POLITICIANS OR DOGS???!!!!

Bandaranaike and dogs

Was SWRD a Prophet? This came to my mind after reading a letter by Mr. Edward Gunewardena, a highly respected police officer of yesteryear on a politician’s threat to remove the trousers of a policeman.

He quotes SWRD as having said, "I say Abeykoon, just ignore the fellows; they are worse than dogs".

Now was SWRD predicting in the 1950s what was to become a reality from the 80s onwards?

It is said that a dog is man’s best friend. The most striking feature of dog behaviour is that it is loyal to its master. It does not switch its allegiance for anything. He sticks to his original master and sometimes may even sacrifice his life defending him.

In the 1950s, in a way it should have been considered a great honour for a policeman to be called a dog. In those days, policemen were loyal to one master; the State. They even sacrificed their lives to save the people from criminals. They rarely succumbed to pressure from the underworld figures and Kassippu mudalalis.

By and large the policemen of that era were highly principled and never became putty in the hands of politicians. Their loyalty and integrity under IGPS like Richard Aluvihare, M. W. F. Abeykoon, Osmund de Silva, and others was beyond question.

To us who were teenagers, the father figure of the ‘Ralahami’ of that era looked dignified just like a well trained Alsatian. They were the watchdogs of the nation. Therefore, they should actually have been proud to be called a dog in that bygone era.

What made SWRD say that the politicians were worse than dogs? I trust it was a question of loyalty and serving one master. Even in the 1950s there were politicians of all hues who changed their loyalties.

Again with apologies to the very rare breed of honest politicians in our country, the chameleon like politicians crossover and change their loyalties and colour for massive financial gains.

Loyalty of the politician is more to the shady figures who finance their elections than to voters.

But if you consider some of the present day police personnel it is a sad story. With all due respect and apologies to the very few principled policemen ranging from the lowest ranking constable to the IGP, a good number of them do not seem to understand that they are there to act impartially and serve the public.

Mr. Gunawardena’s tone in his letter reflects his concern over the threat a policeman has come under near Parliament.

My advice to him is not to worry about such behaviour of politicians. What else could be expected of them?

L. B. Herath,
Pilimatalawa.

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