14 December, 2024

Blog

Ranil At The Kurukshetra, Do Not Cry !

By Grusha Andrews

“Whatever happened, happened for the good; whatever is happening, is happening for the good; whatever will happen, will also happen for the good. What did you lose that you cry about? What did you bring with you, which you think you have lost? What did you produce, which you think got destroyed? You did not bring anything, whatever you have, you received from here. Whatever you have given, you have given only here. Whatever you took, you took from God. Whatever you gave, you gave to Him. You came empty handed, you will leave empty handed. What is yours today, belonged to someone else yesterday, and will belong to someone else tomorrow. You are mistakenly enjoying the thought that this is yours. It is this false happiness that is the cause of your sorrows. Do not cry, Arjuna”- Bhagavat Gita

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe

Mahabharat is the epic saga capturing the interconnected and intercalated conditions of the world, power, greed, right (dharma), wrong (adharma) in breathtakingly philosophical language. The Bhagavat Gita, a component of the Mahabharat is a heart to heart conversation between Arjuna, the Pandava warrior and his soul mate Krishna touching topics spanning from power politics, art of war and half-heartedness to kill the enemy bound by blood. The above quote is the immortal advice given to Arjuna by Krishna as Arjuna lays his bow and arrows on the ground in abject sorrow at the realization that he will be killing his cousins at war.

Two camps of cousins, Kaurvas and Pandavas belonging to the common tribe of Kuru engage in a game of dice, the stake being that the losers will leave their kingdom for 13 years of exile. The Kaurva player Duryojana wins through cheating but the Pandavas, keep their word and go in to exile for 13 years and return to reclaim their kingdom. They face the resistance of Duryojana leading to an epic war. The decisive last battle of this war is fought in Kurukshetra for 18 long days.

“Whatever happened, happened for the good”

Ranil Wikremesinghe, who has been in the political arena for decades will battle his last in his Kurukshetra with the no confidence motion (NCM) of 4th April 2018. If you count 18 days back from the 4th of April, it falls on the fateful day of March 24th, Ranil’s 69th birthday. For decades Ranil has weathered a humanly impossible load of uncivilized mockery, criticism, defeat, betrayal and brutality with the silence of a sage, nonchalance and equanimity. However if defeated on the 4th of April Ranil is likely to surrender his bow and arrows at the Kurukshetra to end the Ranil era. This would not be because it is actually warranted constitutionally. This would be because Ranil is the last remaining statesman with an internalized, conscious bond to the authentic version of parliamentary democracy tradition in Sri Lanka.

The last battle of Kurukshetra is won by the Pandavas denoting the triumph of Dharma over Adharma. Ranil has arrived at Kurukshetra and us –the democratic people of this country through his inability to stand up for dharma at  pivotal moments, choosing instead to protect his buddies, Royal College friends and empty people who to belong to his ‘cultured’ class.

In 2002, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga shamelessly usurped Ranil’s democratically earned term of government, dissolving the parliament. Thousands of citizens took to the streets to march to the President’s House to reclaim their mandate. Ranil quoting the constitutional provision available to his childhood friend  turned his back to the people and went home without a fight. Thirteen years later (ironically 13 is also the duration of Pandava exile!) in 2015 he repeated history. He watched a bunch of Royalists commit the historic bond scam and watched still as one of them mysteriously disappeared off shores.

All this is history.

What good has come out of it? Ranil is no longer the mythical ethereal gentleman who speaks gospel. He is like the rest of us, rising, falling, wronging, faltering, and sinning and with sin. He is just a man. But in today’s politics he is the only politician demonstrating the soundness to muster a globalizing world. In spite of his faults, Ranil remains the last trump card of a meaningful democracy for all races. Internalizing this conclusively itself is a triumph because it will hold Rail to the same standards we assign the much maligned politicians and pave way to applying civic pressure on him to deliver more if he delivers himself at the Kurukshetra.

“What did you bring with you, which you think you have lost?”

Ranil is a leader of fate and not of intention. He ascended to the UNP leadership on the assassinations of UNP giants, such as R. Premadasa, Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake. He is the uncertain leader who materialized through a mist of graves. His “Royal-ness” nor his “states-manliness” can shroud the inferiority complex that is apparent if one looks at him eye to eye on equal grounds as an ordinary man, beyond his inflated westernized persona sans titillation by an imagined reality.

Ranil’s struggle to establish himself as the undisputed leader on the UNP consumed a large number of political years. He is cursed with an inherent affinity towards persons who are literally hated by society. The likes of Malik Samarawickrama and Sagala Ratnayake are not only despised by the common man, but also hated, mistrusted and considered simply dishonest by those who have insights in to financing, economics and the private sector.

