Daily News Editorial

An unfortunate incident

25 October 2016

The death of two Jaffna University students in a police shooting over the weekend is most unfortunate indeed and comes at a time moves are gathering pace at reconciliation and the healing of old wounds. President Sirisena has done the right thing by ordering a full investigation into the incident and he had given an assurance to Opposition and TNA leader R. Sampanthan of an impartial inquiry. It is still early to comment on the incident without knowing the full details of what exactly took place in the wee hours of Friday when it was reported that police on sentry duty had fired on a motorcycle ridden by one of the students with the other on the pillion when they failed to heed orders to stop.

If this was in fact the case, it amounts to precipitate action on the part of police. It was certainly an overreaction. There was no reason to act the way they did. It is not as if the North is still in the grip of terrorism to warrant such an action. The incident is certainly bound to leave a bad taste in the mouth of those striving to bring about reconciliation and forge communal harmony. Already Tamil political parties are attempting to cash in on the incident and a hartal has been planned for today in the North. The shooting will also cause further outcries from the Northern populace for a scaling down of the military presence in their midst, the incident lending validity for such a claim although the military had no hand in the matter. A team from the National Police Commission is also due to leave for Jaffna to conduct its own inquiry which in itself is a good move that may prevent any possibility of a cover up on the part of the police.

True, it may be argued that the police were well within their right to shoot at a fleeing vehicle that did not heed orders to halt. But in this instance the two youth were on a motorcycle, which unlike a motor vehicle, had no cover, with the riders having little or no chance for survival. That the bullet had hit the rider on the head tells a tale. There have been numerous instances in the South too where fleeing vehicles have come under police fire. In fact a school van, no less, was shot at when the driver failed to heed orders to halt, injuring a student. Which brings into question the whole idea of the practice in this day and age when advanced communication and technology could be used to track down errant motorists who defy police orders, without recourse to firing on a fleeing vehicle.

Be that as it may, the incident should not be allowed to mar feelings between the communities. There are already elements in the South who are defending the action of the police. Maverick politician Mervyn Silva has called into question the punitive action taken against the policemen in question. It is better to await the conclusion of the inquiries launched by the IGP before passing judgement. The action taken by the IGP to prevent a breach of the peace in Jaffna by deploying the police at sensitive spots, including the university premises, too is a welcome move since interested parties may try to exploit the situation, giving whole matter a communal twist. Religious leaders too should take steps to defuse any situation that may crop up at a time emotions are running high in Jaffna over the twin deaths.

Not again

The National Movement for Social Justice has called upon the government to avoid repeating the scenario of last year where the National Budget had to be amended many times over. NMSJ leader Prof. Sarath Wijesooriya addressing the media the other day called upon the government to avoid complications this time around and urged for a consultative process between the UNP and SLFP before preparing the budget.

Meanwhile the SLFP is planning to discuss the budget with the UNP today and a committee has already been appointed, led by Minister Susil Premajayantha, in this regard. True, the budget last year had to undergo various changes midway to accommodate certain proposals of the SLFP that were seen as populist measures. In the end the government had to forgo some of the important revenue measures incorporated in the budget. It is not the case of the budget been amended rather than including prudent budgetary measures that would stand the test for the ensuring financial year. The UNP, known for their administrative and management skills, may not want to incorporate populist measures at the expense prudent financial policies while the SLFP segment of the Unity Government may want to be seen by the electorate as promoting the cause of the public by insisting on freebies and giveaways. Therein lies the dilemma inherent in preparing a solid budget, confronting the UNP, which has to take into consideration certain stipulations by the donors, such as the IMF, on financial discipline. Hence, the SLFP would do well not to make impossible demands that may give it electoral gains but throw the budget into a tail spin placing the economy at grave risk.