By Charles.S.Perera

There are certain accepted norms that should not be over stepped in civilized societies, in speech, word, or action. It is ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to maintain a decorum in respect of a personƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s intimate and personal relationships. That should be more so in written or electronic ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ media.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  These accepted norms are not followed by some for gain, some seeking a cheap popularity to attract readers, or ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ internet surfers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In the west there are ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ tabloid news papers specializing in scandals of celebrities , sex and pornography.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is the arousing of base instincts of people to be curiousƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to know what is going on next door, who sleeps with whom, what under wear such and such a person wears, all with photos from a paparazzi.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Some such news mongers even ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ rummage into other peoples garbageƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to see what they have been eating, what compromising material they have thrown away.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There are people who would like ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ look through key holes.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Hence some media do not hesitate toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  come down to their level to become social garbage collectors to make a business ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  catering to satisfy theseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  curious people. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It becomes dirty and abusive when theyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ interviewƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a wife of a public figure just to know whether their intimate relationship is waning,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  or just sublime and report what she says with gusto toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-newsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ starving public.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Or interview people to get news worthy information as to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ what the wife of the man next door thinks of her husband, or how ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the man nextƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  door treats his wife.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  No decent news paper orƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  website wouldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  go thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  low to print such material for public gaze.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Of course there are those specializing in providing such sexual details and erotic material.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Sri Lanka Guardian posing as a leading websiteƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  publishing articles fromƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  respected writers and journalists has also gone down ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- that drainƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ interviewingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ probably posing leading questions to make the wifeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  make ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ statements about ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ her husband andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  her very personal thoughtsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  about what he says,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and proudly display it as an ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-exclusive reportƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There is no difference the interview isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  about a wifeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  angry reaction to a husbands political ambitions or about his sexual escapades.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But in either caseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  it does not seem to matter much to the Lanka Guardian what the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ after math of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ displaying ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ such scurrilous family matters would be to an otherwise normal couple with their usual ups and downs in life- same as all wives and husbands.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ With this interview with KarunaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s wife the Guardian Website is trying to kill twoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  birds with one stone.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  One is to satisfy persons of dubious taste who have a penchant to devour with pleasure such family scandals, and . ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ secondly it seeks to scandalize and bring to shame a man who broke away from the terrorist group to follow a democratic political path.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The GuardianƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s terrorist connection is not unknown. It ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ had shown aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  certain sympathy towards theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  terrorists during their days of glory.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In that respect itƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is pertinent that ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Sri Lanka Guardian website seeks to interview the wife of Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Otherwise why not interview the wife of another Minister, say the wife of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Douglas Devananda or ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the First lady ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”the wife of the President ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  What else is the obsession to go after KarunaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ? The ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Guardian seems overƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  concerned about family problems of Karuna Amman, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and none other. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But why is Sri Lanka Guardian taking on Karuna?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  There is a reason for that, which of course does notƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  take long to search. It is becauseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Karuna represent the wisdom of the TamilƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  People in the lineage of those great Tamil leaders like the late Laxman Kadirgamar, Thiruchelvam, Kethiswaran Loganathan, and many moreƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  all assassinated by the terrorists.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ KarunaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is to-dayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  symbol of unity, the symbol of integration of the two principal communities the Sinhala and the Tamil. It is not the Kanaka Pulle (KP) the heir apparent toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  PrabhakaranƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s disaster against the Tamils,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  whoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  represents the Tamil Intelligence.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Kanaka PulleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  PrabhakaranƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  cyanide capsuleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that had been named by Praphakaran as alleged , to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ perpetuatesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  hisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  dream ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  home land concept.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He is the symbol of separation , the symbol of Tamil National destruction, the time bombƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  against development and progress of the Nation of Sri Lankans.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Therefore, those who profited from the largessesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of terrorism continue to target Tamil heroes whoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  stand to unite the Sinhala and Tamil communities. Karuna is therefore their principle target to-day.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is a fact far too deep to penetrate into by theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Lanka Guardian.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Perhaps the Lanka GuardianƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is trying to makeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a speciality ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of breaking up families of Tamils who worked againstƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the terrorists.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It will not be surprising if the next interview ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ were to be the wife of Anandasangaree.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There was a News paper in Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  which carried ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a series of articles interviewing wives of Ministers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They were of course very decent interviews of a spouse of a Minister, who had ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ special interests such as painting, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ music, or social work. The news paper reporterƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  asked her questions about her special interest andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  how her husband participates in her activities.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  But not about personal relationships and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ family quarrels they have at home about their different activities.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In France, and even in America ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ some News papers and TVs, interviewed the wives of Ministers or ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ even the wives of the Presidents, and againƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  on a very respectable note, without being critical or asking impertinent questions as to where they differ with their husbands political pronouncements.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It would be interesting to hear what the wives of the TNA Parliamentarians say about their husbands. The Lanka Guardian may as well ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ make it a speciality and make it a means to break marriages or ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ make new marriages.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Lanka Guardian had interviewed the wife of Karuna with leading questions to ask where she differs with there husband and what she thinks about his political affiliations and pronouncements.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  There was clear evidence to show that it was to discredit the Minister.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Lanka Guardian alsoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  questions else where KarunaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  proposal to visit the Western capitals to meet the Tamil expatriates.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It carried a news item again ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ say that Karuna Amman visits only Switzerland. It would be more healthy for the Lanka Guardian to leaveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  its preoccupation ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Karuna and concern itself with other matters which are burning questions of the day.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Even the Federation for the Freedom of the Press may not defendƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Editor or the Reporter ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Lanka Guardian if an irate husband would threaten them with death for publishing personal matters concerning a wife and a husband for public scrutiny.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is of course the business of the Sri Lanka Guardian ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ifƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  it wants to make exclusive reports of the martial conflicts between Ministers and their wives. At that rate ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Lanka Guardian may soon make exclusive reports on family affairs of politicians with a ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- for adults onlyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ labels.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Lanka Guardian reports to day that it receives death threats from Karuna. Does it ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ surprise any one ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Even the most religious and a pious husband wouldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  feel like killing a reporter if he interviews his wife to find out how piousƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  he had been with her and publish what she says in the press.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Having ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ commenced a smearing campaign against Karuna AmmanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  using ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ its correspondent Veeman now the Sri Lanka Guardian tries to collect the dirt to save Veeman from a feared threat ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by attaching aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  audio clip supposed to be a threat against Veeman, seeking further ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to implicate ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Karuna and his followers.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There is a story in Sinhala which says of a man who catches a snake and puts it under his clothes and shoutsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ helpƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.., helpƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦, there is a snake biting meƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.