Sangadasa Akurugoda

Answering the last question raised by the interviewer at a live televised conversation with Prof. Ajith Dissanayake  under the ‘’Big Question’’ program of Sri Lanka Rupavahini dated 24^th May 2002 (https://youtu.be/s73PKlWj4cg) , Prof. Dissanayake quite correctly hinted who should be behind the current turmoil  in Sri Lanka. He sighted Rukada Natya (Puppet dramas) as an example.

The themes of Rukada Natya are chosen from folktales, Buddhist stories, ancient literature, historical narratives and trivia with humorous anecdotes from contemporary life or Nadagam, an extinct form of ‘folk opera’. Puppeteers make their own wooden puppets and prepare with dialogues, music and songs, which they recite while manipulating the puppets. Perhaps due to the arrival of the television and other electronic entertainment media since late-1970s, traditional puppet drama which allowed the community members to laugh and have fun together has begun to lose its popularity. We remember how some were going to see puppet dramas based on the specific themes while others were going to see anything as long as it is a drama. Although some of the observers are aware or could see (if interested) who are responsible for manipulating the string puppets and providing the voice, music and songs etc, no one can see who is choosing/making the puppets and providing the script since they are not visible at the drama site but are residing outside. 

Prof. Dissanayake answering another question said Ranil Wickramasinghe , the current PM, has made a world record of becoming the PM for the 6^th time of a country and asked the interviewer to decide the outcome of his appointment thinking about his past records and how he has handled the country’s issues.  Further he said Ranil represented the interest of the West and is a very obedient person to them where as Rajapaksa group followed the international politics of middle path.

As far as we are aware, Ranil who became PM 2001-2004 was neither the Head of the Executive nor the Head of the Cabinet of Ministers signed an agreement with the terrorist leader Prabhakaran in 2002. The agreement arranged by the Norwegians blindly gave some areas of the North and Eastern Provinces to the LTTE under so-called “LTTE territories”, without the knowledge or the approval of the country. Unless this foolish agreement was abrogated and LTTE defeated militarily to remove the so-called “LTTE territories”, the situation of the country would be entirely different today.  Ranil’s leadership always wanted the government of Sri Lanka to satisfy the requirements of the so-called international community and the Norwegians, who were openly interfering with the internal affairs of a sovereign nation (Sri Lanka) with sinister motives and made wild declarations openly accepting a federal solution without even having the decency to consult or to get the consensus of the other political parties before making such a declaration.

Ranil, who became PM once again in 2015, curtailed the President’s powers (since the country had since 1978) via 19A. Apart from the total failures of the so-called ‘’yahapalanaya’’  we still remember  the two bond scams perpetuated by the UNP under his leadership and how he justified  the signing of a controversial  MCC agreement before the last presidential election without presenting it to the Parliament.

We also remember how John Kerry who was the US Secretary of state 2013-17 admitted how they meddled with Sri Lanka’s politics to change the regimes in 2015. A person who couldn’t enter the Parliament as an elected MP and rejected by even his own party supporters is now the PM of Sri Lanka. We remember how the then US Ambassador talked about democracy and behaved in the Parliament when President Maithripala Sirisena appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa  as PM in 2019 and  how the current US Ambassador is making statements and behaving   when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed Ranil as PM. What a democracy we have today! 

It is understandable that the Sri Lanka public can’t focus on Constitutional Changes, National Security or Unitary Status of the country because their priority is day to day existence. On the other hand, it looks like the politicians of all sides are largely thinking about their own survival and re-election. Unfortunately this situation is freely allowing the hidden agenda set by foreign powers and manipulated by NGOs and religious and extremist elements, similar to those of a Rukada Natya as indicated above by Prof. Dissanayake.

Sangadasa Akurugoda