Sri Lankans do not remember the story of Kumbakarana. If Kumbakarana slept for one day, he would be awake for one day. If he slept for a week, he would be awake for a week, and so on.
I believe it is a true saying. There are Kumbakaranas on both sides of politics. Of those with the President some have awakened now, with an eye on the coming General Election. Some others have begun to paste posters of the President to intimidate entrepreneurs and raise funds for the coming election. Others are yet asleep! The President must become aware, if he is not already aware, of these Kumbakaranas so that he will know who assisted him in his victory. Likewise the Opposition too has appointed its own Kumbakaranas.
With the advent of a new political era, there are some matters, which need comment. The Government and especially its chief constituent, the SLFP, should understand and accept the value of the private enterprise. The economic thinking of the S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike era and its aftermath during Madame Bandaranaike’s tenure of office saw a wave of nationalization of businesses and property. Dr. N.M. Perera who Mrs. Bandaranaike once described as the ‘person who killed my husband, without actually assassinating him’, joined her cabinet as Finance Minister to further influence the policies of state ownership at the time. Such is the way of politics. However Dr. N.M. Perera was always aware of settling Sri Lanka’s foreign debts, even though the people had to eat yam and sweet potatoes.
The J.R. Jayewardene Government reaped the benefit of this, both economically and politically. International finance and credit was available because we had honoured our foreign debts.
Recently we were invited to chant pirith at the General Hospital in Colombo. It tramspired that the Hospital lacked in medicine which had to be bought from priviate pharmacies. Urgent surgeries have to be performed at Private hospitals, because the Government Hospital has such a long waiting list.
To admit a child to a Government School a parent may need 100,000/- SLR, to be paid to some Principals or their henchmen. If admission is through powerful politicians, the sum could be doubled. The benefits of a free education are replaced by debt ridden parents, who will be too frightened to beget children in the future.
When Ranil Wickremesinghe served as Minister of Education and Samaraweera Weerawanni was his deputy, it was the Gangaramaya that published the first notice about Education through International Schools, so that the pressure on admission could be relieved. Many of the Private International Schools thus begun have become thriving commercial establishments. Both good and bad can be seen in this sector.
In most Government offices it takes ‘santhosams’ to move a file. Regretfully in certain revenue earning services, such as the Customs it is alleged that huge sums are earned by some corrupt officers.
The Insurance Corporation, a boon to the people, was privatized. In fairness we must say that it was further developed by those who got it. It is once again a state owned entity via Court action. If three fourths of the value of payments made for buying medicines at the General Hospital can be paid to the Insurance Corporation which can in turn reimburse the value of drugs purchased by patients, on submission of bills, there will be a saving of Government expenditure, some business to the Insurance Corporation and a benefit to the people.
It is true that President Rajapaksa’s victory could be said to be a victory of the Sinhala people. But all minorities are essentially an important and valuable section of our nation. The leaders of our minorities have it in their power to have a vision for their people to be an integral part of the Sri Lankan community and to lead them with wisdom to that end.
Let the rulers open their eyes to see the abuses of those having political power and those who are corrupt in the Government and the Police.
May all religious leaders come forth to protect and guide our future generation. |
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