The ethnic oriented politics of Sri Lanka, fear of the tyranny of the minority, fear of the SLMC and the CWC dictating to the two major parties have almost forced the Sinhalese - the majority community - to come up with the appointment of a Sinhala Commission to go into the grievances of their people.
Strictly speaking, in a sense, such a commission is regrettable in that it is a serious matter for any country where the majority feel their existence is threatened.
Apart from South Africa in the bad old days of not-so-long-ago, Sri Lanka must be the only country where the majority feel isolated, threatened. even dominated.
The abandonment of a national Sri Lankan identity by opportunistic politicians has given rise to communal politics in Sri Lanka.
Little effort is being made to have a national identity. To pander to a few extremists devolution packages are being introduced, carving up the island on ethnic lines.
According to the convenors, the commission headed by a respected former Supreme Court judge will be a rallying point for the Sinhala people to obtain rectification of injustices, safeguard their culture and traditions.
It is emphasised that the inquiry will not only apply to Buddhists but to all Sinhala people and cover a period of 200 years.
The National Joint Committee spearheaded by the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress has been embroiled in a controversy. Recently the ACBC held a demonstration to protest against the alleged takeover of land from the sacred Deeghavapi area in Ampara. The commission’s work and report will have meaning and effect only to the extent it rises above party politics and acts in the highest national interest.
We will continue to lobby for a national identity where Sri Lanka will be one nation; and Sri Lankans, one people.
While the President under the Constitution has the right to hire or fire public servants, the recent sacking of Justice Ministry secretary Dhara Wijetilleka without giving reasons, spotlights the root cause of the cancer that is killing the public service.
The public service today has been undermined and rejected as a lethargic, bureaucratic monstrosity or nonentity Ñ not because it lacked men and women of integrity and dynamism but largely because of excessive party political interference.
The public service has produced some of the greatest men and women of Sri Lanka and it still has this potential. But as a senior educationist said recently, the problem is public servants fear to even move a file without treading on the toes of some petty politico.
For what reason was Dhara Wijetilleka sacked Ñ for good reason, bad reason or for no reason except that somebody did not like her face or ways? The people have a right to know. Transparency, my foot. On the other hand, Ms. Wijetilleka in an interview published in our news feature pages today has said charges that she obstructed or undermined government policy were ‘bunkum’.
The public service and even the judiciary now are being battered by party politics. This week it was sad to hear a judge speaking of his belated promotion, obviously because he had not toed the party line in some case.
We urge that even at this late stage, the destructive trend of politicising the public service be stopped and that the Public Services Commission be reinvested with full authority in matters of appointment, promotions and disciplinary action.
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