7 December, 2024

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Is There Any Point In Getting The SLFP Together Again?

By Shyamon Jayasinghe

Shyamon Jayasinghe

“SLFP has never done any major development projects of catalytic national impact. It is the party that simply shares poverty; turning our nation into a miserable population waiting for government benefits.”

A Political Class Siphoned off  the People

Sri Lanka, paradise, is never short of drama. Unfortunately, the ordinary people and their urgent needs for a better life are being ignored  by these moves and counter moves, conspiracies, rackets, deals and whatnot of the rotten political class that saw its rise to peak under the hopeless regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa, his family, cabal and cohorts. Never before has the island witnessed this phenomenon of a political class so cut off from the people. Would JR Jayewardene have ever known that his constitution was pregnant with this unfolding dreadful reality?

Today, the political class decides and the people, reduced to desperate levels of expectation, have no option but to follow. The political class are never drawn from the grassroots as during general elections prior to the JR Constitution. Those days, intending members of parliament  have had to first get clearance from the electorates they wish to represent. If fortunate to be elected, they have to keep being accountable to that source electorate. We did have some electorates like Colombo Central with multiple MPs but they were few. Each electorate had an MP who is beholden to his source of power.

It is a question of party officials picking candidates today. Here comes the creepy fellows and those of undesirable quality. We had an MP who once stole necklaces from helpless females who passed by. We had criminals, rapists and public cheats. Presidential pardon had been given for the wife of one MP who was convicted of double murder. We had bottle shop kings. Over 80 per cent had not passed O level. In India, 60 per cent are graduates.

This is the pass we have come today.

Disappointment

The current officially announced intentions of some MPs of the pro-Rajapaksa clan whom President Sirisena unfortunately  invited to government have ever since, been playing honkey dory. They are officially in the Unity government but keep criticising at will cabinet colleagues from the other side. Susil Premjayanth – that guy who bears the name of a former film star; John Seneviratne, the Minister of Labour, and the Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera have all recently expressed their “disappointment” of having tried but failed to “bring the SLFP together,” implying the co-opting  of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on board.

One would wonder what these trio had been doing since they took over portfolio from the President. Like to know their records as Ministers under the Unity Government. Nothing that we can think of. Dayasiri has been well and truly messing up Sri Lanka Cricket. Susil has still to answer how he let the Petroleum Corporation create the huge fraud around the hedging experiment during his days spent under Rajapaksa. John Seneviratne appears a simple nitwit unable to make any notable headway in our labour legislation.

Sirisena in Suicide Mission

President Sirisena can easily ask them to get off the back of the government as he would loose nothing by that except the respect of the public for manifesting leadership qualities. Our daily experience is that Maitripala Sirisena has become a national disappointment and that he is showing up badly, having lost all clarity in thinking about his own future. He seems to be in a suicide mission attempting to get the SLFP together and be back cosily with the former dictator who on his once-stated assessment would have sent him six feet underground had he lost the Presidential Elections!

This is the state of the isolated  political class. Nothing of the development has any bearing on the lives of ordinary people. The political class decides  and the people must follow.

Birth of the SLFP-Not Ideological

Let’s take a look at this so-called attempts to put the SLFP together. My honest concern is, even given an honest intention on the part of its protagonists, is it worth the exercise?

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party was born when SWRD was unfairly denied succession to leadership in the UNP in which he was Minister. DS Senanayake wanted to put his son, Dudley, in the play and manoeuvred his way toward that. SWRD smelt it and resigned to form the new party.

It was not an ideological rift. The ideology SWRD developed was an afterthought and it was designed to access power by playing to the base primary emotions and irrationality of the people- their race and language. The strategy worked to full measure and the UNP was vanquished.

The Three National Damages of the SLFP

On three major counts the SLFP of SWRD Bandaranaike and post- SWRD can, with absolute justification, be shown to have been a catalytic bane and not a boom for Sri Lanka.

The arousal of communal feelings between Sinhala and Tamil communities is  the first count. I remember SWRD’s election campaign as a young man those days. I even worked for the postal peon, Themis, who SWRD chose for Colombo Central electorate. I had, just then, entered the University. The slogans of SWRD’s collaborative outfit-the MEP- were racist and were divisive of any move to build a Sri Lankan nation. Communal riots followed.

The disease was carried over to the next UNP government under JR who was also responsible for communal riots ably aided by his mad Minister, Cyril Mathew. To be sure, that was unusual for a party like the UNP. However, the unfortunate trend that SWRD gave rise to  had the potential to infect even the grand Old Party of National Unity. The ground was set.

