Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

12 October  2017

Avoiding the Law

[A sixteen-year-old-boy of a leading school in Galle committed suicide by shooting himself using his father’s licensed gun, Galle Police said. 

The deceased boy who was preparing for his G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examinations was identified as Kumuditha Adithya Lokukaravita Hettiarachchi of Wataraka (East) in Galle.

He was the second born of the family, whose father is a businessman and mother is a teacher.

………….. A letter was written by the boy stating that no one was responsible for his death.

He had mentioned however the numerous troubles his family had to undergo owing to his mischief and misdemeanors.

“There is no connection between my suicide and (the) girl,’ he had written in a note. “I am quite pressurized and I know I would not get good results at the O/L examination.”

“Although my friends did many wrong deeds I tried to move away from such conducts. I committed many wrongdoings due my unawareness.  I have already broken my parents trust twice,” the boy had written in his letter.] Daily News Report - Sixteen-year-old kills himself using father's gun

To my Sri Lankan mind, the father would have been an influential person in that area to be eligible for a gun-license  or that environment must have been riddled with threats to a successful businessman and hence the need for a gun to protect himself and the family. In contrast, the youth leader at Hambantota which is about a 100 km plus, away from Galle exposes an abundance of confidence in being able to invoke global powers:

[Sri Lanka's opposition legislator Namal Rajapaksa turned to the United Nations Human Rights Council soon after he was arrested along with two other members of parliament over their recent anti-India protest.
Rajapaksa, a leading member of the Joint Opposition which is highly critical of the UN Rights Council, complained to the world body as well as the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, about their arrest.
"#SriLanka Police arrested us 4 our peaceful protest against selling national assets, stifling opposition voices. @UNHumanRights @nikkihaley," Namal said on Twitter as he was remanded in custody till October 16.
Government spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said it was ironic that Rajapaksa who had accused the UN rights body of interfering in Sri Lanka seeking the help of the same organisation when he is arrested.
"When 28 locals were arrested by the Hambantota police Namal did not complain to the UN, but when he himself is arrested he goes crying to the UNHRC," Senaratne said.] – ECONOMY NEXT Report - Sri Lanka's anti-UN legislators seek rights council help

As per Wikipedia :

[Namal Rajapaksa was educated at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, where he captained the school's 1st XV rugby team. After school Rajapaksa joined Cardiff University to study law. He then went to City University London from where he graduated in September 2009 with a third-class degree law degree.

Rajapaksa then joined Sri Lanka Law College to qualify as an attorney at law. He sat the college's preliminary exam in October 2009 and passed with second class honours.]

With that kind of background,  the beneficiary is expected to connect any request to Common Authority through the existing law. In the above matter – the expectation that UN would ‘assist’,  needs to be rooted to an International Law or Treaty. If that was the basis – then the area of ownership covered by the legislator would naturally be influenced by such wisdom.  If not, the abuse of UN facilities is proven to be an extension of abuse of Sri Lankan Common facilities. If Mr. Namal Rajapaksa’s brain advises him to approach the UN without such Common Law, the UN becomes a group of Foreign minds to whom Mr. Namal Rajapaksa is appealing. That naturally negates his own father’s claim of ‘Preserving Sovereignty’ or – that the family practices different standards – one to SHOW the nation and the other to boost their personal confidence subjectively.

There is a reason as to why I am highlighting this difference in confidence registered in the minds of the two youth – one from Galle who killed himself and the other from Hambantota who is shielding himself. The former used the father’s gun and the latter is using his father’s status. The former felt that he let his parents down whereas the latter who is in ruling position has demonstrated support for his father.

The gap between the registered confidence in the minds of the two youths confirms the reason why Democracy is not able to survive in Sri Lanka. The main reason to my mind, is that the two groups do not think together through Common Laws, principles and values close to at least 50% of the investment needed to comprehend / picture one side of the issue which when the other side is completed represents the Sovereign power of the issue in a free environment.

  Under the kind of subjective leadership mentioned above – one needs to have ‘influence’ with rulers / parents so that the laws and principles are overridden in the name of common affection. Affection is a combination of Love and Desire. Where desire is the greater component, they pamper each other out of someone else’s wealth to which they have access. In a true democracy, the voter without access to UN facilities and the Politician with easy access to UN facilities, become natural opponents when they meet. If the voter places her/himself in a much lower position than he Politician – then the voter needs to be dependent on the politician along the vertical plane. Such a voter would work against self-governance. The politician who fails to share her/his confidence with such voters dilutes the Sovereignty of her/his own home group.

Such dilution happens when one’s expressions and actions are not rooted to Common law or Common Value – or the Truth one feels and naturally shares with others who believe in one. Out of the two youths, the young guy who killed himself due to being caught between the ‘rights’ of his family and the wrongs of his friends – had stronger mind than one who is not able to see himself through a Common law largely due to the habit of being distracted by immediate easy benefits for least exertion. If Mr. Rajapaksa’s followers are not able to see in their mind’s eye, at least 50% of the investment made by Sri Lankans in the system of Democracy – they would continue to elect leaders in whom they can depend. A Dependent Government does not have the real power to successfully  devolve power to smaller units.