By Sarath de Alwis –
Sarath de Alwis
This writer is not ashamed to confess that the words ‘holy shit’ did escape his lips when some TV channel briefly and fleetingly displayed the human mass gathered, assembled or herded into Galle Face green. State owned Rupavahini was showing the SLFP rally in Kandy. State owned ITN was transmitting live the proceedings of the UNP rally at Borella. In the age of Digital technology such contempt for democtic dissent only helped exacerbate the resentment of the citizenry with the ‘good governance’ charade.
May Day, May Day, May Day is the universal distress call used in radio communication by ships and aircraft. Its creator, Frederick Mockford, a senior radio officer at Croydon airport claimed that ‘mayday ‘ sounded like the French word m’aider, which meant “help me.”
Listening to yesterday’s May Day speeches, it occurred to this writer that, it rhymes with another French word ‘merde’ which means shit. And holy shit at that.
There are two more May Days before 2020. So, without wasting time, let us cut to the chase and get to the point. Who had the bigger rally? Mahinda and his Joint opposition had the biggest, largest and positively preponderant collection of people.
The TV channel that makes no attempt to hide its loyalty and allegiance to Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced it with a creative knockout in political psychology.
“Campbell pitiyata Jana Ganga galai. Mahanuwarata Maha Senagak. Gallafce pitiya pireyi.” A human deluge in Campbell Park. A massive multitude in Kandy. Galle face cram-full. A masterpiece of creative excellence in the art of fortifying implied consent in television reporting.
The SLFP filled a pitcher at Getambe. The UNP filled a jug at Campbell Park. In Galle Face the joint opposition filled a far larger receptacle a bucket nay a barrel, proving that Mahinda is the master of politics of emotion.
In contrast Maithripala in Kandy and Ranil in Borella made sober appeals to reason. Maithri eloquently explained the transformation of the worker in the context of the knowledge economy.
Ranil in his customary clumsy Sinhala diction stressed on the imperatives of accessing the global economy.
Mahinda’s message was far more mundane and much simpler. “I was challenged to fill Galle Face Green. Behold the spectacle!”
This May Day was not about workers. It was not about the working class and the exploiting class. Social transformation in the age of digital technology has blurred the boundaries between classes. Politics today is deeply interwoven with popular culture. That is Mahinda Rajapaksa’s home turf.
The hundreds of smart phones that went up to record Mahinda’s triumphal entrance to the stage at Galle Face in its visual pomp tells us that his charisma is embedded in a popular culture that his opponents underestimate at their peril.
In the current phase of Sri Lanka politics, supporting Maithripala is a concession to pragmatic reason. Supporting or listening to Ranil is an effort and a painful effort at that. Supporting or listening to Mahinda Rajapaksa is an emotional experience.
Our democracy is a patrimonial democracy. Out political parties practice clientilistic politics. The average citizenry tend to treat politics as a mode of consumption.
What we witnessed on May Day were several different tournaments held in their respective locations where party leaders were able to assess the performance of their brokers and their ability to mobilize people, supporters or voters, call them what you will.
Janaka Bandara Tennekoon is the son of T.B.Tennakoon elected to parliament in 1956 to represent Dambulla. The father was an effective communicator of his time, the epochal days of 1956. He was a virtual virtuoso in the use of Sinhala Kaviya that conveyed both common place ideas- common aspirations of common people. The father was a famed poet who edited a monthly poetry magazine called “Honda Hitha.”
The son aggrieved by his removal from the position of SLFP organizer of Dambulla has brought one hundred buses to the Galle Face rally. There are two lessons to the story. ‘Honda Hitha’ Sinhala Poetry Magazine has been long extinct. The son ousted from his position of SLFP organizer may or may not enjoy the ‘Honda Hitha’ of the majority of the people of Dambulla. Yet, he has unmistakably demonstrated that he has the financial and organizational muscle to move one hundred busses full of willing people to Colombo.
May Day Rallies offer parties to monitor and also to demonstrate the relative strengths of their intermediaries or brokers assigned the task of mass mobilization. It is also a window of opportunity for the intermediaries to express either enthusiasm or apathy towards their party bosses.
The numbers they bring indicate their respective organizational skills and their resources to provide material inducements to ensure attendance at the event.