This leads us to the second count and that was the devaluation of the English language from  its pedestal of being the growing medium of national unity among all races and ethnic groups. India still gives prime place to English and it is English that binds that nation together and not Hindi. I met the Punjab community in Melbourne recently at a function. They told me most of Punjabis do not underseand Hindi and that it is English that is the real common communicating medium. To SWRD it was a fight for ‘Sinhala Only.’ ColvinR de Silva’s famed prophetic utterance: “One language, two nations; two languages one nation,” had been ignored. If English had been allowed to build up, Colvin’s “two languages,” would not have been much of an issue.

I quote from today’s issue of The Island an article written by Professor HL Seneviratne: “Had we retained English as the medium of instruction, we would today be exporting not unskilled labour to the Middle East, but doctors, engineers, lawyers and other professionals to wherever they are needed….It is hardly necessary to get into the questions of the brutal ethnic war, the politicization of every institution, the rise of a barbaric political culture replete with corruption, nepotism, abduction and murder, and the overall hospitalization of the body politic, which are all direct outcomes of the shortsighted policies of 1956.”

Sri Lanka, then, had an efficient system of Central Colleges that attracted bright students from village level and gave them a good education in the English language, while at the same time teaching them about our proud inheritance in the Sinhala and Tamil ethos. Our best contemporary Sinhala and Tamil scholars came from these Central Colleges and they were also thoroughly bilingual! They were able to take Buddhist philosophy to the Western Universities and teach there.

To be sure, the Central Colleges did have their imperfections. The main issue was the paucity of teachers in the English medium. However, that could have been addressed and the teaching of that language could have spread to other schools under the wings of Central Colleges. Today, even our good scholars are struggling with trying to be bilingual. Even Central Colleges are losing English.

I do some interpreting work for the growing numbers of the Sinhala  community here in Melbourne and it is sad to see that young men and women are increasingly without any bilingual ability.

The third damage by the SLFP was the introduction of populist socialism. Particularly after the party attracted the Old and declining Left elements, the influence of socialism engulfed the psyche of the people so much so that the slogan “Danapathiya Bangawewa,” is still catchy in the villages. The erroneous and dangerous value of denouncing the investors with  capital, who alone can take the economy forward, had been firmly been implanted in our society as an unquestionable premise.

As in the case of racism, this damaging social value had the potential to infect even the Grand Old Party so much that JR’s constitution officially launched Sri Lanka as a “Democratic Socialist Republic.”

Under the SLFP leadership of the Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike and the Left the country simply went to war with the capitalists. It was all a strategy of invading our society and economy with a populist version of socialism. Estates were broken up from being viably -sized ones into smaller uneconomic lots and distributed to the people who were bereft of any capital and skill to handle them. Our proud planters left the country to do their planting under the invitation of Kenya. Kenya is today the number one tea exporter while Sri Lanka has slipped back to number four!

All our usefully and efficiently run private service businesses like the Bus service was taken over and we replaced that with a government -run bankrupted CTB. People now suffer, clinging as they do into smelly vans jam-packed with passengers,  pickpockets and sexual perverts. Government invaded trade and got the CWE and Marketing Department (I was once Commissioner of that) to do trading under the guise of helping bring down prices. These institutions attracted the growing army of disguised unemployed put in by MPs. They ignored the basic concept of supply and demand economics and paid the penalty. Governments should never trade.

In this fashion, everything was taken over and the state ran the economy under Mrs B. That kind of popular socialism was basically the distribution of poverty and it rendered helpless any attempt by men with capital to play the lead role as we have since seen all over the world including China and Russia.

Sri Lanka was, surely, well on the road to economic ruin until the UNP  came in 1977 and rescued it with the revolution of the liberalised, open economy.

The plain fact is that the SLFP has never done any major development project of catalytic national impact. It is the party that shares poverty, turning our nation into a miserable population waiting for government benefits.

Conclusion

A lot more could be said, but this is adequate to take the conviction base off the party known as the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. It is a backward step to try and revive that moribund entity. One observes President Sirisena  making a pathetic effort to rebuild it. Images of undignified ceremonies (unbecoming of a Head of State) to welcome recalcitrant elements  from “the other sides, ” are seen in the daily media. It is a  nauseating performance carried out in true  Mahinda Rajapaksa style, which represents a celebration of opportunism, incompetence and an implied element of promised corruption.

According to the famous Peter Principle in Management, Maitripala Sirisena has reached his level of incompetence. He should go at the end of his term, as he promised at the beginning, having presided gracefully.

The writer can be contacted at sjturaus@optusnet.com.au  

Latest comments

  • 6
    14

    What is wrong with you..

