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| Sunday, 14 August 2005 |
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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 Lakshman Kadirgamar The Sunday Observer joins the rest of the nation in mourning for Lakshman Kadirgamar, a valiant son of Mother Lanka, whose life was dastardly cut short by sniper bullets last Friday. Kadirgamar was a brilliant intellectual and a man of principles who stood by his convictions despite the threats to his life. He is by far one of the great Foreign Ministers of independent Sri Lanka. Taking the reins of the Foreign Ministry at a time when it had lost its identity and independence as a Third World country, he steered Sri Lankan foreign policy back again into the path of positive non-alignment and did away with the servile Euro-centric nature it had assumed under the previous administration. As he announced after assuming office as Foreign Minister in 1994, priority in foreign relations was given to our South Asian neighbours while maintaining friendly contacts with all countries. He recognised the strategic importance of prioritising economic relations between states and equipped our foreign missions to do so. Most conspicuous among his contributions to our foreign policy was the international campaign he waged against terrorism and his success in eliminating false conceptions about our country, particularly in the West due to the misinformation campaigns conducted by the LTTE and sections of the diaspora. His contribution to the framing of South Asian and United Nations treaties against terrorism is widely acknowledged. He was also the author of the resolution passed by the United Nations declaring the Veask Poya as a holiday. The untimely demise of Lakshman Kadirgamar is an irreparable loss to the country. We call upon the government to spare no efforts in bringing the assassins to book. A staunch opponent of terror Kadirgamar stood for a peaceful and negotiated settlement of the National Question while maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. Terrorism is not a simple military phenomenon but a complex socio-economic phenomenon arising out of actual and /or perceived grievances of communities and sections of the people. What is most important in the fight against terrorism is the need to eliminate its root causes. Rein in the mafia Last week we witnessed the power of the mafia that is controlling private omnibus transport in the country. They not only withdrew private passenger coaches from operation but also even stopped school vans, containers and even some trishaws from plying on the roads through a so-called organization that claims to defend the rights of all vehicle drivers. The deception was easily visible since the same Mafiosi led both the new organization and the Association of Private Bus Operators. They announced and carried out the strike even when the Government clearly promised to discuss the issues raised. It was clear that they were not ready to compromise. That is why the allegation that arose from some quarters that it was politically motivated to embarrass the Government and show their might seems to be true. In fact, those who listened to the mafia boss over the electronic media would have noticed the tone and tenor of his voice that looked menacing and fascistic. The demand of the strike was most absurd. It was a call to do away with statutory fines imposed on errant drivers. In other words it was a call to indiscipline, anarchy on the roads. What would the government do if illicit liquor dealers agitate for doing away with fines and jail terms in the name of 'free trade' or if income tax payers demand the abolition of all taxes or the contract killers demand freedom to carry on their livelihood without restrictive laws and punishment? The list could be extended ad infinitum. Even though the people were used to the relatively meek and conciliatory attitude of the governments in power in case of strikes by owners as opposed to strikes by workers and other employees when the ruling parties spare no efforts to crush them by force even using the repressive organs of state, no one expected the Government to give in even before the lapse of 24 hours and promise legislation revising the Traffic Act at the behest of the mafia. Is this a result of class solidarity or some underhand deal? The government's submission has given the mafia an opportunity to save both loss of face and loss of income and to re-group for a bigger fight in two months. On the other hand the new fines were a sequel to the last Budget. Several questions arise in this case. Why did it take nine months for the mafia to raise this issue? On the other hand, why was there such a long delay (three fourths of the budgetary year) on the part of the government to implement a budget decision? Even after taking such a long time why did the legal experts fail to enact regulations that do not warrant such instant revision? As we have repeatedly said both central and provincial governments have failed to get the private omnibus operators implement a single assurance given to the government on the provision of facilities to the commuters. They have failed to get the bus mudalalis to issue bus tickets to passengers. They have failed to prevent bus crews behaving rudely to passengers. They have failed to discipline them at all. On the other hand, the mudalalis have won their demands every time they strike. We wish the poor striking workingmen would also have the same luck! The people demand: 'Rein in the mafia'. |
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