The people have virtually baptised the opposition Samagi Jana Bala Wegaya as the alternative government to the present administration, now holding on to the reins.
It happened soon after they displayed strength on the 16th by bringing thousands of people against the government’s manifestly clear corrupt administration and failure to take the country forward as per their declarations and the much hacked “Vistas of Splendour“.
In other words, it is baptism by fire. The SJB has trekked the arduous terrain to reach the milestone. Initially, they had a compelling reason to deviate from the traditional Grand Old Party and break ranks with them. Former Prime Minister and leader of the United National Party Ranil Wickremesinghe is still holding on to its reins, come what may. His attitude has implicitly liquidated the UNP, once an unassailable and unmatched political entity is in shambles today. Wickremesinghe may be a political master craftsman, but he lacks the competence to maintain his durability among party ranks and take his party to the next level of achieving the target by investing in the confidence placed by the people.
The main reason for the defeat in 2019 was Wickremesinghe’s failure to act appropriately and cleverly against the people who robbed the country. The time spanning from 2005 to 2015 was one of the most significant eras of contemporary political history for the wrong reasons. The rulers, at their whims and fancies, created an impregnable oligarchy. The small band of people created mayhem countrywide, ruling with an iron fist ruthlessly.
The political murders such as that of LasanthaWickrmemtunge and abductions were rampant. Hardly a day passes without learning about a blatant human rights violation or murder the foulest way.
In such a disturbing situation, people had the utmost confidence in the Wickremesinghe-Sirisena alliance to correct decade long glaring omissions and to put the Human -rights record on track. There were a considerable amount of measures taken but patently failed to translate them to reality. Hence the failure by handing over the reins once again to a small coterie on a platter.
Since then, there has been no significant opposition to reverse the roller coaster-like policies of the government in power. Though the SJB was the majority on the opposition benches, there was not much political activity until recently other than their strong debating skills. SJB’s presence in Parliament is a limited showpiece in political terms. In the circumstances, the countrywide protests organised by the SJB came as a surprise to many.
Many people, including the government ministers, have expressed their perceptions of the SJB, condemning their action on Tuesday.
Thousands of people thronged to Colombo endorsing the SJB action plan that caused ripples within the government circles. The criticisms levelled against the party amply explain the worrisome face of the government.
Minister of Law and Order Sarath Weerasekaraalleged the SJB was trying to demolish the present administration by paving the way for the Covid 19 virus to spread unabatedly. “They are hand in glove with the Covid virus”. The Minister alleged.
The SJB top rung snapped back, answering the charge. Dubbed the present administration as the virulent virus ever found, the SJB fighting tooth and nail alongside the JVP.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) always come up with facts and figures to demolish the arguments put forward by the government. Government speakers are invariably mortally scared of the JVP. The more verbose Johnston Fernando, Rohitha Abeygoonewardene ShehanSemasinghe and Nimal Lanza and many others become hapless in the face of JVP criticism. The JVP, most of the time do their homework before a Parliamentary debate. Their off the cuff remarks are always witty, and it is a treat to listen to them when they are on their feet. Except for a few government speakers and the opposition members, mainly the SJB others, do not prepare themselves to use the platform available to address the people’s grievances.
In the circumstances, the SJB protest rally gave them some courage, having realised the enduring support by the people. The Police action to stop the busses and the massive crowds at various points without a doubt gave them an additional opportunity to demonstrate at many places making their effort more successful. News channels were agog with the news of the SJB political rally organised to force the government to give the people breathing space by making essential commodities available in the market at an affordable price.
Besides, during the Budget Finance Minister, Basil Rajapaksa inexorably spoke the truth when he said that the government servants are a burden to the government. The Rajapaksa administration helped the government service swell out of proportion because they lacked a proper recruitment plan. The government servant invariably rallied around the SLPP during the 2019 elections to give them an overwhelming majority despite the UNP increasing their salaries.
The need to reduce the government servants to make it more efficient in the long run was an idea put forward by the Ranil Wickremesinghe government. However, they failed to implement the same for reasons best known to them. Wickremesinghe always relied on the private sect as the engine of growth. In the West and the United States, most of the governmental functions in other countries functions are a part of the responsibility of the private sector under strict regulation. Minister Basil Rajapaksa may have taken a cue from the United States not to depend heavily on the government sector realising, that the private sector was always more efficient. Minister Basil Rajapaksa’s remarks did not augur well with the ordinary government servant who made an enormous contribution to put the SLPP back on the driving seat. The government realised it lately and hurriedly tried to make amends as a damage control measure. The responsibility of interpreting what exactly Basil Rajapaksa said became the task of Minister Dallas Alahapperuma.Allahapperuma.
So he said as the government wanted it interpreted, he used every possible strategy to convince the people. The question is whether he succeeded in his effort. Many people believe that it was not so, and now that Minister Allahapperuma’s credibility is at stake.
The latest is the government’s intention to revert to the pricing formula as far as fuel prices are concerned. The idea may be to adopt the Mangala Samaraweera equation, where the local fuel prices fluctuate on the varying international prices. The fuel price relatively drops when the market prices are down and vice versa. The formula came out of Minister Ali Sabry stating that if somebody is using a petrol car or diesel car, no one else should pay for it. The opposition benches jumped out of their skin as he mentioned the fuel price formula, which was a subject of ridicule by the top rung members of the government, including Minister Gammanpila. Bandual Gunawardene, as an opposition member, hurled many salvos at then Minister Samaraweera for introducing the formula saying, that formula is only a vehicle to increase the prices. Sabry’s argument has some substance, but when the UNP government introduced the same equation, the economic pundits such as Bandula Gunawrdene were up in arms. Politics, no doubt a dirty game and a gamble when one party does, it is no good, but the other party does the same thing masquerading under a different guise or a mask and trying it on the people. The present government in power has run short of ideas and is closely looking at the strategies cum statecraft adopted by the UNP lead Yahapalanaya. Be that as it may one time, Minister S.B Dissanayake also says the people should not live on handouts by the government. He poses the question of why should one pay others bills. Dissanayake may be against subsidising prices for the poor. The Minister may have forgotten that Sri Lanka is a welfare state, and the taxpayers are paying for others health, education etc. The poor always receive subsidies from the government in power. All governments elected so far had exploited the poor to remain in office for inordinately long periods. They rob the wealth of the poor people indiscriminately and make the country poorer. Had the politicians acted with honest intentions, the people would have been on a better footing today.
There is a classic video going viral on social media platforms where the author poses the question, what is the difference between an ordinary thief and a political thief? The usual thief robs your money, your bag, your watch, and your jewellery.
The political thief steals your future, your career, your education, your health and your business. The usual thief chooses whom to rob. you
The hilarious part is that you fight to defend yourself from the ordinary thief, but you fight against each other to protect the political thief who robs you. Finally, you blindly say you are not blind.
All the politicians have robbed and ruined this country except for an honest few by taking commissions through projects, drawing pensions after five years, using luxury cars etc. In the circumstances, the poor have become poorer at the hands of greedy politicos. The reality this country faces today is a clear manifestation of Politicians robbing the poor to achieve their ends.
