A video circulates in social media networks, featuring Dr Dayan Jayatilleka (hereinafter referred to as ‘the speaker’), a strong supporter of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, delivering a speech in Sinhala at a pro-Rajapaksa public meeting. The speaker, it appears, actively supports the ‘bring back Mahinda’ movement. The speaker asks several questions that echo rather macho and derogatory views on two public figures, namely Ranil Wickremesinghe and Chandrika Bandaranaike.
In a rather cheap effort to amuse the gallery, the speaker asks the audience as to whom they would choose between Mahinda Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe for a sibling or a paterfamilias. The answer from an audience composed of diehard Rajapaksa supporters is not difficult to guess. The above question is intertwined with the next one – whether the audience would prefer a ‘husband’ (swami purushaya) such as Ranil. The only logical inference is that the word ‘husband’ here implies a partner who is cisgender male and heterosexual, and that the question is targeted at cisgender heterosexual females in the audience, as the concept of equal marriage as such is nowhere near the pro-Rajapaksa faction’s political agenda.
Referring to Mrs Chandrika Bandaranaike (CB), the speaker also asks the audience if it would accept having a mother, a sister or a spouse like the former president. This again passes for a derogatory inference, reminiscent of Victor Ivan’s booklet of insults targeting CB, in which a great deal of effort is made to question CB’s morality and personal choices.
If someone indirectly, albeit persistently evokes a political opponent’s personal choices, lifestyles or associated rumours, does that not amount to overtly discriminatory and essentially undiplomatic behaviour? In this case, the reference to Ranil is homophobic, as evidenced in the question ‘would one want someone like Ranil for a husband?’ Asked with an unmistakably cynical smile on the speaker’s face, this question touches upon a popular perception of Ranil’s sexuality, something that conservative segments of the electorate perceives in a negative light and as worthy of insults. If the speaker took issue with Ranil’s pro-Western credentials, the 2002-2004 peace process, or leadership skills, such issues can be raised with concrete evidence and in a spirit of decent, sane political engagement. When critiquing Ranil as a politician, there is absolutely no need whatsoever to make any direct or indirect inference to Ranil’s sexuality or personal life.
As for the reference to CB, the speaker’s words only denote misogyny and disrespect.
Many observers, including this writer, take issue with CB’s manoeuvring of crucial policy issues under her presidency, which left gaps and inconsistencies that proved to have drastic impacts in subsequent years. However, such issues do not sanction anyone to insult the persona of CB, make pejorative comments about her personal life, lifestyle choices or any other matter that pertains to her personal sphere. If one so wishes, one can, with relative ease, find a cogent set of arguments to be critical of any aspect of CB’s policies during her tenure in office. Disagreements of her past policies or present political role do not entitle anyone to, directly or indirectly, speak about her in derogatory terms.
Developments in the last few days demonstrate a growing anger and restlessness among pro-Rajapaksa politicians, who express their anguish (and their ‘real’ approach to politics) in no uncertain terms, adding to impunity in the political and electoral spheres. The task at hand for pro-Rajapaksa intellectuals, if they aspire a Rajapaksa return, is to work towards reducing that sense of impunity, engaging with the pro-Rajapaksa rank-and-file and encouraging them to adopt a politically correct stance, inside the legislature, at public meetings, when interacting with the media and everywhere else.
Instead, the above video demonstrates how a well-educated and respected person, when to working with a group in which he is the exception, ends up acquiring elements regularly deployed by that group in garnering popular support.
Plato. / June 4, 2015
Dayan,I was told had a problem in his formative days. His father late Mervyn De Silva, was an exceptionally an Intelligent man. But, he hit the bottle in a big way.True,Journos do drink as and when they could afford to.As for Mervyn De Silva,he did not take to Journalism from scratch,and had recourse to the bigger opportunities that came his way.In fact Denzil Peiris another celebrated Pen-wielder had the same problem.
Naturally,Dayan has grown up in a family atmosphere that has affected him in a big way.