Sri Lankan women constituting 52% of its population don’t share an attraction with Ranil as they do with Mahinda Rajapakse. As the leader of the largest singular political party in Sri Lanka, Ranil has woefully failed to use the potential of women in securing political stability for his party. Both Ranil and ’Ranil-philics’ suffer in abundance from the selective political blindness of not being able to see a woman beyond Rosy Senanayake for the UNP. However it’s a twist of fate that in spite of his political malaise, it was Ranil, and not Rosy, Talata, Hirunika, Dr. Sudarshani or Pavithra who conceptualized and carried through the reforms to ensure a higher female participation in Sri Lankan politics during his current tenure. This is Ranil’s ironic political greatness.

“Whatever you have given, you have given only here”

Perhaps the deepest tragedy of Ranil’s internal power struggle is that his vast political knowledge, wisdom and economic vision had to take a back seat to entertain his messy struggle in the murky swamp of politics. The time invested in dealing with the giant alligators such as Mahinda Rajapakse, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Velupillai Prabhakaran are justified. However, puny series of thorns such as Sajith Premadasa, Sirasa Media Network, Buddhika Pathirana, Shiral Lakthilaka, Palitha Range Bandara, Maithree Gunaratne, Palitha Thewarapperuma who are not worthy of the dust at his toes consumed and putrefied his intellectual and political energy causing him grave damage. Ranil does not appear to be perturbed by any of their actions. He has consistently demonstrated the hard heartedness of a man giving his children in alms. This is not to say that Ranil embodies the qualities of an exalted Bodhisatva with whom such altruism is tied to. It only denotes that Ranil is the cleverest emotional manager of Sri Lankan politics.

Ranil is the only modern politician who has a heart hardened enough to disregard self-defeat of his personal power struggle and willfully forgo his ascend to the throne in the name of liberal democracy. He holds the office of the Prime Minister through the democratic process and not through a political game in the brand of “Jehan Fernando-Maldeniya” of Koombiyo fame. He has not partaken in genocide to cater to those who maligned him as a traitor and an anti-nationalist. Even during his darkest and most hopeless day in politics, Ranil never resorted to racism to negotiate an easy political resurgence. Sajith Premadasa’s inability to emerge victorious in his political dual with Ranil is Sajith’s political impotence. Sajith’s decade long childish project carried out hiding behind a media Moghul is only symptomatic of his political immaturity and emotional bankruptcy. His pathetic “Tall for security- short for laborer’ saga summarized his political puniness. 

Ranil’s fearless economic vision is not fully embraced by the public, not due to a natural error in its conceptualization, but because opportunistic politics compounded by Ranil’s original sin of his inability to latch on to power leading to missed opportunities. However it is only Ranil that appears to have the long term visionary capacity to deliver these economic reforms.

What is yours today, will belong to someone else tomorrow”

Ever since the emergence of the NCM of April 4th the fractures within the Yahapalana government are widening rapidly. If the NCM is passed, it will also spell the no confidence in the Yahapalana government. There are two unwavering allies of Ranil in this dilemma. One is the majority of the MPs of the UNP. In spite of their dissenting views about Ranil they seem to display a conceptual coherence in their support. The other ally is the Tamil National Alliance that has demonstrated political maturity and intent that merits a separate essay in these insidious times. 

Shamelessly fishing in the murky waters are Rauf Hakeem and Mano Ganeshan. If they extend their support to Ranil, this would not be out of any ruth towards their suffering electorate. It would be because these crafty and ruthless political brains recognize that their electorate trust Ranil’s non-racist politics. The fortunate day that their electorate, and in fact, Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims recognize them as political opportunists to wake up from their illusion, they will not need a Ranil to save them. The people will do it themselves. Instead of coming to term with this political reality the President appears to be sitting on the high branch of his office gleefully sawing away his very seat, indirectly supporting the NCM. It is his ill fate and ours that he in his glee, does not realize that he will pay Gotabaya Rajapakse with his Presidency and life for his disloyalty towards Ranil.  This path paved will only end in one fearsome destination called ‘Gota 2020’.

At the 2020 Presidential election the common enemy of both Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Sirisena will be Ranil. They fear not the present Ranil who is hacked by Sirasa and is listening to abuse in nonchalance. They fear the Ranil of 2020 who will rise articulately and fearlessly for liberal democracy; the Ranil who will carry out economic reforms empowered by the constitutional reforms. It is the moral prerogative of both politicians and the public to rise against any force that attempts to usurp the mandate of the people. To uphold that moral prerogative one does not have to be a fan of Ranil nor cast a vote for Ranil. Ragardless of who owns 2020, we must not disown our democracy. Ranil should emerge victorious at his last battle in the Kurukshetra only for this reason.

