By R.A.Ratwatte –

R.A.Ratwatte

Well, the Diaspora or the LTTE rump or the disgruntled slightly guilty bunch of expatriates living all over the world, gave it their best shot! Using loads of the extorted but in most cases “willingly” donated funds that have been collected for the “cause” they bought everything from journalists to politicians and all things in between. There was an absolute barrage of “noise” (no doubt similar to the barrage and the noise at Nandikadal at the end of the war) designed to bring negative publicity to the host.

Some Countries were actually coerced into participating to varying degrees. Canada that identified the Tamil people as ideal to fill the demographic gap in their population (namely hard working and willing to live under harsh conditions) as early as the 1970’s has a large vote base of that ethnicity. The Tamil people both from Jaffna and South India are used to harsh weather, so the Canadian winter doesn’t faze them.  Since the living conditions in Canada are far superior to what they are used to and they are industrious and driven by economic prosperity, they will do the menial jobs that the white man won’t do and the black man is too lazy to do. So it was not really sympathy that drove the Canadians to take the Tamil people in and now they have to make allowance for their voting rights under a democracy, hence cheap politics carried the day.

India has finally shown their true colours! During Indira Ghandi’s regime it was an accepted fact that India actively promoted terrorist activity in all India’s’ neighbouring Countries. The LTTE was a group funded and trained by India and by not attending CHOGM, what they have established is that they have no real interest in Sri Lankas’ welfare. Instead they have finally tacitly admitted that they have failed to appease the howling mob of malcontents in Tamilnad and have to rethink their strategy. Meanwhile they have driven Sri lanka into the arms of China and possible Russia and Iran and of course Pakistan.

A pineapple grower in Mauritius has little or no significance and may have been bullied by India to back them up.

The Brits behaved true to form. When it was done by us it was all right but when anyone else tries to do it, it is not acceptable. This is the way all the dominant Countries with colonial or pseudo colonial backgrounds tend to behave and it only parodies what their ancestors did with much more aplomb. The wonderfully charismatic presence of Prince Charles overshadowed the rather pathetic attempts of their Prime Minister.

Now I am no supporter of this regime in Sri Lanka. I abhor the family bandism, the catcherism, the “ape miniha can do no wrong syndrome” and all other things that go with this regime. However when trying to rationally asses the aftermath of the CHOGM, I am compelled to say that I feel more good has been done to the Rajapaksa cause that harm.