Dr. G. Usvatte-aratchi Vice-chairman, Paffrel
Many people seem to live in a comfort zone after the General Election dreaming that good governance has been established in this country. Much of the rhetoric at election time and some unfortunate statements by persons of high stature, who lost in the elections, led many to feel complaisant that good times will roll.

Many enjoyed the same euphoria in 1994 and several people who made plans to stay way from this country until 1994 came back because there was genuine promise of a country governed by civilised people, led by an exemplary person. The euphoria this time is heightened as many of those who profess being angels even look like them: almost cherubic, well shaven, well groomed, well spoken and visit places of religious worship more frequently and with greater publicity than the earlier lot. They even speak the language of the new god, English in contrast to Hebrew, Vedic and later Arabic.

Many in the previous set up spoke the language of the yakkos: Sinhala and Tamil and therefore could not be angels, to start with. These sweet dreams can be truly dangerous. Let them not be prelude to nightmares.

One is worried by police investigations almost entirely of members of the People’s Alliance. There was evidence in the public press that members of the United National Front were not babes in the woods. True, newspaper reports do not become evidence to indict criminals. However, one looks in vain for an explanation why one set of reports is accompanied by arrests and the other set is not.

There seems to be systematic bias in the arrests that are made. It is a dangerous sign that winning an election and access to power can redefine crime. At the same time it was most heartening to hear from Minister G. L. Peiris that they would do all within their power to ensure that there would be no other election like the one we had on 05 December 2001.

Men and women, with failings and weaknesses common to all of us, are given fine raiment and shining wings, mostly by sycophants in newspapers, radio and television. It was perfectly fine for Buddhika Pathirana on MTV to question the leader of the United National Party on his policies. Pathirana was exquisitely polite and in no way disrespectful to the political leader. Of course, he was not inane and slavish as many have been on other occasions to other leaders.

I, for one, very much hope that he would continue to behave in that manner and give up his journalism, if he ever has to grovel before a powerful politician. Soon he will make a living as a healer and learn that under a stethoscope or a scalpel, all men and women behave the same way. He should treat all his subjects under interrogation in the same manner. In contrast, it was nauseating to listen to ‘viparama’ on ITN, prompting a question every time, of whom was that television network independent? Perhaps, of good sense!

I very much hope that those who wrote to this and other newspapers in defense of the public against arrogance of power and its abuse will continue to do so and that ‘The Island’ will continue to open its pages for them.