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| Sunday, 19 June 2005 |
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Editorial
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The right column
Seeing positive in the negative Used more to seeing the negative side of things I was looking for the positive when it dawned upon me that the negative and the positive are after all not that apart. In fact they may be compared to the two sides of a coin or the two poles of a magnet. The latter is so literally too. It was not long ago that British Prime Minister Tony Blair saw the French "No" vote to the draft European Union Constitution as a positive result that opens an opportunity to seek an alternative direction that would guarantee a new social model for Europe. It would be interesting to pursue the negative - positive relations in each sphere of nature, society or thought. While linguists will vouch that two negatives make a positive mathematicians would say multiplying or dividing a negative by a negative would result in a positive. If you venture into higher mathematics you would observe that negatives turning into positives and vice versa are not so rare. Marxists of course live on the dialectics of negation of the negation, justifying the negation of the old for the affirmation of the new, that of necessity contains a germ of the negated state. Coming back from realm of philosophy to the realm of actual reality we saw tumultuous developments in the political sphere in this island nation. The week that just entered history was full of strife, controversy, threats, counter-threats and confusion that apparently much gloom was mirrored than light. Naturally many failed to see the positive in the negative. The Sceptic, for one, was amused, pleased and saddened especially by a development that took place in the realm close to his heart- the media realm. I am referring to the so-called Sangha Edict or Order that was supposed to have been issued on the President expelling her from the realm of devotees of the Buddha. It was amusing to see how some mischief-makers could make people believe that Buddhist clergy could have issued a kind of fatwa 'excommunicating' a devotee. As the Maha Nayake Theras disclaimed the ownership of such a fatwa the newspaper in question that published the report on it had to disown its own report. What was saddening was the resignation of the Editor who resigned as a consequence, owning responsibility for the grave mistake even though he was not actually responsible for the origin and publication of the wrong report. Yet, it was in this negative action of a fellow scribe that the Sceptic derived both pleasure and pride that in this country where no one accepts responsibility for acts of omission and commission even when caught red-handed there existed at least one fine and modest gentlemen who would own responsibility, flowing from his official position even when he was not the least connected with the execution of the wrong. Yes, I feel proud and pay him my highest regards for his exemplary gesture, which all scribes could be proud of. Sundara Nihatamanee has lived up to his name indeed! Responses to: [email protected] - the Sceptic |
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