By W. Vishnu Gupta –
Recently many youtubers have entered the Sri Lankan political frays under different guises, they are nothing but poorly camouflaged trojan horses of different political parties. It is very usual for the local politicians to use various crafty methods to shore up their poor image and representation in the parliament. Some youtubers, have been in league with the Rajapaksa clan since 2005 until 2020 election campaigns and known to have played key roles by hoodwinking the masses to defeat the former regime led by RW and MS. It has become a trend now for these hoodlum con-artists to assail sixty-nine lakhs of voters in 2019 for electing GR and the worst government ever elected in the history of Sri Lanka including those of colonial regimes from 1505 to 1948. These very same degenerate artists include journalists, singers, film producers, tele-drama directors/producers and actors and actresses in the country. They spew obscene language in their presentations in denouncing Rajapaksas but conveniently have forgotten that they were the very same group hoodwinked 6.9 million voters. They are right now making every attempt to blame 6.9 million and acting as prima donnas to mislead the citizens of Sri Lanka once again. They must take full responsibility for promoting Rajapaksas among 6.9 million voters, these are the purveyors who portrayed vile politicians as saints, Rajapaksas as kings, they created TV programs, compiled songs, and wrote volumes in the newspapers to delude the rural masses, mostly farmers, government servants, factory workers, laborers, and unemployed youth. These unofficial gossipmongers are highly talented and know how to disguise thieves, rapists, murderers and vile men or women as saviours of the nation. So, blaming 6.9 million people voted for Rajapaksa clan is another phase of the devious plan orchestrated by few unethical men and women aiming to elect someone from the current political establishment including 225 plus one enjoying rewards of conning the masses since the independence. There are no exceptions in the lot occupying our legislature and the executive branches of government of Sri Lanka, no one has credibility and respect of the people.
In November 2024 we must elect a leader who will always fight for the people of Sri Lanka and do what is right, not what is politically correct. None of the 226 politicians occupying our legislature and the executive branch do not pass this simple litmus test as they are tainted and lack integrity.
Emergence of Sri Lankan Pol Pot
Regrettably some youtubers claimed to be journalists and film producers have started jockeying for Sri Lankan version of Pol Pot, a Marxist and above all a tainted opportunist who has been in league with corruption and corrupt leaders of both leading political parties SLFP and UNP. Besides how can we forget murderous, violent, and deceptive political doctrine advocated by this hate mongering miniscule radical faction. Should we forget what Pol Pot did in Cambodia or do we have to go through a similar experience of killing fields endured by Cambodian between 1975 and 1979. Certainly, there are parallels between Pol Pot and all leftist leaders in Sri Lanka, hence those who advocate and promote the emergence of Sri Lankan Pol Pot should not forget we are aware of the murderous past, vile tactics and conduct of the men and women draped in red garb.
Also, voters should not forget the campaign that advocated electing a “Hitler-like “person to be the president of Sri Lanka in 2019. Their wish may have come true, but the damage done to our economy, society, reputation, and the survival of the nation is colossal. As of now the Sri Lanka is a failed nation, electing another Pol Pot as the president will be the biggest blunder that the voters of Sri Lanka possibly will commit. The young, educated ones are getting ready as it was seen in the long line-ups in the passport office to abandoned motherland sensing the impending grave threats to peaceful life and survival of families in Sri Lanka. Most likely the spin doctors of Sri Lankan Pol Pot are very happy to see the exodus of young, educated people. Also, no wonder why they were so silent when thousands of 60+ years were dying due to the mismanagement of Covid-19 vaccination program of the country. The 60+ years old voters are the main stumbling block that any possible Sri Lankan Pol Pot must face because they (60+) remember vividly the atrocities, destruction and mass murders committed by the same group in 1970s and 1980s. Some youtubers particularly the ones who appeared in political campaigns of 2019 and praised GR as a virtuous king have jumped the Rajapaksa wagon and join the campaign to promote Sri Lanka Pol Pot recently. They are completely aligned with the thoughts of Pol Pot and wish 60+ years old should perish very soon, this dreary message conveyed in all their YouTube programs.
