By Arundathie Sangakkara –
UNP is in my blood. When I voted for Sarath Fonseka placing a cross in front of the swan, my fingers trembled. When I placed a cross in front of the same swan in 2015 to elect the current joker president to his office, the same. But I did it. Because I am UNP.
UNP And Class
The UNP to me represented what I believed was my ‘class’. The idea of class is complex, it includes different elements: your address, wealth, primary language, how you speak English, what you read, the art you discuss, the theatre you go to, the holidays you take, what you laugh at, who you laugh with, what’s fashion, what’s funny and what makes you cringe. Voting with the UNP was and is a ‘supposed feature’ of the ‘upper classes’.
This UNP voting ‘upper class’ didn’t come to be out of the thin air of Colombo 3 and 7. Many are descendants of internal migrants who settled in Colombo from the villages. They all have betel chewing, toddy loving, kasippu drinking, Mahinda voting unsophisticated rural bumpkin relatives. Those relatives talk loud into the phones and tell long stories. They openly harbor prejudice based on caste and religion. But they are promptly excluded from the equation of our identity to ourselves, our immediate families and similar UNP friends. UNPers are not like that, we were taught. They are progressive, liberal, right wing-ish. Voting with UNP is not just a political statement, it resonated with expressing a real or imagined elitism.
UNP was also my best and only weapon against the despotic Rajapaksas. I abhor the Rajapaksas, Weerawansas, Chi-Chis, The Rockets, the Namals, Nil Balakaya, the Yo-Yos, the lootings, the killings. I have had no problem glossing over the lootings of the UNP, nor the killings. After all, the UNP was still the only hope for uniting all races and still is our best and only hope against a Rajapaksa perpetuation.
So I grew up thinking this was my UNP. Ranil was my Ranil. Any criticism of Ranil Wickremesinghe was personal to me. If he was called a born loser I would go in to long explanations about how it was not so.
I still think Ranil is not a born loser.
That’s not fair.
Ranil’s just a plain day to day loser.
If someone said he was an unfeeling, heartless, out of touch political nincompoop, I would rise to his defense.
If someone called Ravi Karunanayake a ‘pal hora’, I would provide statistics on Basil Rajapaksa, Mr Ten Percent.
So how come that I am writing this article titled ‘I Will Vote With The JVP’?
How The UNP Kills Its Support Base
Then, in 2015, Yahapalanaya happened. The UNP went on a rogue appointment rampage. It also went on its mandatory looting rampage (bond scam, anyone?). The ultra-corrupt ministers planted their stooges in many public institutions for the purpose of stealing from our institutions. The politicians and the stooges alike were replenishing their campaign spending. They started tender irregularities, commission taking, womanizing causing the systematic break down of law and order, administration, morality, decency and everything sacred.
As a group of shocked staunch UNP supporters, we thought we should fight this. We resisted like citizens; like government servants; like decent people; “like UNPers”. For two years we wrote letters, protested, called for audits, submitted Right To Information applications. We took all administrative measures. We failed so badly, we became a joke. We realized that we needed political backing to fight this. From the President down to the PM, powerful ministers, cabinet secretaries were all contacted regarding these rogues who were UNP appointees, destroying public institutions.
The reaction we got from each and every UNP minister was…. very UNP. They listened to us indulgingly, like listening to a three year old narrating a fairytale. They listened to us elegantly, making appropriate facial gestures with well timed ‘tch-tch’s thrown in. They said “it’s so wrong, something must be done, and will be done, write a letter here, and send a letter there”. But they invariably ended the conversation with “you know, so-and-so minister is so powerful. You can’t defeat him. Lokka needs him. Why don’t you all get transferred out of your departments”?
We nodded politely, sipping green tea.
I’m Going To Meet The JVP!
We came out and told each other – fuck these UNP bigwigs. They are taking us for a ride. What they meant was-“we are protecting our thieves. You idealists who think you are one of us can continue to believe that and vote for us. But we will commit administrative rape on you and you will thank us and vote for us”.
We had come to the end of a road of our UNP options.
One day I told my colleagues, I’m going to the JVP.
How The JVP Was Defined To us
Now to give you a perspective of what the JVP meant in our ‘upper class’ world, we were told this by our elders; “JVP means poor people, people who smell of sweat. They hate beautiful people, jealous of good clothes, good vehicles, English speakers. They were university raggers, they would strip university students and make them perform sex acts. They killed bus drivers, gramasewakas, artists, teachers and innocent people during the JVP insurgency. They hate the private sector, the international community, they hate progress. They conveniently criticize all governments from their tiny little moral high horses. They are arrogant, areligious, hate the rich. Their followers are unshaven, unbathed street protesters who block roads and hinder day to day activities. They will never form a government, hence, never face the challenges of the real world”.
All this was repeated to me throughout my life, and once again people who knew of our move were repeating it to us.
To cut a long story short, we met Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD), the leader of the JVP.
He listened to us showing genuine empathy. He understood the legal, administrative and moral violations we were referring to. He promised to fight it in parliament and outside. The JVP rallied the necessary elements, made submissions, and lodged police complaints. They tirelessly worked on the issues. Several of those rogues are awaiting their jail term soon. Together with the JVP we ended several thief tenures.
I sat in my library, with a teacup in my hand and reflected on what just happened. I have mixed with UNP bigwigs all my life. Not one of them treated me with the genuine egalitarianism of AKD. He actually responded to us as if he has requested an appointment with us! He did not lie. He did not give us any inflated sense of his importance. When he was listening, he was learning. The JVP fought it out for us till the end. And the JVP never tried to collect the credit for it; never told us to be grateful; never asked for anything in return.
JVP: Undoing Historical Blunders
The JVP spearheaded by AKD is attempting to undo the historical blunder of university ragging propagated as a means of recruiting brainwashed cadres to the JVP. The infamous Antharey (the inter-university students’ collective) is no longer a JVP arm, but a Peratugamee Party instrument. The JVP is on a reformist path to steer away from their controversial past. How many political parties do you know who will accept their historical errors and will display the humility to undo their horrors and errors?
Will we ever hear poor little rich boy Ravi K accept that Arjun Aloysius’s ‘unknown little apartment’ was in fact a bribe?
Will we ever hear Gota accepting that he looted public money to build the graves of his parents?
Will we ever hear any accountability from Ranil who was instrumental to the cover up of the bond scam?
Will we ever hear Sirisena accepting his failure to protect the nation on the fateful Easter Sunday of 2019?
Will we ever hear poor little daddy’s boy Sajith Baba accept that he has no degree from London School of Economics and his adult measles case is a lie and that he has a piece of paper called an Aegrotat ‘Degree’ (which basically means that he did NOT graduate)?
JVP’s Dilemma: Retaining Cadres Vs Political Reality
I have learnt some interesting things about the JVP, in conversation with AKD. The JVP will always be the socialist, Marxist party that it is. But it no longer believes in a Socialist-Marxist- Maoist- Leninist utopia. They have a good grasp of global economic reality. They are in the democratic political process today holding on to some of the core socialist values of equity, equality and parity. They have distanced themselves from university ragging.
