Time for imbecilic politics to stop and along with the imbeciles removed from positions of pontification.

Since the beginning of the MR administration in 2005, subject to the successful conclusion of the hostilities, where one set of citizens of Sri Lanka massacred other citizens of Sri Lanka (on both sides) and many innocents on both sides suffered untold atrocities as casualties of the Civil War, (collateral damage) the peace has taken a direction of WAR, with everything but the use of firearms!

It is time this stops, and the people perpetuating the current status quo shown the door, and not be accommodated. Prime amongst them is the JHU, a party with no following nationally but which makes a noise, far in excess of its following, due to its successful manipulation of public opinion by the use of cunning, especially in cultivating the media to their advantage. The media similarly has given Wimal Weerawansa a similar level of unearned publicity, and I am afraid the President has also contributed to this state of affairs by tolerating his nonsense and NOT muzzling his propensity to exercise his vocal chords to rouse the rabble, instead of applying reason to the arguments. This is a product of his JVP upbringing, which he has continued to put to use within the UPFA, to the detriment of the Country.

Udaya Gamanpila has used his intellectual prowess to befuddle the public, and spewing racist dimensions, cleverly enunciated, has polarized moderates on both sides who are now seeking solutions in extremes, at the expense of the moderate majority, that has NO spokesman and who are NOT represented fairly in the political arguments, for fear of being accused of being in bed with extremism of the kind that is opposite to the argument that the JHU make.

An electorate NOT taught to use logic to solve the national problem instead use misplaced passion, and then by the use of the ballot box confound reason by voting in con artists. I point particularly to the way in which Gammanpila misused the trust placed on him, by pretending to run a clean campaign, where as it was probably the least clean of all, misusing Buddhist precepts as part of the cunning. He has yet to submit accounts as promised to show that he was just supported by Rs 100 contributors to run his Rs100M plus campaign, where half the population would have had to have contributed if that was the case.

It is this simple argument that contributes to the imbecilic politics that I refer to, as the poor, unsuspecting elector is presented with an argument that is diametrically opposed to the reality, which traps him hook line and sinker. We just need to remove this excreta if we are ever to return to an era of normalcy.           

There is an example in history of the Autocrat who prepared the future of his country – Francisco Franco of Spain. So Rajapakse can still do it!!!

I am one of those people, who values democracy, and am aghast at the way it is being manipulated and suppressed with lies and innuendo such as that practiced in Sri Lanka. The ending of a brutal Civil War has enabled the present administration to tighten its autocratic grip on power, by effectively using the win even 5 years ago to constantly remind the people when it comes nearer to an election, that they are safe from violence and so go on to score political victories at the polls, based on a clever psychological game of frightening the people!

I don’t know if the current President still understands the word legacy, and therefore does not appear to realize that if he carries on in this fashion, within a year of his demise everything that is named after him will be renamed, and his position in the history of this country will be drastically altered from the creation he has ordered. He has still the chance of regaining credibility and a better legacy, if he like Franco is able to establish the institutions of good governance and the rule of law as soon as possible, so that when he exits this stage, those after him will be bequeathed a system that is applicable to the stage that Sri Lanka is in today.     

My personal preference would be for him to abolish the 13^th and its place set up at least a truly multi cultural state reinstating the 17^th and also removing the 18^th, so we can get back to a semblance of sanity. Whatever he does there is work needed to set the stage for a less corrupt method of government, and a two thirds majority affords a once in a life time opportunity to put the record straight.

After all it is the future of Sri Lanka that we all want to assure as one where all citizens have inalienable rights, that cannot be compromised.

Everything we have mentioned here, can easily be done and at a stroke the ethnic conflict can also be tackled as part of this exercise. He can then kill two brids with the same stone and go down in history for this magnanimous gesture devoid of petty local politics. It is a unique opportunity, that only MR has, and that no other leader elected in the future will have due to the inability of a people to give such an overwhelming power to one individual.

I therefore fervently hope that the current leader has the sense to study what Franco did and why, and follow in its footsteps. For such a ruthless dictator to have his legacy as the man who bequeathed democracy to Spain, is unbelievable, and so the problem lies with the lack of vision of the people in his party to show him the way.!!!  

Janadipathi thuma illang kawa! He asked for it, didn’t he?

He got it and he is paying the price.

