(Lanka-e-News- 30.Nov.2015, 11.45PM) It is really pathetic to see what is happening in Sri Lanka at this present moment. It is becoming true what I have commented in this site few months ago; two leaders are in full throttle of achieving their political goals. One is robbing the entire country again with his newly elected political family while the other one is attempting to exercise his power in establishing so called democracy. In these present circumstances, how do we understand the current political practice of two leaders?
Ethics and praxis
My whole question relies on the ground of ethics- here in political practice of ethics. In politics, Ethico-political practice is not what agreed to oneself conscience and what he or she perceive as write or wrong, but also the idea of right and wrong or moral or immoral which extended to the mass population of the country. As I correctly noted, Ranil have overlooked the day to day issues emerging in the political battle field in order to restore the so called democratic prosperous country while leaving the issues create by the Sirisena and his political scoundrels. The are messing up the whole country placing it in dangerous moment. We all knows that these rascals do not have conscience what country need but more concern about what they and their family members needed. It has proven that they are worse than Rajapaksha family in terms of abusing political power. We should not worry about them because it take very little time for people to chase them away. But we are worrying about Ranil’s political praxis and its effect on the political engagement of the general public and the civil society. People handed over the power to Ranil not just to leave it as he left in 2002 like a gentleman saying ‘that is it’. Ranil can be a gentleman again, but what is the use of being gentleman by placing the country in chaotic situations. His political practice at current determines the level and space for political engagement for the civil society and general public in future.
It is in this reason, I pointed out one’s ethical practice is not suffice to determine the ethical practice of politics, it is negotiated, ethical practice between the right and wrong not only from the ones own perspective but from the perspective of the country as well. While Ranil has entire right to leave like gentleman as a public figure, ethically, he does not hold such right. Simply people did not bring him to power simply to show his character of gentleman. He was brought into power to restore the democracy not limited to the constitutional politics but also to the politics that emerge in daily basis. That required creativity and imagination. That requires an ability to deconstruct his political agency and political practice in the grounds of ethics. It requires to understand the ways in which ones ethical subject confront the ethical persona of the common mass.
As I read the current political situation, we must accept that it is obvious that Ranil is loosing his battle as he lost in 2002. I am not sure any of Ranil’s advisors are capable of seeing this or any of his political comrades want to realize this. He is loosing his battle as he fails to bring back the economic prosperity he promised for the people. It is reflected in his 2016 budget. Simply, the budget has overlooked the survival of common man. It is a literary text in fantasy. For example, he and his government was devastated by the huge taxes imposed related to numerous aspect of the use of vehicles, misinterpreted expenses on education, and so on. Who brought these suggestions? What would be the impact on the general pubic of these taxes? Would government get any income out of these taxes? Or who will receive the benefits? Whether these taxes go to the government or to the individual person? Did Ranil think of those issues? If he had a minute in pondering over these questions, he could stop the unpopularity he earned through the budget. In this simple examples” what I wanted to suggest that Ranil should simply move from his political practice of trusting others not only the rascals of the president house but also the most so called reliable trusted politicians around him.
Second, He is loosing the battle as he could not fulfill the wishes of general public that assumed to correct the malpractice of the politics or politicians which was an issue for thirty forty years. He promised to rectify it with resumption of power. The most popular example is related to the political appointments. Just take the examples of the appointment of telecom chairman (president’s brother), chasing away of previous telecom officers, Ranil’s silence of salary demand by the Telecom chairman, abuse of political power by Chaturika Sirisena, As I understand Ranil seems to think that in order to restore the democracy and good governance he should wait until he pass hundreds of bills and constitutions. In other words, his version of practice always relies on his trust on structural adjustments to the law and order. While, such constitutional amendments are important, it is also important to address the emerging crisis in current political scenario. Did he have any dialogue of such malpractices with president? Or simply he looks away thinking that ‘I will fix the issue when I fixed the system’ Will he have chance to fix the system? Will there be a country to fix the system? My question lay on the ground of these imperatives of my political readings? I also would like to ask, whether Ranil simply think that any other possible options to fix these malpractices while he fix the system? Has he regained his political agency or if he does not, what forms of political agency does he have? Is such versions of agency is capable enough to lead the country.
Third, at the same time Ranil’s popularity is loosing among the Sinhala Buddhist population due to his not linear, rather ignorance of the behavior towards some minority ethnic groups. For example, he has not taken any action against the issue of deforestation at Eastern province and Vilpattu, jungle. People believe that illegal deforestation and relocation of Muslims, particularly, illegal immigrants from Pakistan take over the land. This has raised serious concern among the majority of the people in Sri Lanka as well as diasporic people in Canada and Australia. Writer argues this on valid empirical data of the attitudes of Sinahales Buddhist. He must be thinking of the short term effect that can be benefited in the election, but long run, he is going to loose comparatively large number of votes than he could expect form such minority groups. My argument is that, he must attend those issues diligently and take necessary action against those issues if there is any. Through this he can assure his correct practice among the majority of voters.
According to my reading, Ranil political engagement is highly restricted by the catchy philosophical jargon he embrace time to time. While, the idea of constitutional adjustment becoming the centrifugal character of his democracy, which was inherited by his background in law, he also embrace some political thought in out of context. His interest in ‘Lichchavi politics’ is the best example for that. As Lenin said, there is no middle path in politics. The person who sits on the fence is to be the killed first. That is what is happening to Ranil’s government at the moment. While he is talking about Lichchavi, Sirisena and his political rascals are regaining the strength, collect their arms, recruit soldiers and draw the boundaries. I am sure that, Ranil must be muttering to himself I will overthrew him in second. But to do so, Ranil will not have soldiers. If Ranil wants to test this hypothesis, he can continue as he does now, if not, he must change is batting stance and should call the power play and bat fast.
There are few things; Ranil can do at present moment in order to regain his popularity while he is racing for the constitutional adjustment. He should, reverse all institutional and political malpractices; he should capable of bringing justice to the political victims. He should address immediate survival issues of general public, and he should interfere with mass media and highlight the achievement of UNP government not the stupid so called lichchavi government.
If Ranil has no intelligent advisors, at least he should find some time to talk with Maithree (not the president) , his wife, to deconstruct his version of ethico- philosophical and political practice . He should deeply analyze president and other SLFP members’ statement in media and their practices. Simply he should wake up from the sweet dream of LIchchavi politics. This is the time to revisit and act on correct foot if he does not want to leave again leaving the country in despair saying that ‘That is it’
By A Migrant Intellectual
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by (2015-11-30 21:46:33)
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A superbly analyzed article with a pragmatic solution. A realuty check, please wake up, if your worries are about the country and not about your believe system & theoretical approach.
-- by Qatar Resident on 2015-12-01
