Of curiosity, rights and what’s right

Like most of you, I am curious about many things. Some may think that my curiosity borders on naivety. I choose not to have any qualms about it. I strongly believe that if each individual ventures to express one’s curiosity, in a rational and decent manner in public, the summation of those voices can be a huge force that can be catalytic in creating positive change.

Lest I am misunderstood, I do not mean forming ‘katakatha’ or rumour mongering brigades, but well-informed and intelligent discussion on what needs positive and affirmative action.

Wonder who?

I am curious as to why we cannot as a nation all get-together to seek what is good for us. Curious, why our political leaders make strange alliances to stay divided and not stay bonded together on that common objective they all profess to have i.e. to serve us the people and help Mother Sri Lanka have a better future. Curious, as to why many of them do not go by the dictum ‘no matter who does it, if it is a good thing that is done’.

Curious, as to how most of them acquire revived wisdom during election time and forget to hold on to it, immediately after. Curious as to why we do not band together leaving blind loyalties behind, to speak and act against what is wrong and is destructive to our collective well-being.

I am also curious, as to why it has to be the ‘political will’ and not the good of the public or the service of the public that takes to drive most public officials into rapid action. Wonder who and what gave credence to a once unknown concept of a ‘political authority’, when our Constitution squarely places that authority on us, the people. Curious, why most of our civil society leaders have to have other masters guiding them, backed by funding from overseas to act on local issues, which must remain our domain and ours only.

People power

During this weekend, I was thrilled to witness on evening news, two communities; one in Panamure and the other in Kalutara, hold demonstrations claiming, that they will only give their ‘Manape’ vote to a candidate who will solve their problem of water supply. They claimed that it was a long-standing issue, where promises made earlier had not been kept. There were also accusations of corruption and misappropriation of funds already allocated.

My fervent hope is that these were not politically (meaning petty politics) generated election gimmicks but genuine civic calls made by communities desperate to seek and effect solutions. In an environment where a strong campaign claim made by the governing alliance is that it would re-establish a system of grass-roots based governance, such location specific common good centred civic action, bring-in a breath of fresh air. It also reiterates the need for strong action by the leadership to put things right in the bribery and corruption front, moving beyond words to effective deeds.

Social and economic justice

They also add a welcome difference to the demonstrations held in front of the Fort Railway Station or the Hyde Park Corner, where slogans are shouted on different issues each day and forgotten the very next, as they go on moving to yet another and another. The ability to take affirmative political action is indeed the right of each citizen. It is unalienable and is not limited to issues that are the concern of political groupings or parties for politics is essentially not about political parties.

Affirmative action

Political parties are only institutions formed to allow convenience in implementing a process of electoral democracy. Although the word ‘Politics’ found its origin in the Greek word ‘Politika’ modelled on Aristotle’s work ‘Affairs of State’; a more progressive modern definition of it refers to, ‘the process of seeking and affirming social and economic justice for the individual and the communities he or she belongs’.

Politics in essence is about the rights of a person and the rights of a people, to claim what is right.

When a group of drunkards supposedly used ‘political’ clout, to sully the sanctity of a protected natural area, like the recent incident at the Kanneliya forest reserve; breaking the law, assaulting its guardian and a villager who stood-up to defend, indeed, was a dastardly act. Such must not be forgotten with passage of time. Like in all similar cases affirmative action must be taken to punish the guilty. In my mind, it is ‘real politics’ the game ranger and the villager was involved in, while those who came there to hold an unauthorized political meeting were indulging in anti-social and anti-political activity.

Protect integrity

The same goes for the new roadway being built within the Wilpattu National Park. As revealed last week by an alliance of environmental activists, the illegality and repercussions of construction activities carried out within the bounds of this protected national natural heritage is alarming. Undertaken by the Sri Lanka Navy, a 35 km road is reportedly being built via Wilpattu to transport civilians.

This road which is proposed to have three bridges is said to expand from the southern boundary of the park near Kala Oya at Eluvankulam, towards the northern boundary up to Uppu Aru at Pukulam. Another road is also reported to being built from Mannar to Puttalam, across the coastline. Claims were also made that there are plans to transform the area between this road strip and the sea, into a tourist development zone.

There is no doubt that national security is of paramount importance. But it is equally true that a good part of that task is also to ensure the preservation of the natural and socio-cultural integrity of our nation.

To protect that integrity, there are processes that should have been carried out as defined by the law, such as environmental impact assessments and consultative mechanisms. Non-compliance will mean the violation of our right, to maintain our nation’s natural and socio-cultural integrity and the need to provide it due security.

The Uthayan affair

Then there is the incident involving a member of the Sri Lankan Diaspora in Canada. Logan Logendralingam, editor of the Tamil-language newspaper Uthayan, whose storefront location on Progress Avenue in Scarborough, Toronto was vandalized last week. According to a report in the newspaper Insider Toronto, the editor believes that vandalism against Uthayan, his Tamil-language weekly, was connected to a meeting this month between three members of the Canada-Sri Lanka Business Council and our President.

A caller has made an accusation that members of the business delegation were ‘friends’ of the editor and that he has had a role in organizing the visit. The same report referred to other members of the Diaspora being warned against reportage of the defeat of the LTTE, and any other positive developments for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.

The delegations’ intent had been to visit to explore investment opportunities in the process of redevelopment of areas in the North. While such incidents whereever it happens must be deplored with strong conviction, the right of every individual to express independent rational opinion, regardless of whether the person is a citizen or a member of our Diaspora must be venerated. Here, I salute the swift action of the Canadian Tamil Congress who condemned the vandalism at Uthayan hours after it was discovered, in a statement stating “political or other differences cannot be solved by acts of this nature” and that it supports efforts to bring the culprits to justice.

Not put on hold

Our curiosity, rights and what’s right cannot and must not be put on hold, or be compromised at any time. They are essential tools we have to use, even when all else fail us. It is important that we do not let go of the issues that the incidents at Kanneliya, Wilpattu and Toronto has unfolded. For each of those nudges our curiosity, affirms our rights as individuals and communities and must steer us to do what is right.