    SLFP is national party with deeply rooted nationalism of sinahslese people..
    They begun language only policy and with little bit of racism..
    Yet UNP is an agent of western power .
    Today both are two sides of same coin .
    Only party that is really true party is JVP.
    What is wrong with public to know this fact.
    Vote for JVP if are truly Lankan

    • 8
      0

      Let s raise the question if MR factor would not have been in today s politics as is the case in any country where former presidents or PMs got defeated – what would be the situation ?

      I think the problem that we have today is – MR and their men are in focus just because they should seek impunity for all high crimes they commited.

      Only wayout for them to be escaped from getting caught by laws – to show and fool the nation, further and be in politics.

      • 1
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        SJ – “Only way out for them to be escaped from getting caught by laws – to show and fool the nation, further and be in politics.” I CONCUR!

    • 5
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      Mr Shyamon Jayasinghe,

      Although I agree with most of what you have written …… especially regarding English ……. there are few unseen sides to this issue.

      “Had we retained English as the medium of instruction, we would today be exporting not unskilled labour to the Middle East, but doctors, engineers, lawyers and other professionals to wherever they are needed…”

      The above statement sees only one facet of this issue …………..if the Language of teaching in the hard-sciences in the outstations/rural schools pre-OL/AL was English, very few students from those schools would have entered Medicine or Engineering ……as there were no English teachers in those places, let alone teachers who could teach Science in English. Entry to Science disciplines would have been restricted to a few Colombo and Jaffna schools. Although teaching Science island-wide in English would have been highly desirable, in practise it was well-nigh impossible. So, teaching Science in one’s vernacular language – Sinhala/Tamil – had its benefits.

      I was told this by someone who was there …………..few decades ago in the heyday of the Colombo Med-School when it was held in very high esteem around the world …….. A very young girl – in fact she was the youngest in the batch – entered Colombo Medical College from a very rural area near Badulla ……who knew very little or no English ……. her name was Podihamy ………. in lectures she wrote down English instructions in Sinhala; that’s how she started………….. but she was so bright at the end she passed out at the very top of her batch ……… perhaps, she couldn’t strip away the last layers of disadvantages of lack of English from other batch mates with better English-skills. …………The point here is ………a extremely bright – I’m sure there are many more like her in rural Lankan settings – would have never entered Medicine if the language of teaching Science was restricted to English. She just would not have had teachers in her rural setting.

      • 4
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        Continued …………

        There are many aspects/facets to this whole shebang ……….. like some dude said…………. “Never again will a single story be told as though it were the only one”

      • 1
        1

        Mr. Nimal Fernando,

        If we continued with English as the primary vernacular in schools we could have progressed much further than where we currently are. Though it would have been a handicap for more rural students at first, but systematic government involvement to proliferate English medium teachers would have alleviate the issue with in few years.

        However, even today the so called rural students who had learnt Science in their native languages have to take English courses in Universities in order to catch up the learning Science in English language. There are many incidents where people in in Moratuwa uni who has abandoned their subject because of the lack of English knowledge.

        If we as a society could have sacrificed a few generations of youngsters back in 1950s for transforming the syallbus to English we could have created many more generations of youngsters who are thoroughly proficient in English language.

        • 1
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          Dear Shenal and Nihal Fernando,

          I’m in my seventieth year, and all I’ve ever done is teach English. Roughly half of it in State Schools far from Colombo.

          I wish it had ever been as simple as you feel it would have been. It isn’t!

          It is too complicated a problem , and I won’t attempt to answer it. However, since this is hardly ever stated, may I say that it is not ONLY Science students who need English. It is very important that those who wish to study History, for instance, should have exposure to ideas elsewhere in the world.

          A World Language is very necessary – and for many reasons so obvious that they have hardly to be spelt out, that language has to be English.

          That distinction between English for prestige, and sound International-type English for practical purposes may be a distinction worth making.

          • 0
            0

            Shenal, Sinhala_Man,

            Please understand I am not saying that teaching all the subjects island-wide in English would not have immensely benefitted all the students ……….. If the playing field was level and they had very good English teachers and more importantly teachers who could teach – especially – science subjects in English.

            The point I was trying to make was not about an ideal situation (utopian?) or theoretically how things should be …………… but how these things pan out in reality/practice.

            Take the case of free-health-care ………….which is a very noble thing for a third-world country …………..but look how it happens in practice ………… try to get a good consultant to go to the outstations ……… this is the case in many other countries too…..

            Good knowledge of any language – not just English – is a great advantage in the modern world. ……………..but should we have denied a majority of Lankan students (that happens to be from the outstations) an education – especially a science-education – due to a lack of English teachers?

            Sri Lankans I have encountered – all over the globe – who have had their education in Sinhala/Tamil and come through the Lankan universities have picked up English very quickly and have done very well. Some have studied in Russia/Eastern Europe/Japan and have had only 6 months to pick up the respective languages ………. for example, 6 months to pick up Russian before embarking on the study of Medicine.