*This article was originally written by the author in Sinhalese and subsequently translated to English by the author for the English readership.

Latest comments

  • 12
    23

    What train wreak of an article
    who is this naive liberal bleeding heart writing these asinine words?
    Ayyo Salli!

  • 16
    16

    Grusha, had you been writing this prose in North and Central India linking Bhagavat Gita verses to white wash a leader of a gang of bank robbers, and a sly politician, you would have been stoned to death by the Hindu faith followers. You cannot grab bits of BG out of context as a floating straw for your hero to cling, or for you to attach him to the straw, if in all his political life the fake hero and his accolytes have been living against the Dharma that Krishna was preaching to Arjuna. The writers here have a habit of taking bits of philosophical morsels to emotionally blackmail those that resist them and to make them weak and impotent, and this piece of writing is no more than that. You must present to and share bits of religious and philosophical teaching with those who are in the same mindset, and have the mental and physcial disciplines of honorable beings. Given that, your essay, as far as I am concerned is nothing but an essay of sacriliege. It does not exonerate the black hearted man that headed the gang of robbers and betrayed the trust and confidence that people placed on him. Natural justice will follow him wherever he dwells, sooner or later.

  • 26
    8

    Wow what dynamic writing ,what quality and truth spoken bravely .

    The human folly of the man has been told without covering up and his statesmen ship and capabilities to handle the modern world honored without grudge.

    But he unfortunately failed to follow LKY ,he should have given a standing sack to the wrongdoers of his party which would have given him an open license by. the people to do the same to others without favour or preference.

    If the stars are on his side and if he beats the NCN, then there after that is exactly what he needed to do ,kick the yakoos on their backs .
    ( Architect Leon Monk(A SL Jew)

    Ranil its time you do what is right for the sake of the people and not what is politically right for your friends ,and anyone who is a part of your party and officials , you need to build that iron in you and go for their guts and you will see how the entire people will change their attitude towards you.

    This is not the end anyways
    Even if you are removed from PM the international communities will talk only with you ,its a fact.

    Two great words
    Wait and Hope..
    Let’s see how genuine is JVP now ,by their decision ,it would expose their true nature .

  • 17
    3

    Where is Dayan J………………………………………………………………? (Ranil`s arch enemy)!

    • 1
      1

      You mean Duryodanan?

  • 28
    12

    Superb and very clear!. The JO are dancing around circles thinking they can end yahapalanaya and save their court cases.

    • 5
      15

      And they will succeed

  • 26
    11

    Excellent and fair analysis. I read the original in Sinhala and I am happy this has been put to good English.

    • 7
      5

      Oh great.. this Kalu Suddha can now read and understand Sinhala !

  • 17
    1

    Maybe there is some truth in this when it comes to democracy. None at all when it comes to Ranil being the champion of a neoliberal economic policy which has made his rich cronies more corrupt and more rich. He is weighted down by this corruption. He is the new crook. MR is the old crook. The electorate always gets rid of the new crook even at the cost of bringing back the old crook. That is the sad rotation of Sri Lankan politics.

  • 23
    3

    I am truly amazed with the writer’s ability to use both Singhalese and English languages at the top level. As for the content, the truth is that Ranil could be portrayed as a saint only in comparison to the villainous Rakjapakshas. On his own, he is much less than a saint.
    Helasingha

  • 10
    7

    Only positive aspect of the essay in both Sinhala and English versions was the bilingual skill shown by the writer. Nothing else. There’s no substance other than the appearance of eloquence. RW has never been a visionary or a statesman. A visionary and a statesman would not need a dictatorial constitution and a vassal executive committee to remain as party leader for ever. Only a crude dictator with a sense of class privilege and no self confidence would do it. A statesman would never use a puppet drawn from the opposing camp to become the Prime Minister of the country without any test of confidence in the parliament. That is while having only a handful members at his side. A statesman and a visionary would never appoint buddies as heads of economic nerve centres fully well knowing existing conflict of interests. A statesman would immediately rectify an error of judgement when it became apparent to the whole country and will never provide protection to rogue elements within. There’s no vision to this man. He just follows IMF prescriptions and what his neo con masters dictate. You don’t need vision for that. Lack of vision and statesmanship of this man has plunged the entire country into chaos. A statesman and a visionary would have resigned by now thus limiting the damage already inflicted on the party and the country.

