By Upali Gajanayake –

Upali Gajanayake

The media reports with images that hundreds of people are coming to Carlton ‘Palace’ every day to pay homage to ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa. Among the images were scenes of women even older than Mahinda bowing before him. A couple who came to Tengalle from Galgamuwa, many miles away from Kurunegala town, proudly said that they had travelled a long distance to pay homage to Mahinda on a motorbike.

According to a new bill passed by the government, five former presidents lost their official residences, and among them only Mahinda Rajapaksa managed to win public sympathy.

Why does Mahinda, the elder of the two Rajapaksa presidents, possess a heroism or special quality that other politicians lack? What do his political allies and worshippers from other groups say to justify the worship of Rajapaksa?

Not only the former president’s allies, but even the intelligent politicians of the opposition, who attribute strange qualities to him in order to please him, have not paid attention to the damage their devotion is causing to the country’s political institutions. Among the politicians who went to pay homage to Mahinda were members of the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

True! A handful of politicians enjoy public respect even after losing their positions or even after death. To cite a good example, Mahatma Gandhi of neighbouring India is such a figure. No matter which political party comes to power in India, they still keep Gandhi’s philosophy as an ideal in governing the country without any controversy. If we forget Jawaharlal Nehru and go further, we meet Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Even the dictatorial military rulers who betrayed parliamentary democracy in Pakistan begin their work by paying homage to Jinnah.

In our region of Asia, there are more modern-era politicians who continue to be respected by the societies in which they operate. If we look for examples from the Asian region itself, Lee Kuan Yew, whose name is constantly mentioned even by people in Sri Lanka, lives on in the hearts of the citizens of Singapore. Aung San Suu Kyi, despite the repression, is silently respected due to her lifelong struggle against the oppressive military rule of Myanmar to win the democratic rights demanded by the people.

When it comes to Sri Lanka, what is the common ground that former President Mahinda Rajapakshe cites as the reason for such respect? According to many, it is the 2009 war victory. He was serving as president when the war ended in May 2009. Is it realistic to attribute the glory of that military victory to one person? The Sri Lankan army, which had even lost the Jaffna Fort, regained control of the peninsula under the rule of President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Can anyone say that the capture of Jaffna did not pave the way for the military victory of 2009?

C.A. Chandraprema published a book titled ‘Gota’s War‘, acknowledging the victory of the war for the Rajapaksa family. Forgetting that Chandraprema received a gift of an ambassadorial post for it, let us look at the battlefield. There we find, then, the commander of the SL army – Sarath Fonseka, a leader of the war victory, who was allocated a cell in Welikada prison by the Rajapakshe administration. Fonseka received political revenge as the reward for the war victory.

Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka recently revealed that Mahinda Rajapaksa had advised him to make changes within the military organisation with the aim of stalling the war as it was ongoing. Following R. Premadasa, it was revealed by his aide Tiran Alles that Mahinda Rajapaksa had also given millions of rupees to the LTTE. Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has alleged that Mahinda Rajapaksa stole his victory in the 2005 presidential election by paying bribes to the LTTE and boycotting the elections.

The devout voter, devoid of logic, is hardly different from that of a religious devotee. The religious devotee follows his priest and recites the verses in a calm tone. The difference with a political devotee is that he is ready to carry out any violent act that the leader commands. In history, the gathering of many blind followers behind politicians has created eras of unjust rule. The protesters at Galle Face Green were attacked by a group of such devout followers engaged in Rajapaksa worship.

Corruption, nepotism, inefficiency, misuse of public funds, and the relentless assault, torture, and killing of dissenters are the many words that can be used to describe regimes that emerge when power is vested in such rulers.

The ultimate consequence of such a political culture is the violation of even the minimum provisions of democracy. President JR Jayewardene‘s destruction of the constitution by reducing it to the status of a monthly magazine is an example. He expelled the opposition leader Amirthalingam from the parliament, who had been elected by popular vote, for his political gain. He abolished parliamentary elections through a referendum, turning the country into a battlefield. He added a Black July to the calendar.

Mahinda Rajapaksa has also disrespected the Constitution not once but several times. The so-called 18th Amendment is a prime example. Added to this is the disregard for the commissions passed by Parliament. The constitutional crisis of Mahinda Rajapaksa assuming the post of Prime Minister in violation of the Constitution, along with former President Sirisena, was resolved by the SL Supreme Court.

A politician receiving public praise should not be a matter of envy. But the wrong kind of praise sets a wrong example. It is an obstacle to building a new political culture by breaking free from the corrupt past.

In societies with advanced political consciousness, a ruler who deserves respect for building a nation should at least show progress in the following areas. The first of these is economic development, which includes eliminating poverty among the masses and ensuring a satisfactory level of consumption. Next in order is ensuring good health facilities, as well as protecting the right of children to free education. The ruler should not trap the country in a mountain of debt and should work to create a society free from crime and corruption. Also, a very important issue is environmental protection, ensuring a safe environment that is friendly to humans and does not force wild animals to roam the rural villages.

Furthermore, in such a society, journalists and social activists, including free speech activists, should not be attacked, disappeared, or killed.

If a ruler is desired as ‘Raja Bhavathu Dhammiko‘, what is wrong with worshipping him?