The JVP has tried some difficult moves. They have apologized for the loss of lives they caused during insurgency, which I don’t think is sufficient. It’s not sufficient because there isn’t a sufficient apology for killing a human being. After all, if the JVP killed my father, no amount of apologies will make me vote for them.
But then, why do we vote for UNP who has also killed so many mothers, fathers, daughters and sons? I mean, I cringe every time Sajith Premadasa mentions ushering in a Premadasa era. How many tyres is Sajith hiding in a yard somewhere?
The two mainstream political parties, UNP and SLFP (SLPP) have managed to secure power and hence have the media, lobbying and the eye wash machinery to gloss over their murders. Also, when a party has power, people forget the dead and go after politicians to get things done. They will barter their memories to little privileges they pick. The JVP has not had a government to play this game.
The mismatch between the evolved, refined modern ideology of the leadership as opposed to that of their cadres is a challenge. The leadership of the JVP are really decent human beings. AKD, Sunil Handunneththi, Bimal Rathnayake, Tilvin Silva actually behave like normal human beings when you meet them. They share their views with unique humility. They speak and act from a place of truth. Even when they know that your truth is not their truth, they understand your pain because they are used to empathizing with other pains and other truths.
The cadres of the JVP are a fraction of the young and old school socialists. The old school socialists are not internet savvy. They are not connected to the live streaming of our panoramic world. The old schoolers believe that they can kneel governments by island wide strikes and streets protests. In the modern world governments and governance are also abstract ideas operating on Google. Personage politics of NM, Colvin, Bernard and Peter is dead. Now politicians are measured not so much in charisma or intellectual luster but in numbers: number of followers, ‘likes’, ‘views’, ‘shares’ and number of people gathering at rallies. Google can count the actual numbers who came to watch you in Galle Face. Today’s celebrity is not an idea, it’s a number. The romanticizers of Mao’s China or Lenin’s Russia don’t get it. The internet age has made the battle lines between capitalism and socialism hazy bringing all battles to a complex middle ground.
The JVP leadership understand this shifting paradigm. If they articulate this raw truth they might lose their cadres. They have a challenge in recruiting new cadres from among the so-called elites, real professionals and upper middle class. Their dubious past is not covered in layers of political make up. The UNP, SLFP (SLPP) keep doing political plastic surgery over theirs’s to look good, every time.
The JVPs honesty comes with a cost.
But JVP’s honesty is essential.
JVP Is Against Homophobia
JVP is also the only party to speak against homophobia. They plat formed Waradas Thyagaraja, an openly gay academic in their rallies. It is the only party in the recent times to stage women speakers and minority women speakers. In the UNP the women are just show pieces like Rosy or Chandrani Bandara – pretty things, nice decoration. Alternatively they have gutter mouths like Hirunika Premachandra who thinks oratory means name calling and verbally enacting supposed sex scenes between the President and his alleged mistress.
If not for the left politics we would not have 8 hour work days, free health or universal franchise. Left political movements have trouble coming to power world over. But they represent our only hope of politicians supporting us in our struggles for justice and our freedoms.
A Vote For JVP A Wasted Vote?
A lot of people tell me that a vote for JVP will be a wasted vote. That it will strengthen the Rajapaksas. But if I vote for the UNP I will only be inviting the economic and administrative rapists to rape us more, loot us more. I have learnt my lesson, voting with the UNP to whom we are just a cross on a ballot. When they get to power they impose their thugs and rogues on our institutions and tell us it’s for our own democratic good. They will show us the Rajapaksa billa to get our vote. Then they will impose their Satans on us.
I will vote for JVP to make them stronger. Because, without honest men and women our democracy is nothing. And if we, the so-called elite, professionals, the tech savvy liberal thinkers, equality seekers don’t support them, the soul of Sri Lankan politics will die. I will vote for JVP so that instead of 6 honest men, there will be 20 JVP men and 20 JVP women in a future parliament.
I will begin that by voting for their candidate at the Presidential Election.
I will vote for them at the General Election.
I will also do this because the rascals of the UNP have taught me an unforgettable lesson of what ruthless, nasty, dishonest bunch of soulless crappers they are.
I will vote for JVP.
(P: S: No one is ‘upper class’. We all carry faeces in our colons. Get over it).
Lankan / August 1, 2019
JVP is my best choice but people do not read it like that. People have been fooled by UNP and SLFP. Now, they come to know that. …. But yet, people are with UNP and SLFP. I wish one day JVP will come to power.. to bring back our country into vibrant one..
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D. P. / August 1, 2019
As long as JVP is not ready to give up Marxist ideology altogether, it will never be chosen as an alternative to currently dominant two parties. Also, JVP must adapt to the SL political culture so that it can have an appeal to much wider audience; the current group of leaders are too immature to takeover the responsibility of running a nation.
By the way, contrary to the author’s claim, I never heard of JVP leaders apologizing for their past mistakes; in particular, misguiding to destruction a sizable proportion of two generations of brave & intelligent youths. JVP may have given up the “fire” but they are still driven by the same old utopian Marxism.
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Suriya / August 1, 2019
JVP has lost the plot, like FSP it has ruined the Sri lankan university system, ensured that students will pay massive amounts to study in Australia, UK etc and ensured brain drain from Lankan Unis. with endless protests and ragging to disrupt education activities. FSP leader is an Aussi citizen and working on a contract to sent rich students to Aussie unis to benefit Aussie economy..
Instead, JVP should write to the UK high commissioner about Garbage dumping from BIOT and to Alina Nitwits to send US military base garbage to the moon and protest outside the US and UK embassies. But AKD is payed off by FBI to be silent on the fact that US staged the Easter attacks to turn Lanka into a military base under guise of fighting IS terrorism which the US Special Operations Forces owns and operates. JVP is playing same game as US puppets Ranil and the Rajapassa brothers, Sumanthiran etc, Long live Miracle of ModayaS
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niro / August 1, 2019
Why is there no picture of sangakkara ? So we can determine if she is upper class ? Tall, thin and fair ? Maybe ?
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D. P. / August 1, 2019
I have the same question! I have encountered a few youths from traditional UNP families becoming Marxists but never a once hard-core UNP becoming a Marxist – assuming Arundathie means a change of ideology by becoming a JVP voter. How else an upper class (if) educated female (young or Mature) expected to change from extreme of ideological spectrum to the other? Most importantly, if the change of heart is driven by a protest move against corruption why choose a Marxist party when there are many other ways to clean the home from within? What made Arundatheie think that the JVP can match the talent of UNP ers like Harsha & Eran or the dedication like Sajith or the honsty like Karu even JVP put their total leadership together?
Arundathie is trying to white wash miserable JVP history by saying that the current leadership has given up armed struggles; has even apologized for misguiding two generation of brave & intelligent youths to destruction and causing enormous property losses along with the carnage; and now understand how the modern global market economy works. But, at the same time she also expose the huge contradiction by admitting that JVP is still Marxist party. Such a contradiction leads to only one conclusion: If comes to power, JVP will behave like Chinese communist party which control total power while allowing market economy under strict Gvt control (I call such economies “animal farm economies”).
