Friday, January 16, 2015

Times Are Moving Fast

By S. Sivathasan -January 16, 2015

S. Sivathasan

Bloodless Revolution and Counter Revolution

If Sri Lanka saw the first ‘Bloodless Revolution’ in April 1956, she saw her second in January 2015. Temple Trees was ‘stormed’ on 8 January and ‘royalty’ fled on the 9th. The flight was not without a try with a sinister stratagem that failed. Even after the regime is displaced, the dynasty lingers on.

Jim Corbett the hunter of man eating tigers of Kumaon, India says “A tiger is not dead till it is skinned”. After a regime is supplanted, its structure requires to be dismantled. Laments of the dynasty are not about its demise. Thoughts are on resurrection. Plots are about counter-revolution. The deposed President is not at ease twiddling his thumbs at Hambantota. His dreams are on a glorious morrow. The ‘Ancien Regime’ knows the possibilities of the electronic age. The ‘Nascent Regime’ should fly apace at supersonic speed.

France and Russia

Even in revolutionary times, history did not move with lightning speed. In the matter of dealing with royalty, France lumbered along. Louis XVI had a span of 42 months between the storming of the bastille on 14 July 1789, and his fate with the guillotine on 21 January 1793. Intervening in between were two episodes. Flight (horse carriage) to Varennes on 21 June 1791 and capture on 13 August 1792. Details illustrate post revolution happenings in slow motion. The revolutionaries hit back when counter revolution threatened them with Louis as the rallying point.

By Nagananda Kodituwakku -January 16, 2015

Nagananda Kodituwakku

For the first time after 1978 Constitution came into being, all Sri Lankan citizens were united in 2015 presidential election to elect the Executive President. People without a difference in cast, creed or ethnic difference placed absolute trust and confidence in you. However since elected to the office what people witness today is not appealing and naturally it creates doubt in the minds of the people about your credibility.

First and foremost it is questionable whether people want you to place any trust on the same decomposed elements in the governance of this island nation. Given the ground situation as it stands now, we understand that it is extremely difficult to fulfil the pledges you made to people to be realised in 100 days. Nevertheless, people want you to focus on your instinct and not to violate the enormous trust placed in you by the people.

Your pledge was for it to be not more than 25 members in your Cabinet but the implementation was a letdown having no such limit. Like me, most fellow citizens are absolutely disappointed with your current team selection. People observe that except for a few, others are totally inefficient and incompetent time wasters with no proven integrity and will to deliver.Read More