Fifty reasons why RanilW led UNP would be trounced at this election.
Posted on April 7th, 2010
Herold Leelawardena
1)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW does not value that over seventy percent of the electorate is Sinhala Buddhist.
2)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW does not know when to support the government and when to oppose it.
3)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW does not know that the tactics of coming to power with minority votes as the deciding factor are gone for good.
4)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW does not know how to address to the mind-set of Sinhala Buddhists.
5)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW does not understand history of Sri Lanka and that of the Sinhala Buddhists.
6)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW alienates Sinhala Buddhists by deliberately degrading prominent Buddhist monks.
7)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sinhala Buddhists believe that RanilW is an agent of the so-called International Community, NGOs, and Christian Evangelists that supported LTTE for the last thirty years.
8)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sinhala Buddhists believe; RanilW is the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”evangelical hit manƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of the neo-colonists.
9)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sinhala Buddhists believe RanilW had given a freehand to NGOs, INGOs and Christian Evangelists to do what they want when he was Prime Minister in 2001.
10)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sinhala Buddhists believe RanilW wanted to make Sri Lanka a wassail state of the neo-colonists.
11)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilWƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s UNP has become a honey comb for SLFP discards and anti-nationals.
12)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ UNP supporters realized RanilW introduced Fonseka as his proxy to avoid defeat at the Presidential election.
13)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ By now everyone realized that Machiavellian tactic of RanilW to capture power is failing miserably.
14)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ By now everyone realized that RanilWƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s furor and the cry for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Abolish the PresidencyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ is a ruse and has withered to be a catch phrase.
15)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilWƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s economic policies have been similar to that of the failed policies of Bush.
16)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Only the well-to-do Sri Lankans trust RanilWƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s economic policies are good for the country.
17)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Many UNP MPs believe RanilW is a failure and his UNP cannot be marketed for a win.
18)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The alliance that RanilW had cobbled together had gone for a tail spin without the General.
19)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Almost all UNP supporters believe RanilW is an unlucky man because he couldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t win the Presidency in 2005 even with all that hullabaloo.
20)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Many UNP supporters will not vote at this election because they are ashamed to be identified with a looser.
21)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Many a vote for UNP in Colombo district will not mark a preference for RanilW this time because they do not want him to be their leader.
22)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Village level party supporters of UNP are so dishearten of RanilW, they have not even organized local party offices this time as they did in 2005.
23)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Many a Robber baron has realized RanilW is an unlikely winner this time; hence, they have not funded the UNP election campaign.
24)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Not many Sinhala Buddhist UNPers want RanilW as Prime Minister and Mangala as his deputy.
25)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Many an UNPer hoped the General would win the Presidency and become the leader of UNP.
26)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When the General refused to play the second fiddle to RanilW at the parliamentary election, UNPers had lost their vigor.
27)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sinhalese, the majority community in Sri Lanka believes; RanilW do not possess a nationalistic mind-set to be their national leader.
28)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Most Sinhalese think; RanilWƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s invitation to Portuguese (murderers of Sinhala Buddhist during their colonial times) to celebrate five centuries of their arrival in Sri Lanka is a proof of his insensitivity to national sentiments.
29)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Most Sinhala Buddhists believe; like his father, RanilW has been adopting a pro Christian posture throughout his life.
30)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Most Sinhala Buddhists believe RanilW has been working in tandem with NGOs, INGOs, Evangelists of the Christian Ecumenical church and the so called international community to safeguard the interests of neo-colonials.
31)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Like of Sirilal Lakthilaka couldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t win a Provincial Council seat means NGO cohorts are an anathema to Sinhala Buddhist voter.
32)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The more RanilW hang on to NGO and Christian Evangelist cliques the more he alienates Sinhala Buddhists.
33)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW had never understood that Sinhalese wanted ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”peaceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ by annihilating LTTE and not by a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”peaceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ through a treaty.
34)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW had never appreciated the fact that the desire of Sinhalese is to retain an ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”EksathƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ country meaning ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”UnitaryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ state.
35)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW believes; both ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”EksathƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”EksesathƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ bear the same meaning ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”federalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.
