Inspirational rulers

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Norway Prime Minister Erna Solberg

Recently I read a news item that appeared in the Daily FT reported by Reuters which said that the Norwegian Police had fined its Prime Minister Erna Solberg for breaking COVID-19 social distancing rules when the Premier organised a family gathering to celebrate her birthday. The fine was Norwegian Crowns 20,000 ($ 2,352), as said by Police Chief Ole Saeverud at a news conference.

The words which are echoing in our ears and unbelievable in a Sri Lankan context are that the two-term Premier has apologised several times for organising the event for her 60th birthday with 13 relatives at a mountain resort in late February, despite a Government ban on gatherings of more than 10 people.

As reported in the news item she has told Norway’s TV 2 News that (in her own words), “I’d like to say again that I’m sorry for breaking the coronavirus rules. I will accept the fine, and pay it.”

The Police Chief justifying the fine has said that “It is therefore correct to issue a fine in order to uphold the general public’s trust in the rules on social restrictions…. Solberg is the country’s leader and she has been at the forefront of the restrictions imposed to limit the spread of the virus.”

Just imagine what would have happened if it had been in our Paradise, not committed by the Prime Minister or President but even by a district or provincial organiser (no need to be a MP or a minister) of the ruling party or its henchmen? No doubt the first thing is to serve an interdiction letter to the Police officer and to commence an immediate inquiry against the Police officer, in order to find out whether that Police officer belongs to a rival party of the ruling party. Thereafter he or she has to undergo a number of harassments throughout the rest of the life including family members. 

We have a number of live examples. That examples list runs into more than 1,000 but I will limit to name only two incidences which had happened recently. An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) who has bravely endeavouring to suppress the drugs in the area which comes under his purview has been immediately transferred and an inquiry commenced against him. As reported this has happened at the order of a politician of the ruling party who wanted to uplift the livelihood of small-scale drugs dealers since these small-scale drugs dealers make a living in the midst of various difficulties. The other one is the difficulties encountered by a lady forest officer who had acted bravely against the wills and orders of politicians who are backing the destroyers of the environment.

The Norwegian Police action and the message given to the world very clearly highlight three important points. (A) The law is the same for all. (B) Upholding the general public trust on an imposed rule. (C) The leader at the forefront of imposing the law should comply with the law more than anyone else.

What is the violation that the Norwegian Premier has done? Just allowing additional three people to participate in the event where the rule allowed only for 10. Breaking the rule even by a minor point counts as a violation of the imposed rule. It is rather unbelievable to us when compared with the way our rulers rule the country.

We have seen many such inspirational rulers all over the world except in Sri Lanka. The rulers in our country who came to power since independence have not shown this type of inspiration other than endeavouring to protect themselves and the supporters who helped them by spending millions and billions in their power campaigns. In order to repay this kindness the rulers allow these henchmen to do whatever they prefer even to murder the general public by importing aflatoxins with essential food items, such as coconut oil or chilies.

A. The law is the same for all

Does this apply in Sri Lanka? The very clear answer is NO. When politicians gather for various functions, personal or social, they have their own rules. Maintaining the social distance and wearing a facemask are unashamedly broken. When they appear on TV channels in order to boost their personal image, do they abide by the rule of wearing a facemask? Even when they travel in the public roads, they enforce separate rules giving priorities for their vehicles as they wish, and the general public has to undergo various agonies which are sometimes a threat to their life. 

Keeping social distance is now not a new thing to us thanks to COVID-19. Various authorities advice and warn the general public highlighting the importance of this requirement especially in this festival season. When the general public goes shopping to purchase their daily requirements accidently or deliberately they break this social distance rule. However, when the so-called politicians gather for very personal benefits of their own, they deliberately break this rule. Consequently the general public too breaks this rule since they are not inspired by the politicians who make the rules.

Our rulers consider themselves the most powerful people in society and they can blatantly violate any law as they wish but the others should strictly comply with the rule. Do the rulers protect the norm that ‘the law is the same for all’? 

