Never repeat shadows of darkness in the temple of public opinion

The House of Commons was mooted in the Anglo Saxon regime since the Rex entertained the views of the commoners to run the State. Then the power of passing exchange had been won by the commoners and the Budget was the responsibility of the House of Commons.

The House of the common people in whatever part of the planet needs to behave with utmost constrain and dictum in keeping to the best parliamentarian practices of contemporary times. What we experienced in recent times in our House of Commons is the old prescription for conflict by following blow for blow, assault for assault, or even massacre for massacre. that was the old testament but what our Legislature can spread is the message of the Buddha, the message of nonviolence.

According to Gandhi, it is action in the highest form which is opposite to violence in a conflict be it in an institution or in a national level. Gandhi warned not to be torn from our moorings. We need not consciously or unconsciously lay hands of violence in the Temple of Public Opinion which is sacred and the Priests need to approach the tenets of Democracy with malice to none and not as a profession but a call to some vocation. Gandhi has warned in 1927, in Colombo that “you Ceylonese friends, I say to you that you be mindful that you are not thrown off your feet, by passing showers”.

Nonviolence needs to be practised at grassroot basis and starting at domestic level. Nonviolence need not be restricted to humans alone but to non human inhabitants. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth holds no more in civilized countries.

The danger within our reach is not what happens in our Houses of Commons but the total disregard to human misdeeds and the prevalence of appalling silence by the wise confined to their traditional Chambers.

BANDULA NONIS