It’s All About Power In The North

By S. Sivathasan –August 4, 2015

S. Sivathasan

“Self-reverence, Self-knowledge, Self-control 
These three alone lead life to sovereign power” – Lord Tennyson

Treasuring the above values conveyed by the poet or valuing the substance, whatever the language, men of worth emerged as leaders and thrust themselves in people’s service. Before venturing into public life, they had discipline in their personal lives. That was in times past. In little Ceylon too, even as late as at the time of independence both pre and post, men of learning considered it proper to engage in public life. They came in because of the eminence they had reached. Self-control was basic to the disciplining of their body and mind. Knowledge of the self, gave them a sense of their worth. High or low they revered themselves and respected others. The people in the mass placed their trust in them and were happy to see their affairs managed by them.

National Degeneracy

In so short a time, what a fall and why so much, we are forced to exclaim. The descent always started at the top. Those in rungs below took their cue for emboldened degeneracy, while those above protected them. How should Members of Parliament in Sri Lanka weigh themselves? Selected to legislate at one per lakh for the benefit of society. Repositories of moral rectitude one would wish. Nowhere in the world has it existed and at no point of time in history has it prevailed.

Who doesn’t know it? But can it be reason enough for electors to reach for the bottom of the barrel to pick the more repulsive? Come elections and what is the sequence? So called leaders turn the barrel upside down, those below spill over and strut about as the king of the walk. This is the sense of self-worth the electable have of themselves. Their obligation is really to be lode stars to their electors. But in recent decades this has never been so. Sri Lanka has failed at election after election to make a change. In this regard the nation is well integrated with no ethnic distinction or religious difference. Little do we realize and much less concede that six decades are wasted. To sink together seems the credo.                                            Read More