If you wish to be a success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing.
Over 200 years after these prophetic words were uttered by French ruler Napoleon Bonaparte, providing a rare insight into his own philosophy that helped overcome challenges military might simply could not, the words are as relevant today in the local political context as they were when first spoken. In essence, it all boils down to telling people what they want to hear and making promises that are never intended to be kept, with the sole intention of gaining power.
In the last couple of decades, Bonaparte’s theory has been put to the test in this island nation with astounding results. It appears that if those in power tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people end up believing it. But there is a caveat. For the lies to be maintained and believed, the state must play ball. It must not only shield the people from the consequences of the lies, be they political or economic in nature, but also hide the truth in order for the theory to work. Therefore, it becomes necessary for the state to come down hard on truth mongers and use all powers at its disposal to crush dissent.
For 70-odd years, governments have come and gone, with each one promising more than the other in order to get elected. But once elected and unable to deliver the goods, the go-to option has been to use state machinery to keep up the lie, be it about development, patriotism, economic growth, etc., and thereafter go a step further to stifle dissension when push comes to shove. The reality is that every government has failed to deliver what it promised. If it were the contrary, by now, Sri Lanka would be a First World country. Instead, the country finds itself going deeper into a hole with each government it elects. If a finger is to be pointed, it has to be at the state sector, which, instead of standing its ground, has become servile to political masters as a result of its backbone being systematically crushed every five years or so by a so-called mandate.
When the line between an elected government and the state blurs to the point of non-existence, it is inevitably the harbinger of a disaster in the making. No country in the democratic world can prosper, leave alone survive, if the government and state become one. The exception, of course, is the communist countries where the government is, in fact, the state and vice versa. But Sri Lanka is no communist state. Being the oldest democracy in Asia, it cherishes its democratic principles.
Nowadays, the blurring of the lines can be seen in the manner in which the Police is being controlled by the political authority. The tool of choice for the current administrators to further the Napoleon theory appears to be the Police, which, for all intents and purposes, has lost sight of its primary duty to the people. Save for a few brave officers who stand up to political pressure – as a result of which they remain sidelined, denied promotions, and punished with transfers to remote areas; the rest, sadly, are politicised and therefore corrupt.
Today, the Police seem more interested in chasing whistleblowers rather than wrongdoers. The manner in which the Police has acted against protesters in recent times has left much to be desired and reeks of a political hand at play. The brutal repression of peaceful events in the North last week is sure to hurt even the superficial healing that took place since the end of the war.
Therein lies the problem and why reconciliation is the need of the hour. While the President and Foreign Minister have been waxing eloquent to brush aside concerns raised by the UNHRC, events on the ground paint a very different picture. These events come on the back of a state minister, allegedly in a drunken stupor, singling out and allegedly threatening Tamil prisoners at gunpoint inside a prison.
Be that as it may, what must be kept in mind is that actions have consequences, especially at a time when the country’s human rights record is under the microscope. The general perception is that if this is how the Police act when there is so much pressure on the government to respect the rights of people, how will the long arm of the law act in the absence of such pressure?
The question that both the man on the street as well as the UNHRC in Geneva are asking is why it is so difficult for the Police to follow laid down procedure, especially when it comes to arresting an individual.
These developments are taking place at a time when no less a person than the President was pledging to the international community at the UN Headquarters the Government’s commitment to respecting the rights of every individual; what the President said in New York was still ringing in the ears back home when the cops sprang into action in the North last week.
Whether the international community pushes for it or not, Sri Lanka’s democratic space should be strong enough to accommodate a Tamil, Sri Lankan mother grieving for her son 12 years after the war. Most of the Tamil youths were forcibly conscripted by the LTTE, as the Government itself keeps saying in its defence for prosecuting the war. Should not the mothers of these unwilling soldiers be allowed to grieve for their loved ones? Should the Police be allowed to be the arbiters of who should be allowed to grieve?
Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera, under whose purview the Police functions, is already under fire from within his own party for the manner in which the Police has handled recent protests, especially those by the teachers. It appears that the Minister is yet to come to terms with the fact that the Police is not a part of the military and is a wholly civilian department. The saving grace has been the Judiciary, which has checked police excess both in the South as well as the North, leaving the cops red-faced.
Weerasekera now finds himself in hot water, having not only allowed free rein for extremist monk Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, but also reinstating the statement by the controversial monk that a terror attack could take place at any time in the country. The alluded reason is the existence of a similar ideology that drove the Easter Sunday attackers, among many Muslim youths.
Among the 269 people who perished in the Easter Sunday attacks were 42 innocent tourists. The monk’s stunning revelation, which was quickly endorsed by the Public Security Minister, had a chilling effect on the entire tourism industry that was eagerly awaiting revival post Covid. It was just hours after the UK removed Sri Lanka, along with six other countries, from its Travel Red List that a fresh warning was issued to UK travellers based on the latest terror threats. Now, the entire industry has been left holding its collective head. While the cops wasted no time in chasing whistleblowers, the monk is yet to be questioned on his revelation that has caused irreparable damage to the country’s image at this critical juncture. The slip is certainly showing.Police state or policing the State?
25 Sep 2021
Police state or policing the State?
