Irrespective of the political ideologies and portfolios, statesmen who respected the fundamentals of good governance, also had a sense of pragmatism and dignity. If not for genuine concern towards people's needs, there was at least an obligation to be sensitive to the voice of people; for such dominant individuals had to depend on the common man's mandate to retain power.

Yet, the norm has changed. Like the private radio channels that force rubbish down the ears of people, the politicians too have resorted to blabber; whether the blabbering reflects their wittiness or otherwise is another matter. Instead of becoming people's representatives who work for the public welfare, the majority has become actors in a cheap comic show; the entertainment provided by them reflects a public tragedy instead of comic relief.

No doubt, feigning ignorance is convenient. Be it a wrong estimate on the skyrocketing cost of living, boycotting of American products or even kissing elephants and boasting of an action that is a crime according to the country's law, shallow-talk by the politicians has taken up a considerable time in the main news bulletins and newspapers. Once a senseless statement is made in public, people would not expect such high heads to act wisely in troubled situations. Hence, one is saved from the trouble of making an effort to assist the people who voted them into power.

So much for representing the 'people,' and acting on their aspirations, the magnitude of their incongruities are such that the country's citizenry is compelled to accept the norm as part and parcel of the island life.

In fact, it is the public and the media who hunt for spicy stories and witty lines that have given them the helms they currently seem to be enjoying. Painting them multi-colour and blowing them out of proportion are entirely their faults.

A peep behind the curtain--their actions are well scripted to divert public attention. The government has a history of leaving the stage to its acclaimed comic actors whenever it was caught with its pants down. However, winding them like toys and sending them to the forefront instead of dealing with the burning issues head on, is a grave error coming from a politically matured government.

Thus, Mervyn Silva's proclamation that he was instrumental in chasing Poddala Jayantha from the country was good enough reason to defy him of the very publicity he seems to be getting in abundance. In a couple of prior occasions too, he was called upon to play his part when the government was struggling to get out of the A/L examination results muddle. Perhaps, people need to learn to pay little or no heed to such nonsensicalities, for it reflects how low the public has been scaled by the so-called high heads.

With a mandate they do not deserve and amount of attention they are not entitled to, we have fed them with the undue popularity they are now thriving on. No one but we are to be blamed for the stupidity of such rulers and blindly believing that they are fit enough to rule us- an ordinary citizenry that is much saner and more pragmatic than majority of the rulers. It is people who make heroes and villains. However, they do not have the supreme right to baptize pranksters as heroes nor should they be humiliating the dignified few by giving into cheap entertainment that comes with the trademark of inanity.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka