Daily dozens of people are questioned some even detained, houses and buildings are searched making sure that there are at least three headlines on Fonseka every day on the front pages of national newspapers.

In short even if the people in this country want to look beyond the Fonseka saga the government would not let them do so.

This obsession on the former Army Commander will definitely ensure more votes for the Trophy and leave the Sri Lankan electorate a lot more disillusioned. It goes without saying that this paranoia has stunted the growth of the country as a democracy since rather than trying to get over the issue the government and agencies seem to be more keen on expanding the network to frame more and more people. And at the rate they are going ahead soon they will have half of the population questioned over alleged Fonseka connections.

One witnessed a similar situation during the war when every non-UPFA person was viewed as a LTTE sympathizer. When the government started copying beleaguered former US President George W. Bush’s declaration at joint Congress meeting “Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists” the Sri Lankans thought the end of war here would make sure we will hear less and less of Bush slogans by local politicians. Unfortunately this was not to be so. Even ten months into the war victory the government is still talking about conspirators and terrorists and chances are for them repeating the terms for the next six years or so.

While the post war rhetoric has all been for a consensus nothing tangible has been done to translate them into action. Even at yesterday’s government media briefing Minister G.L. Peiris was heard as saying that Sri Lanka has got a unique opportunity to develop the nation but what one wants to ask is ‘who has stunted that growth post-war’? By its attempts to polarize the country as ‘us’ and ‘them’ it is the UPFA which has all trump cards in hands that is acting like an ever so insecure child. It does not at all matter for the average Sri Lankan as to who form the lists of ‘us’ and ‘them’. The war is over. What the people want to see is the government delivering on the economic front and not continuing with the war politics.

Courtesy: Daily Mirror