(May 25, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) May 22, 36 years ago was a 'historic day' like many other 'historic days' that have since then gone by. Propaganda blasts were sounded on available sources on that day. Sri Lanka in its 2500 odd years of history and after 467 years of colonial rule was for the first time becoming a free, independent, democratic and sovereign republic, it was blasted.
'This is historic. It is real power to the people,' the corpulent Marxist with a gravel voice, Dr. Colvin R. de Silva who was the Constitutional Affairs Minister to Sirima Bandaranaike roared.
Dust bin of history
The Republican Constitution would sever the apron strings that tied us to our former colonial master and we would really be a free nation, it was claimed. February 4 which was celebrated as Independence Day was confined to the 'dust bin of history' and instead, May 22 would be our National Day.
But often events and people thrown into 'the dust bin of history' have a tendency to bounce out of the bin. Five years after that 'historic day' those who heralded the dawn of the republican age were thrown into that metaphorical dust bin and J.R. Jayewardene in 1978 enacted a new constitution. February 4 was restored and still is celebrated as our Independence Day.
When Chandrika Kumaratunga was elected president there was speculation about the country's National Day being changed once again. Fortunately, she - in one of her rare moments of good judgement decided not to change the National Day of the country as and when governments change and make this country a joke to the outside world.
Dominion of the Commonwealth
Transforming Sri Lanka from a Dominion of the Commonwealth to a republic was certainly welcome even though it amounted to a mere cosmetic change. As a Dominion the ceremonial head of state, the governor general, was a representative of the Queen of Britain. But the fact that the country was independent was demonstrated when while being a Dominion, the British were asked to close down their military bases here and get out, which they did.
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) was recognised as an independent state and admitted to the United Nations and diplomatic relations with countries of our choice was established.
The sudden nostalgia of the Rajapakse government for Republic Day and instructions issued to all government institutions to observe it makes us wonder whether a move is being made to make this nation a joke once more by shifting the National Day.
Fallout of the republic
Becoming a republic was an inevitable consequence of the process of constitutional evolution. But how much has the country achieved as a free and independent democratic republic?
The redoubtable Colvin R. De Silva laboured much to produce the Republic Constitution of 1972. He has been, and still is, regarded as a political prophet particularly after his celebrated remark: 'Two languages, one nation and one language, two nations' at the height of the language controversy.
But after his Trotskyite party coalesced with Sirima Bandaranaike's SLFP, the originators of the Sinhala Only policy, the prophet appeared to have forgotten his prophesy. He not only included Sinhala Only as a provision in his constitution but gave Buddhism the near status as the state religion of the country, much to the dislike of the minorities.
For whatever reasons these moves were made, it is undeniable that the 1972 Constitution polarised the Sinhala Buddhist majority and the minorities, and the origin of much of the current political ills could be traced to this constitution.
The other school of thought is that the font of all evil is J.R. Jayewardene and his constitution that created the executive presidency and during which time the communal bomb exploded. The JR constitution too can be very much described as a republican constitution. Under the two republican constitutions the country has been sinking deeper and deeper into the mire.
UNHCR debacle
The news on Wednesday that Sri Lanka was voted out of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) in New York indicates the direction in which the country is moving. Sri Lanka was able to muster only 101 votes - much less than the four countries that also vied with Lanka and we were knocked out.
Our country losing out in an international forum should not be a matter for amusement but the reportage of this event in a leading state controlled newspaper on Thursday takes the biscuit. The headline was "UNHRC: Lanka gains 101 votes." The report opens with the statement: 'Sri Lanka obtained an absolute majority at the vote for the UNHRC gaining 101 out of 192 votes on offer.'
Sri Lanka's failure in its attempt to gain entry appears to be of secondary importance to this journal. The number of votes obtained which failed to secure a place for Lanka appears also to be of no importance. Instead the attempt is made to impress that it got slightly more than 50 per cent of the total number of votes which is irrelevant and hides the fact that Sri Lanka failed to retain its place in this all important UN body.
The report casually mentions that 'Of the six countries which vied for four slots for Asia; Japan, South Korea, Bahrain and Pakistan secured seats leaving behind Sri Lanka and East Timor.'
Who is trying to fool whom?
We seek pardon for parodying Abraham Lincoln in his often quoted remark on fooling people: You can fool all Sri Lankan people some of the time and some Sri Lankan people all the time but you can't fool the whole world (UN) at any time.
Colonial mentality
Getting back to the subject of independence and republicanism, in retrospect, even 60 years after independence, we Sri Lankans are basically colonials longing for things British. Look at our longing for British institutions such as the Royal Naval College of Dartmouth and the ballyhoo about addressing the Oxford Union. Why not the Sir John Kotelawala Military Academy or addressing the Law College Union? After all there are so many distinguished alumni of Law College - J.R. Jayewardene, Ranil Wickremesinghe and last but certainly not least Mahinda Percy Rajapakse?
But we Sri Lankans long for things British. At our Water Hole, the other day, a distinguished member was saying that he has been at Oxford which evoked howls of laughter. 'Have you got your SSC?' queried a doubting Thomas. Someone said the member in question had while in London gone to Victoria station, bought a ticket to Oxford and on having beer at an Oxford pub returned back to London. That's how he was at Oxford!
- Sri Lanka Guardian
Post a Comment