Killing in the Court house and political patronage

Three days after the so-called shocking murder in the courtroom at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, the alleged killer has been taken into custody, the man behind the killing identified but the female suspect linked to the killing still roams free. The ‘lady’ has been identified, but has not been taken into custody.
But are ordinary Lankans ‘shocked’ at what has happened? In the villages, in the slums and in the tea and rubber estates of our country, where over 80 percent of our people live, murder means little to a people fighting to keep body and soul together. 
The killing in the court is different in that it took place in the Halls of Justice, where the underworld has once again displayed its arrogance and disregard of the law and societal norms. 
What we seem to have forgotten is that the power of the underworld grew under the protection of different ruling political parties which governed this country.
In the aftermath of the landslide victory of JR Jayawardene in 1977, the government’s organised hoodlums attacked political rivals countrywide. The then government leaders said they would send the police on vacation! Subsequently,  government used underworld characters to put down student demonstrations at universities. At one such incident at the Kelaniya university, a leading underworld figure was killed in a confrontation with students.

Among those who attended his funeral was the head of state! No wonder that underworld figures have no fear of disregarding the law.
In July 1980, a large section of public servants went on strike demanding a mere Rs. 300/- pay hike. Once again the government used underworld figures to crush the strike. One worker was killed in an incident. A prominent government MP was present during the attack.
In 1983 during a student demonstration outside the Moratuwa campus, a student was stabbed to death. The evidence of two witnesses to the crime led to the conviction of murderers. During the JVP insurrection, the two witnesses were abducted by underworld gangs. They have not been seen since. 
Following President Premadasa’s death Lankan presidents have continued to surrounded themselves with underworld characters.
The JVP too during its last insurgency (1988 - 1990) is reported to have used underworld characters to assassinate those whom they viewed as political opponents.
Past Presidents Kumaratunge and Mahinda Rajapaksa used and disposed of underworld characters during their times in office. The killing we witnessed within the courthouse at the Colombo Magistrate’s Courts a few days ago is an outgrowth state support/use of underworld criminals and the impunity thus bestowed on them.
The histrionics of various politicians in parliament, seems hypocritical given that they themselves used shady underworld figures at different times in the history of their political parties.
It may be recalled that just two decades ago, in 2004, another notorious underworld criminal Dammika Amarasinghe - the central figure in the scandal involving the then president of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board was also shot dead in the court building. 
That assassin too was dressed as a lawyer. Amarasinghe -a notorious underworld figure, was facing trial for a series of contract killings, was due to appear in court to answer questions regarding an alleged trip to watch the 1999 World Cup. He allegedly travelled to the 1999 World Cup as a guest of the cricket board president on a fake passport.
The cricket board president at the time of the killing was in hospital with a pain in his back. The cricket board president was subsequently made a minister during the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Commenting on the court house killing President Dissanayake is quoted as saying the underworld had apparently infiltrated official institutions tasked with maintaining public security.
The reality is that politicians who ruled the roost at different times used notorious underworld characters to commit nefarious crimes. They perhaps now have dirt not only their political masters, but also on bigwigs whose job it is to maintain law and order. 
Criminal elements did not infiltrate these institutions. Politicians dragged them into the system. It is now the duty of the new administration who has pledged a ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ to clear up this mess.