25 Sep 2021
If you wish to be a success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing.
Over 200 years after these prophetic words were uttered by French ruler Napoleon Bonaparte, providing a rare insight into his own philosophy that helped overcome challenges military might simply could not, the words are as relevant today in the local political context as they were when first spoken. In essence, it all boils down to telling people what they want to hear and making promises that are never intended to be kept, with the sole intention of gaining power.
In the last couple of decades, Bonaparte’s theory has been put to the test in this island nation with astounding results. It appears that if those in power tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people end up believing it. But there is a caveat. For the lies to be maintained and believed, the state must play ball. It must not only shield the people from the consequences of the lies, be they political or economic in nature, but also hide the truth in order for the theory to work. Therefore, it becomes necessary for the state to come down hard on truth mongers and use all powers at its disposal to crush dissent.
For 70-odd years, governments have come and gone, with each one promising more than the other in order to get elected. But once elected and unable to deliver the goods, the go-to option has been to use state machinery to keep up the lie, be it about development, patriotism, economic growth, etc., and thereafter go a step further to stifle dissension when push comes to shove. The reality is that every government has failed to deliver what it promised. If it were the contrary, by now, Sri Lanka would be a First World country. Instead, the country finds itself going deeper into a hole with each government it elects. If a finger is to be pointed, it has to be at the state sector, which, instead of standing its ground, has become servile to political masters as a result of its backbone being systematically crushed every five years or so by a so-called mandate.
When the line between an elected government and the state blurs to the point of non-existence, it is inevitably the harbinger of a disaster in the making. No country in the democratic world can prosper, leave alone survive, if the government and state become one. The exception, of course, is the communist countries where the government is, in fact, the state and vice versa. But Sri Lanka is no communist state. Being the oldest democracy in Asia, it cherishes its democratic principles.
Nowadays, the blurring of the lines can be seen in the manner in which the Police is being controlled by the political authority. The tool of choice for the current administrators to further the Napoleon theory appears to be the Police, which, for all intents and purposes, has lost sight of its primary duty to the people. Save for a few brave officers who stand up to political pressure – as a result of which they remain sidelined, denied promotions, and punished with transfers to remote areas; the rest, sadly, are politicised and therefore corrupt.
Today, the Police seem more interested in chasing whistleblowers rather than wrongdoers. The manner in which the Police has acted against protesters in recent times has left much to be desired and reeks of a political hand at play. The brutal repression of peaceful events in the North last week is sure to hurt even the superficial healing that took place since the end of the war.
Therein lies the problem and why reconciliation is the need of the hour. While the President and Foreign Minister have been waxing eloquent to brush aside concerns raised by the UNHRC, events on the ground paint a very different picture. These events come on the back of a state minister, allegedly in a drunken stupor, singling out and allegedly threatening Tamil prisoners at gunpoint inside a prison.
Be that as it may, what must be kept in mind is that actions have consequences, especially at a time when the country’s human rights record is under the microscope. The general perception is that if this is how the Police act when there is so much pressure on the government to respect the rights of people, how will the long arm of the law act in the absence of such pressure?
The question that both the man on the street as well as the UNHRC in Geneva are asking is why it is so difficult for the Police to follow laid down procedure, especially when it comes to arresting an individual.
These developments are taking place at a time when no less a person than the President was pledging to the international community at the UN Headquarters the Government’s commitment to respecting the rights of every individual; what the President said in New York was still ringing in the ears back home when the cops sprang into action in the North last week.
Whether the international community pushes for it or not, Sri Lanka’s democratic space should be strong enough to accommodate a Tamil, Sri Lankan mother grieving for her son 12 years after the war. Most of the Tamil youths were forcibly conscripted by the LTTE, as the Government itself keeps saying in its defence for prosecuting the war. Should not the mothers of these unwilling soldiers be allowed to grieve for their loved ones? Should the Police be allowed to be the arbiters of who should be allowed to grieve?
Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera, under whose purview the Police functions, is already under fire from within his own party for the manner in which the Police has handled recent protests, especially those by the teachers. It appears that the Minister is yet to come to terms with the fact that the Police is not a part of the military and is a wholly civilian department. The saving grace has been the Judiciary, which has checked police excess both in the South as well as the North, leaving the cops red-faced.
Weerasekera now finds himself in hot water, having not only allowed free rein for extremist monk Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, but also reinstating the statement by the controversial monk that a terror attack could take place at any time in the country. The alluded reason is the existence of a similar ideology that drove the Easter Sunday attackers, among many Muslim youths.
Among the 269 people who perished in the Easter Sunday attacks were 42 innocent tourists. The monk’s stunning revelation, which was quickly endorsed by the Public Security Minister, had a chilling effect on the entire tourism industry that was eagerly awaiting revival post Covid. It was just hours after the UK removed Sri Lanka, along with six other countries, from its Travel Red List that a fresh warning was issued to UK travellers based on the latest terror threats. Now, the entire industry has been left holding its collective head. While the cops wasted no time in chasing whistleblowers, the monk is yet to be questioned on his revelation that has caused irreparable damage to the country’s image at this critical juncture. The slip is certainly showing.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!