THE A TEAM OF PEOPLE POWER: The Cabinet, including the President, of 22 good honest men and women

All the President’s men and women

Addressing the newly sworn in Cabinet on Monday at the Presidential Secretariat, President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka said: “The key point is that this power comes with responsibilities. I believe that no matter what form of power is created for us through the Constitution, regulations, or other mechanisms, we must exercise it with accountability. We are accountable to the people and to our movement.”

He told his ministers, most of whom were new not only to the cabinet but to Parliament as well, that he believes that compared to an ordinary citizen, a Member of Parliament, and even more so, a Cabinet Minister, has a greater responsibility. “This is something you all must understand. You are aware of the boundaries and limitations of your power. You know your responsibilities and commitments, and I trust that you will safeguard them.”

He warned: “Power generates more power, expands its influence, and continues to grow. However, history has shown, and some argue, that power is corrupt where unlimited power leads to unlimited corruption. This is true. Power can corrupt, and absolute power can corrupt absolutely, as has been proven repeatedly.”

This was, indeed, sound advice, coming from the President who himself had been in Parliament for nearly two decades and knew well its pitfalls and deceptive trapdoors, to newcomers who may otherwise suffer giddiness from the dizzy heights of power, and run amok if let loose in the parliamentary compound without a political health hazard warning.

On Thursday when the President arrived to ceremonially open the First Session of the Tenth Parliament, there was no ceremony involved. There was no military guard of honour to ceremonially salute his arrival when he came in a solitary car nor did a bevy of girls line up the entrance to the parliamentary chamber to recite the traditional ‘Jaya Mangala Gatha’ to invoke on the President and Parliament, the blessings of the Triple Gem.  Shorn of fanfare, the inaugural session of the Tenth Parliament was opened without further ado, in keeping, perhaps, with the system change promised.

Within the parliamentary chamber, the President delivered the traditional throne speech, declaring, in his policy statement, that there will be a salary increase in the budget in March next year. After Opposition leader Sajith had given the traditional reply, the President adjourned Parliament till December 3.

Except for a slight hiccup burped by a new independent arriviste from the northern peninsular, who, perhaps, agog with the majesty of his new found surroundings, had usurped the seat that’s traditionally reserved for the Opposition leader, and pedantically refused to budge from it, despite parliamentary staff politely requesting him to do so, it was a smooth and auspicious start to the JVP-dominated 10th parliament of Sri Lanka.

The long and arduous journey he had begun on the legal road, each of the forty milestones, an affidavit to his relentless quest to achieve justice to all who sought his sword, took a well earned breather when Shammil, with sword sheathed by his fellow travellers’ injunction, relaxed to share, with an intimate gathering of close friends and colleagues, why he dedicated all the joys of his legal profession to God and God alone.

SHAMMIL PERERA PC: Celebrates day of double significance

No top silks in the legal firmament and none in the judiciary adorned the proceedings. They had been specifically ruled out of this celebratory sitting, lest their presence may give offence to others who were not. In Shammil’s typical thoughtful manner, he had held that this was neither the time nor clime for the distinguished to grace by their exalted presence. At this intimate gathering of friends, each one, whatever the rank but held in fondest esteem, brought oneself and brought the best dish.

If there was one exception to this cardinal rule, it was found in the presence of a leading light in the ecclesiastical field, the Archbishop of Colombo, Malcom Cardinal Ranjith, who, despite his busy schedule, had insisted upon gracing the table of the man who had won earthly justice in a manmade court for the grieving families of those who died and for those who had been maimed in Easter Sunday’s tragedy.

A hush fell to drown the jurors’ chatter when two witnesses took their turns to deliver their testaments on the unblemished character of the modest and unpretentious host but when a third witness of kindred blood followed soon after to testify on the dais, the marvel grew as he revealed, the simple and austere lifestyle his celebrated brother led.

Reomal, the third – next to Shammil – in a family of four sons, who had specially flown from his adopted Irish shores – as had the eldest brother Sheran flown from his British abode – to attend the gala event, gave, in the course of his splendid and witty speech, the inside account of the man behind the legal mask.

He said: “Many of you know Shammil the lawyer, but to me, he is three remarkable individuals in one.”

“First, he is a man of faith. His motto, ‘For God, the joy of my profession,’ isn’t just words; it’s a philosophy he lives by. Time and again, he has made difficult decisions to stay true to his faith, sacrificing comfort for the sake of integrity. The good book says, ‘He that honours God, God will honour him.’

“Second, he is a man of service to the church. He works tirelessly for causes like the Easter Sunday Commission, often burning the midnight oil for no financial gain. I used to question why he put in so much effort without even “a sausage” in return (as I like to say). Then I met some of the victims of the attacks, and I remember crying with them during a Mass at St. Peter’s. In those moments, I understood. Through his work, Shammil secured over Rs. 300 million in compensation for those victims. Lord Buddha said, ‘When you light someone’s path, it lights up your own.’

“Finally, he is a man of the law whose commitment to justice, fairness, and truth has earned him the respect of his peers”.

After Reomal’s glorious tribute to his brother, it was the turn of the reticent host to take the stand and address the jury. What they heard to their amazement was not a glorified account of how he had crossed swords with masters and triumphed many a battle in court but a short and simple revelation of his solitary journey on the spiritual path

Fighting against his own anathema to speak about himself, he broke his silence and said:

“Throughout my legal career, my motto has always been ‘to God the joy of my profession’. For it is to him I owe my success in the legal arena. My late father has always told his four sons, ‘the seeds of learning are bitter but the fruit is sweet’. I am only now discovering how sweet it really is.

“My late mother, ‘my forever friend’ has been the rock on which I ‘built my throne on earth’. To both of them I owe my eternal gratitude. ‘As children we sought their advice and guidance to help us find happiness in life, and as adults we found happiness in sharing their understanding and their love.”

After paying gratitude to the late Mr. Gabriel Sethukavaler, President’s Counsel, who had guided him in his formative years in the legal profession, he thanked his juniors for staying the course and sharing with him, the trials and tribulations of a legal practice.

He ended his speech by referring to his Josephian friends present amongst the guests, and recalled how in younger days, they had all thought he was destined to be a priest. “It was my mother’s dearest wish,” he said, “to see me as a priest”.

It may have been his mother’s wish to see him frocked in priestly garb but God, in his own mysterious way, enrobed him in wig and gown and led him on a legal path to strike a blow for justice in a temporal court, and thereby serve Him best.

Finally, what the milestones of success achieved, and the laurels received from peers has meant to him, has been expressed by him in the following profound words, profound words that make him one worthy of emulation by all those who gain transient glory on earth:

“I am deeply conscious of the fact that one day in the not-too-distant future I will be called to the great beyond. It would not matter then how much money I amassed or how many cases I won. All that would matter then is how I have lived my life on earth. To that end, human as I am and prone to human weakness, I depend on the mercy of God. So help me God.”