, pencils and many other little things home for their personal use, don’t feel guilty to go out of the office during office hours for private matters. These are almost the same wrong doings of politicians. May be these things are not done on a large scale as in the case of politicians, but we have to understand that there are only a few hundred politicians compared to millions of workers in both the public and private sectors. Therefore the impact on the economy through the wrong doings of the general public, could be the same or even more than that of the politicians.

So it is not only the politicians who are at fault for the downfall of the country; but we all are. It is ingrained in Sri Lankan culture to be selfish, lazy, do the minimum work and expect the maximum return, be corrupt, to steal and cheat, break all the rules and regulations etc. Until we change our attitudes, and work hard not only for us, but for the country, we would never come out of this mess. There is not much of a difference between our politicians and the general public. After all, this is a democracy - the politicians are the true representatives of the public!

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S.W.R.D.’s disastrous “Sinhala only” language policy divided Sri Lanka

A.J.N. Selvadurai says… Many Sinhala people including young writers are now putting the blame on the LTTE for starting the war. Some of them were not born, or too young to remember S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike’s disastrous "Sinhala only" language policy of 1956, which instantly divided the country on ethnic lines by the mere stroke of a pen.

He got the blessings of the Maha Sangha and the Sinhala majority because they were so elated and could not see into the future, beyond their noses. Many Sinhalese feel that they are the real victims of the LTTE forgetting the state terrorism created under President J.R. Jayewardene in 1983.

Instead of befriending the minorities, the biggest mistake they made was forcing the hitherto docile Tamils to take up arms and demand a separate state of Eelam. The GOSL pressed this self-distrust pattern and shot themselves in the foot.

Now they have abrogated the peace pact and declared war on the LTTE, determined to destroy them in order to bring about peace. It is like Chandrika’s disastrous "war for peace" which failed miserably.

Now they have started a completely new thing called "operation eviction," carried out against Tamil lodgers in Colombo, indicating the government’s polarised mind-set, which led them to categorise those Tamils as terrorist subjects.

In fact, a friend of mine in London who is a doctor and went on a short visit to Colombo, was one of the unfortunate ones to be rounded up. This is what the LTTE have been trying to prove to the world that there are two ethnic groups, namely Sinhalese and Tamil. The GOSL has now by its actions of thuggery only confirmed to the world the existence of two separate nations.

The LTTE has successfully trapped them into doing this. The world is now fully aware that the north and east is the homeland of the Tamils and that they should live there. What else do the Tamils need now to prove their case for secession?

The war of attrition in the LTTE not only affects the enemy but also its own people. It is clearly counter productive. The cost of living is rising and the people are highly demoralised to the extent that the Ariya Sinhala people are now in a rebellious mood. They have now formed their own "Sinhala Tigers" to fight the government.

Many Sinhalese now seem to think that it has been such a waste — aparadey — and that peace and co-existence with the Tamils is the only option they have instead of perpetual conflict.

I hope the UN and the international community now realise that there is no option but to stop this war and listen to the just demands of the oppressed Tamil minority. The GOSL is now not in a position to prove to the world that secession is not an option. The LTTE has proved that there is no other option.