The Idea Of Community Policing: Then And Now

By Rajiva Wijesinha -September 30, 2013 

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP

In visits to the North and East over the last couple of years, I have been most impressed by the Community Policing commenced by the present Inspector General of Police. This is a worthy initiative, which must be encouraged and developed further. It would be helpful if senior police officials all over the country noted that, as indicated in the very systematic instructions given in the Eastern Province, this is in accord with one of the basic ideas of theMahinda Chintanaya.

Though the President has made it clear he is deeply committed to consultation of the grass roots and swift responses to the needs that are expressed, unfortunately I do not know of any other government departments that have acted to institutionalize this policy. The IGP therefore deserves double commendation for his imaginative work in this regard.

However I should note that the idea of Community Policing is not new. Its first exponent was Mr Osmund de Silva, the first Sri Lankan to become IGP by promotion from the force – though I should note that he would have preferred the term Police Service to Police Force. Unfortunately Mr de Silva came under suspicion from politicians, who were just establishing themselves as central decision makers on all subjects. Naturally they felt threatened by the symbiotic relationship between police and people that Osmund de Silva was trying to develop, and wanted to stop such threats to their own increasing control of all aspects of life.

This is a pity, because politicians cannot solve all problems. They function at too great a distance for this to be possible, whereas the police can ensure close contact at all levels as well as conveyance of problems that cannot be resolved locally to the next decision making level. Sadly politicians tend to dislike alternative sources of satisfaction being developed, though if they thought more carefully they would realize that they could take advantage of such practical mechanisms.                                                 Read More    

Our Road Is Stilly Muddy Johnston

By Helasingha Bandara -September 30, 2013 

Mega development projects

Addressing a press conference in Nikaweratiya Johnston Fernando, the Minister of Co-operatives and Internal Trade, has said

“Those individuals who cannot bear to see the massive development that is taking place in Nikaweratiya are creating conflicts with the politicians of the area and trying to make Johaan and Johnston blameworthy for that” (Ceylon Today-27 Sep 2013)

Some people are fools but not all. Johnston’s lies can still survive because of that percentage of fools. But others have wisely rejected his son Johann Fernando. If Johnston claims that Nikaweratiya has been experiencing mega developments, those developments should be visible and Johnston’s son could have got an overwhelming majority of preferential votes from Nikaweratiya. Instead people have pushed his son down to third place in Nikaweratiya, the constituency for which Johnston has been the organizer for many years. His undue culinary and monitory overtures that he could afford with ill gotten money seem to have been rejected en masse.

Nikeweratiya-Ambanpola main road is still muddy for at least two kilometers. Along one side of the road between Nikaweratiya- Ambanpola road and Anamaduwa- Nawagaththegame road lie hundreds of villages which have no good roads that can allow proper vehicular access. The entire road network to villages such as Ellagammillawa, Meewellewa, Gallkalla, Yakadapotha, Girilla, Hidogama (list is endless) is still earthen. This is the 21^st century and Johnson uses his political rhetoric about mega developments and people wonder what they are.

Violence                       Read More