SAYING IT LIKE IT IS, AS ONLY GOTABHAYA CAN …
Posted on October 24th, 2012
Nimal Fernando
A statement, which will prove as historic as some others that define the very essence of this nation, was made by a person who was described in an earlier comment by this writer as one of the gutsiest sons of the soil that Sri Lanka has seen in a great many generations.
In calling for the abolition of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution without further delay, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told the Sunday Times recently that the ongoing efforts by a political grouping led by one-time LTTE mouthpiece, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), to hinder the passage of the Divineguma Bill in parliament, meant that in spite of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s battlefield victory over terrorism, separatist sentiments were strong.
Putting it in his most understanding way, the defence secretary said it was a joke that the TNA, which declared the LTTE as the sole representative of the Tamil-speaking people in the run-up to theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ December 2001 parliamentary polls, now tried to achieve what the LTTE failed with its conventional military power.
This paragragh in the report is vital to the ongoing discussion: “The UPFA political leadership and Opposition political parties should realize the TNA represented the LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s interests and that interests of the ordinary Tamil people were very much different from those propagated by the group.” He urged political parties to see how the TNA behaved at the height of the war.
Rajapaksa likened the 13th Amendment to the Norway-arranged Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) finalized in February 2002. “The 13th Amendment and the CFA didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t serve the people of Sri Lanka. Instead, they facilitated interests of various other parties, including the LTTE. Interestingly, both supported the separatist cause.”
As is the case in good reporting, the defence secretary was asked whether he was speaking for the government. He answered that he recently had an opportunity to express his opinion to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and many Cabinet ministers. “It was important to examine internal and external threats posed on the Sri Lanka State and take tangible action to neutralize the threat. IƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢m not talking about President RajapaksaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s government or the UPFA. IƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢m not talking politics. People should realize the external interference will not be beneficial. Whatever the party in power, it must have the freedom to take decisions for the benefit of the majority of Sri Lankans.”
That’s the clincher: Decisions that benefit the majority of Sri Lankans.
Surely, should any self-respecting representative, elected to office by the Sri Lankan people, waste anymore time debating this issue? Should they insult a pround, self-relient nation by letting a minuscule minority within a minority go hat in hand to India to bring pressure on a sovereign government to ‘resolve’ the issue?
Let’s be clear here: this move is a vital pointer to imminent political developments. It has been the practice of many national leaders, and other powerful political leaders worldwide, to have their views aired through trusted proxies a tad before they act …
So let no one harbour any (fanciful) doubts that this statement has Presidential approval. And oh, one more thing: apart from the few engaged in the silly art of fooling themselves, the great majority of citizens are acutely aware that when Gotabhaya Rajapaksa speaks, Sri Lanka listens …
Also, as the defence secretary has observed, this question is nowƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ beyond politics. Now is the time for every national organisation, representing all ethnic groups, to come together and demand, yes demand, thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ all political parties in parliament unite to back the abolition of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Beyond the jettisoning of this, and any other impediments to the nation’s delayed development, it is moot to note that the people will expect this and future Sri Lankan administrationsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to chart an even-handed foreign policy mindful of regional and global realities, even as it stands up to unwarranted interference by close neighbours, in this case, Tamil Nadu.
A recent article by another accomplished and respected Sri Lankan, R. Chandrasoma, demands repetition in this context …. Part of what he wrote some weeks ago in Lankaweb says:
‘Being armed and ready given the realities of proximity and our own internal divisions is aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ first and basic step. The second is that palvering with a central government in India has only a cosmetic importance given that the decay at the centre will soon make the regions the real power-brokers. That Tamil Nadu will be an antagonist to be reckoned with in the years ahead is a painful truth that must be reckoned with in planning for the future. No less important is the fact that we have a great fund of goodwill in the heartland of India that must be harnessed in our ideological battles with the Dravidic powers of Sothern India. The recent visit of our president to the key state of Madya Pradesh has great significanceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in this context. The warm welcome he received sends a powerful signal that much ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” indeed its core ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” favours us a friend and cultural ally in our regional struggle for survival.
The bottomline is that the fragile and indecisive Government of India cannot be called upon to help us in our disputes with Tamil Nadu. Friendship and goodwill must be sought elsewhere in India’.
October 24th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
“When Gotabhaya Rajapaksa speaks, Sri Lanka listens.”
ABSOLUTELY!!
Fonseka too had this power until he joined with Sambanthan and his TNA goons.
October 24th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
A small country like Sri Lanka need strong leaders like the Rajapaksa brothers. They have the guts and more importantly they play the diplomatic game very well. When guts fail and they get cornered they know how to get out of a hot situation very well.
