Sri Lanka: Jumping On The Bandwagon Does Not Mean Justice
By Nilantha Ilangamuwa
15 December, 2015
Countercurrents.org
The Sri Lankan Minister for Justice and Buddhist Affairs has cried foul yet again. In an hour-long talk show he has tried his very best to present himself as a saint. While narrating his chilling involvement in politics, he has offered millions to the failed revolutionary Marxist party and later licked the feet of the plutocrats. His present day politics contain little but “attractive” slogans.
Would his explanations benefit the people or the government? Sincerely, the answer is no! Absolutely not! According to him, accusing him of wrong doing is barking up the wrong tree.
He was merely countering the bombshell hurled against him by Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka Rtd. The photographic evidence of his long-term friendship with Nissanaka Senadhipathi, the chairman of the Avant Garde Maritime Services (Pvt) Ltd., proved the true colours behind the man who is responsible for justice over 22 million of innocents in the country. This according to him is nothing. However, it is a serious issue for the country and her future.
Having such person at the decision-making level is an adding insult to injury of the people that had, or still have, faith in good governance.
However, there were a few major facts in his lamentation that can be highlighted. First, he was dragged into politics and gifted with a ministerial post by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaranatunge. It was a perchance, as he said. Second, he was one of closest friends of Nissanka Senadhipathi, the alleged fraudster who is under investigation. Third, he knows the law and others don’t. Fourth, he claims to be an “honest” Buddhist who is well-read in Buddhism. Fifth, he is ready to give up his ministerial post with no worries, or, once again, so he claims.
What can the people in the country assume by hearing such a self-proclaimed discourse of holiness?
According to him, he has not met Nissanaka Senadhipathi after 2007. But, he said, he has supported Sarath Fonseka when he was contesting the election in 2010, in which Senadhipathi was also supportive. But again, he said, he has not meet him after 2007. The lie of the Justice Minister is loud and clear. The lie can prevail until evidence is unearthed to prove the contrary. Then he will manage to create another lie. This is the sham culture of this country.
Despite the political intelligentsia in the parliament yesterday (December 15, 2015) during the speech made by the Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, one could observe the path we are now heading in when it comes to such issues.
What we have learnt when it comes to the theory is that Justice is the spine of the state. Justice is the faith of governance. Justice is the flesh of the political will of the people. Justice is the power of the power. Justice is the oxygen of the rule of law. Justice is the last milestone of every citizen.
But when it comes to practicalities, we hardly find a politician whose commitments are based on justice. We can hardly find state officials whose commitments are based on justice. What we can find is those whose tendency is to abuse the principle of justice for their personal benefit. The subject of justice in the government is most of the time preached by those who knows how to distort justice.
Launching the tabloid to boost the personal images out of public money or sitting for hour long talk shows to express how good you are in lying will not find solutions to the grave issues in the country. It will further worsen the situation. The success of any leader not only relies on himself but those who are chosen by him.
Well… The minister of Justice, the self-claimed thinker is showing us, how arrogant the justice of good governance is.
We believe the Prime Minister has not forgotten, as the most experienced person in losing elections and the people’s mandate for a prolonged period, that curiosity killed the cat. Will the country to fall back to the drawing board? The ball is in your court Mr. Prime Minister!
Nilantha Ilangamuwa edits the Sri Lanka Guardian, an online daily newspaper, and he also an editor of the Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives, bi-monthly print magazine. He is the author of the just released non-fictions, “Nagna Balaya” (The Naked Power), in Sinhalese and “The Conflation”, in English. He can be reached at [email protected]