However, she fails to explain why a long debunked utopian political economic theory is still applicable to SL, particularly within the framework of market economic principles which Marxism is totally against! All these lead me to conclude that Arundathie has been a “Marxist chick” all along!
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Shyam / August 1, 2019
Niro and DP,
As the writer has stated the group of people involved are working for government institutions. I think hence, the anonymity.
If you read the article she clearly explains step by step how for two years they tried every method in the book.
I think if you read this article carefully the answers are there.
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D. P. / August 2, 2019
Shyam,
I don’t deny the possibility of some appointees turning out to be corrupt. But, if you understand that the potential for someone becoming corrupt is real among all humans, giving up hopes has to be considered only as an acceptance of defeatism. How can such a person ever tolerate a debunked Marxism as a solution, no matter how dedicated the activists are? JVP leaders may not be a corrupt bunch but that doesn’t deny the fact that they (all Marxists) are the biggest misguided bunch in SL politics!
I think that the main reason behind Marxist solution is not having clear knowledge on what Marxism is. Like Darwin’s theory of evolution, Marxism was formulated during the infancy of modern science when supply & demand concept was not even developed. That is why Marx couldn’t understand how wealth can be gained via improvement of technology – the main point in Adam Smith’s wealth on Nations which Marx tried to dispel via the concept of exploitation. That is the biggest theoretical weakness. Philosophically, a theory based on a value judgement (exploitation is inhumane), can never qualify for materialistic theory. Also, Marxism is nothing but an effort to apply Hegel’s wrong theory of linear progress of knowledge over time to political economic.
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Amarasiri / August 2, 2019
Arundathie Sangakkara
RE: I Will Vote For JVP
The Slogan should be:
Do you want to be fooled and cheated Again and Again and Again by:
SLFP
UNP, and
SLPP?
Vote for JVP. Give them a chance!
They can’t be any worse!
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K.Anaga / August 2, 2019
I would have Considered voting for JVP seriously, but, their policy to words the minorities, especially to words the Tamils is lacking in sincerity. Merely stating that they will treat all alike is is devoid of good flavor.. Will they agree to meaningful devolution of power? what is their policy to words state aided colonization of Sinhalese in the North and East. What is their policy to words “colonizing” the said areas with Buddha statues and vihares at the expense of the Hindu temples? These are just a few causing concern, but there are many more to be looked into.
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SD / August 2, 2019
yeah cause the last time they really tried to come to power things went hunky dory
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JD / August 1, 2019
UNP, SLPP, an SLFP are very corrupt parties. I prefer JVP as the opposition and I think that can happen, if JVP go to grass root level explain it to the people. UNP established a govt only with 42 seats and they did not do a good job even with that. So, they do not deserve 42 seats this time. I think, their inability is very visible.
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Shamil / August 1, 2019
I will NOT vote for AKD, perhas Sunil Handunetti.
AKD like Sumanthiran or TNA, Bondscam Ranil and US citizens Rajapassa brothers have sold out Sri Lanka for American and Saudi Dollars.
JVP knows full well that the ISIS was set up and is owned and operated by the US Special Operations Forces (SOF), and US staged the Easter massacre but has not uttered a word about this also to prevent attacks on innocent Muslims and the stop the US weaponization of Ethnic and Religious Identity politics in Sri Lanka. Rather, AKD is on the LGBTQ bandwagon with US puppet Ranil and his butterflies.
Like the greedy Muslim , Sinhala and Tamil politicians including deadwood like CBK, Sira and the US citizen Rajapaksa brothers and US puppet Bondscam Ranil, AKD has kept his mouth Shut about the fact that the US that was behind the Easter carnage, and made no attempt to educate the people on this.
JVP has failed to protest against the US and the US Ambassador weaponizing Buddhism and Islam and visiting Buddhist monks to sign SOFA.
JVP should organize protests outside the US embassy and UK for dumping garbage from Diego Garcia military base and demand that Alina Teblitz GET OUT of Sri Lanka and the US embassy be closed down
Rather, with the other UNP and SLFP corrupt politicians AKD keeps his their mouth shut about the US staging the Economic Terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday, and they let innocent Muslims be attacked by SInhala extremists.
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Raman / August 1, 2019
Shamil,
You have such a repetitious and boring style. Please avoid your pet words ” bondscam” , “Diego Garcia” , “SOFA” etc.
Some women like you do tend to talk a lot of meaningless rubbish.
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Steve / August 1, 2019
“I will also do this because the rascals of the UNP have taught me an unforgettable lesson of what ruthless, nasty, dishonest bunch of soulless crappers they are. “
No different from the SLFP or SLPP or any other party. We have gone through this for 71 years.
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Uthungan / August 1, 2019
Arundathie Sangakara
Thank you for your insightful piece about the need for voters to consider the JVP in a new light sans prejudice for it’s past political aberrations.
I have noted elsewhere in these columns about Nagananda Kodithuwakku having discussions with the JVP.
What would be your reflections on that?
The P.S. with which you have ended you case certainly has an impact.
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Old codger / August 1, 2019
Arundathie
You have produced a well written piece in perfect (upper class ?) English. But it is clear that she has not lived long enough to see the depredations of the Bandaranaikes, Premadasa, Senanayakes and JR. If some were not bloodthirsty, they were impractically sanctimonious, eg Dudley and his Poya day scheme. Or if they tried to be fair, they were dragged down by the unwashed masses (SWRD and his pact). This is how our politicians operate.
AKD I am sure has the best of intentions. But things change when one gets into power. AKD is not religious, as you say, which is a very good thing. But how will he resist the pressures from the Sangha rabble?
He will have to compromise. He will have to pay obeisance even to an illiterate or thug if said thug wears a saffron robe. He will have to pay off with perks whoever threatens to rock the boat. All these things have happened to Ranil . And please don’t forget who brought in the RTI act that you mentioned.( Contd)
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Old codger / August 1, 2019
Arundathie,
Things will change not when you change figureheads like Ranil or AKD but when the real history of our country is taught to children, warts and wrinkles included. They must be taught that SWRD , an opportunist himself, was shot by a Buddhist monk. They must be taught that our much ballyhooed 2500 years of civilization did not produce a single internationally known writer or scientist . That we have no known mineral resources to feed all these conspiracy theories. That Trinco is not a place to hide ships in the age of cruise missiles. That all Muslims are not evil, and that most of our income comes from Tamil women on tea Estates and Sinhala women in garment factories and in the ME.That Sinhala Kings murdered as many monks as the Portuguese. For good reason too.
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Arundathie Sangakkara / August 1, 2019
Dear Sir , Fully agree with you that history should be taught “ warts and all “
Best wishes
Arundathie
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D. P. / August 1, 2019
Arundathie,
Instead of down-voting my comment I wish you could respond to it with a reasonable rebuttal to resurrect already dead Marxism. This is a very important issue that has national implications b’cos powerful union leaders & student unions that are brainwashed by a false theory of Marxism creating havoc at work places & universities continuously making it nearly impossible to govern or study. You have to explain why you chose a dead theory even though the followers are truly dedicated to their cause.