36)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW tried to mislead Sinhalese on the words ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”EksathƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”EksesathƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.
37)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW has been a firm believer of a federal state with an asymmetric devolution to a combined North East to end the Tamil demand for separation.
38)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW had established his peace treaty with LTTE as a launching pad for federal Sri Lanka.
39)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ All most all Sinhalese believe that RanilWƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s peace treaty with LTTE had strengthened its military capacity and would have divided Sri Lanka, if allowed to continue.
40)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW do not understand that Sinhalese are vehemently against federal and the merger of Northern and Eastern provinces as they believe it is a step towards anarchy and separation.
41)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW will realize that neither LTTE nor the Tamils would settle for anything but a separate country.
42)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sinhalese knew all along that LTTE wanted a separate country straightaway but ordinary Tamils want it by stages.
43)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Majority Sinhalese cannot forget RanilW and his cohorts had made sarcastic comments to degrade military triumphs while the war against LTTE was in progress.
44)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LTTE sympathizes may vote for RanilW because RanilW would negotiate with Tamil Diaspora and allow LTTE remnant to regroup.
45)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Traditional Sinhala Buddhists villager that votes UNP tend to think RanilW is not a patriot.
46)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Many a Sinhalese is not amused of RanilWƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s evangelical knowledge of Sri Lankan history.
47)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sinhala Buddhists think RanilW a Buddhist as much as Muslims think Barak Husain Obama is a Muslim.
48)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilW has lost his standing as a Sinhala leader and he will never ever regain it.
49)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Most of RanilWƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s inner circle is anti Buddhist.
50)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When RanilWƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s anti-Buddhist standing disseminates to the core of the UNP more and more Buddhist UNPers would abandon it.
April 7th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
Ranil has no place in Sri Lankan Politics. He has even been able to drag down the once powerful UNP Party to the rock bottom. All the prominent UNPer’s are with the Government. This is because the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government has been able to deliver the goods. They kept their promises. The Rajapaksa family are great and Patriotic people who love their country and will not betray it to foreigners for political power. It is time that Ranil bid goodbye to politics and left the shores of Sri Lanka for good, giving a chance for the UNP to regain it’s lost position, this time in the opposition.
The writer should remember that as our great President says, Sri Lanka has no minorities. All are equal. This is a great policy and he cannot fail if he follows it. Give equal rights to all citizens and make them all feel wanted and part of the Sri Lankan community. Then they will all join together for the prosperity of the motherland. The writer should drop the part about buddhism even though they are in the majority. I am a Christian, but a Sri Lankan first. I come from a Sinhalese family and my grandparents were Buddhists. Religion and Nationality should not be connected. The moment you talk about Buddhists, you start divisive politics. This is what Ranil did and see where it got him.
Religion is a personal matter and should be left to each individual to follow. Do not bring it to the forefront. I agree that our Sri Lankan culture is based on Buddhism and I respect that view. Do not thrust your belief’s on others.
April 7th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Thank you for your prompt response. I agree with most of what you have said. I am not a bigot or racist nor have I ever promoted apartheid policies. I believe people should have equal rights. Indeed there should be one law for everyone.
Having said that your suggestion to drop the words ‘Buddhist’ and ‘Sinhala Buddhist’ from my writing is unethical if not rude. Let me ask this question; do the indigenous Malaysians not they use ‘Malay’ and ‘Muslim’ as a key words for every thing in Peninsula Malaysia. Have they not imposed Malaysia as a Muslim country. Yet, they are 60% of the population.
If you read The Sunday times feature write ups during 2001-2004, you would see how writer after writer of the anti nationals clique (NGOs etc) had degraded Buddhism directly. So much so, evangelists that were riding high on proselytizing by bribe at the time castigated Buddhism as an evil religion that suppresses the rights of the minority.
