Where is the Commander-in-Chief? His daily presence is missed!

Interestingly the President was last seen when he arrived to commiserate with Mr Wijedasa Rajapakshe on the 20^th morning at his Nawala home following the incident where shots were fired at the latter’s home. He was conspicuous by his absence at the opening of the Baseball field, provided with Japanese assistance in the presence of the Japanese Ambassador at the MR sports facility in the Homagama area. He was supposed to attend but sent his son instead.

The Country has suffered 50+ deaths and possibly at least a Rs1B of direct damage to property, and the usual helicopter hopping C in C is hopping about seeing to relief efforts and ordering and making statements of comfort. There has not even been ONE offer of help or even a release from the President's press spokesman of how he feels about it! Isn't that a cause for much surprise? if not speculation! So what gives.

Of course there is much speculation as to the cause, and there is no press release saying he is indisposed. Anyone would be suffering from fury at the state of the state, with all the shenanigans with regards to the CJ’s impeachment and the President’s anger, that things have NOT gone according to his original plan.

If that was not enough there is a question of his health. After all being a highly superstitious person, what with the 21^st prediction also part of it, he may be sick and or just taking a much needed break from activities, trying to re-charge his batteries for the fight in the days ahead and perhaps the beginning of the fall of the empire he has tried to so desperately create.

It is telling of leaders who try to create a legacy, fall by the same sword that they create. Just look at the legacy of President Premadasa, if one wants to look for examples of those desperate to leave things to posterity, and are now remembered for the horrendous loss of innocent young lives during his rule. At least Chandrika is remembered for doing nothing!

In a similar fashion, even if a leader does much good, he may be remembered just for the one bad thing he may or may not have been party to. In that latter respect the supposed killing of 40,000 innocents comes to mind. The problem is if there was proper accounting at the time of bodies disposed of, one could have brought this number down to a true figure, which could be in the region of 10,000. However in the insistence that not one unnecessary life was lost in the fog of war, people are now forced to believe in the larger figure in the absence of credible proof against it.

This gradual dawning that one has to pay for one’s sins in this lifetime is probably the hardest for someone to accept especially if all those around are of the opinion one is a demigod, and one suddenly realizes that to be bull!!

I presume soon there will be an awakening informing the public that the rumors of his disappearance in a white van were far too premature! More like an ambulance.