19 March, 2024

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Democracy Is Not For The Poor & Illiterate Countries 

By M.M. Janapriya

Dr. M.M. Janapriya

Standing in the soldiers’ war cemetery in Pennsylvania, the 16th President of the US Abraham Lincoln addressed the funeral gathering of the dead soldiers. He said, “These dead have not died in vain, the country shall have a new birth of freedom and the government of the people by the people and for the people shall not perish from this earth”. This is indeed the birth of modern democracy even though this is based on that famous speech of Abraham Lincoln made as far back as in 1816. The fact that “………..shall not perish from earth is an absolute truth. 

Perish thy will not. Look what has happened to communism? They have fallen like dominos. Perestroika in the then USSR, Polish communism, Yugoslavian communism and even communism in China are gone but democracy will live on as long as there is human life on earth.  

The trouble is that in different countries, in different times by different politicians Democracy is being adulterated to serve their political needs. Even in 5 star democracies like in Westminster, though rare, politicians juggle with democracy but because of their guardian angel of the legal system Democracy bounces back with a vengeance. This was the case when Boris Johnson a few weeks ago, prorogued the parliament for 5 weeks in the guise of wanting a queen’s speech when indeed his motive was to evade parliamentary scrutiny of his Brexit machinations. People sought legal redress to decide if Johnson acted in contravention of the unwritten constitution of Britain by misinforming the queen about the need to prorogue parliament. The eleven judge bench of the country’s most senior judges unanimously concluded that the Prime Minister indeed acted illegally in proroguing the parliament as he seems to have misinformed the queen of the need to do so. So Britain remains a five star democracy and as I saw written on the back of that man with dermographism in Samson Wright’s Applied Physiology, I read all those long years ago, There Will Always be an England. Can we say that of our motherland? Yes we can. How? If we can get rid of 70 years of misrule by both the Blues and the Greens.

In the `wild east’ politicians make merry in countries where the poor and the extreme poor are absolutely powerless to contain the antics of their elected representatives. First thing these governments do is to amputate the long arm of the law very much like the gypsies (the ahikuntakayas) who make a living out of snake charming, uprooting the fangs of the cobras they carry in their baskets. These shameless creatures (I mean to politicians of all colour) seem to get the judiciary at their beck and call so that all their dastardly acts would be interpreted as `constitutional’ and the gala goes on with negligible resistance for yet another 5 years. Country plunges from frying pan to fire.    

What is meant by the Lincoln definition is that democracy elects a majority parliament. But not necessarily so. In Sri Lanka except in 2010 all governments from 1994 till now have been minority governments helped by ethnic minorities.  Having to appease coalition partners has been the biggest bugbear of these weak governments. Even the 2010 majority government of Mahinda Rajapakse doled out cabinet portfolios to people like the recently spoken of controversial Muslim leaders, to keep Muslims `happy’. Eventually some of these men continued to be ministers in cabinets of almost all governments till now as they were weak governments. It appears as if it is under the umbrella of such people that the Muslim extremism grew. Hence all governments from 1994 have got blood on their hands as per Easter Sunday bombings. Due to their failure to ensure security of the people neither the Government nor the opposition nor anybody closely associated with either of these parties should prove electable ever again. 

The phrase people reign supreme that is being thrown around freely in political platforms is a myth. Peoples’ supremacy is just rhetorical and seems to end at the polling booth. It is not wrong to say we have cast our votes and returned home giving our rogue rulers an open cheque. 

Just take the instance of minority governments. Either the blues or the greens are the largest party in parliament but hasn’t got an absolute majority.  They talk to other parties mainly nationalist minority parties and form a coalition government. This is in fact a weak government which necessarily has to subjugate the interests of the people who elected them and accede to demands of their coalition partners. So where is democracy? The right thing to do would have been to return to the electorate and ask them for an absolute majority in parliament but it never happens because of the hunger and craving for power and their cobbling up a government at the earliest opportunity no matter how.