You should recall how Kothalawala, Maharaja and company cast Mahinda as a war monger in full page ads and 24 hour blasting through radio ads during 2005 Presidential elections. Not surprisingly, Kothalawala became an ‘ardent’ supporter of Mahinda. We all know why, now. If ‘Sinhala Buddhists’ were divided Mahinda would never be the President in the first place. Even at his re-election just see to whom Christians had voted in Negambo. Try to remember where Rev.Dulip Chikera, Rayappu Jeseph and many a Colombian Christian stood at the crucial time of war. If not for the JHU and the Weerawansa fraction, Piripaharan and LTTE suicide bombers would be bombing our buses and trains and public places even today.
As you say “Religion is a personal matter and should be left to each individual to follow.” But that wasn’t how it was done during the five hundred or so years of colonial era. ‘Jubilee memorials of the Wesleyan Mission South of Ceylon 1814-1864’ published in Ceylon in 1864, plainly spelled out their resolve: “… were convinced that it was the intention of the missionaries to destroy Buddhism and place Christianity in its stead.”
An eminent professor and a historian Tennakoon Wimalananda points out from his book; ‘Buddhism in Ceylon under the Christian powers’ that all colonial governments in Sri Lanka had promoted apostasy. With ample statistics, it shows how Christian education was uplifted with lavish subsides while Buddhist Pirivena monasteries were deprived of it. It also pointed out; the manner that evangelists coerce the British rulers to withdraw all subsidies due to Buddhist monasteries under submission agreement with the sole aim of ruining Sinhale culture.
Are you saying our children should drop reading such books in the name of national harmony. Indeed, some tried to fulfill that Wesleyan aim in a new way. It is they that removed history out of school curriculum. Mr.Siri, you have the right to profess any religion you like. But to preserve the rights of the minority the majority must be united and prosper. And for Buddhists or Sinhala Buddhists and their culture to prosper we must talk about it. That is not divisive politics.
April 7th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Good Show Harrold. Please keep going.
April 8th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
People like Siri (Moda Sinhalayas) are sometimes more dangerous than the LTTE. They are so scared and don’t want to mention the rights of the Sinhalese and Buddhists. Buddhism is Sri Lanka’s state religion, even the British acknowledged it. We can’t turn back on this now. Harold is spot on pointing out how Mahathir in Malaysia brought in affirmative action to safeguard the Malays. It is thanks to our Modayas, not necessarily the Tamil Separatists, that we will lose our culture, religion and the country.
April 8th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Sita; I appreciate your attention to the concerns and the interests of the Sinhala Buddhist. I believe more and more Sinhala Buddhists are beginning to accept your point of view. Otherwise, Mahinda Rajapakse would not have being the President of this country in the first place. Needless to say; had not become the President this country would not be a ‘one county’ by now.
Funny thing is; whenever we talk about the rights of the Sinhala Buddhists, our detractors interpret as as we are against the minorities and point their fingers at us as racists. If we try to analyse their behavior logically they call us bigots. How wrong they are; we only know it.
April 9th, 2010 at 1:03 am
Dear Leelawardena, I appreciate your responses to feedbacks and you would bear with me. I am looking for some clarifications though I not only agree with you, but go beyond what you said to call some Sinhala speakers as bogus Sinhala. Can you tell me what is the difference between Sinhala and Sinhala Buddhist since you seem to clearly identify yourself with the word Sinhala Buddhist. Essentially, the unique characteristic of a person believing in a religion (or whatever ideology, e.g. JVP) is the following of another individual who may even promote a set of values associated with another community. I am trying to be Sinhala and have seen those believing in such ideologies as diminishing the character of Sinhala people. I have personally intervened to challenge some high fliers who tried to use Sinhala as a front to their own advantage. Do you think that it is degrading to use Sinhala to complement essentially alien beliefs? Is your first name, an adopted version to suit western life or the original one given by your parents? In fact, one of the reasons for visiting this website is to understand why there are people standing on behalf of Sinhala people even after a life time living with English.
