Sudath Gunasekara 22.8.2016.

I have been closely watching the ongoing quarrels, debates, allegations and counter allegations,by the two adversary camps of the SLFP led by Chandrika and Sirisena on one side and Mahinda Rajapaksa on the other. Looking at the overall political mess in the country neither of these camps will be able to capture power at any forthcoming election separately unless they join hands and contest under one symbol. If they don’t do so my prediction is a cake walk for the UNP. Under a situation where MR and MS camps contesting separately the SLFP vote base will get split in to two.  Under this situation if they have the elections on the former electoral basis my prediction is an easy 2/3 in Parliament with the UNP block vote, the Tamils and Muslims voting together. But the ongoing vigorous Island wide membership drive personally handled by Ranil shows that he is not sure of his figures.That is why he is trying to add new votes.

If that happens the UNP will run the country for at least two terms and that could be the end of the SLFP, as people forget things as time goes.   The only hope one can harp on the SLFP’s survival under the current situation is the powerful appeal and the closeness of its patriotic policies to the majority Sinhala Buddhist masses, especially in the villages. If they join hands, declare that MR will be the Prime minister and win over the disgruntled UNP Sinhala votes as well there is a good chance of forming a SLFP Government, not otherwise.

On the other hand if this mad quarrel between the two SLFP factions continues though the majority SLFPers are with MR, definitely it will end up in consolidating the anti Sinhala anti Buddhist forces polarized around the nucleus UNP, thereby reverting the national awakening ushered in, in 1956. If that happens once again reactionary policies will replace progressive and the age of the common man will again get reverse overnight to an age of the privileged, from the village to the town, from the poor to the affluent and from Sinhala to English. In other words a complete reversal from what we have gained since 1956. This is the greatest danger before the nation. That is why the patriotic Sinhala Buddhist masses should get together under one banner discarding all their political affiliations to other political parties.

The present situation might change radically if MR camp decides to contest as a new party with an entirely a new strategy armed with a new band of new and clean men, at least with one such magnetic person per District, who can command the respect as persons capable of ushering in a new political culture to this country that replaces the present corrupt and rotten political system. Dropping all rotten eggs and controversial persons in this process and focusing on the Sinhala Buddhist electorate with a powerful and clarion call to all Sinhala voters to forget their blind party affiliation to UNP or JVP if they want to save their country and the 2500 year old tradition and heritage as the Great Sinhala nation from this imminent national catastrophe. If they also could get Sunethra on to their stage to represent SWRD and Sirima images, I think that too will take the new Party a long way as most people in this country, irrespective of their party affiliations still regard and remember them as Great leaders who have done a yeoman service to the national resurgence. We must not forget the fact that the word Bandaranaike for the common man still remains a magic wand.

A superficial survey of the electorate shows that the majority people want a change, a reversal of what is happening now. They don’t like the pro-western, pro Indian, pro Tamil and Pro Muslim policies of the Government present Government. They also don’t like the subservience to the West. None other than those blind followers of the UNP and anti Sinhala Anti Buddhist forces like, things like the neglect of the Kandyan peasants and giving our ancestral lands in the Hill country to Estate Tamils enabling them to get their Malayanadu, the Setu Samudra monkey Bridge project that will open flood gates for South Indians to invade this Island and settle down in the NCP, ETCA the repressive tax policies of the Government like the VAT and the OMP illegally set up to trap our patriotic forces. Only the diehard UNPers will remain unchanged.  The Kandyan peasantry issue, if properly exploited, could turn the entire Kandyan electorate against the government.

What should be done to avoid this catastrophe?

A strong and solid Sinhala Buddhist patriotic front that could muster all Sinhalese, under one banner without depending on Tamil and Muslim votes led by a strong patriotic leader, (or preferably a Leadership Council), is the only way that could rescue this country from this situation.

As such there are only two ways open to avoid this catastrophe. One is for MS and MR to forget the past and shake hands and get together to save the SLFP and Bandaranaike policies and save the country as well from this imminent crisis. The other is for MR to form a new party. But it has to be a variant of old SLFP, say something like, Sri Lanka Eksath Janatha Pakshaya”(S.L.J.P). This alternative, I think will be highly attractive and appealing to the electorate as they can see a clear cut path to follow as they see a distinct difference between the MS faction and the MR Camp. The fact that they have the Sri Lanka part in it is also emotionally important.

If the present division continues, by voting MS”S nominees,’ even the winning few can get nothing other than few crumbs falling from the UNP high table as they will be reduced to a miserable minority in the UNP, Tamil and Muslim dominated Government. Ms’s camp is very unlikely to a working majority. That is the stark truth whether someone likes it or not. Therefore forming a SLFP government under MS’S command, I think, is completely out. The SLFP voter has to realize this fact and use the vote rationally so that it will not go waste and help an anti Sinhala anti-Buddhist Government comes to power. Things could be even worse than we think if MS is reduced to a mere ceremonial figure head by removing the Executive Presidency by using the steam roller majority the UNP will definitely get if the SLFP contests separately under MS and MR.