  • 7
    4

    Very good article with unbiased analysis of the political scenario of the country. People haven’t been educated by the politicians or the people are so naïve to the impending danger they will be put into, in the near future if they miss this opportunity.
    Previous regime gave a distorted picture about the development of the country by ‘very good show off’ and went along with their dirtiest game of poli’tricking people in this country. But to see, they really like that type of regime which became apparently known with the recent LG election results.
    MS has been duped by miscreants within his faction and he is losing his vision day by day and limping towards his grave. Who will save him and the country? Only the time will tell. Let the nature take its course!

  • 7
    1

    I don’t know this story of Kurukshetra. I didn’t see the Sinahala article either. (Where was it published?) But one thing is guaranteed. Irrespective of my view on Ranil’s failed governing, with all other like-minded people, I too, stand up for preserving democracy and protecting our right to choose our leaders through a free and fair election.
    .
    The choice of the leader should be someone who is “elected” by people, not someone who is “selected” by politicians. Everybody keeps mum on the selection of the next PM after Ranil. Why? There should be a devious motive for bringing the NCM than targeting Ranil. NCM is not an issue about Ranil. It is an issue of robbing people’s right to elect whomever they want in every 5 years!!! Mahinda/JO let Ranil stay for 3 years supporting and even absenting and without voting against his most crucial Bills that impacted the country. Their sudden “awakening” is suspicious. One or more undesirables who lack confidence/hindrance to contest at an election may be trying to find an unscrupulous way to build their political future through the NCM blocking other people’s path and robbing people’s right to choose. Or may be trying to tame/destroy future rivals through unscrupulous means. I am not talking only about Ranil. If it is the case, then it should be thwarted irrespective of party, colour or ethnicity in order to protect political and civil rights of the citizenry.

    • 0
      1

      Dear Champa,
      .
      PART ONE

      Like you, I’m fed up with all three guys, MaRa, Ranil, and My3. I’m not even bothering to find out who is supporting whom.
      .
      All this is going to be decided 225 fellows in Parliament. By now the country seems agreed that the overwhelming majority of them do not deserve our respect. Who is to blame?
      .
      My3 appointed some of them on his his National List, or got them appointed by the UNP AFTER they had been rejected by the electorate. Certainly some of them lost only because they were nominated by the SLFP, which received just pro-MaRa votes. Sirisena had turned SOME good SLFPers into jokes. But he also nominated some who had lost because the people were sick of them. S.B. Dissanayake, Dilan Perera (what a wonderful father Dilan has!) and some others: I just don’t know these guys – was Kalu Soysa one of them?
      .
      But that’s only a few of the Members representing us in Parliament. The rest were elected by US – the Public (may not be by you or me personally).

    • 0
      1

      PART THREE

      Champa, as for your not having read the Sinhalese version of this article, just how could you have been so dumb? It is on Colombo Telegraph. Didn’t you know that CT has a few Sinhala articles (but none in Tamil – because it is difficult for those running it to find readers, writers or employees who are more comfortable writin in Sinalese rather than English)?
      .
      Please look at where you are told, by Grusha, that this article is one that he had himself translated from the Sinhalese version. Click on the blue lettering there. You will be taken to the Sinhalese version.
      .
      Grusha speaks true. the Sinhalese version he had posted on April Fool’s Day, this the next day. And there are about ten comments there, some in English, others in Sinhalese. I’ve not checked today.
      .
      Yes, it is amazing that Grusha Andrews can write so well in BOTH languages. To take this country forward, we need people who can use all three languages.

  • 11
    5

    I can’t believe that our people still praise RW after all he did to our country such as recently appointing his buddy to clean the Central bank and trying to save him, maintaining killing field at “Batalanda” from 1986 to 1989, allowing his thug buddy Gonawala Sunil to cut the fuel line from harbour to oil refinery and weld a T piece to fill his bowsers and sell oil and then his failed economic policies to find money by closing down or selling our industries and assets.
    There were rumours those days RW became a leader because he had a powerful uncle in the government to allow him to passage through the university and immediately after get a safe UNP seat to become a MP and a Minister soon after.
    God help Sri Lanka when there are people to praise such leaders.

