What Mahinda Should Learn From Chandrika
Posted on February 1st, 2016
Dilrook Kannangara
Politics turned ruthless after 1977. Scores of political opponents have been killed, assaulted, imprisoned and otherwise harmed since then. What’s more worrying is the support these vengeful acts get from a section of the society. There is always a justification for any political act of revenge. Vengeful politics is here to stay. What matters is how a brave politician must not be swayed by it. Mahinda has heaps to learn from his predecessor Chandrika. Although she almost completely changed after winning the election in 1994, her conduct prior to that belittles even the bravest men in Lankan politics (none left today for obvious reasons). Mahinda requires the courage and braveness of Chandrika (before 1994) to overcome the manyfold inhumane acts of the government. He should form his own party and eventually subjugate the SLFP completely without being cowed down by revengeful acts. It is his courageous response people look up to at this moment. If he collapses into cowardice just to save his son from prison by betraying the massive political movement ready to stand behind him, he is not a worthy leader.
UNP Took Away Her Father and Husband
Chandrika suffered much more than any other politician in this country. However, instead of collapsing at the feet of her tormentors, she took them on boldly at a time when her young children needed her most. She was just 14 when her father was assassinated and she was 42 years old when her husband was gunned down. Both acts were done by UNP aligned individuals with a political agenda. Before assassination, SWRD Bandaranaike was subjected to ridicule and deprivation by the UNP. His policies were disrupted and he was threatened. Following his death, Chandrika’s family was harassed. Certain media personnel ridiculed them in what can be described as uncivilised ways.
After 1977 harassment of her and her family increased. Her mother’s legitimate rights were denied by the UNP. Their ancestral properties were robbed. Chandrika’s husband was arrested over bogus charges. He was needlessly tortured, harassed and confined. Many attempts were made to poison his food while in prison. When all these failed to stop her husband, UNP government assassinated him. UNP government in early 1990s harassed and deprived her children from entering popular government schools.
When faced with these inhumane acts, one has two options – collapse at the feet of tormentors or fight them continuously. Chandrika chose the latter. Although she lived outside the country for 2 years fearing for her life, she came back in 1992 to take charge of People’s Alliance to steer it to victory in 1994.
UNP State Terror Killed More Sinhala People than the War
Tamil separatist war killed about 31,000 Sinhala soldiers and civilians. However, the 1988-94 UNP state terror killed more than that. It was Chandrika who saved people from UNP state terror in 1994 much the same way Mahinda saved them in 2009. Time gradually erased both from the minds of the people as both started appeasing Tamils in the second term in office.
When Chandrika re-entered politics in a more aggressive form in 1992, the nation was under state terror like Cambodia’s Polpot regime. Many attempts were made on her life. Not even government MPs knew what would happen to them if they turned against the government. Some were killed. At least four (4) UNP parliamentarians had their own private militias. Though stripped of these old militias, some of them are still around. It took great courage to stand up against the government in early 1990s than today.
Courage, Not Cowardice Turned Fortunes of the SLFP
From 1977 to 1992, the SLFP leadership followed a cowardly approach to the UNP regime. They were happy with their pockets of power and didn’t want to risk the wrath of the state terror machine. SLFP as a surrendered entity to the UNP was on a path of self-destruction. SLFP leadership thought they can ride back to power comfortably as the UNP regime was doing one wrong after another. However, people trusted the wrongful yet bold UNP regime more than the righteous but cowardly SLFP.
Chandrika worked against the SLFP which affected the political fortunes of the SLFP badly. By 1992, she had convinced the SLFP leadership that it cannot defeat the UNP without her support. While some senior SLFPers (including her brother) strongly disagreed, most SLFP members saw no future in a divided political camp. However, party leadership was denied to her.
Unlike her predecessors, she was not half-hearted in her criticism of the UNP. She bashed the UNP regime, its corruption and state terror without holding back. She threatened to cancel UNP regime’s crooked deals with international agencies and boldly revealed names of state terrorists and crooks. She even vowed to publicly lash named corrupt politicians and officials. It was unprecedented in Lankan politics and people started to listen. She dramatized vividly all the ills plaguing the country. People realized she could fight the UNP than wave white flags as SLFP leaders used to do. Her courage inspired hitherto silent SLFP MPs. Unlike today’s political leaders, she didn’t hide behind others to attack the government. She was at the forefront of it.
