Seventy years of parliamentary democracy
The seventieth anniversary of parliamentary democracy in our country was celebrated. A worthy celebration, no doubt. Some Parliamentarians did not join the celebrations, perhaps due to their grievance that parliamentary Democracy resulted in their losing political power, under-developed thinking. Two significant features could be attributed to the 70-year period. They are, mellowing of our revolutionary Parliamentarians and the emergence of a criss-crossing brand of Parliamentarians.
Red brand politicians, who claimed to be revolutionary Marxists, Leninists, Trotskytes, Maoists, Bolsheviks, Stalinists, Che Guevarists etc., who talked of the “Dictatorship of the Proletariat”, not being able to capture power on their own, through sheer frustration, joined hands with political parties which were not even left leaning, entering into coalitions and united fronts, hanging on even to the “Saree Pota”. Political history records that once they entered Parliament, transformation resulted as follows:
Left behind the revolution and embraced democracy;
Gave up wearing red shirts, except on May Day, which has turned to be a day to exhibit political party power;
Changed to be clean shaven gentry clothed in National Dress or Lounge;
Abandoned the theory of “Dictatorship of the Proletariat” and enforced the dictatorship of political parties at the workplace and made the workers tools in the hands of politicians;
Forgot the Marxist dogma “Religion is the opium of the masses” and took to religious observances of all faiths in public and got religious dignitaries to bless them to continued stay in power until the man decided otherwise;
Changed from being non-racial to be racial and religious extremists;
Became allergic to the poor man’s transport and got addicted to fast moving luxury vehicles;
Gave up hatred towards World Bank and IMF and practised detente;
Some contributed to the implementation of draconian laws such as the 18th Amendment to the Constitution to prevent themselves from being toppled from power (and proudly declare even now) which misfired and they now languish in isolation (even on dole) without political power.
Parliamentary democracy also produced a brand of opportunistic criss-crossing Parliamentarians.
Whatever it may be, all in all, it is democracy that triumphed by transforming our Reds and politicians to be Parliament loving democrats which is Sri Lanka’s gain.
And history goes on repeating itself.
Upali S. Jayasekera.
‘Black July’ – a ‘UNP project’?
There have been many articles written in newspapers over the past few weeks about ‘Black July’. It is 35 years since that catastrophe, and suddenly many pundits have put pen to paper over that event.
A common thread in most of these articles is the apportioning of the blame on the then Government. At that time, the UNP was in power and President Jayewardene was in his fifth year as President. ‘Black July’ is widely referred to as a ‘UNP project’.
It is true the State failed to protect its citizens from the rampaging mobs. But it must be remembered, the State couldn’t take effective action as things had slipped out of its hands, and violence spread all over the country except in the North and the East, and Tamils were attacked. By the time the State managed to clamp down it was too late.
However, up-to-date there aren’t any official figures about the number of victims. Some columnists have said around 4,000 Tamils were killed in the violence. This is an exaggeration. Many Sinhalese and Muslims protected their Tamil neighbours. They hid entire families in rooms and transported them safely to refugee camps.
So, after the violence what did the Tamils do? They used the new facility of ‘Open Visa’ afforded by many western countries to migrate. England, Norway, Denmark and Switzerland were in need of cheap labour to run their rapidly industrialising economies. The ‘Open Visa’ was one ruse to achieve that. Thousands of Tamils migrated. They were ‘economic migrants,’ but claimed to be ‘politically victimised.’
The remaining Tamils lost all hope in democratic politics and living in peace with the Sinhalese. This was perhaps the biggest impact of ‘Black July’ on Sri Lanka. They started supporting militant groups that didn’t have a clear idea on the national question, which resulted in militant rivalry and bloodshed. A group led by a young man who had no educational qualifications emerged victorious. The group was the LTTE and the man was Prabhakaran.
When we talk of or commemorate ‘Black July’ we should have the perspective of LTTE atrocities. For nearly 25 years after ‘Black July’ the LTTE murdered the Sinhalese, the dissident Tamils and the Muslims in its terrorist struggle. The stalwarts of the UNP of the early 1980s were all assassinated or shot by the LTTE in early 1990. Tamils who worked for peace, like, Dr. Rajini Thiranagama and Dr. Neelan Thiruchelvam were brutally murdered. The ‘Black July’ migrants of July 1983 and post ’83 were cheering these murders and funding the LTTE. By its long terrorist struggle the LTTE destroyed the social fabric of Sri Lankan Tamils and damaged the relationship between Tamils and other communities in an irredeemable manner.
The current government led by the UNP is working towards ethnic peace and reconciliation. It should be lauded and backed to the fullest especially by Tamils and Muslims. Hence, it is inappropriate at this time to reawaken the spectre of July 1983.
Recent months have seen the rise of a hardcore Sinhala lunatic fringe led by retired military officials. Prominent Buddhist monks have called for the resurrection of a ‘local Hitler’. As we commemorate ‘Black July’ we should ponder for a moment what would Sri Lanka be if this ‘Hitler’ is ushered in. We witnessed what happened in Welikada in October 2012 and at Rathupaswala in August 2013. We read the chilling accounts of Suresh Nedimal Silva, the sole witness in the Welikada case. We know how Lasantha Wickrematunge and Wasim Thajudeen were killed. Are we going to allow such things, post 2020?
Our columnists and pundits would do much better if they look at the spectre at the doorstep instead of harking back to events 35 years ago. There is nothing wrong in writing about ‘Black July’. But that should be done with the perspective of LTTE terrorism and the rise of a certain Gotabaya Rajapaksa to absolute power.
Moli Arasan
Diversion of an age-old canal in Himbutana
Numerous health hazards and other problems are being caused to residents in the Himbutana area with the deterioration of a canal, caused by blocking its natural route and diverting it towards another direction, by a lady land owner in the area. She carried out this diversion at Mihiri Place, Himbutana, with the help of the former Chairman Kotikawatta-Mulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha.
This canal has now lost its usual route and follows a new path through a pipeline half way and then goes through an underground drain making three openings for the surface water on the lane to seep in. As the bottom of the drain is not even, the water gets stagnated forming potholes and thereby facilitating the breeding of the dengue mosquito. Thousands of mosquitoes surface daily from these three openings.
During heavy showers these openings are blocked by garbage floating along, causing disgust to residents in the houses nearby. Flooding of this area occurs even after a minor shower. This area has thus been exposed to the dengue menace. The purpose of altering the natural flow of the canal was to sell the individual’s land, which we understand, has already been achieved.Let the relevant authorities take necessary action to deter such acts taking place in the future and punish wrongdoers.
Before attempting to divert the canal, the party concerned should have sought the consent of the officials of the Survey Department, Health Department and the environmentalists. This act has been carried out through the powers vested in the Chairman. It is illegal to block the natural flow of a canal, which has been duly entered in the Surveyors’ Plans.
Dharma Kaviraj