The Island OPINION Thuesday 19th February, 2009 Views LETTERS 9 The British ‘Rukman shown cohorts of terror ri Lanka did right to to task in a court. I think the kick the British special President should appoint Senvoy and keep it that somebody to that task before way when it comes to the so it does irreparable damage called “helping hand” from and sully the victories the wrong way’ UK as well as EU who more gained by the forces. And all or less believe the British we need to do is show the propos Nanda Godage’s applause of and diversity of thought which is of the for the government to dismantle that structure version of everything (like world, people running for Rukman Senanayake’s “unconditional essence of democracy, the very life and breath and jettison it in favour of a complete egalitari- the weapons of mass destruc- their lives “towards” these Asupport” of the government on the of a free society. anism. This, of course, bespeaks a total con- tion in Iraq, ha, ha). The concentration camps to nail “national issue” ( ‘The Island’ Feb. 13, page 11), Such betrayal breeds totalitarianism, may version of constitutional faith in all of country of the BBC is on a these BBC liars and make it is important to point out that this must not be benign at the beginning, but inevitably Parliament. mission to spread the lies of them eat their words. That be confused with “an end to confrontational becoming worse and worse with time and ulti- Instantly that happens, the Opposition as we the Tigers to the world. would be fun to watch. politics” also referred to, in the sense of uni- mately totally totalitarian in the end. And know it, must as instantly vanish, and with it Last night BBC claimed Government need to counter versal consensus politics. then, that would be hell on earth, as “Power also all the acrimonies of perennial contest the IDP camps were deten- these allegations from Our Westminster system is structured on corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolute- which is the diabolical evil intrinsic to the tion camps and concentra- Alagaiah and the clan with the artificial basis of the majority party assum- ly”. Westminster model and the source of all our tion camps. Their special true reports. There should be ing totality of government, even if the strength Government without Opposition in the political woes. Instead of that, what would pre- correspondent in an organized (preferably con- of the majority is a majority of one, and sense of consensus as the late A. H. M. Ashraff vail would be of the quintessence of democracy (who always turns out to be a sisting of reporters) “canard national suffrage is effectively divided. conceived it, can only mean a voluntary coming - self-government in a spirit not of back-stab- Tamil, surprise, surprise ) busters” unit to counteract In such a case, the government is a near together of all parties in a spirit of total power bing but of toleration and compromise. The sat and nodded his head these terror spreaders across wholesale misrepresentation and caricature of sharing. Practically, this must mean power Buddhist inspiration indicated is a striking when the BBC news anchor the world. ‘The Sunday the popular support base, virtually half of it sharing pro rata the suffrage each party gains advance on the English constitutionalism devel- read from a Tiger prepared Telegraph’ claims President being supportive, not of the govern- at the polls. This factor to determine the distri- oped thus far. paper. Where else do they get Rajapaksa is another ment but of the Opposition! bution of the executive portfolios, as distinct It must again be emphasized, however, in this kind of “news”? Not sur- Mugabe! Running the North In our perverse system, from even the wafer thin majority of one that this cataclysmically revolutionary transforma- prisingly, all you need is like a huge concentration the winner takes all! does the trick under the Westminster mode, tion, the ball is in the government’s court and money in one or two camp! And we are supposed If Mr. Rukman whereby half the popular representation is not in the hands of anyone in the Opposition. reporters’ pockets to buy out to have a special envoy Senanayake were reduced to pariah status. At this opportunity, the undersigned would a whole broadcasting station rammed down our throat to commit such True consensus is entirely a different kettle like to make another contribution of his own to for yourself. And Tigers are from a country which is as an Opposition to of fish from the ad hoc support spoken of by the country’s political rehabilitation - the not short of money due to the clueless as above or prepared the government, Nanda Godage in the current context. introduction of annual elections once recom- support they get from these to be fed by the Tigers. No that would The President himself early on in his pres- mended by jurist and philosopher Jeremy countries. Their twisted thanks Mr. Brown. You are be a gross ent career spoke with admiration of and aspira- Bentham to counteract political corruption in reporting is so obvious and on your way out. Don’t try to betrayal not tion towards the higher consensus as spring- the England of his day. full of blatant lies