UNP MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena.
“the Vaiko of Sri Lanka ”.
Noor Nizam Sri Lanka Peace
activist - Canada.
The controversial UNP politician Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene has once
again made headlines in some of the opposition media. Being a devote
Christian as he claims, the sincerity of his faith can only be the decision
of his belief. Yet it is sad to see such a devote Christian using religious
serenity and piety to gain cheap publicity for political gains at a
time when Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims have been subjected to the atrocities
of this brutal ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka which has plagued the country
for many decades.
Politicians will stoop down to any low levels to deceive the masses
and to gain their voting support. That is why Politics is also called
a “dirty game” in democracy, the most serene responsibility
in present governance and administration.
And then we see Vaiko – the MDMK chief playing the “dirty
game” in Tamil Naadu trying to deceive, both the Tamils of Tamil
Naadu and the Tamils of Sri Lanka with his "deceptive drama"
for mean political gains, it is again sad to see that the Sri Lankan’s
too have a “Vaiko” in the political image of Dr. Jayalath
Jayawardene.
Dr. Jayawardena had complained that on a directive by the Defence Secretary,
he had been denied stay at Madhu Church in Mannar during a visit there
on August 14th this year noting that Clauses 12-1, 12-2 and 14-1 E of
the Constitution guarantee religious rights, and the MP has alleged
Security forces (Defense Secretary) had violated his fundamental rights.
Common to the knowledge of constitutional law and the correct interpretation
of the constitution of Sri Lanka , Dr. Jayawardene’s “praying
for his rights” with the National Human Rights Commission is completely
in violation of the same Chapter III Fundamental Rights of the Constitution
under which he is claiming redress.
What Hon. Jayalath Jayawardene and his counsel had failed is to draw
attention to clause (3) of the same section where it states –
“No person shall, on the grounds of race, religion, language,
caste, sex or any one such grounds, be subject to any disability, liability,
restriction or condition with regard to access to shops, public restaurants,
hotels, places of public entertainment and places of public worship
of his own religion”.
So why was this not done? Because it is a total deception of political
strategy to deceive the catholic/christian faithfulls to stage drama
that the Security forces including Secretary Defense Gotabaya Rajapaksa
is violating the HR/FR rights of a suffering people.
But the Sri Lankan constitution tells us something else. It makes very
clear that the security forces and the Secretary Defense had acted within
the “Rule of Law”/The Constitution.
The Constitution also clearly tells:
Restrictions on fundamental Rights.
Article 15.
(7) The exercise and operation of all the fundamental rights declared
and recognized by Articles 12, 13(1), 13(2) and 14 shall be subject
to such restrictions as may be prescribed by law in the interests of
national security, public order and the protection of publichealth or
morality, or for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect
for therights and freedoms of others, or of meeting the just requirements
of the general welfareof a democratic society. For the purposes of this
paragraph " law " includes regulations made under the law
for the time being relating to public security.
(8) The exercise and operation of the fundamental rights declared and
recognized by
Articles 12 (1), 13 and 14 shall, in their application to the members
of the Armed
Forces, Police Force and other Forces charged with the maintenance
of public
order, be subject to such restrictions as may be prescribed by law in
the interests of the proper discharge of their duties and the maintenance
of discipline among them.
THUS IF IT IS SO DEEMED - then, it is the reason for Major General Lalith
Daulagalla to inform Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene that August 14th., 2008
to leave the Madu church and Madu shrine area. No doubt that the Secretary
Defense was concerned about the safety of the UNP MP, that he had thought
fit to find a way to make it possible for Dr. Jayalath Jayawardede not
to be hurt by either parties bullet, motars or land mines of the parties
engaged in the conflict and national security was an isue.
Evidence shows that the madu church was a hotbed of violence between
the security forces and the LTTE and this may have been the reason why
the Secretary Defense had not given permission to Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene
to overstay the night at the Madu church.
If Dr. jayalath Jayawardene cannot understand this simple equation of
security and safety details of why the Army had to act so, then it is
proven beyond doubt again, that Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene's intentions
are the same of that of the Vaiko – the MDMK chief playing dirty
politics - using the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict to gain cheap political
milage, publicity and popularity by using deception as a tool.
It is time up that such politicians should not be tolarated in the UNP
anymore and the minority communities should be vigilant enough to push
them out of the area of responsible and pragmatic politics in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka does not have room for the calibre of politicians like Viako,
the leader of the MDMK in Tamil Nadu. We do not want a Vaiko in Sri
lanka too.
Noor Nizam
Sri Lanka Peace activist - Canada.
|
