Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

21 August 2018

Economic Jungles of Southern Sri Lanka

It is an average  human tendency  to ‘copy’ one way or the other, when we desire immediate answers/outcomes   but have not worked for them. We Sri Lankans are no exceptions. It’s often a kind of automatic sharing in a ‘free’ environment. Common belief morally entitles us to use each other’s outcomes as our own. Belief based outcomes belong to the common pool. When others’ outcomes are ‘taken’ without common belief and/or through a system with borders and regulations, we tend to develop jungles.

Immediate past  President of Sri Lanka, Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa brought his brother Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa from USA to eliminate  the LTTE – not to follow rules but to break them where needed by his side. They needed to invoke the animal in their army to defeat the LTTE who freed themselves from the limits of Common Laws of Sri Lanka. To that extent they also became animalistic. The awareness of this challenge faced by  Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa was strongly indicated by  Norwegian Minister Erik Solheim  who quoted  Mr Mahinda Rajapksa in reference to the LTTE Leader ‘He is from the jungles of the North. I am from the jungles of the South. Let’s see who will win!’

Laws do restrict our cleverness. But they also help us ‘share’ our wealth  through our common values. Such sharing is important in development of heirs who would carry forward and/or laterally spread our True values. Heritage and mentoring confirm this commonness. Outcomes of ‘cleverness’ that is limited in its sharing confirms ‘hoarding’ and therefore wastage. This is true of both parties to the Sri Lankan war. Tamil rebels who did not share with the whole Tamil Community – including those who opposed them – started hoarding credits. Hence the cover up by politicians including the Chief Minister of Northern Province, in return for making out that the LTTE were right.  But this comes at the cost of our own Commonness / Unity as a community due to ‘taking over’ the rights of non-supporters.

The author of the above article - ‘The Prime Minister’s grand plan laid bare’:

-       for example writes:

[The entire nation is questioning now whether these individuals who prevented the release of the D.E.W Gunasekara report and then acted to dilute the Handunnetti report, did so in order to save those involved in the fraud from prison time]

The above is the parallel of the LTTE’s claim that they were the sole-representatives of the Tamil Community, while claiming to oppose the elected government.

The above is  a lie because the author does not have a position that represents a whole nation. In democracy, the entire nation can question only through a referendum or through Lawful Policy carried out unanimously by all their elected members. This exaggeration discredits the rest of article. In any case, unless it is a conscience vote – on a fundamental rights question, Sri Lanka has the duty to have the system that shows and sees outcomes from the other side – meaning that 50% would see from the side of the Government and the other 50% from the side of the Opposition. Towards this, the two need to live as a community bound by same set of rules and with 50% Opportunity to show their own independent work in the issue. Minorities who truly contribute to Democracy – would invoke this ‘other’ side. Hence TNA’s leadership in Parliament.

The above confirms the existence of media jungle in Sri Lanka. If LTTE were terrorists for so doing – then so is the News First who is terrorising Democracy.

Where ‘time will tell’ basis is used – the system is autocratic. When leaders who draw salary and pension by promising to be Democratic - ‘wait for time to tell’ – they become dependent of those who ‘show’ outcomes. Then when they have to deliver – they copy / plagiarize.

It is therefore disappointing to note lack of depth demonstrated by Newsfirst whose staff writer has presented the  following picture through the article ‘The Prime Minister’s grand plan laid bare’:

[Do you recall how the state banks were placed in the hands of close confidants of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe?

Do you remember how the Central Bank, which thus far had fallen under the purview of the Ministry of Finance, was taken under the ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs? Having taken over the Central Bank, his close friend Arjuna Mahendran was brought in from Singapore to head the institution. This was simply laying the groundwork for the bond scam of the 27th of February 2015.]

At that time, the ‘financial army’ of Sri Lankan Public Service was as disorderly as the armed forces. Sri Lankan Airlines is a good example of this disorderliness. Sri Lankan Airlines was also making commercial profits due to this disorderliness. Hence Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe brought Mr Mahendran – the parallel of Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to lead the financial jungle warfare. The difference between Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa’s actions and Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe’s actions is in the culture of the person they chose as their respective Generals. One was from within biological family and community; the other from Tamil community – confirming Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe’s commonness to all Sri Lankans. That is how natural structures are shared. Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe as a person elected by the People had to represent their True Belief as Sri Lankans and confirm that they could win even in a disorderly environment. Through this natural selection – Mr Wickremesinghe also invoked all those who have invested in Multiculturalism from various parts of the world and in Sri Lanka from the past also.

Majority Sri Lankans do not understand the laws of Financial Institutions such as the Central Bank or Commercial  organizations such as Sri Lankan Airlines, that have to compete globally. When Ranil defeated Mahinda in 2015 – that was redemption for the Tamil community that failed to override the LTTE in 2005 to exercise its voting rights. It is common understanding that had the LTTE not sold out our voting rights – as if it was a ‘tradable commodity’ – Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe would have become President in 2005 and we would have prevented the 2009 tragedy which has now become a global picture. As Hill country Tamils would confirm – it is not easy for communities of Indian origin, to get voting rights in Sri Lanka. All that was ‘forgotten’ in 2005 by Tamils who became dependent of Rebels and therefore started copying others to ‘show’ democratic other side. When we go deep – we would find the causes of our own pain in our roots.

Here in Australia – Peter Dutton lost his challenge to become the Prime Minister, by defeating Mr Turnbull. Various persons would have various reasons. The one I identify with most is Mr Dutton’s attitude towards refugees - highlighted as follows by Sydney Morning Herald through its article:

[Peter Dutton says 'illiterate and innumerate' refugees would take Australian jobs]

Illiterate and innumerate refugees who are more likely to contribute to Belief in the land where they make homes. Belief being a universal power – would invoke indigenous powers one way or the other. They also voted against Mr Dutton today.