IUSF must retire, giving recovery a chance

Cassandra watched with disgust and disdain the IUSF led by Wasantha Mudalige on a protest debacle and not march, camera captured and screened on MTV on Monday April 3 night news . There he was

facing the police with a body built up though soon after imprisonment, with unshaven, hair unkempt assistants beside him and the ubiquitous yellow robed young men running with robes flying when the water cannon opened on them. Mercifully no gassing and attack on eyes and lungs was resorted to. Cass does not know what they were protesting about, or demanding. We the public are sick of these protests. We called out long ago enough is enough. But no, the university students of an aggressive, confrontational nature have to have their protests which now seem to be ones of defiance, challenging the police to manhandle them.

One seriously wanders why the two Most Ven Mahanayake Theros are behaving like the proverbial three monkeys. Cass has to be excused for her apparently demeaning comparison. But how else question why they are inactive when the revered saffron robe is so demeaned by these university non-monks. Along with the other two Nikayas shouldn’t Anunayakes of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters take action to list all monks in the country and ask for disrobement of those who are active in protest fights and rioting?

TV News also showed peaceful protests of silently lined respectable persons on roadsides, carrying placards against the Bill to pass an Act to substitute the PTA which is draconian. Persons who know what they are talking about say the Bill is asking again for horrendous laws to be passed endangering democracy, human rights, freedom of the press and speech et al. Cassandra cannot comment on this important issue, but watches with intense interest and concern. Accusation is that muzzling of the public is to ensure certain persons’ security, and not so much for the country’s good.

Easter and the S and T New Year

Easter is a wonderful commemoration and festival that starts with sacrifice – Lenten giving up; then Good Friday with its commemoration of the absolutely unjust and abhorrent crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Come Easter Sunday when long ago, Jesus emerged from the stone tomb in which his tortured body was placed, showed the stigmata on his palms and after blessing his followers ascended to heaven. And so the grand celebratory Easter Sunday lunch.

Soon after follows the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, so full of traditional customs. It has its astrological significance with the sun moving from one House to another. However, basically, like in so many countries, our April New Year is a harvest festival. The Maha rice harvest has been reaped and paddy stored or sold. TV news showed pictures of farmers drying their harvested paddy on roads and in the fields. They continue to complain but were given fertiliser, late though, and this seasons harvests will not be as dismally reduced as they were, due solely to President Gotabaya’s directive to ban immediately all imported chemical fertiliser along with weedicides and pesticides. The farmers are as yet affected but at least some rice is available. We saw on TV the aluth sahal mangaliya in Anuradhapura with President Ranil Wickremesinghe participating and chatting freely to monks, farmers and children. It was a heartwarming sight.

Cass believes vegetable prices are somewhat down and cost of petrol and litro gas reduced. Jolly good signs! Propitious for New Year celebration too. Costs of all items are still almost treble what they were, but one well knows the psyche of the Sinhala people. Whatever the difficulties faced, there will be new clothes bought, sweets like kevun made and of course kiribath for the dawn of the New Year and the first meal. Imbibing will go on apace however short money is. Villages will resound to the beat of rabanas; shouts of games won or lost; pillow fights sending losers into water and grease poles attempted. This is just fine. One person or one nation cannot be kept in the dumps for too long. There will be a natural rising up and that is happening during this festive season.

And thus the paramount importance of letting the economy improve itself, or be improved. Prez Ranil seems to have a plan and the Governor of the CB renders yeoman service. Cass does not see SLPP ministers helping much, except still themselves. But hope has to beckon us after all these bleak months and years.

In the US

Donald Trump has got his just deserts. Last week a grand jury passed a historic indictment on him. He turned himself in to law enforcement and faces more than 30 criminal charges in a Manhattan Court, one major indictment being his involvement in a hush money payment scheme to an adult film porn star – Stormy Daniel – during the 2016 presidential election.

Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Mechan on Monday refused permission to broadcast the arraignment of the former Prez. He announced: “That this indictment involves a matter of monumental significance cannot possibly be disputed. Never in the history of the United States has a sitting or past President been indicted on criminal charges. Mr Trump’s arraignment has generated unparalleled public interest and media attention. The populace rightly hungers for the most accurate and current information available. To suggest otherwise would be disingenuous.” But no reporting of the court case; no presence of the press or social media within the court house.

If you cast your mind back around eight years, the surprise worldwide was that America accepted this businessman, suspected to be dubious, as its leader defeating seasoned politician – Hillary Clinton. The Republicans voted for him and then in January 2021 when the Democrats voted for Biden and Trump was voted out, he contested the fairness of the counting of votes. He incited the rebels of the Democratic Party – his followers – to attack and run over the Capital; which they did and now face court cases. He was known to be crude and did not make any effort to hide this side of his nature. He continues to say he suffers a witch hunt and his loyals will save him or extract compensation by running wild.

One cannot but admire these democratic countries where justice is meted out to even the highest in the land. Prez Nixon resigned before he was found guilty in the Watergate business of breaking into Democratic Party headquarters. Liz Truss resigned as newly elected Prime Minister and hair disheveled ex PM Boris Johnson was made to resign and is facing charges himself. He was compared to Trump aka as The Orange Orangutan. Many resembles exist between the two.

Have our leaders and ex leaders been thus served justice for corruption, womanising, silencing used and discarded women? No. PM Mahinda R resigned when People Power became very strong and ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. But that move against Prez Gotabaya was for being undemocratic and making very wrong decisions. He was clean in most ways; his mistakes being lacking experience in governing and hearkening to bad advice and acting stubbornly rash. Others have far worse accusations barbed at them, no signs of justice being meted out though. We ask loud and clear, at least cannot the sugar and garlic scams be investigated and the money made by one businessman or several, and shared with powerful persons, be recouped to the country?

Cass ends this Friday’s talk, though Good Friday with its gloomy connotation and sad religious observance, on a joyful note as soon it will be Easter Sunday and New Year. Wish you good times!