In the case of the two parties now in office, the matter is relatively easier. The average voter or participant in the rallies of the UNP or the official SLFP may regard participation as a means of ensuring regular flow of patronage goods or services. They may also be compelled by fears of losing them.
The participants in the Galle Face event were moved either by materiel incentive or emotional passion. This writer is passionately opposed to what the Rajapakse family stands for. That said, this writer is not knave enough to underestimate, ridicule or deride the compelling enthusiasm and the intense passion of a substantial segment of the people who stood and cheered themselves hoarse in praise of Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Two years ago, on 8th January 2015, a majority of us citizens decided to reject the abomination of the 18th amendment. With a razor thin majority we decided to remove the obstacles that Gota deliberately placed on our civil liberties. With that same minute margin we eliminated Basil’s depraved assaults on social justice.
No one in Galle Face Green on Monday May 1st bothered about the phantom owner of the Mansion in Malwana. Ranil did not mention it in Campbell Park. Maithri did not broach it in Kandy.
Mahinda has a clear advantage over his opponents Ranil and Maithripala. His political loyalists stand with him because they too have nothing to lose but the threats of prosecution for past misdeeds. The majority of the Sangha fraternity is with him. The substantial saffron presence on the stage in Galle Face was in sharp contrast the nominal presence of their ilk in Borella and Kandy.
The Sangha stands for continuity of the status quo. People need leaders to lead them to reforms. The Sangha by and large do not want change. Secure in their deeply held prejudices, they refuse, reject solutions that challenge their values. Instead they opt to disbelieve the problem.
There is no question of Mahinda returning. He never left.
Words / May 2, 2017
It is not just passion for Mahinda…or monetary incentives that brought people out to Galle Face.. it is despair for a country steadily going downhill, less disposal money in our pockets, our sovereignty at stake, crumbling infrastructure, no development, all talk no action. .by almost every single minister in this good for nothing government!
I think even Mahinda was taken aback at the flood of people yesterday at his rally. .but people have decided that they need to send a message and that ensured that Mahinda ended up the winner in the numbers game. .
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Dinuk / May 2, 2017
The folk who came to Colombo came from the provinces for a FREE RIDE to see the Capitol city! May Day is today a political circus for corrupt politicians of SLFP and UNP to strut the stage.
Workers should boycott Mayday and these political party shows henceforth.
That said; May day without Bala Thampo of the Ceylon Mercantile Union, who had the workers’ struggles at heart rather than political power grab was a sad affair indeed.
Shame of the JVP for not putting forth a demand of 1,500 as a Decent Daily Minimum Wage for for workers in industry, agriculture and services sectors.
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nimal fernando / May 3, 2017
Mr Sarath de Alwis,
“In Imminent, Immediate Distress; May Day! May Day!”
C’mon Sarath, are you trying to outdo Dayan in histrionics! …… thought you were made of sterner stuff.
Mahinda is the greatest and the smoothest conman – a man who cheats or tricks someone by gaining their trust and persuading them to believe something that is not true (dictionary definition) – SL has ever produced. There has never ever been anyone like him. He is so good at what he does, even for me (after knowing all his tricks,) it is difficult to dislike him! Even I, like the rotten bastard.
Unfortunately, there is one thing I have to agree with Dayan (for vastly different reasons) – the continuation of the presidential-system at least for the time-being.
Mahinda can never contest for the presidency and the likelihood of another Rajapakse winning is remote as long as the “minority-vote” has a significant effect on the outcome.
A parliamentary system, like the one the imbecile Ranil is proposing – for his own short-term benefit (like his uncle JR) as he thinks he can never be president – will bring back the forces aligned with Mahinda with a vengeance. This has happened before in 70 and 77 just with the majority “Sinhalese” vote where the opposition was totally obliterated. And Mahinda as the executive prime minister would be even worse than him as the president.
For the good of us “Sinhalese,” my dear dear “Tamil” brethren, and the other minorities, please please don’t leave us. We “Sinhalese” need you to save us from our own leaders! Crazy, but true! That’s Lanka for you in a nutshell.
In another place I would have been tempted to say, calm down, a week in politics is a long time. But in SL an eternity is a short time …….. nothing much ever change ………
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kumaran / May 4, 2017
Nimal, there is the saying, “power corrupts….” . And that happens to all politicians in Sri Lanka. Mahinda maybe a conman but he is now drawing the people who are disgusted away from the My3/RW jokers who are as bad if not worse. They say that MR was corrupt BUT there was less “pela paaliyas” that is chaotic to ordinary commuters, no garbage on the roads, the COL was less etc. Agree they say the Rajas were corrupt but these guys are worse and get no work done!!
