{"id":80271,"date":"2022-11-12T00:54:21","date_gmt":"2022-11-12T04:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=80271"},"modified":"2022-11-13T00:28:09","modified_gmt":"2022-11-13T04:28:09","slug":"for-the-first-time-since-sri-lankas-independence-from-british-colonial-rule-the-aragalaya-made-the-countrys-politicians-cower-in-fear-that-fact-must-be-disting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=80271","title":{"rendered":"For the first time since Sri Lanka\u2019s independence from British colonial rule, the \u201cAragalaya\u201d made the country\u2019s politicians cower in fear. That fact, must be distinguished from the political factions which captured the struggle, polluted the core and led to the near extinction of the \u2018Aragalaya.\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nBy<\/p>\n

Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene<\/strong><\/p>\n

When there is muttering in some quarters as to, \u2018what has the Aragalaya achieved?\u2019, an easy answer comes to mind.<\/p>\n

The gains of the \u201cAragalaya\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notwithstanding the predictable corruption of that struggle by the political establishment which is a point that I will return to later, this spontaneous eruption of massive public fury for the first time since Sri Lanka\u2019s independence from British colonial rule, made the country\u2019s politicians cower in fear. That fact, in and of itself, must be distinguished from the political factions which captured the struggle, polluted the core and led to the nearextinction of the \u2018Aragalaya.\u2019<\/p>\n

To be clear, that extinction process was hastened by lawyers who stood on \u2018Aragalaya\u2019 platforms loudly proclaiming that the Constitution and the law should be tossed into the dustbin and by tousled youth intoxicated with power who declared that, the nation\u2019s leader must be a person \u2018approved\u2019 by them.\u2019 Neither was it edifying to see their comrades storming into the state television studios, demanding that all programmes must be stopped and, only \u2018Aragalaya\u2019 news telecast.<\/p>\n

Indeed, that thread of immature arrogance reflected, uncannily, the arrogance of the very political rulers who were the target of their anger. <\/p>\n

Politicisation of the \u2018occupation of Galle Face Green\u2019 came from many quarters, all with political aims and ambitions in mind. Captains of industry linked to the (then) opposition United National Party (UNP) wanted the Rajapaksas out and \u2018their man\u2019 put in, thus, \u2018funding the struggle in several ways, to fade away when that shift of power took place.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Corrupting influences by political parties<\/strong><\/p>\n

On their own part, opposition politicians of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) skilfully capitalized on the \u2018Aragalaya,\u2019 embedding their agents and finally taking over much of the struggle along with comrades of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) under the disingenuous slogan that, \u2018the struggle is leaderless, we will give it leadership.\u2019<\/p>\n

But the very fact that the struggle was leaderless was its greatest strength. If it had remained so, it would have exerted a powerful influence on State policy and practice resulting in the \u2018system change\u2019 so desperately needed.<\/p>\n

That influence would have been uncorrupted by the cancer that Sri Lanka\u2019s political parties inflict on all they touch. That the contrary happened, that the \u2018Aragalaya\u2019 turned the JVP\/FSP way enabled its own destruction.That, in turn, allowed state agents to infiltrate its ranks and play a part in the senseless burning and sacking of politicians\u2019 residences, which infiltration remains to be properly dissected in retrospect. Months later, taxpayers are paying compensation for those damages through public funds, our funds no less.<\/p>\n

Inevitably, these exhibitions of violence enabled the Wickremesinghe Presidency and the Rajapaksa factions of the Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) to threateningly hold forth on fascism and turn public sentiment in their favour. <\/p>\n

That was not helped by the ineffectual muttering of the main opposition, the Samagi Jana Balavegaya.This is a cycle that has often played out in this nation\u2019s political process, always subverting attempts to effect democratic \u2018system change,\u2019 always two sides of the same coin playing out their games in the name of capturing power.<\/p>\n


\n\u2018Millions found n President\u2019s House\u2026\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

This week, we learn to our considerable amusement that, the police has been directed by the courts to record a statement from former President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as to the origins of close to rupees eighteen million found in his bedroom by the \u2018Aragalaya\u2019 crowds after he and his family fled the President\u2019s House in Fort in July this year. That news occupied global attention at the time, with such tantalizing headlines such as what NDTV (India ) preferred, \u2018Millions Found at President\u2019s House\u2026\u2019<\/p>\n

