We raise our hands in saluting the young people who tirelessly agitate to make the change that the country and its people deserve.
by Helasingha Bandara
Editorial Comment
Except for a small minority of the population, the majority is not heard or seen to celebrate the arrival of the new rescue team comprised the elements of the old bunch popularly known as crooks.
Is the symbolic “all 225 must go” outcry literal or metaphoric? It is metaphoric in the sense that the outcry is an overwhelming clamour for a system change. Although it is not about individuals, a change of individuals in a complete overhaul of a system is inevitable. The outcry is literal because no politician who has grown in the existing corrupt and ineffective system of governance cannot think outside the box. Some argue that not all 225 are bad. However good some of they may be, they are bound to find solutions within the existing system being unable to see, hear or think beyond. In a system change, that Sri Lanka needs, such people become redundant. The best example is the NPP who is expected to be progressive, wasted more than one hour lighting the traditional coconut oil lamp by more than one hundred people before the start of their inaugural Uva executive committee meeting. They too know nothing beyond the hackneyed and deceptive traditions.
We need an overhaul of the system, and it must be fool proof because anyone in the current political system or any future leader who has grown within Sri Lanka cannot be trusted. The system must be changed to be stable and watertight, to prevent anyone who has the potential to change for the worst from doing so. Let us take the case of Sarath Fonseka. Many people do not doubt his sincerity. However, this writer has noticed three occasions in which SF implied that he too cannot think outside the box. At one rally he said Ranil failed to get votes because his doctrine of equal treatment of people irrespective their party affiliations, lost votes for the party. He meant if their partywere to win, they must treat their party supporters favourably. This means that his thinking is not different from usual political suspects who constantly devise strategies to deceive voters. Regarding the incident when four pairs of motorcyclists in army uniforms rampaged the protesters near the parliament, he said that he vehemently condemns any harassment of uniformed people. His loyalty to the military and the thought that the military should come first blinkered him that he could not comprehend the fact that any rogue can be sent in a military uniform to commit murder and mayhem. In the third occasion he said that he is not against paying compensation for the MPs who lost their properties in the aftermath of May 9th attack on unarmed and non-violent civilians. The writer’s intention here is not to say that SF is not suitable to be given any responsibility in the governance of the country but to emphasise the need of a tight system with no loopholes for anything to go wrong. Simply, in the new system, parliamentarians should be limited to legislate. Policy implementation must be decentralised. Constitution amendment is not the be all and end all of a system change
Ranil
Most people ignorantly raised their hopes that Ranil would release the country from the trap it has fallen into. The simple logic could have been that, will a person who had not developed the country while holding office five times before, deliver in the sixth time? One high ranking doctor from the health sector said “Ranil will feed people even at the cost of the country”. An engineer said “there is no one else who can do something. He will do something”. A retired director of education said that she is not interested in politics. In a press conference a lawyer whose name I forget but would like to call him Maha Kalu Singhalaya said that Gotabhaya invited Ranil to take the post as he is the only leader in the country who has been highly regarded by international leaders. This is a sample of comments from the so-called educated elite. Maha Kaluwa has no idea about the international leaders and who they regard as a quality leader.
Ranil was one of “The Dirty Dozen” published in Oct 2021 by Sri Lanka Guardian.
6. Ranil the shameless
The forward-thinking majority of Sri Lankans booted Mahinda in 2015 for his complicity in misappropriation of public funds and the escalation of corruption and nepotism despite his claims that he, and he alone won the war and started all major development projects. Ranil’s four-and-a-half-year coalition rule delivered nothing tangible other than the squabbles between him and Sirisena. Within a year of his administration the Mahinda Sulanga began blowing with no obstruction because both Ranil and Sirisena were engaged in their personal agendas and did not pay heed to people’s expectations. Ranil should be ashamed to come back preaching new economic theories and suggesting better governance.
He has been identified with the greatest number of defeats in Sri Lanka’s electoral history that culminated in 2020, being denied his own seat. At that point and numerous times before, the humiliated Ranil announced that he would rescind his leadership and leave young people to take the party forward. Characteristically he then ended up in parliament as a chit MP. He is the epitome of shamelessness in Sri Lanka politics. Are the people complacent enough to return him to power?