I hope they lead this country for at least another decade. Or at least until Ranil W is retired.
October 24th, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Gota is going to New Delhi soon. We will see what will be the reaction after his visit!
October 24th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
NO SRI LANKAN PUBLIC SERVANT is answerable to India…
Gotabaya DOES NOT have to give any explanations to India or take any orders from India…
October 24th, 2012 at 5:51 pm
” When Gotabhaya Rajapaksa speaks, Sri Lanka listens”.
Well said Nimal. All the opposition parties and unpatirotic Sri Lankans should take note of this quote by Nimal Fernando.
It is time all of us who love Sri Lanka get behind Gota and campaign to get rid of the 13th amendment by petitioning to to our local MP’s so that it can be debated in the parliament.
October 24th, 2012 at 6:43 pm
Sri Lanka cannot play politics with national interest. No country worth its name does things outside their national interest. Our revered Defence Secretary has said what is needed for the preservation of the country and the nation. He has been a true patriot who can think clearly for the nation outside narrow political interests.
What he said is what should have happened immediately after the war ended. Already we are 3 years too late. Sri Lanka cannot wait to see the petty interests politicians nor that of clearly identified enemy interests, such as those of Tamil Nadu and of the Christian Church influenced Central Government of India now controlled by Sonia Gandhi and Christian interests inimical for the well being of India. The Central Government India having spawned, trained and funded terrorism in Sri Lanka is in no friend and not in place to dictate how Sri Lanka looks after her national interests.
India is a colonial construct and is in danger of dismemberment at the hands of the Western Christian powers. Dismemberment of Sri Lanka is the stepping stone to that adventure. Western Christian nations are busy destabilising nations throughout the world so that they can plunder their wealth willy nilly.
All patriots must rise up now to strengthen the hand of the Gota and his brothers, for they are the only ones who are patriotic enough and possessing necessary power to do the needful.
October 24th, 2012 at 7:18 pm
M-S-Mudali, Gota is going to Deihi? Where did you get this info. What I read from e-mails sre different. Karunanidhi is sending a Private plane to Colombo to take Gota to Channai. Then he will tell him that he will order an invation of Sri Lanka and show him the military hardware he has. He will then tell Gota that he has under his command 3 million Tamils armed living in the jungle and if he negate the 13A, he will order his sons, Stalin and Lenin, to attack Hambanttota harbor and the air port. While fisherman in the North capture Anuradhapura. Karunanidhi brought up his two sons by now and then feeding human flesh form Killed Sinhala solgers. These two are cannibals, what will happen if they were let loose when Gota gets there? They will eat him alive. If this happens Andy Lingham and M-S_Mudali will Emperor and deputy Emperor of SL!
October 25th, 2012 at 12:19 am
Stability of Sri Lanka has always been destroyed by one country,pre colonial and post colonial and that is India. Sri Lanka needs men of vision, experience in foreign affairs to manipulate and establish a viable foreign policy on India , bipartisan so that it never changes with even changes of govt. This is a very complex relation ship not for ametures who find themselves in power purely on the basis of being the Presidents brother. National interests are at stake for generations and that should be left for professionals. The 13th amendment is a standing example of a failed politician JRJ who thought he knew every thing that was good for the country and ran a foreign policy that was servile to the west, which was anti Indian and against the national interests of the country. Sri Lanka badly needs think tanks of professionals that could advise the govt on development, Foreign policy etc. The present policy of dancing to the tunes of foreigners must be abandoned.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:25 am
Keheliya Rambukwela stated that the government has no idea to repeal the 13 or 13A.
Before the war with LTTE, the same Gota made many trips to New Delhi in the capcity of the secy. of defence to get support and supply from India. So, he has a duty to explain India related issues to India. Back stabbing is not a new idea in Sri lankan politics.
Shenali still unable to explain why UNP supported LTTE and agreed for the same 13. Later the same UNP under Premadasa joined LTTE against India. As far as I know LTTE is an anti-Indian terrorist org. and supported by Catholic Church & UNP.
If Gota is a Sri Lankan public sevant, he must shut his mouth on constitutional issues.
October 25th, 2012 at 3:37 am
If Gota is a Sri Lankan public sevant, he must shut his mouth on constitutional issues.! No he is doing his excellent job to achive our lasting solution !!!
Thank you Gota ! keep up your work for us !!!
October 25th, 2012 at 3:46 am
Well the worthless Spider Man opens his worthless mouth
“Govt. has no intention to abolish 13th amendment” Adaderana
What a waste of public money to treat him at Melbourne.
If the government has no guts with a 2/3 majority to do it. Let the people elect a government that can! (definitely not the opposition…..) lets take matters into our own hands.
