Vajiragnana Warnakulasuriya Melbourne

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dear Editor,

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As I missed this article on Sinhale Hotnews, I didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t see the comment to respond, today it was brought to my attention by a colleague of mine. While thanking those who responded on my behalf for this chap ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Alistair GeeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, I posit this for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Alistair GeeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢sƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ attention!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I happened to air my views about how I felt about celebrating ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Independence DayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ by Sri Lankans. Today people all over the Globe, write, doƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and even die for weird things in the name of freedom of various disciplines, I exercised my freedom, liberty to pen what I felt as a reasonable proposal. It was a request to the presidential secretary arousing him to get a redress on changing the identity of this day for Sri Lankans to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-National DayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚! Honestly I never dreamt I would trample some ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-WhitemanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢sƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (Alistair Gee) foot or ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Pierce the HeartƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ from that innocent request from the Presidents just to restore a sense of pride to the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Natives of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Though I am a naturalized Australian, I support Sri Lanka ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The Mathruru BhumiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ at every occasion in words and financially whenever a situation is caller for. People leave their motherland for various reasons, still some of us have strong feelings for the country of birth, that doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t mean they have to go back, some of us could adjust oneself to be more creative and resourceful to extend a better service being away from the country than being in the country. I am one who has not abused or misspent the Sri Lankan tax payers money, nor have I enjoyed Government finances on scholarships to Glorify with worthless ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-DoctoratesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ which didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t bring any value to the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-MotherlandƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ nor useful to the country of domicile, finally becoming a mere passengers in life! ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Like worthless coinsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, but pride themselves printing on brochures and promotional leaflets with glorified prefixes. However, I salute likes of Kohana, Dayan, Rajiva and many more who are extremely talented and have justified to adorn the title!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  On the contrary I was nothing back then, but I am proud to declare I executed my duties extremely well and earned every cent honestly till I left the shores for my progress, I didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t leave the country to seek refuge in any country with bogus claimes, unlike those enjoyed higher administrative position and became mere ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Yes SirƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to the bosses of government or to the institutions they worked for, they wasted their time being slaves, such people should reflect back on their achievements and curse the time they spent in educational institutions just to become doormats for others.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Now, coming back to my topic for which Alistair Gee got flustered, I can remember a small episode that happened during the time I was rehearsing for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Hunuwate Kathawa year 1997ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ One day itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s director Malanee Jayasinghe invited me to come for that yearƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Indepedence DayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Then I explained itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s a disgrace for us to keep on harping that Sri Lanka was under the colonial rule every year we celebrate February 4^th under this banner! ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s time we give a new identity, such as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-National DayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ or ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Sri Lanka DayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, untill such time I shall refrain to participate in the celebrations. That is how I felt for this day. Now the strange thing about this ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Alistair GeeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ chap is the article was writenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  by Vajiragnana, this chap writes a comment to Vajira, now is this chap a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-WhiteƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ or an idiotic ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-CoconutƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. I believe he knows me. OK I shall play his game!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We hardy had ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Independence DayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ celebrations in Victoria during or prior to 1997. In those days honorary consular was very passive, he was a down to earth man then, suddenly his consulate woke up Independence celebration begun!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ With this sudden hustle and bustle of the Consulate, if my recollection is right,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-InteractƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ news bulletin surfaced. The editor of this bulletin assumed the pen name ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ArrthadevaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Strangely enough few years later in this bulletin my discussion with the Director that day in 1997 appeared as a suggestion by the director without giving any credit to the one who suggested this NAME change initially, Well I didn’t get flustered, knowing the nature of human beings! Ego!!!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Those who were with the old consulate during this time knows who this editor ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ArrthadevaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is, a frequent writer to free circulating Sri Lankan news papers on various subjects such as, Buddhism, Science, Medical break throughƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s, Psychology, Law etc a plagiarist at large. If one has a dialog with this guy, you can see how empty the man is, a buff head Western term, in sinhala ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-MEEHARAKAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I tend to believe this ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Alistair GeeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is not a blue blooded chap but ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-a coconutƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ who till lives in ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Colonial EraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and who worships very earth they tread on! Yes, you got it right he isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-brown outside & white insideƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Otherwise there is no reason for him to get agitated!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Vajiragnana Warnakulasuriya

Melbourne