Tumbler throwing MPs

Going by the reports of last week’s parliamentary proceedings one may wonder whether the people’s representatives have now graduated from mudslinging to tumble-slinging. A group of opposition parliamentarians is reported to have complained to Speaker, Mr. Anura Bandaranaike that two deputy ministers had hurled a tumbler and an earphone at them in the higgledy-piggledy after the monthly emergency debate.

The practice of making missiles of paper weights and chairs or any other object that enraged MPs could lay their hands on is almost as old as the history of parliament. Occasional fisticuffs and barrages of insults have been reported in the so-called august assembly on numerous occasions. But of late, there has been an increase in such unruly behaviour.

Following a special meeting with party leaders over the alleged incident in question, the Speaker is reported to have told the House that stringent action will be taken against those parliamentarians concerned. The experience of successive Speakers has been so bitter that one may be right in thinking that such action is long overdue.

The situation in Parliament should warrant the immediate attention of all party leaders. Parliament is an institutions maintained at a massive cost to the state coffers. It should not be forgotten by the warring MPs that the public are far from being well disposed towards them. The various perks and privileges of the MPs have come to be frowned upon by the people who are groaning under the high cost of living. The luxury life styles of parliamentarians have been made possible by the people further tightening their belts. Thousands of children go to bed hungry and thousands of people go to work on empty stomachs in over crowded buses/trains while parliamentarians partake of heavily subsidised meals in air conditioned comfort and travel in duty free luxury vehicles. (And they don’t even have the patience to wait for the arrival of these vehicles: They have demanded and won a vehicle allowance of Rs. 10, 000 until such time.)

It was only the other day that a councillor lost a tooth in a stormy session of the Western Provincial council. The council is still on the boil and what will happen next is anybody’s guess.

The party leaders, who have rightly countenanced stern action against those errant parliamentarians at the special meeting they had with the Speaker, must not stop at that. They must put their heads together and find out what has gone wrong with their respective parties and take remedial action before it is too late. Party leaders should not try to defend their unruly members by trotting out lame excuses or to project their members as good guys. What is called for is that they collectively find a way to clear the mess they themselves have created over the years.

In the meantime what those with a wafer thin majority in the House must bear in mind is that they should not throw tumblers at others. For such action is fraught with the danger of provocation and retaliation, which would result in the law of the jungle becoming the norm in the House.

 Fishermen’s strike

Fishermen numbering 30, 000 are reported to have gone on strike on Friday in protest against the sharp increase in fuel prices. Described as the biggest ever protest by fishermen, the strike brings to light the hardships these people have had to undergo as a result of increasing fuel prices. Those in other sectors like transport have already won their demands by twisting the arms of the government.

While the fishermen have taken up cudgels over high prices of fuel - and quite rightly so - it is doubtful whether public sympathy will be with them in their struggle. Consumers often wonder why they have to pay so much for fish. Going by the exorbitant fish prices, one might think whether Sri Lanka is surrounded by the sea at all.

The prohibitive fish prices have been attributed to the unconscionable profits made by the middle man, who is both the buyer and banker to the poor fisherman, who braves the waves to make a living. This middle man or the Malu Mudalali and retail traders at the Malu Lelle, as is well known, are exploiting the consumers. The high profits made at these levels never trickle down to the fishermen/boat owners who have to bear the high cost of fuel.

Although successive governments have made effort to improve storage facilities and make banks easily accessible to the fisherfork so as to enable them to escape the grip of the sharks in the trade, there remains much more to be done for them.

Obviously, Sri Lanka has not paid sufficient attention to the development of the fishing industry despite all the braggadocio of politicians. The fishing industry cries for more state assistance. And there is a plenty of fish in our waters. Immediate action must be taken to redress the grievances of the fishing community and fully tap the potential of the waters that surround this island.

What the government should give serious thought to is not the possibility of quelling fishermen’s protests in the future by sending water cannon, and batton wielding policemen to the scene but to the development of the fishing industry. Some concession to the fishermen to cushion of the impact of the fuel price hikes can also be considered as an immediate measure. This will be the way to help both the fisherman and the consumer in the long run.

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