Sarath Bulathsinghala

8 Nov 2019

The Way Forward and What is to be done

After 70 years what the nation needs is time and space to move forward as one nation leaving behind the enmity and divisiveness. For this to happen the unity of the Sinhalese is paramount. Minority politics and their aspirations will never see the light of day with only half of the Sinhalese agreeing. This is why the unity of the Sinhalese be they UNP, SLFP or other is of paramount importance for the good of all concerned, minorities included.

What ailed Sri Lanka during the last 70 years is the constant demands of minority Shylocks asking for their pound of flesh and more. In their own words, it has always been – Little now and More later”! Even as we speak, these forces are at play 24/7 finding ways to keep Sri Lanka destabilized and poor. Their ultimate goal is to make Sri Lanka a  Failed State. Sri Lanka lost hundreds or even thousands of valuable opportunities to forge ahead because of the minority destabilization of the country and the fickleness of our politicians to stay in power, by giving in to their demands at whatever cost to the nation. Many a potential investor went elsewhere because of the ground situation in Sri Lanka.  1958, 1971, 1983, 1989 and the Tiger Terrorist War 1980 – 2009 are already history.

Finally, in Jan 2015, Yahapalanaya came into power on a platform of eliminating corruption. From what transpired later it is now obvious what they had in mind all along. Within seven weeks of their coming into power the first bond scam took place. From hind sight, it is clear that Ranil and his cohorts planned this bank heist long before the Presidential Elections of Jan 2015. All this was clear from the way he set in motion the intermediate steps necessary for the Central Bank Bond Scam. Getting himself appointed Prime Minister, taking over part of the Finance Ministry that included the Central Bank, getting Arjun Mahendran appointed as the Governor of the Central Bank whilst his son in law was a Primary Dealer himself. Many think the ‘heist’ took place by chance on 26 Feb 2105 and that is the imbecilic folly of the ordinary Sri Lankan! To add insult to injury the same scam but on a bigger scale was repeated in March 2016! Thereafter they continued to rob the nation all of which are now the subject of a Presidential Commission of inquiry.

With Jadapalanaya taking over reins of power, its main task was to complete the task of making Sri Lanka a Failed State. Compromising food security, National Security, Economic Security involving Bond Scams, High Taxation , High Interest Rates, destruction of the plantation sector economies has led finally to an  import dependent failed state that would be vulnerable for economic sanctions. The attempt to change the constitution was the final masterstroke to make Sri Lanka a vassal state of the USA. The emergence of ACSA, SOFA and MCC Agreements are the final nails in the coffin of a free and sovereign Sri Lanka. 

Even after making the TNA with only 16 seats in the Parliament the main Opposition Party, did they have anything to do with the governance of the nation? They abstained with scorn and enmity in their eyes, from every parliamentary activity that had to do with the governance of Sri Lanka and only participated in legislating actions that would lead to the balkanization of Sri Lanka and in the end her destruction as an independent political entity in South Asia. Their main purpose of occupying the position of the Opposition was to prop up the unpopular and traitorous  regime of Ranil and his cohorts in his Administration. Ranil was aided and abetted in this unholy enterprise by a selfish, mindless, vain individual elected into the position of the President of Sri Lanka – Maitripala Sirisena. The 62 lakhs of votes he received were simply Anti Rajapakse votes based on half truths, lies and simply – slander manufactured by the Unpatriotic Party  – the UNP. Very few if at all he received were personal votes similar to what Sarath Fonseka received in 2010!

The Islamists are spreading Wahabbism throughout the length and breadth of SrI Lanka. Just at the eleventh hour when there was a clear need for ousting  Ranil in November 2018, they left to Mecca indicating that they will return to enjoy the spoils! Then came the Easter Sunday Bomb attacks. It is abundantly clear what has been found so far of the Wahabbi Islamic threat is only the tip of the iceberg!

Even after 97 warnings from Foreign Intelligence sources as well as our own  the authorities headed by the President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet failed the nation and the innocents who died and others who are maimed for life.

Patriotic UNPers and SLFPers should see this reality and leaving aside their petty differences unite to save Sri Lanka. The horrors of Easter Sunday attacks would not have come about if not for the criminal negligence and neglect of the Security Apparatus in Sri Lanka by the government led by Sirisena and Ranil. If they had any self respect they should have resigned their posts in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.

