Lucid Critics and Loony Critics

"Prof. Nira's sober yet sharp critique is a far cry from the nonsensical nattering of “murder of a nation” ‘death of democracy”, “Evil” “Nazism” “Eichmann” etc and is a model for others."

by Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

(September 17, Singapore City, Sri Lanka Guardian) One always prefers the rational to the raving, the literate to the illiterate, and the lucid to the lunatic.

When it comes to opinions I prefer respected serious scholars to unknown ‘researchers’ or unlettered human rights activists, who seem indistinguishable from each other.

Here is the diagnosis of the 18th amendment and a prescription, by a distinguished professor of history who is a product of Sorbonne and Oxford. In a highly critical piece on the 18th amendment in the Wall Street Journal of September 17th 2010, Prof Nira Wickramasinghe says:

“...The fact that academics, lawyers, students and pressure groups took to the streets to protest against the 18th amendment indicates that there is still room for the opposition to maneuver in the interstices of power. The question remains whether, as defenders of the 18th amendment argue, voters will be given a true choice in 2016. This ultimately depends less on Mr. Rajapaksa than on the will of opposition political parties to forge an alternative democratic vision and give leadership to those who believe in it.” ( Read Full Text of the Article)

Prof Wickramasinghe is professor of modern South Asian studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands and the author of several books, including standard works on ethnicity and identity in modern Sri Lankan history. Her sober yet sharp critique is a far cry from the nonsensical nattering of “murder of a nation” ‘death of democracy”, “Evil” “Nazism” “Eichmann” etc and is a model for others.

Please refer to previous articles:

Sri Lanka: Is it some new political science you are referring to Dr Dayan!

The banality of evil, a rejoinder to Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

Freedoms and their demise: Rejoinder to a critic

Nations may not die but freedoms do - a reply to Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

The mindset of denial is the "It is not that bad"

Nations don't die, they are murdered!

Hardly the death democracy or the Nation