          • 0
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            Continued …………

            When I came back to SL to work briefly, befriended a girl, an engineering graduate from Peradeniya who had done quite well in her exams and was keen on getting an assistantship ………….. early days of the internet; she couldn’t have gone to the respective websites and found out herself ………….she came to ask me …………..what do I know about academia? ………..I could just say which had nice buildings, reputations …… and so on. Anyway the remarkable thing about her was she couldn’t speak English at all, but knew more English words than I did (cacophony ……….if you are reading :)) …………she told me that every night before going to sleep would pickup anything at hand – English papers, a book, dictionary …….. – and learn 10 new English words. …………I have visited her place; salt of the middle-Lankan earth ……… farming-folks …….. some paddy fields, cows …….. When she was a kid some days had to milk the cows and cut grass for them before going to school……….still in touch ……….. so where is she now ………………she did quite well academically and her son ended up the valedictorian of the school, got a scholarship to John Hopkins ….

            …….from milking the cows to the best in another part of the developed world …………. more than English teachers it’s her own efforts/perseverance that got her there ……..in fact if she had waited for English teachers she would be still milking cows.

            Irrespective of race/ethnicity/religion …………….. I am sure there are many like her. …………. She didn’t try to get out of her dire circumstance by using politics, religion, what-have-you ……….. other than her own genuine efforts.

            Sometimes we have to look past what we accept as conventional wisdom …………….. things may not be what they seem ……..

            Just a solitary voice ………among 20 odd million …..offering an alternate view………………….

    • 6
      0

      Lankan No 1,

      Not sure whether you are entirely right regarding the UNP but of the JVP, I totally agree.

      It is a pity that some, still associate the JVP to their deeds of 1971 and dismiss them forthwith.

      For a start, the JVP is miles above the SLFP in terms of quality and education.

      For the good of both, the admixture of the JVP and the UNP (will never happen of course!), would be the ideal mix, for the birth of an intelligent, enterprising government.

      For sure, it will raise the quality of the cabinet and possibly lower its numbers.

      Totally agree with Shyamon regarding the SLFP. Its a party of mediocrities trying hard to punch above its weight, from its inception.

      The harm they have done to the nation through the devaluation of the English language alone, is quite monumental. They have made this country POOR in every sense and because they are what they are, they don’t know it.

  • 9
    1

    A passionate piece by one of our regular contributors on CT.
    I Too read the article by Prof:H.L.Seneviratne in the Island newspaper today in response to Elmore Perera, who was more or less justifying 1956.
    After almost 60 years of replacing English the country has almost reached Nadir.

    The Question now is can the Toothpaste be put back into the Tube?

    • 3
      3

      Plato

      “The Question now is can the Toothpaste be put back into the Tube?”

      The question wouldn’t arise if the state banned the use, import, manufacture, distribution, storage, …………….. sale or donation of Toothpaste.

  • 9
    0

    A very well written article and an eye-opener to the younger generation.
    “You have to know the past to understand the present” – Carl Sagan

  • 3
    0

    If I were to replace that “Conclusion” to this article, it would be as follows: In retrospect over the 70 years of politics and political parties who administered the county’s public affairs, it can be very clearly and emphatically stated that the VOTER of this country has been reduced to the status of a “SLAVE” who cry for personal wish lists that which have been “Exploited” to the maximum by all UNSCRUPULOUS politicians, (of all parties) their families and goons to live a life of plenty and comforts. This trend was developed over the seven decades and had come to the climax as seen by the wide distribution of “GOODIES”, such as, vehicle tires;(mostly bicycles, motor cycles, three wheels) roofing sheets; G.I pipes; bags of cement; umbrellas; hand bags; almanacs; head caps; T shirts; bottle of arrack; packet of rice; packet of powdered milk; jobs; “sil reddi” (white cloth) etc…..etc…So, as long as this “DEPENDENT SLAVERY” of the VOTER prevails, the Politicians and the Political Parties would always make every attempt to “CAMOUFLAGE” their identities by forming New Parties; Switching Sides; Show of Rivalry by “Road Shows” etc. until they achieve their own agenda. UNLESS and UNTIL this scenario is COMPREHENDED and a firm decision is made by the VOTER to be FREE from this BONDAGE of Politicians and Political Parties and vote INTELLIGENTLY, the Seven Decades of political history will march forward for next decades too. Hope the forthcoming Local Government voting would bring that change to lay it as the New Foundation for that much DESIRED COUNTRY.

    • 1
      1

      Douglas: Now it is the time that JVP of 61969 would have come up. Only problem people do not like violence.

