News
Govt. politicos, officials prefer to feign blindness, as people suffer
View(s):A characteristic found in common in politicians is their ability to nitpick selected facts and data depending on what side of the political fence they are and to manipulate the masses for their own political ends. 
In recent days, Energy Minister Gamini Lokuge appeared before the media with a straight face to say there had been no shortage of fuel in the country and there was no need for people to gather in large crowds near fuel sheds. He said he had not seen such petrol queues while he was on the road.
It seems that only his driver must know of such queues to take shortcut routes to avoid any embarrassment for the Minister. Or maybe, his vehicle must have shaded or tinted windows, not just to minimise the glare from the sun, but to also avoid seeing the world outside his official, petrol guzzling car.
Nowadays, it seems even senior officials are following suit as their masters who avoid being seen in public, as a strategy not to earn the wrath of the protesting people.
Recently on a TV programme, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Chairman Sumith Abeysinghe was asked about the fuel price hike and the difficulties faced by people who had to line up at all hours of the day to secure a minimal fuel supply.
In a casual tone, and downplaying the issue, the chairman said he was not aware of protests that were staged against the fuel price hike in the country. The host suggested that maybe he needed to pay a visit to a nearby fuel station to hear what the people had to say about the price hike.
These days, in every nook and corner of the country, the talking point has been the increasing cost of living and increasing criticism of the Government’s failures. After witnessing all these political stunts by Government leaders in recent times, a pensioner, standing in a queue early one morning to secure a cylinder of cooking gas, asked a pertinent question: “Do Government leaders pretend to be ignorant of the gravity of the current situation, or do they think people are stupid enough to believe whatever they are saying? There is a saying–there are none so blind as those who refuse to see.”
Some elephants do not act alone, but prefer to bring crowds
Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had a somewhat tense exchange early into Wednesday’s All Party Conference (APC), after the latter said the Government had failed to submit the final report on Sri Lanka’s financial situation compiled by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at Wednesday's APC (left) and (right) Friday's mass sit down protest organised by the UNP at Hyde Park, in Colombo. Pic by M. A. Pushpakumara
Many observers agreed that the former Prime Minister came off with flying colours at the APC. He challenged the Government on its lack of transparency regarding the economic situation and submitted some constructive proposals; mainly to forget about development work for now–where corruption is rampant, though he did not say so–and engage in relief measures for the people.
In his concluding remarks, Minister Rajapaksa tried to explain the difficulties the country was facing by narrating a story about a man who had to jump into a well to get away from a lone elephant, only to find a cobra at the bottom, another snake on the right and a beehive on the left.
“As you know, a lone elephant is a dangerous animal,” Mr. Rajapaksa quipped, making a not so subtle gesture towards the UNP Leader. Representatives of various parties burst into laughter after that remark.
As if to show he was not just a “thani aliya” or lone elephant, Mr. Wickremesinghe organised a mass sit-down protest on Friday at Colombo’s Hyde Park. Everyone was asked to wear white clothing. It may have lacked the numbers most of the other Opposition parties mustered for their protest rallies against the Government, but it was still an effort to show that the elephant was alive and kicking.
One more US-made cutter for Sri Lanka’s Navy
Another US-made cutter for the Sri Lankan Navy is on the way, in addition to the two US cutters which are already in service. The third one–a gift from the US–is under a modification process and will be handed over to the Navy soon. A cutter is a smaller and faster craft that can chase small boats usually used by terrorists or smugglers at sea, and go into shallower waters, unlike bigger ships.
This message was conveyed to Sri Lanka by Victoria Nuland, the US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, where she was here this week to take part in the fourth session of the United States-Sri Lanka partnership dialogue.
She also said the new gift is a part of ongoing cooperation with Sri Lanka for the country’s maritime and aviation security.
Last year, the Navy formally took delivery of the United States Coast Guard Cutter, USCGC Douglas Munro.
