{"id":46635,"date":"2015-08-06T20:58:02","date_gmt":"2015-08-07T02:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=46635"},"modified":"2015-08-06T14:03:40","modified_gmt":"2015-08-06T21:03:40","slug":"mr-vs-rw-cbk-ms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2015\/08\/06\/mr-vs-rw-cbk-ms\/","title":{"rendered":"MR\u00a0 vs\u00a0 RW, CBK & MS"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ganapathy Moorty<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

On the 17th<\/sup> August 2015, a decision will be made by the people as to whether\u00a0 MR> RW, CBK & MS\u201d, or\u00a0 MR<RW, CBK & MS\u201d, once again in the general\u00a0 election.\u00a0 Oh, sorry!, just \u00a0forgot to list the foreign powers and their agencies, i.e. the so called NGO\u2019s, \u00a0also along with RW, CBK & MS.<\/p>\n

None of the above challengers of Mahinda Rajapakse, had or have the guts to oppose him alone.\u00a0 While MR stand on his own, believing in his own strength and achievements, \u00a0the others find it impossible to even imagining of challenging him alone, as they have had no achievements in favour of the country during their long reigns before MR.\u00a0 \u00a0Let\u2019s start the times of all parties concerned here served the country after the Tamil militancy came to play a key role in the Sri Lankan politics.\u00a0 The UNP ruled the country continuously for 17 long years, from 1977 to 1994, and \u00a0Ranil Wickramasinghe was a part of the government, serving \u00a0as PM\u00a0 from 1993 to 1994.\u00a0 During the 15 months he was PM\u00a0 the UNP was enjoying a 2\/3 majority government, and RW was considered to be an executive PM, as T.B. Wijetunge was just filling up the position of the executive presidency \u00a0due to the assassination of R. Premadasa.\u00a0 But nothing was done to eradicate terrorism or to bring a solution to the ethnic problems by RW.\u00a0 \u00a0After that, Chandrika Bandaranayake \u00a0Kumaratunge\u00a0 ruled for 11 years, during which she had RW as PM for\u00a0 three and a half years.\u00a0\u00a0 The three and a half years of RW\u2019s Prime Minister saw the infamous ceasefire agreement, with Norway as facilitator, meant to bring peace to the country but ended up as the LTTE gaining more grounds, internally and internationally.\u00a0 \u00a0Internally they got a de facto government of their own while getting international recognition, that it, even though an armed organization, can sit on par with an elected government of a country. \u00a0Note, that the CFA was said to have been signed with the LTTE, as Norway as facilitators even without the consent of the President, which was CBK herself.\u00a0 The only thing that happened adversely to the LTTE at that time was the revolt by the Eastern commander of the LTTE, Karuna, which drastically changed the military might of the organization.\u00a0\u00a0 Even though RW later claimed to get the credit of weakening the LTTE by dividing it, Karuna said that his revolt was the result of the Eastern sect of the LTTE being marginalised by the Northern LTTE leadership.<\/p>\n

Strangely, the President who was sidelined by RW , not even consulted as she claimed at that time,\u00a0 later on in January 2015 gave her full support for RW to become PM again, working vehemently against MR, someone whose father was a founder member of the SLFP along with her father, and\u00a0 who never deviated from the policies of the party, even during the long years of\u00a0 UNP rule,\u00a0 whereas CBK \u00a0herself left the party for some time complaining her mother, Mrs. Bandaranayake, \u00a0gave more importance to her brother, late Mr.Anura Bandaranayake,\u00a0 in the party ignoring her existence in the family. \u00a0We can learn two things from the above two happenings:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 It\u2019s not the policies or the welfare state of the country, but the personal grudges\u00a0 and\/or rivalry between \u00a0the leaders that counts, and\u00a0 2. Birds of the same feather flock together\u201d, i.e. the Colombo elites – just like the capitalist western countries come together\u00a0 to threaten the third world countries to toe their line by hook or by crook, or to attack and plunder a country (that has rich resources )citing false accusations – would put their differences under the carpet\u00a0 whenever it comes to be competing with a rural, man of the soil, if he happens to be a challenge to their\u00a0 superiority and popularity!)<\/p>\n

