Contrasts in the House by the Diyawanna; glimmer of hope

The Island editorial of Wednesday November 22, as usual or as always, says it as it should be said; hits the nail bang on its head; minces no words and thus succinctly proclaims what has to be proclaimed. Most importantly, The Island editorials reflect exactly how the majority of Sri Lankans – sensible and intelligent – feel and opine.

The deplorable

   The November 22 editorial is titled Terror in the House. Terror, or extreme fearful behaviour was perpetrated by some white garbed MPs as seen on TV on November 21. The editor calls them ‘a bunch of rowdies’. Too mild a description. Cass labels them the scum of the earth, low down scallywags who only know to shout and attack just as mad dogs bark and spring to bite. Why did these ‘beyond redemption’ (editor’s epithet) SLPP members advance belligerently to the centre of the Chamber in Parliament? The Leader of the Opposition was preparing to ask a question when these rabble rousing dogs of conflict sprang to attack the Opposition Leader who had every right to speak.

The attackers heard their leaders’ names mentioned and like Pavlov’s experimented-upon dogs salivated at the sight of food, these loyal SLPPrs jostled to jousting with arms outstretched and stentorian cries. One of the leaders mentioned in the SC ruling as guilty of having violated Sri Lankans’ human rights, sat there rigidly watching it all, with glee, we presume. Supposed to have been a chandiya in his salad days. When the law named him and others as having sent this land speedily to bankruptcy and people expressed satisfaction and others rightly demanded punishment and recouping of pilfered state money, it must have been mighty pleasing to note there remained loyal sycophants.

The PM too sat quietly watching the mayhem created by some on his side of the Chamber. Sanath Nishanta seems to be at the head of the remaining loyalists to the Rajapaksa family, closely followed by Rohitha Abeygunewardena. The latter did not move his bulk to do battle but gave off his stentorian voice later. It is Sanath N who paid more than two million rupees to settle an unpaid CEB bill for the illumination of Namal’s wedding reception.

      When you ponder on these shenanigans, some bordering on the criminal like throwing chilli powder at the Opposition MPs, thronging the well of the House at the mere mention of a name even before what is to be said, or question to be asked, is said or asked, one comes to the conclusion for the umpteenth time that Sri Lanka is a land like no other – for all the wrong reasons. And one reason is the great number of MPs who seem to fit better in Mariakade or a fish market, than sit in the stately, decorum demanding Parliament of Sri Lanka.

 The wise, knowledgeable, gentlemen MPs

   To save the country’s integrity and dignity, and its people’s sanity, there are among the 225 MPs a considerable number of very decent, knowledgeable, well debating men and women legislators. Sensible, far thinking voters sent them to Parliament and they have not failed their supporters nor the general public. Cass often names some who are in the SJB mostly, in her Friday chats.

She makes mention today of an MP who definitely wins the people’s approbation, and approval too. That last is of those Sri Lankans who are true citizens of a Sri Lanka that is multi-racial and multi-religious.

   M A Sumanthiran, MP, made a good speech in Parliament, well balanced and delivered with authority sans emotive nuances, the video of which went viral. In it he praised the Supreme Court judgment that found three Rajapaksa brethren, two ex CB Governors, some members of the 2019–22 Monetary Board and certain high bureaucrats of having violated people’s rights through their mismanagement, wrong judgment, omissions and commissions.

They were named and blamed. What MP Sumanthiran said was that that was insufficient indictment; they had to pay for their grave mistakes or mismanagement, which are equivalent to economic crimes. He hinted the money stashed away should be brought back to the country where all those billions of dollars belong. Thus, we roundly agree with him and loudly applaud him.

Just as the Parliament of Sri Lanka consists of MPs of diverse character, personalities, backgrounds, schooling and education levels, wealth and behaviour patterns, the county is beset by major troubles, woes and worries. The scum sits in Parliament just as corruption is a canker that has eaten into the core of the land from the highest officers to the lower, MPs and Ministers of State.

And then we find admirable men and women debating in the Chamber of Parliament who genuinely love our country and are concerned. They, with bureaucrats like the Governor of the CB, send glimmers of hope to the people of this land.

One day to dream of and hope for will be when we, the voters, send decent, able, honest persons with solid home and school backgrounds to Parliament. That day will see our country return to its pristine position of a land of happy, well fed, intelligent people in which almost every prospect pleases. Both are not impossible-to-realise dreams. Sri Lanka has the great good fortune of forging unity in racial and social diversity in an environment suffused with genuine religiosity of pirit chanting, kovil bells tinkling, the azaan call of the muezzin at dawn and dusk, and hymns sung in churches. We need statesmen and there are very many likely ones in the present House by the Diyawanne. Thank goodness for that!