He was ‘the Shameless’ then and even more so now. Sadly, people in Sri Lanka are believers in myths. Whether it is about the country or its people the spread of a myth catches wildfire instantly. Ranil is such a myth. Ranil is believed to be highly educated, an economic expert, an internationally recognised leader, and speaks English better than anyone else. The educated and intelligent Sri Lanka diaspora would know that none of the above is exactly true but are exaggerations to inflate his image in the same manner that the image of Gotabhaya was amplified.
His education was limited to Colombo University which ranks 1001+ in world university rankings. Economics has not been his subject at university level. None of the past or present Sri Lanka politicians have received international recognition except Sirima Bandaranaike for her involvement in the non-aligned movement and her role in ending the Indo-China war. Ranil has not achieved anything recognisable to be internationally recognised other than being accused of murder, deception, mismanagement and being complicit in financial misappropriations. He speaks English buthis proficiency isnot to the level that people assume. For example, in one of his speeches in Singhalese, he kept on repeating West Minister model. It is possible for someone to argue that English is not his mother tongue. Being the prime minister six times and having inherited the British system of governance he must know it is Westminster not West Minister, if he should live up to the reputation that people have falsely attributed to him.
He has come back to hold the post of the Prime Minister with one purpose that was perpetually burning in his heart. That is to occupy the big chair by hook or crook. People are disgusted with him for regularly pointing out that the country is in a dire state at present, a fact that is well-known. Has he ever said how did this happen, who is responsible for it, who should be held accountable for the catastrophe or his strategy to rectify the situation in the short and the long run?
Ranil’s skill of distorting facts is remarkable. Sadly for the country, there is no one in the opposition to see through his stealth instantly and challenge him then and there.
When he was asked whether Prasanna Ranathunga can function as a minister any more after being sentenced to imprisonment, his answer was that he was not guilty as he had appealed the decision. The real fact evaded most of those who were present. The truth is that after a court verdict that pronounced him guilty, he was a guilty criminal until otherwise proved by a higher court. In the meantime, he should be suspended from parliamentary duties. He distorted Rasamanikkam’s speech with ill intentions. Rasamanikkam tried to explain what caused the death and destruction in the aftermath of the May 9th attacks. While the whole country was burning with anger for the unimaginable difficulties that they have been put through, they had nothing left other than to agitate. When they resolved to protest democratically and peacefully, Mahinda Rajapaksha, being an unintelligent person, unleashed his goons to attack the peaceful protesters. In a dry season even a half-burnt cigarette is enough to cause a wildfire. Rasamanikkam tried to educate the MPs in the parliament not to repeat the same mistake. Ranil being the biggest distorter in the country gave an entirely different interpretation.
The only time the masses of Sri Lanka got remarkably close to establishing a people-friendly government was the current ‘struggle’ that sent Mahinda packing. Ranil will enter the annals of Sri Lanka history as the biggest betrayer of Sri Lanka people. Ranil lies like a Trojan or like a Singhalese rather, in Robert Knox’s words (“I have never seen anyone better at lying than a Sinhalese”), is a champion of deception, is cunning as a jackal, unethical like a slave master and a person with no dignity, self-respect, or self-esteem.
Wijedasa Rajapaksha
Although he was not included in my initial dirty dozen, the date of his inclusion is not far. He is a two-tongued monster who is not different from Ranil. It is still fresh in the minds of people how he wagged his tongue against the 20th amendment and finally voted in favour of it. His purpose is very similar to Ranil’s that he wanted the Justice minister post at any cost whilst justice is an alien concept to him. His enactment of the verbal combat between Gotabhaya and himself was just a shameless episode in his characteristic ascendency. This is another undignified lowly person that Sri Lanka politics can afford to dispose of.
Harin and Manusha
Have they accepted ministerial positions to rescue the country? I ask the people. Harin once said he is involved in a political game. A person who terms politics as a game is only a game player not a sincere person to work for the people. Manusha has no knowledge whatsoever that could be applied to tourism development. He does not know the worth of $100000 when he asked people to send such a sum in twelve months. How about appointing “Loke Wate Sudanthaka” who has travelled to more than 150 countries in the world and who has lived in a developed country for more than 30 years,to the post of minister of tourism? He would know better than a lowly person like Manusha how to develop the tourism industry. Many others who are from the Pohottuwa and few from other parties who have betrayed the “Struggle” deserve to suffer under a people government. We raise our hands in saluting the young people who tirelessly agitate to make the change that the country and its people deserve.
Long Live the ‘Struggle’!!
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