We have seen and experienced the country of Sri Lanka, from 1977 to 1994, the 17 long years as one period of time (or reign), from 1994 to 2005 another period of time,\u00a0 and again from 2005 to May 2009, and lastly from\u00a0 May 2009 to December 2014.\u00a0 How life was for the people of Sri Lanka during those different periods of time, though altogether it meant a short period of time in a historical sense?\u00a0 During the first 17 year period was mostly controlled by J.R. Jayawardene, and R. Premadasa.\u00a0 No one can deny that a type of dictatorship prevailed in the country even though it was claimed to be a democracy.\u00a0 Remember the blank sheets signed by all the UNP MPs in the possession of JRJ.\u00a0 This was called democracy.\u00a0 Moreover, the two worst ethnic riots took place resulting as the fuel for the fledgling Tamil militancy and causing the Tamils\u2019 exodus \u00a0from that country during that time only.\u00a0 The UNP government, with all the strength it had in the parliament (3\/5 in numbers) failed to find a viable solution or to curb the growing militancy among the Tamil youths.\u00a0\u00a0 As a result, the country had to allocate a large portion of its annual budget for defence buying arms and ammunition while the people in Sri Lanka, particularly those who lived in the North and East, began to suffer a lot, finding their lives have drastically changed by the events that were going on and on.\u00a0\u00a0 Between the two, J.R.Jayawardene and Premadasa, the former was keen on playing for the interests of the western powers, resulting, at that time, in the confrontation with our own big brother, India, and the rest is history.\u00a0 Arming and training the Tamil militant groups, Indo-Sri Lanka agreement, 13th<\/sup> Amendment etc.<\/p>\n

When CBK came to power in 1994, there was much expectation from the Singhalese as well as the Tamils, but it was short lived.\u00a0 Her reign of 11 years proved futile, nothing done to develop the country or to eradicate terrorism.\u00a0 Once she looked determined to eliminate the LTTE, but was submitted meekly to the pressures by external powers.\u00a0 And then the infamous P-TOMS, which was one another blunder on her part.\u00a0 There is nothing much to talk about her achievements, except that she made Mahinda Rajapakse as PM first and then accepted (willingly or unwillingly!) his nomination for presidency later.\u00a0 Or, maybe she had no option other than doing it, as it was MR only the perfect person to lead the party and the country at that juncture!\u00a0 Although CBK now claims that she defeated the LTTE in Jaffna in 1995 and thus laid the foundation for winning the war, the LTTE factor and their activities continued to be there until May 2009.\u00a0 There is a saying in Tamil one who can only jump half of a well, will fall into the well\u201d.<\/p>\n

From 2005 to end of 2014 proved to be the years during which Sri Lanka changed fast again, this time for the good of the country.\u00a0\u00a0 The first four years were spent in a determined way to eliminate the LTTE militarily, and eradicate terrorism from the soil of Sri Lanka.\u00a0 In May 2009, LTTE were finished militarily! MR and his brother GR were able to achieve what was looked by others almost impossible.\u00a0 And they achieved it by utilizing the services of the same military generals who had been serving under the leadership of J.R.J.,\u00a0 R.P., and CBK\u00a0 for years, showing that any achievement would only be possible depending on the quality of the leadership.\u00a0 MR \u00a0& GR displayed such a quality of leadership that resulted in liberating the country not only from terrorism, but also from the constant interferences of foreign powers on the pretext of bringing peace in the country and human rights.\u00a0 In fact, MR had to face much more pressure from foreign powers to halt the war than that any of his predecessor.\u00a0 Maybe, J.R. Jayawardene faced it from India, and he submitted himself to it.\u00a0 Anyway, \u00a0interferences on the pretext of human rights still continue.\u00a0 \u00a0Every war had its own toll of human deaths and other kind of destructions in the course of fights.\u00a0 War never ended without deaths and destructions.\u00a0 The problems here is when big powers wage war on smaller and weaker countries, the deaths and destruction do not counts.\u00a0 There would be no human rights breaches and it\u2019s only for redeeming the human values and restore democracy!\u00a0 But whenever there is a fight to save the country from terrorism in a third world country, the scale (to measure the values and rights) differs.<\/p>\n

One must also keep in mind, that if the LTTE were not militarily defeated, and the war continued for another five years, say from 2009 to 2014, the number of people killed, mostly young men from both communities, would have been much more that that was claimed have been killed in the final stage of war – the rural Singhalese young men from the Sri Lankan security forces, and the Tamil young men and women of poor families from the LTTE.<\/p>\n

