It is now the Radiologists and the Teacher Librarians – they all need appointments and they are waiting for GODOT~

A few months earlier I mentioned the plight of the graduate physiotherapists who are still awaiting appointments to the Govt. Health Service as they have not been assigned a pay grade and are therefore in limbo. The Universities produce 60 graduates p.a in areas of need and they are not getting appointments due to the lack of decision makers willing to go out on a limb and give them a fair wage. A fare wage is one between what they are currently requesting and what is currently being paid to the Diploma Holders coming out of the School of Physiotherapy.

In the same vein, the Radiographers are also crying foul saying that at the behest of the new couses, they got degrees in the Allied Health Science Faculties of State Universities, this time from Peradeniya where over 80 await positions. It is a field with acute shortages, but find themselves without appointments. The School of Radiography is training diploma holders who continue to get appointments under the old scale. Due to the need of over 1000 in this field it is essential that both diploma and degree holders are recruited but at different pay scales to reflect their qualifications and knowledge. The problem is graduates do not like the diploma holders considering them inferior beings and wish those programs abolished, where as I believe there is a place currently for both until we can produce the annual requirement of degree holders, which is not in the near future!

The Education department is also faced with the same issue of Teacher Librarians who have got the qualifications but who do not have appointments as their grade is still not recognized. At present there is NO teacher librarian carder in the Department and so these people, who are qualified in a much needed area of teaching professional, end up as mere teachers and are accordingly disgruntled that their positions are not recognized as a separate category and salary scale.

What does all this mean? It simply means that there is no relationship between what the Universities have been asked to train and the Govt. health and education service to employ them. It is an elementary error that must be resolved equitably and these qualified people MUST be given appointments to carry out the much needed tasks in their respective sectors that will enhance both Health Care and Education in Sri Lanka.

The lack of direction or vision in the Government to consider the importance of these positions is a detriment to the desired objectives of the nation. It is time parliament is made aware of all these anomalies and action taken to resolve them.

Can we weed out 100,000 poorly performing teachers?

Education Policy needs a rethink. That is an understatement. It is the most important review that is needed if Sri Lanka is to compete in the Global Marketplace. The innate intelligence of our Human Resource is not in doubt, when the performance of people of Sri Lankan origin in other countries is considered. The shaping of this intelligence into skills and productivity, and further into creativity and thinking has been a dismal failure as reflected in the output of the free education sector.

As we start the new term this morning with a couple of million students going to school throughout this country, I ask are we actually better off sending them to school, or should we keep them home, as they may learn more from staying at home rather than going to school. The contention is that the teachers we have actually stifle and suppress the desire for creativity, and discovery of our young minds by their incompetence!

The IUSF and FUTA are barking up the wrong tree in so much as they continue to advocate free education for all, in the absence of private education. It is not by merely dumping 6% of GDP that education will improve. Much of money given to the state to spend be it in Agriculture, Education and Health is just wasted. Accountability in the public sector is poor and is not the most productive spend of the hard to find tax rupees.

The ACTU teachers union led by Josef Stalin will not like it, but of the 230K teachers in the State Sector a full 100K should not be there, his members! In short incompetent. He will defend them to the hilt, but a non-political inspectorate is required in the Education Department to weed out these non-performing teachers and then to ensure standards of competence by flying visits to schools. There is already a system of school visits by the Education ministry, and that is confined to the visual and external cleanliness, rather than the quality of the teaching carder.

An article in 2^nd Sept. Telegraph, pointed out to me by a reader in earlier comment illustrates the point. Note the link to the webpage here.  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9514425/Bad-teachers-blight-childrens-futures-Michael-Gove-warns.html

It makes for interesting reading and is worth a visit for the person with a general interest in the subject of how we in Sri Lanka can improve the quality of our education. In essence it advocates constant evaluation and surprise visits to schools and to gradually weed out incompetent teachers and also only give performance bonuses to competent ones. It is being implemented in the UK without delay starting from tomorrow. We should take a leaf out of measures taken in other countries to improve their education and perhaps fashion ours from taking the best of them.

