“All Are equal But Some Are More Equal Than Others” In Sri Lanka (With Apologies To George Orwell)
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)
While following the many developments in this so-called Dharmadweepa in the administration of justice, my mind races towards the well –known novella by George Orwell- which although an ostensibly a fairy story of farm animals, was really a thinly veiled allegory for the (Trotsky/Stalin) Soviet Union. The animals are led by a pair of pigs, Snowball (Trotsky) and Napoleon (Stalin), who lead a rebellion against the human owner of the farm. The animals successfully drive him out and establish Animal Farm. They agree to adopt the Seven Commandments of Animalism as their constitution. The most important of these is the last commandment: “All animals are equal.”
Napoleon runs Snowball off the farm and gives himself full leadership. He gradually violates more and more of the commandments as his behaviour becomes increasing like that of their previous human master. The climax comes years later when the animals spot Napoleon walking on his hind legs while carrying a whip (violations of the commandments) and discover that all the commandments have been reduced to simply “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”. Logically, this quote is nonsensical. To be equal means to be exactly the same, so there cannot be more or less equal. You are either equal or unequal. What it however symbolizes is the open admission that the ideals of social justice and equality that inspired the animal’s revolution will never come to fruition.
This quote aptly captures the drama revolving round Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thero’s (GST) jail sentence and subsequently letting him off on bail. It was not just a comical stroke of justice in this fast failing state of Sri Lanka, but also sends dangerous signals to the country that rogues and thugs in politics and saffron robes will and can continue to act with impunity and enjoy immunity from the process of justice; all they need is state patronage and some pressure from those in the saffron class- a powerful class which has been parading in the corridors of power ever since SWRD was voted into office (although lessons are not learnt when SWRD himself fell a victim to a bullet by rogues members of that same class!). This saga indeed lends truth to what George Orwell showed in this famous novel. Yes! “All Are equal but some are more equal than others” in fairy tale Sri Lanka.
This hardline rogue monk was incidentally found guilty of having threatened the woman activist Sandya Ekneligoda, who was seeking justice for her husband who mysteriously disappeared during MR time. In 2016, GST interrupted a court hearing over the abduction of this journalist, Prageeth Ekneligoda, in which military intelligence officials were accused. He shouted at the judge and lawyers because the military officials had not been allowed bail, and threatened Ekneligoda’s wife in filthy language. So, the Magistrate Udesh Ranathunga recently sentenced the monk to two terms of six months in jail, to be served concurrently, as well as a fine of 1,500 rupees, and a payment of 50,000 rupees as compensation to his wife Sandya. GST also faces a separate contempt of court case over the same incident. When, he was put behind bars, there were wide discourses all over the country initiated by the top hierarchy in the various chapters about the permissibility of disrobing this monk in jail and getting him to don a jumper. This concern was interestingly not shown when many other rogue Bikkhus were arrested and jailed for numerous offences.
