PARLIAMENTARY ERUDITION

There has been much discussion on the need to have a more literate and well informed Membership in our Parliament. Yet when a new entrant displays her erudition, there is much nit-picking. Maybe, Mark Antony was the murderer of Julius Caesar. Even if he was charged, he was not convicted and even if he was to hang or sentenced to life imprisonment, our August Assembly is not out of bounds. So, even if Mark Antony actually stabbed Caesar, why this fuss here and now?

To me, the most memorable was Caesar’s response to the messenger sent by the Senate to coax him to the Forum: “Cannot is false, dare not falser. Tell them that “Caesar will not come” This is admirable defiance. Whether Mark Antony was there or not matters little. When Caesar said “Et tu Brute”, he clearly meant “You are a brute”.

Elder readers may recall that the fledgling SLFP government included Mr CAS. Marikkar (not the brightest star in the firmament,) as Minister (Posts?) who was seated next to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru at a dinner hosted by SWRD, as PM. During a lull, Mr M turned towards the guest and asked, by way of conversation, “Pandit Sir, what do you think of the writings of William Shakespeare?” This was overheard by SWRD, who said “Pandit, didn’t I tell you that some of my Cabinet are well-read”.

During our school days, lying was near criminal. Not so now. A memorable statement (by a not so memorable) Prime Minister, was startling “Manifestos are not to be believed. They are lies meant to just win votes.” A well put truth, by a person who at that time was also The Minister for Buddhist Affairs. So much for Musavada.

The last incumbent of the Presidency was full of contradictions. It is said that a successful liar must also have a good memory. Among his several mishaps was the “Six Feet underground” story. He now seems to have no difficulty in cozying up to his would be murderer! “I will authorize the hanging of four Drug Kingpins” was merely a hollow threat. Did he?. The pious promises made at the funeral of The Venerable Sobhita Thero, went unfulfilled.

I am reminded of an incident in Parliament at a time when honesty reigned and when even insults were elegant. Hon. Dudley Senanayake (PM) was on his feet, when an Opposition MP pointed out that Minister Phllip Gunawardene seated at the front bench was asleep. He added “Let sleeping dogs lie”. The quick response was “No. let lying dogs sleep”. As a candidate said of his electoral rival, “If he promises not to tell lies about me, I will promise not to tell the truth about him”.

We are now at a point where lies are so commonplace, that no one believes in particular, official statements. In such a situation, can one be blamed for relying more on the Social Media? The more the State tries to curb or muzzle these sources, the more credible would they become. Some lies border on the criminal. This is dangerously evident, when people suspect the official figures relating to the pandemic. As a nation, we take pride in thinking up complex “explanations” and motives for any matter. The more bizarre the theory, the more smart we seem to think we are.

In following the on-going PCOI into the disastrous Easter Bombings, one is astonished at the readiness with which high-ups in office (including the Presidency at that time), can let down their colleagues or subordinates so shamelessly. Apart from the sense of betrayal of their one-time comrades, the great damage is that it would compromise trust, confidence and simple decency. Outright lying – even about confidential matters, does not inspire confidence in official rectitude.

Among the pontifications about “Yuthukam saha Wagakeem”, uttered, whether relevant to the theme or not, the absence of the ex-President at voting time in the crucial matter of the 20th Amendment, is significant. Clearly, precept and practice are very different things. Selective action encourages feelings of triumph, at “beating the system” rather than the conviction that the inconvenience is for the common good (including to oneself).

I may have drifted far from my initial intent – which was to soothe the unfortunate transgressor who, in trying to impress erudition, merely prompted scorn.

Dr. Upatissa Pethiyagoda.