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D. P. / August 1, 2019
Old codger,
Have you ever head about Cyril Ponnamperuma who was a member of the team that studied the very first batch of Moon Rocks. You are absolutely wrong about SL not producing internationally recognized recognized writers & scientist. There were many world class writers but their writings were limited to Buddhism bounded literature only. About scientists, I think that many world class brains were wasted by no other than Marxism itself. Newton Gunasinghe was one such brilliant man. The other reason is the vicious cycle of poor education system that makes very talented brains into wasteful bureaucrats. I can see only now the education system is focusing on talents. It is the Marxist based trade unions that stand as hindrance to any progressive proposals. Who are making so much havoc in SL universities other than Marxists?
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Old codger / August 2, 2019
DP,
Yes , I do know about Dr.Cyril Ponnamperuma . He was educated at St. Aloysius’ College, Galle. He was a product of the much-derided missionary education, not the “2500 year civilization”. SAC , which drew students from all over the island, is now just another generic Maha Vidyalaya .The fact is that
SL has never produced anyone like Kautilya, Vatsyayana , Aryabhata, Nagarjuna, Chanakya, just to name a few Indians.
How can we produce new knowledge when children are taught to believe in astrology and the rain-making power of the Dalada?
We need to look forward, not keep praising ancient glories.
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D. P. / August 2, 2019
Old codger,
You should Buddha and several of contemporary philosophers also into the same list of Indians writers. I think. However, all these names became known only after British historian started dig in. There are other Indian names that have put everlasting mark on subject like theoretical Physics. S Chandrasekara whose name is given to the outer boundary of Black holes and chandrasekara limit and S Sing Bose whose name is jointly mentioned with Einstein for discovering the phenomena of particle entanglement. SL failed produce such well known scientists not b’cos there no talents but b’cos SL education became totally detached from global movement of knowledge. I strongly believe that figures like S Paranavithan & P B Sanasgala could have become world class scientists had they were in the field of science.
Your last two sentences are correct but only partially; for you have omitted Marxism which also has a huge negative impact on attitudes among a vast majority among Lankans. However, all these barriers can be easily broken if SL has a strong competitive investment culture to encourage research so that universities can offer necessary follow up courses. Education & economy must go hand in hand in order to prosper knowledge. Fore, example we have TV s & mobile phones thanks to the advancement in Quantum physics. Even though Buddhism, like every other religion including Marxism has now become a dogmatic orthodoxy, Buddha himself was a challenger to existing traditions in his day.
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Old codger / August 2, 2019
D.P
You can take my word for it, TV and mobile phones have very little to do with quantum physics. Both have been around long before quantum physics.
Marxism had an effect only post 1948.
I have deliberately omitted modern Indian scientists. The point I wish to make is that science cannot thrive in an atmosphere where kids are brainwashed into believing that Buddhism has all the necessary answers. So it is pointless to ask questions.
Let us consign the ancient past to history books and step onto the future.
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D. P. / August 2, 2019
Old codger,
You must read the history of quantum physics. The basics are as old as the the theory of relativity.
How come you say Marxism had an effect only after 1948? Did you mean to say 1848? If you meant the introduction to SL, the history goes back to 1930 s.
Religions do have have a negative effect in creative thinking but new ideas must break away from existing myths. That is why I gave Buddha as one example. Darwin did the same when challenging the Church was considered as crime.
The younger generation, Buddhist & Christian in particular, is not bounded by religion as they used to be.
In any case I like limit this discussion about the bankruptcy of Marxism, if you don’t mind. Thanks.
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Agnos / August 3, 2019
Old Codger, DP,
The late Prof. Ponnamperuma had his undergraduate degrees from the University of Madras ( Philosophy?) and Univ. of London ( Chemistry), and then did his PhD at Berkeley.
There have been others like Prof. Kumar Wickremasinghe who is renowned internationally and has made many inventions in nanotechnology. I know personally that many Indian scientists and engineers in the US, who are themselves very distinguished, hold Wickremasinghe in high regard. But after high school at Royal, he studied at the Univ. College, London.
DP, why are you ‘Sinhalizing’ Indian Tamil names like Subramaniam Chandrasekhar?
By the way, if you look at some of the fairly distinguished engineers like, Kumar David and Rajan Hoole, or even a columnist like Rajan Philips, all talk about politics in some way. David and Philips were LSSP’ers even as undergrads at Peradeniya, I believe. Hoole was supportive of the FP. It wasn’t just the educational system, but the unsettled conditions in Sri Lanka, that made it necessary to have a social and political sensibility, or engagement, which in itself is not bad.
To produce Nobel laureates of the caliber of C.V.Raman or S. Chandrasekhar, there has to be an almost ascetic and exclusive focus on high intellectual achievement, and the supporting environment to do that, which necessarily means lack of social engagement and activism. In a small country like Sri Lanka, this can happen only under conditions of peace and stability.
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Old codger / August 3, 2019
Agnos,
“In a small country like Sri Lanka, this can happen only under conditions of peace and stability.”
Yes you have a point. But what is the cause of this instability? Isn’t it our own hypocrisy and adversarial nature ?
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D. P. / August 1, 2019
Old codger,
Have you ever head about Cyril Ponnamperuma who was a member of the team that studied the very first batch of Moon Rocks. You are absolutely wrong about SL not producing internationally recognized recognized writers & scientist. There were many world class writers but their writings were limited to Buddhism bounded literature only. About scientists, I think that many world class brains were wasted by no other than Marxism itself. Newton Gunasinghe was one such brilliant man. The other reason is the vicious cycle of poor education system that makes very talented brains into wasteful bureaucrats. I can see only now the education system is focusing on talents. It is the Marxist based trade unions that stand as hindrance to any progressive proposals. Who are making so much havoc in SL universities other than Marxists?
By the way, why JVP is not making their usual efforts to tell the public that the majority of Muslims is not responsible for stupidity of a few? I don’t see them going against R Rathana’s racist propaganda against Dr Shafi & other Muslim politicians. Are they afraid of losing S/B votes b’cos they don’t have a minority voting base? Isn’t ironic that JVP being a Marxist party still don’t have any from the minority in the leadership?
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Eric / August 2, 2019
Hi DP, do u know there is a person called Ramalingam Chandrasekaran in central commitee of JVP?
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Old codger / August 2, 2019
Yes, and ” Kumar aiya” the current FSP leader, is a Tamil who led the JVP earlier.
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D. P. / August 2, 2019
Eric,
Just one?
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Native Vedda / August 1, 2019
Old codger
–
“They must be taught that our much ballyhooed 2500 years of civilization did not produce a single internationally known writer or scientist . “
–
You are getting old.
Don’t you remember the internationally acclaimed writers such as Dayan, Shenali Waduge, Kamalika Pieris, HLD Mahindapala, Champika Ranawake, ………..Malinda Seneviratne, …….. man of letters Dr Mahinda Rajapaksa (LLD), Dr Mervyn Silva PhD…………… scientists the likes of Nalin De Silva, Chana Jayasumana, …………. Chandre Dharma-wardana, …………….. Dr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa (DSc), ……….
