Key Points in Viable Politics

Key Points in Viable Politics

I was listening to the Lecture Series by the Dean, Faculty of Politics in Singapore.

He is very good at highlighting key points, often extracted from guest lectures he moderated.

According to him the success story of Singapore were sustaining;

1. Law and Order

Nobody rides (compare three wheelers and motor bikes in Ceylon) or overtake on the left side of the road.

Just think of the current traffic jam in Kandy city.

Twice the number of police who has no idea of the city, is managing the traffic.

Only advice from me is to avoid visiting the city except, if you want to watch Perehara, the festival of The Tooth (not for Elephant by the way).

2. Zero Toleration of corruption

In our case the legal fraternity and the legislature promotes corruption and delays all investigations.

Idea of getting elected (current opposition leader is a list MP and the elected opposition leader was demoted by artful manipulation) is to cover up shoddy deals.

3. Number three of course the respect for the Judiciary and its independence.

Now we have a Buddhist monk wrongfully supporting an Elephant Dealer (hiding a Baby Elephant in his Villa not a Temple) and freely dishing out sermons and eating Dhana for preaching non (violence) Avihinsa for baby Elephants.

This is after 4 years of good governance and bogus (thugs in saffron cloths) priests who were in prison were freed by presidential decree.

In that sense, I am totally against parading elephants for 10 days (one day would be sufficient) in the Kandy city.

They should be free in the jungles (not Pinnawela Prison) grazing.

Sadly we do not have jungles (destroyed from the Time of C.P. De Silva, Minister of Lands and Irrigation) for them to grace and graze.

The key point four (my key point) is people who have been abroad for prolong periods and come here to contest the presidential elections.

I will relate an episode in U.K. during L.T.T.E peak offenses in Ceylon in which many doctors mostly from Colombo faculty visited the hospital domiciled by me for a guest lecture series.

After the lecture series (I was on call) these Sinhala doctors came to the hospital lounge and met me there and ask me for a contribution to oppose L.T.T.E.

I told them, give me a list of doctors who would come back to Ceylon and work after their training, if any in U.K is finished.

None.

I told them, keep your pounds for yourselves.

I am not going to oppose my friends (none were L.T.T.E sympathizers, mostly against) simply because they are Tamil.

I will go back and work in Ceylon, at least to fulfill the obligation of 12 year bond period (which I signed) to avoid vacation of post.

Of course, I joined the university, never wanted to be in the Department of Health (Government Service).

None of my Sinhala my batch mates paid a visit (after the lectures) but all my Tamil doctor friends paid a courtesy visit.

Now my contributions.

1. I opposed the J.V.P in 1970s but never betrayed parallel batch mates who were J.V.P sympathizers when army had a cordon and search operations in the University.

If you do a proper survey of the army’s tactics from 1960s (from P.M. Sirimavo to President Premadasa to MR), they were not fair to Sinhala or Tamil or Muslim (they took the side of the government, wrong in political perspective but they were duty bound) detainees.

Most ended up in death and I saw the dead bodies with my own eyes in Digana in 1989 when Premadasa was the President.

2. I was not in this country in 1980s and part of 90s.

When Premadasa, Athlathmudali and Gaminie were assassinated.

3. My return in late 1980s (1989 in particular) was greeted with mayhem.

I was not a witness to most of the L.T.T.E. attacks except Temple of Tooth bombing.

My name was in the 10 of J.V.P hit list in 1980s, one of the attendants under me (warned me to get out before the hit) who was working for J.V.P. told me.

I never saw him again presumed missing or in jail.

4. I went abroad (this time to New Zealand) but could never erase those incidents to this day.

5. Second term of Chandrika and SBs mayhem specially in Kurunegala and Nuwara Eliya and Kothmalai, I opposed.

6. Then the last regime with Ganja and Elephant trade I opposed.

What was the outcome of all these.

Nothing but dwindling of elephants (natural resources) and financial resources.

Same rogues in saffron cloth or in white parliament attire are still in the parliament or in high places and nobody in prison.

I wish not to be born again with reborn Amaradeva singing, in this blessed land.