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| Sunday, 29 February 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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The politics of verbal pollution Light Refractions by Lucien Rajakarunanayake "Thilakke, Thilakke.....Thilakke, Thilakke", it was a repeated sound coming from outside the window, close to where we were seated at the office of PAEFEL People's Action for an Environment Friendly Election. It is a grass roots organization, not yet funded by the Canadians, Japanese or any others so eager to ensure that we have a free and fair election. The same countries, so obsessed with teaching us democracy, they don't care a damn about how George W Bush and family fixed the last US Presidential poll, and how the Bush coterie of Fundamentalist Christians are doing it in the current campaign already. "Thilakke, Thilakke...Thilakke, Thilakke," the sound was heard again. That's when Polythene Thahanama got curious and asked what that sound was. Parisara Hithakara looked out of the window, spotted what was making the sound and said it was a Brown Paradise Flycatcher. "Flycatcher? What the hell is a flycatcher doing here? There isn't a fly in sight after I began spraying this place with that new insecticide advertised on TV to destroy all insects and pests that attack the paddy field. It works well against domestic flies too," said Polythene Thahanama. ""You don't understand. You can't be an environmentalist if you don't do some bird-watching too. This is a bird, well-known in Sri Lanka. In Sinhala it is called the "Sivuru Hora" because of its long yellow tail. The Sivuru Hora's call goes "Thilakke, Thilakke". It is waiting for a response from its mate" said Parisara Hithakara, "Now shall we forget the Sivuru Hora and its call and get on with our discussion" he asked. "Yes. As I was saying this is turning out to be a very interesting election from an environmentalist's point of view," said Greenpeas Ecomithuru, the leader of PAEFEL. "This is the first time that a candidate, who is a minister too, has said he will have no polythene used for his election propaganda campaign. Don't you think it is a major step in favour of a pollution free election?" "The problem is that soon after this government that sought to Regain Sri Lanka was elected, the minister in charge of the environment said he would impose a ban on the production and use of polythene, but nothing happened in the famous first hundred days or in the rest of the two years. Polythene manufacture goes on, with new and extended dates being announced for its ban," said Polythene Thahanama. "But you must admit it is a good beginning," said Greenpeas Ecomithuru. "After all it is the minister in charge of Education & Culture. He might be laying the foundation for a polythene free culture, if the Green Elephants return". "Are we only concerned about polythene pollution in this election," asked Parisara Hithakara. "Why what other forms of pollution are you are thinking of?" asked Polythene Thahanama. "What about the verbal pollution that is already on in full swing? Are we not concerned about that?" "Come on man, what are you talking about. I know of poster pollution, banner pollution and cutout pollution. We must target them one at a time. But what is all this about verbal pollution?" asked Parisara Karanama, who has the ability and agility of certain politicians, especially of the de Mel species, to jump from one camp of environmentalists to another. "You must keep both your eyes and ears open in this battle to save the environment. Have you not heard of the huge spill of vulgar and polluting words that came from that drainpipe Sakala Banda Dahajarava from Hanguranketha?" "He was speaking at the special convention of the Green Elephants, when he had this outburst of pollutant verbiage. Not only did he pollute the atmosphere there, but the event being covered by the media, it polluted the whole country. I am told that in the Hanguranketha area, some people have begun to turn their noses away from this man and his language?" said Parisara Hithakara. "You mean it was so bad, and it happened at the Green Elephants convention? Then what was the Green leader doing while all this pollution was taking place?" "He was seated at the front row, breathing deep and enjoying the polluted air. It was just as in Parliament when his pack of green elephants were burning the Draft Constitution in August 2000, not just polluting the Chamber but nearly setting fire to it too. Such vulgar expressions seem to his special delight," said Polythene Thahanama. "Thilakke, Thilakke" the Sivuru Hora was heard again. "So what did this Dahajarava man say that was so polluting?" asked Greenpeas. "It's so bad one cannot repeat it, without causing further pollution. All his sewage pipe verbiage was directed at the President. Apparently he has a great desire to see the President running out along the streets, after an electoral defeat." "It was not only verbal pollution of the environment, he even polluted the coming Sinhala New Year celebrations?" said Parisara Hithakara. "Yes, that shocked me too," said Parisara Karanama. "He was describing how he would be celebrating the New Year. He was obsessed with eating. Not the usual kavun and kokis, but the President in whatever form. The way he stressed on eating in such a high-pitched voice, gave one the impression that he may be possessed by some demon. He polluted all the feasting of the coming New Year with the polluting fumes of the smelliest parts of hell". "We've got to launch a serious campaign against such verbal pollution during this election campaign," said Ecomithuru. "I think PAEFEL must take the lead in this. Do you think we can ask the foreign monitors to look into this aspect of the polls, too?" "What nonsense", said Parisara Hithakara. "The foreign monitors will have to be first given a crash course in vulgar and obscene usage of the Sinhala language. They are here to monitor polls violence. They will never understand how our whole electoral environment is polluted by such green filth. In fact some of them may ask for foreign grants to study this aspect of Sri Lankan elections." "Do you think it will help if we ask the Commissioner of Elections to do something to stop this pollution of the electoral environment, which will certainly affect the holding of a free and fair election?" asked Ecomithuru. "He is said to be issuing guidelines to the media on how they should behave during an election. So why can't he issue some guidelines on the use of language at election rallies, too?" "The problem is how he is to monitor the use of language, and where. If a party leader who is still Prime Minister cannot stop such pollution of the electoral environment with a quick order to stop such spew from one of his ministers and candidates, how can the Elections Commissioner do anything about it? Is he to appoint Competent Authorities to preside at all election rallies, under the powers he has under the 17th Amendment, as some strange Human Rights activists would have it regarding the media?" asked Polythene Thahanama. "There is one approach", said Parisara Karanama. "The Commissioner can appoint his own monitors for meetings addressed by well known pollutants such as Sakala Banda Dahajarava and the Kalutara Dentist who seems to have temporarily got over his political halitosis. People like Nerving or Nahara Silva of the Betel leaf side should also be carefully monitored. "Well, we can make such a recommendation to the Commissioner, and see how he reacts. I am sure he must be wholly against such verbal pollution," said Ecomithuru. But to get to another matter", said Ecomithuru, "why has the Prime Minister warned the Kalutara Dentist and this Dahajarava man not to say anything about a possible defeat at the coming polls?" "That's because they shot off their fears through their mouths. The Kalutara Dentist said that even if the Green Elephants lose this time, they will win again in two years. Obviously he was having very hopeful expectations of the next presidential election, and not much hope about the current one to parliament," said Parisara Hithakara. "As for Dahajarava from Hanguranketha, he said that even if they lose all other districts, the Green Elephants will form the next government with help from the Tigers in the North & East," said Polythene Thahanama. "But why did the Prime Minister have to stop them saying what they actually felt?" "Very simple; it is because he felt they were polluting the environment for the Greens, by creating doubts about his statements of a cruise to the winning post. That is the verbal pollution he does not like. It smells too much like dung of a sick elephant to be helpful just now", said Parisara Hithakara. As the discussion ended the sound of the Sivuru Hora's "Thilakke, Thilakke" was heard again. |
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