Editorial - Some heroes die twice

1 August 2012 06:30 pm - 1 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

C owards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. William Shakespeare, “Julius Caesar”,
(Act 2 scene 2)
Sadly, Shakespeare was proved wrong. The news about vandalizing the Mahatma Gandhi statue in a community hall in Jaffna, hits the newsrooms at a time when the state of safety in the country is constantly questioned.

It is reported that the statue was damaged on Sunday when a brawl broke out between two parties who had gathered there. According to the Jaffna police, the community hall has been a place where the residents come and take part in various sports activities while some others indulge in liquor.

In April this year, several statues in the Batticaloa town were vandalized in quick succession for reasons that are still unknown. Among the damaged were, the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, the founder of the World Scouts’ Movement, Lord Baden Powell, Swamy Vipulananthar and Palavarmani Periyathambipillai. What they did to deserve such horrid treatment many years after their demise, is a query that went unanswered.

If people could go to the extent of mutilating the statues of renowned personalities, erected in recognition of their services to the world and community, it hints of a an emerging generation of law-breakers, who would not spare even a lifeless object when it comes to satisfying their criminal instincts.

The fact that the perpetrators of the latest incident were drunk when it occurred is no justification. Be it the incident in Jaffna or those that occurred in Batticaloa a few months ago, they cannot be swept under the carpet that easily; for there is nothing spontaneous about vandalizing. Statues are not built with paper-pulp or clay, that with a simple touch of a rod, they could be razed to the ground. There is a dose of premeditation involved.

The degradation of morals and ethics among citizens of a country that boasts of a culture as ancient as twenty five centuries, at any rate, cannot be taken lightly. Whatever the motives behind such shameful actions, they should be vehemently condemned, and the wrong-doers should be brought to the book without delay. Prompt action by the law enforcement authorities,is needed to send out a clear message that damaging public property is not among the recommended anger management mechanisms. History screams aloud the sacred fact that, failing to do so, could see the trend spreading through the island in an uncontrollable manner.

In a country that has become extremely unsafe for children and women, the next set of victims who march to their doom should not be the national monuments. Robbers broke into the National Museum, situated in the heart of Colombo. Numerous Buddha statues and stupas in ancient temples are vandalized by the treasure-hunters. Tank bunds are dug in search of treasures.
Leave alone the living, they will throw their arms around to protect themselves in an incident of harassment. We should be ashamed of ourselves; for, in this country, not even a statue is safe anymore.

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

Comments - 1

vaidy Thursday, 02 August 2012 04:15 PM

Trinco has a statue of the Mahatma in front of the sivan temple similar to the one at Madurai opposite the Meenachi temple .A single statue of Mahatmaji in an appropriate place
instead of many in the peninsula is the best way to remember the great non violent religious who spearheaded the freedom in India

Add comment
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

Editorial - Some heroes die twice

Comments - 1

Add comment

RECOMMENDED

Voices of grief demand secrets from under the rubble

Human carelessness, main cause of wildfires raging across Sri Lanka

Pilots’ plight at SriLankan Airlines

Purchasing of medicine: How Health Ministry initiated ploys to enjoy lofty commissions

“Our education system should cater to the child of the 21st Century” - R. M. M. Ratnayake, Royal College Principal

Gary Anandasangaree Canada’s First Sri Lankan Tamil Cabinet Minister

Let Leopards Live

Most Viewed in News

Alleged victim of Sri Lankan cricketer grilled over intimate acts

Ali Sabry’s Photo with son at UN fuels nepotism outcry

Danushka walks with companion

Video of Cargills staff brutally assaulting female goes viral

Alleged rape victim of Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka ‘feared’ for her life, court

Time to finally drop Dasun Shanaka?

TODAY'S HEADLINES

AKD asks Pilleyan if he is still paid by intelligence services

Jail term for attempted murder

Food security threat looms as 61,682 acres of rice fields destroyed

Stability should not come at the sacrifice of values of freedom of expression: U.S. Ambassador

MIRROR CRICKET

Should SLC come under government purview?

Prize money for ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 revealed

Fixtures announced for ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024

SLC to resume suspended domestic cricket tournaments

Should SLC come under government purview?

Rintaro Tsukamoto to coach Sri Lanka Baseball

Chehan, Kaveesha steer Richmond to victory

Prize money for ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 revealed