Mahinda Must Form Own Party and Forge Own Diplomatic Relations
The real reason to arrest and harass his family members is to force him out of politics and prevent him from forging a new party. He can easily save his family by retiring from politics or remaining silent within the UPFA (as he did for most part since January 2015). However, people expect more from him. In fact, his family expects more from him. The truth is even if he agrees to the dictates of the government, his family members will not be spared. There are many in the government, Tamil community and even the international community that are after their blood. The best way to tame them is to form a new party.
A new party will divide the traditional SLFP camp which will strengthen the UNP. However, in the long term, it forces the SLFP to look for a leader who can bring them more votes and seats. As Sirisena is unable to do so, party stalwarts will force him to come to terms with the reality or leave. This is what happened to Sirima in 1992. Now is the perfect time as losing provincial council or local government elections doesn’t affect the party very much. However, losing two national elections due in 2019 and 2021 will devastate the SLFP.
Chandrika was cleaver to form an understanding with powerful groups the UNP regime had to fear. These included a business empire that was very influential with the then UNP president, and India. By forming these links, she ensured the UNP regime would not try to irk powerful entities. Similarly, Mahinda should forge close ties with Chinese and Pakistani agencies to ensure the present pro-Indian regime will not risk adverse consequences. Mahinda will have to offer military, economic and political concessions in order to come to an understanding. These have the added advantage of realigning Sri Lanka to its Middle Path and non-aligned policy. Today Sri Lanka has become an unfortunate Indian military colony.
If he fails in this regard, people will leave him and either flock around new hope or allow the UNP regime to continue. Unlike the Nugegoda Movement, Mahinda will not be able to jump the queue into leadership subsequently. He has to put his life on the line to make a powerful political force and save his family. He cannot operate behind younger politicians.
Although Mahinda differs from Chandrika on policy and company he keeps, the former president has heaps to learn from his adversarial predecessor.
February 1st, 2016 at 1:06 pm
CBK is behind all this. She is a revengeful person. But MR should not fear arrests. He has a duty. Hopefully he will NOT run away from it.
February 1st, 2016 at 1:56 pm
MR is not the problem here. Whatever he chooses to do is best for himself, his family and the country. We trust him.
Whether he forms a new Party or not, the Main Problem remains.
Re Politics : The Main Problem is Tamil Separatism. The last war with the LTTE was due to the Main Problem, viz Tamil Separatism via Language.
Why aren’t Tamil leaders ever brought to justice over Tamil Separatism ?
Why isn’t the 6-A ever activated ?
Why is the Vadukoddai Resolution of 1976 still not revoked by Tamil leaders of today ?
We think ALL leaders of Lanka are needed to remove the Tamil Separatist Problem.
Re the Economy : Lanka may have to use the PQLI (Physical Quality of Life Index – by Dr James Grant, UNICEF) instead of the GDP. The GDP does not truly reflect the state of wellbeing of the People of a country. The GDP may be high through building activities and jobs (Goods & Services), but the Quality of Life low for the masses, say, through ill health such as Dengue, CKD. The PQLI measures the wellbeing of a Nation better.
Comments welcome.
February 1st, 2016 at 2:48 pm
Is MR’s attitude as a defeated leader who wants to spearhead a movement to wrest control from the wrong doers or as someone merely making his presence felt. It does not look like someone waiting to pounce at the right time but someone who is evading the confrontation which most likely to be ,if not incorrect, to save his kith & kin. He should be knowing the gravity of accusations that could be framed against them if he becomes bold enough to contest this government in which case ,sooner we find an able leader until MR is able to take charge the better for the country.GR is the ideal but is he also not threatened similarly? Yes as you say ,one of them should take the bull by the horn & come forward to fight it out bravely. However , rather than fragmenting the Buddhist votes by forming a third force, MR should wrest control of SLFP & oust MS somehow, then all will fall in his lap.
February 1st, 2016 at 4:45 pm
What about the War Crimes nonsense against the MR govt, the Armed Forces etc. ?
All made up stories and accusations with trumped up false ‘proofs’ – what a situation Lanka leaders have gotten into and some (UNP front line stalwarts) paid with their lives too ! Thanks to Colonisation, Cold Wars, Tamil Caste Wars !
Is the human race getting stupider and more callous by the day ?
February 1st, 2016 at 10:38 pm
According to Sirisena’s Office Modi the Emperor has contacted Sirisena the Peon to congratulate Sirisena for arresting Yoshitha.