We can theorize till the cows come home but we must all agree that My3/RW is a right royal dung heap! And they have let the people down.
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Native Vedda / May 2, 2017
Sarath de Alwis
“The Sangha stands for continuity of the status quo. People need leaders to lead them to reforms. The Sangha by and large do not want change. Secure in their deeply held prejudices, they refuse, reject solutions that challenge their values. Instead they opt to disbelieve the problem.”
If Sangha refuses to adapt and change then of course the institution has more chances of committing suicide, amid chaos.
Don’t you think its would be a “god” sent gift to the lay people?
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max / May 2, 2017
Thats where you go wrong Native. Thats why your thoughts never bloom on this soil. We may do not have Wariyapola Sumangalas, Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangalas, Migettuwatte Gunandas, Yakkaduwe Pragraramas, Welivitiye Sorathas etc., at present, but we have a good number of hamuduruwos who follow them, among politically motivated Bhikkus.
You may want to have more “pas-gava mahanun” like Samantha Bhadra, Athuraliye Ratana, Watareka Vijitha in the Budu Sasuna so that ‘Sinhala Buddhagama’ will be a thing in the past. Sinhala and Buddhagama, as they say, is like “gahata poththa”. So much to each other. Hence, their influence to the society cannot be ignored. One may not like it.. but what to do man.. thats the way it is.
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Hela / May 3, 2017
Agree with Max.
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Native Vedda / May 2, 2017
Words
“it is despair for a country steadily going downhill,”
Its the general trend since 1948.
“less disposal money in our pockets,”
Mahinda and his cronies had cleaned the treasury to the last cents.
“our sovereignty at stake,”
What is it?
“crumbling infrastructure”
Infrastructure won’t crumble over night. It happens only when infrastructure maintenance neglected over a long term period, probably from 1948 or particularly from 2005 to 2015.
“I think even Mahinda was taken aback at the flood of people yesterday at his rally.”
It must be a shock to him for the amount of his stolen money spent on renting the mob.
“but people have decided that they need to send a message and that ensured that Mahinda ended up the winner in the numbers game. .”
People also know numbers don’t count until they are converted into votes.
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words / May 2, 2017
Ask your government to bring on the local elections and let’s see what happens! What’s their fear???
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Hela / May 3, 2017
Agree with Words. Good answer to Vedda’s BS.
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Native Vedda / May 3, 2017
Hela
“Agree with Words. Good answer to Vedda’s BS.”
What are you doing in my ancestral land instead of Hela province of Papua New Guinea?
People still think you practice Cannibalism in Papua New Guinea. Is it true?
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NAK / May 3, 2017
Native don’t pay much attention to what Words say.You don’t seem to understand them and if you really don’t understand try to ignore and don’t cross swords with him.
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Amarasiri / May 2, 2017
Sarath de Alwis
“This May Day was not about workers. It was not about the working class and the exploiting class. Social transformation in the age of digital technology has blurred the boundaries between classes. Politics today is deeply interwoven with popular culture. That is Mahinda Rajapaksa’s home turf.”
“The hundreds of smart phones that went up to record Mahinda’s triumphal entrance to the stage at Galle Face in its visual pomp tells us that his charisma is embedded in a popular culture that his opponents underestimate at their peril.”
Thanks for the write up. I felt the same way.
In a nutshell, even though Ranil Wickramasinghe, Matripsala Sirisena and Anura Kumara Dissnanayake, stayed closer to the “facts” and “truth”, on the “show” Mahinda’s charisma overcame his lies and his cronies lies, and that was easy when the average IQ of the populace is 79.
Remember, even in the USA (25%) and Europe (34%), there are people who still believe that the sun goes around the earth.
1 In 4 Americans Thinks The Sun Goes Around The Earth, Survey Says.
Is it 2 In 4 Sri Lankans who support Mahinda Rajapaksa and cronies who thinks that The Sun Goes Around The Earth?
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/02/14/277058739/1-in-4-americans-think-the-sun-goes-around-the-earth-survey-says
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NAK / May 3, 2017
What do you know about lies Amarasiri. You must be one of those who belive that The Sun Goes Around The Earth?
