Towards a kudu hub

Editorial-December 12, 2013, 8:28 pm 

In a dramatic turn of events, prime ministerial aide, Keerthi Sri Weerasinghe who intervened to help a Pakistani drug smuggler clear a container with a large consignment of heroin secreted therein has resigned. He has claimed that he issued a letter to the Customs for that purpose as he thought the main suspect was a genuine importer. He seems to have taken the public for suckers. Investigations need to be conducted to find out whether he has issued similar letters previously.

Why didn’t the police arrest Weerasinghe like any other suspect wanted in connection with a serious narcotics-related offence? All those who have benefited from the suspects responsible for smuggling in heroin must be arrested, probed and punished if found guilty.

It is a supreme irony that Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne happened to declare in Parliament a few moons ago that politicians were involved in the narcotics trade. He earned plaudits for making that bold statement though he made no revelation as such. That drug czars cannot carry out their sordid operations without political backing is only too well known. Now, one of his own Coordinating Secretaries stands accused of aiding and abetting drug smuggling! No wonder the country is awash with narcotics and the police are fighting a losing battle against wealthy drug barons who have influential politicians in their pocket.

The aforesaid resignation is proof that pressure from the media and the Opposition has yielded the desired effect. But, anything is possible in this country where politicians are all powerful. They know more than one way to shoe a horse, as they say. There have been instances where heroin sent to the Government Analyst’s Department for testing became kurakkan flour much to the consternation of judges. So, one need not be surprised if the on-going investigations into the largest ever heroin haul detected in this country are hushed up and the suspects go scot free.

A political leader is known by his aides, and the Prime Minister has a lot of explaining to do. His aide’s resignation won’t do. It is puzzling why the government politicians have so many crooks as coordinating secretaries and advisors maintained with public funds.

One of the government allies, the (Jathika Hela Urumaya) (JHU) has called for the PM’s arrest over the drug scandal. JHU leader and outspoken Buddhist monk, Ven. Omalpe Sobitha thera minced no words and pulled no punches when he said at a recent public meeting that the Prime Minister and his ‘acolytes’ had to be taken in for questioning. His statement went down well with the public, but the JHU hasn’t said what action it would take to ensure that its call will be heeded.

We are reminded of the JVP’s demand for scrapping a joint mechanism the Chandrika Kumaratunga government offered to set up in 2004 to share tsunami relief with the LTTE. The JVP had MPs in the UPFA government including 4 Cabinet ministers and 4 deputy ministers. On realising that its demand wouldn’t be met and much legitimacy would accrue to the LTTE from the proposed project, the JVP pulled out of the ruling coalition. Its withdrawal turned out to be a political miscalculation in that President Kumaratunga couldn’t get the joint mechanism off the ground. But, the fact remains that JVP stuck to its guns on the issue.

One wouldn’t care whether the JHU remains in the UPFA coalition or not. But, how could the Saffron Party justify being part of the government while calling for the arrest of its Prime Minister? It has threatened to break ranks with the UPFA if foreign casinos are allowed to open gaming resorts here. Does it believe that the setting up of casinos is a worse crime than heroin smuggling? It seems to have put its political survival before its much-flaunted cause. Whether it will be able to increase its vote bank by bellowing rhetoric while running with the hare and hunting with the hounds remains to be seen.