Sirisena comes to town
Posted on December 4th, 2014
By Dushy Ranetunge in Havelock Town Courtesy Island
December 4, 2014, 10:14 pm
It was a sunny Thursday morning in Havelock Town, as my wife and I opened the front gates of my property to take our vehicle out to go on some errands. Before us were a line of vehicles blocking the private road.
Maithripala Sirisena had come to town—Havelock Town! I explained to a gentleman who was about to park yet another vehicle that this was a private road, and if he was to park, I would regard it as trespass and will have to let out the air of his tyres. He obliged and removed the vehicle, but there were just too many and I could no longer leave the blocked private road.
It seems the commotion was over the opening of a campaign office for Mr. Sirisena and several neighbours expressed their displeasure as to what was going on.
Maithripala Sirisena launches his campaign in Colombo (file photo)
My wife and I then walked to the property in which Mr. Maithripala Sirisena, Mr. Ravi Karunanayake, Athuraliye Rathana Thera, and Mr. Rajitha Senaratne were standing, surrounded by a large crowd.
We approached Mr. Sirisena and requested if he could spare us 2 minutes. He kindly obliged. I explained to Mr. Sirisena, that the road he was participating in opening a campaign office was a private road and that all the properties in this road had a legal covenant written into the deeds stipulating that all the properties within the private estate could be used for residential purposes only. Therefore I explained that if an office was to be opened, that he would be abetting in the breach of a legal covenant.
Mr. Rajitha Senarathna then commented that the property had been an office before. I conceded that was so, but that we had expressed our opposition to that “use” as well, and that we expected higher standards from Mr Sirisena as per his campaign promises.
Mr. Senarathna’s comment was worrying. If a new Sirisena administration was to breach legal rights of citizens within the country, would Rajitha Senarathna defend such breaches on the basis that such breaches have happened in the past? Not a very promising comment by a politician presenting himself to the country aspiring higher standards and accountability?
We explained to Mr. Sirisena that we were not opposed to him and that we supported him and that we would welcome his success at the pools, but was only opposed to the breach of the legal covenant and trespass on a private road by a large number of vehicles.
Mr. Sirisena was apologetic and gave an assurance that they will be leaving by 12.15pm and we thanked him and left. Those in his entourage were kind and moved some of the vehicles to facilitate our exit.
On our return at about 1pm, several vehicles were still in the close, and without warning or provocation one of the political entourage started being abusive. I stopped my vehicle and got down. A politician’s convoy that started rolling minutes later was blocked. The abusive man now got into my vehicle and tried unsuccessfully to move it. He seemed somewhat confused sitting in my driver’s seat and staring at the dashboard, unable to start a keyless entry automatic vehicle. While I walked up to the tinted glass BMW to speak to the politician hiding inside to complain about the abusive behaviour of his staff and demand an apology from that gentleman of quality, he had started being abusive to my wife and grabbed her phone as she was about to photograph him.
My wife, a lawyer and a lady of formidable character, had punched the man and grabbed the phone back. This had been a response that he clearly did not expect and he was lucky. This gentleman of quality was not to know that my wife has received and continues to receive training by the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) in the United Kingdom with specialist techniques to deal with aggressive bahaviour.
She refused to move from the middle of the road, adding to the blockage caused by my vehicle and preventing the convoy from leaving, until an apology was received.
It seems to us, that there is no difference between these Sri Lankan politicians. They are quite happy or may I say ignorant in trespassing onto clearly marked private road with an entry barrier, which has a restrictive legal covenant and block the lawful residents from leaving their homes, but when it comes to them wanting to leave, everyone is shoved aside.
Some of the political entourage were being apologetic and called for that gentleman of quality who had been abusive to return and apologise, but he had got into a vehicle and fled the scene.
The politician hiding inside the BMW did not get down or try to address the issue, while his confused security personnel were blowing hot and cold. It was amusing that we saw several instances of people being abusive and apologetic at the same time.
I saw and heard another gentleman of quality commenting in Sinhalese that it would be the last time we travelled down this road, insinuating in a very Sinhalese rural manner that we would be killed or disposed of. Intimidation seems to come naturally to these champions of democracy. I found the comments and behaviour amusing, making me wonder if there was any difference between the mindsets of rural Hambanthota and rural Polonnaruwa.
I inquired loudly if this was the new Sri Lanka that Sirisena was aspiring to?
