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| Sunday, 5 February 2006 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Abundance of freedom at 58 Light Refractions by Lucien Rajakarunanayake The boom of freedom was heard with the 21-gun salute to mark the 58th anniversary of freedom from colonial rule. The National Flag flutters in the winds of freedom on buildings and luxury cars that break the traffic rules on speed with impunity. That's freedom for them. Freedom in the air Last week there were posters asking that S. B. Dissanayake's political rights be restored. With freedom in the air, many who had forgotten Dissanayake are suddenly enjoying their Freedom of Assembly to perform Satyagraha for his release from incarceration. Satyagraha is a devalued word in the lexicon of politics in Sri Lanka. What these people are asking is his release from all the comforts of the Merchant's Ward of the National Hospital and not from behind the bars of a prison cell. Dissanayake has enjoyed his underserved freedom in the Merchant's Ward at people's cost for long enough, it seems time to put an end to this mockery of rigorous imprisonment and set him free to do anything but sans any political rights, as determined by the Supreme Court in its own Freedom of Judgment. The TNA is using the Freedom of Assembly with glee to disrupt the sittings of the August assembly of Parliament and possibly bring a halt to its functioning. It demonstrates how having entered parliament through impersonation and intimidation, and not the votes of the people, they have scant regard for the sovereignty of the people best symbolised by the Parliament. These expressions of freedom, not found in the Vanni, are directed at the international community to smear the name of Sri Lanka, just as the TRO is doing with great vigour, using the Freedom of the Press to publicise an alleged abduction of its members. It raises doubts whether TRO is using the freedom of expression to highly publicise a stage managed drama of abduction. With Sri Lankan freedom at 58, the Leader of the Opposition seems hell bent on abusing the Freedom of Speech, with repeated forecasts of doom about the upcoming talks between the Government and the LTTE, over the Karuna factor. It appears he has been shown what the LTTE has prepared as its own agenda for the Geneva talks. Ranil Wickremesinghe enjoying such freedom is not surprising, considering the freedom with which he virtually signed away a part of this country to the LTTE, that has no respect for freedom whatever, with his signing of the much flawed CFA. Coming to Freedom of Thought there are many persons thinking how they could make the great leap across the floor of the House to join the ranks of Government, haunted as they are by fear of many more years in opposition. Many entertaining such thoughts must have received a rude shock with the announcement by Mr. Faizer Mustapha that he would support the Government without accepting any perks of office. Freedom of thought Freedom of thought apart, it is necessary to ask these members whether a Cabinet portfolio is a must for their declared intentions to serve the country and help the Government carry out its policies. There are also Rauff Hakeem and Arumugan Thondaman thinking hard as to how they can show themselves at least to be the genuinely accepted leaders of their own people, quite apart from regaining the role of "King Maker" they once enjoyed. As to Freedom from Fear just listen to the IGP describe his crackdown on the underworld, as to make it a piece of history very soon. Despite such assurances there are many strengthening links with the underworld, to be free of fear from real or imagined enemies or drive fear into others. The people of Dharga Town and Aluthgama can describe well how the police helped bring fear among people, feeling free to encourage violence by both sides in the recent clashes there. This questions the IGP's assurances about freedom from fear of the underworld, when one has to be afraid of those in uniform meant to protect our freedom. On Freedom from Hunger one cannot help recalling the UNP's slogan in the Presidential Election that a good diet of Ranil, prepared "kirata" or "mirisata" was the permanent relief to hunger. The people did not buy that diet, but that does not mean they are still not looking for ways of easing their hunger, though not with a quick fix of the Ranil type. They want the freedom to obtain a readily accessible balanced diet, with their nutrition ensured and not increased nutrition of the retailer and middleman. Freedom of Competition Freedom of Competition is doing well just now with our national cricket team giving a great display on how not to win matches, which is part of their freedom of performance. Very soon we will be free to choose our local government representatives. The choice will be from among a garbage heap of politicians of all colours. The best choice would be to send home all those who were deaf and blind to the need to tackle the problem of garbage clearing in all their years in office. The fact that they are green in political colour should not be mistaken for them being greens about the environment.
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