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Amarasiri / May 2, 2017
Sarath de Alwis,
RE: In Imminent, Immediate Distress; May Day! May Day!
“It is not just passion for Mahinda…or monetary incentives that brought people out to Galle Face.. it is despair for a country steadily going downhill, less disposal money in our pockets,…”
Really? What does the numbers say? Will Mahinda Rajapaksa and cronies who had 5 years after the war fix it?
From Facebook, from the Intelligence Unit, reports on the attendance at the May day Rallies are:
Mahinda, JO, මහින්ද 105,000
Ranil, UNP, රනිල් 65,000
Maitri, SLFP ,මෛත්රී 58,000
JVP ජවිපෙ 15,000
Total who wanted to see Mahinda, JO 105,000= 43.2%
Total who Did NOT want to see Mahinda and JO =65k+58K+15k = 138,000 =56.8%
Total overall attendance =138,000 +105,000 = 243,000 =100%
Mahinda got 48.2% of the Presidential Vote. Therefore, he has lost 10% of his base over the last 2 years, and unlikely to gain them back.
The numbers are skewed because of extensive busing, but tells a story of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s base declining
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kumaran / May 4, 2017
Amara, interesting set of figures. But are we, the civil society look and act helpless when this poor nation is caught between the devil and the deep blue??! What can we do? Terrible choice but there has to be a way out.
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Hela / May 3, 2017
Fully agree with Words. Sarath still does try to hide the real causes because he knows he got it terribly wrong in Jan 2015.
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Ramzadeen / May 2, 2017
……AND WHAT IS MAY DAY FOR OUR COUNTRY:
Different gangs Politicians, their goons, Liquor and drug addicts get together and shout, scold, use filthy words about their opponents and boasts about their achievements, their theoretic are soothing to their gangs but the people don’t give a hoot …these “Hood gangs” rob the people till the next May first to celebrate again ….. at the end nothing achieved the masses pay the price. Poor Sri Lanka…
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srinath gunaratne / May 2, 2017
The traitors of the nation are exposed open and naked in Campbell park and Gatambe!
No need to wet the pants, Seeing is believing!
The independent economic revolution spearheaded by the Mahinda government was defeated by Indians and Western world using propaganda!
People were hoodwinked to elect a bunch of nincompoops who can not achieve anything but foreign debt!
The dream of yahapalana is the nightmare of the people!
Ayyo Sobitha hamuduruwo! left the world in disgust!
Selling the national assets is the forte of this govt!
Bring on the elections!
UNP go back to basics, Bring in a leader people can vote for and with nationalist policies!
SLFP: Give the reins back to Mahinda! Let the Appaya join the UNP! He is the weakest link that defeated the SLFP in general election!
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Native Vedda / May 2, 2017
srinathan gunaratnam
“SLFP: Give the reins back to Mahinda!”
So you join the intellectual giant Wimal Sangili Karuppan Weerawansa and his sidekick Dayan demanding the return of Mahinda, “Appita ona Mahinda”.
Has your partner/wife (if you have one) stopped sharing a bed with you?
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paul anthony / May 2, 2017
Idiot, short memories. Not so long ago everyone was waiting to get the thieves behind bars for ripping the country for ten years and now they can’t wait to see them back. What a country, what loyal mass. But of course thieves can’t or won’t catch thieves although the old adage goes ‘set a thief to catch one’ There surely ought to be some solution definitely not Mahinda.
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Douglas / May 2, 2017
This May Day was a reminder of the story of “SUBA SAHA YASA”. The present day “SUBA” (the King) is Maithri/Ranil combo. The present day “YASA” (the Court Guard) is Mahinda. The King “SUBA” is making everything possible, openly and secretively to make the Court Guard (Doratu Palaya) the “KING”. The day this Court Guard, “DORATU PALAYA” become the “KING” (even for a day), the sitting KING (Ranil/Maithri combo) will be ordered to be BEHEADED. This is no secret, because the people see the “Hide & Seek” and the “HORA POLICE” game played by Ranil/Maithri and Mahinda. The only unfortunate thing is Ranil/Maithri cannot understand and assess the bigger picture developing in their own back yard where these games of “Hide & Seek” and “Hora Police” are been played. In this background, I wish any “PUROHITHA” (Advisor) of Ranil/Maithri to at the earliest opportunity to relate this story of “SUBA SHA YASA” to Ranil/Maithri. This “YASA” (Mahinda) is venomous and deadly.