Corruption breeds Corruptions
All political parties and (225+1) politicians, occupying the legislature and the executive branch are equally responsible for establishing the current failed government. Bluntly put, it includes all hand-picked vile and devious individuals as MPs by MR, BR, RW, SP, MS, AD, RH, RB, and RS. The TNA likewise is accountable for the failed government and for neglecting the aspirations of the Sri Lankan Tamils. Corruption always breeds corruption; hence can the voters expect the above corrupt lot to produce any single person with honesty, integrity, intelligence, diplomacy, and determination. Judging by their performance in their portfolios, the 225 plus One has failed miserably to produce a single legislative paper that supports the aspirations and economic dreams of a single average citizen of Sri Lanka, all that they have done is to make a bankrupt country and inflicting an unbearable misery on average Sri Lankans. Every economic sector excluding the businesses of racketeers have thrived in the country. The smiles of our children are disappearing from their faces every day due to hunger, malnutrition, and deceases. Escalating cost of living, lack of essential commodities and services have paved the way for another Somalia, Sudan, and Haiti, yet the politicians are having a gala time in the parliament and outside the parliament. The cabinet of ministers are dominated by illiterate and semi-literate individuals known for unsavory actions and behaviours. The parliament has become a den of vile men and women engaging vituperative outbursts. What a waist of colossal amount of money spent on these dreadful men and women to entertain themselves at the expense of taxpayers.
Is budget an ominous sign
The budget must be the blueprint for how the Government wants to set the annual economic agenda for the nation. Unfortunately, there was no indication in the 2022 budget presented by BR on how the economic agenda will be carried out, there was no reference to, no directions, or no targets to drive our economy; agriculture, plantation, fishery, manufacturing, technology, and the service sector of which tourism plays a major role were ignored. Candidly, it is not a blueprint for setting up the economic agenda. Obviously, a corrupt entity will never be able to produce any meaningful, practical and people centered document. It is a recipe for disaster and willfully set-up with a hidden agenda. We wonder, who will benefit from a dubious and hollow budget that would lead to an enormous economic, social, and financial crisis and calamity in the nation in the future. Is it an ominous sign of an impending peril? Arguably, it appears to be an instrument designed to prepare the ‘PREY’ so that the vultures would start to circle around sooner than we expected.
RATNAM / November 15, 2021
Please think of your children’s future and saving the country from bankruptcy by not voting for these corrupt thugs in the future.
Promote your families and friends to do the same.
As this article says 225 plus one , none of them has a clean slate and their actions are camouflaged by the media moguls and other influential corrupts.
Such a beautiful country is unfortunately is torn by the greety politicians.
Good luck in finding the right leader for the future.
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Ajith / November 15, 2021
Unfortunately, Sri Lankans have no options to find a suitable right leader/s!
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old codger / November 16, 2021
Mr. VW says:
“Certainly, there are parallels between Pol Pot and all leftist leaders in Sri Lanka,”
Apart from red shirts, I see nothing in common. It wasn’t the leftists of any variety that disposed of over 100,000 youth, both Sinhala and Tamil. Did the leftists instigate 1983, as alleged by JR? I don’t think even the author still believes that.
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Raj-UK / November 15, 2021
The UK govt. is being accused of sleaze because it has come to light that many serving MPs have lucrative second jobs, exploiting their position in the govt. These opportunistic MPs are not breaking the law & its not about tax avoidance or kickbacks, just that it’s ethically & morally not correct to profit from public service. Of course, there have been, & will be, corruption in developed countries but, unlike in SL, where corruption is blatant, the possibility of exposure & reprimand is more likely, thanks to an independent media.
