Editorial Courtesy The Island

May 3, 2018, 10:39 pm
Simple as the aforesaid question may seem, on the face of it, there has been no clear-cut answer thereto. It has provoked philosophical discourse for centuries. The general consensus, however, is that guards have to guard themselves, for want of a better alternative. According to some philosophers, guards have to train their souls properly. But do guards really care to guard themselves?

Self-proclaimed guards have failed to guard themselves in many a field in this country. A female lawyer has recently made quite a stir and incurred the wrath of her seniors by refusing to ignore the elephant in the room. Sugandika Fernando is her name. A speech she made, at a public event, disclosing the sad state of affairs in the legal profession, the police and the judiciary, has riled some senior members of her profession. They think they are justified in having taken exception to her views. They are entitled to their opinion. But, we believe, she has struck a responsive chord with the ordinary people, who have serious reservations about the aforesaid institutions. One may even argue that she has made no revelations, at all, and only preached to the choir.

People are wary of criticising lawyers, the police and the judiciary in public, for obvious reasons. They are without any defence. They do not want to run the risk of being thrown behind bars for contempt of court or bastinadoed for criticising the police. They need someone who can stand up to the forces they fear, to speak for them. Sugandika has done so, in the public interest. We hope she will not be a victim of a witch hunt for doing that.

If institutions, public or private, are to be cleansed of rogues who bring them into disrepute, those who are concerned about their wellbeing must go beyond whistle-blowing, use megaphones and fight against the forces of evil. There is no other way. This is what some Hollywood actresses have done after suffering in silence for decades. Sexual predators had been a law unto themselves in Hollywood until a few moons ago, when a group of courageous female artistes decided to go public with their stories, which shook the world.

A movie mogul has got exposed for sexual harassment. More and more victims of sexual assault in the movie industry are plucking up the courage to break their silence and take on the sickos who have harmed them with impunity. Thanks to them, the whole world now knows Tinseltown for what it really is and the leading lights therein will have to do something drastic to make it a better place. This would not have happened if the victims of sexual assault had chosen to remain silent, for fear of reprisals.

Sugandika has embarked on a similar mission. She has claimed that some senior lawyers sexually harass their juniors and obtain sexual bribes from the wives of their clients. This is a very serious allegation which must be probed urgently. She deserves praise for having taken up this issue which has gone unaddressed.

Sugandika has made about 20 allegations, as a news report in this newspaper said yesterday. Only an impartial inquiry will help discover the truth or otherwise of her claims. But, we believe, her right to speak up must be defended.

It is said that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Good men and women must be encouraged to fight against evil if it is to be defeated and those who stick their necks out for the sake of fellow citizens must be protected and commended.

Let all those who cherish the freedom of expression and abhor malpractices that plague vital institutions and professions be urged to join forces and defend the courageous men and women who speak out on matters of public concern.