{"id":45680,"date":"2016-03-13T02:30:17","date_gmt":"2016-03-13T06:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=45680"},"modified":"2016-03-13T02:30:17","modified_gmt":"2016-03-13T06:30:17","slug":"let-us-sympathise-with-the-security-guards-at-independence-square-portrayed-as-villains-were-mere-minions-following-orders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=45680","title":{"rendered":"Let Us Sympathise with the Security Guards at Independence Square Portrayed as Villains were Mere Minions Following Orders"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Gamini Weerakoon<\/strong><\/p>\n

The story of a young couple being ordered out of Independence Square by two security guards of a hired private security firm was on the front pages of many daily newspapers. Surprisingly the young man and woman had public support rallying round them and on the next day there was a public demonstration staged in which the youthful Deputy Minister of External Affairs, Harsha De Silva also joined in.<\/p>\n

Some subsequent reports said that the two security guards had been sacked while others said they were transferred out from Independence Square and there was jubilation among the pro- lovers\u2019 demonstrators. The Yahapalanaya government leaders need to be commended on their defence of the rights of lovers while Minister Harsha De Silva too receives our encomiums for daring to extend his portfolio from External Affairs to Love Affairs as well. However our sympathies are with the two security guards who are made out to be the villains.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How to make love<\/strong><\/p>\n

What were the security personnel expected to do with regard to lovers in the Square? We are not saying whether the couple was doing anything objectionable or not in the Square. But lovers being lovers when seated for long hours under the heat of the scorching March sun are bound to be heated up and as the laws of thermodynamics say: Many things physical could happen when the temperature rises.<\/p>\n

Say, with the rising temperature young men and women tend to roll on the greens of Independence Square removing parts of their attire just to keep cool, what are the Security guards expected to do? What if it happened under the gaze or the shadow of the Rt. Hon. D. S. Senanayake \u2013 his statue many feet above ground level? Going by the stories of his past, the Father of the Nation with his tremendous sense of humour would have guffawed but such historical hypotheses are no answer to problems of the security personnel.<\/p>\n

Have they been provided with a Code of Ethics to go by \u2013 if there is anyone foolish enough to formulate a Code of Ethics for lovers in public parks? We know politicians cry aloud for Codes of Ethics for many categories who offend them including journalists but not for themselves.<\/p>\n

As journalists we have experienced many encounters of Cops Vs Lovers.<\/p>\n

Cops Vs Lovers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many years ago we were walking on superbly laid out Galle Face Green costing millions of rupees by Mangala Samaraweera when he was a minister in Chandrika Kumaratunga\u2019s cabinet. It was an idyllic setting. The sea was an endless vista of blue sans present day monstrosities like Port City with a balmy breeze blowing in. Lovers had streamed into the Green and were occupying every bench around it. A few pot-bellied men like this writer were spoilers of the scene walking up and down the Green fighting the Battle of the Stomach Bulge.<\/p>\n

The sun after a while rose above and the Green heated up.<\/p>\n

Lovers on the benches put up colourful \u2018brollies\u2019 to protect themselves from the scorching sun and then two cops from the Security Post moved in. They went from bench to bench and the umbrellas folded up. They went round the Green and soon it was empty with couples unable to bear the sun overhead moved out and the Green was left to the cops and a few pot- bellied men like us.<\/p>\n

We asked a cop why the young people left. His answer was: Kude ussagene penne nathiwa wal weda karanawa. Api Yannda kew-wa. Ewa thamai appe orders (They were doing dirty things under the cover of umbrellas. We asked them to go. Those are our orders.)<\/p>\n

We asked them how they knew they were doing \u2018dirty things (Wal weda) when they couldn\u2019t see anything going on behind umbrellas.<\/p>\n

The cop\u2019s reaction was typical. (Thamuse kawda) Who are you? He asked<\/p>\n

When we identified ourselves as newspapermen, he remarked: Thamusela thamai rata kanne (You people are destroying the country).<\/p>\n

Discretion being the better part of valour, we retreated and wrote in Serendipity -(then his column was published in another Sunday newspaper) under the heading: Cops must catch robbers not lovers.<\/p>\n

A few days later we got a call from an OIC (Officer-in-Charge). \u201cDo you know we were complimented by our DIG for the good work done. You newspaper fellows have to spoil it all by protecting these young cads,\u201d he bawled.<\/p>\n

We asked whether there was a law preventing unfolding an Umbrella. He dashed the phone on us.<\/p>\n

Self-Appointed Moral Guardians<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why we defended the two security personnel at Independence Square was because they are just minions and merely carrying out orders of their superiors. These poor men outfitted in Gestapo like uniforms but paid about the lowest salaries and over worked for many hours without extra pay. They should be given instructions on how to deal with the public, particularly with young men and women.<\/p>\n

Those who should determine the standards of conduct of the public are ultimately politicians but given the present standards of politicians they should heed to advice of better educated and knowledgeable people.<\/p>\n

In Sri Lanka, like in most other countries, there are prudes, purists and self-appointed moralists who take upon themselves the conduct of people not only in public but in private life as well. There are fundamentalists who want people to adopt standards of behaviour as in accordance with their cock-eyed views of history. <\/p>\n

These views are entangled with ties of racist and religious bigotry including nationalism advocated by some political parties. Even rationalists betray their childhood religious backgrounds by attempting to enforce their views by violating the fundamental rights such as in the prevention of enjoyment of the simple joys of life.<\/p>\n

Bertrand Rusell\u2019s quotation about such moralists is apt: Infliction or cruelty with a good conscience is delight to all moralists. That\u2019s why they invented hell.<\/p>\n

While there will be many self-appointed advocates, prophets and moralists longing to form their own moral police forces, Sri Lanka could do well without them.<\/p>\n

The existing laws and commonsense can ensure freedom for all Sri Lankans. For example we doubt whether any law could be formulated for lovers in public parks.<\/p>\n

The guardians of the law should have enough commonsense to deal with young lovers as it happens the world over.<\/p>\n

Courtesy:The Sunday Leader<\/em><\/p>\n

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by Gamini Weerakoon The story of a young couple being ordered out of Independence Square by two security guards of a hired private security firm was on the front pages of many daily newspapers. Surprisingly the young man and woman had public support rallying round them and on the next day there was a public …<\/p>\n

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