I was impressed with the Maldives’s young female environmental minster, who, with a few other representatives of South East Asian islands, were featured in TV but SL was not part of that concerned delegates. Instead, GR’s speech, which I heard briefly, was about how well the country, with its Buddhist influence, is combating climate change. I didn’t hear of any specific commitments nor pledges, which indicates a speech limited to words to justify his presence at Cop26. Many SL parliamentarians have no clue about international pressing issues, deforestation is continuing, hardly any plans for green energy but our President has faith in Buddhist teachings & organic farming as our contribution to climate change without any strategy for phasing out coal power plants & dependence on fossil fuels for energy & transport.
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Momentous20 / November 16, 2021
The immediate and imperative need for Sri Lankan economy is to disrupt the GDP composition and mandate 2% or less for agriculture in the work force. The balance 98% should be shared by services as first and industry as second. In money terms too, there should be a corresponding ranking. This would imply that the least productive farmer would desert farming as it is absolutely un remunerative. The farmer knows it and has been abandoning cultivation and leaving land fallow for over a quarter century. Where is this criminal waste most pronounced? Under major irrigation where cost of delivery is highest. Statistics reveal this; but who studies?
The budget turning into an instrument to change the orientation of the farming community to cast its eyes on industry and services. Productivity through mechanization will keep the people fed, when farm size increases and fewer farmers take to farming. Proceeds from industry and services will finance imports. There is nothing mystical about self-sufficiency in food. Has the budget presented a strategy for this change?
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vipuli / November 16, 2021
“honesty, integrity, intelligence, diplomacy, and determination. Judging by their performance in their portfolios, the 225 plus One”
well said, can any of the readers or any frequent contributor to “Ceylon Telegraph” name a single politician in the Sri Lankan parliament as a person with “honesty, integrity, intelligence, diplomacy, and determination.” If you fly with the crows, you get shot with the crow.
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Thanga / November 16, 2021
Sri Lanka has a bloated army, navy and airforce for which the government has proposed a defence budget of LKR373 billion (USD1.86 billion) for 2022, a 14% increase over the allocation in 2021.
The army will receive a total allocation of LKR188.1 billion, a year-on-year increase of 11%. The navy will get LKR63.9 billion, an increase of 4%, while LKR56 billion has been allocated to the air force, an increase of 8.5%.
Of this funding, the air force will receive nearly LKR15 billion in capital expenditure, while the navy and army have been allocated LKR9.2 and LKR7.4 billion respectively.
The armed forces consist of 346,000 Active personnel, 90.000 Reservee and 8, 000 deployed for UN peacekeeping.
Can a country like Ceylon afford to maintain a bloated army of this size during peacetime?
The war was over 12 years ago, but the government keeps on increasing the personnel as well as the budget allocation. It has become a holy cow no one dares to tame it.
The country’s GDP in 2010 was eight per cent and it dropped to 4.5 per cent in 2016 and to 2.2 per cent by 2019 and to minus 3.6 in 2020. The Minister also said that the country is locally indebted USD 15,117 billion while USD 6052 billion is indebted to overseas. The Minister added that this is the economic status when Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa is presenting his maiden Budget. 1/2
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Thanga / November 16, 2021
However, total public sector employment increased by 61,000 to 1.528 million at the end of 2020 compared to 1.467 million in 2019. This includes employees in ministries, departments, district secretariats, divisional secretariats, provincial councils and semi-government institutions.
The private sector continued to remain the main employment generator in Sri Lanka, representing the largest share of 42.7 per cent, followed by own-account workers, which accounted for 33.2 per cent of the total employment during 2020. The public sector accounted for 19.10 per cent of all employment in 2020.
Though Basil Rajapaksa said when presenting the 2022 budget that the government will cut its budget deficit to around 8.8% of the gross domestic product in 2022. This might be just wishful thinking when the country faces dwindling tourists, falling foreign workers remittances and reduced exports. The continued rise in crude oil prices in the international market during the last 6 months which stands at USD 81.5 per barrel will likely increase and not decrease the deficit. 2/2
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