End this impunity

The town of Beruwela in the Kalutara district appears to carry some sinister foreboding for young children. It has so far claimed the lives of two male children within a short space of time as a result of negligent and irresponsible acts.

It was only some months ago that a six-year-old boy was killed caught in the cross fire between the Police and a criminal gang while the child was seated in his father's three-wheeler. On Monday an eight-year-old boy was killed after being run over by a van doing propaganda work for a candidate contesting tomorrow's Local Government elections. The deceased was from Dhargatown in Beruwala.

According to our page one report the child had been playing with another mate when the propaganda van arrived to distribute leaflets. He had run to collect some leaflets from the van and was run over when the vehicle reversed. Needless to say this was a senseless death brought about by negligence.

Not only this incident, there have been many such mishaps reported in the media involving back up vehicles of politicians. It now appears that village level politicians too had taken after their masters flaunting, their importance and pomposity. Only last week the media was full of the news of the death of a motorcyclist who was knocked down by a speeding vehicle in a convoy escorting the spouse of a Khakied big wig.

Yesterday's newspapers also reported another death involving the vehicle of a Deputy Minister. Some weeks ago there was another fatal accident featuring the convoy of another top poltico. As usual no worthwhile investigations are held into these incidents giving those responsible and others of their ilk free rein of the highway to do as they please.

The number of fatal accidents in recent times involving VIP back up vehicles are too many to enumerate. How long are the public going to grin and bear? There is little doubt that a majority of these accidents involving VIP vehicles are the result of recklessness betraying a sense of impunity that has taken hold of acolytes and security staff of the Ministers and VIPs, who are under the impression that they can get away with blue murder.

Further, this culture of impunity has now seeped into the second tier politicians too as evidenced by the tragic death of the eight-year-old in Beruwela. During the current election campaign it was common to see candidates speeding in their motor vehicles with their retinue trying to outdo their masters in this exercise forcing road users to scurry out of the way to let the cavalcade pass through.

All of which begs the question as to the need of all this speeding and haring away on roads with the full complement of vehicles and bodyguards endangering the life and limb of the general public now that the war has ended and the terrorist threat a thing of the past. One can only assume that the Ministers and VIPs are loath to give up this self aggrandizing travel mode that take them on an ego trip.

How else could one explain ordinary Ministers escorted by vehicle convoys with an Ambulance too in tow for good measure in these peace times other than to bask in their own self importance. It was only the other day that President Rajapaksa enjoined his Ministers and the likes to lead simple lives doing away with ostentation. He questioned the need for his MPs to travel with vehicle escorts and all the paraphernalia.

It appears that his edict has fallen on deaf ears given the rise in the incidents of fatal accidents involving VIP back up vehicles. The President should make a more forceful appeal to get his Ministers and MPs to fall in line with his orders. Ministerial spouses and family members should not be provided with security escort vehicles. The public affection towards the President though remain undiminished is bound to wear off as a result of the antics of Government MPs. Therefore immediate steps should be taken to prune down on VIP security given the changed circumstance vis a vis the security situation.

Security should be based on threat perception of the subject concerned and the resources allocated accordingly. Security and back up vehicles should not be provided across the board to be abused by potty politicians.

There is no doubt that certain VIPs should be provided with their full security including back up vehicles to ward off any threat from residual terrorism that may still lurk in our midst. But on no account should this be extended to all and sundry merely for the sake of pandering to their egos. The people won't condone these antics for long particularly when VIPs use roads as their public property to cause death and maim during their ego trips.