Friends and foes will applaud the JVP for compelling one of its MPs to resign his parliamentary seat after it was discovered that he had attempted, for financial consideration or otherwise, to sneak a companion into Japan as a ``personal assistant.’’ Many people, some skilled and others not, seek to enter various foreign countries to work illegally. The reason for such efforts are self-evident – wage rates that prevail in those countries, be they Japan, South Korea, Italy to name some of the nations where Lankans seek to work illegally, are way above what they can earn at home. So they beg, borrow and steal to pay enormous sums to various `brokers’ to get them in by fair means or foul.

Mr. Anuruddha Polgampola, a JVP MP of recent vintage, faced a party disciplinary inquiry last week and did not drag his feet in tendering his resignation as demanded. He could have fought the party decision as others have done and sought to save his skin by seeking court intervention or by changing political allegiance. Although he had not admitted accepting payment for the ``service’’ rendered to the person who accompanied him to Japan, there have been reports that a fee of Rs. 600,000 had been paid. Whether this is true or not, we do not know. Maybe the Japanese authorities, who separately questioned Polgampola and his companion at the Narita Airport, could shed more enlightenment on this subject although we would not advocate chasing it further given that the former MP did the best thing he could in the circumstances. The JVP took the stand that the MP had abused his parliamentary privileges and had flouted the party’s rule that no MP should leave the country without first informing the party. In view of his admission of guilt, and his compliance with the requirement that he should resign his seat in the legislature, the miscreant has not been deprived of party membership.

Polgampola is not the first politician who has attempted to smuggle in illegal workers to Japan using their influence as elected officials. Readers may remember an instance last year when a non-cabinet minister had accompanied a group of persons, apparently looking at staying on in Japan as illegal workers, who had been detected at the entry point. These persons were not admitted to Japan; and the Sri Lanka public has heard nothing of what happened to the functionary who tried to slip them in. If leaders of the government were serious about establishing the facts of that case and dealing with the person responsible, they could have very easily done so. But nothing happened and the whole business is now in the limbo for forgotten things, very much like the case of the impromptu ``visa office’’ that was being run in the premises of a ministry by a friend/associate/supporter of the minister! It is very likely that the Japanese authorities, remembering the previous instance, took a closer look at the so-called ``personal assistant’’ who accompanied Polgampola to Japan because they have learned from bitter experience that many of our MPs are not above indulging in sharp practice..

The SLFP and the UNP have during their various tenures in government been particularly remiss about their obligations to ensure even a modicum of discipline among their Ministers/MPs who like the infamous ``Dutugemunu’’ are able to get off with blue murder. Ministers as well as ordinary MPs freely phone embassies to facilitate visas and there are numerous instances when influential politicians enlist the assistance of the foreign ministry to obtain ``visa favours’’ for constituents, friends, relatives and hangers-on. Often they very well know that the visa seekers do not intend coming back as promised. Yet they intercede without a thought about the disgrace they bring upon themselves and Sri Lanka quite apart from the difficulties such acts of bearing false witness cause genuine visitors who are also viewed with suspicion due to the bad experiences suffered by the various visa issuers at the hands of our people. The suspicion has now grown to near-established levels that many such favours are not done free, gratis and for nothing

Politicians are not the only guilty parties in these visa rackets. Many of our ``sportsmen’’ going abroad as representatives of national teams have tarnished the image of this country by disappearing after entering various foreign lands. We have had not just one or two bad experiences in this regard – there have been several such instances. In a situation that offenders get off Scott free, no wonder the offences continue. But the JVP, which except for the brief period during which they had a ``probationary’’ arrangement with then President Kumaratunga, has not been in government for any appreciable length of time, has been able to deal with one of their MPs in a way that the much older and bigger parties have never done. Three cheers then for the rathu sahodarayas who have set an excellent example which the other political parties will hopefully emulate. However, we are cynical enough not to expect a glorious spring because of the sighting of that single swallow.