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Dark trends must be curbed

Although there is no concrete basis as yet in this country for the nerve-racking tension usually referred to as "election fever", pre-poll type murderous violence seems to be already gathering pace. We base this assessment on the numerous incidents of violence in various parts of Sri Lanka which accompanied the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the SLFP and the JVP, which included the slaying of two PA supporters in Puttalam, by political hoodlums believed to be linked to the rival UNF.

In the Kadugannawa Urban Council area, a UNP member of the Council who was allegedly misusing the manpower resources of the local government authority to hoist black flags was given the "broomstick treatment" by a frenzied woman.

All these and more disquieting and bizarre happenings are proof that things are falling apart and that inter-party savagery is on the rise once again. More so why serious thought should be given by our political leaders to the need to make cohabitation a reality. For, stepped-up hostilities among our political parties would be in no one's favour. For, in this country inter-party rivalry is a gateway to unsettling murder and violence.

These developments are also a reminder that tyranny and intolerance are dying hard. If persons apparently engaged in legitimate political work are savaged and murdered by political goon squads, we wonder whether the syrupy claims that democracy has been reborn of late, have any basis to them.

Besides, what's become of the freedoms of expression and assembly? These are trends which could propel the country towards another dark spell of fascist-type political violence. One could only imagine the magnitude and scale of violence of this kind and the victimization of political opponents, if the Interior Ministry-which earned a notoriety for power abuse - was not taken away and brought under the purview of the President. It should be made more effective in curbing violence, now.

Nevertheless, arrogance of power seems to be knowing no bounds. This is brought out in the recent incident of night club violence, involving the sons of two Ministers. We welcome moves to make the offenders answerable for the damage caused to public property but it is also relevant to probe how State vehicles came to be used in the episode, in the first place. Misusing State resources is as serious an offence as exposing them to damage. In fact, this opportunity should be taken by our political elite to think of ways and means of curbing power abuse by politicians and their offspring-some of whom have taken criminality to record levels.

Now that we realise how fragile current efforts at rejuvenating Sri Lanka are, a renewed effort needs to be made to strengthen democratic institutions, which would in turn protect the rights of the people. This challenge should receive the attention of the new SLFP-JVP alliance which promises to turn a new leaf in the country's political history. Let this be a true "regaining" of Sri Lanka.

The global language

What happens when 100,000 anti-globalisation activists from 134 countries, who are now meeting in Mumbai, protest against the dominance of the United States in international politics ?

They speak its language, of course.

This is the truth that those who oppose the only Superpower find somewhat hard to swallow. English has well and truly become the only global tongue that can forge links among disparate citizens of the world. Nearly 70 per cent of the world's population use English as the first or second language. More than 90 per cent of Websites and books are in English. English newspapers and magazines are published all over the world, even in countries where English is not a spoken language.

It seems that no force can prevent the march of English.

Some linguists do fear that English could become the only major language left on Earth in a few centuries at the rate that languages are vanishing - half of the world's 6,000 languages could be gone in 100 years.

Some countries, notably France, have been trying in vain to stop the 'encroachment' of English. Francophiles are aghast at the rapid infusion of English words into their language, but have no option other than to stare hopelessly. The French government has even gone to the extent of passing special laws to protect the language, but they seem to have little effect. As for the Germans, they realised long ago that it is futile to resist the English invasion. Most Germans can now speak better English than the Englishmen themselves.

Indeed, no language can exist in isolation. Languages nurture each other and develop all the time. English is no exception. Ironically, there are thousands of French words in the Queen's language. Words from some dead languages such as Latin embellish English. New words are also frequently borrowed from other languages.

As the Mumbai anti-globalisation activists have unwittingly proved, English has become the langauge of unity. English has been hailed as a 'link language' between the different ethnic communities in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. If English can unify a divided world, the linguistic legacy of the Anglo-Saxons will surely last for eons to come.

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