October 25th, 2012 at 4:01 am
mjaya
Public money to treat him at Melbourne.! Whether We treat him in Melbourne or Angoda , still he say same thing !
Our spoke Person know very well Not only his Govt but also any future Govt of SL can not touch this Indian imposed 13A !!!
October 25th, 2012 at 4:22 am
Lingam bugger,
In that case we all should all become Indian. Will that make you happy ?
October 25th, 2012 at 4:40 am
Dham
In that case we all should all become Indian. Will that make you happy ?NO ,We kicked out IPKF !!! because We are Lanka Putha(lvarkal) !!!
We do not need to become Indian as We already Indian Slaves any way !!!
eg: Sampanthan summons last week & Gota sommons this week to Indian empire !!!
October 25th, 2012 at 5:56 am
Go Gota ! Get the 13-A scrapped. It has proved to be a useless piece of legislation to control Sri Lanka not to go too far west (Cold War times). Cold War is now finished – time to finish off the 13-A too, as it has outlived its usefulness. But Sri Lanka will never be allowed to go too far west due to regional comfort levels not only for India but also for India’s giant neighbors.
The big problem is that the 13-A gave false hopes to minorities to carve up Lanka, especially the Tamil leaders who were aspiring to do so with or without the 13-A, from way back 1930s. Tamil leaders of Tamil Nadu had the same aspirations to separate from India, which idea was stopped by PM Nehru who made secession illegal in the Constitution of India.
India will understand that it is time to remove the 13-A. However, India will also see to it as their duty (because of Tamil Nadu), that the Tamil minority are treated in a fair manner. We are all for that. The Tamil minority always had their rights intact. They ought not to ask for more than what is rightly their due. Tamils of Lanka enjoy far more rights than do Tamils of Tamil Nadu in India.
On our part we have to make sure that no one enters Lanka illegally. It is the illegal migrant from Tamil Nadu (and elsewhere),who have made a bad situation worse for Sri Lanka relations with India.
October 25th, 2012 at 7:10 pm
to add something to nandamitra. not only advisers needed. All this advisers must come from well trained intelligent agency. sl need an intelligent agency which is global. Singhalese have to start by themselves. if the do not do it, they are on the way to their end.
Tigers supporters are westerns spies, nothing to hide about it. when they fail one way, they come in another way. Hostile way is failed, they come in under peace. both ways is failed, then come from South Africa, Japan, Thailand or event try china or Russia. All failed, but hell bent on setting up short term goal and long term goal of erasing Singhalese permanently by launching multi-programs through UN etc in a fast track system.
This is what happening right now. if singhalese want to block foreigners’ programs. They have to organise, vigilant. reach out to all singhalese in an organisational structure and educate about foreign espionage and some tamil and singhalese elements as well.
Nuclear weapons required to back up sl decisions. Can SL obtain them? Big Yes. not only obtain them but can station them in space by raising fund by joining countries who threatened by west like sl. China and Russia can do by themselves.
Singhalese need only will power. if They have it they can turn the world upside down or they can conquer the world like sl kings and bring illegal tamil people back to tamil nadu and provide them economic support to live happy ever after.
That’s way, they do not get kill, sinhalese do not get kill, This way, tiger people cannot use refugees game to obtain western citizenship to launch wars against sl nor their western partners.
October 25th, 2012 at 7:25 pm
I do not believe lightening strike on sl heritage sites. they were there for thousands of years, there were no lightening strikes! Why only in war time in which foreigners wow to destroy singhalese in a creative way.
I believe these are works of foreign indirect messengers who have been sending daily indirect messages to SL.
October 26th, 2012 at 5:24 am
The various media are reporting Keheliya Rambukwella’s message re the 13-A on behalf of the GoSL in different ways, confusing the public. What he really said was that the 13-A will not be repealed for the TIME BEING.
October 26th, 2012 at 6:05 am
Lingam Malli,
If you don’t like 13A then you are Sudu Putha and real Lanka Putha.
Mu_Dalit is India Puka, not a real Lanka Putha.
October 26th, 2012 at 11:31 am
You are right – when GOtabhaya speaks – Sri Lankans liste.
And after many trips to Delhi he knows well how much Indians want a united and strong india free of cancerous separatist ideology of Southern states.
I do not think that Indian Politicians want to see the swagger of LTTE ever again whatever they may say to appease the local idiots like Vaiko, Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha from time to time.
October 27th, 2012 at 12:21 am
Now Sinhala idiots tow the line of Premadasa and Prabhakaran. What a gang of Sinhala Buddhist jokers? Soon some of the idiots will tell here that Buddha went to India from Maradana. hahahaha