While we abhor the rampant corruption in this society that we live in, devoid of any respect for women’s rights, minority rights, human rights, respect for judicial independence and good governance, a society that I would not want to bring up my children in, it would be a serious mistake to get carried away with Sirisena as the panacea to our problems.
For me the only attraction of Sirisena is that unlike the Hambanthota incumbent, the Polonnaruwa aspirant will be far more vulnerable in Parliament. Other than that it would be a mistake to have faith that Polonnaruwa will deliver on its promises any better or worse than Hambanthota.
December 4th, 2014 at 7:35 pm
All politicians have a conscious, when in the opposition.
Wait till they come to power. It will be business as usual.
For the sake of a united Sri Lanka, I hope we keep the status quo. If not, within 5 years we will all need a visa to travel to the North and East of the country.
December 4th, 2014 at 8:18 pm
Thank you for sharing this with us and exposing the socalled champians who are trying to save our day.
I like the writer’s judgement in last paragraph:
“For me the only attraction of Sirisena is that unlike the Hambanthota incumbent, the Polonnaruwa aspirant will be far more vulnerable in Parliament. Other than that it would be a mistake to have faith that Polonnaruwa will deliver on its promises any better or worse than Hambanthota”
One thing we should note is, It is not the Rural / Columbian mind set which matters. Whether one is from high class society in Colombo, or from a faraway village, the thing that makes a good human is only his spiritual stature of the mind. No matter how expensive cloths one is wearing and posh cars we drive and luxury houses we are living in, we all have that original animal instinct embedded in us, unless we dissolve it with metta, karuna and mudita and also keep in good spirit of Pancha Seela. No one becomes a Vasalaya by birth, but by the acts as preached by Lord Buddha.
Majority of today’s politicians are Vasalayas. It is unfortunate that we have to select between these Vasalayas. To me the group of ordinary Vasalayas is better than the group of Vasalayas who are trying to sell their motherland. Colombian Run-Nil is a dangerous vasalaya who is willing to sell his motherland to LieTTE killers if he gets some benefits out of it… our Polonnaruwa Vasalaya is a part of that gang now.
On the other hand, Hambantota Vasalaya will not sell the country.. but he never learns and keeps “Yama Palloes” like Mervin, Sajin, Kudu Dumiya, Mahindananda etc under his wing. It is a Yama Rajyaya.
I can hear the silent crying of our Mother Lanka… which way should we run mother??
December 4th, 2014 at 8:49 pm
We all know who Dushy Ranetunge is. He has written many anti-SL articles in the past.
Minority rights? Which country has “minority rights”? SL need NOT give any special rights to minorities. Just EQUAL INDIVIDUAL RIGTHS would do. Anything more? Get it in Tamil Nadu.
“which way should we run mother??”
Towards the LEAST corrupt MOST patriotic camp. Forget RW and CBK. They are POWERLESS followers of My3. They have NO control over My3 who is MORE EXPERIENCED than BOTH of them.
December 4th, 2014 at 8:59 pm
We already know MS has a serious character problem in that he presents himself in public the way he wants people to perceive him and then acts the OPPOSITE in private, like when he promised to hospital staff attending to the victim of his son’s assault that he would not abuse his power as minister and intervene with the police on behalf of his son and then moments later did exactly the opposite .
The ONLY difference with MS as president is that we will have a WEAKER president, a STRONGER prime minister (Ranil), more influence over Sri Lankan internal politics by the US, UK, Norway, the George Soros NGOs, and the Tamil separatist crowd, less investment from China, and even more corruption than before as those who have been denied power for so long begin to use their new power to enrich themselves and their own families. None of this benefits Sri Lanka at all, and actually makes the country poorer like what we see in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand.
Thanks, but no thanks!
December 5th, 2014 at 1:02 am
Whether the writer is anti-SL or not he is giving slightly better character certificate to My3.
So, My3 supporting write up for the first time.
December 5th, 2014 at 1:30 am
Lorenzo
Where did you get the idea that Dushy Ranatunge has written many anti-SL articles in the past?.
In contrary, he was one of the first pro Sinhala activist in London. He was a dare devil and even number of time he managed to get into pro- LTTE meetings to present Sinhala side of the story and many occasions he was physically chased out . He is from London and so do I.
He started very first anti-LTTE website even before Lankaweb.
So, Don’t spread wrong information pursuing propaganda for Sirisena.
You are always mourning about 13A and support Sirisena, thinking that one day he will abolish 13a.
Either you must be day dreaming or you have joint the US sponsored club to post pro-Sirisena comments on web sites.
December 5th, 2014 at 1:49 am
Dear NMY,
These are some excerpts from him. Please google.