As a Sri Lankan Tamil, the writer of this column knows very well, that most of the Tamils, especially the youths, fled the country due to threat by the LTTE.\u00a0 The Tamil parents did not want their school going children to be fodder for the LTTE war machinery.\u00a0 They had to go through many difficulties and find all kind of ways and means to have their children escape from the LTTE.\u00a0 Those who were lucky enough, ended up in foreign countries, and those who could not make it to foreign countries, in Colombo and suburban areas.\u00a0\u00a0 Nobody did want to stay in places where they could be targeted by the LTTE.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As far as the Muslims concerned, they must not forget the killings of Muslims in the East and the 24 hour eviction notice issued to them by the LTTE in Jaffna.\u00a0 They also were unable to live peacefully during the LTTE time, even though they were speaking the same language.\u00a0 Therefore, the people of Sri Lanka, especially the Tamils and the Muslims in the North -East,\u00a0 should be more grateful to Mahinda Rajapakse, than any other leaders in Sri Lanka, including the Tamil & Muslims leaders.\u00a0\u00a0 The writer also knows well, that the Singhalese people are very tolerant ones as they still welcome the Tamils to live in their areas whereas the Tamil leaders make so much of hue and cry whenever the Singhalese people set up their homes in the North-East part.\u00a0\u00a0 If Tamils can set up their homes in the parts of country other than the so-called Tamil traditional areas, then the Singhalese also must have the same rights, viz. to set up their homes wherever they want to.\u00a0\u00a0 If there is an even spread of community settlements throughout the country,\u00a0 then the politicians would be afraid of wielding the ethnic cards to harvest the votes, but to do some concrete works for the development of the country and the welfare of the people if they want to be elected again.<\/p>\n

However, strangely, within a short span of time, the Tamils seemed to have forgotten what they had gone through only a few years back, and ready to fall for the false promises of the TNA and their likes.\u00a0 One can only hope they would think wisely before they vote this time. The TNA has not delivered any good for the Tamil people so far, but giving them false promises which they themselves believe never be fulfilled. \u00a0\u00a0They try their best to keep\u00a0 kindling the Tamil people\u2019s\u00a0 ethnic emotions so that the people would start thinking wisely and they, TNA, would keep going back to Parliament to enjoy the benefits of being MP\u2019s.<\/p>\n

From June 2009 to December 2014, what Sri Lanka has seen in terms of development works, the infra-structure and the opportunities for employment, the transportation and the freedom to move freely anywhere in the country, the opportunities for the student population, both communities without any differences, \u00a0to have uninterrupted education in upgraded schools with the modern facilities, improvements in health care and education, all these were not seen before 2009.\u00a0 In fact, the Tamil students got more\u00a0 facilitiesafter the war.<\/p>\n

(Now, Maithri Sirisena is the president and leader of the SLFP which has the majority in the parliament, but RW, leader of the UNP has been appointed as PM.\u00a0 This also is called democracy.\u00a0 Not heard of anywhere before.\u00a0 The PM seems to be doing things that only satisfy the western interests and the capitalists.\u00a0 President does not look like an executive one but a nominal head.\u00a0 Who is he afraid of , or who is he indebted to (for the position he all of a sudden pushed into?)<\/p>\n

In return for all these, considering all that happened before and after the war, keeping in mind of all that have been done to the country by all the leaders, current and past, we all have to come to a conclusion that there had never been a leader to the calibre of former President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse a true son of the soil, a leader with a vision, and one who really loved the people of Sri Lanka.\u00a0 If by any chance, the people fail to elect him as their leader, there is a possibility to and probably a plot to have him before a war tribunal by the foreign powers, or for alleged misuse of power by the local leaders in order to curb his chance of becoming to power again.\u00a0 We should not let it happen, as we need MR to lead the country again!<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ganapathy Moorty On the 17th August 2015, a decision will be made by the people as to whether\u00a0 MR> RW, CBK & MS\u201d, or\u00a0 MR<RW, CBK & MS\u201d, once again in the general\u00a0 election.\u00a0 Oh, sorry!, just \u00a0forgot to list the foreign powers and their agencies, i.e. the so called NGO\u2019s, \u00a0also along with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-forum"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46635"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46635\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}