I just got an sms on my phone saying that Ranjith Madduma Bandara was sworn in by the President to the vacant position, (temporarily held by the Prime Minister) as the new Minister of Law and Order.
With no FB, his pandam karayas from Bibile and Moneragala can't flood facebook today showing pictures of themselves with him and wishing him all the very best, as is the common practice among acolytes in Sri Lanka.
I went to Moneragala for his silver anniversary of being in Parliament some years ago, and even Chamal Rajapakse attended the event, and I got talking to him after the event at the luncheon that he hosted at a hotel nearby and had the chance to briefly talk to him. I had not known him personally before, so I had no chance of knowing what kind of person he was.
He seemed to me a pretty down to earth human being, (he was in the opposition then) and was praised for his simplicity in style and work for the people of the Moneragala District, sadly one of the poorest in the Nation.
He was humble, making sure everyone had their food, with no airs and graces about him, and I hope he can calm the nerves of the frayed Muslim population by his actions and words.
He has not been in the inner circle of the PM and so he will not be perceived as a loser, by the party and the opposition and I am sure he will be able to command the respect of the Police Force, senior and junior by his gentle persuasion and manner to do the right thing by them and for the Country.
He has to run into the job now, with no time for niceties and so he has to work hard and fast to gain the confidence on both sides, and with a no nonsense attitude, show his toughness, by catching and imprisoning perpetrators the moment they are apprehended.
It is time to immediately have at least 1,000 hidden CCTV cameras to catch perpetrators in hot spots, done surreptitiously with few people in the know as to where they are, so that once a few people are caught in the act, we can see it on TV, then a second later see the man in handcuffs, and his face and demeanor and that should be sufficient to nip the race issue in the Budd! (see my previous blog entry)
He has the confidence of the Senior Police, that is ASP and above, and he has to immediately through them build the confidence of the lower ranks, who don't know him and who are initially not up to liking him, having favored Sarath Fonseka instead for the post.
All he has to do is to go to Kandy and give a pep talk to the lesser ranks who are at the front end of the riots, having to quell the Sinhala youth who have nothing to do and are brainwashed by their political masters. He can assure them that it is the Country's future that is at stake and it is up to them to protect it, by preventing unlawful activity. His Buddhist credentials are also in tact.
The Police must be assured they will be given the tools to do the job, and if anyone shirks that job of protecting the Country from law breakers, then he will show no mercy on them.
Once he can discipline this undisciplined carder, then he is on to a winner and can rest easy thereon. It is crucial to discipline the Police, as they need that so badly, and Pujitha Jayasundera's publicity seeking stunts, may require his premature retirement to show the new Minister's real power. That will be acceptable by the DIG, as there are so many of them now!
I just wish his batch mate old Anandians don't waste time and energy having a booze up to welcome him, just so they want to be photographed with him and show the cop who stops them that they are friends of the new Minister. I will never use that kind of cheap behavior for my advantage!
The ball is passed, it is a great chance to shine, and who knows you could be the PM in a few years for the next General Election campaign, if you show you changed the whole scenario to the BETTERMENT OF THE COUNTRY
Great Choice, now to see if he shows his colors soon, as in now.
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