Blind support for Premadasa as opposed to JR; Insult of Ranil-Chandrika for and on behalf of MaRa seem to be indications of a strong personality disorder.
Perhaps,he needs Psychiatric help or else there is something in the Genes for which nothing can be done.The MaRa-Dayan combination could also be based on similar Genes.
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sun / June 5, 2015
No only wayout would be him to be married with Wimal Buruwanse.
That can help him rotten forever.
If this is the levels of a socalled self proclaimed P analyst…
I have no doubt even monkeys on the tree tops would laugh him at their back sides.
This man DJ has become an headache to all of us. Please read the comment here and other forums -not even handful would be happy the manner the bugger stands by Rajapakshes. If DJ has a brain the size of a needlehead, why cant he get all these ?
Is today too late to see it back ? No.
Even criminals become goodies in later day life.. why cant these buggers stay on the same wrong MODE just because they want to rather work on revenge than contributing to turn the nation a good one.
My grand child asked lately, what I would say about Dayan Jayathilaka and Modapala – I at once made clear to him, I have been waiting to attccke him verbally when meeting next. I really dont think the man is brought up in a good environment. Some of the commentators are dead right actually.
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Samuel Jayaweera / June 5, 2015
He says we have farthers and mothers.. etc.. but by his behaviour we cant see whether the man was created in a test tube or not… how can a man with good education be fallen to this levels ? Just becasue the god allowed us to have healthy mouth- why should we use it without thinking twice ?
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Real Peace / June 6, 2015
Plato
You seem to know the social history of Dayan. [Edited out]
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Ranjith Desilva / June 5, 2015
Aiyo Dayan please go home, it’s disgusting to listen to you.
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Wise Donkey / June 5, 2015
Definitely one does not want a man like Dayan a ‘depitakatuwa’ to be a grandfather,father,brother, son or husband!
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sirimal / June 5, 2015
You are dead right my dear :) I salute you.
This man DJ has been caught by Kodiwina made by Takkadiyas of Rajapakshe.
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MsMaralathoni / June 5, 2015
Yes Sirimal, DAYAN JAYATHILAKA is the most known[Edited out] of all times.
If he would be posted to somewhere, MY3 would be fine, if not for him ONLY Premadasa and Meeharaka Rajapakshe are the top leaders. This man should start with Kindergarten again. Might be possible the man and his psychology is underthreat today being unable to stay further within his 4 walls. I wonder why the bugger stopped the frequency of his writing.
Colombo University should be pleased to have no chance given to the bugger any more. Anyway, this kind of so called Diplomats are stinking actually. If he cant take care of his wording, HOW THE BUGGER EVER HAD BEEN ABLE TO PERFORM AS A DIPLOMAT ?
Diplomats in general use their wording very carefully…. but this man is totally idiosyncratic for his mixed genetics. No anyone with sane mind would get it as to why the bugger continously supports the wrong side – possibly being unable to be cornered by current regime. [Edited out]… this man surely belongs to Wimal Buruwanses et al. Thanks god to all those keep faith in the guy. His reactions can only be explained by pathological reasons.
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Peter Casie Chetty / June 5, 2015
Depatakaatuvas change side like you. Dayan has not. We don’t kiss the asses of winners we stand by the losers.
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Ranjith Desilva / June 5, 2015
It is clear that there is a grave personality disorder in Dayan J.
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Ahamed Mashoor / June 5, 2015
I never thought somebody like Dayan J ( former Ambassador ) will stoop to this low level by criticising fellow Sri Lankan and party leaders. He sounded like a ” Gutter ” politician rather than intellectual. I am ashamed of his speech!!
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mel / June 5, 2015
In this video clip there is nothing of the sort alleged by the article. Let us hear the derogatory and misogynistic bits before judging. If all Dayan J said was in this clip can’t see anything wrong in it at all. Hope you are not resorting to popular tall stories bandied about liberally these days by every Tom, Dick and Harry ….
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Jackie / June 5, 2015
Dayan, you are disgusting and pathetic. People don’t like you at all.