When one is governing a country like ours it is necessary for the government to have an absolute majority. It is only then that the government can rule from a position of power. No government shall rule from a sad position of weakness. Take Buddhism the religion most Buddhists would die for. (I will not) Lord Buddha to be, from the heavens looked down on earth for the correct timing, the country, the province to be born in, the caste to be born in to and the mother who would bear him in her womb.. Siddhartha Gauthama was an exceptionally tall, and a handsome person born to a royal family. In short he started life from a position of strength and this helped him a great deal in his later endeavors to propagate the doctrine behind the state of mind he attained. Had he been born to rich parents of a Rodiya caste he would have struggled to make people listen to his sermons let alone convert them to get ordained as monks of his tutelage. 

This is indeed true in politics as well. A majority government led by an intelligent, honest educated and a fearless leader would command the respect of the country inclusive of all ethnic minorities. It is easy for him and his government to do what is right for the country. What we need is a one nation country and a one nation government. Right now ethnic minorities are crying foul from the fringes and are not engaging in politics as a nation. They are coming forward as political parties that would look after and safeguard the interest of the ethnic minorities they represent and in the present political atmosphere not a lot can be found wrong there. Often they hold and will continue to hold weak governments to ransom and this is a recipe for disaster.

A standalone government on the other hand is strong and does not have to cow down , bow down or bend backwards to appease ethnic minorities who are in no mood to join main stream politics as at present. Unless elected on a government party ticket there is no need to offer ethnic minority MPP any cabinet portfolios. There is no need whatsoever to appoint individuals from ethnic minorities to the cabinet to “satisfy” these sectors of the public. If the person is the right man for the job he should be given it independent of his ethnicity. All what they and indeed the country at large need is to deliver by the nation. 

Neither George Osborne, nor Phillip Hammond nor indeed present Secretary of State for Finance (like the Finance Minister here in Sri Lanka) Sajid Javid were economists to hold the portfolio of finance. Similarly none of the guys who held portfolio of Health like Andrew Lansley, Jeremy Hunt and Matt Hancock are health professionals. What we need are educated honest and efficient people who would have the country’s interest topmost on their agenda working hard to deliver by the one nation. It is then and only then will the ethnic minorities will feel they are a respected part of the electorate and will necessarily get involved in mainstream politics. Portfolios like Buddhist Affairs, Muslim Affairs, and Hindu Affairs should never be there. If one want one can have a single portfolio of religious affairs and in my opinion even that is not necessary. All ultra nationalist parties like Jathika Hela Urumaya, Tamil National Alliance and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress should be banned. There need to exist will cease with the advent of proper governance.  

In summary, Sri Lanka needs a standalone majority in parliament to form a strong government which can govern without any fear or favour. First thing the new government will have to do is to reinstate the law of the land in its deserving place, restore the independence of the Judiciary and bring to books all law breakers including all parliamentarians. The rest will fall in to place automatically. The time is now opportune than ever before as there is a massive public outcry for good governance and a change for the better. It is the duty of all right thinking people to unite under one banner and go knocking on doors to remind the slumbering people that time has come to wake up and launch the fight of their lifetime. We have got to redeem Sri Lanka, her might, her respect, her goodness and her broadness to accommodate all people as one nation.  

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Latest comments

  • 7
    1

    Dr. M.M. Janapriya,

    Don’t talk poppycock! …… Where were you advocating a dictatorship before the appearance of Gota?

    This shows how pathetic the Lankan “educated” are: wherever they live ……….. all this canvassing to do away with democracy in Lanka is not because Lanka needs authoritarian-rule but because Gota has dictatorial/megalomaniac tendencies! Simply that!

    All the half-witted Lankan “academics” are now playing “Which came first: the chicken or the egg!” ……….. Gota the chicken/dictator has now arrived and everyone is running around trying to create the egg/dictatorship for him!

    Man, what hope has Lankan ignorant got …….. if Lankan “educated” are this dumb?


    ” In Sri Lanka except in 2010 all governments from 1994 till now have been minority governments helped by ethnic minorities.”

    What a load of crap! Facts do not bear out your hallucinations. There were many landslide governments in Lanka 1971, 1977, 2010 ……… as an academic with a PhD, can you name one good thing any of these strong governments have done in Lanka: just one?

    Prove your case with facts ……… don’t fall in to the fallacy of accepting “conventional wisdom” out there as the gospel truth without using your mental capacity. That’s the sacrosanct role of an academic!

