A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Sunday, August 13, 2017
Ravi Out Of The Way, How About Our Radar Next Cover Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe
“Our
struggle is to restore healthy and functional systems and we believe
that systems will more often than not restrain individuals in high
position in their instinct for abusing power.”
Campaigners for yahapalanaya, like me, are happy we prevailed over former Foreign Minister, Ravi Karunanayake. We salute Ravi for his decision, which (even reluctantly done) was the most honourable thing to do.
Yahapalanaya
activists like us are not there to fight for personalities or parties.
We fight for good governance in our country for the simple reason that
law and order and accountability on the part of political and other
critical players in the public domain is the fundamental precondition
for economic and social progress and for a decent, civilised community
life. We fought the Rajapaksa regime because it is that regime that brought in the law of the jungle and enthroned the power of shamelessness. Our
struggle is to restore healthy and functional systems and we believe
that systems will more often than not restrain individuals in high
position in their instinct for abusing power.
The factor of people and civic power is vital to push politicians toward our goal for yahapalanaya. I quote from a previous article I wrote for Colombo Telegraph as
follows: we the people are the transformative leaders. Since the
revolution of January 8th we face a transformative era in the life of
our country. Said
Alfonsu Montuori of the California Institute of Integral Studies,“in
this transformative moment, everybody contributes to, and in fact
co-creates, the world we live in, whether conscious of their agency or
not. Every choice, every action, every discussion, every interaction is a
reflection of how we are leading our own lives.” Revd Maduluwawe
Sobitha Thero had the quick vision to see this and he took the great
initiative to launch the civil movement for yahapalanaya. Revd Sobitha
saw that politicians cannot be trusted to launch in radical new systems.
Ravi being out of the way-at least for now- we have to turn our radar to other possible betrayers of the movement. Revolutions
are often betrayed by insiders. In this sense, we are rather bewildered
by some of the reported doings of the Minister of Justice, Dr Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe (WR).
Let us watch this Minister. I was taken aback by WR’s recent statement
to the Lankadeepe and reported by Daily Mirror (10/8/17). The report
states as follows: “Minister of Justice and Buddha Sasana, Wijeyadasa
Rajapakshe, said the sale of Hambantota Harbour – a public asset-to the
Chinese was a wrong and assured the public that he would not rest until
he regains its ownership on behalf of the people.”
I
believe WR’s statement does many wrongs. Firstly, he undermines cabinet
collective responsibility. WR is in cabinet and the cabinet examined
the full proposal regarding the Hambantota project mooted by Prime
Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Cabinet unanimously approved the project firstly, as a practical
attempt to relinquish unpayable gargantuan debts to China incurred by
the previous regime; and secondly, to bring in positive foreign direct
investment to the island economy, which is now in the doldrums.
Second, WR’s statement is irresponsible. Direct investment is crucial if we are to turn over our country from an import-dependent, broke, economy. Since 1977 Sri Lanka has never known what a trade surplus is. Every government has been creating jobs in government
offices or driving desperate young women to save in the Middle East for
a pittance. The economy does not grow enough to look after the needs of
the people. The cake isn’t getting any bigger for sharing. Hence,
poverty sharing has largely been the strategy. From one broke year to
another. WR should know the good reasoning behind the vision of this
project. He knows but condemns.
Third,
and worst of all, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe is lying: The land in the area
is not given to China as freehold. It is only a lease. Hence, the people
still own the land and Wijayadasa has no role to play in a planned
heroic struggle to “hand back to the people.” When during the last
regime freehold title to valuable land assets had been given to China,
we didn’t hear of WR’s heroic attacks. What a hero in the making he now
is! Sri Lanka has had a surfeit of heroes like Wijeyadasa
Rajapakshe who “fought for the country (meaning Sinhalese.)” Or fought
for the people. We do not need anymore plastic heroes. Sri Lanka needs
honest men and women in public life who can plan well and deliver the
goods. I am afraid WR hasn’t yet demonstrated any such potentiality.