Bloody Indian imperialists are killing their wn people in Assam, Chatstishhgar and in Kashmir.
Within the next two generations the Sinhalese will be finished.
They have done it in Andaman and Nicobar islands, Mauritius and Guyana.
CBK and her father are suckers of India. Chandrika spends a lot of time in India and her close friends i London are Indians. Her family was personal friends of the Nehru Family.
February 2nd, 2016 at 5:54 am
Catholic traitor chief pol pot ponil and CBK aka cold blooded killer are hell bent on destroying
Buddhism, Sinhalese and Sri Lanka. They have realised this is their best chance to do it. So they are going
full steam ahead and find it easy with the support of a lot of traitor Sinhalese and Sinhalese DESHAPALUWAN.
Pol pot ponil and Cold Blooded Killer: A marriage made in heaven.
February 2nd, 2016 at 1:09 pm
Hi Dilrook,
I am writing in to clarify matters to the best of my knowledge. Some other readers may be better informed of the truth – if so, do please write in.
I normally respect your writing however I cannot agree with some of your statements in this note.
(1) Quoting you: “Mahinda requires the courage and braveness of Chandrika (before 1994) to overcome the manyfold inhumane acts of the government.” Unquote: This is nonsense. Chandrika showed very little courage in the war with LTTE. She appointed her nephew with no army experience to be the Commander. He used to run to Sai Baba whenever there were any issues and she used to run in the night to Mother Superior at St. Bridget’s when she had problems.
When over 1000 soldiers were cut off without water at Elephant Pass, CBK and her nephew Daluwatte could do nothing to help those men who died of thirst. She could have done so many things to help these men. Instead as Commander in Chief she did nothing !! This is unforgivable and treasonable. This is just one of her treasonable actions.
Mahinda went into the war with LTTE with eyes open knowing the possible consequences. As you know Gotabaya had a very narrow escape with a LTTE suicide bomber. I am not sure how you can even begin to compare the two of them. CBK is basically anti Buddhist, anti Sinhalese with not much loyalty to the country. When Mrs. Sirimavo started killing JVP members in the 1970’s as far as I remember it was Mahinda Rajapaksa who went to the UN on their behalf to appeal. Not Chandrika. She stopped the teaching of Sri Lanka history in schools when she was President and now she has proposed the stopping of teaching Buddhism too. Instead she wants to teach a hodge podge mix of religions which will leave students completely confused.
(2) You have said that Chandrika’s husband was killed by UNP. That is not true since it was the JVP who killed him because he was talking to the LTTE privately, something the JVP did not trust
at all. When Jaffna was overrun by LTTE and our troops were trapped she was trying to pull the troops out but failed. It was then that General Janaka Perera and Sarath Fonseka changed tactics and started attacking LTTE in small groups. This worked very well and they were getting of the LTTE in large numbers. From what I heard, it was at that point that her Tamil friends went to her and begged her to remove the army from the North. Instead of letting General Janaka Perera and Sarath Fonseka finish the job, she pulled them out and sent Janaka Perera as an Ambassador to Australia. Janaka Perera fell in disfavor with CBK. Later, janaka Perera fell down in a LTTE suicide attack in A’pura – this attack was highly suspicious as no other VIP turned up for that UNP arranged meeting.
(3) You are advocating a path for Mahinda which would serve no purpose at this point in time. As you say the LG elections are not critical. Mahinda is a very astute politician and he will not be manipulated by whatever various groups. I think therefore he will support UPFA and make sure they win. However the way this Govt is going I predict it will come apart sooner rather than later. We are on the verge of financial collapse. If the Western economies collapse as many predict then this Govt also may be Kaput.
February 2nd, 2016 at 4:03 pm
I partly AGREE with Cerberus that MR should NOT form another party. That will give UNP a cake walk election win!
SLFP as a MINOR PROBLEM – Maru Sira. FIX it and the all other SLFP SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP will flock around the new farmer (ANYONE even VP)!!
But MR has to do something now without just waiting for some UFO to land in SL and destroy all bad people.
GENERAL JANAKA PERERA was considering contesting the 2005 presidential election. Had he contested, RUN-NIL would have won it easily. IF he survived that attack, he would have contested the 2010 election INSTEAD of Gonzeka and probably WON that election. The PERFECT LEADER for SL.
Now the govt. is “investigating” the killing. Good. GENERAL JANAKA PERERA was too precious for SL to lose.
