Suffering is a problem that is real and universal. No one can escape it. All those who are born face and undergo suffering. Lord Buddha on his first outing from the king’s palace detected suffering in old age, sickness and death. Suffering is also caused by unfulfilled desires and other factors which may be quite natural and real. The Buddha certainly never wished anyone to inflict suffering on any sentient being. Buddhists accept that the Buddha taught a way out suffering.
Jesus Christ by the way he suffered and died, taught mankind the way to face suffering even while he asked the man who slapped him the reason for his inflicting insult and pain on him: “If I spoke improperly, show it. If not, why do you strike me?” (Gospel of St. John, Ch.18 verse 23). Even while he was tortured and his body mangled, he did not curse or hate anyone. The most noble human qualities were not vanquished by the suffering he bore. His compassion, forbearance, patience, forgiveness and love was so evident that the Centurion standing in front of the crucified Jesus was overwhelmed that he exclaimed, “Undoubtedly, this was the Son of God” (Gospel of Mark, Ch. 15 verse 39).
HELPLESS MADE TO SUFFER
There are various causes of suffering. But the vilest and the most painful suffering is that which is inflicted on one human being by another. Indescribably vile and criminal atrocities have been inflicted by individuals and their cronies on whole peoples and races in our lifetime. History records how one person could cause suffering on many others, even thousands and millions of people as Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Mao dze Dong, Pol Pot have done.
One person with political power could cause suffering to selected individuals and groups of people. Groups of people like the Taliban and ISIS and their local imitators could cause suffering on people they dislike and oppose. Such suffering often accompanied by agonizing torture is always inflicted in anger, irritation and rage on innocent people to whom such annoyance and hate is directed. Such anger, hatred and detestation may be inhuman and unreasonable. Yet for the gratification, safety and pleasure of one powerful person or a group of such evil minded people, suffering is brought on others who are often helpless and powerless to avoid violent force that causes physical and mental harm, injury and death being brought on them. Such people are there in our midst in our country; they are subtle political activists who are used to abusing power, abusing state agencies and resources without any concern about making due payments for the facilities used.
These are evil people inflicting unbearable evils on Sri Lanka and its people. They wish to come to power to carry on their style of government and suppress the investigations and accusations of criminal abuse of state power and state resources.
These are sufferings that are wickedly and wrongly caused. Those who cause such suffering use their minions as tools to inflict hurt and damage on those who are considered their enemies. They are caused by the selfish, greedy, arrogant persons who have a lust for power; they are crude and insensitive to the injustice they do to others.
When suffering is inflicted by such power-holders due to their revengeful anger, in retaliation against the people who exercise freedom of expression to criticize their public actions, terror and fear is released on certain individuals, communities and sections of society. Those who express views contrary to their words and deeds are hounded and threatened with harm. People are compelled to suffer in silence.
COLLUSION TO PROTECT EVILDOERS?
These evil forces should be exposed before the people of Sri Lanka. All those who have manipulated administrative and financial regulations to their private advantage and used state resources as if they belonged to their family and clan should be dealt with according to the law. Such measures to safeguard the resources of the country should be carried out expeditiously. When big chaps are highly suspected of mega frauds or are caught with their hands in the Treasury of the State, they somehow escape summons to explain or are able to avoid investigative and trial tribunals for long periods.
The citizens who bear the brunt and carry the debts of billions of dollars that burden the country due to the mega frauds wonder how and why the big fellows are never called to account, are never found at fault for the disappearance of billions and are never punished. And the evils inflicted on the country by defeated politicians continue to wreak havoc.
The powers that be also seem to explain away the delays of any impending retribution. These affairs of politicians become captivating news till elections come. All the while, even accused politicians and their henchmen almost succeed in displaying a self-assured mien of irreproachable men. The citizens eventually presume that the State detectives have been unable or prevented from definitively concluding that any wrong has been done or that the contrivances of the political forces of the main parties are indeed an enigma hidden in a mystery unknown to and unknowable by ordinary human beings.
No minister of the government should be justifiably suspected by the people to be in collusion with those accused of wrong-doing or in any way helping a known crook to get off the hook. The government also should not leave any room for the people to presume that ‘understandings’ have been reached and political ‘deals’ have been made to cover up and salvage those accused of various corrupt transactions and are due to face inevitable retribution before relevant tribunals.
EXPOSE TREASON OF CORRUPTION
These evil phenomena that have prevailed in Sri Lanka for far too long a period have caused the poor people especially much suffering.
This is a political evil that should be resisted, opposed and eradicated from Sri Lanka if she is to remain a civilized nation free from terror and suffering inflicted on innocent citizens by selfish people.
Those who investigate and expose the corrupt deeds of those in high places, who inflict senseless suffering on innocent people, are performing the public duty of keeping the citizens informed of what is illegally done in secret. The public has every right to know all that is done in the name of Sri Lanka. These investigators do the work of truth and justice on behalf of the tax-paying citizens whose money is plundered by the dishonest who are politically powerful.
The least the public spirited citizen could do is to fearlessly oppose the stance of the politically powerful individuals who in a cowardly manner hide behind what they think are impenetrable confines and concoct defenses, spending large sums of money on astute lawyers, to protect themselves from the retribution that would come.
It is not right for anyone to cause suffering on other people to gratify oneself by ego-absorbed self-indulgence and by engaging in corrupt business transactions with the State while being a legislator and/or a public servant, to make illegal and illicit financial gains. It is treacherous when such abusive and exploitative things are done for selfish personal gain covering up oneself in the privileged positions of political and administrative power purportedly in the name of the country.
POLICY TO UPROOT CORRUPTION
It may not be possible for us to eradicate all forms of suffering and evils from society and from the human community. But it is quite possible to eradicate the evils of political corruption and dishonesty. Greedy politicians, politically powerful people and their anti-social henchmen, in order to enjoy flamboyant living and the pleasures of life even excessively and indecently, by their corrupt practices inflict on the poor voiceless people of Sri Lanka enormous suffering.
Other countries like Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia have uprooted corruption from public life.
Even Papua New Guinea is doing it admirably. In every election that is to come, the civic conscious and democratic citizens should compel the political leaders to nominate candidates who will make it their policy to eradicate all the politically inflicted evils of corruption, dishonesty, nepotism, racial and religious discrimination from Sri Lanka.
Most unfortunately some political leaders are so corrupt that they need the help of other corrupt thugs in politics to survive and carry on.
Anyhow, procedures and processes should be so amended and updated that only persons of the highest and proven integrity are nominated as candidates for election or appointed to high positions of responsibility in all the branches and agencies of the State.
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