Consider this contention. Sri Lanka has thousands of vacancies for teaching staff in core subjects. We must concentrate on first filling these vacancies with qualified teachers with an aptitude for teaching as a call of duty and a vocation, not merely a job. Teachers in the public sector are transferred after 10 years. I believe that policy needs to be reviewed, as some good teachers leave and join the private sector if they are not happy with the new posting. Many go into teaching just for a job!! That is bad.

The teacher training schools MUST become ELITE with a battle to get in. 25% of places to be scholarship based on A level results, degree as well as aptitude tests that test competencies. The balance should be by way of a subsidized tuition. This will only ensure that the most dedicated come into the profession. Anything completely free is usually not appreciated and therefore a student loan system or other must accompany it. There are massive amounts of overseas funding through international agencies for teacher training. It is considered key to the education genie.

Included in the certificate must be a period of teaching in rural schools, say for a year, to ensure these schools at least get a modicum of quality teachers, and the teachers get awareness of what kind of contribution to society they can give to people who are less privileged.

Incentives should be given to teach in rural schools to improve the quality and identify genuinely bright kids for future special attention. Most importantly the guaranteed salaries must be sufficiently high to attract and retain, but after a minimum period of bond, be allowed to leave and join the private sector or go overseas if they so wish. This does not force anyone to do anything they do not wish, but they should be given the best chance to be of service to their country.

Priority must be given to an immediate direction of resources to increase the intake into the Colleges of Education, and also for Universities to offer degrees in Education allied with other subjects that give some kind of fast tracking to students to then get their higher qualification in the Teacher Training Schools. I am convinced that the resources allocated here is the best bang for the spending rupee of the Government.

No Govt. will change this priority. It is a shame for the Education Dept. to have all Teacher Training Colleges without permanent heads, an indication of lack of concern in this ‘core area for resource allocation’.

The Education Mafia – Private Education – Part 3

The private education sector is thriving. With the current problems in the state education system, any parent who has the means is seriously considering this option. They weigh the pros and cons and come to the conclusion that they will educate a son or daughter to an international degree level by the time they are 21 or before in the private sector.

This is a huge draw, as in the state system a degree is awarded at the age of 26 at the earliest due to various delays in the process up to graduation. That 5 year head start is valued at Rs5M. So if they do have that kind of money and could invest it in private education, all the way from secondary to tertiary sectors, you get the pay back in full by the time their offspring is 26. It is therefore a no brainer!

So what gives? The quality of education is for the buyer to watch out for. There is no clearly regulated system at present and there are moves a foot to have laws to tighten regulation. The bad will fail with no takers.

It is now arguable that with the increasing prosperity in the country, there is a greater need for private education, especially in the tertiary field. The numbers by definition have to be higher than the state sector which only takes in 10% of those qualified for university admission due to the dearth in places for them.

The next question is the availability of employment for these thousands that are coming out of the private field. The state graduates, find that the private graduates are preferred and therefore face a further hurdle in their job search resorting to political connections to get Govt. jobs, which now turn out to be far less quality than they had hoped for due to the scarcity in the areas where the applicant is searching.

Make no bones about it. The private sector education is here to stay, it is a huge business, and is thriving. It is making money and in time will settle down, when supply and demand come into equilibrium and only the good and quality survive. It is just a matter of time for the shake out.

I advise all who can to take up private tertiary education in preference to the state system, if the economic circumstances can underwrite the cost. It will put less pressure on the state system which can improve its quality.

Their is really no value in stopping private education as the state sector just cannot fill the void, and it is better for the state sector to improve their quality to compete with the private sector, and beat it if they can rather than try to absorb a greater number of students which the University Teachers Unions seem to want.

We must concentrate on improving the quality of ALL those who seek education, private or state and and have something for all people at different economic levels so that people are not left behind merely due to financial constraints.

