Gajalakshmi Paramasivam- 16 June   2016  

Bonds v Arms

The hot topic in Sri Lankan Political circles is whether the services of Mr. Arjuna Mahendran, the Governor of Central Bank ought to be terminated or not?  - [Daily News article Wanted (or Not) ?]

Given that the appointment of Mr. Arjuna Mahendran  was political – one cannot use Administrative base to remove such a person and claim to uphold Buddhist Dharma as required by Article 9 of the Sri Lankan Constitution.

As per the Daily News report:

[At a special meeting held last week, several SLFP Ministers representing the national unity government voiced their serious concerns over the re-appointment of Mahendran. Among them were UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera and Lasantha Alagiyawanna. They said any attempt to re-appoint Mahendran as the Central Bank Governor would reflect badly on the government.

“Serious allegations have been leveled against him. The public has lost their faith in the person holding the top post of the Central Bank. We need to go back to villages and engage in politics. We cannot go before our supporters and justify such decisions,” Alagiyawanna said, speaking at the meeting.]

The above ministers were part of the group that had custody over  Administrative power when Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa was President. The parallel of the Central Bank Governor’s role  was held by Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the war issue. To my mind, it is no coincidence that the article has combined the two ‘projects’ as if they were one. Both heads were political appointments.

The war ‘project’ was actively discussed in villages and it has been an active political issue. The link by the villagers was made to Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa on the one side and Mr. Velupillai Prabhakaran on the other. If SLFP supporters understand the war issue enough to talk about it at home – UNP supporters would understand cash issues enough to talk about it at home – but only if there is opposition to the Government at the level the villagers relate to. They need to ‘see’ to understand and relate or have the actual Experience.

Villagers who silently endorsed the purchase of weapons that kill outside the Administrative processes, carry that karma. Their votes come with that karma.  This kind of karma  would prevent them from raising their thought order to the higher level of logic and/or making the connection between Cause and Effect – as in the system of karma. Only those who disciplined, punished and/or actively rejected such excessive investment in arms to kill their own – at the time it happened -  have the moral authority and the drive to criticize someone using public position to make a personal cash profit, in the same environment. To my mind, there would be very few SLFP supporters of that category.

The article lists the credentials of Mr. Mahendra. Sri Lanka has moved further and further away from the Administrative system that upholds law and order. Hence such high credentials would take leaders away from the villagers. Such leaders would work to impress outsiders through their cleverness. This often leads them to become Ravanas (those with physical and cash power). While Sri Lanka needs Ramas (those with enough goodness to share with the whole) the current government needs Cash Ravanas to block the resurgence of Arms Ravanas.

As per the article:

[Mr. Vijith Vijayamuni Soysa, addressing a meeting in the Moneragala district, lashed out at the attempts to make Gotabhaya Rajapaksa the deputy leader of the party. He said the former Defence Secretary was responsible for driving away Muslims from the SLFP at the last Presidential election]

Muslims on the other hand are not likely to focus too much on the Bonds issue. Their strength comes from their business skills. An Administrator would choose status and power above cash. A Business person would be ready to lose status and theoretical power to gain cash. That is what Democratic Project Management is all about. It starts from Zero Administrative power over the other side.

I was surprised to note the name of Mr. Chandra Jayaratne in the group that brought Fundamental Rights Application against Mr. Mahendran. I crossed paths with Mr. Jayaratne over email communication rules – during the period following the release of the report of Sri Lankan Airlines – which is of heritage value to me. As per my intuition – Mr. Jayaratne was on the side of Mr. Weliamuna – the main author of the report. Given that Mr. Jayaratne has demonstrated his inability to appreciate the need for zero base beginning in business, as  confirmed through their petition against Mr. Mahendra on behalf of the Nation.

Merely finding fault  does not entail one to Good-Governance certificate. One needs to have had the experience deeply enough to hold the Problem and the Opportunity in common. Such a person is a natural governor in that environment. Neither Mr. Mahendran nor Mr. Jayaratne have this quality in terms of Sri Lankan Nation.