Corruption, extravagance must stop and stop now
While millions of Sri Lankans were talking, thinking and waiting amid hope and tension for Saturday’s Cricket World Cup final between Sri Lanka and India, the government quietly slipped in the shattering news that the prices of petrol, diesel and LP gas were being increased from midnight Friday. Earlier reports indicated the government would wait till the National New Year to raise fuel prices as world prices keep on soaring because of the continuing turmoil in the oil-rich Middle East.Soon after the local council elections on March 17, Petroleum Resources Minister Susil Premajayantha said the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation was incurring unbearable losses and discussions were being held with the Treasury on the extent of the price increase. Apparently the cabinet at its meeting last Wednesday decided to increase fuel prices and also to delay the announcement till Friday night in the hope that world cup enthusiasm and expectations would soften the impact.
Whatever the motives or strategy, the game is over, the World Cup lost and millions of suffering people who are struggling to find even two proper meals a day will now have to pay more for transport and hundreds of items, mainly because of the huge Rs.238 increase in the price of a 12.5 kg cylinder of LP gas. Government leaders are boasting of mega development plans to make Sri Lanka the model of Asia but for millions of people those are mere words which they cannot eat just as they can’t eat the world cup. They are helpless, powerless and voiceless. The main opposition United National Party (UNP) is still embroiled and divided by leadership battles, thus being unable to provide a credible alternative or effective leadership to the people who are weary and heavy laden.
Immediate relief must be provided to the people. Though world oil prices are beyond the control of the government, hundreds of millions of rupees could be saved if immediate steps are taken to curb rampant corruption especially among political leaders and other VIPs. Several more hundreds of millions of rupees could be saved to provide relief to the people if political leaders set the example in stopping wasteful luxury spending and their indulgence in vulgar extravagance.
Ironically the vital first step toward prosperity is austerity – a simple humble life style or ‘alpechchathavaya’ which has been a hallowed tradition in our culture and civilization for more than 2,500 years. If a modern example is needed, Mahatma Gandhi provides it in full and overflowing measure. He lived a simple life, sought no power or prestige, personal gain or glory. Yet his influence was so astounding that he became the key player in the movement that eventually toppled what Winston Churchill thought was the most powerful empire on which the sun would never set.
If our political leaders continue to indulge in an extravagant lifestyle, spending lakhs or millions of rupees on non essential events or ventures while ignoring millions of people who are struggling to survive, because of the high cost of living, then it might be a case of providing the fuel for a blazing crisis similar to what we are seeing in the Middle East where in Egypt for instance some 40 per cent of the people live below the poverty line while the ousted Mubarak Regime was a den of corruption and robbers with a family fortune estimated at a staggering US$80 billion.
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