The 13th Amendment and the Curate’s egg
There is a strong effort to prevent any action on the 13th Amendment by powerful opinion builders. However, we know that the 13th Amendment has been in the statute book for 26 years without being accepted and fully implemented by the country.
Can we then deny that it had been kicked to the long grass, and for very good reasons?
The Catholic Bishops have also come on the side of not tampering with the 13th Amendment at this moment and have urged the holding of the Northern Council elections. However, they have very wisely advocated working out a new Constitution. Does this mean nullifying the 13th Amendment and making the results of the election irrelevant?
The Catholic Bishops themselves will agree that the 13th Amendment could be compared with a Curate’s egg. (A curate is a parish priest). A "curate’s egg" is a phrase used to describe something that is at least partly bad, but with some arguably redeeming features. The only question one would ask is "Do you know of an egg which you have eaten which was partly bad !!".
Whether we stick to the 13th Amendment or whether we abandon it makes not the slightest difference. The same state of affairs will continue, if we do not consciously take on the task of setting up an ideal of the optimum our people can aspire to. We need to plan our society with reference to it - the "optimum" itself being established on the basis of
- in depth and genuine investigations related to ecological and cultural values, security of the country,
- economic efficiency and democratic governance
Otherwise, we will continue aimlessly as another Third World nation.
The country has to take note that the 13th Amendment is not a Sri Lankan creation. It was one that was imposed on us. In the form it has been implemented, it has been a white elephant. If one looks into the collapse of our system of governance, one could find the answer. The system we have is fundamentally alien to us and has not taken root.
We are actually trying desperately to appease the unreal aspirations of some emotionally charged persons in the Tamil Community. They originated from the North and the East. The Tamil community, today, form about 8 to 9 per cent of the entire population. Most of them live outside the North and the East making this play a charade.
Those who have worked in the Provinces and Districts outside Colombo know that the District is a far more rational entity for devolution than a Province.
It is time therefore that the people are consulted on this matter to formulate a new system of governance where they take responsibility for their actions. They have to be asked the question at a Referendum "Do you want the devolution to be to the Province or should devolution be to the GN division, the Pradeshiya Sabha and the District in a New Constitution?".
We know from the Catholic Church, about which I referred earlier in this article, that its strength comes from a strong network of parish Councils all over the country. That is effective subsidiarity at work. Translated to the political scene it is the Village Council or the Gramarajya which Gandhiji conceptualized that will actually transform this small country to evolve into a success story. In other words enable the people to take charge of their destiny and be responsible for it.
The great achievements in this country especially the heights in engineering skills was possible because people were inspired with training and confidence to get the best of their potential.
We are at the cross roads of history. We have to think anew and out of the box with faith in all our people and in the future of our country.
Senex
