President Rajapakse is the main ‘war hero’. Fonseka was one of the secondary war heroes.
Posted on October 3rd, 2010
Herold Leelawardena
Former President Chandrika K had virtually blocked Major General Fonseka becoming the army commander in 2004 when she extended the retirement date of the then commander, Lt General Kottegoda for three years. Mahinda Rajapakse became the president in December 2005 albeit Fonseka had just two weeks to retire. And within a few weeks destiny beckoned Fonseka: President Rajapakse asked Lt Gen Kottegoda to retire, gave a service extention to Fonseka and made him the commander of Sri Lanka army. If not for that gracious act by Rajapakse Fonseka would have been just another retired Major General from 2006. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Thanks a lot for RanilWƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s peace accord; our forces were in taters. But, the new commander Lt Gen Fonseka reorganized the army, brought up its sagging moral and put it at the ready for any eventuality. Commanders of the Air force, the Navy, the newly established Civil Defense Force and the Police had done the same.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When Piripaharan thrust his last war on Sri Lanka, Fonseka was in hospital in Singapore. Nevertheless, the army drove LTTE away from the East with no civilian casualities. Major General Pannipitiya did the job. They say, Fonseka is a jealous man and he hated Pannipitiya for taking credit for chasing LTTE from the East. Is that is why, on his return, Fonseka court-marshaled Pannipitiya on several counts not directly related to the war and kept him behind bars for months. Whatever it is, the Suprime Court had let Pannipitiya off the hook for alleged wrongdoings ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ but for a flimsy charge of misuse of a vehicle. If not for that court Marshall Maj General Pannipitiya would have been promoted to army commander today.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ True, Fonseka led the army that eventually vanquished all the LTTE terrorists, big or small. Air force had neutralized many a LTTE bases and commanders. Navy too had scuttled LTTE arms supply lines. Civil Defense Force had prevented terrorists attack on the boarder villagers. For a good part, the police had kept LTTE human bombs away from our cities. No doubt, the secretary of defense had coordinated all that meticulously. At long last, Sri Lanka is at peace.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If Sri Lanka government was left out to smash the terrorists, she would have done so a long way back. But thatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s not the way the international politics work. Each and every country has its own agenda. Western countries employ hordes of NGO dollar sharks to sweet wrap their hidden agendas as the gospel truth. In this case, those western countries had gone so far as to become indirect agents of the LTTE. And Sri Lanka had been under their diktat for almost thirty years when Mahinda Rajapakse became the president.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The fact that westerners tried to force us to let LTTE leaders go free when it was cornered towards the end of the war is a proof for the afore saidƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ accusation. If not for the clout gained from the far sighted foreign policy by Rajapakse, Sri Lanka could never have withstood the pressure by LTTE hugging westerners; they would have choked us financially. Sri Lanka wouldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t have had the money to procure necessary arms to fight the war. And, we would never have won the war.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ NGO cliques did everything to topple Rajapakse government. NGO pundits like Thisaranee Gunasekara had gone so far as to prophesy that LTTE would fight a guerrilla war from Mulathivu jungles for years to come. They were hoping that westerners would back the LTTE rump to stage a comeback. It was the ingenuity of Rajapakse that kept all the LTTE agents at bay. So, only a fool would accept FonsekaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s claim; he is the sole ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”war heroƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s get it right; President Rajapakse is the main ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”war heroƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. Fonseka was one of the secondary war heroes. FonsekaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s image is the third in line in the picture marked ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”War HeroesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ that hangs in my office room although it is crossed for some time now. For one thing though, Fonseka has become an ungrateful man since; he bit the hand that fed him. And he became a turncoat when he joins hands with those that ridiculed the war efforts. Worst, he became a traitor when he accused Sri Lanka war heroes the war criminals.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Fonseka is a brutish man. He had proved it with hisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ viciousƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ campaign during the presidential elections. Fonseka had leveled unfounded allegations of war crimes against the Defense Secretary. He had threatened to throw his rivals behind bars immediately after his election victory. No doubt he would have carried out those threats if he had become President.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Fonseka wasnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t a victim of a vendetta against him rather; he invited Rajapakses for a turf war.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Today Fonseka is spent force; Anoma, his wife is talking nonsense. So, does Karu, Somawanse and et al. They cannot but organize a successful rally to protest against imprisonment of Fonseka. I say; Anoma should leave her pride aside and appealed to the commander in chief to have mercy on her husband.
