On the day Sri Lanka celebrated its 65th anniversary of Independence, all that we are reminded of is the loss of liberties of the people in the country. On the economic front, the people are struggling to provide a decent meal to their families. On the political front, the people are victims of a system in which they are powerless to influence. On the legal front, they are without any protection of the law.
Freedom of speech, which is a sine qua non to sustain an independent nation, is today considered to be the privilege of so called patriots. We have seen many instances of those who tried to exercise their right to freedom of speech having paid a heavy price for it – some with their lives and others having to go into voluntary exile – or simply go missing without a trace.
Meanwhile, those who rule us engage in endless rhetoric of the “motherland” and the virtue of patriotism. What this means is there must be voluntary silencing of oneself about what whatever evil one sees happening around the country. It was William Randolph Hearst who once said “ a politician will do anything to keep his job – even become a patriot”
Even under colonial times, the citizens enjoyed the right to a legal remedy against wrongs. But, today, no one can reasonably expect redress for the wrongs he or she suffers.
Besides the security apparatus, which has become essential for the survival of the current system of government, there is the propaganda apparatus, i.e. the state media which has been given an open licence to operate outside the law, without any kind of ethical behavior or morality. Again, the law and the courts can do nothing to regulate or to control the operation of the government machinery obviously for fear of repercussions and strong-arm tactics of the Executive.
What is required at this juncture is a firm will to demand the kind of political system that matches the aspirations of the people as a whole and the rejection of a system that exists only for the benefit of a handful of people. Whether that can be achieved in this lifetime of the current generation, remains a big question mark and a distant dream.
“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government : Edward Abbey.
Freedom of speech, which is a sine qua non to sustain an independent nation, is today considered to be the privilege of so called patriots. We have seen many instances of those who tried to exercise their right to freedom of speech having paid a heavy price for it – some with their lives and others having to go into voluntary exile – or simply go missing without a trace.
Meanwhile, those who rule us engage in endless rhetoric of the “motherland” and the virtue of patriotism. What this means is there must be voluntary silencing of oneself about what whatever evil one sees happening around the country. It was William Randolph Hearst who once said “ a politician will do anything to keep his job – even become a patriot”
Even under colonial times, the citizens enjoyed the right to a legal remedy against wrongs. But, today, no one can reasonably expect redress for the wrongs he or she suffers.
Besides the security apparatus, which has become essential for the survival of the current system of government, there is the propaganda apparatus, i.e. the state media which has been given an open licence to operate outside the law, without any kind of ethical behavior or morality. Again, the law and the courts can do nothing to regulate or to control the operation of the government machinery obviously for fear of repercussions and strong-arm tactics of the Executive.
What is required at this juncture is a firm will to demand the kind of political system that matches the aspirations of the people as a whole and the rejection of a system that exists only for the benefit of a handful of people. Whether that can be achieved in this lifetime of the current generation, remains a big question mark and a distant dream.
“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government : Edward Abbey.
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