Can politicians be adult?

And in Parliament of all places! That August House is supposed to be solemn; quiet except for speeches made with dignity, gravity and sagacity; and the governing of the land debated with decorum and rules promulgated with wisdom. And what do we get? Shouting, insults flung hither and thither, even indecent words mouthed.

Recently the mace was taken away by an MP. Was it by Dinesh Gunawardena who has turned out to be the most raucous and thus the most karachchal. Surprising since he was a dignified debater speaking sense and arguing sensibly. Comes with a decent background too. What happened to him? Someone said the only way he has of making himself seen and heard is to be cantankerous in Parliament. Also this cat’s theory is that if you lie with dogs you arise with fleas!

I have been generalizing but I really mean to be specific. I talk of the recent uproar in Parliament and poor, dear Karu having to call for recesses or whatever, till tempers cool and foul language evaporates. Some of the MPs, the strongly blue UPFAs in the Opposition particularly, behave childishly. I use that word deliberately though what is usually meant by that term is throwing tantrums (the MPs do); removing clothes and spitting (thank goodness they keep their kapati suits on but they spit nonsense and venom); and bedwetting (we don’t know about this because the public cannot peep into politicians’ and other high-ups’ bedrooms: their own or rented for a while). Childlike is a term almost of endearment, since a child being childlike is charming. So our MPs are childish in their behaviour and not childlike.

Sound and fury

What an uproar was stirred up by Dinesh Gunawardena with Bandula Goonewardena close beside him waving the printed Budget a couple of days ago. It was as if an entirely different Budget was printed for UPFA opposition.

The Opposition was wisely and sensibly quiet, led by a doughty, experienced Tamil MP. The disturbance went on for quite some time, with the Speaker barely heard and Minister Kirielle not given time to explain.Then came the Finance Minister, after sittings were interrupted and suspended for ten minutes who pointed out it was a printing error. If I remember right it was just the cover that was different; no important facts and figures were different. Thank goodness even the printer’s devil himself knew not to mess too much since business in Parliament is important and no time is to be wasted, though the intention of a couple of MPs seems to be just that.

This feline for one, with the extra-sensory ability of an old cat who sees ‘things’ like hovering spirits that escape the ordinary human eye, sees clearly these shouting MPs such as Dinesh, Vasu, Bandula and a couple of others as puppets dancing and shouting as their strings are pulled. Who is the puppeteer? Not a million dollar question. Maybe the puppet strings are juggled from a sacred site in Anuradhapura or a nefar… sorry, Narahenpita temple.

The best laugh had by yours truly was at the recent performance of Charita Atak. Wilson Gunaratne narrated a story of how he accompanied his brother on the hunt for a wife for the young man. Selecting what seemed the best proposal, the two of them went to the prospective bride’s home. Every prospect pleased but the father, riding the high horses of wealth and prestige, was overbearing.

After condescendingly welcoming them, he inquired after the young man’s name. Shyly he mouthed it. “Speak so I can hear you!”

“Bandula,” answered the young fellow loud and clear.

Whereupon, the old man was galvanized as if the name electro-shocked him. “Get out!” he yelled. “You are the one who told us all that a family could live on Rs 7,500 a month!”

I saw this false prophet of an MP pontificating on the Budget and disputing the allocation for education. Ravi and Akila say that 6% of the income has been allocated to the education sector and Bandula G pronounces that much of it is already accounted for as capital expenditure so the actual amount spent on children’s education per se is much less than 6%.

Anyway, even to an economic ignoramus like this feline, this present allocation is much more than the measly amount delineated by this loud mouthed Education Minister in the previous lily-white regime. It was he, who vociferously accused Ravi K of hiding his real name – again to have the rug of slander pulled away from under his feet by a misprint. Can’t they at least check their facts before opening their mouths?

Budget bashing

Which brings Menika to the recently unveiled 2016 Budget. What would be good would be for all to cooperate to get the country back on some sort of hopeful financial footing and not push her further from her perilous perch on the precipice of an ever-widening deficit caused by binge spending.

The Rajapaksa government was lavish, on white elephants, globe-trotting and vulgar consumption - lakhs on a breakfast, more on dog food and luxurious bunkers for fun and games. And now when there is an attempt to get the economy to rise from the stupor of overspending, and attract foreign investments et al, the blue opposition intends bringing a vote of no confidence on the Minister of Finance.

Menika has lived a long time, seen, heard and read several Budgets, and though no economist, says that it is the UNP that does some good by the poor masses. Consider DS with his colonisation schemes; Dudley with his free rice and greater attention to agriculture; JR with his open economy that definitely saw a trickle down to the poor masses and Premadasa with his million houses and hundreds of garment factories.

You, reader, consider what we got from SWRD – Sinhala Only and eternal trouble; Sirimavo – good reserves abroad but starving scramblers of garbage bins and fainting humans. The latest two blue Prezs? You give the answers.

This cat wonders how intelligent and educated MPs and Ministers in Parliament suffer these Loud Mouths, oft times foul, who shout for the sake of shouting; who protest just to be heard and oppose the Budget that is genuinely trying to start turning Sri Lanka around, for the sake of opposing. And do we have hope that the two major parties can come together in magnanimity with a wider view in sight of achieving something for the country?

The answer is a loud no. You have to sacrifice now for a better future and we can sacrifice since we know it’s for the country and not for a couple of people who will skim the cream and leave a mite of whey for us the people.

- Menika