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| Friday, 5 September 2003 |
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Life's confounding contradictions by Afreeha Jawad The great disparity in social belief and practice, the endless chain of life's contradictions along with self suited pronouncements conspicuously compatible with one's own hidden agendas - these then constitute modern man though modernism itself insists on rational thought and behaviour. We speak so much of pluralism and ethno/lingual diversity but conditioning a Muslim child's admission to a majority populated school was it's principal who insisted that (a) the mother should not be seen inside the school premises with the hijab and (b) the boy should not at any time request to go for Friday prayers. These conditions were added on to the Rs. 75,000 conditional insistence which a helpless father was prepared to pay amidst pecuniary strife for the sake of his child's future well-being. His wife - a woman of upright moulding had replied, "Even if you are prepared to take my child in free of charge, I am not willing to admit him."This is just one instance of 'pluralism' in practice - a far cry from Prime Minister Wickremesinghe's state ideology - he who even in fact adorned the Pottu and joined his bare bodied Tamil countrymen out there at a kovil ceremony in Jaffna. The above incident perfectly fits into Wickremesinghe's reference to majority tyranny, some time back at the BMICH. This sort of thought incompatibility is seen in a whole host of spheres. As regards commercial sex, commonly known as prostitution, elevated social placements such as class, money and power cover it all. Societal attitude towards such women out there on the street is one of downright contempt while their counterparts in plush, posh surroundings wearing stilletoes, make up riding in sleek Limousines and all that kind of facade that only ill gotten money could buy, are even respectfully addressed as 'Madam'. Hidden agenda based thought inconsistency is so glaring when those in one's own community turning to deviant behaviour are dubbed 'insurgents' and not terrorists as one would observe in the case of Tamil Tigers. The JVP came to be known not as 'terrorists' but 'insurgents'. Hitting high degrees of social acceptance are white collar criminals. They are even garlanded and hurriedly, ushered in while their parallel in 'lower' social strata are rounded up and jailed. How colonial wealth was forced out to fill imperial coffers is all too well-known. But to dine with the Queen is 'social privilege'. That past imperialists should be tried out in an international court or tribunal is 'unthinkable' but a robber in local territory is taken into custody and state law becomes operative. Despite the Western world's unfair trade practices on the Third World and the constant use of this part of the world as dumping ground for food and other items such as pesticides which sales are prohibited in their own countries but find their way here as 'Food Aid', cause so much sickness to Third World populace. The colossal pharmaceutical trade thrives as a result. Such behaviour on the part of the 'First World' has received social sanction while the guilty go in search of yet to find weapons of mass destruction denying a country's people the right to live and enjoy that freedom - so very truly their own. All in all class, money and evolved position of achieved status, levels 'social inadequacies'. Such achievements are refuge to the transformed, at one time in the lower social order who violate ethical conduct, but still continue with 'social acceptance'. Not surprising then because the bulk of the social gamut itself is of that order. |
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