    Now here’s the truth …….. since independence in Lanka governments have done only harm not good ……. and weak governments have less capacity to do harm than strong governments.

    • 8
      1

      continued

      Dr Janapriya …….. do you want to compare the “economic development” of the last “strong-government” using Chinese money and Chinese labour and Chinese companies with this weak-government’s development? Or the killing of journalist and other poor people and violent-elections of the last “strong-government” with the record of this weak-government?

      Truth is truth ……. if you want to brown-nose to get a position thats a different thang ………. don’t try to distort the truth for your expediency.

      Oh! How I hate Lankan “academics!”

      • 0
        0

        Hello Nimal,
        Your comments on Dr. Janapriya’s piece spurred me to respond as follows.
        (1) Opening sentence: Don’t talk poppycock! …… Where were you advocating a dictatorship before the appearance of Gota?.
        • I struggle to see the relevance of this comment – Dr. Janapriya’s piece says nothing about Gota
        • As for ‘Don’t talk poppycock’, it is nothing but vapid banality.
        (2) Second para: I am struggling to see the linkage or the relevance of what you say to what the article intends to convey.
        (3) The third para is a generalisation of Sri Lankan academics, which is unwarranted. The majority of Sri Lankan professionals (I happen to be with Dr Janapriya in the sixties at the University of Ceylon Peradeniya) work in developed countries and they are well respected. Dr Janapriya belongs to a minority of the professionals who chose to stay back to serve Sri Lanka
        Your comments do not deserve further analysis because there is nothing worthwhile analysing.
        It is reasonable to form the opinion that ‘The Editor of Colombo Telegraph may have allowed the publication of your comments because the Colombo Telegraph considers freedom of expression to be sacrosanct.

        • 2
          0

          Dr. M.M. Janapriya,”

          I had the time to read your piece in its entirety ……. and must say I’m embarrassed beyond measure. :))

          Reading only your heading “Democracy Is Not For The Poor & Illiterate Countries” made me jump to the wrong conclusion ……… In my haste I concluded you were another one of those Lankan “academics” trying to make the case for a dictatorship for Gota. ………. I offer that as an explanation and not as a excuse for what I wrote.

          So once again, let me offer my profound apologies ………. my comment was totally unwarranted.

          I should/must first display the behaviour I expect of others.

          I am a truth-teller ……… not a distorter of facts/truth for my own benefit or to make my point. Intellectual honesty is very important to me. If I’m proven wrong I’ll be the first to admit …… it won’t take me 5 seconds. My ego or pride do not stand behind what I write …….. especially when I write behind a pseudonym. :)) …… I believe all forms of pride is nothing but foolish-pride. If Buddha hadn’t said that he should have!

          Seen folks show their blacker sides
          Seen them die just for foolish pride — (Not exactly ol” Abe …….. but Jackson Browne (Shaky Town))

          I believe my comments are still valid but should stand on their own: not as a response/retort to what you have written in your article ……… and I would request readers to consider them as such.

          • 2
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            continued

            It was nice of your friend Mr Sunil Abeyratne to come to your defence: all credit to him ………. I wish I had such friends! (Native, take note)

            I have some contentious issues with some of what you have written in your article (now that I’ve fully read it! :)) ) and what Sunil has written in your defence ………. so will take the time to construct a reply when time permits. I’ll post it here ……. if not in another thread if this disappears from view. Your comments about minorities warrant more discussion/argument ………. so, till later ……..

      • 2
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        Who is this senile man ?. This is an affront to his countrymen. He is labeling them as ‘poor and illiterate’ and therefore don’t deserve a Democratic System Of Governance. Shame on you Janapriya. What is your purpose man? From what era do you come?