The Education Mafia – The tuition industry – Part 2

Many parents who have lost faith in the ability of schools alone to teach their kids to the required grades, opt instead to heavily use tuition classes to supplement this void. It is also practiced in the rural areas where students go to the nearest big town on Saturdays and Sundays to follow classes. The Tuitions Sir is now a famous being, more than the school teachers. In addition teachers, especially from prestigious schools, market themselves and offer private tuition and class tuition after hours, in the time they should be preparing for lessons at the school. Further they encourage their own students to come to their tuition classes, using their own pupils as a captive audience.

This is now a money chase, and parents are forced to pay whatever it takes, and there is quite a sacrifice on the part of parents in this regard. The tuition industry hides the problems of the education sector as it supplements and therefore assists the student to get a better grade, and the school gets the credit for it!

This business is unregulated, though it responds to market forces, their productivity is the results, and so these crammers flourish especially if they are good. It must be noted that poorly paid teachers use the tuition route to supplement their income. One must understand that teachers pay is not on performance. So rotten teachers and good teachers get the same salary in the state sector. The good teachers feel it their right to get supplementary income by tuition as they have a skill they can impart and which can earn them some extra money. It must also be remembered that good teachers are also attracted by higher perks and salaries to the private sector schools, international ones. Many teachers opt for early retirement to go into to the Private Sector and the state sector suffers accordingly.

The value placed on the tuition industry is massive, however it is not included in the 1.9% spend on GDP that state education system accounts for. I am also made to understand that many Professors and University Academics supplement their income by teaching in the private tertiary sector, a further boost to their incomes, which can double if they work as many hours as they can, here again the state sector suffers.

It is clear from the above that private tuition adversely affects state education. Private education also draws the best out of the state sector. 

One clear way out of the problem is to train, train and train teachers. There has to be a charge on teachers to train with promises of future rewards, in the private sector as well as the overseas teaching sector. Teacher training would be improved if scholarships are granted to the best 25% intake, so that those with hardship but with ability can get in, and the others must fund at least 75% of the cost of their training by way of loan or some such recoverable system.

The equity in this is that they will be able to earn a higher income in the tuition industry, or in the private or overseas sectors. It is unfair for the Government of Sri Lanka to pay the full cost of training people who then use this free training to enrich themselves as it is at the expense of other citizens of Sri Lanka who are not as privileged. 

The whole aspect of obtaining one's education completely without charge to then not give it back to the country is the issue. Their could be a claw back of payments if the teacher is willing to work in the remote areas where few good teachers wish to relocate to, thereby handicapping students in those areas.

In summary the whole principle of equity and justice needs to be explained and then implemented in a fair manner at least a fairer one.

The Education Mafia – The teachers! Part 1

An extract from an article in the Daily Mirror of 1^st Sept.2012.

“Teaching is not a profession. It is or rather should be meant for only those teachers who love being with children/young adults, who enjoy engaging with them and encouraging them to learn. If teachers do not have creativity, adaptability, resourcefulness and thoughtful planning it is highly unlikely they will succeed as teachers. Children are unlikely to get anything out of their teaching as well.

It is now time to stop the blame game and start cleaning up the mess that is Education and bring it to a level that we can feel proud about because we are dealing with Sri Lanka’s future.”

The accompanying article lays much of the blame of Education on the teaching profession, be they school teachers or university teachers.

What it implies is that whilst teachers are agitating for parity with equivalence, using examples in other countries, the teachers here do not adhere to the teaching standards of other countries, where lessons must be carefully prepared, and teachers come to work at least half hour before  the pupils, so as to plan the day, and stay till 5pm at least to plan for the next day, as mandated in many other countries where their performance and knowledge is tested continuously and measured, and updated. This is done so that they are able to give their utmost to the student. This would also hold true for University Lecturers. In short, in Sri Lanka it is just a job with a salary and pensions and nothing else. They do not come under the category above. Graduates are just given politicized teaching posts.

