Kiss The hand And Bite The Hand
By Helasingha Bandara -
I was at a loss to choose between “kiss the hand that cannot be severed” and “bite the hand that fed” as the title for this comment because both titles are equally appropriate to represent the contents of it. Since the end of the war, quite regularly, Rajapakshas have bitten the hands that fed them. Sarath Fonseka, Dayan Jayathilake and even Shirani Bandaranayaka are a few glowing examples among a plethora of them. People like Rajiva Wijesinghe are on the waiting list. Present Rajapakshas would not hesitate to destroy any one who would not toe their line, no matter how much such people have done to bring the Rajapakshas to the helm of power.
mahinda-rajapaksa-basil-rajapaksa-2010-4-4-12-50-29 colombotelegraph
Misjudgments
Is it not a misjudgement to believe that all those kissers or lickers are loyal to Rajapakshas? Some are, but the most do it out of the fear of reprisals. From 1977 with the coronation of the biggest conman in Sri Lanka’s history, Mr. Dharmister, the political psyche of the Sri Lankans changed irreversibly. The man who once claimed that the only deed he was unable to perform was to transform a woman into a man, had done irreparable damage to the mindset of the politicians and the people. He divided people along the party lines and enabled the politicians to wield so much power. This, transcended politicians to such heights that people are ready to assign godly status to them and worship them for personal gains. For the fear of the interference of the politician and his human machinery in the day to day lives of people, they have become subservient leaving no room for human dignity. There is absolutely nothing in the governance of Sri Lanka that can be dealt without the interference of the politician. An example from the lower end of the society is that even a poor farmer is not allowed to freely irrigate his small rice holding if the local politician does not consider him a supporter, water could be blocked. As the majority of the population is farmers, this is the best example to highlight how individual freedoms have been curtailed in our society by the unique brand of politics of Sri Lanka. At the top end, judges, lawyers, doctors, engineers, writers and the lot are prepared to betray any just cause or justify any misdeed for the fear of reprisals on the one hand and for the greed of perks on the other. The corrupt maneuverings of the politicians have become cancerous and their spread is wide and fast. JRJ may have misjudged the power of political corruption that he invented and introduced, particularly when it falls on evil hands. Rajapakshas are making even a graver misjudgement in letting what JRJ introduced to escalate onto new heights to which their own children and grand children would fall victim. No man, no party, no family would have permanent hold on power. Nothing is permanent, the last words of the Buddha.
There is outcry for the people to rise against the potential dictatorship. Sri Lanka is not Rome. There is no Brutus to effectively conspire to stop one person becoming the dictator. Sri Lanka’s history is studded with examples that Sri Lankan people have the inclination to betray common causes for personal favours. From Wibhishana to Udugampola to those lawyers who talked to The Island a few days ago, the country has seen traitors, not by Rajapaksha interpretation, but in the true sense of the word. In such a country an uprising is only suicidal. Rajapakshas know it. Who is in the opposition, Ranil of the spineless fame, Premadasa of the father’s ill repute and JVP and the rest of chameleon ability? Even together they are not a formidable force, divided they are no force at all. Rajapakshas know this too. With all that knowledge and assumptions, it still can be a misjudgement on the part of the regime not to address the needs of the poor, not to ensure equal opportunities to all, to nurture lawlessness on assumption that violence and the goons can save the day for them, to develop a massive perk culture and to subject the masses to indignity on assumption that they are all fools and cowards. People have the god given ability to forget. Twenty years passed with the UNP in the political wilderness. Because of the repression of this government, people have begun to forget the past and forgive culprits. At the opportune moment they can even replace ginger with chillies.
It again is a misjudgement to rely on the effectiveness of the abuse of concepts of race, religion, treachery and conspiracy. Race, religion and the “international conspiracy” are the strongest trump cards that the regime has been playing so far to rally support of a section of the society to cover their misdeeds. The masses would intuitively know that it is a trump when those cards are played quite frequently and regularly at every game and in no time the players may become ineffective in these games. If the hypocritical Tamil politicians, who are not any different to Sinhalese or Muslim politicians, stop pretending that the issues are solely Tamil, but treat them as collective issues, the regime will not be able to play the race card any longer.