“The Tamils have been waiting for a settlement from the days of Chelvanayagam, and it is the paranoid fear of the Sinhalese that has prevented Sri Lanka from rising above a certain watermark. Then they were fearful of India or the Tamil Nadu factor or the LTTE and now they are fearful of the West.
Fonseka is locked up because of fear and at that we are told was via a court martial that did not take down written records. This we are told is the system of justice prevailing for Kangaroos in Sri Lanka in the 21stcentury. Now beat this one. The President is supposed to be a qualified lawyer.”
AND.
“Fonseka never came across as a materialistic person. He was a dedicated old fashioned soldier. He had a different ruthless mind frame to other generals I know, and comes across as being an efficient, lean mean military machine.
Subsequently, I met Gothabaya Rajapakse. There was very little difference between the two, but it was Fonseka who had the military mindset to bury the LTTE.
There is one important distinction.
The Sri Lankan army evolved from the bad old days to because a professional, more tightly controlled fighting force.
Sarath Fonseka was a part of this evolution from the bad old days of massive human rights abuses to a relatively more disciplined force.
Gothabaya Rajapakse was not a part of this evolution. He left the army in 1992.”
December 5th, 2014 at 3:16 am
Gothabaya Rajapakse was not a part of this evolution. He left the army in 1992- it is true every know .
so where is DR/NMY anti SL?
You are always mourning about 13A and support Sirisena, thinking that one day he will abolish 13a.
Either you must be day dreaming or you have joint the US sponsored club to post pro-Sirisena comments on web sites.- I Pro TE have same feeling !!!
As We all know 13A is untouchable at least until Modi is in power ? He put 90% TN people supporter Jeya in jail now ,so for him MR/MS is nothing?
but Lorenzo always talk about 13A , why?
December 5th, 2014 at 7:04 am
Lorenzo- given all of Fonseka’s strengths that you are playing up for some unknown reason, why did he still lose by such a wide margin to MR?
And more to the point – how will MS do BETTER than Fonseka given such a weak record of achievement?
December 5th, 2014 at 7:25 am
What has happened to My3!
Aiyo Sirisena!
“”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2nRnRjrjOI””
December 5th, 2014 at 8:12 am
Lorenzo – in the video he is trying TOO hard to appeal to Buddhists. This is also apparent in this first moves he made after his announcement with the monks, BBS overtures, and travels to Kandy. If you are a REAL Buddhist, there is no need to try so hard. Buddhism comes naturally to you and you therefore do not need to be endorsed by certain monks or wrap yourself in Buddhism to attract Buddhist voters.
This reminds me of the the “the lady who protests too much is trying to hide feelings that run counter to the protests” from Western psychology. Maithripala really intends to sell Buddhism down the river and turn Sri Lanka into another Thailand that is completely dominated by Western culture and dependence on the West economically. In my last trip to Thailand earlier this year I could barely tell it was a Buddhist country at all.
December 5th, 2014 at 11:57 am
Those days, DUSHY RANATHUNGA from UK was writing favouring a Tamil Homeland and was criticizing the govt and Mahinda Rajapakse.
Now, the same person is talking for Mahinda Rajapakse and against Maithripala Sirisena.
Nice way to earn a buck, if one is under employed or unemployed.
I have read dushy Ranatunghe from the very beginning, when he was writing against the Tamil extremism, and Neela Maha yodha is simply wrong in his thinking.
December 5th, 2014 at 11:39 pm
Don’t get too disheartened Dushy, after all you are quite familiar with the ways of chokkas! aren’t you?
If what NYM says true, wonder who was writing for the Colombo telegraph in Dushy’s name!
December 6th, 2014 at 12:39 am
I agree with Lorenzo,
Minority rights? Which country has “minority rights”? SL need NOT give any special rights to minorities. Just EQUAL INDIVIDUAL RIGTHS would do. Anything more? Get it in Tamil Nadu.
December 6th, 2014 at 1:05 am
Vimutti/ Lorenzo,
Are you aware of the fact that Champika wrote a plan how to defeat LTTE in 1999 and passed to Chandrika , but she discarded it ?
It is in Sinhala ( it says English too but couldn/t get it) and I read it. It looks identical to what SL did to get rid of LTTE. It is completely opposite of Loving Kindness (maithree).
It can be downloaded from his website, champikaranawaka.net
When I read it now it sounds like Lorenz’s plan. Now it appears like the president going in the opposite direction.
worthwhile reading it.