KAMALIKA PIERIS

The departure of Mahinda Rajapaksa from the Pohottu government resembled a scene from a film. Gotabaya Rajapaksa had asked Brother Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign as Prime Minister. Instead, on May 9. 2022, Mahinda Rajapaksa convened a meeting of his supporters,   at Temple Trees, and asked them whether he should go or stay. Stay! yelled the loyal supporters. Mahinda Rajapaksa agreed to stay. This was shown on television news.

Then to the surprise of the watching television audience, his ‘supporters’ dashed to Galle Face, armed with poles   and attacked the Gotagama protesters there. They systematically tore down the tents and destroyed the stalls. Television cameras were there filming it all. In events like this, television cameras usually come after the event. In this case they were running alongside, recording for posterity.

There was an immediate reaction by the ‘peaceful’ group. Their reaction was anything but peaceful. They tracked down the Mahinda Rajapaksa supporters who had come from outstation. They knew exactly where the buses that brought them were parked. They went there and damaged the buses. Supporters were pushed into the Beira canal and made to stay there. All this took place amidst much shouting and jeering. No film director could have orchestrated this better. In fact it was just like     watching an action film. Better actually, because this was ‘live’.

Who organized this, asked Shenali Waduge. Who instructed them to attack the unarmed peaceful protestors”. Did they bring poles with them to the meeting or were they given poles at Temple Trees. It is suggested that supporters inside Temple Trees did not have poles. By 3 p.m. another set of people, mostly youth had arrived. They, it seemed, were armed with the poles.

Within a few hours of the Gotagama attack, came the announcement that Mahinda Rajapaksa had resigned as Prime Minister. No reason was given. There was much rejoicing. Then the protestors converged on Temple Trees and wanted to get inside. That was also shown to us on television. It was reported that at least 10 petrol bombs were thrown into the compound.

In a  pre-dawn operation, Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family were evacuated to safety by helicopter, by the army. He was airlifted out of Temple Trees as the crowds were waiting to attack him if he came out of Temple Trees.  Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family  were taken to Navy House inside  the  Navy  Headquarters in Trincomalee .

The next morning crowds arrived  at the entrance to the Navy headquarters  in Trincomalee and started to abuse Mahinda Rajapaksa calling him a thief and traitor. They wanted him taken prisoner. They kept up the verbal attack for hours. Each time you looked at TV news there they were, yelling. Those in front can be easily identified. They looked well rehearsed.

 Later, Mahinda Rajapaksa in a statement to the CID  said that he had not incited SLPP supporters to attack  Gotagama. He said  that if he  knew about the attack, he would definitely, have  stopped  it. We can accept this. Mahinda Rajapaksa is   Sri Lanka‘s most seasoned politician.  He is hardy likely to   commit such a blunder. The attack on Gotagama was staged by  an  anti- Mahinda group.

People are puzzled as to the animosity towards Mahinda Rajapaksa .People have asked me why do people hate Mahinda Rajapaksa so. Anura Gunasekera has offered an answer. Despite his easy camaraderie, hail-fellow-well-met persona and the diligently cultivated rustic appeal, Mahinda Rajapksa is fascist to the core. Mahinda is a total hypocrite, said Anura Gunasekera.

The long political career of a vainglorious man, signposted by overwhelming political victories, ignominious rejection and defeat, miraculous resurgence, accusations of massive corruption and complicity in the intimidation of opponents, has come to an inglorious end,   said Anura.

 It is the hypocrisy of this man,  so easily believed by the gullible Sinhala-Buddhist polity, which has brought our nation to this sorry pass. Such evil men must never be allowed access to positions of power. It is the Sinhala-Buddhist majority which gave them the license to pillage the nation,. Perhaps the grim present provides a lesson that they will not forget in the future, concluded Anura Gunasekera (.Island 5.6.22 p 9 )  

On the contrary, Mahinda Rajapaksa  is the only politician in Sri Lanka today, who has  a  well earned personal following. No other politician can  match this. People still remember, with gratitude,  that he  ended the war.  He    has many  significant  development projects to his credit as well.

When Mahinda Rajapaksa lost in the general election of 2015, crowds ran to his residence in Tangalle the day after. They wanted him back. They attended rallies in support of him. It was the fastest post-defeat turnaround in Sri Lankan political history, said Dayan Jayatilleke.  Mahinda Rajapaksa was  an important factor in the 2019 election as well. The vote for Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2019  was actually a vote for Mahinda Rajapaksa .

Mahinda Rajapaksa was humiliated, jeered at  and chased away from Temple Trees by a well planned anti-Mahinda movement In May 2022. It is a pity that it  ended this way. Mahinda Rajapaksa had the opportunity to go down n history as  a very successful head of state, leaving with dignity, in 2016,after  two terms in office.