“Fuel shortage even in New York,” says unconcerned Industries Minister
So far, three people have died waiting for fuel in queues while one person was stabbed to death following an altercation at a filling station. However, Energy Minister Gamini Lokuge said there was a “surplus” of fuel. He claimed some filling stations in Colombo were turning away fuel bowsers as they had more than enough fuel. Yet, many filling stations in Colombo and other parts of the country continued to be without fuel, especially diesel.
The newly appointed Industries Minister S.B. Dissanayake brushed aside concerns over the prevailing gas shortage by telling journalists this was not a problem limited to Sri Lanka.
“If you watch foreign news channels, you will see that there is a fuel shortage even in New York and people are protesting there,” he told journalists.
He insisted that the queues will no longer be around in a couple of days when supply returns to normal.
The problem with Minister Dissanayake’s appeal to the people to watch world news on TV is that it is difficult to do so, when their electricity supply is cut by his government, and they do not have generators like he probably does.
Dr Rajani Thiranagama
Rajani Thiranagama portrait at Jaffna University after 30 years
It took nearly three decades for the Jaffna University to place a photograph of an academic-turned-human rights defender whose life was cut short by the Northern separatists.
This week, Dr. Rajani Thiranagama’s portrait was placed again after many years, in the senior common room of the university which she served. In 2013, a commemorative event was held to mark her service to the community after 24 years, but the photograph was not placed in the room.
She was the co-author of an iconic book--Broken Palmyra--which documented human rights violations in the Northern and Eastern provinces in the 1980s, by those engaged in the armed conflict, including the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF).
She was shot dead by the then dominant militant group–the LTTE–while she was returning home from the university on her bicycle.
“We are doing our best” was their refrain
These days, Government ministers and their spin doctors are busy focusing on the so-called All-Party Conference (APC). They have been inviting all political parties to work collectively to resolve the country’s unprecedented economic crisis, while downplaying the role of Parliament–the elected body of peoples’ representatives.
Unlike Parliament, to which the President and the Cabinet are held constitutionally responsible, the APC is not a formal body but merely a forum where political leaders can present their thoughts. Meanwhile, this week, parliamentary sessions saw little interest from Government MPs as well, with poor attendance.
As part of focusing on the APC, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and Regional Cooperation State Minister Tharaka Balasuriya organised a media briefing on Thursday for selected English media outlets, to talk about the highlights of the APC. They repeatedly assured the media that the Government was taking all possible steps to resolve the current economic crisis while claiming, “we know people are suffering but we are doing our best.”
Guinea president recalls Lankan Ambassador’s business connections with his country
The Foreign Affairs Ministry is reportedly re-evaluating the performances of Sri Lanka’s diplomatic missions abroad, as part of a cost cutting measure.
The ministry is to decide whether it should continue with those offices or temporarily shut them down, as the cash-strapped Government struggles to meet expenses.
Surprisingly, the Ministry is expanding its diplomatic ties with the African continent. On March 11, High Commissioner Veluppillai Kananathan presented his credentials as Sri Lankan Ambassador to Guinea–with residence in Kenya–to President Mamady Doumbouya of Guinea at the Presidential palace in Conakry. Ambassador Kananathan was the first Sri Lankan Ambassador to Guinea.
President Mamady Doumbouya recalled Ambassador Kananathan’s connections with Guinea as an entrepreneur and his past role as adviser on investments to former Guinea President Alpha Condé. He also thanked the ambassador for bringing in foreign investments for maize cultivation and the sugar industry through the Investment Promotion Agency of Guinea (APIP). Well, this is according to a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry.
“The President further said that as Ambassador to Guinea he could bring more investments to Guinea from Sri Lanka to invest in diverse fields under the most beneficial and lucrative terms and conditions presented for FDIs in Guinea, which will create a win-win situation.”
One may wonder, whose interests these businessmen turned ambassadors are furthering while holding office at the expense of taxpayers.
Ambassador Kananathan was recently in the news for providing “a friend’s private aircraft” to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa for a personal trip to India.
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!