Banning of Sri Lanka Guardian, Insane

"Many recognised writers used this website to counter LTTE propaganda. Their writings helped in neutralising the effects of the LTTE propaganda. It was widely accepted that the government propaganda machine was far from being efficient and effective in countering the well organised LTTE propaganda. The only powerful mechanism against the LTTE propaganda machine was the writings of a voluntary bunch of highly educated patriots. Most of them wrote to Sri Lanka Guardian. In an indirect sense, SL Guardian has played a vital role in defeating terrorism."
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By Helasingha Bandara

( July 29, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) What is the President of Sri Lanka going to read? Will he get some embassy guy to email him all the good articles appearing on Sri Lanka Guardian daily? Well, he has to do something like that if he has been in the habit of reading something worthwhile, factual, balanced and intellectually stimulating. He must know that reading the ministry of defence website or the Asian Tribune would not educate him on the current issues. They and the rest like them would not only blunt his knowledge on current affaires but boost his ego to the extent that he would forget that he is a mortal like any other. We all have come out into this world crying in the same manner and we all go pouring saliva out of our open moths in the same manner, no matter what position was held, how much of a bank balance was possessed or how many boot lickers we had in service, only our humility and good life matter after we are gone, both in this world and the world to come if there is any to come.

If the banning is carried out by the Government, no doubt it is losing its vision so fast that it may astray onto the unfertile territory. It would not take long for the people of Sri Lanka to forget the recent achievements of the government if it begins to tread on the wrong path. Many recognised writers used this website to counter LTTE propaganda. Their writings helped in neutralising the effects of the LTTE propaganda. It was widely accepted that the government propaganda machine was far from being efficient and effective in countering the well organised LTTE propaganda. The only powerful mechanism against the LTTE propaganda machine was the writings of a voluntary bunch of highly educated patriots. Most of them wrote to Sri Lanka Guardian. In an indirect sense, SL Guardian has played a vital role in defeating terrorism. The banning of SL Guardian is a sign of the Government’s ignorance of this fact and its arrogance to kick out all those who have supported it achieving its goal. This was typical of Sri Lanka regimes in the past too. The past governments have been too late to realise the mistakes. Strangely the successive governments have failed to understand this although they have been taught lessons by the people many a time.

Is the vision of the Government blurred by the victory, ego or the clamouring of the lickers (I am very happy to use S.L.Gunasekara’s term)? Whatever it may be, the turnaround is so swift and incredible. It started with the President uncharacteristically getting angry and resorting to abuse people in filth at the slightest mistakes, followed by the sacking of Dayan Jayathilake and the banning of SL guardian. Is this lunacy or what?

Now that the LTTE threat is gone the Government may feel very secure given that there is simultaneous rise of the confidence of its local politicians to manhandle people. There is also the security establishment to use its power against any opposition. Third is the misguided belief that the region has assumed super power status and would come forward in defence of the member countries of the region against any threat from the West. Being over confident about its power, capabilities and the support may mislead the government to take matters for granted. Premadasa was very popular among the poor masses for his development programmes to uplift the quality of life of the poor people. His craze for being the absolute master made him brutal and unpopular within a very short time that when he was pronounced dead, the country saw mass celebration with fire crackers despite the fact that he was decimated by the LTTE that people hated. The rapid turning of tables in Sri Lanka has been quite common. I have no doubt this government has already planted the seeds of doubt in the minds of many important people about its direction.

-Sri Lanka Guardian