  • 3
    6

    Your third world backwoods beggar nation will keep fermenting from the inside. You will never become a Singapore or Dubai or even a Malaysia. Even Maldives is surging ahead. So stop wasting time.
    UNP will come first and Rosy will become Mayor(whether she will be a poor money manager like Athula is yet to be seen; but at least she is a good Born Again Christian who will do our God’s work)

    Mahinda faction will come a distant second

    Sirisena will lose.

    Mohammedans and Hindoos will get their own quota based on tribal voting by backward Mussalman and Hindoos

  • 5
    0

    Even the Chinese know the value of English, they well aware it, if they want to be in the centre of world stage, only way is through English, and they are taking great effort at it. In the eighties, I was on a train from Trivandrum to Bombay. A man seated next to me started to talk, he said he was on his way to his computer schools in Andthra. Then I said how about Kerala, his home state, he said there too has few. The next what he said made me hit the sky. He said has computer institutes and English Language schools in China. He further said China is marching ahead with muscle power and India with brian power. They lack skill in soft ware and English, and learning it from the Indians, so many Indians have Computer and English schools all over China, with all their advances, if they want to be in the world, they need English Language. I said why Indians, they could bring native speakers from England, America, Australia etc. He said for the cost of one of them, they could have three Indians. I said, both were not in good terms. He said not to listen to politicians and the media for China is the biggest trading partner of India, 30000 Chinese were working for a Telecom Co laying phone lines all over India, and they set up advanced high tech border control facilities on either side in Hemachal pradese for daily movement of thousands of trucks and people. This is an eye opener for those goat Sri Lankan who bash China and India. Same token arch enemies Taiwan, there are over 1.2 millions Taiwanese working in the Supervisory and middle management levels, they are the real people powering the Chinese manufacturing jar-gaunt. When some is thing good for them, they forget all the differences, they are very smart so they are really doing well. Not like our pig headed Goats.

  • 1
    0

    better for the SLFP to be split.The differences between rajapakshes and sirisena are irreversible.

    • 1
      0

      shankar – “Better for the SLFP to be split. The differences between Rajapakshes and Sirisena are irreversible.” Same as saying same shit different day!

  • 1
    0

    Shyamon
    SL had an unexpected surprise to this democracy thingy. SLFP has MPs in government as well as in opposition!
    GoSL portrays that this works. Of course it works for a few but not all.
    SLFP must get-together and decide which side they are in.
    It is confusing to find MR active in SLPP while Nimal says that he is an SLFPer. Remind me again: Who fund SLPP?

  • 5
    0

    Your Article is very true. Only D.S and Dudely Senanayakes were important from UNP and Only MRs B. did some thing from SLFP. SWRD ruined sri lanka. All others were leeches who destroyed Sri lanka. When MY3 cme and became a cheer leader to SWRD to had suspicions. Now, he has proves he is to be another bankrupt leader. See what Ranil doing. and what the self proclamined Money Launderer RAVI KARUNANAYAKAE THE LIAR even after changing the foreign exchange act to make him acquitted now says that the Central bank is totally corrupt. some one else said except Arjun Aloesius every one working for the Central Bank is corrupt. do you get the sarcasam there ?.
    It is stupid to think about SLFP or UNP when the politicians are chainging sides just before the election as it is happening now even for the municipal elections when they understand their party would be lost Sri lankan voters are
    If SLFP and UNP are to exist they must change the party constitution allowing capable candidates to come up. The present system promotes only the leaders relatives and the family. Others are back stabbed. In comphensation to that LEader allows cheating the country.
    for example, Ranil Karunanayake the money Launderer said that LAlith Athulathmudali used to steal whole ships. But we need to remember, Ranil was a politician even at that time. So, he should know those.

  • 1
    0

    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/

    • 1
      0

      BornAgain – and DeadAgain! Please abide by CT”s comment policy.

  • 1
    0

    Even the oncoming election is for promoting corruption. Because they changed the voting system to 60/40% split, they have increased the no of politicians. Because of that, 70 will be contesting. Writers should promote, Sri lankan media, social media etc., should ask people to vote the INDIVIDUAL AND NOT THE PARTY AS BOTH PARTIES ARE DICTATORIAL IN THEIR CONTITUTIONAL AND PROMINENT POLITICIANS OF BOTH PARTIES ARE UTTERLY CORRUPT.