Mistreatment
Mistreatment of the very people that elected Rajas would have serious repercussions. A news-site carried a photo of an obese man with a club in hand standing in the middle of the road threatening the ordinary people who want to protest peacefully, while the police was standing by being unable to protect the people, undoubtedly for the fear of reprisals or losing perks, was the most appalling scene to witness in the recent times. The majority of those people who were beaten, intimidated, verbally abused and humiliated have voted for this government not long ago thinking that Rajas have rescued them from the clutches of the deadly LTTE. Humans are not immune to physical and mental torture. Even a retreating dog turns round and bites if it is cornered and denied any escape route.
Misdeeds
Irrespective of whether Lasantha Wikremathunga was a traitor or a patriot, he was murdered in broad daylight and the killers are at large. Prageeth Eknaligoda surely had died, no doubt murdered, the killers roam the streets free. When no arrests were made, speculation is bound to be rife as to who is responsible for the murders . Now a Pradeshiya Sabha member is murdered. A minister stands accused. This minister is accused of many misdeeds. He is still free to rule in his terror reign.
Mismanagement
The economy is in tatters. The poor truly struggle to make ends meet despite Banduala Gunawardena’s calculation that a family of five can live with 6000 rupees per month. Mismanagement of the state coffers is the primary cause of all ills within the country. A section of the society, namely politicians and their cronies, can steal as they wish. Politics has become the most lucrative business in the island. It was manifest in the ease of luring the MPs of the opposition to government benches. Individuals spend millions at their election campaigns , certainly not hoping to recover the losses with an MP’s salary . The system is geared to enrich the politicians, their kith and kin and the supporters . The controllers have double standards, one for the friend and another for the foe. A good example is that the CJ has been impeached for not declaring her assets while hundreds of politicians and others happily ignore the requirement being aware nothing would happen as long as they remain “yes” men.
Miscreants
Wimal Weerawansa had played a vital role in misleading thousands of young people of this country with his leftist ideologies to end up in mass-pyres or mass-graves. His luxurious life style including the living in a 70 million Rupee mansion is an insult to the tens of thousands of the dead who sacrificed their lives believing that they were led by sincere leaders. It is disgusting how he uses the conspiracy theory for everything. Sometimes children urinate on the tarmac to measure the length of their waters. For Wimalwansa, urinating on the tarmac too can be an international conspiracy against Sri Lanka.
Mervin Silva has taken to the filthy language, intimidation, harassment, abuse and allegedly even murder. A British tourist was murdered by a politician and his goons. Women are being raped and ordinary people are assaulted and intimidated everywhere in the island by the politicians. When their vehicles come speeding along , horns blasting , everyone else has to either stop and give way or jump into the roadside drain. If not , insult and assault are guaranteed. They are just a few examples to query what else these politicians should be called other than miscreants.
Summarily it is the misrule of this government. Obviously there is no credible opposition as a party or as an individual that the people of this country can rally around. The people still prefer Rajas if they can shift from misrule to just-rule. Rajas do not need to mislead people or do not need misdeeds if they can reform themselves sooner than later. People are still hesitant to abandon them against their earlier beliefs that the Rajapakshas could take this country and its people to a higher plane in which poverty and destitution alleviated, individual freedoms safeguarded , lawlessness eliminated and justice restored. There is still time for Rajapakshas to do a self appraisal.
Most Sinhala Buddhists are alcoholics and rogues. They love to get abused by the government coz they are abusers themselves.
Lawyer - January 20, 2013
7:05 am
1920 Raped in 2102 according to the Lakbima paper, millions of kilos of meat poultry and fish are consumed, and nearly 7 trillion rupees sent on these vile and criminal activity.
I think our country people are not following Buddhist teachings and not going to temple also. So we can expect more of these things to happen.