February 2nd, 2016 at 6:07 pm
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” – Burke
1.The only worth of Chandrika is her conduct before she was elected PM. I made it very clear. Don’t be carried away by her conduct afterwards. During that period, the biggest threat to Sri Lankans, particularly Sinhalese, was UNP state terror that killed more Sinhalese than the war (1976 to 2009). To her credit, Chandrika saved the nation from that. As I have explained, she was very bold in criticising the UNP terror regime. The country is facing the same threat today. However, I doubt Sri Lanka now has a bold leader to fearlessly give leadership to the fragmented opposition and the people.
2.According to a presidential commission, UNPers were implicated in Vijaya’s killing. Interestingly, one surviving person of that troupe is still in politics and remains with the anti-government camp. Janaka’s very close associates have a different take on Chandrika and Mahinda. The more important issue is Chandrika’s family has made much more sacrifices than any other political family in this country.
3.As you say this government’s blunders are many and it may not last long. Why should Mahinda join such a party? It will be either insanity (Sirisena admitted to working against own party when Mahinda tirelessly worked for its victory in August 2015) or opportunism (to save his two older sons and wife) to jump into a sinking ship. People are in need of a leader at this hopeless time. If Mahinda absconds now, his family will not get the public support they seek. However, if his revelations a few days ago are anything to go by, Mahinda will do just what I want; he will form a new party.
Although the “small elections” are relatively insignificant, they predict what will happen to the SLFP/UPFA at a major election. If SLFP MPs are convinced they cannot win without Mahinda, they will have to accommodate him as their leader, not as a slave. This is just what Chandrika did to the SLFP.
February 2nd, 2016 at 7:08 pm
I agree with Dilrook ! Well explained.
More the arrests made more popular will be the UNP. There are a lot of people who were shouting for action and they will be happier. Therefore what is the point being in SLFP which will be struggling to explain various mismanagement issues ?
However, merely setting up a new alliance will not do any magic. All those issues will be attached to the new front.
What is required is some radical, shocking new policies to stir up the nation highlighting the grave danger Sinhala people are facing. There is no point trying to win minority votes this time. India shall be called our enemy, not friend, but should have some cosmetics to make the west happy.
February 3rd, 2016 at 3:38 am
Judging from Cold War times actions against Lanka (LTTE training in Tamil Nadu, 13-A imposed under Duress), INDIA certainly is no friend.
However, at present times, the Enemy Within is even worse !
CBK/RW/MS trio appear not trustworthy. CBK USED the UNP Killing spree of the JVP (late 1980s) to get into POWER. We do not think it was done out of altruism. She has too much of the Axe to Grind feelings re the Sinhala/Buddhist masses.
According to an article by Tassie Seneviratne, Vijaya Kumaratunga was gunned down by the JVP on Feb 16, 1988, because he supported the Indo-Lanka Accord (13-A).
We are sorry for CBK’s pain of mind, but she is a damaged and untrustworthy politician who has now come in through the back door, after the People categorically rejected her – same as Ranil. Both have let down Lanka previously during their power times together.
ONe would have thought that both CBK/RW duo have already extracted enough REVENGE already …. consider the over 1,000 Army soldiers who died of dehydration in Elephant Pass during CBK’s time, and the RW Batalanda torture chambers.
CBK/RW appear anti-National.
The War Crimes charge and the Economy are being used to ‘down’ Lanka.
Next, the the unecessary new Constitution – the parting ‘gift’ from Yahap UNP led govt. bringing with it the Fed State for Tamils plus,
the 5,000 acre parcels of land on 99 yr leases to foreigners.
The CBK/RW REVENGE ON SINHALA/BUDDHIST LANKA will then be complete.
Who needs enemies with friends such as Lanka has …..
February 3rd, 2016 at 6:21 am
The Human Heart, anywhere in the world, is rarely fooled. The Human Mind may say this or that, and get fooled, but the Human Heart is rarely fooled. That CBK/RW duo form an inimical and untrustworthy force for Lanka’s masses (Sinhala and even Tamil), is felt by the mass of people in Lanka. That is why there is sense of prevailing impasse.
It must not be forgotten that it was MAHINDA RAJAPAKSE who, in those early days of JVP insurrections, made a trek to Geneva to plead for the JVP ! People like Anura Kumara Dissanayake have quite forgotten that. No other leader of Lanka has pleaded for the JVP at an international forum.