Note to Sita:
Sita, I have seen many comments like yours at ordinary websites such as http://www.dailyreflector.lk, that I visited a long time ago. Since you insisted on not spoiling another article with CORRECT facts, I did not bother to even read it, though I saw the last part about a dream, which should remain a dream. If I own my house, I call it my house. Obviously It is my house and I do not have to share ownership with my neighbours or visitors. Isn’t it? Strangely, your conduct sounds like one of my ex-bosses, a De Silva, who had his own version of Sinhalaness, trimmed and mixed to suit individual circumstances. I happened to claim that I was not even Sinhala when that person insisted on claiming Sinhala identity to people coming from a few other ethnic groups. But you are the only one who used the word Modaya three times to identify with Sinhala at this web site, sadly degrading the quality of people coming to this web site. In fact, if you continue using such low remarks, I find it hard to consider this site as credible (as ultimately it reflects the web owners – No such insults to Sinhala people were allowed ever before your comments) though I do not expect much from you. Obviously I would not miss much, though I am a sort of a messenger doing the last round. Your conduct reminds me the true character of the original Sita who tried to have too many options of life and another person called Kuweni. I know that one single person can do so much damage to a community. I hope you have some respect at least to your English masters to have some manners when typing your comments in English media because the style reflects the persona. Sinhala are those who believe in Sinhala values, language and way of life, not pretenders or those with divided loyalties.
April 9th, 2010 at 6:55 pm
First; let me thank you for putting forward your views. I do not believe that a human should be discrimination on his cast, creed, race or religion. The essence of my identifying ‘Sinhala Buddhist’ as a specific person or group of people is not to run down other human beings. On the contrary, my desire is to promote the idea that they have a culture knowingly or unknowingly that binds them together.
Let me put it this way to answer it all in one paragraph. Since you have mentioned or rather questioned about Sinhalaness of some unidentified persons, shall I respond it with Professor Nalin de Silva’s reaction when he faced with such an issue. He said he follows the tradition of Mahavihara. Though totally different in context, ‘Legionnaires’ could be a good example for standing as a group. Muslims follow that French legion tactics to the letter but no one dare accuse them. I suppose what’s going on in Sita’s mind is that ‘Sinhala Buddhists’ are brainwashed to be ashamed of calling their identity. To understand how this mentality had set in our mind please do read the book I mention in my reply to ‘Siri’ above. And ‘Anagarika Dharmapala’ by Guruge, a copy is available at the British Council.
About my name; no it is not an adopted one but given name to me. Have you noticed its spelling, one of my professors (an Englishman) perceived it as strange and showed me how to spell it correctly. When I told him that it’s not King Harold that I am emulating he just left it at that.
You may read a lot of my views on this subject in the Sunday Leader on 7th and 14th march as comments for The ‘Risen Lord’ Strikes Back! and ‘The Fraud Of The Risen Lord’ under the name ‘Leela’.
April 9th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
I say we need lots of blessings of the Gods when people like Priyantha Abeywickrame, Mudali etc., have taken over the mantle as Patriots of the nation. The damage done to the country by some of these ‘Patriots’ is much more severe than the damage done by Tamil Separatists.
April 9th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Do you know, who this Siri is? These are the type that support Ranil W and western cohorts.
I would like to add that Ranil W is a traitor, who signed a CFA with a terrorist. Who insulted us by demanding our Forces to salute the LTTE maniacs in his short stay as the premier.
There is no difference between Prabakaran, Ranil and Somawansa! All are traitors!!!
April 9th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
In Malaysia, Dr. Mahattir called all the Chinese businessmen and told them that they should share with the Bumiputra. And these “businessmen” knew what’s right.
We have so many “Sinhala” directors in many Tamil businesses in Sri Lanka, and these “Sinhala” directors are quite happy with large emoluments, they sign all the time letting our economy to be taken by the Tamil “businessmen”. Most of it is LTTE money.
Within a decade or so, a Sinhala-named Insurance Company rose very well in “business”. Who owns it? Born-again Christians, but not Sinhalese Christians, but of Indian origin, who speaks Tamil pretty well. This conglomerate is always eating into other business with Sinhala-sounding names, so that no one would think, these are now owned by this family.
Their church arm proudly states on the Galle Road “Jesus is coming”. Go in there, and you’d notice only Tamil born -again Christians inside!!!