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Information vs obsolete rhetoric

Suddenly, a number of emotionally-charged archaic terms and phrases which enjoyed some currency in political discourse decades ago, are being resurrected by some prominent opposition politicians, apparently, with the hope that they would prove political buzz words in the present. Two of these are, "patriotism" and "saving the country".

This is the rhetoric of nation state building - a political enterprise which was grossly misconceived by some of our leading politicians during the anti-colonial struggle. A structural fallout from this misconception is majoritarian democracy which, of course, led to a sense of alienation among some of our main minority communities, eventually degenerating into the ethnic conflict.

This is the era of globalisation and of the giant multinational corporation - which in the case of some poor countries, have rendered their governments redundant and superfluous. Some globe-spanning multinational corporations which operate in these cash-strapped countries, harvest annual profits which are several times greater than the national incomes of the host countries themselves. Hence the hilarity and incongruity of resorting to the language of the anti-colonial struggle to rouse mass-scale emotions. Moreover, the use of this rhetoric points to the degree to which the intelligence of the people is being devalued, by these idea-starved politicians.

So, keeping the people informed and educated on current issues is a vital task for the Government, although the people have proved to be exceedingly sharper than some of those who have taken it upon themselves to champion their causes.

Considering the enormity of this task, it is pleasing to note that some senior Ministers are already fanning out into the provinces in an effort to conscientize the people on the posers facing them.

Minister Professor G. L. Peiris is one such Minister who has seen for himself, the considerable opportunities for self-advancement which have opened-up for the people over the past 18 months of the ceasefire.

Given their capacity to outsmart some of their patronising politicians, it goes without saying - as Prof. Peiris has observed - that the people are unlikely to fall for the destructive sentiments expressed by some opposition politicians. One of these is the "tearing-up" of the ceasefire agreement.

Nevertheless, the people need to be kept informed and spoken to about current developments and issues in the peace process. Nothing, we believe, could be taken for granted on these matters. The people need to make informed choices on the options open to them. They cannot do this unless they are conscientized steadily and kept informed. This, as we said, is a prime undertaking for the Government.

It is debatable whether the State is treating this task as a priority. For, a knowledge vacuum could prove dangerous, particularly among the more impressionable sections of the public.

We are badly in need of what is called a peace constituency for the broad-basing of the peace process.

That is, a public which wholeheartedly supports peace. For this purpose, the peace message must not merely be taken to the public.

It must be systematically discussed and debated among them.

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