MR’s record in politics shows maturity and statesmanship. We trust him.
My feeling is that he has done more than his fair share for the country. Pushing him into Big Game politics by false accusations of his family is rather stupid. The false War Crimes matter should be handled in another way.
I am reproducing below the article by Tassie Seneviratne on the Vijaya Kumaratunge assassination – perhaps the ugliest deed done by the JVP. Political immaturity is evident here. Both the JVP & the LTTE were politically immature, not to menton the govts in power then. No real talks were ever held between the JVP and the then govts., whereas talks were held between the LTTE and the CBK/RW combo together with Norway as Peacekeeper. The end result was the production of mini-subs (now why was that ?) in the Vanni with the Prabhakaran outfit …. !!!
You see what I mean about CBK/RW ?
Being friends with the west or east is one thing, but will subjugation to outside forces work ?
Do please correct me if I am wrong in my assumptions.
———
Vijaya assassination: Politics kills police professionalism
By Tassie Seneviratne
Sunday Times, Feb 12, 2012
In an earlier article I outlined how high-profile interference frustrates police professionalism. In this context the Vijaya Kumaratunga assassination case is another that deserves elaboration.
Vijaya Kumaratunga was a film idol who started politics in the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP). He married Chandrika Bandaranaike in 1978 and joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) under the leadership of Sirimavo Bandaranaike. In 1984 he broke away from the SLFP alleging that the SLFP influenced by Anura Bandaranaike was too right wing oriented and founded the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya (SLMP). He won over supporters from the left wing parties and formed the United Socialist Alliance (USA) with the LSSP and the Communist Party (CP).
Vijaya Kumaratunga
In 1987 he supported the Indo-Lanka Peace accord and earned the wrath of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). Defying death threats, he severely criticized its campaign of terror. On February 16, 1988 Vijaya Kumaratuga was gunned down outside his house in broad daylight by a gunman who had come on a motorcycle pillion.
SSP Gamini Perera of the CDB assisted by Inspector Nandana Wijeratne handled the investigation. They traced witnesses who had seen the assassin over a period of time prior to the day of shooting. Prior to the killing, the assassin had hired a boutique close to Vijaya’s house, kept a motorcycle at a residence of a witness identified as Foenander and a cricketing bag at the residence of another witness identified as Dharmadasa. The cricketing bag contained the T-56 gun.
The assassin had given his name only as Gamini (a common name). The witnesses had not been aware of the assassin’s plans when they accommodated his requests. It was after hearing the news of the shooting that the witnesses had realized what this man had been up to. But they were frightened to inform the police until the police questioned them, following leads they had collected. From these witnesses the police had been able to obtain a clear description of the assassin and come out with a sketch of the assassin. The sketch was studied by CDB sleuths on surveillance duty.
On March 14, 1989 CDB constables Basil and Dias spotted a person on Bullers Road, resembling the man in the sketch. They bundled him into a trishaw and took him to the CDB Office. The man was identified as Lionel Ranasinghe alias Gamini of the JVP. By this time the JVP was all but annihilated. Ranasinghe who had committed a string of murders, had known that the game was up the moment he was arrested. He confessed that he not only killed Vijaya Kumaratunga, but also Professor Stanley Wijesundera, SSP Terrance Perera, UNP General Secretary Nandalal Fernando and many others, on the orders of the JVP high command. Details obtained from him in regard to these killings, enabled the police to cross check with details already available to them, and establish the veracity of his confessions.
While arrangements were being made for an identification parade, Minister Ranjan Wijeratne visited Ranasinghe who was being held at a Slave Island Police cell and listened to his confessions. The minister, thereafter, ordered SSP Gamini Perera to hand over Ranasinghe to the CID. SSP Perera had been taken aback and pleaded with the minister to let him handle the investigations which he was bringing to a successful conclusion with a view to court convictions. “No, no, hand him over to the CID” had been the response. Within 24 hours of the arrest, the suspect was handed over to the CID. Sensing that S/DIG/CID Frank de Silva will be an obstacle to unlawful exercises, he was moved out of the CID and DIG Rajapakse who was given a third year extension of service, was brought in to the CID. These moves put paid to the professional manner in which the CDB was handling the investigation.
The CID recorded a lengthy confession from Ranasinghe. The CID later said he was killed during an escape bid. But it is alleged he was bumped off on the orders from Minister Wijeratne who is alleged to have ordered the police to commit extra judicial execution of JVPers.