I am sur- drag us down with you. only of the its ing from a spirit that led the Buddha himself This idea could be further adapted to pro- prised the Sri Lankan gov- own support base, to exhort the princes of Lichchevi to “Meet in vide for staggered referral of the parliamentary ernment has not taken them Citizen S but also of the fun- Togetherness, to Discuss in Togetherness, and membership in, say, batches of one fifth or one damental principle (even) Disperse in Togetherness”. sixth of the membership at a time enabling of the freedom of To achieve that “togetherness”, the initia- full renewal in five or six years - effectively the dissent tive must essentially come not from the same as now - with the difference that mean- Cricket- weary Opposition - which would plainly be while Parliament all in all is kept on the qui only toadying to the government – vive all its life in the service of the sovereign Sri Lankan cricketers but from the government. It people and the latter correspondingly on the demands the break- up of the watch over Parliament in a continuing symbiot- constitutional bonds that bind ic relationship - and not in fits of frenzy once any cricket fans here aspects of the game. Even in all of us to the present every five or six years at a time. It would make and abroad are so dis- the shorter type of the game, Westminsterial scheme. It for more stable and sensible politics. Mappointed with the they keep the ball grounded demands that the government It is dearly to be hoped that given the admi- recent poor performances of with fine placement. They are come down from its superior ration President Rajapaksa has already evinced our cricketers who were nearly technically sound in guarding pedestal and mingle with the for the consensus politics of Buddhist teaching beaten even by teams like the wicket and wearing the Opposition in an equality of as superior to the perverse ‘Winner takes all’ of Bangladesh, not to mention the bowlers. power-sharing, qualified sole- the English mode, his bold leadership will beating by India. Our crick- Our field placements are so ly in the manner indicated eventually advance towards the shaking off of eters are consistent in two mat- weak with many gaps that it is above in the distribution of its slavish shackles in preference for the supe- ters - beating world records easy to score. Our fielders wait the executive power of gov- rior wisdom of the East on the point. and losing consistently. till the ball comes to them with- ernance. It is a task exclu- IPL cricket has not only out running, for, many a time sively for the government destroyed the techniques of we find there is none to cover that holds the legisla- S. Costa our cricketers but has also the wicket, losing run outs. tive power in its hands. President made them cricket- weary. It is The future of cricket in Sri Therefore, it is entirely Kandy Litigants Association also seen in greats like Lanka seems doomed as we Tendulkar. The human system have signed an agreement for has limited endurance and it is 10 long years with BCCI/IPL., no wonder that injuries and and the ICL. physical weariness and lack of Food for votes and votes for food fitness have to be expected in Cricket Lover facing so may encoun- propos the editorial in ‘The ful job of wiping out terrorism People living in glass houses like the Englishmen. During World ters. Even the spectators Island’ of Feb.9, food and from our beloved motherland, by should not throw stones at others. War II then Premier Neville themselves get weary. Aliquor has been used as a stating that he gives free meals to It is high time that the UNP Chamberlain could not persuade In this globalized world, bait in politics for quite a long time. those who visit his home. That had change their wavering leader who the German leader Adolf Hitler not cricket too has become a com- It takes my thoughts back to the been the practice of our people is like a stick in the mud - not con- to attack Poland and he resigned mercialized commodity – giv- derisive words, “Bath Gotta”, a from the time of our ancient kings sistent in his thoughts and utter- and Winston Churchill a strong- ing rise to a new brand of nickname for UNP supporters, of Sri Lanka, as our people are very ances. willed war veteran took over. ‘mudalalis’ where the motivat- catchers and henchmen who hospitable and lavish. The UNP stalwant Karu Similary, strong- willed ing force is only profit greed accepted free rice packets during It has to be noted that our Jayasuriya is the best bet for the backed by war where value systems have election times for their support in President offers food at his home at UNP if they want to win an elec- veteran Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is evaded them. electioneering for various candi- the official residence, whereas the tion. He is, I think, a descendant of doing a wonderful job and will wipe The prevailing economic dates in their electorates and other ‘Bath Gottas’ get them otherwise on Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala out terrorism once and for all from crisis in the West and Japan candidates’ electorates. the roads, at election rallies and the the national hero. our shores. too has