In the interests of the long term stability and improvement in the quality of life of Sri Lankans, whenever ANYONE jeopardizes that, I believe it is my right to give my two cents, as I do not have an ulterior motive to put anyone in their place for breaking the public trust.

I believe we have elected our leaders to safeguard the security of the Country as well as to set sound policy directions to ensure a long term growth and improved quality of life in a lasting and environmentally satisfying way. In that sense all our dealing with India especially MUST be thought out more carefully than with any other Country that we have dealings with.

Not just because of the neighborliness, or the Tamil issue, it is because we must have a clear strategy with regards to the various interactions we have in many many fields and in that sense having the BEST of relations with our potentially biggest market, is in the long term interest of Sri Lanka.

When you have small minds, like Udaya Gamanpila or Wimal Weerawansa trying to dictate the course of foreign policy by making political statements to the local gallery, and pontificating about India, it must be shown in our local press, as if some imbecilic mushrooms have spoken out of turn, only to be suppressed instantly and disappear, so that our neighbor does NOT take them seriously.

It is in this light that we must try and analyze the knee jerk pronouncements of our President which in just one day of Prime Minister Modi’s taking his oath of office proved disastrous and put the country on the defensive.

It is all very well to congratulate an incoming elected leader without hesitation, especially in a Country where democracy appeared to have worked better than any recent election in modern Sri Lanka. To ask for an immediate meeting is just stupid as it puts pressure on a new leader who would likely wish to tackle domestic policy, now being challenged to turn his attention to tiny Sri Lanka, hardly the biggest of his numerous problems to deal with.

So he took the challenge in a way that has stunned Mahinda Rajapakse. When there are two leaders with similar disposition that is what normally happens, and in this case happened with a vengeance against MR. He has not recovered from the shock and the Foreign Service is reeling from the after effects in their closed doors.

Modi came to the brief meeting with MR very well prepared, and with Sujatha Singh the outgoing Govt. foreign secretary, for continuity of the Foreign Service, he was well briefed. So when MR said that 13A needed time, Modi promptly said that it was what he had said 5 years ago, and there has NOT been one iota of progress, so that was just a delaying tactic. MR ta kata uththara na! He could only play with his balls, hoping for some heavenly guidance that was NOT forthcoming.

It now proves that the balls he has on his hands for good luck should be discarded as it is obviously a bad luck charm to him from now on.

So MODI demands 13A plus! Even I disagree with the 13^th and my plan was to quietly improve the local scene, so that we can actually discard provincial councils. Now because of MRs stupidity we will have more years of bad systems, due to the inability to solve the ethnic issue earlier, and worse be forced to adopt an unpalatable choice. This after eliminating Prabarkaran! NO way it is a worse situation to be in.

If that was not bad enough, another horrendously polluting business, namely the highly dubious and highly polluting Sampur has also been spurred, forcing MR to find out what was going on and why the delays? We don’t need any more highly polluting coal power stations anymore, especially as we MUST turn immediately towards a greener country, as the principal sales pitch for tourism and the desire for foreign investment and investors to live and work here in this beautiful isle being green and not black with soot. This MUST be scrapped, but now Modi will pressure SL to start work on in ASAP as something that has more benefits to India and their influence over us, than any real benefit for SL.

The third issue was that of the Indian Fishermen fishing in SL territorial waters, and worse using bottom fishing trawlers, that will decimate our fish supplies in the not too distant future. We have not had the back bone even to solve that problem to the benefit of Sri Lanka. You can now imagine that whatever compromise is reached it will be to India's benefit.

MR has been an utter failure on ALL these matters and Modi the simple runaway winner in this. What should we refer to a person who has so disastrously lost the plot? A traitor no less.

I am sure if he had kept quiet he could have won at least an 8 month reprieve before Modi had time to tackle the SL issue. Now there is NO time to think, and we don’t have a competent diplomatic service who can match the Indians in this game, so we are bound to be the loser, and this from DAY ONE of the Modi premiership. Shame on you Mahinda Rajapakse, your legacy as that of a traitor now guaranteed, as there is NO more proof needed.                  

Ranjith Madduma Bandara of Moneragala commemorates 25 years as an MP

In today’s Lankadeepa, Imtiaz Bakeer Macar a friend of his and a vehement opponent of the current leadership of the UNP, venerates his friend RMB. We are always in the habit of saying good things about people, and so those with flaws just exaggerate their flaws until they come crashing down in a huge glare of publicity, when their true colors finally cannot be hidden from friend and foe alike!

