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by Dhiraj Fernando

The Sri Lankan political intellect is either woefully foolhardy, brave and noble, or ambitiously idealistic, or all three. To what else would one attribute the pattern of violence that accompanies every single election with such sheer predictability, that it is surprising that the bookmakers arn't placing odds on the figures. The number of deaths at election time in this country generally averages sixty or seventy, but can and has been known to exceed even these morbid expectations.

Ask yourself the question; "to what or for what or whom would you be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice"? and I don't mean your pension benefits either.

Fighting for ones ideals is an ancient and noble human characteristic. Without this vital trait that is unique to human beings, much of what has been achieved through the ages would not have been possible. However, where would you draw the line? Would you involve yourself in Sri Lankan party politics on your own behalf or on behalf of another to such a degree (and it does'nt take much) so as to put your life on the line?

The Sri Lankan political animal has to be a species with a strongly ingrained sense of patriotic idealism and dedication or merely attracted and tempted by the more pedestrian ambitions, more suited to the hoi-polloi, such as the accruement of material gain, i.e. position, priviledge, his vehicles, his bodyguards and the sense of self importance that it imbues within him.

The more intelligent citizen of this country knows almost instinctively to distance himself from anything even remotely to do with modern Sri Lankan politics per-se.

The two words; 'Election' and 'Violence', have become synonymous in the local sphere, with one invariably accompanying the other.

Such is the low level to which politics 'A-la SL' has degraded to, that many a true and genuinly commited idealist with a honest patriot desire may feel the way an observer put it;"Politics? would'nt touch the stuff if my life depended on it."

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