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Thursday, 17 December 2009

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Gems of thought

We have received a copy of Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe's so-called manifesto Anagatha Abhiyogaya courtesy Friedrich Naumann Stiftung fur die Freiheit (Future Challenge). It is an interesting read. There are many gems of thought that one could ponder on. Whether they are fact or fiction is a different matter. Nevertheless they are gems, sapphires. Let us examine one or two.

Here is one:" During the 61 years after independence what we have done was to come to power through false promises and mortgaging the country's resources once in power resulting in taking the country to the brink of destruction." How true! The United National Party that he happens to lead today has been in power for more than half the period. It abandoned the path of independent development begun in 1956 and sold the country's resources for a song to the Robber Barons who were welcomed with both arms by his uncle J.R. Jayewardene, also known as Yankee Dickie for his political leanings. Is his, 'future challenge' a resurrection of the infamous 'Regaining Sri Lanka'?

Take another: "We have failed completely as a country, as a nation during the 61 years after independence". Sounds familiar, isn't it? Yes, the same charge was levelled against the country by NGO circles some time ago. So it is somebody else's gem, a stolen gem.

Sri Lanka has several health and education indices that would earn the envy of even developed nations. Recently it was named as the country with the happiest living index. Its per capita income is one of the highest in South Asia. To cap it all Sri Lanka has defeated the world's deadliest terror outfit and unified the country. Failed state- my foot!

Here is another, the rarest gem; "A methodology with definite criteria and accepted norms has to be formulated to ensure transparency and purity in inner (political) party dealings". Hear, hear! This comes from a leader of a party that nominates its highest body - the Executive Committee and manipulates its numbers so as to ensure a majority for himself always. How credible would the call for transparency seem when it comes from a party from which more than a dozen leaders have crossed over to the rival side citing various irregularities and lack of democracy within it. When the call comes from a leader who has defied all calls for his resignation by subterfuges doesn't it border more on fantasy and the ludicrous?

Ranil Wickremesinghe's essay on future challenge, on the other hand, seems to be a child's work. Perhaps, originally written as a manifesto for his personal entry into the Presidential contest, it contains many instances of his life and refers to his growing up as a politician. Though these could be excused as idiosyncrasies of a juvenile mind what is dangerous is his attempt to draw conclusions from them in charting the future politics of the country.


Season of cheer

Today begins a season of cheer. The Presidential election season starts officially.

As usual elections are times for amusement, cheer. All of us will find uninvited guests. Even distant relatives and long forgotten friends might suddenly pay courtesy calls.

The stars forecast a busy schedule for every home. Some would get their walls plastered free of charge. Nice smiling 'babies' would be peeping from every corner of the street and even from lamp posts.

Now that there are nearly two dozen entering the nearly six week race you may find even complete strangers knocking at your door trying to promote themselves or their choice candidate. They will smile at you as if you are their closest buddy or fiance. They will hypnotize you with their charming smile. Beware, there may also be enough members of the fair sex too doing the home rounds.

As the bard advised 'Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice'. Keep your options free.

A little warning too: This is the time of the pandemic AH1N1 virus speeding freely. Your visitors could promote the virus along with promoting their choice of candidate. Health authorities have advised against attending mass rallies. Do not heed for what fun in an election without mass meetings and those wonderful speeches. You could have a lifespan's stock of foul humour and theatricals that would please your senses.

Yes, it is a season of cheer. Look forward to it.

Arresting corruption

It is noteworthy that corruption has been on the increase, since the globalization of economy in modern times with its derivatives of trade liberalization, materialization and privatization.

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The Morning Inspection

Reflections on a ‘radical’ of our times

I think it was George Bernard Shaw who made the following observation: ‘Reasonable men adapt themselves to the world, unreasonable men adapt the world to themselves; therefore all progress is due to unreasonable men.

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Strange series of events

General Fonseka is in something of a predicament after making his statement about Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. He has made several contradictory announcements since then that need to be examined in greater depth, beyond the face of a public political statement.

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