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Do we have good leaders?

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3 October 2016 12:00 am - 0     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The defenders of the 18th Amendment argued that in order to achieve economic development and to eradicate poverty, a stronger executive as facilitated by the 18th Amendment was a necessity to ensure political stability. Nevertheless, it is my firm belief that the strong Executive Presidency contributed to tendencies towards authoritarianism, lawlessness and bad governance. All those factors thereafter led to destruction of the country’s economy, culture, the administrative machinery etc. causing untold hardships to the people – a sin. There was also a perception, that the former President having won the war had earned the love and affection of the countrymen.   


Owing to these, politicians began crossing over to the UPFA from numerous political parties. Didn’t they do so having failed to judge the heartbeat of the voter correctly and for personal gain? Didn’t they overlook that there is an intelligent voter-base in Sri Lanka who does not belong to any established political party – a floating vote. Having crossed over, didn’t they insult the intelligence of the astute voting citizen? Don’t we therefore need to ensure a well informed electorate at all levels?  


It could be seen politicians – including C.V.Wigneswaran, Chief Minister of the NPC aggravate political issues for their own benefit and until such time they exploded into violence.   
Do you remember the incidents in 1983, known as Black July? Media in their reports had mentioned that it was “State sponsored” violence and that there had been Government collusion in causing July, 1983 violence.   
Do we have good politicians? It is unfortunate, unlike in various other fields, in the field of politics they do not seem to be desirous of becoming good politicians or judicious Statesmen – why? Learned and respected professionals too, when they become politicians become greedy, power-hungry, corrupt and money-minded.  


Why is it that the Northern Chief Minister too, who was a highly respected public personality, made headlines these days? TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran in an interview with the BBC had told that they did not approve Northern Province Chief Minister launching – RISE UP TAMILS (ELUGA THAMIL), protests, particularly because they were currently holding talks with the Government with regard to new Constitutional arrangements.   


Sumanthiran, who is a respected professional, very rightly had said that the protest march organised by the Tamil People’s Council led by the Chief Minister would create undue misunderstandings in the southern community with the Tamil people. We must certainly salute the men of the calibre of Sumanthiran, who had taken up an enlightened view with regard to ethnic question unlike many others - ‘fishing in troubled waters’.   


Sumanthiran had added that TNA was committed to finding a just and fair solution for the Tamils through democratic means and constitutional reforms. Does that mean unlike Wigneswaran, Sumanthiran is well aware that politicised ethnicity had been detrimental to national unity and socio-economic well-being in our country? The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka is a complex issue, which is difficult to resolve or manage unless we act sensibly. Politicians also fume venom over language, religion, race etc. Shouldn’t they be peace-builders and unity-makers? “We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future” – Bernard Shaw.  
Do you know that economic factors have been the major cause at the base for the Tamil youth to take up arms against the State? 
In the South too, youth revolted on two occasions violently for their rights, jobs, education, social amenities etc. All kinds of extremists create fear psychosis, particularly the fear and insecurity of poor masses to mobilise their support to compete with other political groups.   


Didn’t these ultimately produce a toxic brew of distrust and suspicion that led to ethnic violence and a prolonged war. Don’t you think we are an impoverished country because our leaders lack the will and the desire to lead by example for the benefit of their constituents? Shouldn’t our leaders stop playing politics and adopt behaviour patterns of the leaders in rich and developed countries? Isn’t it unfortunate that we have elected leaders who do not think of ethics, integrity, respect to law and order, respect for the other person’s rights and privileges?   


Bernard Mayer says conflict could be described in three ways. For the purpose of this article, conflict could be seen as a violent expression of disagreements and frustration often arising from unmet needs and aspirations. Mayer also says failure to fulfil such needs and aspirations could lead to eruptions of full-blown conflicts. Shouldn’t they therefore stop communal upheavals by all means?  
Let me add that several countries in Asia had overtaken us and enjoy stronger improved socio-economic standards. Why did we fail? Principally due to ‘the fault of our political leadership’.   
We therefore need politicians who will do the maximum for the poor by leading them or driving them out of poverty in our country. Wigneswaran should now teach lessons to his supporters to grow strong as partners in building a NATION, without misleading them to fight another war. Shouldn’t we think that a divided Nation should be a word of the past and unity is the key to a peaceful future?   


Do you know why George Washington had emerged as the most significant leader in the formation of the United States of America? Why do they call George Washington the founding father? The overall impression the people have today is that GW was a person of the highest moral character. GW had been assisted by philosophers, thinkers, writers such as Madison, Jefferson, Hamilton and many others. It is also believed that all those who had been around him had been people who were more educated than GW.   


Could the politicians, national, provincial and local level think like GW. They should shoulder the responsibility, to ensure efficient management of the affairs of the country, and its consequent progress and prosperity. If Wigneswaran truly wants to help his people shouldn’t he act in a more responsible manner. Didn’t he as required by the Constitution take an oath not to violate the Constitution? He could therefore be a visionary leader to take the northern people forward.   


A visionary leader has a vision. Shouldn’t he mobilise the support of others to follow him in order to strengthen aversion to venality to take the country forward? Could he ensure highest standards of rectitude personally? Shouldn’t he ensure that action harmonizes with pronouncement and safeguard public trust and confidence in him. Is he trying to build a bridge where there is no river? Is he also another politician like all others?  Wigneswaran has laid down certain conditions for the government which are in fact to appease the communal minded minority among the extremist Tamilians. Wigneswaran, who had been a respected professional, I have no doubt, should not act like a middling politico of the Jaffna Municipality, simply trying to win votes.  Similarly, he shouldn’t forget that he was living in Colombo during difficult times and that his children are married to Sinhalese. Shouldn’t he make use of the ideal opportunity in hand to erase all misconceptions and fallacies entertained by certain quarters and work towards regaining its lost prestige among the communities. If so, his leadership role as the Chief Minister will have world attention focussed in Sri Lanka. Shouldn’t he think that there has been so much water flown since the communal problems started immediately after independence. Professionals like him in politics should now give the correct leadership to take the country forward. Albert Einstein had said – “Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them”.  


Wigneswaran must remember that the people are able to safely walk about in the country as there is peace. Shouldn’t our political leaders think that providing good leadership is a sine-qua-non for us to achieve greater success? They must be visionaries rooted deeply in the community service-and not to achieve their personal agenda. They will need to show a commitment to their beliefs in order to draw support from others for the right cause. They should also stop misleading the poor innocent public on the wrong path.   
Present politicians should become leaders who have a strong character with a clear picture for the benefit of the people and the country. Voters are intelligent enough now to differentiate the processes leaders adopt to achieve the outcomes for the people. 


Future leaders in order to be sustainable they need to have qualities such as strong principles, while being flexible and realistic, sincerity, fairness, collaborate and work together, take risks, give the fruits to the people, most importantly enthusiasm to create a better world for the countrymen.   
May I add one characteristic that will make a leader successful in the 21st century will be knowing how to identify and apply appropriate economic, moral and political incentives to actually incorporate sustainable development into our daily lives.    Shouldn’t we now think that there is a holistic social transformation already underway. 


The two leaders, President and the Prime Minister, seem to be revolutionising a goal of development to remove numerous obstacles in administrative, economic, social and other spheres.   Shouldn’t the others also use their unique positions to influence the behaviour of their own people for the betterment without selfishly manipulating them? Don’t we need geniuses to make it better? Similar geniuses in the past, remember, ended up without a penny too!    


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