This why they all must join forces under Pohottuwa, not because it is the best, but because it is ground reality and the only existing common place where all from different political hues can gather irrespective of differences and unite to end once and for all the tyranny of Minority Politics. We must be in a position to muster a 2/3^rd majority to bring about the necessary constitutional changes as well as provide for reasonable minority demands that do not infringe on the security, wellbeing and continued existence of Sri Lanka as a separate, unitary and independent political and geographical entity south of the Palk Straits!

It is time, all those well-meaning Tamils and Muslims leave the divisive politics and join the mainstream to achieve their realistic aspirations. Division of the country into fiefdoms or giving land and police powers to Eelamists is no way to achieve lasting peace in Sri Lanka. A separated country will lead to a permanent state of war as has happened elsewhere in the world. Sri Lanka simply does not have space nor the security measures necessary to entertain such wishful thinking that only bring luxuries to a selected few and keep the majority mired in misery, be they Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim!

It is time, Sinhalese of all hues, be they UNP, SLFP, Buddhist or Christian unite behind Pohottuwa to take the country away from the ‘dog eat dog’ politics of today, for together we can prosper as a nation. For the UNP to contest for Presidency this time around is a big no no after serially failing the country on every undertaking they laid their hands on.

It is also time the Sinhalese demanded from Pohottuwa that it cannot be ‘Politics as Usual’  and as it used to be. It is time they got rid of the useless riff-raff, the traitorous, self-serving and the bribe-taker lot among them and move forward with only those who can be trusted to make way for progress. Pohottuwas must leave space only for the best in the SLFP, the UNP and those among minorities who aspire to prosper together. Pohottuwa also must take heed of the agendas put forward by the Vikalpa groups for they too are advancing  a message that tells what ails the nation and is relevant to our immediate needs.

Other nations such as Malaysia and Singapore sorted similar problems right at the beginning of their independence from Colonial Powers. This is why these countries prosper and Sri Lanka not! Big and powerful nations respect their strengths and politics!

UNLESS THE SINHALESE UNITE AS ONE, BECOME SELF SUFFICIENT IN THEIR BASIC NEEDS AND SECURITY THERE ARE NO SOLUTIONS TO THE MINORITIES. THIS IS THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH BEHIND POLITICS IN SRI LANKA. This is what ailed Sri Lanka for the last 70 years. It is only the United Sinhalese who can accommodate those peaceful intentions of the minorities and take the nation towards progress! No solution or agreement, call it what may provided by 50% Sinhalese will be valid in the days, months and years ahead!

The so-called International Community are at the door calling for ‘democracy and human rights’.  The world has come to the realisation that these ideals have been used  time and again only to further the neo colonialist ambitions of the Western World.  It is their system of governance that made  the 1% own the 99% of world’s wealth. They would rather make Sri Lanka unstable, divided, a failed state and divide the spoils rather than try to negotiate with a weak state. On the other hand, they would support and respect a country that is strong politically and militarily. They say Nature abhors a vacuum and so does politics. They are onto Sri Lanka because they find Sri Lanka divided, unstable and vacuous. United we can stand, divided certainly it is oblivion, death, and destruction a la Libya, Iraq and Syria! Ranil has been tasked to make Sri Lanka a Failed State and he nearly accomplished that during the last 5 years by taking Sri Lanka towards external dependence on all her needs be they food, security or else.  

We must provide India the security she needs south of the Palk Straits! It is only a strong Sri Lankan military which can provide this assurance and not a weak Sri Lanka! Senior Indian politician Subramaniam Swamy put it succinctly – We can trust the words of Mahinda Rajapakse. He is a strong man and we can depend on what he promises”.

Time is of the essence, let us learn from Jan 2015 and not bungle it this time! The Jadapalana lot is still regurgitating the same stale promises they made in 2015, this time with a Premadasa’ flavour. It is heart-breaking to see the bribed, drugged and intoxicated multitudes they bring to their political meetings. All patriots, be they UNP or SLFP, or from minority communities, all who wish well for Mother Lanka, unite behind Pohottuwa! Mahinda Rajapakse, Gotabhaya and Basil are the better leaders who have a chance to make Sri Lanka great again! Vote for Pohottuwa and make Gotabhaya the 7^th President of Sri Lanka. Long live our sacred Motherland!