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Thappu / August 1, 2019
Arundathie Sangakkara reminisces her elite UNP past. She confesses her new love for JVP. I wouldn’t call it being courageous. I’d call it growing. Don’t rush. I have not said anything good about her. She is growing. She is yet to grow fully. When she grows further she would abandon smelly JVP the same way she discarded UNP.
.
Abandoning UNP is not the answer Arundathie. Bringing UNP into your fold is.
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Thappu / August 2, 2019
Hello Thumb Downs! Put up an argument to counter to make your ‘tick’ meaningful.
.
I’ll not disappoint you. Try it. It is easy!
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K.A. Sumanasekera / August 1, 2019
“Fuck the UNP Big Wigs ” That is not only harsh but hard too , Arundathie..
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Wonder what happened to these Poodle Club Babes who now act more like Karunawaties in Kollonnawa., when Hirunickers has graduated to Elite Class in Colombo.
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ROI on Dr Ranil’s LKR 25 Lakhs is un believable ..
Not only AKD but the whole Proletariat Politburo of the JVP seem to be the darlings of the Colombo Elite and the Anglicans in the UNP..
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How cultured and sophisticated Dudes these new JVP are to click with these Poodle Club Members and their Off springs who drink Shangrias and Party at Shangrila..
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Poor Wijeweera had only Fowl Curry and a Quarter of Gal after four hour Intensive Indoctrination sessions to make these Dudes Marxist Sinhala Buddhist Socialists.
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BTW is this Arundathie in the Friday Forum..
/
Native Vedda / August 1, 2019
KASmaalam K.A. Sumanasekera
–
For a change why don’t you read Lloyd F Yapa’s article
SL moving towards failed state; urgent action needed to change course to reach prosperity
Wednesday, 31 July 2019
published in
ft.lk/columns/SL-moving-towards-failed-state–urgent-action-needed-to-change-course-to-reach-prosperity/4-682981.
–
You will learn a thing or two.
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Andare 2.0 / August 1, 2019
Fear mongering and outright bullchit
/
Old codger / August 1, 2019
Here is something interesting from Quora on Communism :
Some countries under certain circumstances might benefit from a few decades under Communist rulers. Such a country typically:
is poor, backward and illiterate
has an overwhelming landless peasant majority
suffers from rampant corruption and blatant inequality
is governed by a small hereditary elite
prevents vertical mobility by a system of medieval privileges
is plagued by deep ethnic and religious divides
has a weak, incompetent bureaucracy.
In such a country, a normally competent Communist government would have a chance to perform the same magic as in the USSR and a few other places:
Destroy the aristocratic legacy of old privileged classes, create a strong uniform hierarchic State based on a consistent ideology.
Transform the nation from a backward hellhole into the icon of radical progressivists and globalists of the entire world.
Industrialize the country in order to make it self-assured militarily.
Create a strong military, intelligence, and secret police.
Teach everyone how to read, write, march in lockstep and wash theiir hands after using the toilet.
Create a numerous omnipresent bureaucracy, trained and accustomed to the formal requirements of meritocratic career advancement.
Eradicate troublesome ethnic nationalists and religious fundamentalists. Possibly eradicate religions altogether.
Destroy private peasantry, urbanize the country in a matter of two generations.
Emancipate women, make 1/2 of the State’s total workforce female, create a system of maternity protection.
Introduce universal healthcare and education.
Rapidly develop provinces through an industrial-scale deployment of slave labor.
If your country doesn’t fit the description above, don’t try Communism at home. Or, as Russian experience with the Communist rule was summarized by us in the 1990s, “Communism is a very complicated and costly transitional phase between Capitalism and Capitalism”.
The first part sounds very like Sri Lanka, doesn’t it?
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soma / August 1, 2019
I will vote for SLPP.
–
Soma
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saurus / August 1, 2019
I will vote for a strong non Appa eating national leader with a backbone who can bring in measures to control the crazy stone age Mohommedan cult which poses a clear and present danger to the normal people of this country. The stone age practices and rituals of a perverted stone age cult has no place in the 21st century
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Native Vedda / August 1, 2019
somass
–
“I will vote for SLPP.”
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That will be the last time you will have voted in a democratic exercise.
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PBG / August 1, 2019
Native Vedda, a democratic exercise? In Sri Lanka? Surely you jest.
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soma / August 2, 2019
Native
Mahinda Rajapaksa held ALL elecctions on time or in advance. How about your Yahapalana record? Who reestablished democratic rights of Northern Tamils after 30 years?
–
Soma
/
Native Vedda / August 2, 2019
somu
–
“Mahinda Rajapaksa held ALL elecctions on time or in advance.”
–
Come on somu, get real.
–
“Who reestablished democratic rights of Northern Tamils after 30 years?”
–
It was VP with great help from Hindians.
–
Don’t forget VPs contribution towards the 2005 democratically contested presidential elections. Hindians financial support and VP’s iron fist paved the way for Mahinda’s victory. Then in 2009 VP won the war for MR which helped him win his second term as president. In 2015 VP was not around and MR lost the elections to his comrade in arms Hopper Sirisena. He could not rely on Sinhala/Buddhist chauvinism for ever.
No VP no Victory.
–
Empty Sinhala/Buddhist rhetoric, looting from the state, followed by repression will not buy him votes.
/
gamini / August 1, 2019
Arundathie Sangakkara,
Remember, one swallow does not make a Summer. What you write is part of the truth and not the whole truth. Why the UNP failed after ’56 was due to personal lust of some within, who opened the flood gates for the Riff Raff to enter the August Assembly preaching to create a society, devoid of class. It is the same call, made by the JVP through violent means to establish themselves in the seat of power. Thereafter we saw some of whom in cohabitation, turned out to be the opposite in their pursuit to fame, position and power just like those poor who entered in ’56 as paupers shouting, down with Capitalism, who later turned out to be even bigger Capitalists. This is where the rot started where all the miscreants have infiltrated all Political hue, be it Green, Blue or Red. Today our society is torn asunder due to this reason where the Politicians have made use of Religion and Race to garner votes for them to get elected. It is no secret that you need money to keep the flame of Democracy burning by organizing Political party. You cannot muster crowds for Meetings without spending. MR and crowd has amassed vast funds from Govt to their coffers to carry their campaigns. The UNP had to rely on the depleting funds from the Corporate body. There too the Corporate Body has come to realize, they could make money from the society unscrupulously by following the Unscrupulous Politicians. Hence some of them support Viyathmaga and Eliya with that intent or being made submissive through threats. Therefore to blame Ranil alone, for not delivering without reposing power yet to his hands, is very unfair to criticize him and blame him. Can you prove that Ranil Wickremasinghe has apportioned any funds to his bank accounts or for his private use alone, even from the so called Bond Scam? Can you say the same for another Political Leader?
/
PBG / August 1, 2019
Gamini, Ranil Wickremasinghe has not apportioned any funds to his bank accounts or for his private use. But he has protected murderers, thieves and corrupt businessmen. That alone is reason enough to discard him as a spineless, self serving coward.
My God man, did you see his pathetic performance when questioned by the BBC about the IS attack? He sat there twisting his hand in the air saying “Vut to do? I was not in the loop no?” The incredulous BBC journalist gasped “But you are the Prime Minister!”
