Something terribly went wrong with Sri Lankan politics since we got independence. This is a fact, no one could deny it, any Sri Lankan with any sense of human consciousness in heart, would agree with this. Sri Lanka is richer in its human resource than many Asian countries.
by A Special Correspondent
I will try to answer this question to the best of my ability and knowledge in this short article. Why should Sri Lankans support JVP in these coming elections? I will try to give my rationale and logical reasoning for this basic question. I will try my best to be objective in my writing. I, neither support JVP nor any other political parties right now. yet, I find some convincing answers from the political discourses of JVP these days.
I have been supporting UNP & SLFP for many years and yet, right now, I’m really frustrated with the performance of these two main political parties. Like many others, I have been monitoring and observing the JVP for the last four years. They have produced some credible political ideas, principles, values, ethics, traditions and practices in recent times. I really admire their hard work, determination, dedication, sincerity, political integrity and good manners. Above all, their willingness to help and support public.
Whether people support them or not, they are creating a political history in Sri Lanka. They are indeed, setting some good political precedents and models in Sri Lankan politics. No Sri Lankan with any sense of national feeling should belittle or degrade their political agenda and version to Sri Lanka. No one should doubt about their loyalty to this great Island. No one should demean their youthful enthusiasm and devotion for a real political change in Sri Lanka.
Many Sri Lankans have been gauging their politics subjectively with bias political perceptions. Sometimes, with the nostalgia of its dark history in the past. Personally, I witnessed all those bad days of JVP in Sri Lanka. I think all those events and political insurgence of the past are history today. All those days are gone by now. As human beings any political party could make some terrible mistakes. Yet, JVP of today is totally different from JVP of 1980s. JVP has dramatically changed and transformed today. The politics of Sri Lanka has dramatically changed today than that of old days.
Not only the Sri Lankan politics, but the politics of the entire world has enormously changed in this modern world. There are so many dramatical political changes in the last two decades. Therefore, holding grudge over the past mistake of JVP is not viable and appropriate in this modern time. This message must go into the minds of public at the grassroot level. And yet, main political parties with their political apparatus do not let this message goes through the minds and hearts of Sri Lankan public. The mass media is totally controlled by the government: Most of newspapers and TV stations are controlled by government departments so, they do not give enough time allocation for JVP to present their political arguments. Thanks to modern technology and social media networks, JVP is making maximum use of it. yet, old generations still do not have access to these social networks. With all these practical hurdles, JVP is doing well.
We are going through one of difficult times in Sri Lankan political history. Unlike in the past, today politics controls all aspects of modern human life. Not only your money but also your breath (clean air) is controlled today by politics. So, a good governance is a must for nation building process in this modern age. A corruption free governance is a must to build this nation.
We always hear that GDP of Sri Lanka was far better than Malaysia in 1960s. Today where are we and where is Malaysia in economic growth and development? Singapore is another example to compare with Sri Lanka in any areas of development and progress. Of course, we have had an unwanted war for more than 30 years and yet, I think that the corruption and ineptitude political leadership is one of the main reasons why Sri Lanka is falling behind many other Asian nations.
Something terribly went wrong with Sri Lankan politics since we got independence. This is a fact, no one could deny it, any Sri Lankan with any sense of human consciousness in heart, would agree with this. Sri Lanka is richer in its human resource than many Asian countries. In this knowledge based economic world, we could have been one of fast-growing economies in Asia and yet, due to this unwanted war we fought for 30 years and due to corrupt political leadership, today, Sri Lankan economy is one of weakest in Asia.
Until we have a good and honest political leadership in Sri Lanka, we cannot dream to have any prosperous Sri Lanka soon. Sadly, as of today, both UNP & SLFP political leadership do not demonstrate any loyal and sincere leadership skills. We have seen this for the last 7 decades. More importantly, we have seen them, how they have behaved badly in these 4 years. As of today, there is no any hope in these political parties. Both are two sides of the same coin. Of course, there are some good people in both parties and yet, their hands are tied up with party political system. So, to freely Sri Lanka from all these corrupt political leadership, public must make some decisive political steps. They have two choices in front of them. They either vote to one of these traditional parties, as they have been doing for the last 70 years, or they chose an alternative political route. There is no any other best option other than JVP as of today. I will outline some of my rationale for this postulate one by one.