So it is in this vein that I wish RMB realizes that he is the single biggest reason for the disastrous performance of the UNP in Moneragala, as he is the District Leader purely out of seniority and nothing less as he is thoroughly incompetent. His deceitful tippexing of Janaka Tissakuttiarachchi, at the last general election for nomination, meant that the more popular man from Moneragala, was not elected to parliament, even though he may not be originally from there, as most politicians are from places other than their home villages. Actually RMB is only in parliament because he prevented a more competent rival from getting in. He is therefore purely and simply a fraud. So Imtiaze’s veneration is just condescension.

This fraud has been perpetuated due to the different camps and ideologies of people who don’t like a new set of people coming in, saying they are from elsewhere! After all looking at the DNA of RMB, he is also NOT from Moneragala if one goes back, far enough. So it is a bit rich for one to claim heritage of a place and prevent others, when it is all a matter of a few years here and there that one came there!!

The worst part is of RMB holding on to dear life and doing nothing, whilst preventing new and youthful usurpers to take over and take the party and the country in an upward direction. He must understand that he will not be elected to parliament except in a landslide for the UNP, and therefore he is now damaged goods, with little political legacy left, even worse he is NOT attractive to new electors of the district as he is perceived as having some of the old world mentality and ownership that does not apply in Moneragala anymore. In short spent goods!

It is time therefore to develop a new level of leadership for the district with dynamic politicians of whom there are many around, who have been stifled by his behavior and frankly a mentally retarded attitude to rivals.

Now’s the time for magnanimity. UNP can win UVA. You can play a part or be MR’s man by spoiling. It’s your choice to make, but the Country’s to suffer your selfishness. So at least now rise to the podium tomorrow at Moneragala not kill it when friend and foe alike come to the Thalatha Atukorala organized event at the Auditorium of the Moneragala Public Library where RMBs 25 yrs is celebrated. 

you can make all your foes there your friends or actually make all your remaining friends your foes. The choice is yours to make!! Do what is right for the country!        

The Judiciary ROCKS the Government – MR has LOST his way!

Ho ho ho, it looks like the beginning of the end of this blasted dictatorship and even the Chief Justice has opined against this pernicious method of the subjugation of the nation’s citizens by a cruel regime.

The Fort Magistrate ruled on Monday the 19^th that the Police used excessive force in arresting the Allied Health Science Students who were demonstrating for an extension of their degree course from 3 to 4 years as had been originally created.

To Understand the importance of this decision, that normally would be issued by a higher Appellate Court such as the Appeals Court or Supreme Court, the Magistrate would have definitely received vibes from the Chief Justice to issue a statement such as this, putting the President on notice, that the police state in which people now unquestionably live has got to stop. He has finally woken up from his slumber and is doing a Neville Smarakoon.

When JRJ appointed Neville Samarakoon as his Chief Justice, he thought he was a poodle who would do as JRJ wanted. He could not be so mistaken. Smarakoon asserted the Independence of the Judiciary by his legal rulings. This is the FIRST time since Mohan Peiris took office that such a challenge to the Regime has been issued by the judiciary of any bench. Thilina Gamage WILL NOT act on his own at his lowly level of making such a stern statement.

The statement goes on further to cast a stern order on the police NOT to bring ex-parte orders in future TO THIS COURT. (ekapakshkawa theendu denna enna apa!!!) This means that when the Police go to court to obtain an arrest warrant, there must be another party representing the alleged violator, who can express a contrary opinion, and the judge/magistrate can then weigh the merits of the two in acceding to the police request.

NO LONGER WILL THE POLICE BE ABLE TO OBTAIN A WILLY NILLY ARREST WARRANT JUST BECAUSE GOTA BARKS THE ORDER

The Sri Lankan Judiciary is licking their lips, happy that the CJ has finally turned independent, and willing to challenge the regime, and thereby its unlawful actions. For the sake of all Sri Lankans and Justitia, Lady Justice herself, I just hope that it is true!  She represents the fair and equal administration of the law, without corruption, avarice, prejudice and favor. Mohan Peiris you still have time to redeem yourself of all allegations, and be a defender of the weight of your office. 

How ironic the President’s words were yesterday? They apply to him more than anyone else!