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Ratnam Nadarajah / May 2, 2017
Sarath, yes”he never left” a lame person is a hero in front of a cripple.Got my drift?
Hontha Hitha , A good heart is a myth in present day politics in Lanka. Even the soul of the politicos are for sale for a position and power. Its time someone edits a “Hora Hora” remember in Oliver Twist
“Thief Thief……”
Coming back to May day” a workers day. What a way to celebrate ?
When every one except poor little Oliver, were thieves that’s what happens.
What a sorry state of affairs with the Yahalpanya outfit , should I say misfit.
” One must have strategies to execute dreams”- Azim Premji
Mere words and rhetoric never produces results but garbage!!!!
More… later
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Sinnathamby / May 2, 2017
There will be arrests and more accusations to smear MR and his cronies. While those accusations may have a ring of truth, the Golden Horse, Queen’s horse and Lamborghini all turned out to be Mangala’s lies and Kaanu Kata’s lies. Where is the $18BILLION?
But the fact is things were happening. From causeways, bridges, roads in the former war zone, ferries replaced by bridges all to the water and electricity to villages happened while they robbed. These buggers ROB(ask Ravi K about his MANSION) and not doing anything other than talking. Hoaxwagen gave lots of money and privileges to Selvanayagam to play out. Tyres? And now India is squeezing and threatening and where are the FDIs? Not coming. MR will not be any different. SL is fucked. and it was fucked from 1948.
Biggest losers in the show of force? Sirisena and Ganja Dumi. UNP remained powerful and unified? Biggest winner? MR of course but also SLFP is split. End Result? UNP wins.
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Ad / May 2, 2017
Today Mayday is a beggars tamasha.
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Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka / May 2, 2017
For the sake of standards of political commentary and journalism, I can’t help but wish that all critics of Mahinda Rajapaksa were as lucid, literate and readable as Sarath de Alwis.
That said, I did expect him to concede that this was the biggest of all mobilizations we have seen in this country on a May day– and/or on Galle Face Green.
I also expected him to make a comparison with the ghosts of significant May Days and Galle Face mobilizations past– 1953 Hartal, 1963 ULF and 1976 JRJ-RP.
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Native Vedda / May 2, 2017
Dayan
Just before the 2010 presidential election Sarath Fonseka vowed to drag the clan to Galle Face Green if he won.
I am not sure he still remembers his promise.
Galle Face could be Mahinda’s Vellaimullivaaikkal. Sarath Fonseka should be stopped by any means necessary.
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paul anthony / May 3, 2017
Am surprised how you could make it so obviously pro Mahinda by gauging the strength of an alleged large crowd. If crowds could win elections Mahinda wouldn’t have lost the last elections. Come on Mr. Dayan, you have to be far more professional to be convincing. Well, once attached firmly is always so for better or for worse. A pity there is no prospective contender yet, but hopefully there will be one soon enough.
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Raj / May 2, 2017
I wonder if the same crowd that flooded the Galle Face Green will turn into an ‘Arab spring’ when the Rajapakse regime, if elected once again (which is a reality), fail to deliver? Of course, in their deluded mind set, most likely the blame will be on MS/RW for all the ills of the country (& they certainly deserve some of the blame) but one day, we will realize that it is time that politicians stopped screwing us left, right & center, although, I am sure, some poor sods will continue to be blinded & live in denial.
If an Arab spring does happen, I only hope it will not be another Syria, particularly, if we have an Assad in power.
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Amarasiri / May 2, 2017
Raj
“I wonder if the same crowd that flooded the Galle Face Green will turn into an ‘Arab spring’ when the Rajapakse regime, if elected once again (which is a reality), fail to deliver?”
Rajapaksa had 5 years from 2009 to 2014 to deliver. He did deliver to himself, his family and cronies, but failed to deliver to the country and the populace.
He will deliver again, of he returns, to himself, his family and cronies., not to the country and the populace.
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R.P. Perera / May 2, 2017
Whilst crowds are brought to show popular support, it is not the best denominator to gage the voting results at an election. It all depends on the moods of the people at the time of the elections, particularly as concerns those who do not show up at election RALLIES, WHO ARE THE MAJORITY.
