By Upatissa Pethiyagoda –

The question of the adequacy of security provided by the state for members of the Legislature, has appeared from time to time. The most recent repetition has been occasioned, mainly in respect of the trimming of security details assigned to various persons, as part of a drive to reduce wasteful State expenditures, including retirees and those in service. Reproduced here is an article that appeared in “the Sunday Island” of 12 March 2023. It is broadly relevant to the current discourse.

It is strange to note how often this self-evident truth (as in the title), is ignored, at terrible cost. Language has many ways of expressing this. Words like excess, satiety, grasp, greed and gluttony are but a few. Garrulity, verbosity, verbal excess are among those less seen, while periphrasis, logorrhea and neoplasm are for the most sophisticated, yet confused.

We are all familiar with: i) “There can be too much of a good thing” ii) “Too many cooks spoil the broth” iii) ”Where words abound, seldom is much sense to be found.” iv) “Too many words and too little think:” v). “Never underestimate the power of English as a barrier to comprehension” and for a short take –vi) Peter: “What do you think of my speech?” Paul: “Sound, most certainly sound.  Peter:  And what else?” Paul: “Nothing else – merely sound.”

Political speeches are the ultimate example of speaking much, while not saying anything. My chest swells in pride, when I see how effective my mother tongue is in strangling thought in a deluge of words. Political speeches excel, and are very much in season just now. There are exceptions.

In the same spirit, written Constitutions are ‘Manna from heaven,” for less than busy lawyers, itching for clients. This can be a good well-spring.

What puzzles me is, why Judges who are themselves lawyers, require to be led by their “Brothers” (rather ‘Brothers- in-Law’) through hours of seeming legal tuition, when both have studied the same texts.

Does not one marvel at the difference between “Unitary” and “United” requiring long and labored hours, often unravelling linguistic jargon. Thus, deflecting attention away from taking up tricky issues such as whether a victim  killed himself, or was murdered by some other? Can one suffocate himself while trussed to a car seat? Can a dead driver move mysteriously, to the passenger seat?

There was this Parish Priest, known for his agonizingly long sermons. Parishioner Harry felt he had to do something about it. So, he just scrawled the single word “Fool” on his Post Card. Next Sunday, as he trembled with excitement, the priest delivers an even longer sermon, at the end of which, he holds up the Postcard for all to see. “All of us, would have at some time, received a letter, where the sender had forgotten to sign his name. Here is one that came to me, where the sender signed his name, but forgot to write his letter.”

Our political field overflows with much fluff, especially in times of elections. I was astonished to read in one of our newspapers, that no less than 80,000 contestants have filed their nominations – for some 200 odd constituencies. Some dozens of “Parties” are offering their “talents”. Just ask “why”. Chances are that soon will surface that threadbare and over- flogged, non-word “Policy” “What’s that?”, and the guy will slink away to a new chat circle. Excess is not confined to such extravagant linguistic gems.

At the first census in 1884, our population was estimated to have been 2.4 million. Today it would be around 22 million, a nearly nine- fold increase. As expected, our resources are stretched – there simply are too many of us. Clearly, some means of managing our numbers is necessary. The term “family planning”, is contentious. Except for the little guy who declared, “I am all for family planning. Take my family for instance, there are many things that could have been planned a lot better”. While recognizing the need, bogeys are raised about possible ethnic distortions.

Greater numbers will strain many sectors- food, housing, education, health, security, transport, employment and leisure, meanwhile aggravating unpleasant ills, such as alcohol and narcotic addiction and increasing domestic violence. This is an imperative matter for under-developed counties, straining for higher standards.

None would admit that they are adequately paid – salaries or business profits. Atypically, more and more seem better and better.

Large escorts and pomp, are good clues for those of criminal bent, as giveaways. It is said that a security contingent of more than 200 could not prevent a lone gunman slaying Mr Lakshman Kadirgamar, possibly the most “guarded” LTTE target, and just walking away US President John. F. Kennedy suffered a similar fate.

It took only two “security guards” to kill Mrs Indira Gandhi. Many World Leaders get by with very small numbers of well-trained and tested loyal officers. Here too, quality is considered much better than mere quantity. It is probable that up to a point numbers are useful, but after the peak, the line drops alarmingly. There must be a crucial optimum, related to the level of risk.        

At a time when the IRA guerillas were at their most active, the Conservative Convention was planned to be held in Bristol. Mrs Thatcher’s hotel room was attacked. The PM had just entered the washroom moments before the gunman fired. The bullet, it was reported, had pierced her pillow, where her head would have lain moments before. While the newspaper reporters hailed her good Luck, an IRA spokesman commented, “That’s alright, but the PM has to be lucky all the time, we need to be lucky just once.”

President Chandrika Bandaranaike’s innermost Security detail had been penetrated by a notorious underworld killer, who himself was gunned down weeks later, The President’s luck won.

Contrary to popular belief, Parliament, not so long ago doubled the numbers of Local Government members, from 4,000 to 8,000. The bigger, apparently the better. In nature too, pernicious pests increase rapidly. The more the merrier.

Secrecy about the privileges for retiring, defeated, fleeing, or self-demoting Presidents have only been grudgingly, disclosed under the provisions of the RTI Act. Allowing members of the Legislature to determine their privileges and perks, is akin to a child fixing his own stocking, for Santa to leave his presents. We pity the last holder of Presidential office, who in a moment of jocularity, remarked that, “Ranil go home” placards would be meaningless, as he now has no Home to go to.

In the matter of personal security, the larger the numbers, the greater the chance for one of evil intent to penetrate and hide. The question one must ask, is for the minimum number of well- trained security men. Quality, more than mere quantity must surely be the goal. “None” is, however clearly excessively reckless