Achieving religious amity in SL
Editorial-March 12, 2014, 8:48 pm
The launch by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, on Tuesday, of a South Asia Policy and Research Institute (SAPRI) commissioned report on measures to be adopted to ensure respect and tolerance of religions in Sri Lanka, could not have come at a worse time for President Mahinda Rajapaksa troubled by a US-sponsored resolution at the UNHRC. The timing of its release suggests that it was calculated to aggravate the government’s Geneva woes.
However, the SAPRI and CBK have done something that the government should have undertaken years ago—conducting a study to find out the root causes of religious violence and ways and means of obviating them. Attacks have been carried out on places of worship belonging to religious minorities and there is no way they could be swept under the carpet. As Minister Rauff Hakeem is reported to have said, at a recent Cabinet meeting, of such condemnable incidents, it is an exercise in futility to try to hide a pumpkin on a plate of rice.
Meanwhile, as for advice CBK has proffered to the government on good governance let the cobbler stick to his last. The incumbent dispensation has to mend its ways and correct its course; it, no doubt, needs lessons on good governance etc. But, what moral right does CBK have to teach anyone else good governance? Does she think Sri Lankans have drunk from the Lethe and forgotten their suffering during her rule? Media institutions were attacked; journalists were assaulted and killed. Her security chief, Nihal Karunaratne, was sentenced to two years RI for obstructing a police officer. Some of her security officers were sentenced to jail for attacking artistes, Rukantha and his wife, Chandralekha. Notorious underworld figure, Beddegana Sanjeewa, in her security division, was appointed a reserve police officer! The North-Western Provincial Council election in 1999 has gone down in history as the worst ever electoral contest in this country. Women activists of the UNP were stripped naked and paraded on streets by goons led by CBK’s ministers; polling agents of the Opposition were chased away and ballot boxes stuffed openly while the police looked the other way. The Supreme Court (SC) has held that CBK as President abused her power and violated public trust by transferring crown land for the construction of the Waters Edge Golf course by one of her cronies. The SC reversed the deal and ordered her to pay two million rupees. So much for good governance and the rule of law during her tenure as president!
But, let CBK be praised for her principled stand as regards ethno-religious matters. Never a racial or religious bigot she did her utmost to find a political solution to the ethnic issue and went so far as to offer Prabhakaran the North for ten years without elections provided he agreed to eschew terrorism and negotiate a political settlement. But, he rejected her offer contemptuously.
It is unfortunate that CBK has failed to exercise control over her restless, political tongue; she has, with her bilious outpouring, let her report aimed at bringing about religious coexistence be seen as a political bludgeon to beat the Rajapaksas with. Not that the ruling clan does not deserve a severe thrashing, but that is a task best left to its political rivals. When a campaign which has to be devoid of partisan politics to achieve an apolitical goal like religious amity is seen to be used as a Trojan horse it loses its credibility and fails to transcend political boundaries.
The government should not make the mistake of ignoring or condemning the SAPRI commissioned report simply because of its animosity towards CBK. It ought not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. The problem of religious intolerance which finds expression in aggressive protests and even direct action from time to time cannot be wished away. Nor should it be blown out of proportion for political reasons. It needs to be realistically assessed and remedial action taken. The government should be prepared to take on board all views and do everything in its power to tackle the problem as a national priority.
