Sinhalese New
Year in Sri Lanka is a festival time. In traditional Sri Lankan harvesting we
have two periods. The month April is the end of the first season. The Sinhalese
New Year begins after the first harvesting and farmers, most cases we are
having much relaxing time over the hard working in the paddy fields.
This New Year
no longer practicing in Sri Lanka. Most of new generation did not wanted to end
up become farmers. But still we do celebrate New Year at some extent. In our
school days we had our vacation on April,
The New Year
season is the time for most Sri Lankan get drunk. Also in the villages there
are some places for gambling. Children play dice. Gambling or playing dice for
money is illegal in Sri Lanka without obtaining a permit. Not only play even
encouraging is in legal term is breaking a civil law. We have to accept it.When
I was about the age of 10 for the New Year time I was at my grandparent’s
village. As children we did play dice. Not for money but for fun
Among us
there was very talkative village boy actually now I have forgotten his name,
but I do remember the incident. We were all less than ten years old. While we
were playing dice there was cop walking on the street. It a small lane more
like a foot path unfortunately this cop
was going to see his girlfriend or mistress .We had some coins in our hand
hardly the total amount will be over 10 SLR.(140 SLR=1 $).
The cop came
to us and asked what we were doing .That talkative boy said something very
funny I can’t remember words but it was very innocent few words. Still I
remember the next moment the cop hit that little boy’s cheek very strongly. The
little fellow fallen to the ground. The satisfied police cop proudly said you
guys can’t make fool over a cop.I still remember his victorious voice after
beating to this little boy. This is my first experience of Sri Lankan police violence.
But still I do remember it as yesterday, not because that I have a good memory.
It is because of the of traumatic experienced I faced. This actually happen
over 20 years. As a child I was scared to tell this at home, but by the time I
go home my mother knew the entire story. She was very selfish and did not try
to help that poor boy. She scolded me badly because she thought I was at the
wrong place at wrong time. And she made me promise that I’ll never go such
place in future and never even think of gambling play dice.
But I could
not keep the entire promise; I have been to place such as casinos as an adult,
but so far never did gambling. But in a way our whole life is gambling, some
win some loose. Well it is my own idea. May be I’m wrong.
But again the
violence behaviors of Sri Lankan police I have experienced in my higher
education period. Even parents’ generation then we and in future our children
will be always victims of pathetic violence of police. But it should not be the same way or we
should not let it.I was high school student when I faced to tear gas in
Nugegoda town. After school I had extra class .When I was coming back I got in
to political meeting and police treated with tear gas. Then they started beating
with their wooden club. We can hate police, but if we are smart enough we
should hate those who gave the orders.
Well we
simply blame to the police of their behaviors. The police are the most hatred
government department in Sri Lanka. We
blame for traffic police claiming they are asking bribes, we blame to the crime
police because they always producing false suspects without proper
investigation. Even the environmental police we blame that they are trying to
over manipulate our lives .I’ll share my own experience about two years ago I
was with my boyfriend in a car at a public place. Obviously we were not making
out like ex Chief Justice , we were only talking. Both of us were after evening
jogging and sweating we did not wanted to drive like this and we waited. Suddenly there was a cop appeared and said
they have recorded everything what we did and in a really disgusting way he was
trying to explain his capacity of punishment. The police do not have power of
punishment it s only a court matter, but in Sri Lanka police willing it punish
people as well. The have a nice word for it.The use of “minimum power”
The Sri Lankan police enjoy the use of minimum power even to the disabled people.
That day us
knew what we did and we argued by staying in a car is not a cause of producing
us to the court. Later that cop went away saying he will bring CCTV records and
do necessary action but still he did not return. That day we were able to win
over a police but I’m pretty sure in if we meet the same cop again he will use
his “minimum power”.
The term
“minimum power” in legal term not clearly defined, but as per the police media
spokesman minimum power is the “required power” to control the
situation.situation. According to him they can shoot civilians to control the situation and
they did in many times.
But most
cases they use their minimum required power to the people who were running backward
after receiving tear gas and water cannon. Minimum power
As students
we always had hot tempered blood while we were protesting ,but students never
had rubber bullets or tear gas. But they were the victims of minimum power of
the police.
Well this is
not only Sri Lankan problem. I saw in you tube in USA a white police man
beating to black girl in their garden. The Black youths were having a party.
The only difference in Sri Lanka is our police beating their own people without
being raciest. At least we can be happy at some point. Sri Lankan police are
not raciest………?
