My dear Mahinda maama, I am writing to you with mixed emotions after seeing you on stage at the rally organised by the ‘pohottuwa’ last week. This must be a difficult time for you, with Namal baby behind bars, even if it is only temporarily, and Shiranthi jetting off to Singapore for what is supposed [...]
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I am writing to you with mixed emotions after seeing you on stage at the rally organised by the ‘ pohottuwa ’ last week. This must be a difficult time for you, with Namal baby behind bars, even if it is only temporarily, and Shiranthi jetting off to Singapore for what is supposed to be medical treatment.
Namal baby had delegated the task of organising the rally to Tisakutti. It was supposed to be a repeat of ‘Mahinda sulanga ’, the rally at Nugegoda organised soon after you lost the top job to Aiyo Sirisena. Last week’s event was called ‘Jana Satana’ or the ‘Peoples’ Struggle’. Ah, what a struggle it was!
The ‘pohottuwa’ chaps claimed Namal baby was detained to sabotage the Anuradhapura rally. They also said that with Namal baby behind bars, they would bring twice the number of persons to the rally. They succeeded to some extent. There was a decent crowd. It was mostly in quantity, not in quality.
Many were in high spirits, literally and metaphorically. What some of them said was unprintable. “If Namal baby has stolen, he should go to prison, not us,” some said. Others said they wouldn’t vote for the ‘pohottuwa’ though they came for the rally. Your rivals had a field day replaying those moments.
The list of invitees also raised many eyebrows. The Greens weren’t there, despite them issuing the first statement supporting Namal baby when he was detained. That maybe understandable because you were once bitter rivals, even if you wanted Uncle Ranil to get the top job after Gota maama fled.
What was more surprising was the absence of any notable Blues. The Blue party was where almost all of you including you, Mahinda maama , began your political journey. Was it because this was young Duminda’s home turf and he – and not Tisakutti – would have stolen the limelight if he was there?
If the absentees were a surprise, those present were an even greater surprise. There were the political twins, Wimal and Gammanpila. Yes, the same duo who opposed Basil returning to Parliament and was kicked out of Gota maama ’s Cabinet and vowed never to do politics with the ‘R’ clan ever again!
Seated alongside Wimal and Gammanpila was Archchuna, the doctor who entered parliament as an independent. This is the same gentleman who said ‘Prabhakaran is my God’. What was he doing there with Wimal and Gammanpila, the ‘usual suspects’ in promoting Sinhala Buddhist patriotism?
Not only was Archchuna there, he made a speech too. What a speech it was. He claimed the Eelam diaspora funded Anura sahodaraya at the last election, but he isn’t doing their bidding after he won, so they will fund Namal baby in 2029. What will your supporters make of that, Mahinda maama ?
Archchuna called himself a ‘kotiya’ or a tiger. He called you a ‘sinhaya’ or a lion. He said you could both live in the same jungle but the people chose a ‘nariya’ or a fox to lead them. Anura sahodaraya is in good company. After all, wasn’t JR, who was remembered this week, called the ‘Old Fox’?
When Wimal spoke, he accused the ‘maalimaawa’ chaps of prosecuting war heroes to please the Eelam diaspora. This was the same diaspora that Archchuna referred to. In fact, Wimal prefaced his speech saying, ‘I don’t know whether Archchuna will be annoyed after hearing what I have to say’!
Mahinda maama , we are all very confused. What does the ‘pohottuwa’ stand for now? Is it still trumpeting its usual ‘rata, jaathiya’ slogans and saying we should save our race and the nation from the Eelam diaspora or is it going to be funded by the Eelam diaspora as Archchuna suggested?
Despite all this, Mahinda maama , the saddest sight for me – and for many others too – was seeing you being brought to that rally. Namal, of course, couldn’t be there. There was some talk as to whether Limini will take his place, but that was neither here nor there. Still, you shouldn’t have been there.
Mahinda maama , whatever faults you may have and whatever else you may be accused of, no one can take away the fact that you gave decisive political leadership to the war against terror and won. There is peace in Paradise today because of you. That alone assures your place in our history.
It is your turn to bask in that glory and spend your retirement in comfort. For the ‘pohottuwa’ to now literally carry you around, helped on your feet by an army of men, solely for its political purposes, shows how bankrupt the party is. It shows it has nothing else to show, except your legacy.
Fathers make many sacrifices for their children. You may have thought you should do this for Namal baby. Believe me, this didn’t gain him any sympathy. Many ask why Namal baby allowed you to be paraded in that manner, just for a political rally, with not even an election around the corner?
So, Mahinda maama , I hope this is your first and last rally, at least for a while. This certainly wasn’t a repeat of ‘Mahinda sulanga ’. History repeats itself, first as a tragedy and then as farce, they say. The tragedy was seeing you there that day. The farce, of course, was Archchuna, who stole the show!
PS: It is hard to keep track of the comings and goings of the ‘R’ clan. Shiranthi is in Singapore. She may be trying to make a case for ‘exceptional circumstances’ for bail, just in case. Namal may have Archchuna’s support but I hope she won’t need the support of Arjuna – of the Mahendran type, I mean!
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