  • 2
    0

    Jim softy: Yes I do agree with you. It is time for the people to “TRY OUT” JVP. I don’t think they would resort to any more violence. After 1989, and subsequent election defeats, I suppose they have learned the “bitter lesson”. The proof, I had was, when some of their “comrades” were killed during the recent past, (after 1989) there were no retaliations or any other “tit for tat” actions. I, with confidence, trust it’s present Leadership PLUS the way they carry on with their own party administration and the way they present in the Legislature. In my opinion JVP is the ONLY OPPOSITION performing in the Parliament. In addition, I appreciate that way of administering an OATH to be taken by ALL CANDIDATES who have been nominated to contest the Local Government elections. Just see how President Sirisena too copied the same, but completely “Hoodwinked” the masses by getting the leaders of 31 political parties, including him taking a similar oath. Wasn’t that a BIG JOKE? All these CLOWNS and VAGABONDS must be KICKED OUT of politics.Period.

    • 1
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      Continued:

      JVP, hasn’t reconsidered its (should I say the other psychopath Rohana Wijeweera’s) lesson/position on upcountry hard working people. Does JVP still consider them as the 5th column or a potential vote bank? JVP needs to be loud and clear.
      I have gone through its OUR VISION Policy framework adopted at the 7th National Convention of the JVP. Its full of unworkable empty promises, purely a party rhetoric junk.

      It is a party of racists including its founder members. The party as a whole and leadership in particular has no clues of the national question. The members and its leaders still believe in their own dated rhetoric that their brand of Socialism would be the panacea for all ills in this island.

      JVP’s only position on War Crimes is holding no position. The state and numerous non-state actors had committed war crimes, well since 5th April 1971 over 46 years. The state and its repressive machineries are part of permanent structure, and their adversaries varied over the years. The state perpetuates so are its repressive institutions and men (mostly men) who man the institutions. The state institutions are free to enjoy impunity while the ordinary innocent civilians pay the price. JVP does not discuss war crimes anymore, in case it offends the Sinhala/Buddhist establishment.

      JVP has its own people in the armed forces, probably holding higher positions now. Why is it difficult for the party to collect information through them and make a serious campaign against the perpetuating institutions of terror? Perhaps it does not want to rock the boat in its own interest.

      I have another 1001 concerns about JVP’s past history, present hypocrisy, outdated ideology which has been essentially racist.
      Well I wish the JVP well. You tend to trust them, but verify.

    • 1
      2

      Douglas

      “The proof, I had was, when some of their “comrades” were killed during the recent past, (after 1989) there were no retaliations or any other “tit for tat” actions.”

      According to my Elders credit goes to Chandrika, whether you like her or not.

      The JVP is not a party of saints.

      JVP hasn’t apologized unreservedly to the people for using violence as the only weapon of change. In an interview with BBC AKD apologized for using violence. Within a day or two some functionary within the party repudiated AKD statement.
      JVP hasn’t officially surrendered its weapons (JVP demanded LTTE surrendered its armory) .

      Its position on India and China. Its criticism of India sometimes valid though unnecessarily loud and suffers from usual paranoia. Please note during DIG Udugampola’s reign of terror Somawansa and his merry revolutionaries sought asylum and received protection in India. The deal was negotiated in London through a Tamil intermediary, I was told.

      JVP is on mute mode when it comes to Chinese affairs in this island.

      JVP was in bed with Mahinda. It was a threesome act of self gratification. Somawansa and Champika provided much needed moral and physical support when both along with Sarath N Silva de-merged North East. It was not the principle of merger or de-merger however its about the way Nantha de Silva conducted the court’s proceedings. He refused permission to put forward Tamil side of the argument. JVP never apologized to the people for its part in such perversion of justice or for that matter courts proceedings. As a reward Mahinda divided the party with the help of ever obliging Wimal Sangili Karuppan Weerawansa.

      Continued

  • 3
    2

    I say SJ you are at odds with yourself. You are asking Sirisena to go at the end of the term after presiding “gracefully”?? If he did preside gracefully he should serve another term shouldn’t he ? Or are you impatient to have the bond scamsters, and racketeers of the UNP to be able to bleed the country beyond redemption?What is in it for you other than the satisfaction of rubbing shoulders with your Hamu MahattayAs?

    • 3
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      I still like this guy, Maithripala, whom I voted for in January 2015, although like so many other citizens, I, too, am disappointed with the slow pace, and even more with the compromises that he’s made. Compromises in terms of appointing to parliament those who have been clearly rejected by voters, not limiting the number of Ministers, not allowing certain categories of people prosecuted, lots more things.

      However, if Maithri now transforms himself in to a guy who will want to continue in politics after 2020. However desirable the man may seem to be two years from now, he must step down before the next Presidential Election.

      I’m encouraged at reading what he has said at a meeting of all the SLFP candidates; he had said that the next party leader would be young, educated, and honest. Not from his family. I’m trying to believe him.

      He told us very clearly that he would not contest again. That promise is central to how I think of him. Any attempt to get round that, and my support ceases.

