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Point of view:
Providing security to VIP s
It has become part and parcel of life of the politicians to rank them
as Very Important Persons (VIP's). In the olden days the politicians who
were the 'Law Makers' and the public servants irrespective of their rank
were all 'Servants of the People'.
Today the politicians are a law unto themselves who do not respect
the laws of the land but claim to be VIP's. I do not agree with their
claim as VIP's. The only politician that can be a VIP is the Head of
State. We can add the Speaker, Cabinet of Ministers and the Leader of
Opposition to be VIP's and no more from the politicians.
Providing security became necessary with the terrorist activities
that prevailed in the country for almost three decades. Now with the
crushing of the LTTE people move about freely without any fear. People
now fear only the thugs, the abductors and the underworld. Politicians
who claim that their lives are in danger are only a breed, who need the
backup vehicles and heaps of security men around them only to satisfy
their ego.
The politicians who receive security during their tenure in office,
many of them move without any security when they are not re-elected.
How do they move about then? What happened to the threats to their
lives? I guess someone might say that the threats were not personal but
due to the fact that they held office!
In the good old days the MPs did not have any security and I recall W
Dahanayake travelling by train from Galle to Colombo. Several Tamil MPs
too travelled by train from the Northern towns to Colombo. If the
politicians are honest and straight they will not have any enemies.
I believe the time has come to gradually prune down the security to
politicos. President should immediately give directions to reduce the
security to all politicians and allow only one backup vehicle.
If the situation is not arrested now it will develop to unprecedented
levels in the future. All that cost involved in providing security can
be put to better use for the benefit of the community.
- Hemal Perera |