Whilst I subscribe to that argument, it is up to the Government to train the teachers well, so they perform their duties and also use other aptitude tests for entry into teacher training schools so only committed teachers are trained and hired. Teacher training is woefully lacking in Sri Lanka, with underfunded and hopelessly managed ‘Teacher Training Schools’ churning out inadequately prepared graduates or trainees to teach.

It takes a certain type of person to be a teacher. That is hard to find, however if these positions are made attractive, one will find more capable applicants and with politicization reduced in Education we can do it.

The Education Mess and the call for the Ministers to Resign!

The Editorial in Today’s Daily Mirror (1^st Sept.2012) is a call for all the Education Ministers to resign and for the President to take action against them. This is for the continuing saga, which includes the Z score fiasco, the problems in the recently completed A level exams and the possibility of a long delay in the marking of the papers and also a potential problem in the way they will be marked to say nothing of the Grade 5 scholarship exam where questions had been leaked, the University Teachers action, and a complete breakdown in the Education sector, where no one appears to have any faith in the Free Education system in Sri Lanka, so widely touted as the best in the East but only at home!

Suffice to say the said Ministers have blamed every problem on incompetent bureaucrats who have been tasked with the management. In the end the Ministers are responsible for their departments and politicization of the administrative service where less qualified people do the tasks is ultimately the responsibility of the Government. In other countries where there is an issue such as any of the above, the minister responsible usually submits his resignation, taking full responsibility even though the fault was with a bureaucrat within his department.

It is unlikely in Sri Lanka’s present climate there will be such a mea culpa and after many such instances, the President does not appear to have removed any responsible people from the failings of his administration. I presume that is because he owes all these people favors! for his staying in power, and do not want them to undermine him with some of the harsh truths of the administration if they are out of a job!

It is important that there is accountability and more importantly a complete overhaul of the education establishment, which I have continuously been advocating in this blog.

The 1000 national schools and 5000 primary schools program are mere figments of the Govt.’s imagination as I have been to some of these earmarked schools and no funding or promise of funding to reach these levels are forthcoming, mere rhetoric I presume, waiting for the World Bank to come up with the dough.

It is time for a new vision in Education due to Globalization, and human migration to places with opportunities, so let’s get started to meet this. The challenges to Education that Globalization offers, is not even considered by the government in a holistic way. 

Each human is a person with a goal, that goal is within a World and not just a Nation. We cannot confine aspirations to Sri Lanka as it has patently failed, especially our youth. If you want proof, just advertise for people to join a boat to 'nowhere', and half the young people between 20 and 30 will want to be on it. So please no apologies for the mess, we must find a practical solution for people with aspirations and desires who have different ideas to the educators and the legislators.

Gender imbalance in Politics

Despite Sri Lanka having a the world’s first Female Prime Minister and a female President who happened also to be the daughter of that Prime Minister, our Women’s representation in the political arena is pathetic.

I believe that in our Parliament, the primary legislative body, there are only 12 women from a total of 225 representatives, and 4 of them have been elected out of some past popularity such as either as film or teledrama actresses. It is therefore important that a law be brought in to provide for a minimum of female representation in all areas of Government, all tiers in fact as well as for youth representation.

It was interesting that I read an article today, where a Govt. committee tasked with this had suggested increasing representation to 30% and the women themselves had asked to reduce it to 10%. I know why the ladies wanted this reduced, as they feared the quality of the women who come up with a higher quota would suck, thereby giving the pioneers out there a bad name just because of the forced inclusion of under-qualified women. I do subscribe to that view point to some extent and believe that legislation should instead have a progressive change so that in 15 years it increases to a minimum of 25% from 10%, giving time to empower women into the political arena, an area they are reluctant to enter into unless there is a family connection or with a husband in the political arena from which to take over.