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sama / June 5, 2015
He cut his by himself.
No cure is for that. His father would have woken up and teach him to be a good man rather than being mixed up with Ballos.
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karikalan / June 5, 2015
This man has no decency to live as a human being period.
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garawi / June 5, 2015
I have been duped by this man! When he was the ambassador to Geneva he behaved gentlemanly and I was taken up by that! Now I see the real rowdy hiding behind
that gentleman image! He too is playing to the ill advised MR supporting audience!
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Peter Casie Chetty / June 5, 2015
Dayan is a Mahinda supporter and so am I. Chandrika ruined the country and had all her uncles and aunts in high places. The problem is that half og you who write comments don’t know how we were censured from writing adverse accounts of military losses and how people without any journalistic experience were given top posts at Lake House nor do you people know that there were Reconvicted Criminals working because they had supported CBK and Mangala in Elections.
I have been in the job since 1966 and have known Mervyn de Silva and his brother Neville personally. Would you rather we all got up and sucked the present Government like this bull shitter? Remember that Gonawela Sunil was made a Justice of the Peace by RW and Baddegana Sanjeewa was in CBK’s PSD.
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Jango / June 5, 2015
Pater CC – Of course you are – a supporter of Mahinda and Dayan. Birds of a feather flock together. Need one say more??!!!
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Piranha / June 5, 2015
We have never seen this type of absolutely abominable behaviour from Dayan Jayatilleke before. This is not something we expect from someone who is educated, intelligent and, seemingly decent and cultured. I have lost all respect for this man.
DJ was speaking in support of a vile and corrupt dictator who was rejected by the people. Why did he have to resort to using this kind of disgraceful language is beyond me. We can imagine the kind of behaviour DJ would exhibit in a future -God forbid – Rajapaksa administration, if ever he is allowed to return to power. Dayan has now truly joined the sewer rats in the gutter. I hope he stays there forever.
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Sajith / June 5, 2015
Well done Dayan keep it up. explicitly expose your naked nirvana obtained under Mahinda sindana! I am sure you are very much aware Mahinda is not stupid to accept you as his son, dad or swami purushaya! Try hard good luck.
Poor Mahinda. His karma haunting him. With your preaching he will become naked for sure, obtaining nirvana is unlikely as he is not excellent political analyst to match your qualities.
Hope Mahinda will wake from sleeping in vihara with your arousing rupturous speech and live with dignity in his home as normal respected human being respecting democratic values and virtues Srilankan people yearning for their country.
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Sigmon Freud / June 5, 2015
Dayan J
I had been perceiving you as a cultured and refined man until I heard your speech delivered at MR come back meeting.
I now realize that you belong to the evil MR characters.
At least learn to use your brain even at this late stage in life.
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gigurawa / June 5, 2015
Only the Colombo Telegraph provides space for [Edited out] like Dr Chaminda Weerawardhana to indulge in trivia, innuendo and disseminate blatant lies and propaganda against the country as a whole. The burning problems in the country are sidelined by these columnists. The prime minister and his partner in crime Chandrika have stated that there is no money in the treasury to pay the salaries of government servants , there are charges of rampant, large scale corruption by the finance minister and day light robbery by the prime minister’sclse friend, the governor of central bank. . CT and its cahoots are happy, merry, singing and dancing when ‘Rome’ is burning. The citizens of Sri Lanka have bravely dealt with avowed enemies like LTTE but the challenge is unfathomable with snakes in the grass like Dr Wieerawardhana who are hell-bent on destroying this once proud nation of 2550 years.
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Renuka / June 5, 2015
MR breaking up the SLFP
This is an unruly, selfish fellow who has no respect to his political father, a house-breaker and a bad son.
Dayan was back stabbed by MR after his successful 2009 UNHCR campaign
The only protecting that is needed is to protect the motherland from that vampire.
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Jamis / June 5, 2015
The simple fact is that RW is a traitor who tries to sell our country to our worst enemies in the West. So is CB. MR may have abused his power. He may have looked the other way at corruption. But he is a nationalist who loves the country. I will pick him any day over a traitor.
