Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

23 June 2019

Law v Business

[SriLankan airlines: Questionable US citizen appointed CCO] - Daily Mirror

Sri Lankan Airlines became political arm of government during this Opposition’s time in government.

As per the above report:

[The Opposition yesterday claimed that the government had appointed a corrupt and inefficient US citizen as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of SriLankan airlines paying a monthly allowance of Rs.3.5 million.

Joint opposition MP Kanaka Herath told parliament that an Afghanistan airline had gone bankrupt and closed down under his administration and that he was also found to have been involved in a financial fraud through an agreement signed in Afghanistan with a US company.

He asked why such a person was hired by paying such a huge allowance and asked if a Sri Lankan was not available to be appointed to that post.

State Minister of Finance, Eran Wickramaratne said when in inquired from the SriLankan airlines board of directors, he was told that that the defence ministry had given a clearance to recruit this person]

If the National carrier is to be economically successful, it needs a ‘foreigner’. If it is to be politically successful it needs a Sri Lankan close to the government. As per my direct experience in the courts of Northern Sri Lanka where militants claimed a separate state / country - law has become a trading commodity rather than a profession - due to ignorance on the part of government officers and greed on the part of lawyers. Recently I learnt that one lawyer wanted Rs 20,000 from a Canadian of Lankan origin, just to prepare a motion to obtain a certified copy of document.  I myself was informed by a lawyer that he wanted Rs 50,000 just to get a Certificate of Heirship as per Court Decision already made in March 2018. Had we paid that kind of money - we would have had the Certificate within months. The Court Administration has vacated that part of its position and hence it has come to the Trading floor where the wealthy pay to get the outcomes of their  choice.

How can we the People be expected to have faith in the system of law and order when the nuclear institution of Law & Order is itself disorderly? After some time - those working in these institutions become idle and start doing their own businesses with the Public. Despite a judicial expert having been the Chief Minister, Northern Lanka continues to suffer from unreliable judicial administration. This confirms lack of wisdom in Judicial Administration in the mind of  that Chief Minister. Governance power is confirmed by wisdom and v.v. It’s a natural way to cure and discipline.

Yesterday for example, the businessman to who we lent money said to me that the last person through whom we paid him the loan was a ‘black’ per and that ‘black’ persons did not suit them. Since our employees are usually from toddy tapper village of Thunaivi - black means low caste to this guy. I said that this businessman was insulting me when he insulted this young guy who was trained by us and is successfully working in the tourism industry. I said to the businessman that the young guy touched my feet in reverence - often in public places. I said that when I accepted his genuine feelings - I include him as part of myself and hence when the businessman insulted him - he was insulting me.

The problem with oldies in Vaddukoddai is that they live off past - where the caste system was a comfortable way to the top - as all forms of unjust discrimination tend to be. With militancy the power of the juniors has become stronger and hence such practices are used to cover up their own weaknesses. The businessman tried to state that he was talking about how he ‘saw’ it. I said that was why he was failing in business and that from now on he would listen to my ways and my experiences and not talk to me about his. He remained quiet after that. If the junior castes are to become his customers - he needed to include them and not separate them - especially in his mind.

The parallel applies to the National carrier. A strong Administrator would not be able to successfully make business nor induce others to. Hence that which is politically negative need not be economically negative. Certainly not to a group that was horse trading in Parliamentary seats - meaning the rights of the People.