B. Upholding the general public trust on an imposed rule

We recently heard news of a Police officer in the Western Province who in the broad daylight has viciously beaten a driver for knocking down his senior Police officer who had been on duty with this Police officer. Credit goes to the Police authority who took prompt actions, interdicting the said Police officer and initiating legal action against him.

On the same day or so we heard some news that two politicians who are members of the ruling party in the same Western Province have brutally beaten a trader. The action taken against these two politicians is not translucent. If the law is same for all, the leader of the party should have at least suspended the party membership of these politicians irrespective of their power or role and should have commenced an enquiry with immediate effect. However subsequent actions taken by the authorities are not transparent for unknown reason. Do the rulers uphold the public trust on an imposed rule?

C. Leader at the forefront should comply with the law more than anyone else

Why can’t our rulers be so inspirational? Recently when all Sri Lankans irrespective of their differences in respect of language, colour, creed, race and religion were mourning for people who had lost their lives as a result of a brutal attack by some terrorists on Easter Sunday of April 2019, our 225 group members wearing black suits and black belts were dancing uttering ugly harsh words in the so-called respectable venue Parliament, bringing to mind memories of activities in a lunatic asylum.

They sent a very clear message to the rest of the world that presently Sri Lanka is ruled by thugs who have been elected by the general public. Aren’t they the representatives who have been elected by the general public and sent to the Legislature to impose rules for good governance? (No doubt there are some members who have been nominated by party leaders, since these nominees would never be elected if they contested.) If that is the situation in the Legislature, how can we expect that the leaders who should be at the forefront of the restriction imposed will comply with the law more than anyone else?

Gas problems

Litro which supplies gas cylinders recently modified (according to their interpretation) the product and put the gas cylinders into the market, indicating the product in litres instead of the usual way of indicating it in KGs. Ultimately it was found whatever modifications have been done to the product, the price of gas has been increased by a considerable amount in an unethical manner.

Even when the Consumer Service Authority criticised the action done by the company by way of modifying the product, at a TV briefing the respective State Minister stood to safeguard the position of the company stating that in the near future the gas has to be distributed through pipelines like the same way currently being used to supply the water, and therefore it is an experiment done by the company which has to be tolerated, totally ignoring the illegal and unethical price increase which directly impacts the consumers’ basket. 

Oil problems

In another incident, an oil importer has imported some poisoned coconut oil and after detection, directions have been issued to re-export the entire stock. It is strange that the respective authority has released the stock to the same importer to be stocked in the importer’s stores. Subsequently, it was reported that the poisoned coconut oil has been released to the market by the importer. 

To the query the explanations that the authority has given were that the authority does not possess storage facility and therefore the oil stock was released to the same importer to be kept in the stores of the importer. Well, can even a lunatic accept this explanation given? Why can’t the authority act in a more prudential way by keeping the oil in the importer’s store under dual control where one key of the store is with the authority that prevents the oil importer juggling with the prohibited oil stock though it is in his own stores? Do the rulers expect the general public to believe that the authority is so irresponsible or to believe that an invisible political hand is behind the deal?

State of our rulers

Do our rulers follow the principles/norms set by the Norwegian Premier: (A) The law is the same for all. (B) Upholding the general public trust on an imposed rule. (C) The leader at the forefront of imposing law should comply with the law more than anyone else?

A large number of such live examples could be cited not only for these types of violations of the imposed rules but also the attempts taken by the ruling politicians to justify the unethical actions done by them to safeguard the violators of the rule, both in ruling party and in the opposing party. It is not the intention of this article and therefore no more examples are cited.

When are we in Sri Lanka, going to have leaders similar to Norwegian leaders? Will it be only a day dream?

People who have undergone various hardships since almost independence and due to the recent bitter experience encountered under Yahapalanaya, elected Gotabaya Rajapaksa who is fondly known as Gota as President, with high expectations, with a hope of a new change. They believed and trusted that Gota would do something for the betterment of Sri Lanka.

