Features
Last chance, warns CBSL chief, but hotheads willfully ignore warning
It looks as if only you, Reader and Cassandra 
” Is he fighting the country’s vital battle singlehandedly? Is the government in power cooperating? Are the people of the country heeding his warning? There are sensible, long distance viewing members of Parliament, but the majority and most seated on government seats just warm them when they feel like it and vote only to keep themselves in perks. We need not mention who they truly are and what crimes they are guilty of.
Cass believes she voices the opinion of many that our President is helping to save the nation though also hearkening to those who nominated him PM and Prez when the then PM and Prez–brothers Rajapaksa – were forced to abdicate and the more powerful boss to flee from the country to seek temporary refuge in unwelcoming countries. He is back, enjoying all the perks
offered ex-Heads of State. You make criminal mistakes and impoverish your country by overlooking crass corruption and then return to roost in comfort. Ranil W has created good relations with the East and West, particularly India, and he managed to have the IMF come forth to save us. One good point is that he has refrained from increasing his Cabinet, though pressured to do so by powers that concentrate only on themselves with not a thought for the welfare of the country. Such are still very present and dare to address gatherings.
Willful causing of chaos
Cass refers here to hotheads who aim at causing unrest and thus destabilising the country when what we need most is being cooperative and letting matters proceed to get the country on the right track to outstep its bankruptcy. What the country needs least are protests and getting people wound up to release pent up tensions. We, the people, are stupid and so unsightly. We allowed corruption to rage rampantly; we allowed drug dealers to destroy our youth; we voted into positions of authority persons known as gold chain snatchers, rapists and murderers; and persons convicted for soliciting bribes. Why are we, mostly the Sinhalese, so bent on committing mass suicide? Strong words but true. Money madness was the cause and of course selfishness. ‘Me’ and ‘mine’ are of utmost importance, never mind what happens to ‘you’.
The radical trouble makers are epitomised by the eternal university student Wasantha Mudalige. Recently Cass heard him ranting over TV that he will bring the entire population on the streets – in protest of what? He and those political parties that back him, even the Inter-University Students Federation, have a distinct aim in threatening and organising such protests: cause chaos in the country and probably ride to power to control the nation.
Extra vigilant vigilantes
‘vigilante’ is derived from the Spanish word for watchman and connotes extra observant, etc. “A member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate.” Concerning Sri Lanka, the last bit of the definition, especially, holds true.
Cass once had a brush up with such a group. Remember during the civil war groups of parents would keep watch outside school gates. Well and good, but Cass experienced excessive vigilante-ism. She was in a human rights organisation that conducted training programmes for schoolchildren and she was a trainer. She had scheduled a programme with a girls’ school in Galle, which was not her first visit to this school. As Cass tried to enter the school, she was challenged and even what she carried rudely inspected. She gifted candy to the best role players, acting incidents being one item of her programme. The small chocolates were considered suspect! Her van driver was a Tamil and thus the fuss. It all ended with her being taken to the police station and she and the driver interrogated. Another known school accommodated her that day.
Vigilante groups have arisen, probably taking their cue from Aragalaya activists – the protests that were before radical fighters bent on causing havoc, infiltrated. However, self-appointed preservers of the peace could become too holier-than-thou and turn abusive and take the law unto themselves.
Voice of opposition in print
It was good to read the long comment made by the Leader of the Opposition and SJB in The Island of Wednesday July 12 about the Anti-Corruption Bill. We listened to him during the debate in Parliament but reading the text reveals much more. Premadasa rightly gave praise that the Bill was presented, but to fulfil a condition of the IMF. He points out the fact that Ranjith Madduma Bandara, General Secretary/ SJB, presented a stronger anti-corruption bill a few years ago but it was not taken up. “However, a Bill promoted by Kaputa to call back the members of the dissolved local government bodies has been gazetted!” Those are the words and names pronounced by Sajith Premadasa.
Cass only shared common distaste, nay repugnance for the common crow who swoops down in one’s garden disturbing the peace of the place. We associate putrid carrion with him and scaring away most other birds. He suddenly appears expecting the ge kurullas, mynahs and even the bigger ‘Seven Sisters’ to kowtow to him and accept this black crow of the Corvidae family that includes ravens, jackdaws, magpies and other not liked bird species, to be their chief organizer. Do all the birds bow to him? Not at all! They may be bird brained but they know better than to accede to his vain cunning.
In the speech Premadasa asks the vital question: “But have we gone far enough?” He justifies his query thus: “The country is bankrupt; the resources of the country have been destroyed; resources of the local, common people have been stolen. The family has looted the country.” Is this mere political rhetoric and a fishing for votes of the people? Can we expect the laws of anti-corruption to be implemented and thieves and official looters caught and punished?
Sad to say, Cassandra is far too disillusioned. But hope must live in us, or else we need to reintroduce it to ourselves. Look ahead: there are very decent, honest, upright, concerned-about-the-country politicians, young persons and some intelligentsia poised to enter politics. So, let’s look forward to great changes for the better.