“But I was not in the loop no? So vut to do?”
This is your Prime Minister, Gamini. The man who though excluded from National security meetings for fifteen months, did not think it was his duty to find a way of keeping himself informed about the safety of his country. Do you think he should be PM?
/
gamini / August 2, 2019
PBG,
Who prevented Gota being prosecuted? Who allowed Gota anticipatory bail? Who released the Ran Maruwas who had committed daylight murders in HSZ in Colombo for ransom? Who prevented further arrests of Forces personnel involved with kidnapping and murder? Is it Ranil?
You are talking about 21/4. Have you bothered to ask yourself how MR and his siblings having nurtured the National Thawheed Jamath was involved in the massacre? No sooner scores were dead, why did Gota from the blues offer to become the President unless they knew of the attack prior? Why was MR instigating and speculating preventing the schools be opened and asking the Yahapalanaya govt to resign? Why not, the people saw how MR happily went with his security retinue to schools, when the schools were forced to reopen?
/
PBG / August 2, 2019
Gamini, pointing out the many crimes of Gota, MR and all the other politicians does not absolve Ranil of his own silence and apathy does it?
Only yesterday a door-to-door team from a news site visiting the drought stricken villagers of the Puttlam area came across an example of Ranil’s apathy.
A villager noted “The current prime minister came to this village 3 months ago. So if the prime minister who saw this with his own eyes and if he can’t get this road fixed, what can we talk about politics in Sri Lanka.”
These people are not asking for ‘gold chains’ or the Internet, they are merely asking for water to cultivate their crops. But that is too much for the PM whose only interest is power. This is the link to the article.
https://www.newsfirst.lk/2019/08/01/prime-minister-himself-saw-the-road-but-still-nothing-is-done/
/
D. P. / August 2, 2019
Gamini,
I agree with your opinion on Ranil. However, about the corruption, I see it as an age old conflict between civilized social norms & ethics and human instincts that have been inherited from the evolutionary baggage. In other words, corruption – the tendency to raking in more than fair share – exist in all of us. Only the people who have cultivated highest level of civilized social norms & ethics are devoid of such tendencies. Therefore, I think it is hard to use corruption as an absolute measure of people, politicians included; rather all we can do is to use it as a relative yardstick only.
Gamini is correct to to give Ranil very high marks. Also, except for for his weakness of exhibiting non-exuberant personality, Ranil is the best political leader SL currently has. I think that he is so unselfish and so devoted for the needs of the nation that even the party is is less important to him if the need arises to work with other political parties for the good of the nation. His extreme patience in working SLFP in the National Gvt & now his willingness share power with coalition members are testimony that. We know that he tried work with MaRa as well but the efforts failed b’cos MaRa was more concerned about credits than results.
These qualities of Ranil are the polar opposite of MaRa who would do any dirty deal with anybody for political gains. He even paid LITTE leader to stop Tamil votes in 2005 election. His motto on corruption is “do it without getting caught” (as per MY 3) which is the polar opposite of Ranil’s attitudes on corruption. This corruption culture is the biggest bond among SLPP loyalist from top to the bottom. Lack of such a bond is the main reason UNP lose popularity among supporters once it comes to power. Ranil’s efforts to do what is right for the country may be a political suicide for the party.
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PBG / August 2, 2019
‘I think that he is so unselfish and so devoted for the needs of the nation that even the party is is less important to him if the need arises to work with other political parties for the good of the nation’
DP, Ranil is so ‘unselfish’ that he has prevented anyone else from leading the UNP for decades. He surrounds himself with his Royalist pals and yes men in the Working Committee. After criticising Fonseka for months he unashamedly clung to his coat tails to come to power. Marooned in Temple Trees after MR’s attempted coup he was exclaiming “I am the Prime Minister” to all the journalists but he forgot he was the PM when the bombs went off. What a gem of a man.
/
Lionel / August 1, 2019
Arundathi is correct! There is no big difference between the UNP and the current JVP.
/
Spring Koha / August 1, 2019
Arundathie Sangakkara
Interesting article. Clearly, all these parties have disappointed us at some time, and once again it seems like we will be left with a Hobson’s choice. Rather than vote for the ‘least worse’ I would write (in red) ‘NONE OF THESE – PLEASE GIVE US A BETTER CHOICE’ across the ballot paper. In English, Sinhalese or Tamil – take your choice. AND, write to the political party leaders and ask them to give us better candidates, people like us, who go into politics to serve the country, rather than themselves.
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Andare 2.0 / August 1, 2019
Who cares ?
/
M. Rafi / August 1, 2019
Arundathie, very well said. Being supporters of UNP for so many years, I have now decided to vote for the JVP. So may will follow suit. My gut feeling is UNP nor SLPP will not win any election in the future with these present bunch of morons. Someone who take the leadership of this country and free it from all the present ills. Bloody murderers, looters, thieves, sevalayas starting from the top to the bottom. Very difficult to find someone with a clear vision.
/
nimal fernando / August 1, 2019
To me, this is one of the most successful governments in the county’s history ……… with two major feathers in its cap.
–
In the political sphere ……… Limiting the presidential terms to 2 and trimming them down to 5 years.
–
In the economic sphere ……….. stopping commercial flights taking off from Katunayake and landing in Mattala 5 minutes later.
–
One’s disappointments are directly proportional to one’s expectations.
–
–
Then again, I don’t expect if you put monkeys in a rocket-ship they’ll find their way to mars.
–
Horses for courses.
–
Recognising people’s limits and abilities …….. comes from wisdom gained through experience and having the courage to face the reality thus gained.
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Whether its JVP, UNP, Bud, SLFP, LSSP, CP, LTTE, TELO, whatever …………. Lankans will be Lankans ………. for the next 2500 years
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If it’s a blessing or a curse depends on one’s frame of mind.
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If overnight Lankans gain German or Japanese traits and become great industrial innovators …………. I for one will certainly miss their earlier traits that I’m so accustomed to.
–
Would a Lanka be Lanka without Mahinda, Ranil, Sirisena, Gota, Prabakaran, Chandrica, JR, SWRD, Premadasa, …………….. the people who make Lanka quintessential Lankan?
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Be careful what you wish for! …….. Something once lost can never be regained.
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My vote is for Lanka to remain the same. No change!
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Old codger / August 1, 2019
Nimal,
You are right. Lankans have always acted this way. A reading of the Mahavamsa shows that many if not most kings were murdered by their siblings or relatives. The king’s themselves murdered many Buddhist monks. So much for a 2500 year “civilization”. Do you think the Portuguese would come back if we asked them nicely ?
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Native Vedda / August 2, 2019
Old codger
–
“A reading of the Mahavamsa shows that many if not most kings were murdered by their siblings or relatives. The king’s themselves murdered many Buddhist monks. “
–
Therefore the bottled up anger against their own innocent people, 500 years of foreign colonisation, minorities, Chola Pandya South Indian invaders, and others over the past 2500 years has been misdirected instead it should have been directed against the Sinhala/Buddhists rulers, Mahasangha, crooks, …bigots, IPKF, racists, …..
–
Please clarify.
