MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD !
Posted on May 6th, 2011

Ranjit Rupesinghe

The Editor
Time Magazine

MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD ! – (according to Time)

Here we go again-last year when you published a list of “the most influential women” you couldn’t find a place for the world’s first female Prime Minister the late Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka who indeed was a trail blazer. You had the Meirs, Thatchers, Gandhis, Merkels etc but not the lady who crashed through the glass ceiling to lead her country in 1960 and then again in 1970 when she won in a landslide and secured a 2/3rd majority for her party in parliament. I wrote to you then stating that this omission smacked, at the least, of sheer ignorance or at worst, straight forward prejudice – no kudos or credit to a colonial backwater seemed to be the theme. My letter pointing out this glaring error never saw the pages of “Times letters to the editor” as would many such letters from interested readers.

Another clear illustration of your bias was evident with your deafening silence in 1996 when Sri Lanka lifted cricket’s World Cup just a mere 15 years after becoming full members of the International Cricket Council. The excuse then given was that the final was played on the week-end and because of the 24 hour news cycle that weeks publication had already gone to print ! What about the following week?

Now, in your 2 May 2011 edition you repeat the same joke ! You have nominated as “most influential”, fashion designers et all, whom many people will categorise as “pygmies” when compared to the monumental feats of people such as the intrepid President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapakse under whose direction tiny Sri Lanka, in May 2009, eliminated the most ruthless terrorist organization in the world, so termed by none other than the FBI. Despite the vile machinations of some western powers to save their terrorist friend, the murderous Prabhakaran and his gang of criminals who wreaked havoc and mayhem on that beautiful island for well nigh three decades, Rajapakse, displaying tremendous courage and resolve, didn’t wilt and resultantly the LTTE terrorists were consigned to the dustbin of history and the world is a better place for it. Now of course the western backed “human rights” do gooders who for over quarter century watched Sri Lanka bleed, literally and metaphorically, have jumped on the bandwagon screaming for Sri Lanka to be brought before a war crimes tribunal-what gobbledegook ! Let me just say, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Incidentally, since May 2009 not a single bomb has exploded in my old country, and just to place some perspective on it, the country now not only enjoys one of the best growth rates in Asia and one of the best performing stock markets but is also one of the most preferred tourist destinations, an industry which was in the doldrums for nearly 30 years thanks to the terror that was unleashed by the LTTE since the early 80’s.

I have been a subscriber to Time for 25 years and have observed a steady decline in your professionalism over the years. Gone are the journalistc principles of objectivity and impartiality. If it is your intention to remain a credible journal, my humble suggestion is, lift your game, before you’re soon dubbed an oil rag and thrown into oblivion. Thank you.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Yours sincerely

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ranjit Rupesinghe

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