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Gobba / August 24, 2015
You would’nt have a COUNTRY TO LOVE if MR and company would have continued for much longer, remember that please.
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karikalan / June 5, 2015
This man is still responding to these comments after having read them throughly, If I were Dayan I would commit suicide
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Don Quixote / June 5, 2015
“pro Rajapaksa Intellectuals ” an oxymoron if ever there was one !
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bo / June 5, 2015
What a donkey. His champion may have done something for the country, giving right political leadership and funding for the campaign of liberation from terrorist grip. But that is all; after that event all we can remember is his criminal and corrupt acts. All his negative things could not be covered up by his firm decision to back up SF and other military leadership at the campaign. The fake champion has totally forgotten the people that put him into power. He claimed the entire country and land as his family property, trawled up all the wealth that should be spent on improving public welfare, education and health, for the personal use of his own family, engaged in murder and mayhem in the capital and provinces. He is known as a rogue of immense power, selfish and merciless. Actually, when it comes to comparisons, what VP was to Tamil people and Muslim = Mahinda to Sinhala and Muslim people. This donkey who is baying in the video is none other than one who benefitted from Mahinda’s handouts. One thing he has forgotten is that despite the good work he has done at Geneva one time, he was ejected from there by that p* KS on this champion’s instructions. BTW, in families, who would become fathers, sons, mothers and daughters has nothing to do with one’s wishful thinking. It is a natural process, some call it destiny. Whatever comes, mongol and all, we love our relatives despite their flaws. I certainly do not entertain”Maha Parimaana” rouges and criminals in my household.
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K.A Sumanasekera / June 5, 2015
Only just now I got the time to watch Dayan’s speech’
I will tell you it is a “corker”..
With his knowledge, sophistication and experience, Dayan could have made decent dough in any part of the World.
He could have just walked in to a meaningful job without graduating through janitorial and logistics trades which our new Elite in the West have gone through after their big degrees back home.
And who are now preaching to our inhabitants how good this hired PM’s Yahapalanaya is.
The hired PM in turn has given us inhabitants,gun administrators with impeccable track records , the likes of the CB Boss and Finance Ravi to bring .home the Bacon even to the Wahabis ..
On behalf of the great Dalit majority, I take my hat off to Dr Dayan for his yeoman to the Nation at this crucial hour of need.
BTW, Is the SLFP Kaput ?….
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Lankan / June 5, 2015
I won’t rate this idiot so highly.
Maybe good enough for regressive Sri Lankans.
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Gratiaen. / June 5, 2015
We never expected that Dayan J will ever stoop down to this level.He insults Hon Ranil and former President CB with pejorative & derogatory remarks at a public rally,no intellectual will ever approve.A Professor,an ex Diplomat has exposed his real standard of education to the whole world by this vicious behaviour.This man who was talking ill of MR and criticizing MR before the last election,now talks in a different way.I am sure the reason for this change is, either his head is damaged or the power of OIL pumped into him from Medamulana where he visits very often. We lost the respect on DJ on hearing this video and kindly request Media not to summon this serpent for any programmes and to leave him alone.
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DR NASS / June 5, 2015
Dear Dayan. You are really a political gymnastics. you do not have any policy except to oppose both Ranil and CK.why is that? because you hate Ranil for many years you could not get any favor from him and Today you are most corrupted diplomatic in SL.
Please bring all dirty tricks of MR and co
bring out his robberies
bring out how much his family steal from public money
bring out all issue of Matala Air port
Bring out all issue H/port
Bring out all issue of mismanagement in MR rule?
let us all punish all these thugs who destroyed this nation.
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punchinilame / June 5, 2015
If Dayan speaks bombastically in the way Meryn makes speeches during MR heydays, now
Dayan comapres Ranil to Mahinda, when MS calls Mahinda a murderer – with hidden evidence! [Edited out]
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kali / June 5, 2015
I had a glance and I wasnt goint to comment as this a fight ” Sinkalam on Sinkalam” and as a Tamil we are on the fringes and have no jurisdiction to comment.