/
nimal fernando / August 2, 2019
OC,
–
First, I should congratulate Ms Arundathie Sangakkara for being so bold; especially the language she has used. Unexpected from a Lankan female but it’s about time. It’s one Lankan gender-barrier she has broken with gusto. I hope others will follow.
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Native, please note, I’m trying to say it ………. without coming-off sounding patronizing. :))
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Somehow, I can’t fathom people’s capacity for hope! ……….. Like they say “We live in hope even though living in hope is what kills us all in the end.”
–
We don’t have to go back too far ………… just go back to 2015; the hopes we had of the new government that was coming-in ……… and our disappointment today! …….. This is an unbroken cycle that has continued from 1948 ……. what makes us think it will be different this time?
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The simple question to ask ………. is reality at fault or are we at fault? ………. There is a great reluctance for people to face reality and come to terms with their own intellectual-frailties.
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So, the only refuge is hope! …………. Hope springs eternal; it is human nature always to find fresh cause for optimism.
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I have come to believe that education, religion and culture is a gang-rape of our minds from infancy that smothers independent-thought.
–
There was a story of a girl who was gang raped …….. and she used to sit for days in a bathtub trying to wash it away.
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This is what I have done all my post-education adult life; trying to wash away the gang-rape of education, religion and culture with some degree of success. Some days are good others, not.
–
Then I stumbled into CT ………..
/
nimal fernando / August 2, 2019
PS ….. I may be wrong but believe it’s a waste of time to limit ourselves to the superficial – Ranil is this, Mahinda is that …. talk – when the solutions lie in our anthropology ………. how we became what we are ……. like in Physics, saying grass is green and getting stuck at the topmost superficial-layer …….. without delving down into particle/wave theory etc to find the reasons, why.
/
Native Vedda / August 2, 2019
nimal fernando
–
“Native, please note, I’m trying to say it ………. without coming-off sounding patronizing. :))”
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We know, most of your friends are women, your wife, mother, sisters, aunts, … are women too.
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“This is what I have done all my post-education adult life; trying to wash away the gang-rape of education, religion and culture with some degree of success. “
–
In order to stop gang rape of this country and women what do you suggest we should do?
Please don’t tell/advise us to gang rape the politicians and state functionaries.
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nimal fernando / August 3, 2019
“In order to stop gang rape of this country and women what do you suggest we should do?”
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The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind :))
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Only TIME ………… Time heals all wounds and wounds all heels. ……… Then new heels spring up.
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The story of life. End of story.
–
The version sans a PhD …….. now, do you want a PhD version of it?
–
The choice is yours! :))))
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History my dear boy Native; History. ……….. There’s no better guide.
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Sinhala_Man / August 1, 2019
Don’t you realise that you can express two other Preferences at the Presidential Elections.
.
Informing others of this possibility may considerably swell the JVP vote
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Michael Fernando / August 1, 2019
Dear Arundathie,
Congratulations for your thought provoking and lucid statement.
Michael Fernando
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Arundathie Sangakkara / August 1, 2019
Dear Sir,
Thank you.
Best wishes ,
Arundathie
/
Douglas / August 1, 2019
No “UNP. No “SLFP’ No “SLPP”. and NO any other “Parties” formed on “Religious”; “Tribal” basis. All these “Parties” are formed and follow one theme and that is “FOLLOW ME” and if not “GET OUT”. That is the “Gospel Truth” that could be seen from the actions of the “LEADERS” of these parties. All of them “Announce” policies and action plans; but when it comes to “Implementation” it is the “Leaders” fist that works. The rest of the “HERD” follow. This “THEORY” was also followed by JVP when Rohana Wijeweera was it’s founder Leader. But over the years that followed with “Huge Failures”, I believe, the present day “JVP” has learned “Bitter Lessons”; yet still making “Mistakes” and fall every now and then to disrepute. On the whole, I think, JVP can be trusted for making amends and carrying out assignments to an acceptable degree of success. I do not wish to go into their merits; but to cut a long story short, I would say, JVP needs “WISER COUNSELLING”, “GUIDANCE” and a “CHECK AND BALANCING” by a “TEAM” with recognizable “KNOW HOW” in various sectors of the society. I think JVP too has recognized that NEED and formed “NIA”. Yet, we should not “RUSH”; but await the forthcoming announcements as regards “Policies”; “Action Plans” and most importantly the “TEAM” that would undertake the “IMPLEMENTATION” work to make an assessment. As regards to a decision, it is a “WAITING GAME” on JVP, while all others are a discarded “GARBAGE” dump . In that context, JVP could be the only alternative for a “TRY OUT.” that would not make matters worse, but at least a little “BETTER”.
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Andare 2.0 / August 1, 2019
Gota will wipe the floor with those bumbling idiots. That is of course unless Pohottuwa is stupid enough to court the Muslim vote.
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thamizh / August 1, 2019
who cares who captains the sinking ship called sri lanka
regardless of who comes to power, it is the IMF, GSP+, MCC, and what not will be dictating the policies
as far as Tamils are concerned, it does not matter what color and shade the Sinhala party is – they all cater to Sinhala chauvinism. the so called Sinhala left is no exception.
/
Ahmad Nadvi / August 1, 2019
Dear Arundathie,
My vote for JVP this time as an experiment? If I see any progress in shaping all inclusive Sri Lanka. I’ll become a member of the party and will do whatever is necessary to promote race relations and harmonious Sri Lanka. We can’t go like political illiterates any more and become laughingstock.
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Rajiv Tennekoon / August 1, 2019
Arundathie Sangakkara,
1. JVP is yet to apologize to the people of Sri Lanka for the violence/murder/mayhem they perpetrated against them in 1988-89. If you have a statement from them, I would like to see it.
2. The JVP has been the “poodle” of the UNP for the last 4+ years. In your “class” – English Speaking, Foreign Educated, Scotch Drinking, Self Appointed Elitists…….. the list goes on – this is what is know as running with the hare and hunting with the hound. The bark of the poodle is mightier than the bite.
3. Every politician has a conscious – when in the opposition. Don’t forget, the Batalanda Butcher was the biggest human rights defender when he was in the opposition. MR & Co. has suddenly developed feelings toward the populace.
Having been through the JVP era in 88-89, I do not wish them on anyone in this country. In fact, this may be the election that they are finally & completely routed and sent home. You sound like a child of this post 88-89 era. The bark might sound sexy, but you certainly want to keep this poodle outside your door.
/
Shyam / August 2, 2019
Rajeev Tennekoon, Please read the last sentence of the article.
/
Native Vedda / August 2, 2019
Rajiv Tennekoon
–
“The JVP has been the “poodle” of the UNP for the last 4+ years. “
–
Previously JVP was in bed with SLFP.
Mahinda the war criminal went all the way to Geneva to save JVP terrorists from UNP terror/counter terror.
/
Manel Fonseka / August 1, 2019
I’m afraid I’ve given up on Sri Lankan politicians.
Arundathie is quite persuasive and is to be commended for taking the trouble to seek out AKD for a discussion and decide to vote for a party that does not represent “her class”. And the little I have seen of the JVP MPs’ performance in Parliament is far more impressive, serious and responsible than a host of other parliamentarians. And, left-wing myself, I dont have her class barriers to overcome to embrace the JVP.
