CHANGE -IS IT POSSIBLE?

Change is necessary. It is vital but are our politicians geared to effect the necessary changes? Are they capable or more correctly, do they recognise that CHANGE IS VITAL? Change is important from the country’s point of view, for its very survival. In the throes of pre-election fever, it is natural for us citizens to ask who will bring the CHANGE our country desperately needs. The survival of our country hinges on the capability of our politicians to recognise and implement the necessary change.

From the time the common man in this country wakes up, his thoughts are; How are we going to live? How are we going to get through this day? HOWEVER,YOU POLITICIANS are living a life of luxury; driving around in luxury vehicles; your wives wear diamond rings and mistresses drive super-luxury cars; you eat only the best of food; EVEN THE FOOD YOU EAT IN PARLIAMENT IS AT OUR EXPENSE; your children are educated abroad; expensive weddings for your children; medical attention at the best of hospitals; ALL THIS FROM THE POOR MAN’S MONEY THAT YOU COLLECT IN TAXES, ISN’T IT? THEREFORE, YOU ARE WORSE! MUCH WORSE THAN HITLER OR ANY OTHER DICTATOR! WHY DON’TYOU COME AND LIVE AMONG THE PEOPLE AND SEE FOR YOURSELVES WHAT THEIR LIVES ACTUALLYARE?

When you leave your homes to go to Parliament, take a mirror with you and look at it on the way. You will see HITLER complete with a mustache and all. The poor children of this country can’t afford to go to a local school because the money demanded is so high and our Education Minister has done nothing about it! Our politicians send their children to foreign schools. A poor man cannot find money to buy clothes for his wife and children but it is in this same country that politicians give their wives and mistresses diamond rings! In this country, the poor man has to pawn everything he owns to give his son or daughter in marriage while politicians use only NEW 5-STAR HOTELS TO GIVE THEIR CHILDREN IN MARRIAGE! NO EXPENSE IS TOO GREAT! Most often, the poor man has no money to go to a pharmacy and buy the medicine he so desperately needs; but politicians of this country fly to Singapore and America for treatment! The poor man sometimes cannot afford to even put gasoline and oil he needs into his motorbike; but all of you roam around in BMWS, BENZS, AUDIS and other luxury vehicles!

The salaries the poor people get today are MEAGRE, TOTALLY INSUFFICIENT TO LIVE OR PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE FOR THEIR CHILDREN, BUT YOU GUYS WINE AND DINE IN PLUSH 5-STAR HOTELS! AREN’T ALL OF YOU SHAMELESS PEOPLE, EVEN WORSE THAN THE BIGGEST DICTATORS EVER WERE?

The late Sir John Kotelawala was a man who practised what he preached and was a well-known pleasure seeker but he didn’t swindle the people of this country for personal benefit. He was a minister for 23 years and Prime Minister for 3 ½. When he lost the general elections in 1956, he knew it was time to quit; not hang on like our politicians of today do, even when they are defeated! Sir John and his father before him lived a good life but certainly not at the expense of the citizens of Ceylon. When Sir John reached 61 years, his advice to other politicians was and I quote: “Fitting in an imprecise proverbial saying, ‘there is no fool like an old fool’ he once affirmed his belief, “No man should be called upon to undertake an active part in the affairs of his country once he has passed 65, because ‘there is no fool like an old fool!”

Talking of change, is there one single government institution in our country that parents with children who are handicapped or crippled from birth can go to for necessary attention? Sure, there are places where you have to pay to get a look in; what of the poor parents who cannot afford to? Have any of our politicians paid attention to this desperate need? I am sure the thought has never even crossed their minds!

As long as parents are alive, the child will be assured that he or she will be taken care of, but what happens when parents are no more? Why can’t some provision be made for these parents to be given an allowance for these poor children so they can at least get the basic treatment they need? By the same token, this allowance should also be given to respective children, especially after the demise of their parents. The Health Ministry should be held accountable for this. Apparently, most of these defects occur at birth in Castle Street Maternity Home, De Soysa and other small maternity hospitals. Unlike in other countries, these poor women and children have no one they can hold responsible for the negligence that caused these defects at birth!

The poor children of this country can’t afford to go to a local school because the money demanded is so high and our Education Minister has done nothing about it!

The late Sir John Kotelawala was a minister for 23 years and Prime Minister for 3 ½. When he lost the general elections in 1956, he knew it was time to quit; not hang on like our politicians of today do, even when they are defeated!

Talking of change, is there one single government institution in our country that parents with children who are handicapped or crippled from birth can go to for necessary attention?

Would like to leave you with what Cicero of the Roman Empire wrote: 1 The poor – work and work

2 The rich – exploit the poor

3 The soldier – protects both

4 The taxpayer – pays for all three 5 The banker – robs all four

6 The lawyer – misleads all five

7 The doctor – bills all six

8 The goons – scare all seven

9 The politicians – live happily on account of all eight! This was written in 43 BC but valid even today!!!

Every citizen of Sri Lanka must take these words very seriously:

Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted, when we tolerate what we know to be wrong, when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy or too frightened, when we fail to speak out, we strike a blow against freedom, decency and justice - Robert F. Kennedy

We hope and pray that this will prevail at our presidential election:

It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance - Robert F. Kennedy