CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

AFTER THE WAR - GIVE LANKANS A FAIR CHANCE.

ASOKA S.

World over I have met Sri Lankans who are established professionals or businessmen living upper middle class lives. They are educated, smart and make a decent contribution to their new home country. Back in Sri Lanka too Lankans are an ambitious and energetic people. This is evident from thousands of kids who fail to make it to Universities ending up for some sort of a vocational training class. Girls try to make something by going to cookery classes. sewing classes, IT classes, etc., and boys try make use of their time by learning IT, welding, motor car repairs or going to the famous German Tech at Katubedda. All because their parents try to give them a future.

We also have a literacy rate over 90% and the average Lankan is generally well informed.

The question then is how come we as a nation are still at the bottom end of the worlds poorest nations and one of our major national revenue sources come from the migrant workers in the Middle East working as housemaids. Now remember that master of these Arabic household are no more than middle class in these countries and they can still afford to pay $125 or so to Lankan girls. This makes us feel very, very poor. What have these helpless Lankan girls done to deserve such a fate other than being ruled by leaders who failed to steer our beloved country to a better future for them since independence 60 years ago?

We can find the answer more easily by looking at other similar countries to Lanka in the region and trying to figure out how they ended up as Asian giants within the last three or four decades while we are still in a deep hole. More specifically Malaysia, Singapore and from recently India. With the help of giant China Asia is fast becoming the future of the world as stated by the International Olympic Committee Chairman last week in Beijing.

The simple answer is wrong, incompetent, corrupt and selfish leadership coupled with a constitution that has some pretty nasty negatives. For example despite the huge cost of living burden on Lankan people right now, Rajapaksha has to maintain a mammoth 107 Ministers to keep all these people happy so that they don't end up in the UNP camp. He need their support to keep his party in the Parliament. Party henchmen, even if they are underworld leaders end up running government affiliated establishments thus making a mockery of these institutions. Rajapaksha also need to look the other way when he sees corrupt members just to keep them on his side. Stinking, rotten eggs like Mervin Silva need to be tolerated probably because he has dirty secrets. Ethics committees for these so called law makers are unheard of. The entire parliamentary leadership has gone to the toilet. Some members of parliament fight inside the parliament like a bunch of rabid dogs while the speaker tolerates this nonsense. While all these so called leaders are running riot, the people are getting poor as people's business is forgotten.

There are two distinct eras that Post independent Lanka got big hits. Sirimavo's 7 year socialist experiment and Post JR. , LTTE (and JVP) menace. Sirimavo had run the country to ground by 1977. Power hungry Wijeweera almost brought Lanka to ground in 1989 era. Killer Prabhakaran did the rest of the harm that is still happening. Badly injured UNP under Ranil is still bringing some measure of checks and balance to keep minister thieves under control but that is not enough.

In my opinion there is still hope. Priority no. 1 is to rid Lanka of Prabhakaran. That appears to be on the horizon. With new found endorsement and confidence Rajapaksha need to declare a war of his own on corrupt and incompetent politicians. Bring in some fresh blood with competence and a new vision of tomorrow.
Possibly reintroduce a Senate to keep check on useless legislation from an ill suited bunch of parliamentarians which will continue to happen until the place is gotten rid of Mervin Silvas and the like. Thirdly put some political thieves in Jail after due process.

Lastly, give full blown Capitalism a chance to work. If Communist China, Lenin's Russia and once very Socialist India can bring in raw capitalism why not Sri Lanka do the same. Oh I. Forgot to mention. Rajapaksha must flush opportunistic JVP into the toilet too.

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