LAST CHANCE

Sri Lankan people born after 1948 must be the most unfortunate folks living on this planet, despite many narrations indicating, according to Buddhist beliefs that “Sri Lanka is a blessed country and several gods  have sanctified this nation”. Could it be the reason why this Island  was  once  known as the Dharma Deepa? 

Portuguese, when arrived in Ceylon in 1505, introduced beef eating among the natives that became  a common habit, even among the Buddhists, mostly influenced by Christians and later backed by the Colonial rulers. Anagarika Dharmapala, as a defender of the Buddhist faith, cautioned  people by visiting from place to place and displaying a prominent  banner,  “Gavamas nokanu” (don’t eat beef), when consumption of beef had become habitual,  because the price of beef at that time was thirty cents a pound ( Aryadasa) Ratnasinghe – 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd). 

During the colonial regime (prior to 1948), there were campaigns calling upon the public not to eat beef. It is often heard that our forefathers lived in complete harmony  and being kind to each other. During the  foreign reign and even in the Colonial rule what was remarkable, as we read from the history books today is how even  Indian Kings who ruled this nation and later the British  rulers did pay respect to the Sinhala culture and reverence to Buddhism. British specifically had refrained from consuming beef in public ceremonies as paying respect to Buddhism as well as to the pious people in the land . It  was a time when the late Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, after visiting Ceylon  once, had commented  how he wished to emulate Ceylonese module to ‘transform Singapore into self-sufficient standards akin to  Ceylon!’

But today can we say the same thing what Lee Kuan Yew wanted? Perhaps it would  be pertinent to quote him what he later uttered:   “ There were two options for me, either I got corrupted and I placed my family in the Forbes List of the richest people in the world, or leave my people (country’s ) with nothing for which I was  elected as  the Prime Minister to serve them  and to let my country be among the top list of the best ten economies in the world! I hasten to say that chose the second option.”

If the same questions were to be posed to our  current politicians in Sri Lanka today, probably they would come with: ‘There were two options for us too, but the second option was already taken by the Singapore Prime Minister, so we had no other alternative but to seek the first option!”   Lee Kuan Yew was Singapore’s first Prime Minister and architect of the tiny city that he converted into a  global trade and financial centre.

This obviously summerises the citation that ‘Sri Lankan people must be the most unfortunate folks’ living on this planet’, because from the time the British left the good old Ceylon, after handing over the responsibilities of running the country’s affairs to locals, it is apparent what Lord Solebury, who headed the Solebury Commission, had to say at the time thus: “Sri ‘Lankans are not ready to govern the country.”

Sri Lanka was known as Dharma Deepa once, but it has turned around 360 degrees today to be explicitly called as ‘ Adarma Deepa” (a perfidious nation), because of the rampant corruption that takes place from top to bottom in the society. Politics has transformed into a modern industry and parliamentarians and administrators equally who are being elected and selected to serve the nation, have become corrupted ancorrugated to the level of stinking to high heaven.

After achieving independence from the British a few Sri Lankan  elite members of the society, who appeared in tail coats and top hats began to emulate the British, rather than adopting a suitable policy that suited the local culture,  in order that  any future Government could work on the basis of a structured policy.

Divide and Rule concept

By imitating and adapting British policies and behaviour, the new batch of politicians in Ceylon automatically became accustomed to the British style of ‘ divide and rule’ concept that gave rise to the formation of different political parties, under diverse hues, making a marked division in the society. Naive folks too began to split into such groups, for their personal gains, akin to chewing gum adherence, with emotional affirmations such as “Kapuwath Api” UNP, SLFP or Communist and LSSP supporters!

This trend transformed into a contagious state when the head of the family supported any particular party, the rest of the family too followed suit blindly. The society automatically became segregated due to various boons offered to the people such as giving employment opportunities to party members, while ignoring the other talented members of the society; similarly, entrepreneurs contributed to both parties – the ruling as well as the opposition- playing a safe entrepreneurial game. 

Exposure

This trend continued for 71 long years, until the public has  just begun to realise politicians’ nudity in many a form, including politicians of the ruling and ruled parties and how they have allowed the country to go downhill on roller coasters economically, industrially, scholastically, educationally and scientifically leaving the poor villages and villagers to suffer immensely. What the politicians should have done all these years are being taken over today by various TV companies as humanitarian tasks.

It is such a sad situation, therefore, the  word ‘politics’ today has turned into a ‘play game’ where  some of the prominent members of the government display egocentric potentials rather than serving the people who have elected them to serve the country and people. Sri Lanka is on record as  the only country in the world where a politician after ‘hanging on to his parliamentary seat’  for 5 years qualifies for a pension for life whereas the hard-working people have to sweat out 30 to 40 years to qualify for such a privilege and  at the end of the day they are shocked to find that their EPF money too had been expended  on massive government frauds such as the scandalous Central Bank scam!  

Despite all the perks by politicians and qualifying themselves for a special allowance to attend parliamentary sessions,  most of the time the Parliament has had to abandon its sitting due to the absence of a quorum! Even if they were to be present some Ministers, akin to kindergarten mentality, are seen coming out with flippant answers to questions raised by  members of the opposition to purposely transform the  August assembly into  a clowning gallery; some keep on nodding and seen falling asleep in their comfortable  chairs as if they hadn’t had a wink of sleep  the night before! What a comedy!

It may be God’s grace that people in this country have been awoken up to the fact to realise what a  mockery politicians are up to at last,  and the word ‘politician’ has become the most despicable word in any language as they have been manipulating the masses with all kinds of bull, during every election time, in order to come to power and once elected they are only hell bent on seeking luxuries in life such as getting tax free car permits, duty free petrol and allowances of many a kind. Sri Lanka has to be the only country in this planet where an ordinary citizen has to pay millions of rupees to buy a family car !  

Today this Island has become a ‘debt-den’ according to political connoisseurs, who state that even the children destined to be born in this cursed country will have to pay such debts in the form of taxes! Politicians and rulers have had their heyday for 71 long years for taking the ordinary folk as naïve, stupid and mere idiots, but in the forthcoming elections, which are round the corner, suffering masses are sure to give a positive verdict to send the so– called ‘old age pensioners’ home and bring new blood to parliament with  a fresh start who only serve as patriots. 

Inferiority complex

The major drawback for the past 71 years has been the citizenry’s  inferiority complex  that was carried forward from the Colonial time by calling the very representatives they elect to serve them by calling them as ‘honorable members’ and worshiping them by bending into two when approaching them as if they are descended gods, but what people forget is the fact that MPs  have been appointed by the people to serve people and they are ‘ technically servants’ of the people.

The  mentality of Sri Lankans was ( and  still is ) that they  seem to consider themselves as inferior due to their mediocracy, because unlike any other developed country Sri Lankan mentality has been  to look down upon the job one does for a living, due to the division of labour introduced by Chinese from the time immemorial. So, they automatically deem to think they  are ‘inferior,’ without understandings the fact that  there is no difference in any job one does except the variation of the responsibility one carries!  After all, human rights are given a prominent place in the present world, and there are international institutions to deal with human rights violations. Therefore, it is high time that every Sri Lankan begins to think in terms of a human being  who has an equal right in society, and not to be discarded as a mass of human flesh!

The time has come again for every citizen of this country to think sensibly as the elections are around the corner to identify and elect those who are educated, selfless, and compassionate and, only those who feel the pulse of the people and not to send businessmen, thugs or rapists to Parliament.

Picture Credit: Ceylon Today Newspaper, google pics