In the event if MR decides to form a new party as stated before he will have to drop most of the rotten eggs and even his controversial brother Basil and first select at least one new outstanding candidate from each District with character, education, respectability and acceptability etc and second select a similar group of at least ten clean and distinguished men from different fields like economics, administration, law, business, finance and science etc, so that voters can have some hope on the quality of the new government under the new set up . Majority of people in this country wants things like the Provincial Councils, 1987 Indo-Lanka Pact  PR system, and the ongoing Upcountry mono Tamil village development destined to make the central hill country a Mayanadu very soon out. They also want a new Constitution and a second Chamber. But these are highly challenging issues.

Then he must also give the people a clear and attractive manifesto which can take the  country to a world of new political culture, economic prosperity, justice, good governance, law and order,  peace and sanity.

There is one thing both MS and MR will have to understand right now. That is neither the Lord Venkateswara at Tirupathi nor the White Gods of the West or their money can help in this tricky game at the end. If they don’t settle this issue between them, both of them are going to commit political hara-kiri.  It will be the people of this country who will decide at the end and they will take only two seconds to do that. The problem in hand is unfortunately people are left utterly confused as no party has a clear cut national policy and a dependable and trustworthy leadership.

If MS and MR fail to get together, which is very unlikely as it is, this is what will happens at all future elections in this country for a long time to come

The UNP with its Tamil and Muslim allies will definitely win all elections and form the Government not because they have more votes but simply because of the split of the SLFP vote. What I can see at any forthcoming election under this situation is a cake walk for the UNP. While the blue lions and blue wolfs fight over a carcass the UNP fox will consume the whole carcass like the cunning fox in the old fable that did so by setting the lion and the hyena to fight over the carcass of the deer, until they die. Thereafter this country will have a Tamil and Muslim dictated UNP Government.

If the two blue camps contest separately MR camp will come second, but far behind UNP and MS camp will trail behind as a poor third may be with 10-15 seats or even very much less in Parliament. As Ranil will not need MS’S minority then, to form the Government, under that Government neither MS no his followers will have any bargaining power. All of them will be just mere puppets. Meanwhile Runil might get the Executive Presidency abolished and that will close the chapter for MS’s political saga. Thereafter Ranil will run riots together with Tamils, Muslims and the Western Block and the Church, hand over the North and East to Tamils along with the Malayanadu, presently being formed under his Government in the central Hill Country. Thereafter Tamils will declare the EELAM covering over 2/3 the area of the Island. Ranil will suppress any possible upheaval with the help of RAW and Western or American forces and hand over a major part of the country to Tamils and Muslims.  And that will be the end of the Sinhala Buddhist civilization on this planet. You might think this is wild fantasy. It will be a reality the way things are happening at the moment.

This is my main worry. Personally I am not concerned as to what political party runs the country or who heads that Government. But it is only a patriotic and honest Sinhala Buddhist National Leader, a Bodhhisatva as the Mahavansa has laid it down, who could take the country out of the present mess and protect the Sinhala Buddhist nation and its unique identity in this country for posterity while keeping the minorities in their due places.

The SLFP was found by its Father S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike in 1951 as a patriotic national political Party, an alternative to UNP. that UNP was only a duplicate of the colonial masters. But he had to wait for 30 years until 1956 to translate his policies in to action. The formation of the SLFP in 1956 was the culmination and flowering of a great national movement started by Great men like Anagarika Dharmapala way back in 1870s and carried on over more than 50 years.. Since then the SLFP has made its mark as the champion and crusader of the aspirations of the native people like their lost rights in their language, religion, culture and local values. Sanga, Veda, Guru and Govi- Kamkaru formed the five pillars of the new party. It was a people’s Party and a Party of the common man. Their dress, foods, values, religion, language, literature and song, all were given their due place. Independence was made complete by freeing Katunayaka and Tirikunamale British Air bases. Though some sections criticize S.W.R.D. for making Sinhala the Official language, in my opinion that was the most historic decision he made as he restored the birth right of the Sinhala people, the sons of the soil, after 142 long years and opened the doors of Government service, including the highest echelons of public service like the Civil Service, Medicine and Engineering and even politics to Sinhala educated masses. Thus he gave a new value to their birth right and their mother tongue. As a champion of the Non Aligned Movement he stayed away from opposing world Powers while maintaining friendly relations with all.

