Presidential Election, Tamils And Sedatives
By S. Sivathasan -December 24, 2014
S. Sivathasan
“They may have studied a thousand epics, but have failed to fathom the deep recesses of the poet’s mind” – Bharathi.
For anyone, whatever be the country, an election is quite demanding. It requires a study of issues and a good assessment of the principal contenders. Qualities of diligence and judicious judgment are called for from the voters. In Sri Lanka at this point of time, when issues of life and death seek examination and decision, the exercise needs far greater effort.
For eighty years and more we Tamils placed ourselves between the hammer and the anvil. In 2009 we were beaten to pulp. Yet the community demonstrated its resilience for resurgence. But failing to garner the benefit from this remarkable quality, a category of thinking, though insignificant and miniscule seeks to lead some people astray. They show the thoughtless path called BOYCOTT. On those of a sterner frame challenges sit lightly and make survival less difficult. To those traumatized for long by the travails of war, least resistance is an easier option. What is strange, those who have suffered most adversely are poised for resistance. It is the spurious interlopers who run for the comfort zone.
It is a senseless group identified by the Tamils as incapable of even following, leave aside leading, that is marketing Boycott. It calls itself Tamil National People’s Front, which in 2010 was decisively defeated and cast away with disgust. Unable to regain traction or territory it dreads the people’s endorsement of the TNAposition and by extension total acceptance of the TNA itself. Therefore at the Presidential Election, it takes to this course with motives that are sinister and dastardly.Read More
8th Jan: Liberating The Judiciary From ‘Servitude’
Lukman Harees
‘The bedrock of our democracy is the rule of law and that means we have to have an independent judiciary, judges who can make decisions independent of the political winds that are blowing’.- Caroline Kennedy (US)
It has been a matter of regret that successive Post-1970 governments have been attempting to (and mostly succeeded) to subdue or enslave the Judiciary by various dubious means, to make their political dreams come true, least bothering about whether they impinge on people’s rights or not. How JRJ Government impeached the outspoken CJ Neville Samarakoon, and how the MR government impeached CJ Bandaranayake for not toeing their line ,were perfect examples of such political misconduct. On the other hand, there were/are characters like CJ Sarath Silva and Present CJ Mohan Pieris, both of whom were appointed to this highest office over others more deserving than them, chose to or continue to throw lifelines to those in power, the cumulative effect of which was the gradual erosion of public confidence in the Judicial process and Rule of Law in the country. This process of degeneration found its’ peak, during this MR Regime. Sri Lanka’s judges and magistrates then formally protested, its’ lawyers held candlelight processions to lament the “darkness that has descended” over the rule of law. The international legal fraternity too protested, but MR stood his ground. It was therefore not surprising that the people did not show any signs of shock, when the Supreme Court found that MR has no legal bars to contest for the third time.Read More