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| Sunday, 8 August 2004 |
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Editor, Sunday Observer. E-mail: [email protected] Snail mail : Sunday Observer, 35, D.R.Wijewardana Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Telephone : 94 11 2429239 / 2331181 Fax : 94 11 2429230 Shameless politicos Reading through the week's news we came across a story to the effect that the Ministry of Public Administration has filed a case in Court to evict several politicians, both from the UNF and the PA, from official quarters for which they no longer have a legal claim to occupy. Reading further we came across another news item which said that the assistance of Courts is again sought to obtain vehicles kept by former government politicians long after they have lost their official positions. Of course, these are not unusual. But, that is precisely the reason why we thought it fit to highlight them. Such unlawful possession of state property by politicians or "people's representatives" has been a practice for so long that it has almost become a norm. True, it is only a fraction of the politicians who misbehave thus. The sad reality, however, is that even those who behave well and the public at large turn a blind eye to the misdemeanours of the few black sheep, thus condoning the bad practice. Every time a government changes we see the new administration begging their predecessors to return state property that they continue to possess outside the law. The maximum pursuit often ends in a Courthouse. While the filing of applications before courts is highlighted in the media the results of these cases are hardly made known. Who knows what happens after the cases drop out of public light? It would be interesting to tabulate the instances of convictions, if any. One reason why there is no public outrage is the widespread nature of plundering state resources by politicians and public servants. Unlike private property, which is considered to be sacrosanct and inviolable, state property whether movable or immovable, is seen by many as "personal property" or property, which can be misused, misappropriated or robbed at will. In a country where state land is grabbed by force by those who have power or money, where even state hospital premises are used for private construction and business activities depriving poor patients, where piratical use of natural resources is condoned, where even the karyala karya sahayaka wants to lift something on the sly from office there is no wonder why public apathy prevails concerning the misuse of state property by politicos. Politicians or those who claim to represent the masses should set an example to others. They must lead by personal example. That is why these shameless politicos should be punished. If existing laws are insufficient new legislation must be brought to adequately punish such miscreants and even impose civic disabilities on them. Continued unlawful use of state property amounts to depriving the legitimate representatives of the people the chance to use them. It also incurs additional expenses on the part of the state to accommodate these new representatives. Thus, it amounts to robbing the state or the man on the street that ultimately has to pay the price for their misdeeds by way of paying additional indirect taxes. It also shows that these shameless politicos are devoid of civic consciousness. They are selfish, arrogant and do not deserve to be representatives of the people. It is absurd to allow these high profile robbers to go scot-free when poor peasants who steal a bunch of bananas to feed their offspring are put in jail. International Indigenous People's Day Tomorrow- August 9, the world celebrates International Indigenous People's Day. Yearly rituals of this kind have so far not produced any marked improvements in the life of the world's indigenous peoples, many of them early settlers. Even the UN Decade of Indigenous People has been a failure. There is now a call to declare another decade. Colonialism and the advancement of capitalism were the cause of the plunder of their wealth and the uprooting of them from their native soils. Today they are being further marginalized and their cultures are threatened with extinction under fast-track globalization. A global effort is required to preserve the economy and culture of these peoples. It is especially important to preserve and improve on the vast body of traditional knowledge they possess. They are also the guardians of rich bio-diversity in their habitats. It is also necessary to prevent these habitats from commercial exploitation by multinationals in the name of development. Governments should undertake programs that could integrate these peoples into their societies while preserving their economy and culture and guaranteeing them unhindered rights to their lands and ways of living. |
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