The following words of this Great man used in 1926 to address the gathering at the Colombo Harbour when he returned from Oxford clearly shows who Bandaranaike was and what his vision and policies are.

ඔක්ස්ෆඩ් සිට ලංකාවට පැමිණි ඒ මහතාව පිලිගැනීමේ රැස්වීමේදී, යුරෝපීය ඇදුමින් සැරසී ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂාවෙන් කථාව කරමින් එසේ කරන්නට වීම සම්බන්ධව කණගාටුව පලකරමින්,

1 තමන් හද පතුලෙන් සිංහලයකු බවත්,

2 අනාගතයේදී, සිංහලෙන් කථා කිරීමට සූදානම් වන බවත්

3 තමාගේ උත්සහය, පොදුවේ ජනතාවට සේවය කිරීම බවත්,

4 එය ඉරණමේ හැටියට, තමාට පැවරී ඇති කාර්‍යය  බවත්,

5 ඉලක්කය හරි ගියහොත් තමාට සතුටින්, නිවිසැනසිල්ලේ මියයන්නට හැකි බව ප්‍රකාශ කලහ.

The reactionary forces killed him in 1959 before he could make his dream a reality as he spelled out in that historic speech in 1926. If not for his untimely death, being the only visionary leader we had since 1948, he may have changed Sri Lanka beyond recognition, even with a new Constitution that will restore the pristine glory of this Island nation. His widow Mrs Bandaranaike followed suit and did a yeoman service following the footsteps of her husband until she was defeated in 1977 and her civic rights were robbed by JR. But the people will never forget the political, social and Cultural Revolution ushered in by the SLFP during its tenure. This fact was clearly proved when the SLFP was again returned in 1994 in spite of Mrs B was kept behind doors even with no civil rights. As the adage stands history always repeat.

Why I mentioned these few words here is just to warn all selfish narrow minded political refugees not to allow the disintegration of the SLFP as it is the only political party the people  have now to fall back for the rights of the Sinhalese, their religion and their culture. Therefore if we allow it to disintegrate now at a crucial time like this when Tamils and Muslims at home and all the neo-colonial forces of the West and Indian expansionists are at the helm of power, I can’t just imagine as to what will happen to the Sinhala nation.  This is what both MS and MR have to understand right now. Both of them have to forget the past and their petty mindedness and put the country before self. Only then they will be respected and hailed as true leaders. If they fight each other and help the reactionary forces to come to power they will go down in history as the men who destroyed the 2500 year old Sinhala Nation

There is no point in arguing as to who destroyed it by splitting the SLFP thereafter. People of this country know, as to who split the SLFP. Though no one takes her or her words seriously as everyone knows her record, Chandrika has to take the main blame for ruining the SLFP. She conspired for years to bring in MS as the common candidate just to take revenge from MR. But ordinary SLFP voters will naturally find fault with MS first for leaving the Party, then helping the anti- SLFP UNP to form a Government and thereafter disintegrating the Party. Looking at this scenario both SWRD and Mrs B, I am sure must be turning in their graves. This is what MS has to seriously look at by way of self evaluation.

The UNP on the other hand from the very inception had been a pro-western party. At the very outset it was labeled as a jumble of western educated set of Kalusuddas, who replaced the white masters. The very word UNP (United National Party) as a part of the British divide and rule policy, suggested by the British Governor Moore, imposed upon the people the idea of the presence of many nations in this country. Looking at its performance over the years, that is why people have baptized it as an UNPatriotic Party

The opening up of the Dry Zone settlements that has prevented people dying from starvation perhaps is the only meaningful and patriotic thing the UNP Government had done to this country. Credit for this achievement goes to that great leader D.S. Senanayaka. Another significant achievement, of cause with mixed results, any UNP government did since then was Mahaweli. But there again it could not give an inch of land from the Hill Country to any native Sinhala man out of thousands of those villagers displaced by the Kotmale and Victoria Projects. Right through it has followed  an anti Sinhala policy in the hill country by not implementing the recommendations of the Kandyan Peasantry Commission As such how can we say that the UNP has had any patriotic vision?

Overall majority People of this country have found the SLFP to be more homewards oriented and the UNP outward oriented. Although both parties are guilty of pampering minorities for their vote the SLFP is accused of being more pro Sinhala and pro-Buddhist.

In this backdrop it is natural that Sinhala Buddhists and their interests are safer and protected under an SLFP regime than under a UNP regime and the Tamil and Muslims prefer to have a UNP government. `These are the main reasons why people fear a breakup of the SLFP. Therefore as the difference between the UNP and SLFP is crystal clear with regard to the rights of the Sinhala majority it is high time all Sinhalese rally round the SLFP under  a leader who will not support a UNP Government in order to save the Sinhala nation and their country from this imminent disaster.