    • 11
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      Dr. Janapriya (GMOA president once upon a time) is unable to shed his Sinhala Buddhist straitjacket. He seems to think that democracy means government by the majority (read Sinhala Buddhist) . No, dear doctor, that is majoritarianism, not democracy. Even strong governments have always had minority members, not only since 1994. Remember Badiuddin, SWRD’s minister of education? As it is, only Sinhala Buddhists are appointed to many high posts, simply due to seniority, not ability. Is it any surprise that no less than two DIGs are currently in jail, one for contract killing and the other for covering up murder. Would such a thing have happened in colonial times? Definitely not, because colonial officers were strictly vetted.
      Dr J says “What we need are educated honest and efficient people who would have the country’s interest topmost on their agenda working hard to deliver by the one nation”
      The fact is that the vast majority of people who fit that description are not Sinhala Buddhist. Just look at the very top of the business class
      Sure, at no.1 is a Sinhala Buddhist, but everyone knows about his casino links. Of the rest, most are very small minorities like Bohras ,Memons and Parsees. The electronics trade is with Muslims.Tamils own the largest IT park ( replacing their textile factory burnt by idiotic Sinhalese in 1983).
      If these people were given a fair chance to run the country, this would be paradise, but instead it has to run at the whims and fancies of mediaeval monks who are untouchable even if they disobey court orders. So whose fault is it? People who think monks are experts on fallopian tubes or the minorities who actually keep the country running?

    • 2
      1

      Dr Janapriya, are you saying that only Jathika Hela Urumaya, Tamil National Alliance and Muslim Congress are the only ultra nationalist parties. For that Matter, UNP, SLFP, SLPP and JVP are also ultra nationalist parties. Even left parties like LSSP and CP somersaulted in 1963 for sake of power and became ultra nationalistic. Discriminatory legislation and executive action had been committed by both UNP and SLFP since independence. If UNP disenfranchised Tamils of Indian origin, SLFP deported them. If SLFP was responsible for anti-Tamil riots in 1958, UNP is for 1977 & 1883. Both stood for Sinhala only and ill treated Tamil public servants by dismissal, loss of increments and promotions. Both refused to grant official language status to Tamil, till it was imposed by India in 1987. Both are guilty of murdering and ethnic cleansing of Tamils and planned settlement of Sinhalese in altering demographic pattern of Tamil areas. In the modern world forced change of demography amounts to racism. Even now UNP, SLFP, SLPP or JVP are not willing to move forward in terms of Justice and reconciliation despite the international community asking them to do so. What has JHU, TNA or ACMC have done which are in any way near to these acts of racism. For that matter there is nothing wrong with nationalism, as every one has the right to practice it. But when nationalism of one ethnic group is forced on to another ethnic group, then it becomes racism. It is clear that it is UNP, SLFP, SLPP and JVP are committing this crime and not JHU, TNA or SLMC. If espousing nationalism is wrong then Mahathma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King are all racists and should be vilified. Due to intransigence of LTTE, Tamils got a bad name of not willing for a rair settlement, but now after LTTE was defeated, it is becoming clear to the international community that it is the Sinhalese who are intransigent and are the root cause of the problem.

      • 1
        0

        Welcome, Dr Sankaralingam,
        .
        You must have posted your comment before mine, but I’ve just seen yours, and Dr Janapriya’s pretty civilsed response to nimal. I don’t think that any of is really intransigent. I feel that all of us would be able to evolve a modus vivendi if we found ourselves on a desert island.
        .
        The problem is that most of us are too old to really make a difference to our country. The exceptions are RTF and n.f. Yes, nimal’s is obviously a pseudonym, but let me assure Dr Janapriya that he’s always consistent. Note simple n and f.
        .

    • 0
      1

      Your comments on Dr. Janapriya’s piece spurred me to respond as follows.
      (1) Opening sentence: Don’t talk poppycock! …… Where were you advocating a dictatorship before the appearance of Gota?.
      • I struggle to see the relevance of this comment – Dr. Janapriya’s piece says nothing about Gota
      • As for ‘Don’t talk poppycock’, it is nothing but vapid banality.
      (2) Second para: I am struggling to see the linkage or the relevance of what you say to what the article intends to convey.
      (3) The third para is a generalisation of Sri Lankan academics, which is unwarranted. The majority of Sri Lankan professionals (I happen to be with Dr Janapriya in the sixties at the University of Ceylon Peradeniya) work in developed countries and they are well respected. Dr Janapriya belongs to a minority of the professionals who chose to stay back to serve Sri Lanka
      Your comments do not deserve further analysis because there is nothing worthwhile analysing.
      It is reasonable to form the opinion that ‘The Editor of Colombo Telegraph may have allowed the publication of your comments because the Colombo Telegraph considers freedom of expression is sacrosanct.

