Removal of Mervin and sentencing of the General Coincidence!

by Helasingha Bandara

(August 17, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) I have been concentrating on detaching myself from Sri Lanka affairs for the knowledge that it is futile to attempt to educate the cursed people and even worse to attempt to save the dignity of a country that has chosen the path of degeneration. Ingratitude, injustice, insincerity and insensitivity of the Rajapaksha brothers debilitate my resistance not to react. The eventual outcome is the waste of my valuable time on this article that would be tomorrow’s news but waste paper the day after.

Even though Mervin deserves worse than the sacking from his ministerial position the ruling should be appreciated only if it is a genuine decision. “Something is better than nothing”. The surprising element in this saga is that there are still people to agitate against his removal. The medieval ruling style of Mervin Silva and his arrogant personality should have been rejected by all. The cursed system has changed the nation into a herd of undignified and imbecilic slaves who do not have any sense of respect, pride or dignity. They can do anything for a perk.

Mervin is confident that he will be back with a similar or even better position. I believe him. Is this then a tactic of diverting attention until the General is done with? Has the government slipped in the sentence of the General while the country (at least some people who can think) is feasting on the removal of Mervin? Is this to show that justice is done regardless of the perpetrator, friend or foe?

Admissibly the General is a foul mouthed, hot tempered and politically ill advised individual. This does not change the fact that he was a highly skilled military commander who was instrumental in defeating the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world. This was considered merely impossible at one time. The General repeatedly said that the task of defeating the LTTE was not impossible provided the army is cleansed of the corrupt officers. He removed some officers and disciplined others to achieve his goal for the benefit of all people who craved for peace. Ironically the very same or at least some of the same fraudsters have now been empowered to pass a sentence upon him. The stripping him of his titles, as he himself put, is a clownish gesture. All Sri Lankans irrespective of party affiliations will always call him the ‘General’ whether he is still a general on books or not. Like any other moronic acts of this government, of which examples are many, this is a bad precedence.

At the moment the concept of losing power is not even in the orbit of the Rajapaksha dynasty. They seem to believe that they have got a firm grip on power for a few generations to come. History has many examples to the contrary. Anything can happen tomorrow. Even the UNP under a good leadership can spring back to power. Who knows how DNA may turn up in the future? Rajapakshas are putting the noose around their own necks by setting a bad precedence. If a power change happens for any reason will Gothabaya not be tried for the abuse of power in the same vain as the trials of the General? One hypothesis is that if the head of the family dies of natural causes, there will be many stakeholders in the close circle to claim the throne. That itself would be enough reason for a split to happen. Another is that the people who are taken for a ride may realize that they have been ridden on the garden path. Who knows! Nothing is guaranteed.

In a world dominated by the impermanency of everything, relying on the political stability of one party is far too short sighted. The Rajapakshas had the best opportunity to come close to the ancient kings and revive the ancient glory. Instead, so far they have been concentrating on petty grudges and destroying the opponents. It still remains to be seen whether there will be a change in the thought process to begin to believe in the Dhamma of ‘forget and forgive’? Nelson Mandela set the best example of ‘forget and forgive’. Long live Mandela!