been described by some According to my memory the UNP offices. is consistant in his thoughts and an Let us co-operate with him as philosophers and religious free rice packets were given during A drowning man it is said experienced politician and a the thousands of UNPers who are leader as due to greed that a ’s premiership. clutches a straw. Similarly the UNP national leader. joining him daily, for our future consumerist society fosters. UNP statements from the leader knowing very well that they will be It is the leadership that matters generations to live peacefully. The techniques adopted by downwards are now trying to wiped out are levelling unfounded, in any sphere, be it sports, politics India and other international ridicule President Mahinda various frivolous charges at the or business. V. K. B. Ramanayake teams should provide object Rajapaksa, who is doing a wonder- government and its leader. We should be national- minded Maharagama lessons to our cricketers in all

World’s a stage where Moral Rights of UK and USA Mr. Thambimuttu in a letter to tutional systems employed in the like the other political parties held by them, without using them arts graduates have to ‘The Island’ (17 February) titled US or for that matter in Australia, should lay down arms and join as human shields. “Why Flay Blake?” has referred to is not practicable in countries the political system. Instead, from The UK and the USA have be sans teeth for ever? the UK and the USA having a like Sri Lanka or India, as they the inception itself, the LTTE created problems by interfering in moral responsibility to negotiate a have different ethnic minorities. eliminated all Tamil political lead- the internal affairs of other coun- political settlement in Sri Lanka. The issue in Sri Lanka is that the ers to show the world that they are tries, for eg., in Iraq and Would Mr. Jayatissa Perera kindly tell us why he But Sri Lanka is a sovereign state LTTE is fighting for one-fourth of the only spokesmen for the Tamil Afghanistan. We do not agree that mentioned Shakespeare in a letter (Feb. 18) in which and not a colony to be dictated to the country, the North and the community. For the LTTE this is the UK and the USA have moral he denigrates arts graduates as unemployable while by other countries. East, for 12 percent of the Tamil how democracy works. The LTTE, rights or responsibilities to going into raptures over the employability of non We agree with Mr. T. that hun- population. with the support of ‘invisible advise others how to run their arts graduates? Was Shakespeare well known for his dred per cent of the Tamil com- Ifas Mr.T.says,that the prob- hands’ used force by taking arms. countries. munity is not for Eelam. lem should be sorted out through If the LTTE believes in democracy, Dr. P. A. Samaraweera, employability in the private sector or was he able to His proposal to adopt consti- the democratic process, the LTTE it should release all the civilians Australia. score high marks in quiz programmes like the mod- ern day “science or engineering?” students? He ends his letter saying, “Arts graduates are a frustrated lot. They know they are misfits in society and that no employer in the private sector will hire Reply to “Of what use is an arts graduate?” them because, like the shop assistant in the super- market, they only have bloated minds with nothing inside!” I read with interest Jayatissa English and has recourse to the English, because I firmly believe private sector on the other hand Does this mean that arts graduates today have no Perera’s letter on the question “Of internet. The majority of local arts that Sinhala alone is inadequate to will recruit those who pass out of chance in the private sector because they have what use is an arts graduate?” in graduates do not know English. So, broaden a person’s mind. The private institutions or from foreign “crammed the notes without doing any extra read- the views and opinions column of they cannot read books in English majority of arts graduates who universities. Arts degrees in Sri ing” or, if they have studied anything at all, it would ‘The Island’ newspaper of or do research on the internet. pass out of the Sinhala medium Lanka are a complete waste of tax be useless? By any chance, had they known any- February 18. Hence, they are compelled to study will gain employment in the state payer’s money. Besides, arts gradu- thing about this person called Shakespeare - like The underlying problem with lecture notes and sit exams. sector or stay at home. I am told ates have wasted time and their Mr. Perera and the quiz kids seem to know - would arts graduates is that they lack Reading notes and passing exams is that there are women who are arts “little grey cells” in studying arts they have secured employment in the private sector English knowledge. A person’s gen- not the proper way to learn any graduates working in garment fac- subjects in Sri Lanka. and been cured of their “bloated minds?” eral knowledge will greatly subject. Book reading is essential tories now. I believe that this was Niranjan Bandaranayake, Susantha P. Hewa improve if he/she reads books in and that too must be done in not the case some years ago. The Mount Lavinia