Rationality and law and order

There is an unfortunate tendency among some sections to react irrationally to current law and order questions, particularly to those relating to unrest in local universities. This irrationality takes the form of lumping together all the seeming security issues confronting this country today and in seeing in this cluster of issues a very grave law and order crisis. In short, there is a tendency to be sensationalist in the interpretation of these matters.

We call for a rational response to these questions which touch on the national interest very closely. As we see it, there is absolutely no need to be sensationalist in the interpretation of some current developments. True, not all is well in some of our universities but this does not translate into a grave law and order crisis. Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake was quoted as saying that a JVP faction committed to armed militancy is in an endeavour to influence the undergraduate community. However, local opinion would be wrong in seeing in this statement the perception that mass social unrest is in the offing. This would amount to reading non-existent meanings into the minister's view of these developments.

It would be also grossly incorrect to see some link between the unrest in some of our universities and the possibility of the LTTE continuing to pose some security threats to Sri Lanka. It is clearly not the case that all of Sri Lanka's 'enemies' are succeeding in triggering domestic political and social unrest within her. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as a state functionary with his 'ear to the ground' is obliged to inform the country about these possibilities but he was not at all alarmist when he spoke on the subject the other day, while delivering a public lecture at the SLFI on national security and connected questions.

As the Defence Secretary explained, there is only a remote possibility of what is left of the LTTE in this country and outside posing security issues to Sri Lanka, since the Tigers have been militarily devastated. It is unfortunate, however, if a sensationalist slant is given to these observations. All that the Defence Secretary was pin pointing was the need for constant security preparedness. His pronouncements should not be misinterpreted as meaning that the LTTE is back in business.

We need to dwell awhile on these matters because national security and connected issues must be commented on with a high sense of responsibility and with the greatest rectitude in thinking. Apparently, these norms are observed more in the breach among some influential sections and we consider it incumbent on us to call attention to the potential harm irresponsible comment on these issues could bring about.

The possible threats to national security just mentioned need to be handled by the state with the greatest judiciousness, inasmuch as all those who take it on themselves to comment on these matters must to do so with a high degree of discretion and objectivity. One of the worst things these sections could do is to comment irresponsibly on these issues with a view to scoring some points against the government. While these tactics may pay off in the short term, grave harm could be done in the long run to the national interest. Besides, opinion makers should guard against taking pronouncements by state functionaries in particular, outside their relevant contexts and commenting on them.

All in all, the public interest must be placed above sectional and personal interests. We do not see how the legitimate interests of anyone could be served through the creation of an atmosphere of uncertainty and suspense in the country. The encouragement of lawlessness in the country could only give rise to destabilizing currents which in turn could lead to developments which would be to the detrimental of all.

We in Sri Lanka are not strangers to such deleterious trends.

We have seen how lawlessness has backfired on all in the past. In one such bout of chaos in the late eighties the totality of the university system collapsed. Hopefully, the lessons of history will be learnt in earnest.