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        when Maithripala Said he would appoint a young and educated youth, that it self is his judgement. He is considering all his subordinates are dumb except him. The real way should be allow them to talk their vision in front of everybody and let a secret vote select the suitable. Otherwise, It .looks Ranil was waiting to select HArsha De silva, KAriavasam or the member of the Jayawardane family. So, Maithripala will be counteracting by appoint his own version who ever it is. that should not be the proper way.

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        Sinhala_Man,

        When Shyamon J. talks about Sirisena that he should go at the end of his term, ‘having presided gracefully,’ he is in effect asking for a graceful exit, not that he has been graceful as President so far, nor that he will be for the remaining term. It seems some commentators are distorting what SJ said.

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          Dear Agnos,


          Mea maxima culpa!

          I was doing that myself. Deeply disappointed though I am with Maithri’s performance, I still think that he is the best of the bad lot – of those politicians who wield power. Honest guys like Vikramabahu Karunaratne will never get anywhere – and I’m sure have no desire to get anywhere by indulging in the sort of double dealing that has come to be expected from politicians.

          About Shyamon J. – he writes beautifully, but when someone pointed out that he keeps singing uncritical paeans of praise of Ranil W., I looked again, and found it true.

          My honest feeling is that the “simpler” Maithri is more sincere, but owing especially to the way he got elected, he’s reluctant to take risks with his SLFP voter base.

          That is obviously a huge mistake. If he acts more boldly now, he could still go down in History as a guy who did his country some good. If he continues to flirt with the many dishonest SLFP/ SLPP members of parliament, he, too, may have to be categorised as a villain.

          Thanks, Agnos, for the reprimand – which I deserved!

          On a lighter note, when I saw the initials SJ, I immediately thought of Prof. Sivasegaram, and spent some time looking for a comment by him.

          I’m commenting so much that I don’t get enough sleep, I guess!

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            SM,

            You are right about SJ being pro-Ranil and not willing to criticize the latter.

            Still, the posting by Percy above you was a distortion.
            It was not my intention to reprimand you, only that it seemed you had ignored that point.
            Happy New Year!

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    As parties, SLFP, UNP, UPFA, and SLPP are all corrupt and it is just recycling of same old corrupt politicians. JVP, and independent candidates or individuals and not parties should be considered. Media doe snot give coverage. Yet, there is one council election in the South which will be contest by independent candidates.

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    This is another bashing by a well known Sinhala-Buddhism basher. These cloaked ‘sankarayas’ have given up attacking the Mahavamsa (the oldest written national history of the world) and are now targeting the 1956 revolution that for the first time transferred power in the Jambudvipa from the Brown Sahib boot lickers (D,S, Senanayake and the rest of the UNP) to the ‘pancha maha balavegaya’. The sankaras are shedding crocodile tears about the rural missing out on English! Ediriweera Sarachchandra, Siri Gunasinghe, Gananatha Obeysekera all came from rural Sri Lanka and there seems to be no problem with their English. It is the Simons who ‘kultified’ their names who are still struggling with English. So stop the Bullshit and it will take you nowhere!

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      Simon Pothegura

      ” Mahavamsa (the oldest written national history of the world)”

      So you believe in cartoon comics and approve of parricide, incest and bestiality (Zoophilia). You also respect your ancestor the Lion which kidnapped a raped a beauty. Does that explain as to why rape, incest relation and murder rates are too high comparable to countries in this region?

      “the 1956 revolution that for the first time transferred power in the Jambudvipa from the Brown Sahib boot lickers (D,S, Senanayake and the rest of the UNP) to the ‘pancha maha balavegaya’.

      If you believe this you believe anything.

      Burj Khalifa, Shanghai Tower, Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower, Ping An Finance Centre, …………………….. Tianjin CTF Finance Centre are for sale, going for cheap, Five buildings for 200 Million Rupees. I am willing to throw in Petronas Tower 1 & 2 for free.

      “Ediriweera Sarachchandra, Siri Gunasinghe, Gananatha Obeysekera all came from rural Sri Lanka and there seems to be no problem with their English.”

      Ediriweera Sarachchandra studied at Richmond College in Galle, St. John’s College Panadura, S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia and St. Aloysius’ College in Galle.

      Prof Gananath Obeysekere has a first class degree in English, he says “no to Child monk”. His father was a graduate, fluent in several languages (3 or 4) including English, Sanskrit, Hindi and Sinhala. According to prof his father was a cosmopolitan figure.

      Please note both Ediriweera Sarachchandra and Gananath Obeysekere are known for their intellectual honesty. How about you?

      Now what is your point if there is one?

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    Brilliant Shaymon,

    I agree with your brilliant analysis.
    MS is going bersek day by day.

