By

Lucien Rajakarunanayake

The Scottish people have decided to be stuck in the United Kingdom. They have taken the cue from David Cameron who, in the final round of hectic campaigning for the NO vote, pleaded with them that even if they don’t like the “f…ing Tories,” they don’t abandon the Union.

Many a politician over here must be happy about the decision of the referendum in Scotland, because they can now tell the northerners in our own country, not to make demands like the northerners of the United Kingdom, which they will never achieve.

It will be interesting to know whether a Scottish Diaspora will emerge, ignoring Scottish separatist leader Alex Salmond’s plea to accept the result of the referendum; and continue to carry out his fight for a separate Scottish Republic from abroad. They may take lessons from the pro-LTTE Tamil separatists who remain committed to the cause of separation over here, where the fight was through terror and not by the ballot.

While the hectic campaigning in Scotland, that threw many British political leaders from Tory, Labour and Lib-Dems into a great fright is over, with the polling closing at Uva this evening, we will see the end of the last big provincial fight, of the current series of provincial clashes, coming to an end.

That is hopefully when Uva will be at peace. When the people of Uva, in the districts of Badulla and Moneragala, will be able to pick up their lives after all the disruption that has taken place through the past several weeks, when power was in full sway and democracy was pushed far beyond to the fringes of a frightened public.

This is the time when the people of Moneragala will have to really face up to the harsh realities of a drought that is threatening their very livelihoods, with no crops to harvest, and both man and beast are suffering the harsh effects of the absence of water, without all the distractions of hoards of politicians, their stooges, catchers, thugs and hit men, using all their tactics to swing votes to the side that is most greedy for power, and not to serve the people.

This is the time when there will a sharp decline in the mobile phones and handbags that were being distributed free to attract voters, and also a major drop in the money in circulation, with the aim of political power rather that drought relief, and huge anomalies in the way this drought relief, if it really was, being distributed.

Once the result of the Uva poll is known, the people there will have to settle down to the realities of life, without all the empty promises that have become the stock in trade of politicians, who are more concerned about the lining of their pockets with the perks of power, than in any words of assurance they may have given to the voters about addressing their problems.

It is a sad reality to know that there will even be a reduction in the drought relief that was poured into the area, almost with a vengeance, now that the politicians who sought to benefit from being seen as movers and shakers of generosity, going back to their homes, or palatial mansions, make your own guess, either as victors in the polls or to nurse the wounds of defeat.

But hold on…this is not yet over. This is only the last in the latest round of provincial political circuses, teeming with violence, corruption and the total contempt for decency in politics that is coming to an end today. The day is not too far when the whole country will be pushed into a much wider exercise of this nature, with a much bigger election that is being lined up.

That will be the major test of the Special Democracy of the Sri Lankan type, blue, green, yellow red or whatever hue, and not of the Scottish variety, that will be on display. What happened in Uva was only the final practice run for this major event. This will be the championship event, when the hollow threats of common candidacy have lost all strength, and the signs are that victory will remain with power, and there will be much more of the antics that prevailed at Uva showing all promise of prevailing again.

Long live democracy – of the pseudo type, that is of the politicians, by the politicians and for the politicians … always for the ruling of the people.

Courtesy:The Island