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SRI LANKA THEN AND NOW!!!

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23 May 2018 12:00 am - 0     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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We wonder if even God can help our country now!!! Our island home was a beautiful paradise and its inhabitants were good God-fearing people!!! That was in the time of the benevolent respected leaders, who truly loved this country and its people. They fought long and hard to gain independence and they maintained the TRUE SPIRIT OF THAT INDEPENDENCE they fought so hard to gain!!!

When did our beautiful island paradise turn into the MONSTROSITY IT IS TODAY!!! In 1947, the Ceylon Independence Act saw the light of day and the first election in the history of our island, elected D.S. SENANAYAKE as the FIRST PRIME MINISTER – CEYLON GAINED ITS FREEDOM!!!

Those were the Halcyon days of our country when Ministers were respected; in fact, THEY WERE GIVEN THE RESPECT THEY SO RIGHTLY DESERVED!!!

More importantly, the people of this country respected each other; neither caste, creed nor religion, divided them!!! Is it any wonder then that the country was known as “PARADISE”??? In 1972 the new Republican Constitution came into being and Lanka was re-named SRI LANKA!!!

BUT, IT WAS IN 1978 WHEN THE POWERFUL EXECUTIVE PRESIDENCY WAS CREATED AND J.R.J. BECAME THE ALL POWERFUL EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT OF THIS COUNTRY THAT THE DEATH KNELL OF OUR COUNTRY WAS SOUNDED!!!

That was when CORRUPTION started when the fight for power WAS RELENTLESS!!! 1983 SAW THE COUNTRY SPLINTERED, TORN APART WITH THE EELAM WAR!!! This despicable war, while claiming the lives of countless, citizens and Ministers alike also caused division, separation and most of all hatred among our people!!!


Missing discipline

As is happening in most countries of the world today, our people are also ruinously divided. They think nothing of killing, raping, stealing, dishonouring, and most often ignoring the precepts of Buddhism that bind this country together!!! The people are sadly unable to look up to their leaders for guidance on how to walk the correct path!!! We have no one to set examples for our people to follow!!! Therefore, the end result is mayhem and absolute chaos!!! The people see all the fraudsters who have swindled billions, being dealt with leniently; so the attitude is, WHY SHOULD WE BOTHER??? We are just small fish compared to the ones who have defrauded!!!

Therefore, we now have a society that doesn’t care, a society that does not have a correct sense of values, people who act without a conscience, people who think nothing of stealing, fathers who rape their own children, school children who do not know the meaning of discipline, and parents who murder their own children!!! Topping the list are some of the guardians of Buddhism in this country!!!

Recently, in a village to which one of the Ministers goes for advice to a Buddhist Priest, a woman had taken the noon ‘dana’ for the Monk and he thanked her by raping her!!! We cannot, of course, forget the merchants, traders and other dealers who think nothing of stealing and defrauding the common man!!! That happens on a day to day basis!!!


Charity 

Is there a single person in this day and age, in our country, who can be upheld as an example??? Let’s take a look at some heroes and magnanimous people in the world!!! The famous footballer Cristiano Ronaldo donates blood regularly; he played at the request of the FCA to help 42 people in Madeira, who were affected by floods.

Donated his Golden Boot worth Euros 5 million to the Palestinian children in Gaza in 2012. In 2013 he donated his Ballon d’Or Trophy to charity raising Pounds 600,000/- for ‘Make A Wish Foundation.’

In 2014, Ronaldo not only donated items but also paid $83,000/- for the operation of a 10-month-old infant in need!!!. He was acclaimed as the ‘MOST CHARITABLE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR’ for going above and beyond the call of charity work. His charity work never ends and he says: “We don’t need to tell our dream, we must show them.” Like Mother Theresa of Calcutta, who persisted in her charity until her death!!! She often pleaded with women not to kill, abort or throw their children away – she often used to say “If you don’t want them, give them to me.” Her CHARITY CONTINUES TO THIS DAY!!! There are many more like them, but what I am trying to say is, numerous Foundations, Charitable Trusts etc., are found in our country but most end up being caught up in corruption, stealing, and more often than not, with the Trustees helping themselves and not the cause!!!


Harry’s example

Looking back on the recent Royal Wedding, we learned that both Prince William and Prince Harry have done duty, though they are Royals, William as a Search and Rescue Helicopter Pilot and Harry served up front in Afghanistan when a media blackout was imposed to protect him!!!. He returned and after learning to fly helicopters, like his brother, Harry went back to Afghanistan for another stint of duty, this time without the protection of a media blackout!!! Our Forces can lay claim to putting their lives on the line in the call of duty, but can any one of our so-called ‘elite;’ Ministers or VIPs say the same??? They don’t become Ministers to serve, Oh no; they become Ministers TO BE SERVED!!! Apparently, that is their right!!!


No pension for MPs

This is what should be applied to our Parliamentarians!!! They should NOT get a pension since it is NOT EMPLOYMENT BUT ELECTION UNDER PEOPLE’S REPRESENTATION ACT!!! There is no retirement with a bar on reemployment; they can get reelected to the same position again and again!!! Parliamentarians pay should be revised in line with the Central Pay Commission. They keep increasing their salaries by voting for themselves!!!

Parliamentarians should lose their current Health Care System and participate in the same Health Care System as the general public of Sri Lanka!!! All the concessions they enjoy free travel, rations, electricity, water, phone bills etc., should be abolished!!!

They boldly and shamelessly keep increasing the quantum of these concessions!!! Parliamentarians with tainted records, criminal charges and convictions, past or present should be summarily banned from Parliament and contesting elections on any pretext!!! Financial losses incurred due to politicians in office must be recovered from their families, nominees, properties!!!

Parliamentarians should EQUALLY ABIDE BY ALL LAWS THEY IMPOSE ON THE GENERAL PUBLIC!!! 

No surrender of subsidies like LPG by citizens unless all subsidies available to MPs are withdrawn including subsidized food in the Parliament canteen. Retirement age should be 60 years for Politicians too. Our Parliamentarians should realize and adhere to one Golden Rule “SERVING IN PARLIAMENT IS AN HONOUR, NOT A LUCRATIVE CAREER FOR LOOTING”!!!


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