  • 2
    7

    N.N. Janapriya,
    *
    Agreed 100%! The only leader that fits your paradigm is AKD. All races and religions will be banned (merged) into one sovereign Sri Lanka. Socialized Capitalism will take over the need for monetary borrowing from Lankan minorities countries of origins viz. Saudi and TN-conglomerate & too much ETCA. Sri Lanka will build from her own capital upwards. It won’t be easy, but look at what ease of minority money has done to our fragile isle?
    *
    Gotabaya is fine too, but he is too capitalistic. He might as well be a UNP. Mahinda was best of course, because of the China deal. But in the wider global arena, this was disallowed (and they did it through interfering in our elections and gilmarting our votes…..no escape from that).
    *
    A radical change to a more Marxist society will be a relief to those striving/fighting to balance their global dollar$$$. They’d give us money to stay self-contained within ourselves. We’d be a rich Marxist society. Finally, after over 70 years we’d be able to build up from the true souls of ourselves.

    • 1
      2

      Dr.

    • 5
      2

      Dr. Janapriya, as an educated person you are coming out with this nonsense about the birth of Siddhartha choosing the correct time, correct place, correct caste and correct mother. In science birth is an accident and no one chooses how one should be born. For your information Mahavira the founder of Jainism who lived 50 years before Buddha was also a prince who abdicated his throne to find a solution to suffering of his people. If you study carefully both Jainism and Buddhism have similarities to ancient Indian philosophy that existed during their life time. Please remember that if not for King Asoka, Buddhism would have remained in pockets in India like Jainism.

    • 2
      1

      ramona grandma therese fernando

      “Agreed 100%! The only leader that fits your paradigm is AKD.”

      Why not Sivajilingam?

      “All races and religions will be banned (merged) into one sovereign Sri Lanka.”

      You mean all races and religions will be converted into Sinhala/Buddhist fascists and Sinhala/Buddhist fascism.

      • 0
        1

        NV,
        *
        Banned/merged has a very different meaning from the word convert. Let me explain: It’s like having no fundamentalists and fanatics….. like that of the rich evangelists who will have to dismantle and join the greater already established Catholic Church, and give their money to the State to build more self-sustaining villages. Same with the Muslims. And Tamils will have to start speaking Sinhalese.

  • 3
    0

    Hi Nimal (Fernando)
    Thank you for your critique of my essay. Please don’t let your emotions run riot. You seemed to have had a cursory glance at my article and started to write about it in semi-automation. I am a Singhalese and a Buddhist by birth but it does not in anyway make me a Singhala Buddhist Nationalist. The example of Prince Siddhartha was taken to drive home a point; the point being you can preach or govern only from a position of strength and not from a sad position of weakness. This principle will remain true till the earth disappears back in to space. Please relax, take some deep breaths, if you are still struggling have a cool beer and go and read my article taking time to understand what is in there. What I have said about ethnic minorities viz. what they are doing now, how they should and should not be included in the cabinet is something I will firmly sand by. The fact that your mind, equilibrium of which seemingly disturbed by something I have said in my article standing between your good self and straight thinking prompts me to believe you are writing under a pseudonym too. Start meditating to prevent your coronaries getting corroded.

    • 4
      1

      Dr.M.M.Janapriya,

      True, I only had a cursory glance …….. before my comment :)) ……….. and for that I apologize unreservedly.


      I do not have time now to read it fully but will respond later once I have read it.

      Some well known writers here make me jump the gun ……… I don’t have to read what they write …….. I’m well accustomed to their views.

      Sure, I’m on edge a little …….. however we look at it …….. we are sleepwalking into handing over the country to a well-known serial-killer. That’s the bottom line.

      Some people might want that to happen ………. but in the 21st century …….. in a daily loudly professed Buddhist country ………. for someone looking-in from afar it looks surreal beyond belief.

      A serial-killer ……… well-known to all the citizens ………. will be voted in by a majority as the president in a month’s time!

      That’s the reality we have to face ……….. all the scholarly articles in the whole damn universe is moot ….. not gonna do a thing!