However, two things stand in the way — despite what A. says about them apologising for the bloodshed caused in the 2 uprisings, they have never really (as far as I know) carried out a thoroughgoing self-criticism of that adventurism and wrong-headedness. They certainly seem to have matured and grown away from the misguided idealism of those days but have they actually faced up to their errors?
My other problem is that I am rather ignorant about what they have achieved or engaged in in the way of improving the lot of the socially- and economically-deprived class that they seek to represent.
Most friends who are similarly dismayed at the prospect of having to vote again soon urge me to vote for the “lesser evil” — whatever that may be. Some suggest Sajith represents that, but I am repelled by his lying about his academic qualifications –
and, anyway, I have never been a UNPer, whatever that is. Nagananda, well, I think he should serve some time as an ordinary MP first.
What does that leave, then?….. Abstain?…. …or vote for the ?????……JVP?
/
Sinhala_Man / August 2, 2019
Manel,
.
Finely balanced thinking from you as usual. However, a few things you’ve overlooked.
.
We all want to make our vote count. Also, have you considered the system of voting, and the ages of these candidates whom you talk about?
.
Why aren’t you thinking in terms of using all three Preferences that you’re being given at a Presidential Election? We have had seven of them, but all of them have resulted in “double landslides” with the voters, by and large, voting like idiots. By that I mean, two candidates get around 98% of the votes. Tell me if you want me to illustrate with statistics for Sri Lankan Elections.
.
The London Mayoral Elections are somewhat similar and give us some idea of how we could vote more intelligently:
.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_mayoral_elections
.
In five elections, nobody there had got 50% on the First Preference.
.
A different consideration: Nagananda is already 65 years old. No charisma is his main problem, not really lack of parliamentary experience. The chances are that he will not come anywhere close to even Second Place on the First round of Counting, but I’m trying to be optimistic about that.
.
Given your thinking, why not this for you?
.
1. Nagananda
.
2. A.K.D – or somebody from the J.V.P.
3. Yes, you still have one to go. Sajith?
.
I find it strange that so many talk of how to vote at the Presidential Elections without thinking of your ability to cast THREE Preferences.
/
Native Vedda / August 2, 2019
Sinhala_Man
–
“The London Mayoral Elections are somewhat similar and give us some idea of how we could vote more intelligently:”
–
While we are discussing London Mayoral elections please note:
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Boris Johnson the prime minister of UK is the great grandson of a Turkish Muslim.
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Sajid Javid the Chancellor of the Exchequer is the son of Pakistani Muslim bus driver.
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Dominic Raab the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, First Secretary of State is the son of a Jewish refugee from Czechoslovakia.
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Priti Patel the Secretary of State for the Home Department is the daughter of Ugandan-Indian Gujrati parents .
–
Sadiq Khan the Mayor of London is the son of Pakistani migrant.
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Some of the the descendants of migrants in the UK are doing fine while descendants of migrants from South India are doing extraordinarily well in this island, look at the Ministries, Provincial Councils, state institutions, heads and members of Mahasangha, Security Services, Police, …………………
–
UK prides itself being a tolerant country however it seems my people are extraordinarily tolerant towards 21 million descendants of migrants.
–
/
Sinhala_Man / August 5, 2019
Dear NV,
.
I didn’t know most of these things. How on earth do you get to know all these things?.
.
I knew only about Sajid Khan.
/
PBG / August 1, 2019
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
/
justice / August 1, 2019
All I know about the JVP are the ‘four lectures’ & the two insurrections suppressed with ferocity by the then governments.
This writer paints a new picture about the JVP, and, about the UNP.
Maybe she is correct.
But, will Tamils & Muslims vote for JVP – and, do they have ‘presidential’ candidates?
/
JD / August 1, 2019
I also think Sunil Handunneththi looks more honest or open. AKD is more business oriented.
/
Raj-UK / August 1, 2019
Arundathie Sangakkara
I am not sure if you really exist or, in fact, a ‘virtual world crusader’ conjured up by the JVP to reach those ‘disillusioned’ in the UNP vote base, categorised as the ‘upper class’ I am sure the JVP, whose average membership is better educated than the majority yobs of the main political parties, have understood the ‘swing vote’ as a game changer in politics. The UNP has been fielding ‘common’ candidates from a coalition & most likely the next Presidential candidate will also be a ‘common’ candidate because the elitist party credentials don’t go well with the masses, which is the bigger vote base, consisting of Sinhala Buddhist average man or woman on the street. .In the past, SF was selected because a ‘war hero’ was necessary to pit against another ‘war hero’ but it was with Sirisena that UNP struck gold. Te humble gramasevaka, appealed to the masses & many UNPers, although unhappy with an uneducated yob, voted for Sirisena as there was no alternative & toed the party line. So this is the strategy for the JVP to get at those undecided but staunch UNPers, fed up with yobs in their party, into their fold. Brilliant.
Anyway, if I am wrong, you imply as an ‘upper class’ (perhaps even a spoilt child) brought up with ‘high’ society values, suddenly discovering socialism, just like Prince Sidhartha realising there was suffering in the world during his walkabout outside palace gates. I agree the JVP appears as a breath of fresh air but before I vote for the JVP, I want AKD (& the rest) to publicly acknowledge their bloody past & apologise for all those who lost family members during their reign of terror.
Furthermore, despite championing for the ordinary masses, have any of them rejected the unfair perks, such as, duty free vehicles, which are paid for by the public in the form of direct & indirect taxes?
/
K.A. Sumanasekera / August 2, 2019
Dr Ranil has sated that Dr Mahendran is the only Person who can develop our nation and bring it up to be on par with Singapore..
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Will Dr Ranil make him his running mate as the next Yahapalana PM?…
–
Arundathie must wait a bit more instead of rushing to be with the Dalits..
I am not talking about AKD and Co though…..
/
Native Vedda / August 2, 2019
KASmaalam K.A. Sumanasekera
–
“Will Dr Ranil make him his running mate as the next Yahapalana PM?…”
–
What is the catch?
What is in it for you?
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Wijelion / August 2, 2019
If any one remembers how JVP took, the elite, educated sinhala youngsters to the grave.. During 71,88,89…. Not even their dog will vote for leftist idiots.
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Native Vedda / August 2, 2019
Wijelion
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Not to mention its racists thoughts(?), words and actions and its opposition to any meaningful devolution (including 13 A), hypocrisy, ……….. Somawansa and his mates were totally against Hindian expansion yet they escaped to Hindia with the support of Hindian state agencies when they could not take the heat coming from Udugampola, Gota, Janaka Perera, Green Tigers, …… while not surrendering their collections of arms and ammunitions Somawansa demanded LTTE to surrender their stockpile, …
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I can go on until the cows come home.
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Hyro Proto / August 2, 2019
Not a Hardline supporter for any party. Voted for Mahinda to win the war. Voted for SF to remove Mahinda after winning the war & becoming a rogue, voted for Sirisena in the last election. But in the General elections I did vote for Vijitha Heath for my district. Thinking of voting for the JVP presidential candidate this time
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