There is a consensus now that politics is dirty and one way of cleaning it up is by including women who are less likely to venture into the depths of today’s men especially the current UPFA Government’s henchmen who have shown the levels to which they disgraced themselves with no shame, as they have safety from prosecution from above.

It is important that legislation is brought into Parliament without delay so that the ball starts rolling and a new period of transition sets in. One can start this off from the next PS or local government elections and then gradually rise to the parliamentary elections. Unfortunately it is the males who will suffer from this initially and are less likely to pass the legislation if they look only at their future, but as it will be effective for Parliamentary elections after most are likely to have left the scene, there is a chance that it gets the attention it deserves sooner rather than later. 

The lack of credibility of Sri Lanka School Examinations

As I walk down the road by the DS School on Gregory’s and I see the worried looks of the students just about to go into the class room to sit their respective A level tests, and then I open the news papers in the office a few minutes later and discover that yet another question paper has dubious credibility, I wonder if there is any credibility left in the SL examination system.

I don’t think that ever in the history of this country there has been such a degree of mess up in the education system. Soon after the Z score fiasco that has not been resolved as yet, and students who sat the A levels OVER A YEAR AGO wait to know even if they have been selected to get into University, I think it is right for all citizens of honorable intent to question the whole legitimacy of the Government that tumbles from one disaster to another. I do not want to go into the questions such as adulterated diesel, and just wish to concentrate on the education sector alone as that has produced sufficient doubt in the minds of our people, to severely call into question the whole structure of education in Sri Lanka.

Add to this the unemployability of many who go through the State Education Sector, and their loss of faith, is a problem that is boundless! Most people have little choice. Not many are able to send their kids to private education and overcome the hurdles of the state system. So the students who are wasting away, seeing their competitors in the private sector get ahead due to the speed with which they roll from A levels to courses, and graduate at age 21 when the students only enter Universities in the state sector at that age, are left wondering what has hit them.

The government appears to be quite unable to grasp the seriousness of this issue. When a country’s examination system, that all students expect to give them the entre into the world of tertiary education and beyond, is fraught with an unholy mess of credibility, hopes of youth have been dashed. It is the lifeline that young people have to improve their lives, as other avenues are not as well developed in Sri Lanka.

The time is ripe for a rethink of what the nation deems its duty to its citizens, namely the youth who hold the future of the nation in their hands. It is simply the word education that has to be re engineered to suit the modern day, and removed from bureaucratic and state clutches.

Sequel to the beating of students by the OIC – Dehiyattakandiya

The previous blog entry details the facts referred to in this article below.

After a 52hr journey, when we had just hoped for a 24hr commitment, we finally returned to Colombo at around 11pm on the 30^th of July. So it was only this morning that we could check the bonafides of the journalists at the scene. Surprise surprise, imagine that all my worst suspicions were confirmed. The reporters DID NOT SEND reports or photos of the incident to Colombo, obviously for fear of offending the OIC.

This is the whole point of the abuse of power by state officials, be it police or others and even elected officials, as they hold all within their purview hostages in their own homes, not permitting them to do their jobs, effectively and fairly. It is a sign of the times, that power is all powerful and all encompassing, where the law takes second place.

The OIC knows that the law takes years to take its course and individuals do not have the endurance to take matters into their own hands. So he knows he is beyond the law, as he has the power to make things difficult. So much so that even one of our release documents from the hospital, where were able to get our two boys discharged the following day and safely remove them from the OIC’s place of control, was extracted in front of our own eyes by another of the OIC’s surrogates.

It is time that people understand that this is happening and there is something they can do about it. It is up to us who are willing to fight the injustice and the dictatorial behavior of the petty officials to correct the wrongs and give the people of the country their freedom and democracy.

It is this fight that I believe responsible people who read this blog take a stand for and point out to all they know that it is imperative that they fight the system in the most productive way they can and in order to do this task it is important that there is some sense of commitment and priority in achieving this before the whole country plunges into a state of anarchy, dictated to by local goons, back to the days of feudal lords over whom the average citizen has no chance to combat and fight justice for their grievances. The next step by them is “trumped up charges” against all who try to defend freedom. This is enough of a threat to keep people under control and under the thumb of these people’s servants. We must act promptly with a plan to destabilize this obstructive system NOW and ACT. The system is wrong, we have to change it.

