Leaders and followers

Supporters of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party will today commemorate the birth centenary of the founder of their party by extolling his achievements, political principles and virtues. S. W. R .D. Bandaranaike will be assessed by historians in many ways and forty years is too short a period of time to make a complete assessment. But none will deny that he was a political colossus of his time, his party being the party in power 40 years after his death with his daughter as the president and his wife as prime minister even earlier dominating the political scene since her husband's assassination.

The most striking feature of the late premier was his democratic liberalism. Having walked out of the then mighty United National Party into the political wilderness, he in a few years,almost by himself staged the country's only political and social revolution through the ballot. What was most significant about his revolution was that it was revolution made without firing a bullet or a skull being cracked.

UNPers look to D. S. Senanayake, the first prime minister, the Father of the Nation. His achievement and proud boast was that this country gained Independence after 443 years of colonial rule, without a drop of blood being shed.

What a contrast it is today. Indepen-dence was gained and the country's social and cultural; revolution was staged without a drop of blood being shed but today even a local government election cannot be held without mayhem and murder and thousands of policemen being deployed! This is the sad story of the degradation of Sri Lankan political standards in the post Independence era.

Do those SLFPers who today will be campaigning in the North Western Province and commemorating Bandaranaike Day as well as UNPers campaigning in the NWP ever reflect on the politics of their founding fathers? Does democratic liberalism of the founding fathers of their parties mean anything to the fire eaters of today who do not care two hoots about anything other than their party winning the elections? Do leaders of these parties make a genuine effort to inculcate into the people the political principles of those whom they hold aloft in banners?

President Chandrika Kumaratunga was reported yesterday saying that she does not believe in violence at all and that the Peoples Alliance was carrying on a peaceful campaign.UNP leader Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe will undoubtedly say the same. But violence is raging while the election campaigns are on. We do accept that both leaders are wedded to democratic principles and do not believe in violence and thuggery. But has this message trickled down to the rank and file? We cannot imagine that the UNP are the sole perpetrators of violence in the NWP and the ruling party is at the receiving end while the police Ð hundreds of whom had been moved into the electorate Ð are simply looking on.The UNP Ð as opposition parties contesting elections claim Ð will say that they are only responding to state sponsored violence.

A clue to the degradation of political standards is found in the stock argument that has adduced by all ruling parties that were and the one that is in power: What did they do in their time? This is tacit admission of the fact that the wrongs committed earlier are being repeated and past offences are justification to those being committed now. It need hardly be stressed that the duty of a government in power is not only to abide by the pledges given to the people but also to maintain law and order. Whether a party when in power, and now in opposition unleashed violence or not, the bounden duty of a government is to maintain law and order to protect the freedom , lives and property of the people.

President Kumaratunga was reported in a state controlled newspaper saying that she should be informed if anyone connected to the PA resorts to violence. Such persons would be taken into custodyand action taken against them, she had assured.Those who have attempted to contact an official of the Presidential Secretariat over the telephone know the difficulties involved quite apart from contacting or informing the president. Besides she should not play the role of a policeman but rather leave policemen to their job, Instead she should, as the head of the police force, ensure that the police act impartially.

However, those with a nodding acquaintance of Sri Lankan politics know that this is asking for the moon. With scores of government politicians in the field and the tradition of issuing direct orders to policemen, such neutrality of the police can only be a pious wish.

What we can hope for is that someday the constitution is changed where the police force is established under an independent police commission, functioning alongside with a judiciary and public service also under an independent commissions. That is what we had under the first constitution which was given up for the sovereignty of parliament which in effect resulted in unbridled freedom for politicians.

On this day when the ruling party of the SLFP dedicates itself to the principles of that liberal democrat S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, let us hope that it would inspire them to enact constitutional safeguards mentioned above before their term of office ends. But that will be, as we said earlier: crying for the moon.