Sunday Times 2
Deadly virus attacks parliamentarians
A deadly virus is spreading in Sri Lanka. This virus attacks the psyche and a virulent disease resulting from it turns the victim’s thinking capacity topsy-turvy.
Democracy means primus inter pares — not subservience
It appears that the disease first manifested in greedy parliamentarians of opposition parties seeking perks and privileges of a cabinet minister. The disease has now spread to a majority of cabinet ministers, who, not satisfied with the perks and privileges entailed to their posts, are resorting to other means, none too scrupulous, to amass filthy lucre.
The spate of smuggling of ethanol and narcotics points fingers towards these politicians. The Police finding their hands tied, do the ‘next best’ thing of joining hands with them. The net result is that the people’s representatives, elected to serve them, betray the trust reposed on them and turn parasites draining the life blood of the people. Indulging in the most loathsome of activities with impunity, they gloat over the filthy lucre thus accumulated and ride roughshod over the people who elected them, and who are supposed to be sovereign!!
It does not end there. The acquiescence and disgusting subservience of the people’s representatives have given a two-thirds majority in parliament to the democratically elected Executive President and misguided him to become an autocratic ruler constitutionally through the 18th Amendment. The effect of the virus on the President appears to be that if he imagines himself to be a king. That too not in the style of King Parakramabahu but infected by the attitude of the ‘king’s’ ministers, more reminiscent of King Louis the XVI of France who was condemned to the guillotine due to the misdeeds of the nobles who treated the people like dogs.
Louis the XVI was a kind enough king to attempt reforms that would have staved off the revolution, but the aristocracy clung to its privileges — above all, that of not contributing to the taxes — whilst neglecting their duties by the people. They became a stumbling block to reformation. The disillusioned mindset of Louis the XVI is best expressed in these words: “Every time I appoint someone to a position, I make a hundred unhappy and one ungrateful”. The nobles continued to treat the people like dogs. After an arbitrary trial King Louis XVI was condemned to the guillotine. What followed is history, and the history of the French Revolution (1789) is a universal lesson to monarchy as well as autocracy.
While most of our politicians and their henchmen are revelling in ill-gotten wealth, and treating the people with disdain, the people can hardly make ends meet. Suppressing their cries and the voices of dissent by means of a fear psychosis, is only priming a time bomb. It is ideal environment when subversive elements can, and surely will, exploit the situation and lead the whole country to chaos.
It is in the best interests of the President and the country to be aware that when such eventuality comes, these subservient politicians will be the first to leave the ‘sinking ship’ like rats, and fool the people once again to ‘champion their cause’, and turn enemy to the ‘King’. The President is well advised to seek and heed advice from the prelates of his religion and nonpolitical patriots to avoid the impending catastrophe, and bring back good governance through democracy and Rule of Law. This, I believe President Mahinda Rajapaksa is still capable of doing, with proper counsel that is the antidote for the viral disease.
(The writer is a retired Senior Superintendent of Police)