Co-Cabinet Spokesman and Minister of Mass Media Keheliya Rambukwella said while giving maximum attention to the Covid-19 pandemic and finding ways of controlling it in a more effective manner, we also need to look at how we can take the economy forward. The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said the Covid-19 pandemic lingers and is still alarming and we are trying to control it as much as possible. However, any sensible Government will also have to look into the strategies of developing the economy. We can’t completely shut all the movements of the economy and concentrate only on the pandemic.
Q: During the Yahapalana Government cases were cooked up and politicians and Security Forces personnel hauled before courts and remanded. Will the Government compensate the aggrieved parties?
A: We don’t believe in the ‘jungle law’ practised by the Yahapalana grandees. The cases of those who had been hauled before courts and treated unfairly will be looked into. I remember, a senior DIG Anura Senanayake was kept in remand custody for almost a year even without a B report.
There were many others such as intelligence officers who had been remanded through such cooked up cases. I suppose they have a case now and may take legal proceedings and make a request through the proper channel to the Government about the harassments they had to undergo.
That can be considered but we will not deviate from the normal procedure. Cases where people are kept without any evidence or even a B report, I am sure may have a strong case to bring forward.
Q: The Opposition has vehemently criticised the high cost of the 100,000 Km road program. Your comments?
A: Road network is considered as the nerve centre of the economy. The Covid-19 pandemic still lingers and is alarming and we are trying to control it as much as possible.
However, while doing so, any sensible Government will also look for ways of taking the economy forward. You can’t completely shut all the movements of the economy and concentrate only on the pandemic. While giving maximum attention to the pandemic, we also need to look at how we can take the economy forward.
Q: Do you think the UNP will ever reform under a progressive leadership and project a more acceptable image to the country?
A: There is hardly any difference between the UNP and the SJB. They are two factions of the same party. Their future appears to be bleak. They are very aggressive and come out with some hilarious issues but they are not marketable yet in the ‘political market’.
Q: Why don’t you appoint a full-fledged Presidential Commission to probe the NGOs’ role in the country particularly their behaviour during the LTTE terrorist war?
A: I suppose you have a strong proposition there. The role of some NGOs and INGOs in 2015 was to advocate change of Government using the American terminology of ‘regime change’.
The then Secretary of State John Kerry had officially stated that they had allocated US$ 585 million for regime change in three countries, one of them being Sri Lanka.
When the then US President Barack Obama visited India on January 25,2015, he personally thanked the Indian Government for bringing democracy to Sri Lanka. This means direct interference had been acknowledged. Therefore, it is a good thing if the Government decides to have a full-fledged Commission with regard to that matter.
Q: Is there any justification to continue the Provincial Council system as certain sections say it is a duplication of work and waste of public funds?
A: There are different schools of thoughts about it, and several fundamental things need to be sorted out.
One is, the 13th Amendment was forced on us by our good neighbours. At the same time, it became an international understanding, and we also need to look at India. If we are not willing to continue with the 13th Amendment, it has to be done with good international relations.
We should not try to bulldoze and antagonise people or make unpleasantness on international agreements. Secondly, we need to study its contribution or the purpose of having the Provincial Councils. What progressive moves can be taken through the Provincial Councils? If it is not so we should revisit the whole area and see how we could compromise.
Q: A complete overhaul of the prison system is long overdue. Has the Government drawn a blueprint for this?
A: I don’t think it has done that yet, but you are right it has to be done. In my view there are two things. First, prisons are heavily overcrowded.
Secondly, in certain cases should they be sent to remand prisons? Of the 30,000 prisoners, around 20,000 to 22000 are remand prisoners. We need to have more rehabilitation areas rather than remand prisons. These are the areas that need more attention.
Q: Our archaeological sites are in danger and state lands are encroached and mangroves destroyed, while some powerful politicians are behind such activities, though nobody has been prosecuted so far. Why?
A: That area has to be completely taken care of and I don’t think there should be any kind of political interference, particularly, with regard to the cultural and heritage sites.
We are a country with a laudable history and boast about our heritage. We cannot allow politicians or so-called powerful people to destroy that heritage. I think stern action should be taken against anybody trying to destroy the cultural and heritage sites.
Q: Most Asian countries that lagged behind Sri Lanka have overtaken us today in overall development. What happened to Sri Lanka?
A: Unfortunately, we faced three or four calamities in the country. Firstly, the 1971 insurrection which caused a great deal of destruction in the country. Then we had the 1983 debacle during the tenure of President J.R.Jayewardene which resulted in an international movement for Tamil people, creating a painful history. It was portrayed worldwide.
The world then looked at us as barbarians which ruined our image and opened doors for the action of a few unnecessary forces to intervene in our internal affairs. Then we had to face a 30 year battle to fight terrorism. We also had to face the 1988-1989 JVP insurrection. All of those caused destruction to the country. Nobody would ever have taken an account of such things. Imagine the situation of the country if we didn’t face such calamities.
It is a very sad story but the very same people who are now talking of vibrant democracy and human rights are responsible for bringing the country to this status.
Q: The true colour of the UNP which always talks high about the independence of the judiciary, the rule of law and human rights has come to light with politicians and high state officials being acquitted by courts. Your comments?
A: It is now proven that the Yahapalana regime was a total destruction. I can say so with confidence and facts. In my Ministry, there are about 15 institutions. The ITN for example, was ruined during the tenure of the Yahapalana Government.
They have ruined all those institutions. We should take action against all those responsible for such destruction to bring state institutions into the present state.
I can make this comparison because I am handling the same ministerial portfolio again which I had in 2015 when we quit power. I can see the difference in performances and achievements, and how the Yahapalana Government destroyed all what we achieved up to 2015.
Q: The Government’s top priority for self-sufficiency in food crops is a step in the right direction. Could you explain the Government strategy for this?
A: Our Governments were always left oriented Governments of the SLFP, SLPP or whatever that began from Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike and always concentrated on internal development particularly the agriculture sector. We strongly believe this is a country based on agriculture and even industrialisation has to be an agricultural industrial base. However, the UNP always talked of a trading centre so that they could import all the stuff from elsewhere to feed the people.
Now we believe in more local entrepreneurs and the agriculture sector which has shown prompt results. For example, turmeric and ginger were flown into the country from elsewhere spending foreign exchange. Now they are produced locally.
There are many others such as the dairy industry. These are things where we have taken the right direction and shown that they can be produced locally.
Q: The present Government unlike any other previous Governments has laid emphasis on the village through the Gama Samaga Pilisadara program. Could you explain this in detail?
A: Eighty percent of Sri Lanka consists of villages, so that the village development reflects the real development of the personnel. That is why we have laid emphasis on the village and it is working well.
When you give proper education, schools, hospitals, road network, housing, electricity and water to the village areas, that is where development starts, and you feel that the standard of living is being raised to the expected levels. We have focused very much on that area.
Q: It seems the Opposition does not want to cooperate with the Government even in an islandwide emergency such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Your comments?
A: They are a desperate lot completely rejected in a strong manner, perhaps the strongest manner in the history of politics.
All their acts are due to desperation. When you act in desperation you have to expect futile exercises such as protests and so forth.