We went in ‘Solidarity’ we found ‘Repression’ and we returned ‘Chastened’ by reality.

The Incident where the Dehiyattakandiya OIC assaulted Students who gathered for a peaceful protest on Sunday 29^th July, 2012

I was with the Students who came from Colombo, we left on the 11.50pm bus from Pettah to Kaduruwela(Polonnaruwa). We had to take our seats by 10.30pm as otherwise it would be standing room only. We did not take the direct bust to Dehiyattakandiya at 10.15pm, because when we arrived at the bus stand at 8.45pm, all seats had been taken and standing through the night would not have allowed us the energy for the day ahead. I write the latter for readers who do not understand the travails of the majority of people when it comes to normal activity such as travelling distances.

Having arrived at Kaduruwela at dawn we caught an SLTB bus to Dehiyattakandiya in the Digamadulla District and Ampara Electorate, a Rs77 bus ride, that took over an hour and half. It was cool with the sunrise and its colors in the east on the lush paddy fields travelling through Manampitiya, Dimbulagala, Kalukele and Siripura. The bus diverted from the main road to take school children in uniform from the isolated villages to Temple on Sunday morning, a stark contrast to the ‘lama saris’ worn in the Western Province, an indication more of the economic hardships of these villagers, who do not even have the luxury to sew and wear the latter, having to walk distances even to the bus stops. We found ourselves at the Clock Tower at Dehiyattakandiya at 7am, our scheduled time for the demonstration was 11am and we were expecting people from Polonnaruwa, Bibile, Mahiyanganaya and Kandy.

There was a news item on the previous morning, that a student upon receiving her ‘A’ level results reissued with the new Z score, had taken poison and had been admitted to the Dehiyattakandiya Hospital. After a quick discussion, the Sarasavi Yovun Peramuna, the University Students wing of the National Youth Front of the UNP, decided to go to Dehiyattakandiya and protest in solidarity, as this has been an issue the SYP has been protesting since December 26^th when the results were first issued and various levels of action had been taken to request the powers to view the subject with importance and not indifference, as it was the lives of students in Sri Lanka and their futures that the Government was playing poker with!

It so happened that Sunday was the most inconvenient day for all those around to come to our demonstration. The UNP youth members of the Dehiyattakandiya Pradeshiya Sabha who in reality could give us assistance, had already left for the rally scheduled for 10am in the SAME ELECTORATE in Ampara, over 100km away. The leader of the opposition was the keynote speaker and so it was a must attend event for them!

Our members in the Polonnaruwa District were engaged in their own electoral activities and meetings, due to the upcoming Provincial Council Elections, and so were unable to send a contingent to support us.

At 11am we were under the shade of a tree at the roundabout, about 10 of us waiting for the arrival of our colleagues from other parts, when a police vehicle drew up, a burly six foot six hunk of a man, a Chief Inspector, and Officer in Charge of the Dehiyattakandiya Police Station got out of the vehicle, and asked us what we were doing, to which we replied that we were waiting for our colleagues before we engage in a peaceful demonstration in regards to the Z score calamity and its aftermath.

He immediately turned aggressive, saying that no one has any right to demonstrate in his area, and demand that we immediately leave the location, and he picked up our property, the cut outs and banners, still unfurled as we had not begun the protest, and got his staff to put into his vehicle. He effectively grabbed them, stole is more like it! and begun ordering us around. We had law students amongst us and told him that what he had just engaged in was a gross violation of the law, and that he had absolutely no right to do what he was doing. We were not engaged in a protest march, we were not obstructing a highway, (if anyone knows the size of the Clock Tower roundabout in Dehiyattakandiya will know there is nothing to match it in size in Colombo!)

