Do among the Don’ts

Amidst Don’ts there is a Do. SMS will read - get the economy back on track: price of food, value of money, loss of business, static salaries, slow turnover of money circulation, are in the debit column. 
Aggregates at a tender spot: empty stomach -hurts the most. Truly unbearable – makes ordinary people on the pavement step on to the streets to become an angry mob, on a beckoning. Situation can become much worse before becoming better or still worst. A colourless revolution is in the making amongst the hungry. 

Need to place the economy on a stable footing: the Opposition will offer no helping hand. UNP leadership unknowingly, gives an unprecedented push unwittingly, to accelerate its own downfall. Readjustment of the VAT never occurred to the wealthy, unconcerned of the disposable poor. Laundering of money through bonds is a concern for the affluent: least bothered are they of VAT that strikes hard the oppressed poor. It is symptomatic of this government’s economic theory. In steps President Sirisena from the stables of the SLFP, to give a lift up to the despondent at the food cities, making VAT 
look less sinister. 

The next generation is more adept at settling the national question than the present, as they are more realistic, less passionate and ostensibly objective. The unborn or the juveniles are not the children of the ethnic conflict. Prime deficiency is that power remains in the hands of the over 65-grandpa club that loathes to retire. Alas, life expectancy has improved and keeps them in office wretchedly longer. Never to retire gracefully and lead a life as respected elder statesmen, lies in the greed and avarice for perks such as vehicles, travel and support staff. It costs but they get it free or cheap. 

Put the Constitutional amendments into the ice-box and thoughts of war crimes in the back burner; people must first have minimum food and drink at an affordable price to live a worthwhile existence; to see a light at the end of the tunnel for the sake of children - most students in every strata, after the war, led a lifestyle their parents had never enjoyed. That makes us a typical under-nourished middle-income society that cannot afford to sustain it. 
End of the war [2009] gave a new lease of life that was squandered by the Rajapaksa administration by corrupt practices, wasteful expenditure and chronic mismanagement. War victory was the comfort point that enabled the emerging classes, the freedom of movement to tour around the country at a reasonable price. Have a Hi-ace Van- converted to a miniature caravan for travel. Watched Sri  Lanka win the World Cup [1966] – a moment of glory while the awesome war, took its toll. Now we can clap without hearing the sound of gunfire. 

This parliament has a compulsory three years to run its term. Not the time to tinker with a Constitution that has lasted 38 years with half of amendments numbering 19, nebulous to a large extent and the practical are fewer in number. TNA and SLMC don’t look at practicality but merely want to carve a piece of land taking advantage of troubled times. It is the UNP that has to father a deformed baby and might end up getting a majority only in the North at a presidential election. 

If this issue is bequeathed to the coming generation - they are more competent to handle the thorny issues in a detached manner. The young–no longer carry the prejudices associated with the angry diaspora and extreme elements. They are rebuilding harmonious relationships amongst themselves without sponsorship. 

President Sirisena’s politics is more people-friendly than the UNP. He has burnt his boats with the TNA - (No foreign judges’, ‘no foreign intervention’; No foreign bodies can dictate to us’ – President Sirisena) - but not necessarily with the Tamils of the North who still prefer him to Rajapaksa but their favourite son is Wickremesinghe though he is killing them gently with the economy. Sirisena has gained steeply in the South, especially the UNP’s patriotic drift vote, a substantial section of the hostile SLFP vote and large tracts of the floating vote. Mahinda Rajapaksa is carrying too many family problems and sleepwalks between temples as an eerie figure. More revered he would be as a retired president than a feeble candidate. 

It means the UNP will sweep the North and possibly make much headway in the East. Sirisena needs a powerful vote in the South and has to make a clean sweep if he is to stay in power without discomfort. He needs a strong running mate to attract the bulk votes of Sinhala Buddhists 
in the South? 

How would a Sirisena –Gotabhaya slate look, as it would pick much of the floating and part of the dejected UNP vote? Yesterday’s division is tomorrow’s combination. Muslim vote will go to the likely winner. A united SLFP will meet the UNP while Rajapaksa may be granted an unofficial amnesty. A confident Sirisena having flummoxed Wickremesinghe on the Central Bank issue and deflected Samaraweera on international relations is riding high by easing the burden of the poor on the VAT issue. It was just weeks ago, he was trailing Wickremesinghe, limping lamely to a third slot after Rajapaksa. The balance of power has shifted. Will it last? 

The greatest achievement of our generation was the eradication of LTTE terrorism. Not so, to the foreign elements that desires to shame us in the company of the anti-national elements led by the Foreign Minister. We did it our way successfully while the purported international community gave plenty dead rope to mislead with bluff peace talks - as they mislead now, on the state of our economy. 

Elimination of the LTTE made a bizarre impact on the Northern Tamils – backward and resource – less under LTTE’s authoritative dictatorial yoke. Northern youth are restless and desirous of matching the young of the South on equal footing and detest the backward years spent under the LTTE command where the parents had to hide these kids to save them from being made child soldiers. They search vainly for modernization 
and sophistication. 

Elderly and the middle-aged in the North are still undecided whether they yearn for Prabhakaran or not - Rajapaksa administration contributed to it by making a hash of its postwar treatment of Tamil civilians. Victorious Sinhalese were not sensitive, more due to pressure from the military high command, failed to give pride to Northern nationalism - an aspiration inherent in its culture. The conceit of the North led to its misplaced psyche of a defeatist dilemma. Northerners had to be treated kindly and delicately after the trauma they underwent. It was not to be and the TNA filled the hiatus and led by the maverick Vigneswaran (whom Rajapaksa misread as being controlled by Vasudeva Nanayakkara) leads the Northerners to a 
point of no return. 

The TNA politicians enjoy the benefits of the freshly won freedom in living with political diversity after being gagged with dead rope in a captive LTTE environment. Now seek a pound of the security service flesh with the help of the west to appease the elements that cry for a separate state! That worsens the case for their cause, as the overwhelming majority will not tolerate the plea of a group that threw their lot with the terrorists acting as their mouthpiece abroad. Unknowingly Mangala Samaraweera and Ranil Wickremesinghe are repeating the same on a lower octave - the most passionate issue with the Sinhalese, after their domestic economics. Irrespective of political differences they will never forget the yeoman service rendered by Mahinda Rajapaksa. To them the ugly work of his siblings is a distinct aspect but exculpates father Rajapaksa for the singular honour he brought by ending the war successfully. 

Tamil politicians are trying to have the best of both worlds – the LTTE exploited the weakness of the TNA politicians knowing they were putty under fire. Most Sinhala politicians do not desire to leave the political arena until death separates them having tasted its juicy extracts. 
That is not the end of the story. Northern politicians keep asking for more and more - Federalism, police and land powers. Can a government that has sent the cost of living sky rocketing expect to survive after giving such handouts to the please the TNA in troubled times where people across the party divide, are suffering from economic perils? No government is electable on the bare Northern vote. More the North asks: less they will get as the South places pressure on its politicians to counter the Northern demands. TNA does not understand it only escalates ethnic tension. Probably they thrive on it for their existence. 
Talk to the South of Federalism: it is like extracting a tooth leaving behind an endless pain. The economy hurts the people but the politicians and leading public servants are well cushioned: don’t feel its impact. Corruption and perks walk the extra distance for them. 

Extremists on both sides of the divide have no takers with the next generation. Let’s get rid of the old stagers of our generation making way for the next. May they decide what is good for them?