New Year Wish for Sri Lanka

Let us walk the talk by living the TRUTH!

It is almost a year since this Country took part in a silent revolution, by exposing the duplicity (between the talk and action) of the previous regime and elected a President who promised to clean up the mess, and achieve YAHAPALANAYA.

The President is an extremely articulate man, able to clearly express his thoughts, and is therefore potentially a good communicator. People hoped that he is a man of his word, and believed that he was honestly capable of delivering the goods as promised, unlike in the past, where all promises never transpired.

During this year, it has become quite obvious that just like Mahinda Rajapakse, Maithripala Sirisena is NOT a man of his word. They say something, and do completely the opposite.

It is no secret that a Country can easily change course from the behavior of its leader, who lives by example for his countrymen to follow. The Country therefore had high hopes that there would be a sea change in behavior owing to the good example shown by the leader.

Sadly it did not turn out to be so, where some changes and excesses like commandeering the state carrier to transport a plane load on junkets was abandoned in favor of flying business class on any airline for a small party.

Nepotism was still the rage, as a consummate politician of over 40 years, was too used to his family being an integral part of the cabal that ruled Polonnaruwa, like a feudal state where he did nothing to change that behavior.

The family was engaged in the Paddy Mafia, that affects every farmer, engaged in Sand Mining that affects the environment adversely that will shortly result in Sea Water coming inland, and ruining potential agriculture, they were engaged in Rock Quarrying, and one member was the GM of the Timber Corporation, and an excuse for permitting the wholesale destruction of forests, where not one Ebony or Burutha tree can now be found. 

A family with a history of treating women as chattels, that one brother met his end being caught with another man’s wife.

As if all this was not enough for a family who maintain were granted land in Polonnaruwa and therefore shifted from Gampaha, like other settlers from elsewhere, it was a story of rise to the top, without having a tax file to even record the immense wealth that was amassed. What is the sum total of taxes paid by the family in the past 10 years? 

SO I ask with such destruction:

     

What exactly is this so called civilized culture our President seems to think we actually have, not in his theoretical mind, that he thinks we are? To the independent observer the Country has a huge height to climb to be Civil!

Let alone civilized.

Worse, the amount of international media exposure he got from his statement during the silly season (season over the Christmas when there is no real news, means people are fed anything, and so the timing of the statement was most unfortunate to form the main news, resulting in guffaws!) has made both him and Sri Lanka the laughing stock and the butt end of braless jokes of the world.

I guess the tourist industry is glad of the free publicity, but not the women of Sri Lanka who will be harassed by tourists to either throw their bras at them or be asked impudent questions like “I hear SL women don’t wear bras, can you show me your tits! 

Thanks Mr President in bringing so much shame on our land.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/101109/the-enrique-sensation-president-s-comment-makes-world-headlines

There are a couple of points to note. Firstly, Parliamentarians are not the best example of the male species of Sri Lanka, as far as treatment of their duly married wives are concerned. Secondly, as a Society we treat women extremely poorly, as baggage and worthy of abuse and mistreatment as if that is not our culture, then we must change that before we ask women NOT to throw bras.

Thirdly, NO ONE can stop a hysterical woman and the President’s hysterical son, and son in law who were at the same time enjoying the show, to behave when with a herd instinct the crowd misbehaves, just as in the ’83 rights, when the herd joined in and attacked Tamils! Its called a herd instinct and there is nothing any President can do to stop it!

For people to refrain from misbehavior, is to educate them in values and in that respect we are far behind the rest of the world, a sad reflection of our culture! We cannot blame western influence, we must blame our callous treatment of our own citizens, from the callous slaughter of the innocents both by the LTTE, who were an uncivilized, terrorist group, but more so from a well trained Army, who should have shown restraint from mass murder in the upbringing of Buddhist values, which have clearly not been taught in their youth. So much for temple amassing material over spiritual well being!

All in all, it is timely that the President brought this debate of how uncivilized we really are, and how out of touch he is of our lack of even civic mindedness. We must therefore make a new year resolution, to teach our leaders that they are completely out of touch with reality, and that it is time they retire gracefully before being chased out by the citizens. We must all collectively take an oath to treat our women with dignity, and respect, if we loved our mothers at all.

“Men behaving badly” is so last century, when will we change? 2016 I hope!