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Rice frauds and peace-making

Corruption and covert plundering of welfare assistance could cause as grave damage to the peace process as those intent on fanning the flames of communalism and other forms of subversion. If the essential requirements of the Internally Displaced Persons in the once war-torn areas, for instance, do not reach them fully, the peace process runs the risk of being seen as a sham exercise. This points to the importance of ensuring that the humanitarian assistance program in the North-East is absolutely corruption-free.

The immediate backdrop to these observations is the charge that a significant quantity of rice meant for the Internally Displaced of the North, has been pilferred. Following the making of this charge in Parliament by a JVP MP, we learn that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered a top probe into the highly disturbing allegation. Not only must the investigation be conducted but the irregularities, if any, rectified and the culprits speedily brought to book before the impression gains ground that aid distribution has degenerated into a happy hunting ground for the corrupt and the devious. The cumulative result of these ills - if unchecked - could be the complete denigration of the peace effort itself.

It is vitally important that the needs of the Internally Displaced are quickly met if the credibility of the peace process is to be sustained. Right along, meeting the humanitarian requirements of the North-East populace has received top priority on account of the recognition that it is part and parcel of the process of winning hearts and minds for the securing of a firm foundation for the peace drive. If the needs of the people go unmet on account of the tendency among some sections to amass fortunes on ill-gotten gains, the peace process could even run aground.

As the Prime Minister himself noted at the very beginning of the peace effort, the people are eager for quick, positive results. They can hardly wait to lead contented, peaceful lives. Accordingly, the slightest indication of corruption and foul play entering the rehabilitation drive is bound to disillusion them and make them sceptical of the possibility of their lot being improved. Needless to say, the State would be scoffed at and seen as collaborating with plunderers. This crisis of confidence could mean the unravelling of the peace process.

Needless to say, this is one of the worst things which could befall the country. For, undermining the peace effort would be tantamount to ruining all our future prospects.

Pilfering of rice of the proportions we mentioned on our front page yesterday, is unlikely to transpire without the knowledge, collusion and active involvement of influential persons and agencies. This aspect of the case, we hope, would be rigorously probed and the culprits exposed and punished. This punishment should be of such severity that it would have a deterrent effect.

Meanwhile, fool-proof mechanisms should be in place to ensure that future rehabilitation and development assistance is safely siphoned to the targetted persons and areas. We believe that at all levels of the rehabilitation and resettlement effort, procedures of accountability should be instituted to ensure that aid doesn't finally end up in thieving hands or in the lofts of parasitical mandarins.

Thus we find that the authorities need to fight on several fronts to keep the peace process alive. Ethical principles on the part of all those involved in the rehabilitation and resettlement effort, is not the least of these. There is no getting away from the need to wield the "big stick" on all those who permit greed to smother the qualms of their consciences.

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