He started to hit our colleagues who were now vociferous at his action, the word ‘athin payin gahuwa’ is more appropriate. To the credit of the other police officers around, they did not hit any of our colleagues and only tried to restrain the resulting commotion. If we had done anything wrong he should have arrested us! instead of beating us with his bare hands. I was just horrified at the arrogance of the local chief law enforcement officer!

For different reasons of my own, I could not join in the fray as I was still nursing an injury, and was not able to walk without the aid of the walking stick. The injury was another case of the abuse of the law, where 18 months to the day, the police escort vehicle of the Minister of Justice, crashed into my pickup in Minneriya, destroying my vehicle, and severely injuring me, where I was extricated to be taken to hospital not by the minister’s fleet, but by local people. I have yet to receive a cent in compensation for the huge loss I have suffered at their hands. Such is the rule of law today! That is another story.

In the resulting melee, three of our team was injured and two were dispatched to hospital in Dehiyattakandiya in a vehicle of a Mahiyangana Organizer who had just come after the incident had finished.

The other injured member was the Secretary of the NYF who promptly called the Leader of the Opposition who was at a rally in Ampara, and was about to get on the podium to speak, and briefed him of the event. Within 5 minutes of the incident, the Leader of the Opposition addressing the huge crowd gathered in Ampara, addressed the crowd and informed them that our Students engaged in a peaceful demonstration were illegally attacked by the Police in Dehiyattakandiya, at which point the whole contingent from Dehiyattakandiya almost fell of their chairs in complete shock at the events in their turf, that they were not part of!

The media was present, and I am not happy with their performance! It was the voice cuts from our team soon after the event that the radio stations carried within minutes on their news channels. The local media also depends on the grace and favor of the local OIC for protection, news, and help in their work. They will NOT do anything to jeopardize that! We even suspect that the OIC was about to use the local media to turn the story round to say that the Students attacked him! That is the very serious point here. It is only when there are no local connections, like national media, national politicians, and national student organizations, that can come into the local issues, which without bias and prejudice address some of these issues. If the locals get involved their loyalties are necessarily compromised

What does all this really boil down to? It is simply that the main law enforcement officer in the local areas in Sri Lanka, act as if they are rulers of their areas, not tolerating anyone from elsewhere for ANY reason. They in cahoots with the local politicians, appear to terrorize the local people into submission. I suspect, the locals did not support us was for that very reason. They can accuse people with trumped up charges, and poor people have no way of obtaining the legal redress in the villagers, whereas in the main towns, there is better representation to assist people in cases of injustice.

This incident opened our eyes to what takes place in rural Sri Lanka today. The power of the OIC, and the fear they generate over the local people. It is no wonder that the local politicians are those engaged in most of the crime, or at least are stakeholders therein. It is a combination of the top cop of the area and top pol that even opposition politicians have to engage in an accommodation with. After all once the event came to light, the opposition elected members of our party, were a little cagey to go against their own top cop. He can make life miserable for them. After all they interceded on behalf of their local people, when they have a brush with the law, fair or not. It is they who have to face the wrath of the local OIC if he turns out to be unreasonable. Think about it for a moment, and a whole restructuring of the institution is required.

The original reason and intention of our demonstration suddenly takes second place to the much more serious allegation of “misuse of the law, and the justice system”, to instill fear and terror on the local population. For his fate the OIC today, faced students who were not frightened to talk back and tell him he was wrong. The village people do not have that courage and knowledge, so the law is misused in this way.

It is high time that the Rulers realize that (I am afraid they realize it and use it to their own political advantage and survival) and do something to bring back the rule of law to the country. Remember, when we feel safe in our homes not confronted with this issue, we must realize there are others who are not as fortunate and we must fight for justice for them. Otherwise when there is abuse of power that affects you, there will be no one to fight your case.

Ranjit Hulugalle                                          Ranjit.Hulugalle@gmail.com