  • 2
    0

    Dear nimal,
    .
    As “Old codger” says, Dr Janapriya had been a very fine surgeon, rather than an academic. I’d seen articles by him before, and commented on them.

    I’m sure that he’s an honourable man, but his views on what sort of government we need are not to my liking, either.
    .
    Dr Janapriya, I think it good that you express these views, because I’m sure that they are sincerely held. As Ramona says, then it is Anura Kumara whom you should support at this juncture, but it will lead to a quite different result from what you envisage.
    .
    So, you’ve had four of us “regulars” commenting on your views, but not any others. We “know” one another only from comments made here – i.e. we have no personal contacts with one another.
    .
    That said, I reveal much more of myself than most other commenters. I’m a retired village schoolmaster.
    .
    Let’s hope that the end result of all this politics is a better governed Sri Lanka.

  • 1
    1

    “I read all those long years ago, There Will Always be an England.”
    They thought that there will always be the British empire where the sun never sets.
    Certainly, the way the British politicians are doing business, there will soon be a “Little England” which will be part of a collapsing North American Empire.

  • 1
    0

    Old Codger
    Dear Sir,
    Thank you very much for your comment. Unfortunately you too fall in to the category of nimal fernando in that you are locked and loaded waiting for the slightest `excuse’ to fire. Unfortunately you have done just that. I am not in the habit of replying every comment I see on my articles but two points in your review deserve to be challenged. Firstly, I am not singing songs of praise for any political party; certainly not the infinitely corrupt duo of green and blue. When I say blue even the mauve flower bud that ironically budded off the blue hand is included. They are utterly and miserably corrupt and nowhere in my article have I praised them or indeed their economic deeds. Secondly brown nosing some political buffoon for personal gain is not my cup of tea. I let you off because your decaying grey matter seems to have let you down big time. For your information Mrs. Bandaranaike invited me to be the SLFP organizer/candidate of the Ratgama electorate in the southern province which was my mother’s birth place, in 1984/85 I think. Late Mr.Karunajeewa personally approached me on behalf of Mrs. B. I was a dynamic young surgeon, about 36 years of age who was enjoying his professional life to the hilt at the time. Even my walking stick would have clinched the Ratgama seat for the SLFP. So I told Karunajeewa, “please tell madam if she would give me a policy making position I might consider the offer but if she is only looking for hand to come up from back benches she would do well to find someone else”. Matter ended there. Dear Sir, please don your spectacles and return to my article. Good luck.

    • 2
      0

      Dr. Janapriya,
      Thank you for your reply. Sorry if I annoyed you.
      I too was young and energetic in 1984.
      So that puts our grey matter in about the same state of decay.
      Yes, I was well prepared to fire at anyone with the particular ideas that you unfortunately offered, but I did read in full. My point was that majoritarianism doesn’t work, when the majority is not all that good at anything, perhaps strait-jacketed by this “ancient culture”. It might work if the majority were Chinese or Japanese. Otherwise it only leads to the worst individuals reaching the top, like those two DIGs, either of whom could have been IGP.
      I have NOT accused you of supporting any politician, though you seem to admit being an SLFP supporter, which you are free to be.
      However, in passing I must mention that politicians never mean what they say, Abraham Lincoln included. Abe did make that fine speech , but it took another century before blacks and whites could eat at the same table, and that too partly because of the example of Communism which you decry. So, Dr. J, things are never really as cut-and-dried as they seem.

  • 0
    1

    Hello Nimal,
    Your comments on Dr. Janapriya’s piece spurred me to respond as follows.
    (1) Opening sentence: Don’t talk poppycock! …… Where were you advocating a dictatorship before the appearance of Gota?.
    • I struggle to see the relevance of this comment – Dr. Janapriya’s piece says nothing about Gota
    • As for ‘Don’t talk poppycock’, it is nothing but vapid banality.
    (2) Second para: I am struggling to see the linkage or the relevance of what you say to what the article intends to convey.
    (3) The third para is a generalisation of Sri Lankan academics, which is unwarranted. The majority of Sri Lankan professionals (I happen to be with Dr Janapriya in the sixties at the University of Ceylon Peradeniya) work in developed countries and they are well respected. Dr Janapriya belongs to a minority of the professionals who chose to stay back to serve Sri Lanka
    Your comments do not deserve further analysis because there is nothing worthwhile analysing.
    It is reasonable to form the opinion that ‘The Editor of Colombo Telegraph may have allowed the publication of your comments because the Colombo Telegraph considers freedom of expression to be sacrosanct.