At the last Presidential, Mahinda had the biggest crowds in attendance at almost all rallies, but, yet, he lost by nearly half a million votes. The same pattern was there at the parliamentary elections that followed and the total difference between the winners and the losers, was over a million votes.
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punchinilame / May 3, 2017
Dirty politics will force the hands of the current Leadership to take out all
the small-fry surrounding MR, one by one – as all of them have Charges. MR
is bound to come down to save himself and his immediate family – before May 2018. This is a possibility.
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justice / May 3, 2017
“…………………..one hundred buses full of willing people……”
would amount to around 5,000 persons – half the crowd at Galle Face.
Wonder whether this occurred at the other venues.
Every May Day since the fifties, this has been happening.
The speakers let off a verbal diarrhoea, which is mostly forgotten at the next elections.
Wonder how many of the 94 O Level failed wise men in our legislature, addressed the crowds.
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K A Sumanasekera / May 3, 2017
Red baby Elephant called Dr Ranil a fraud. in his May Day speech.
That is after Dr Ranil paid the baby Elephant LKR 25 Lakhs to install Yahapalnaya.
Galleon Ravi threatens to tell all, if Dr Ranil pulls the knife on him.
Mr Sambandan is now pleading with the JO bosses to give him his Federal Eelaam.
Foreign Debt up another 10 % last year .
Merde !!!! understatement for sure.
Wonder whether Dr Mahendran and SIL were on stage or in the audience in Campbell Park listening to the fraud.
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Hewamadduma / May 3, 2017
Sarath Alwis has been writing for some time in favour of MR. He often hides his support, then comes out. He is a kurumanam karaya. DJ writes for MR like a fool. Sarath Alwis is a more subtle character.
AMARASIRI’s stats are brilliant!
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Gunasekera / May 3, 2017
Amarasiri congrats on your statistics. It will shrink DJ and his ally Sarath Alwis to proper proportion. These two Rajapakse followers get orgasms when they see crowds. They did not bother to see UNP crowds, which were simply outnumbering Rajapakse. I surveyed all rallies except Getambe.UNP was solid
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Mallaiyuran / May 3, 2017
Crowd turned out; but even the local government election victory cannot be assured. What party these crowds represent? Which symbol will they be marking against in an election? Will the UNP – SLFP will be going on a common ticket in election after this august? We don’t have answers for those questions. Until that this crowd means is nothing.
Beyond that uncertainty, we had been trying to convey a message to TNA during the last election. We have been trying to send a message to IC. 2005 Old King did not win, because the country was still Ceylon. 2015 Old King won the election and New King did not win because the countries were Lankawe and Tamil Eelam.
We repeatedly insisted to IC pumping ethylene on young vegetable does not produce fruit. We Insisted to Sampanthar that election was only about Lankawe and he was doing something, Abbas, Arafat, Mujibur Rahman or Mandela would not do. He unilaterally supported a man to preside Sinhalese, whom Sinhalese would not accept. All what Sampanthar did by supporting New King was he pushed the Sinhalese 10 years back to go back 2010. So, by 2020 they would be barely reaching the 2010 mile post. This has put Tamils progress at UNHRC to unlimited time back. Sampanthar had given a bogus victory feeling for IC in their endeavor of regime change in 2015. It is going to take many more years to IC realize what went wrong & when did happened.
Had the Sinhalese elected Old King themselves to preside them, their learning process would have continued. Either Old King would become an experienced politician of the Sinhalese would have become educated voters. Pundits complicated the simple idea we postulated and confused Tamils. The half-baked decision did not go well for too long.
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K A Sumanasekera / May 3, 2017
Mally,
Don’t you think Sampathar made a monumental mistake by backing the Appam eating opportunist, who is now trying every which way to propagate the Political and Monetary fortunes of his clan.
Wouldn’t that guarantee Sampathar doesn’t get his Federal State even, let alone the Federal Eelaam of the North East which is one third of the Srilnaka Land.
When Sampathar rejected every offer made by the Old King( in your own words) to settle the issues and give Sampathar a substantial solution , I thought he was eying for a UN intervention or Invasion with the Hindians to divide the Srilanakan nation , with the North East Federal Eelaam for the Vellalas.
Now Sampathar is like a Political Eunach, whose main task is to protect Dr Batalanda Ranil and hope the UNP scores at the next Election .
And living with the hope that Rajitha,and Mangalan help Dr Batanda Ranil to give Sampathar at least a Federal North.to rule from Cinnamon gardens.