October 3rd, 2010 at 6:05 pm
A neatly written character assassination. Please quote from a single news clipping / archived hansard that MR during his 40 yr carrier as a politician ever made a genuine fight against terror outfit LTTE until 2007 when failed the journey on the old beaten track of peace talk, except the Sadda Pooja/ Paada Yathra/ Deva Kannalaua against his replica Premadasa that served his ultimate goal where he has reached today. Only difference between MR and SF is that former a tactful politician and the latter a dedicated and battle hardened soldier sacrificed his life for the nation yet a political novice/fool who did not know how to guard his tongue with rogues.
So Mr Leelawardene, what would Anoma F say to your suggestion for mercy? “Not by the hair of my Chinny-Chin-Chin! “
October 5th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Mr.Ranagala: When Lt Gen Fonseka had been attacked by that LTTE suicide bomber, it was us, the nationalists that offered ‘bodhi pujas’ in temples all over the country to wish him well. Those who clamor for ‘bodhi pujas’ to get Fonseka out of jail now had not even visited one single temple to bless him. Perhaps they feel guilty for it is they who set his ego in the wrong direction. Whatever it is; what I wrote here is the bitter truth that everyone ought to know.
Today, that white flag accusation Fonseka leveled against the defense secretary is very familiar the world over. It set immense problems to this country. . We were happy when Fonseka denied it two days after it first appeared in ‘the Sunday Leader’, sitting alongside Herath of the JVP. But when he repeated the same allegation at many instances again and again in very many places, we foresaw he is brewing trouble. How could brain of such a man go dead. We had no answer. We thought this man must be defeated at all cost. And lucky for the country, thats what happened.
Now a case against him on that is coming up soon in civil court. Ms Janz, the editor of ‘the Leader’ will say everything what Fonseka said at the interview she had with him. She is going to be the star witness at court. I have no doubt, Fonseka will be found guilty for making fails charges. And it will set him in prison for many more years. This I foresaw over ten months back and wrote many a comment to ‘Leader’ and various other papers.
Now about MR; Obviously I cannot answer your question for him. But I can give you my answer. In fact you yourself have given it in essence. So, let me say, MR lives in the real world; he doesn’t go on ego trips. He is not a person that don ‘amude’ when the river is seven miles way. MR may not have fought with LTTE for 40 years, but there were all the credentials that he would fight it to finish if he had a chance. That’s why we voted him in 2005. And he proved we were right. That’s what we want. We were not SLFP supporters before 2005.
October 7th, 2010 at 4:11 am
In his futile attempt in burying his shanty beginning Premadasa found quite a few stooges in the form of Bradman, Dayan, and Godfrey of Marga fame to issue certificates to the effect that he was an old Josephian until someone from that era challenged to produce a school register or an authentic document. That brought all the bickering to a deafening silence. Everybody heaved a sigh of relief when the mentally deformed character was dealt with by Babu. There are quite a few very old gentlemen from Thurstan who wouldn’t spill a single bean through sheer fear on the legacy that somebody left behind when he left school. Thurstan my alma mater too. I talk not because I am a superman but the safe heaven where I have chosen to live which gives me the right to challenge Julia Guilard if she uttered the mildest form of lie and still sleep in the night as if nothing happened. Sad and I really feel sorry for my friends, foes and fellow Sri Lankans who have lost their voice through fear. Back to Premadasa /Wijeweera Bheeshanaya.
Fonny made the ultimate error though being a brilliant military officer who read and practiced the Art of War to the very word and yet missed the Kautilya saga. He was compelled to choose those who went to Medawacchi instead of Killinochhi / Pamankada instead Alimankada through anger over the downgrading of his class from best commander to what he is today. How unfortunate that some Sinhalese still prefer to be the Esseya Devayanwahansa while the Devayanwahase is gallivanting with a bunch of rogues stealing the paupers till. He definitely is shrewd and that’s why he kept his Amude hidden until the right moment to champion the victory over the blood of innocent Sinhala boys including Fonny. Fonny may not be an ardent practitioner of Ata Lo Dahama but he will die a satisfied death having accomplished the promise he gave to the nation that “ I will not leave this war to another commander. So Leela, Anoma can definitely say “ Not by the hairs of my Chinny chin chin. Bye.
October 7th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Mr. Banda,
F will die regretting his stupidness, not his greed.