  • 2
    3

    Sour Garpes

    • 3
      1

      chrales, What is sour Garpes?

      • 3
        0

        Thappu,
        I believe it is fermented Herpes.

  • 1
    0

    Dear Old Codger,
    I addressed you Sir as a mark of respect to a grand old man but now that you reiterate you are of my vintage I am justified in calling you by your name. Your grey matter certainly seems to have decayed faster than mine though. Why? I don’t know from where you plucked the idea that I am a SLFP supporter. I have never been a supporter of the SLFP or any other political party. The two reasons Mrs B. approached me were because, firstly as the president of the GMOA I was well known and secondly as a descendant of a well known family in the village I would have defeated any opponent with utmost ease.
    This is my last response on the matter. Bye for now. We will meet again on Colombo Telegraph soon.

    • 1
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      Dr.J,
      “. I have never been a supporter of the SLFP or any other political party.”
      Thanks, I will take your word for it. Seems like you are quite different from the current GMOA president.

  • 1
    0

    Dear Sunil,
    Hey, it’s a long time since we met last. Thank you for your kindness on my writing. When I met you last you were in the US? Right? Are you still abroad or back in SL like me? Nice to be in touch again. Please say hello to me through my email mjanapriya@gmail.com. Hope you and your family are well.
    Janaps

  • 0
    2

    What a coincidence.
    “Pick Me” Cabby Rohan who dropped me at Katunayaka told me that Lankawe must have a Military Dictator .
    And he is a young farmer from Anuradhapura who came to Colombo to get a better life after voting for Yahapalanya.

    Wonder what changed his mind?.
    We have been having this Democracy for 70 long tears continuously as I understand .
    Specially the last 4 years where Yahapalana Government promised to Turbo Charge it and deliver us living standards which are on par with Singapore .
    And help everyone live like Brothers and Sisters without any religions, any races, any castes and any differences as man and woman.
    And enjoy free WiFi to connect with each other , work in Motor Car factories and even drive Nano cars .

    But that is not what we have after those 4 years.of Turbo Charging our Democracy.
    This Yahapalanay couldn’t lift the GDP to even 3%.
    Rubbish is piling up even in Colombo Streets.,
    Pommie Waste is imported in Container ships.

    But Yahapalana Democracy have introduced new aspects to our peaceful post Nanthikadal Society.
    Now we have Sinhala Buddhist Racist Fascists.
    Suicide Bombers
    And chaotic Traffic Jams.

    I know Nandasena is an ex Army Commander who apparently did a darn good job,
    And people like Rohan who are young and intelligent are flocking in large numbers to Nandasena’s camp .
    Still I don’t think Nandasena can be a Military Dictator. because he will be still tied down by the 70 years of Democratic Traditions and Culture which Lankawe Politicians have adopted and nurtured to a fine art to look after themselves as as well as the suckers who go behind them.

    Wonder whether it is the Traffic Jams which converted young Rohan?..

  • 0
    0

    Dr.J,
    “. I have never been a supporter of the SLFP or any other political party.”
    Thanks, I will take your word for it. Seems like you are quite different from the current GMOA president.

  • 2
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    Nimal Fernando, I salute you. Only the brave and humble have the guts to say “I am sorry” and you did that. People think saying sorry , indicates weak personality or Ego. It is quite opposite. I had read few articles written by this doctor and it helps in understanding the message. He has been honest, willing to present facts and has genuine concerns for the country and all citizens.

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    President of Sri Lanka must have the consent of majority of the majority. Full stop.

    Soma

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      somass

      “Full stop.”

      Bull S**t.

      “President of Sri Lanka must have the consent of majority of the majority.”

      Do you have a separate election rule book or a secret Sinhala/Buddhist racist constitution which demands what you have typed above? Are you still referring to this island’s Presidential Elections or your proposed Sinhala/Buddhist 10 square mile fascist ghetto?

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