1) Rationale one: We have been experimenting the politics of the UNP & SLFP for the last 70 years, and yet, what they have given to Sri Lankan public so far. Day by day people are suffering. It is reported that more than 40% of Sri Lankan families suffer from acute poverty. The policies of these two main political parties on education, health, Sri Lankan economy have been utter failures. Today, Sri Lankan economy is almost bankrupt: Although, Sri Lankan economy begun to flourish with the open economic policies of JR&P. Premadasa governments, Today, it is going on a reverse gear. This is primarily due to corrupt political leadership in Sri Lanka today. JR, Srima, Premadasa, & CBK, all ruled the country with some sense of accountability and responsibility. They did not make money out of politics. They did not commercialise politics. Yet, what we see from the time of MR is a different politics. Personally, MR is a sincere and loyal politician, yet, people around him have misused him and opened the gate of corruption. People around him have severely damaged his reputation and goodwill.
During his time some MPs looted millions of rupees from public money in many ways. In fact, politics was commercialised during his time. Many MPs entered politics during his time, some without any formal qualification to make a fortune of life time out of politics in Sri Lanka. As JVP has already exposed some of these people many MPs entered politics from poor family to become some of supper riches of Sri Lanka today. Take for instance, live styles and wealth of some MPs today in Sri Lanka. Some of them entered politics from very ordinary families and yet, today they have made their fortunate out of politics. Over 20% of MPs are thieve today in Sri Lanka. examine lives or wealth of some MPs today. Richard, Karuna, Pillayan, Hisbullah & likewise many Sinhalese MPs come from ordinary poor family and yet, how many millions do they have now? where did they get all those moneys?Now some of them are supper rich in Sri Lanka. These thieves do not have religions, races or languages. these are in a true sense real thieves who looted public money. Now, what is the solution for this problem.
This is exactly what happened in Pakistan. Since 1947, many corrupt Pakistani MPs begun to milk public fund and looted billions of public funds from Pakistani public as a result of this, Pakistan economy suffers immensely. It was almost bankrupt and yet, people elected Imran Khantimely to save that nation. Here in Sri Lanka we need a leader like that of Imran Khan to save this nation from corrupt politicians. Corruption and nation building process can not go hand in hand. Corruption could lead any nation into bankruptcy. As a result of some of wrong unsustainable development projects, such as Mattala Airport, & Hambantota harbour weare still struggling to pay off interest and loans. It is reported many people made fortunes out of these mega projects. Moreover, many MPs in UNP& SLFP are corrupts. Take for instance, Central Bank scam. So, to clean up politics in Sri Lanka we need some clean and sincere politicians.
We need people like that of former Singaporean leader to build this nation once again. We need a Zero-corruption Sri Lanka to build it once again. This executive presidential system breeds corruption in Sri Lanka. This excessive executive power gave them freewill and freedom to do anything in Sri Lanka without accountability and transparency. As a result of this, former governments misused this power, some presidents mocked the judiciary in Sri Lanka and fixed the court cases as they like. So, to free Sri Lanka we need a corruption free dynamic political leader in Sri Lanka. As of today, we do not find them in any political parties except in JVP. I know JVP politicians are, indeed, human beings with all human weakness and desires. Yet, they have demonstrated they are corruption free. They do not recruit drug dealers, or thieves or any criminal into their party. They are very much selective when they nominate anyone for any local or general election nomination. Moreover, they elect educated people in politics. So, we should vote JVP in this coming election because they are the only party that has got some corruption free people in politics.
So, I strongly believe that Sri Lankan public must be educated on this issue well, so that, we could have a brighter political leadership in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka could be a rich country with its rich human and national resources and yet, we are not due to this corrupt political leadership. A corrupt leader, he or she could ruin the lives of 22 million Sri Lankans. The political experience of many countries justifies this postulate. For instance, Nigeria is rich in oil and yet, people are poor, and Saudi is rich in oil and yet, many people in Saudi are still poor. So, today political leaders can make or break a nation. So, a corruption free leadership is imperative to Sri Lanka. Yet, UNP and SLFP are not yet, ready to punish corrupt politicians. Why is it? because, many of them are partners in corruption. How could a group of thieve punish another group of thieves? That is exactly what takes place in Sri Lanka, So, political reform is a must for Sri Lanka for its nation building process. Without this, we can not dream a brighter future for Sri Lanka for a long time.
To be continued
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