7 March 2024 12:00 am Views - 1339
Sri Lankans as a whole haven’t read enough about politics or believe too much about its abilities that it’s the cure for all ills; otherwise, Sri Lankans would not have been cheated by their lawmakers for 76 long years! Now, we are trying to ‘read’ Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the National People’s Power. We have already read the Wickremesinghe chapter, and only the former hints that all the government’s stolen monies will be brought back and the culprits punished, when a new government assumes power.
We voters have an issue. We don’t demand that the lawmaker talks the truth. When the two Chapters of the highest Buddhist Order of this island nation started giving enough hints of late that politicians cannot be trusted, many thought that this call came very late.
Italian play writer, actor and political campaigner, Dario Fo has affirmed that though people would topple a government that is corrupt, and hope that the new regime would recover stolen monies, history has proved that it doesn’t happen.
Sri Lankans as a whole haven’t read enough about politics or believe too much about its abilities that it’s the cure for all ills; otherwise, Sri Lankans would not have been cheated by their lawmakers for 76 long years!
Now, we are trying to ‘read’ Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the National People’s Power. We have already read the Wickremesinghe chapter, and only the former hints that all the government’s stolen monies will be brought back and the culprits punished, when a new government assumes power. Italian play writer, actor and political campaigner, Dario Fo has affirmed that though people would topple a government that is corrupt, and hope that the new regime would recover stolen monies, history has proved that it doesn’t happen.
Every politician talks about building this nation and we forget that it’s a politician who is talking. When we hear a film director talking about making a film no one wants to hear him talk. We just want to see the end product which is often a hit film or a masterpiece. Unlike arguments that take place in the political scene, arguments that take place in the ‘set’ in a film are all aimed at making the film better. Arguments in the film industry are not about personal gain. They are about the success of the film, but in politics it’s the opposite.
We voters have an issue. Or in other words most Sri Lankans, who are adults, have a problem; especially when they are involved in some kind of production for a living. There is less demand for high quality products and services and people make the situation worse by asking for inferior goods and services. The same goes with the making of a country or movie. We don’t demand that the lawmaker talks the truth, earns his monies the legitimate way and has a spotless character. When the two Chapters of the highest Buddhist Order of this island nation started giving enough hints of late that politicians cannot be trusted, many thought that this call came very late. There was a recent incident where a male actor (a former proof reader in a Sinhala newspaper) affirmed that any theatre production in Sri Lanka must be certified by the SLS sign. He was frowning on cheap cinematic or stage productions. But he was found guilty of being involved in an inferior stage production abroad after making this statement, and when questioned, his reasoning was ‘film productions are so rare today I had to get involved in an inferior production to pay for my bills and groceries’.
Sri Lankans have come down in their standards when electing their representatives to Parliament. Right now, there are some signs of stability in the economy, and that’s enough of a platform for the capable entrepreneur to make a profit from his business. Such an entrepreneur will not bother to put the entire country on track and the corrupt lawmaker out of Parliament. This is the irony of this country. Their businesses are here and their vision for their children is abroad. For many among the less affluent who are glued to the television, there is no problem in this country; they watch the kids perform in a reality show early in the evening, then they see the youth showcase their skills in performance arts, and the day is wrapped up several hours later enjoying a 60 plus reality show. Sorry, there is no time to watch news!
Today there are enough avenues and options to destroy your opponents. Social media is one big tool used for this purpose. Many years ago, people in power responded to their critics, opponents and rivals in a very creative manner; often with a poem or a book. Now the preferred option is to silence or destroy your critics. Our celebrated cartoonist, Yoonus was manhandled by a top lawmaker in this country, when the former found his very own existence threatened. Several years before that incident, Sir John Kotelawala invited Yoonus to his official residence for a meal, and to show the artist how he had decorated his walls at home with a selection of the artist’s works. People were cultured enough to coexist at one point during the history of this country.
Now, it’s a question about trust and ability. Just the other day, this writer was travelling in a three-wheeler, and along the road there were enough posters reflecting the good times that will befall upon the NPP and its Leader, Dissanayake. The driver of the three-wheeler happened to be a staunch supporter of the NPP, and was underscoring the fact that the people have had enough and have learnt their lessons. However, he blurted out, “Come election day, the people of this country remain a bunch that cannot be trusted”.
Change must start from within the people. People must become better and more responsible citizens. It’s only then that the saying by famous American author, Arnold. W. Glasgow might, some day, come true and Sri Lanka will produce a leader who’ll make this nation a better place to live in. That saying goes as “One of the Tests of Leadership is the Ability to Recognize a Problem before it becomes an Emergency”.