Sampathar’s other buddy Whiskey Madam is all for Federal now , But it can change anytime,
Mally you surely must remember how the Madam pulled the Dagger on Cousin Ranil when he offered Sampathar’s mate Velupulle the ISGA.
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Spring Koha / May 3, 2017
You are right Mr de Alwis; MR The Great Liberator never left, he just remains a boil on the backside of our body politic. If the man had brains, he would have left gracefully, but truth is has no shame
May Day is another opportunity for our political leaders to engage in a bit of ‘my one is bigger than yours’. Fools no one. The dogs bark but the caravan will move on.
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Spring Koha / May 3, 2017
You are right Mr de Alwis; MR The Great Liberator never left, he just remains a boil on the backside of our body politic. If the man had brains, he would have left gracefully, but truth is has no shame. If only the man had a hobby!
May Day is another opportunity for our political leaders to engage in a bit of ‘my one is bigger than yours’. Fools no one. The dogs bark but the caravan will move on.
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RPMedia / May 3, 2017
To Hewamaddum,
Ground area: Galle Face: 18.4 acres; Campbell Park 3.7 acres.
Let’s do some maths here! An area of one acre has 43,560 sq feet. A human being needs at least 3 square foot area to stand and stay attentive without being pushed around or pressed up. Therefore, the estimated number of people that any party could accommodate in an area of one acre is: 14,520 people. Let’s round it up positively to 15,000 people (per acre) for easy calculation.
From the area of Campbell Park (3.7 acre), let’s take out 0.7 acres for the space allocated to the stage, parking and other utilities of the UNP rally. Let’s take 1.4 acres for the same purpose from the JO’s rally at Galle Face Green. Now the figures stand as follows:
Campbell Park: maximum capacity 45,000 people; (15,000x3acres).
Galle Face Green: maximum capacity 255,000 people or 3 and a half lakhs; (15,000x17acres).
Therefore, Amarasiri’s ‘brilliant stats’ are neither possible nor accurate.
Apparently, Galle Face was full and there were people on Galle Road up to Kolpetty junction and all the roads and byroads leading to Galle Face were crowded too. Don’t forget that there were two elderly men who died because of the crowd pressure and intense heat at Galle Face rally. Nearby roads at Campbell Park were not crowded according to aerial photos.
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NAK / May 3, 2017
Good essay Sarath,an honest assesment of what you saw.
But you missed the most important fact and that was their own assessment of their own strengths that was indicative in choosing their venues.
If Ranil or Maithree had the confidence to fill the Galle face they would never have given it to MR and the only reason MR got was that MS and RW expected MR to fail but it boomeranged on them.
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nalmen / May 3, 2017
if the jarapaksa siblings and children are not convicted for financial crimes before the next elections woe be unto ranil and maithree.
they don’t have the money to counter the free flow of arrack which voters are conditioned to expect after may day
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Sooththaraya / May 3, 2017
Sarath Alwis is a nool sootharakaraya. He has written for MR so many times while the fellow was in power. Then he cowed down because MR was defeated. He kept ducking but again comes up to back his her MR. Sarath cannot be found out easily but Dayan J is a fool who shouts whenever MR draws a crowd. He shouted at Nugegoda remember but he thinks people cannot remember
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sarath de alwis / May 3, 2017
Sooththrakaraya,
I never wrote on political issue while MR was in power. I never contributed to the Colombo Telegraph not because I did not wish to but did not know how to access Colombo Telegraph. Those days readers in Sri Lanka could not access most independent websites except through proxy servers. I do not ever wish to see any Rajapakse in power or any where near power. That said let us remember that Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
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Dr. SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda / May 3, 2017
Observant, perceptive and analytical. Informative and revealing.
“Politics today is deeply interwoven with popular culture.” The writer tellingly underlines the nature of this truth: “Mahinda’s message was far more mundane and much simpler. “I was challenged to fill Galle Face Green. Behold the spectacle!”
Could not help but mark the following comment…”If President and PM had the confidence to fill the Galle face they would never have given it to MR..”
A good political piece is supposed to inform and make you think-this has done just this.
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Liyanarachchi / May 5, 2017
Alwis you hold a strong pen
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Ranjith / May 6, 2017
Jobless fellow with no work.
I am told he is very angry UNP
did not a give him a job.
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