During this period of anarchy, for every killing by the Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya (DJV) which was a JVP front, Minister Wijeratne is said to have ordered the police to execute double the number of JVPers and burn them publicly in the same spot. Officers in charge of police stations were hard pressed to collect the numbers!
In Sept 1989, I was privy to a telephone conversation SSP Colombo North Henry Silva had with Minister Wijeratne. This was on the day after Dr. Glayds Jayewardene was shot dead by the DJV. I visited SSP Henry Silva to find out the progress of the investigation due to my personal interest in Dr Jayewardene’s family. Our discussion was interrupted by a telephone call that Henry Silva received. It was obvious from Henry Silva’s demeanor that the caller was high-profile. After the call ended he sighed in exasperation and told me that the caller was Minister Wijeratne. On being told that none was coming forward to give evidence, he had ordered Henry Silva to demolish all houses in the vicinity of the scene of shooting. Now that was typically Ranjan Wijeratne. Henry Silva was however relieved that all buildings in close proximity to the scene of shooting were police flats!! Leaving Henry Silva to his destiny, I took my leave.
(pix)
Soon after the shooting: One of Vijaya’s slippers among the items found scattered
Soon after the killing of her husband in 1988, Chandrika Kumaratunga fled the country with her two children seeking self-imposed asylum in Britain. Before leaving the country she told the police that the assassination of her husband was the work of the CIA. There was no mention of UNP then.
She returned in 1991 after the security situation improved with the annihilation of the JVP. Rejoining the SLFP, she formed the People’s Alliance (PA) with left parties and started blaming her main rival, the UNP, for the assassination of her husband with the aim of winning the JVP’s support. She was elected chief minister of the Western Provincial Council in 1993 and in 1994 won both the Parliamentary and the Presidential Elections.
In 1995, alleging R. Premadasa and Ranjan Wijeratne of the UNP to have been behind the assassination of her husband, she appointed the Presidential Commission of inquiry into the assassination of Vijaya Kumaratunga. The Commissioners were Supreme Court Judges P Ramanathan , S N Silva (later appointed Chief Justice by her) and High Court Judge D Jayawickrema.
Had the killing of Lionel Ranasinghe alias Gamini been an isolated incident, then speculating a cover up of guilt by Ranjan Wijeratne over Vijaya Kumaratunga’s assassination would have held water.
To Ranjan Wijeratne it was a bitter fight for the life of the nation at the time. Covering up tracts of the many executions the then government openly ordered, had never entered their mind. However this must be said; targets for execution at the time were terrorists but never political rivals. I am in no way justifying the extra judicial killings ordered against those believed to be terrorists, but I am putting the facts in perspective because the Commission had closed its eyes to the then government’s modus operandi against JVP terror generally and to the evidence implicating the JVP in the assassination of Vijaya Kumaratunga.
The Commission not only implicated R. Premadasa and Ranjan Wijeratne of the UNP in Vijaya Kumaratunga’s assassination but also castigated and humiliated even the police officers of the CDB who had done a professional job. By seeking political mileage from the killing of her husband, President Kumaratunga in effect, exculpated the real culprits responsible for the assassination of her husband, and put the professionally astute police officers in the dock. It is plainly seen that the lawyers assisting the Commission and the Commissioners themselves had only been interested in pinning down the chosen targets rather than finding out the truth.
The truth to them was a mandated version which they controlled and manipulated. A C Alles, a highly respected former judge of the Supreme Court and an authority on Criminal Law, in a critique released to the media, commented that the conclusion of the Commission was “a concept completely alien to established principles of Criminal Law”.
One could now see how professional police officers are not only rendered helpless but castigated and subjected to abject humiliation and harassment, when compromising police officers, leading lawyers and even Supreme Court Judges, stoop to conquer. In this episode the police were placed in a quandary with one political power giving irregular and unlawful orders to carry out extrajudicial action on terrorists against whom evidence had been gathered and another political leader after coming into power giving instructions to implicate her political rivals with a view to gaining political mileage. Either way the professional police officers were deprived of upholding the rule of law and reaping the fruits of their hard work to establish the truth that would have given a sense of fulfillment to themselves and credit to the Police Service.
” – – – but man, proud man,
Dress’d in a little brief authority
Most ignorant of what he’s most assur’d…
Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven
As make the angels weep.”
– William Shakespeare
(The writer is a retiired Senior Superintendent of Police )