| by Robinhood
( June 11, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) There were few articles by local political commentators in where they were questioning the worshipping of the leaders in the Sri Lankan political culture? He stated that the current growth of deterioration in Sri Lankan politics is this Politics of Worship. There is a picture of Minister Pavithra Devi Wanniarachchi worshipping president Rajapaksa during the May Day platform in the internet. Sri Lanka is the only country which has a picture of ministers worshipping the head of state amid a large gathering.
Before this there was a world famous picture of an infamous minister Mervin Silva worshipping President Rajapaksa following swearing him as a minister. Recently there was another mostly seen picture of a leftist leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara who stooping two three times and worshipping president Rajapaksa. These pictures above do not bring any dignity for Sri Lanka but bring shame why because the leaders who entertain and promote such customs lived only in the feudal era. In the present world such personified politics remain only in authoritarian regimes. As a matter of fact all the pictures above symbolizes the current beneficial political culture of Sri Lanka.
Generalizing his bowing to president minister Vasudewa told the Lanka Herald website that “I love this person; we should keep this person as the head of state as well as in the parliament why because there isn’t anybody better than him, I can tell this hundred times”. This worship committed by Vasudewa is not because of any love but due to Mahinda Rajapaksa being the Executive President. When Mahinda Rajapaksa was spending his time as a warrior this Nanayakkra never bowed him because both were in a similar position.
When president Rajapaksa recently gave political appointments to individual in the Police, Judicial and to the Human Rights Commission this Vasudeva Nanayakkara generalizing these appointments said that “The policing should be governed by the government in power which cannot be run by an independent commission.
The government is in charge of governance. Governance cannot be implemented without enforcing the police and law. We cannot let it operate independently. So this independent commission is just an imaginary ideology which is not possible to be rooted in the earth”. The above statement takes us to the center of the worshipping political culture. The implied meaning of that is all the acolytes should be submissive to the powers vested by the King who is the executive president. If a road is to be named by the name of a young songstress who sang the “Rajapaksa is our king” when the regime won the war, anybody could realize how this Rajapaksa monarchic glory is powerful. If such a monarchical glory is imposed to an executive he becomes a universally exculpatory and universally authoritative. The ironic point in this is not only the executive president but his entire escorts exploit this power.
A provincial politician recently told he felt pity and shame to see how the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) ministers were stooping and humble in front of this young Namal Rajapaksa when the latter attended a meeting. These pictures above where politicians worshipping the head of state exposes a loyalty and discloses a message of impunity aiming the people to become beneficiary and stooge to his executive power which discloses an unquestionable royal grandeur and to enjoy freedom from crimes. How long can a President Rajapaksa continue offering state properties and lands to his loyal politicians, stooges and relatives to his own whims? This is the reason why the media abstains reporting at least an accident committed by the president’s son. That is why when the first ladies brother lands a Sri Lankan airline in Singapore for his personal benefit does not reflect in the headlines of any newspapers. That is why only Ravaya Newspaper can only publish (besides the internet) the sports warfare and arms training of president’s son who bears the captain of the Sri Lankan rugby team.
Exercising the weapons used to kill people for sports warfare does not increase the spirit of sports but a defeating attitude via fowl means. If an exercise of combat is used to train any sport in a country where thousands of people were killed in a brutal war does not increase the spirit of any sports but to harm and kill the opponents. If a question is raised to this young sportsmen’s who are the imaginary enemy the answer would be the UNP MP’s in Hambanthota, the people in Rathupaswala who wanted good drinking water and the suspected Tamils in the North.
Recently we heard a similar story from North Korean sportsmen who participated in Olympics. He said he in front of media that he shoots the target considering shooting to an enemy. His statement shocked the whole Olympic and the entire world because his enemy was his neighboring South Korea. No wonder his statement was a heinous one.
This North Korean story is much more important to us in another way. Why because there is a cult of personality joining hands with a brutal authoritative power. North Korean calendar begins from the Birthday of Kim II Sung the grandfather of the current leader Kim Jong-un. It is similar to stating the birth years of the Christ and Lord Buddah. According to the North Korean constitution Kim II Sung is the leader of North Korea till eternity. The university students in North Korea have to cut their hair according to the model of Kim Jong-un. North Korea is a typical example of how extreme a personified obeisance would reach.
Personal obeisance would always join hands with authoritarian. There is no difference for that for Uganda or North Korea. At present the personal obeisance is building up by the help of modern communication. Authoritarian leaders always try to use the mass media, photograph’s, praising songs and large cut outs of the latter and tries to impress him as a national hero and as a savior among the people. In a short time he becomes a symbol of heroic journey. An alternative for such a regressive and feudal political culture is the civil and a political custom. But at present politics you can only find leaders as gallery politicians. Today as a consequence of an equality culture in 1980’s you can find a culture of calling the politicians as “Sir, Madam and Oh Lord”
Robinhood – Defending the rights of politically oppressed.
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