It is my belief that someone who continues to be divisive, and 5 years after eviscerating the LTTE terrorists from this land, still talks of peace, is himself complicit in the lack of peace, and hence a traitor to his country.

One cannot get a Patriot moniker by merely defeating a bunch of uncivilized terrorists, whilst continuing in the same path of un-civility! History will be the judge, but it is better for us to understand the destructive action of the present regime and try to change course, than try to overturn the consequences of this treachery.

It was therefore incredibly banal to say………. “He emphasized that the attempt to encourage terrorism is the biggest injustice that could be done to the Tamil community and the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) is the best mean to discover solutions when comes to national issues.”

One encourages terrorism only when one does not address the core issues that resulted in terrorism in the first place. In that the President is more guilty than the Diaspora. Though the latter MUST share blame.

It is however completely in the hands of such a powerful President to be magnanimous in victory, to take steps to ensure that terrorism does not raise its ugly head ever again. He has NOT dealt this hand fairly resulting in this treachery that I keep alluding to. There has never been a President of Sri Lanka with so much power, and who could really end this impasse. That is the reason he must take the blame for his patronizing attitude and lack of initiatives to solve the ethnic issue once and for all. We have such a glorious chance to put this behind us and go forward, but we appear to have blown it fair and square. 

There are NO second chances, and take it from me that there will never in future be a leader of Sri Lanka as powerful as Mahinda Rajapakse. So it is him who is destroying his legacy singlehandedly, and taking the Country down with it.

All the political acumen he has used to win a terrorist war, is not sufficient to win a lasting peace and therein lies his failure, his downfall and his inevitable place in history as one who squandered a world beating chance to make it to the world’s greats by being petty, insecure, and simple minded. NO media savvy, no people’s darling, and no amount of sycophancy, will remove that tag of an utter failure, when history is re-written once the history writer is no more.  

Lest we forget - 5 years on

In a few hours this morning, the convoys of vehicles carrying VVIPs at a huge cost to the State, Diplomats and senior Servicemen will be streaming down the Southern Highway to Matara, for the 5^th Anniversary (they call it celebrations) of the “Victory against Terrorism”. Actually it was a victory in a Civil War where one set of citizens conquered another set of citizens who held a different viewpoint, namely secession from the Center.

We seemed to have missed the plot a little on this, as we keep calling it a war, which in its true sense it is not. It was in fact little different to the JVP uprising, where another set of citizens took up arms against the Center again, and were also cruelly put down, no differently than the former, where atrocities were committed by both sides, and one side wishes to fool us into believing they were always committed by the vanquished. The LTTE uprising against the state was more organized as it was well funded from overseas, and far more organized in scale.

Should we now after 5 years make it a remembrance event for all those who lost their lives in this conflict, giving a pledge as leaders who attend, that they will never let it recur? If the latter is what happens, then there is a greater likelihood of reconciliation and a true end to future possibilities of their recurrence. After all that is what is most important after a war, so that it will NOT happen again.

If we learn anything from the First World War, it is NOT to punish the vanquished to an extent that creates resentment and finally a rebirth of rebellion. We don’t seem to have learned from it, and 5 years on, the resentment HAS not diminished.

The reason for this is that you cannot buy contentment. It must be apparent by deeds. We have done nothing, bar physical and infrastructural improvements to show that the reasons for the conflict in the first place have been neutralized. In that respect, the past 5 years have been an utter failure in diplomacy, both within and without, and the GOSL solely responsible for it.

If one takes the results of the Northern Provincial Council elections, it is apparent from the result, that the overwhelming majority there voted for the party that still espouses separatism, whether we like it or not, and which keeps this light burning, emboldened by the Tamil Diaspora, especially in the Western nations, where for electoral or other reasons, the host nations tolerate a level of insubordination, which if it was done here would definitely be treasonable. It is time the GOSL wakes up to this reality, and NOT be the cause of a future enforced bifurcation. 

I hope this insensitivity can stop, the ruling elite's jingoism, set aside, and a whole country of a multitude of people from different bloodlines live in harmony. Let us turn this into a memorial for those who suffered from all our internal conflicts, and continue to suffer, in a make believe land where today ONLY the sycophants and their patrons benefit at the expense of the rest of the Country.

ONLY then can we truly build a country where this rebellion begat from want will never arise!