Terrorism in Lanka and hypocrisy of the west

Lanka is going through one of the worst times in its very long history and terrorism was unleashed on my people by many invaders, their collaborators and even those misguided outfits faithful to alien political and religious ideologies who were fed by our people during this long history. As you rightly said, our people faced a horrible situation under Tamil separatists who sought undue powers and privileges that later materialised as organised terror during the last three decades. As you know, Tamil speaking invaders have made many attempts to grab our land (that my people lived from the time we walked out of the jungle life quite contrary to alienated versions of the history) during the last two millennia and committed heinous crimes against my people, similar to those you saw during the recent terror campaign. Every time, these threats were eliminated by resorting to the kind of response they understood, though there were many failures and even futile attempts made by weaklings who became our leaders during the known history.

As you intimate in your article, the westerners have shared the same historic profile with these terrorists, and their actions speak louder than their words on their intentions. Their hypocrisy is their trademark and has used it very effectively to subjugate all kinds of nations, big and small, ably supported by the hypocrites living among these oppressed nations. Being exposed to their hypocritical nature, as you say, we need to be very tactful in handling them who happen to be also armed to the teeth as well with a proven record of unleashing barbarity against innocent and peace loving people of all sorts.

Was there any option other than military response to Terror?

Having tried all the options available to the politicians who shouldered the power gained through back-door style transfer after 1948, including disastrous recipes offered by their masters in the west, I hope you agree that lately there was no option left to pursue. Given the upper hand displayed by the Tamil separatists who decided the direction of this conflict, I believe that the latest round of separatist war that left to their defeat was of their own design. I think the newly elected leadership at the time was dragged by their legs deep into it, if said in satirical terms. So there was no other options and as famously said, politicians remained outside the decision making process of the war to the very end. If not, what would be the outcome is purely guess work, though I could say that it could have been disastrous to the current leadership who were virtually humiliated and taken for a ride by these terrorists.

Pragmatic plan adopted by Rajapaksa regime

Obviously I like to refer to a “regime” to describe what the current leadership does and am still wondering about the kind of pragmatic plans of their design though the war ended defeating terrorist leadership with different issues taking its place. Whether there were other pragmatic plans is left to those who keep track of historical significance of events. Some parts of plan in the public domain are good enough to make a judgement that there are members in this regime who are capable of making this the worst regime that we had in our country. Specifically, I note the destruction of public land and alienation that carries common ownership of our people and preserved from the time we lived in the forests, as a kind of state owned property and selling out to foreigners as bananas through BOI. It is true that the buck will rest with Rajapaksas at the end and those alien owners will be gone just like the Scots and Brits who got the land under British imperial occupation.

International community

The so-called International community that you refer to sounds more like a collection of the Rump English Empire with likeminded failed Empires. Habitually they do exactly what one would expect them to behave. This time, there is a marked difference displayed by the lack of soul mates among other nations to champion their cause though they could manage to fool many powerful nations in their previous campaigns carrying their trademark hypocrisy. Why that happened is an interesting point to note to complement my comments. Is there a seismic shift in the way the world is managed or was it an act achieved by our representatives in Geneva or UN? Only time well tell that.

Defeat of the resolution in the UNHRC & Approval of IMF loan

These were two significant victories (are these victories?) achieved by Rajapaksa regime in its ongoing campaign to develop Lanka. As you claim, the defeat of the resolution in the UNHRC was completely and definitely thwarted, thanks to the undaunted courage and rhetoric of the able diplomat that was Dayan Jayatilleke. So, who helped realised the approval of IMF loan? But, I notice that there were the same nations who stood by Lanka with the west (or International community) abstaining this time, better than last time. Is it telling something else than an individual contribution? I believe that it could be the non-negotiable interests that are held by many nations, I mean it is war if threatened kind, that were linked to the fate of Lanka, which played a major role on recent events that matter to us most. For reasons better known to me, I can tell you that our destiny will affect the whole humanity as the base civilisation that powered all the later offshoots.

Individual contributions to the nation

I can understand your high praise of the individual concerned. You claim that Dayan Jayatilleke (DJ) as a great asset to Sri Lanka and that the “Heroic” stance taken by dedicated son of the soil (DJ) brought victory to the nation. I believe that there are many others who could match him among our people. As well you go on to admire his Intellectual prominence and support his right to publicly express his “personal views” on matters of greater significance to the nation. I am an onlooker and have no direct or indirect interests in what DJ or any other person says or does, except when it affects Sinhala people or me personally. Sadly, you have not mentioned some personal views that had very important public significance, specifically those tied up with another nation, representing our neighbour, who created the monster that sapped our blood for a long time.

Having read many of the articles of DJ until recently, I did not have much interest in later writings that even lacked the ordinary standard expected of a western-educated and western-styled intellectual. When I say western educated, it is that entire illusive presentation format with all the facts and fiction that matters to the westerners most. When I say western-styled intellectual, I meant, those self-promoting erudite westerners who borrow phrases from famous and beautiful to add decorum to their own text. As an easterner, I must admit that my general feeling towards western-styled intellectuals is very different. In fact, I see such writing as something that lacks originality, reaching the margins of plagiarism, intellectually corrupt and short own individual intellect. This kind of my comment is important to my people as there are many western-style intellectuals/professionals in Lanka who practically have a very narrow field of engagement in knowledge (?), publicly trespassing on to other’s areas of expertise (?) by going against their own professional undertakings, pretending to be kind of the eastern-styled intellectual who has mastered all the fields that matter.

Given the public interests shown on removal of DJ, I believe, it is important to make a public statement by those who took such a decision on the grounds of the national interests, as it could be a more serious or dreaded reason when his recent comments are analysed with historical records in the public domain. I believe that there is nothing called “personal views” when some one utters things that affect other people under whatever circumstances. As western-styled intellectuals and professionals, I hope, many people who might read my comment are fully aware that personal things are personal and there is little room to claim excuses behind “personal views” for matters that affect the public in the west. Let me finish my comments by saying to those holding public office and canvassing public views that they will be personally responsible for their public commissions and omissions that affect the public, under do it now and pay it later politics.