By Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai Dehiwela

WhatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  an amazing practice we haveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in our country is that oftenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a government servant is transferred as a punishmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  for a crimeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” often to a better position with a better pay! Now, I wonder who invented this bright idea and how come the wholeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  nationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  seems to be swallowing it – hook, line and all!

Recently in the case of the student being assaulted, the real culprit was TRANSFERRED TO THE HEAD OFFICE,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a cushy job I am sure, than being an officer at the police station , while the wife had to suffer in the prison. The whole attention was on the wife and the culprit was totally forgotten. Even in the case of the Wellawathe murder the DIG was happily stating on TV ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- I have transferred so and soƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ as if that is punishment justified.

The fact that those who are under arrest warrants and suspects becoming powerfulƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  politicians is one thing. But to blatantly announce that a suspect is transferred ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”specially when it comes to police officers, is making a mockery of justice.

The police are the custodians of law. They must be above any suspicion at all. If ever they are proved to be guilty they should not ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ be transferred to another station,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  where they will happily continue to break law even more boldly and cause havoc, as we often see; neither should they be sent home for that is not just ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ treatment either. They themselves should be sent to jail and punished even more harshly than the others.

For every single corrupt policeman, there are thousands of duty conscious good cops ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” as we come across daily in our lives in this blessed country. Unfortunately they do not come into the limelight and the whole police force has got a bad, bad name because of a ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ few bad eggs.

The good ones must gather together and make sure the bad ones ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” whether they are cops or not- must be punished, if not for any other reason, at least to keep their own names cleanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  among the citizens.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Will they dare, with the political interference we see in everything today?