Women are responsible for most of this by encouraging men to achieve status and money and all. Also leaving their daughters and home and going to work in the middle east. the men are frustrated.
Men are under lot of pressure and they are all doing bad things drinking you see, that’s why
Mama Gona
Gona Parte - January 20, 2013
7:45 am
SUMATHI SHOULD KNOW
AYMAN - January 30, 2013
7:17 am
“People like Rajiva Wijesinghe are on the waiting list”. Add Faizer Mustafa to this list. He revealed his true character recently when he sent his father to commisserate with Shirani B Kariyawasam before the impeachment motion. So the brothers four now know what a double-crossing agent he happens to be.
kos ata cabraal - January 20, 2013
7:27 am
SOON THE HEAD COUNT WILL SHOW THAT THE MAJORITY ARE MUSLIMS WHO WILL SURELY RULE THE COUNTRY AND INTRODUCE SHARIA LAW.
ARAB SPRING WILL TAKE PLACE AND CHANGE THE WAY THE ASSHOLES IN THE PARLIAMENT ARE BEHAVING.
THERE WILL NOT BE MANY HANDS TO FEED THEMSELVES WITH, AS THEY WILL BE ALL BE REMOVED BY THE EXECUTIONER.
MANY WOULD BE CRAWLING WITHOUT LEGS, BUT MOST OF THEM WOULD BE EXECUTED WITH A VERTICAL CUT (KNEELING HEAD BENT) OR HORIZONTAL CUT (STANDING HEAD ERECT).
MARK MY WORD.
Oh Danny boy - January 20, 2013
7:43 am
Oh Danny Boy On Danny Boy,
You really are the Piped Piper. Not very different from Leela, Shenali and other virulent racists.
What will you have? A Nazi style holocaust? Or would like to export us to some other country.
I am surprised that nincompoops like you populate this country and frequent a forum like this.
Here’s my response to a series of articles on Muslims and the purported fear and nervousness of Sinhalese.
http://www.dailynews.lk/2013/01/12/fea03.asp
Clearly Shenali’s article is in poor taste, full of innuendo, motivated by racial hatred that is prevalent in this country. The Daily News has sunk to such lows that it considers this debased article worthy of publishing. If we lived in a tolerant nation there would have been howls of protest. Soccerite Prince Boateng is a case in point where his team mates walked off the field when spectators made racial taunts on him. In our country racism is an accepted norm and there is not much we can expect from the silent majority. I am disappointed that Hamid Abdul Karim chose to dignify a contemptuous piece of thrash instead of rubbishing it!
Nabil - January 20, 2013
8:44 am
Other additions are the present Cheap Justice, Palitha Kohana, GL Pieris,
Sharvananda, Deputy speaker, Wimal Weerawansa etc etc
Park - January 20, 2013
2:29 pm
It is not a problem for butt kisser hypocrits like Palitha becos with his Australian Passport, he can escape to Aussie land directly from the UN. Either a dictatorship or the worst blood bath is in the making.
Saman - January 21, 2013
4:53 pm
Every step of this Regime is a march towards total dictatorship. There
is no second word about it. They are doing it step-by-step, so much
so that even the I/C cannot put a finger onto it. These so called IC
resolutions are useful for the time needed to dig in. When a future
cancellation of an election is made, the theory that the “people are
with me” has come to an end. The Sept. 2013 NP PC election has been
timed as none will be allowed to build a political footage by even then.
A change, as envisaged when some one broke the queue to shoot, found that already there are too many queued-up, is awaiting another
“Somarama” ahead?
punchinilame - January 20, 2013
3:46 pm
Yes This is the Paradise the People want.They say we are modayas and the day is not far off for them to realise their folly. Till then the Rajas and their sidekicks Dilan, Weera, Mervyn, will have their sway
Karuna - January 20, 2013
4:36 pm
Yes , Most of the sinhala buddhist …
We can’t edit your comments all the time – CT
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
http://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/
Daminda - January 21, 2013
1:56 pm
I salute the writer for his intelligence and courage to make this excellent analysis of the pathetic sitaution in our country. “Humans are not immune to physical and mental torture” but our people who voted these rogues into power will stoop low even to kiss their feet as long as they get some crumbs in return.
