Covid-19 Pandemic & Non-implementation Of Disaster Management Act: Arrogance & Foolishness Of The Government   

By Upul Abeyrathne –JUNE 11, 2021

Prof. Upul Abeyrathne

I thought of writing this piece of public intervention in a critical time because many are reluctant to come forward to raise issues in public by critically examining the public policy content at least with regard to Covid Pandemic not to speak of betrayal of patriotism that has been used by the present regime in capturing power. It seems that present governance arrangement is heading towards authoritarian type family rule putting our live at risk amid Covid-19 disaster. I am inspired by the criticism of  academics who blindly campaigned for the incumbent president and consequent general election with their wearing at birth in social media of the foolish decisions of the government, I thought of this letter highlighting the necessity of putting the provision of Disaster Management Act of 2005 of the Sri Lanka Parliament. I think, everyone in a democracy has got a due responsibility to make government correct raising fingers at the erroneous and arrogant conduct whenever seen in the operation of government. Particularly that burden rests in the academic and professional community which are product of public spending in Sri Lanka. However, it remains even at this critical juncture of Covid-19 pandemic, those with knowhow to handle this disaster seems not coming forward to criticize the government of its foolish decisions out of calculation of personal benefits and fear psychosis among them largely emerged out of subjective political culture.

I, on my part, largely compelled by self-conscience and based on belief of responsibility as a student of political science seeking last solace if happens at my last breathing due to mismanagement of this critical illness by the government, thought of writing over the necessity of putting disaster management act into operation in full to assure transparent management of Covid prevention operation and assuring the right to life of the people through a mechanism of consensus bound decision making.

Any rational observes can realize that the government has mismanaged the disaster so far by taking arrogant decisions, not identifying proper priorities of the political agenda and giving way for a kind of disaster capitalism. This context, highlight the necessity of putting a multiparty and concerted efforts on the part of political actors to overcome this disaster. We shall not think that we do not have provisions to handle such disaster in the above manner. A plausible mechanism to face this kind of disaster has been provided through the Disaster Management Act, No. 13 of 2005. The government led by President seems to be either ignorance of the act or adamant not to put the act into operation. As student of public policy management, I want to say, if put into operation, this act could provide for efficient and effective management of the disaster by avoiding corruption, bribery and profit-making motives of the disaster capitalists that support this government wholeheartedly.  To understand the usefulness of Disaster Management act passed by our parliament in 2005 to handle this disaster, it is needed to briefly explain some aspects of foolishness and arrogance of this government.

The Danger of Covid-19 and the Arrogance and Foolishness of the Government

No doubt, the Covid-19 epidemic is the most serious humanitarian disaster that the Sri Lankans have to witness in her recent history. Covid-19 is a kind of Sannipathika Abadha according to the  teaching of the Lord Buddha, the great human beings that spread the message of Compassion across all the flora and Fauna. The Sannipathika Abadha implies disease which promptly get spread among human beings. This type of disease is spreading abruptly and jumping on to human societies due to various reasons such as weather, climate and human contact etc. and a kind of alien aspect. It is also communicable disease occurs in clusters. However, Lord Buddha did not hold to the point that these are not preventable like the illness that emerge out of Karmic Doctrine. It is preventable and curable if properly handled by the authorities of the government. It is my point of view, that the present government in Sri Lanka has been failed to prevent the disease largely due to arrogance and foolishness. Government has shown it to be foolish because It have thought that it could handle single handedly through medico military approach. The government, through  militaristic medico discourse has thought that it could prevent human interaction one another through sheer force and fear created through medical discourse disease quickly through showing the military prowess to its own creator meant for protecting their lives. Further, it seems that the government is thinking the pandemic as an opportunity to exploit the political spoils for power thirst of the ruling regime furthering its power ambition, disgraceful looked at whatever angle of normative political theory. The situation has further aggravated by the fact, the situation has opened opportunities for lumpen capitalists to gain undue profits through the disaster as exemplified by the fiasco of giving contract to import rapid antigen tool kits and importing of tourists from Ukraine, purported attempt to get involved henchmen of private sector to do vaccination and many more to name a few though such foolish notions of bio bubble which has received full backing from the officials and degenerated associations such as medical professionals. It is a conversion of capitalism to disaster capitalism wrapped in nationalist credo. These moves involve giving undue edge of profits for the entrepreneurs of who helped this regime capture power. In short, government has been failed to accrue benefits of Sri Lanka being an island nation due to profit calculation and attempts to convert disaster a venture to make profits. 

On the other hand, the government has been unable to cure the disease rapidly threatening the very lives of the innocent citizens of the country. The government at initial stages believed in the superstitious and chanting Mantra and offering locally produced medicine pots to the river goddesses, popularizing pseudo medicine of the hypocrites with the full blessing of politically significant personalities such as minister of health, Ms. Pavithradevi, Speaker of the house, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, to name a few. In other words, government has lulled the public into false complacency amidst unimaginable danger by not conducting test to diagnose patients, hiding no. of deaths and giving inaccurate statistics. The Pattramentuva of Independent Television Network revealed today that 18 out of hundred covid contacted patients are not curable though presented as satisfactory by the mediocre presenter of the new items of the daily news paper as of 03 June 2021. The government has shown its arrogance by not putting human lives as the top most item in the political agenda as exemplified by speeches powerful personalities of the government.      

The arrogance of the government, a characteristic feature leads this government not to put human life as the top most development priority. We have witnessed destroying usable roads for another 20 years and reconstructing them amidst this disaster showcasing that government is disinterest of general public and interested in some other priorities. What it indicates that government is not serious of it political agenda during a disaster. If not properly handle, this would cost human lives, public properties than the three decades long ethnic war has cost as calculated by medical and humanitarian experts. This is a point in time that the Sri Lankans have been compelled to think beyond such parochial attitudes such as ethnicity, class, caste, religion and gender etc. During my life time starting from 1970s to date, I can imagine one such incidence where in Sri Lankans were asked to cooperate besides many and varied differences. That is the Tzunami Disaster of 2004. Fortunately, at least compelled by the magnitude of the disaster, all most all of all political creeds and ideologies have united to fight against the disaster on nonpartisan and consensus bound and passed the Disaster Management act of 2005 under the necessity of working beyond partisan politics in times of disasters as experienced under the disaster caused Tsunami Tidal waves of 2004. 

The act has provided for mechanism to formulate policies and implement them wherein everyone is allowed to air his/her concern and points of view and arrive at united  decision to overcome the disaster. The act can be read as plausible future imagination of disasters. The vision and mechanism envision at that critical movement is contained in the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act, No. 13 of 2005. It is an act that must have put into practice by the government at this critical juncture of disaster.

Read More