Most people who voted for Gota didn’t expect anything personal; they commonly and honestly expected a better Sri Lanka without corruptions. Are these expectations now fulfilled? The answer without any iota of doubt is “NO”. Day by day expectations and new hopes are exacerbated. ‘Are we not capable of making a profound transformation?’ is the question now boggling the minds of voters. What should be our future outlook? Then the next question that these voters currently have is, ‘Who will do this?’ They have found their own reply, ‘No one else.’

Yes; it is now very clear that there isn’t a single person in this 225 group who can lead the country as an inspirational leader to transform into a better Sri Lanka. Voters had a lot of expectations that Gota would do something with the so-called Viyath Maga experts. However, now it has proved otherwise beyond doubt.

COVID-19

Now Sri Lanka is under serious threat due to the outbreak of the third wave of COVID-19. Many advisors advice the rulers not to go for a lockdown, don’t close the schools and increase PCR testing, vaccination is the only solution and so on and so forth. As a result of complying with these advice, spreading of the virus has become uncontrollable and hospitals are full with no more vacancies for COVID patients. Oxygen may be the next issue.

How many advisors do we have in our country who are advising the rulers? An advisor has been appointed for almost every discipline; 99% of these advisors are outdated old men. These advisors were efficient statesmen when they were young which means before reaching the age of 60/65 years. However now, without any disregard or insult and with all due respect, they are almost defunct. Not because of their own faults. It is natural, when someone is getting old beyond a certain limit his/her capabilities and efficiencies automatically turn to downward trends. That is why in Sinhala such people are called ‘naki,’ which means ‘nohaki’ or incapable both physically and mentally. 

There may be one or two very exceptional cases contradicting this rule. But most are defunct. Basic degrees, doctorates, experiences, exposures all become just words when they get old. Hence rulers should be aware of this and appoint advisors based on their previous exposures considering the natural limits imposed by age, otherwise it results in no returns but only a cost. 

Viyathmaga and GR

Viyathmaga was one of the solutions to this issue as most of the voters expected. However, do the present rulers who formed the Viyathmaga exploit them for better use? The answer is NO. This group has also now gradually become puppets in the hands of big politicians and it is very clear still they can be guided and corrected to be good rulers if the leader prefers to do so. 

Still a considerable number of people believe that Gota is the option since there are no leaders in the foreseeable future who can transform Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is high time to totally forget the past and what has happened in the past. Blaming each other, criticising each other and acting like lunatics is only a waste of time. These things never solve the current burning problems of Sri Lanka. 

Still with this considerable number of people Gota has a chance if he can change. Everyone should change. The leading role lies with the leader, Gota. People are well aware of his ability. Now it is high time. Hunting for new leaders should be stopped. Sri Lankans have a bitter experience of electing a new leader in 2015. All expectations vanished into thin air within a short period of time after electing the so-called leader. 

Out of the present 225 group, no leaders are visible at least to imagine. Gota can drive this role if he chooses to be an honest leader who can be inspired by others. When the leader is honest, braveness comes automatically to control wrongdoers who have been living with corruption for decades. Human beings are subject to making mistakes, they can be corrected as well if the leader is candid and open-minded. The leader should be a person who speaks only the truth, speaks only when it is necessary and ensures that those words are kind and polite.

For a person of the calibre of a disciplined and trained soldier who gathered core values which were developed studying at a leading school, this does not need to be taught. This is the last chance that every single human being who is living now in Sri Lanka has. For God’s sake do not ignore the responsibility that lies with you as the President of this beautiful country. 

The supreme words of Lord Buddha are “raja bawathu dammiko” or “may the ruler be just”. We as Sri Lankan hope that this last chance will not be wasted nor destroyed. If those expectations are destroyed for the sake of personal or family betterment, there is no doubt that this beautiful country will definitely be a colony in the hands of either China or America. 

(The writer is a former banker and currently serves as a Visiting Lecturer of the Institute of Credit Management, Sri Lanka.)