Politicians of all colours and shades are untrustworthy, shameless opportunistic crooks, and they will continue to rob the country and supress masses until the pople bitterly learn that it is already too late to realize your metaphor that “Even a retreating dog turns round and bites if it is cornered and denied any escape route.”
Somar - January 21, 2013
5:10 pm
Muslims are the future of Lankistan and sinhalese will be the boot lickers.
bin Ahamad - January 21, 2013
8:19 pm
If only one name has to be mentioned, the person who is responsible for all of this crap is the corrupted leader MR. Fix that problem first.
lankikayek - January 22, 2013
12:07 am
Dany Boy,,, what the government want now,is a another war to start so they can be in power to defeat that war..That is why Muslim bashing has started.If you govern a place properly no one should be allowed to make communal remarks that ultimately end up in communal violence.Our idiots play to their hands and start bashing Muslims now.I think what we should do is to stop this and ask the government to take appropriate action if any one create communal trouble.All these are done to distract people form the day to day problems.we have idiots in our country who play to politician tricks.No one will have a country soon..Not Muslims,Not Tamils and not Sinhalese…Who will loose more..The majority so called Sinhalese..Stupid people to stir up trouble again…
ari - January 22, 2013
1:01 am
These are all propaganda by the anti Mahinda forces. Fonseka is a traitor in any other country he would have been shot for his White Flag mutterings. Ex Chief Justice was criticised by Gonseka now he wants her to join him. Gonseka, Shirani and Dayan all got too big for their boots after Mahinda appointed them to their posts. No previous government wanted Fonseka as General and they said he cannot even be a Salvation Army Captain. They wanted that Shirani woman reported to the Bribery Commissioner when Mahinda appointed them. How soon these people became the pets of the opposition anti government jackals and the diaspora have joined them too. That traitor Bahu and Mangala Munasighe speaks at LTTE meetings overseas. What a set if swine we have in our country. Sufi Sudu Akka
Sudu Akka - January 22, 2013
2:28 am
AFTER THE COLONIZERS THE SINHALESE AND TAMILS RULED.WE CAN SEE THE MESS.
WHY NOT GIVE THE MUSLIMS A CHANCE, THE BODU BALA SENA MONKS CAN MARRY AND HAVE FIVE WIVES, SINCE THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT.
AYMAN - January 30, 2013
7:23 am
CHAMPIKAS,GAMMAN-PILLARS AND BADU BOLU SENA ALL FEEL THAT SRI LANKA IS GETTING ISLAMIZED. THEY ARE ALL WANTING TO PROTECT BUDDHISM,WHICH THEY
THINK IS THEIR MONOPOLY.MUSLIMS ARE 2 MILLION. THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM
“FEAR PSYCHOSIS”
THESE BUDDHISM PROTECTORS ARE PILLARS OF GOVERNMENT, THAT GETS MOST OF THEIR REVENUE FROM,ALCOHOL,TOBACCO, CASINOS,SWEEPSTAKES AND EXPORT OF
WOMEN TO OTHER COUNTRIES.
THESE CHAPS ARE ALL PLAIN HYPOCRITES. THEY USE BUDDHISM TO COME TO POWER AND THEN VIOLATE ALL THE PRECEPTS OF BUDDHISM.
WHO ARE ROBBING BUDDHIST TEMPLES? WHO ARE GOING FOR TREASURE AND IN THE PROCESS KILLING THE MONKS-CERTAINLY NOT TAMILS AND MUSLIMS.
WHO ROBBED THE MUSEUM? THIS MUCH WILL SUFFICE
AYMAN - January 30, 2013
7:38 am
Very good article.
kamal nissanka - January 30, 2013
9:02 pm