Enlightened thinking

President Mahinda Rajapaksa could not have made a more significant observation after the swearing in of the new Chief Minister and Ministers of the Western Province when he declared that voters today think differently.

What the President meant was voters today are guided by the more substantive concerns affecting the Nation rather than mundane interests affecting their personal well-being or the flowery speeches of the politicians.

The President said "the thinking of the voters have undergone a more significant change. They no longer think about materialistic gains based on election promises by politicians on the campaign trail when exercising their franchise. Instead, their thinking is on the lines of elevating the nation before anything else".

The recent avalanche of victories achieved by the Government has borne out this truism. Perhaps for the first time in the country's post independence history, the voters have taken cognisance of the macro picture putting aside all other considerations.

They have echoed in one voice that the country has to come first ahead of all other parochial interests. For them, the high cost of living , road closures body checks are only minor nuisances to be endured when it was clear that the country was about to be salvaged from the scourge of terrorism.

Perhaps the only other occasion when the Sri Lankan public voted en bloc with such national fervour was in the 1956 watershed that ushered in the cultural revolution when it was clear that the country was going to be swallowed up by Western interests. On this occasion, it was to save the country from dismemberment.

This shows that despite claims to the contrary the Lankan voters are a matured lot and are eminently capable of good judgement in deciding on their priorities. They have proved to be capable of discernment and distinguishing between the genuine and the phoney.

In the same way, the voters would not hesitate to deliver a fitting verdict should the Government stray away from its mandate. This the President is fully aware of. That is why he has enjoined the newly elected councillors to do their utmost to serve the people as a tribute to their new enlightened thinking.

The President said "the UPFA did not make any promises during its campaign but still the masses kept their faith in us and approved the path we have taken."

It is clear that national concerns will now supersede all other considerations with the voters. They have now come to the stage where election promises by various actors would have little bearing on the decision unless they have a bearing on the national interest.

This trend can only bring about positive results for the country since all parties in the fray would tailor their political campaigns based on the national agenda.

In a way, the current military successes have precipitated a sea of change in the psyche of the country's voting population to give priority to enthroning national interests at future hustings. Thus, all future elections will see political parties and leaders espousing the national cause. It will be left to the voter only to pick the genuine article among those who profess these sentiments.

Vanniyela Aththo

It appears that criminality and lawlessness that are taking a heavy toll on the civilised society has now made inroads to unspoilt pristine Vanniyela Aththo's landscape as well.

According to media reports Vanniyela Aththo Chief Uru Warige Vanniyela Aththo and his family members have been threatened with death by certain anti- social elements engaged in the felling of timber. A complaint has been made to the Police by the Vanniyela Aththo Chief and we urge the IGP to leave no stone unturned to apprehend the culprits.

We say this because the Vanniyela Aththo community is part of our heritage which should be protected as a national treasure. Harming them would be amount to destroying all vestiges of our rich past. The Vanniyela Aththo community which is already threatened by rapid urbanization and development should be protected at all costs and their habitat preserved from destruction and degeneration.

We are certain that President Mahinda Rajapaksa who only recently met with the Vanniyela Aththo Chief at Temple Trees would issue the necessary instructions to ensure the Vanniyela Aththo community is left alone and not harmed in any way.

As mentioned, they are a national treasure that should be left for posterity. Disturbing the tranquil lifestyles of Sri Lanka's only known aborigines while driving them to extinction would destroy the rich chapters of the country's history and heritage.