But then I decided to wigh in as we will I am sure get caught in the Cross Fire and hit by Shrapnel.
Dayan is a Mahintha Lackey and is suffering from Sexual Disorientation.
He is Old and Senile and with a PhD which is worth not a rupeee he is seeking attention.
He recently made a Statement that the Nation was shocked by what happend to our. ” Vithaya “.
But even before his pen was dry his Boss the THUG disputed it by saying this how Freedom Struggle Started and the Security Forces should have put down the Grief ruthlessly.
Dyan cant even add one plus one equals 2. But he knows how to add Mahintha plus Mahintha = 5.8 Million.
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Peace Lover / June 5, 2015
and now I want to see Rajiva Wijesinghas famous quote ” Dayan,Tamara and I” poor Tamara is sandwiched between these two dudes all the time (which im sure makes our Vellala mate K A Sumanasekera(m) mad with envy at ………Tamara’s position in the pile-up (those who can read between the lines will understand it hahahhaha)
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Plato. / June 5, 2015
Kali.
Pl.do see my comments on Young Dayan. Poor chap he needs treatment./The former Chief Minister of the NORTH-EAST provincial council has let down a ministerial colleague by not rallying round him when he is at the receiving end of every Tom Dick[not JR] and Harry!
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Dr Dayan Jayatilleka / June 5, 2015
Ok, here’s yet another question: if you were in trouble, who would you turn to for help– Ranil, Chandrika or Mahinda? Whatever your answer, why would you choose someone else as your PM?
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Native Vedda / June 6, 2015
Dr Dayan Jayatilleka
” Whatever your answer, why would you choose someone else as your PM?”
To avoid more troubles, disasters, self destruction, despotism, corruption, looting, building a Sinhala/Buddhist ghetto, …………………. and you.
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sama / June 6, 2015
With all resepct to Native VEDDA,
how do you know the guy has achieved Dr Titel to address him this way ? From what we hear from him are far from a person who did not achieve olvels.
Wie kannst Du bitte wissen ob er doktoriert ist oder nicht ?
Der Mann verhätlt sich als hätte man nicht mal OLEVEL bestanden.
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Lankan / June 6, 2015
Answer’s simple. None of them.
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Amarasiri / June 6, 2015
Dr Dayan Jayatilleka
Anura Kumara Dissanayaka. He Has degree in Physics, quite articulate and much mote intelligent , with an IQ probably also over 130 than any of the morons you mentioned, including you and the gang you are associating with,
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Jabberwocky / June 6, 2015
Give it up with the inane questions Dayan, you won’t be able to extricate yourself from the shit-pit you are up to your neck in. Try turning to Mahinda for help and see how it goes.
Remember how Mahinda denigrated and dismissed you with his offhand remark about you working for NGO kakas?
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gamini / June 6, 2015
I have one question for Dayan Jayathileka. You predicted that your MR will win the Presidency hands down over MS. Now you believe that MR will come back soon after the next GE. Where do you intend hiding after the GE, when RW will form a comfortable UNP govt? [Edited out]
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B S Perera / June 6, 2015
To answer DJ’s question – Oh my god! having a Father or Son like Mahinda – what a terrible thing – I am trembling.
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Ram / June 7, 2015
The author seems to suggest/allege that RW is a homosexual, when we all know that he is a happily married man, with the wife appearing alongside him on many a political platform. If RW was as the author suggests he would be a celebrity, particularly in western societies where previous values have been stood on their heads in recent times. I doubt that RW would not soak up such adulation if the suggestion is correct.
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Native Vedda / June 7, 2015
Ramuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
You ought to know that some of the celebrity gays were once married to maintain their stardom.
Some names to remember, Rock Hudson, Elton John, Vincent Minnelli (married to Judy Garland), Anthony Perkins (Psycho), Jack Wrangler, …….
Whether one is gay or straight should not matter as long as they remain good at what they chose to do in their life.
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