If there was a legitimate explanation for the retention of such a sum of money in cash, profering the same on the part of the former President is in order. The point is however that the need to ascertain the same had, apparently, not occurred to the diligent sleuths of the Department of the Police busy chasing all the protestors and locking them up under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).<\/p>\n

A counter question is as to what, would possibly be the fate of an \u2018Aragalaya\u2019 leader, if the same amount of cash had been found in his residence upon raids conducted by the police?<\/p>\n

The very first question would have been as to how the money is accounted for. In fact, even this belated questioning of the former President is on the direction of the magistrate, following lawyers appearing for the protestors questioning whether the money amounted to a bribe. Yet that had not occurred to the police where the former President is concerned? <\/p>\n

At the time, we must not forget that the cash, handed over by the protestors to the Fort police after excitedly counting the stacks and marvelling over its amount, \u2018disappeared\u2019 thereafter.<\/p>\n


\nCutting out rotting political growths from the polity<\/strong><\/p>\n

It had to be traced through considerable effort. Reportedly, a high ranking police officer had directed that the money be handed over to the Minister of Public Security, phone conversations in that regard are also part of an investigation directed to be conducted. Was there any need for all this sensationalism if a perfectly innocent explanation could have been given in the first instance? These are the incidents that give the lie to President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Minister of Justice\u2019s reassurances, reiterated a few days ago, regarding a raft of new laws, including on Anti-Corruption and Counter Terrorism.<\/p>\n

These laws will be presented to the Sri Lankan people early next year, we are told. But what is the point of laws when politicians and the police are the biggest culprits? <\/p>\n

What is the point of establishing another set of ineffectual bodies on which even more public funds will be expended when they simply cannot net the \u2018sharks\u2019 and only go after the sprats? <\/p>\n

The fact is that, the \u2018sharks\u2019 cannot be netted as these \u2018sharks\u2019 are themselves heading the political and law enforcement machinery.<\/p>\n

Unless and until those rotting growths that have infected the nation\u2019s polity are ruthlessly cut and removed, no law or regulation will make any difference to our endemically corrupt political culture. <\/p>\n

This nation was brought to bankruptcy as a result of that, together with their acolytes in the legal, accounting and other professions who turned the \u2018Nelsonian\u2019 eye when gross financial crimes occurred and when proper fiscal and monetary policy were tossed to the four winds. None of those culpable officials have yet been called to answer.<\/p>\n

The lessons that \u2018Oxymandias\u2019 teaches us<\/strong><\/p>\n

That is an indisputable fact. This Friday, the Auditor General disclosed that a sum of rupees 20.8 million had been spent on \u2018drafting a new Constitution\u2019 from 9th October 2020 to 12th December 2021. <\/p>\n

This was inclusive of holding thirty eight meetings of the drafting committees, nine consultations with \u2018external parties,\u2019 for office spaces that stayed empty along with furnishings for the same and for payments to the \u2018experts\u2019 who formed those committees.<\/p>\n

Reportedly, the Auditor General had also revealed that though fifteen months had been taken for the task of \u2018constitutional drafting\u2019, that has still not been completed. This is a constitutional joke of the highest order. <\/p>\n

That massive expenditure was at the same time that Sri Lanka was heading for financial collapse, its populace soon destined to scrabble for scraps and its children doomed to hopeless futures.<\/p>\n

Once Percy Bysshe Shelley ruminated on \u2018Ozymandias\u2019and the futility of a great king saying, \u2018look on my works ye mighty and despair.\u2019 But nothing was left of those works except \u2018lone and level sands.\u2019 <\/p>\n

That is the point of that legendary and timeless piece of writing. It is a reminder that well suits Sri Lanka\u2019s political rulers. Finally, nothing has been left of all that grand pomposity of the Rajapaksa era but the emptiness of bankruptcy.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the paterfamilias of the Rajapaksa dynasty, Mahinda Rajapaksa, may well reflect on that as he scrambles to preserve a political future for his son.<\/p>\n


\nCourtesy:Sunday Times<\/em><\/p>\n

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By Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene When there is muttering in some quarters as to, \u2018what has the Aragalaya achieved?\u2019, an easy answer comes to mind. The gains of the \u201cAragalaya\u2019 Notwithstanding the predictable corruption of that struggle by the political establishment which is a point that I will return to later, this spontaneous eruption of …<\/p>\n

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