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| Sunday, 2 January 2005 |
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It's not the time for a nut cracking circus Light Refractions by Lucien Rajakarunanayake The tsunami that ravaged Sri Lanka struck us at the time of year when we make resolutions and wishes for the future. There is no doubt the first wish of anyone would be that there should never be a repeat of a tsunami strike on Sri Lanka. As for resolutions there are many that could be useful. The first that comes to my mind is for politicians to resolve not to make a mockery of the traditional ritual of breaking coconuts to appease deities to obtain favours from them, or bring curses upon others. At a time when coconuts were scarce and highly priced, politicians were appealing to a variety of deities of the Hindu pantheon in an effort to obtain the release of Sakala Banda Dissanayake from behind the walls of the Welikada Prison. It may be that the deities, who were being disturbed in their usual tasks, were confused by all this smashing of coconuts, and some nuts that refused to break after several efforts, that they made a mistake in responding to the pleas. If the tsunami that hit us was caused by the wrath of the gods, it certainly missed the target of the nut crackers. The prison at Tangalle was damaged and all the prisoners there fled to life and freedom. It was the same at the Matara Prison. But sadly, for our Sakala Banda, and his political nut cracking jokers, it failed to strike anywhere near the Welikada Prison, where he is held. In the tragic wake of the tsunami, there are many resolutions our politicians should make, if there is to be any difference in a future Sri Lanka. It may be a difficult one, but this is the best time for politicians, from wherever they come or to which party they belong to make a strong resolve to eschew corruption in all its forms. The best beginning can be made with the massive Tsunami Relief Operation that is now under way, with an unprecedented response from people who genuinely feel the shock and grief of the tragedy. If all politicians, especially those in government, from the highest levels to the lowest, can show the country that this relief has been distributed to the really needy and not diverted to friends, catchers and relations who are furthest from those in need, that would be the best beginning. There is also another useful resolution that both politicians and senior bureaucrats should make, not to interfere in the due process of law, by twisting, bending, and often treating the law with complete disregard. It may seem all very good to bend the law at elections to obtain more "manapey" votes. But it is time they sat back and counted the numbers killed in this tsunami because they had prevented the law against illegal constructions on the beach being fully implemented. From now on it should be the resolve of all politicians, whether in or out of power, not to seek political gain by those who violate the laws that are meant to protect the environment. One can gather votes and other benefits too, by supporting the mudalalis who make a fortune through the illegal dredging of rivers for sand. Votes may also come aplenty for politicians who demand that the little forest cover we have left is opened up for human settlement, or so-called development. What nature showed with such brutal force last Sunday was that such political benefit can only be short-lived, when it decides to wreak its own revenge on those who tamper with its fragile balance. The ravages of nature may have done us a favour, if it leads to our politicians and other prominent figures in society make a firm resolution that they will have nothing to do with divisive and communal politics and not seek social engineering to highlight the differences among our people, rather than show up the many commonalities that we all share. For more than fifty years we have had enough of the tragic-comedy of divisive politics instead of celebrating our unity in diversity. The waves of the tsunami that struck with so much force, gave us the important lesson that politics of division and the economics of the rich having it all is nothing but old hat, that has no place in if we are to have a prosperous future. Those in the media must also make a strong resolution to act with much more responsibility to society than they do now. For example all media institutions should resolve not to give top positioning and prime time to so-called astrologers who claim to be able to foretell natural disasters, better that the best scientists on the subject. Just now one TV station is making a crude display of its ugly gilded commercial aims by parading such pseudo-foretellers of doom, just to gain larger audiences and ratings from an audience, in a society that believes in the powers of the stars to bring about startling changes in their lives and the trends in the country. I will keep looking for the politician who gathers enough courage to make a public statement that he or she has no faith in the stars, and repeats the words of the Bard that the fault is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings. It's certainly time for all politicians to resolve not to use the services of astrologers and seers, whether from Sri Lanka or India, in plotting their political paths, but to rely instead on the harsh realities of Sri Lankan life. If I single out a person for a resolve it is the Deputy Mayor of Colombo, who should resolve never again to carry out such cruelty to dogs, as to have them chained, dragged, paraded and exhibited at a political rally, where a judgment of the Supreme Court was being criticized. It would also do him good to learn a little more about the difference between taking caparisoned elephants, albeit in chains because they are elephants, in a traditional perahera, and the cruel display of dogs for political gain at and about Hyde Park just a week ago, which was nothing but the pits in politics. As for the Sun God in the Vanni, if the force of the tsunami as it lashed the East coast did not teach him the lesson that we are all but one people with a rich diversity of values, he should resolve to rethink his tactics of separation, and make amends for all those abducted children who were killed in the swirl of angry waters. The list of resolutions for the New Year can be much longer, but if the tsunami shock makes those that matter make these resolutions and stick to them, we can certainly look forward to happy days ahead with coconuts still dear but not wasted for a cheap political circus. |
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