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    Excellently written. Cannot disagree one bit. Bandaranaikes were the bane of Sri Lanka and you have pointed out the three damaging things they did, CBK was the last but she was a no-can-do useless leader. The Sanga finally murdered Bandranaike while the latter was worshipping them. Politicians who use the sanga can never be trusted. Sirisena is at his end. Unfortunate as he could have done well. Bad advisors

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    Native Vedda: I am not into white wash or color wash JVP, and neither to read the “Mahawansa” of it. My only concern is to find a SOLUTION to the present day “CALAMITY”, in that, I follow an analysis based on a formula called “SPIN” i.e. S for Situation; P for Problem; I for Implications and N for Need. I also called to do a TEST RUN with this upcoming Local Government Elections by handing over to JVP an important segment of the Governing Affairs that directly affect the people on a day to day basis. If the JVP fails or does not live up to the expectations, the people will have the next available opportunity, mind you, within another matter of six months time to “KICK” them out, when the next round of elections to Provincial Councils come up. So, you will find that my opinion is based on a “Probability Ratio” of “Give” and “Take Away”. This is not the time to waste to find a needle in a haystack.

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      Douglas

      Does JVP stand for truth?

      Their ability to administer various arms of local democracy is secondary. You would do well to remember JVP’s campaign against Provincial Councils in 1988. It totally opposed the principles of decentralisation/elements of devolution and the way in which it was imposed by the Hindians. Later on the JVP was happy to field its own candidates to contest Provincial Council seats and enjoy perks related to being elected members. Subsequently when I questioned two of its MPs about their blatant hypocrisy on provincial council one didn’t answer my question the second one said they had to be in it to change it.

      ” If the JVP fails or does not live up to the expectations, the people will have the next available opportunity, mind you, within another matter of six months time to “KICK” them out, when the next round of elections to Provincial Councils come up. “

      This has been what the people are fed up with. Well hypocrites, crooks, war criminals, liars, racists ………… don’t deserve my vote.

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        Dumb NAtive Veddo: Even now the problem with JVP is AKD is wearing the Green Satahakaya of UNP and they are anti private Medical colleges. but, JVP do es not present a solution about how to handle the shortage medical doctors, how to train enough doctors in different fields and simply the need of private universities as the govt alone cannot handle all the education and training needs. JVP is still hidden in their ideology, Only good thing is JVP has submitted their asset claims unlike the other 218 politicians. Even submitting their asset claims may be out ot of dates as most prominent politicians are keeping their ill gotten money in overseas accounts. Yahapalanaya Cabinet also has many. Both Ranil and MY3 know it it should sense it.

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    Native Vedda: You again talk of that “Mahawansa” of JVP. JVP themselves said how they opposed the Provincial Councils “Imposed” upon us by the Indians, on their own terms twisting the arms of the then President JRJ. What the JVP, as I understand as of today, is for devolution of power to Districts in a different format, through Constitutional Provisions and they have proposed that at the Committee stage of the Parliamentary Committees. For this, the JVP has been “Branded” as a political party involved in the “Division of the Country”. That you would have seen during the debates on the New Constitution formulation. You said: “Well hypocrites, crooks, war criminals, liars, racists……..don’t deserve my vote”. If that reference is to JVP, and combined with that of your assertion ” This has been what the people are fed up with, I believe referring to a “CHANGE”, I could very well surmise where your vote will GO. Please do it and that is where you should be. All the Best.

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    You have listed down short coming of slfp as a party in the past and i totaly agree with you.
    What’s the point talking about history. The damages 90% of them were done by Bandaranayake’s family.
    Where is chandrika today? She is with RW to continue the damages.
    But where’s slfp today?
    United the country. Built infrastructure. May be robbed but we have the assets to recover. But what RW and ump (RK) rogues did?
    Robbed the treasury fund in billions with no assets to recover them.
    70% of population is in poverty. What unp government Is doing for them? Nothing. They take care of only few rich people in çolombo, specially Malik doing the job of RW.
    Getting Rosy as the çolombo municipal mayor candidate, what has she done for poor in the past. Nothing.
    They take care of only certain crowd.
    Today unp rely on what MR has started.
    Port city , harbour and mattala.
    The comment from Singapore guys were, if we had the brain to use the hambantota harbour for our favour , its good enough to generate income for generation.
    If RW listed it and ask people to invest on it , lot of people would have bought shares to pay the loan off. What feasibility had he done before selling it to China.
    China would have been 15% and we would have been 85%.
    China had no option but to continue to operate it as they have already spent on the connecting shipping routes such as Bangladesh , Malacca etc .
    Just sold it blindly and brag about it.
    You don’t need a brain to sell assets. You need brain to build them.
    You from Australia is unaware how we suffer under RW leadership.
    Please come here and observe.

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