  • 9
    7

    Let’s talk about facts. Rajapaksha was given a USD 26 Billion and turned init to an USD 81 billion economy by the time he left in just 8 years (Sri Lanka’s rate of return was 300%+ for those 8 years, that’s a good investment). During that time he eradicated terrorism, fixed infrastructure (roads, highways, railways, power plants, ports, irrigation etc.) that were neglected for decades, grew ICT sector by few orders of magnitude and list goes on. On the other hand Ranil in just 3 years (3 SHORT YEARS) gradually decreased GDP growth rate to a 16 year law of 3.1% last year, increased debt to GDP ratio (which now stands at 100%+), slowed down infrastructure growth, decreased FDIs, increased taxes, depleted foreign reserves which stood almost USD 10 billion in 2015, looted the CBSL with his crony Mahendran and slowed down ongoing development projects despite that fact that there wasn’t a war zone to deal with or a western HR lobby that continuously protested against SL. He had all the support from China, West and India. Ranil in million life times will not come even close to Rajapaksha when it comes to economic and national security contributions to this country. Ranil is a failure, please call spade a spade. We don’t need this kind of senseless emotional rhetorics to justify Ranil’s continued presence as a national leader. Ranil should go and in fact should have gone years ago.

    • 9
      2

      If MR was doing so well, why did he call an early presidential election, with two years remaining in his term?

      • 1
        0

        Look Mr. Naive, I’m not saying MR is a saint or some benevolent dictator, he for sure is greedy and just wants to bask in his own glory. So who knows may be he felt he hasn’t done well enough to secure a reelection to enjoy all the perks (people have insecurities), may be he thought that local opposition with the new found Facebook tool backed by Western political strategist and money would kicked him out if he wait for too long, or may be stupidly believed in some astrological sign… we can keep talking this BS all day long back and forth. But the fact remains if you take CBK, RW, MS and bunched them up together and put them in to one side of a scale and MR on the other side, sheer weight of MR in terms of his positive contributions to the country’s economy and national security can launch other three into orbit. I can’t speak much for JR or Premadasa because I was toddler back then. All my life as a young boy/adult till 2009 I saw a war ravaged country, crumbling infrastructure, negativity, economic stagnation and lame excuses and lies of mediocre, incompetent politicians like RW and CBK.

  • 2
    1

    The most vital message of the Writer is somewhat a miss by some here. .

    His core point is , He Ranil is still only human, better in many ways than others & just because his mistakes are different from. others must he face NCM ? & why was not the sane done to others ? Why not instead insist the man to remain in his position and ask him to apply the law on the wrong doers ,?very fishy ,are the wrong doers actually party to the NCM !???
    .
    Like I always say if there is a right system that would have policed the government ,its officials and of cause opposition included ,none will dare to touch a dime or the quickly vanishing resources of Lanka, no be able to protect family or friends .

    Such a biased justice system ,we the people know Its bias &we endorse it every day.
    Come 2020 we will march as obedient slaves to the polls ,and usher in another set ,of cause with the same old Constitution ,with newer holes ,same old drama, ,it can be anyone not the JO ,even JVP, will end up Like stale fish in days ,even if they come in with landslide, .you need to arrest the cause ,heal the bacteria and the symptoms will vanish ,stop using Panodol politics

  • 1
    1

    The often repeated saying of the believers of the Nation of Abraham goes as ,, Praise The Lord and none other deserve it.

    Nobody is Praising Ranil ,people with right conscience are merely trying hard to be fair and unbiased .

    After Sir John ,I really can not find anyone among our leaders I could find, leave alone deserving praise ,not even worthy of the recognition of leadership.

    Leadership and praise is rightfully due to such men and women who will dare to even lay down their own lives to stand firm in justice ,without cowardice of loosing power and wealth ,

    No family, nor ethnicity would stand in their way , all as one people of one Nation deserving equality , from justice to the resources of the land, will be their true commandment .

    People you may laugh your ass out when I suggest this man .
    But I say it responsibly.

    Force the Election commissioner to Run for Presidential candidate ,hand the Nation to this man and he will shock you ,what he can do with that pleasant smile and all his politeness ,because he is an honest human.

    But will. we dare ???
    He has already angered a lot of people in his he past and the recent ,but the people together can change everything in this land ,its a matter of my nation Lanka comes first and there are only Lankans any other badge anyone display should be treated as unconnected to the country ,then you can .

    ….

  • 3
    4

    Ranil may not be a racist but he is a classist and an opportunist, his dogged cling to power however is because of his inability to do anything else, his best act is what he is now, there is nothing more to him, sadly.

  • 2
    0

    Grusha Andrews
    You point out (rather emotionally) that Mahabharat is about the world, power, greed, right (dharma), wrong (adharma).
    The soap in SL is about power, power and power.
    You point out that in Mahabharat, the two camps Kaurvas and Pandavas are cousins.
    The conditions in SL is similar but one camp uses minorities as aggression-outlet.
    In Mahabharat the loser goes into exile.
    In SL the losers and winners have homes overseas. Example Gota, CB K. Basil and Namal are overseas, MR will be out from 04 April
    Sorry Grusha we do not have a Mahabharat by any stretch of imagination. We have a fish-market war of words.
    belonging to the common tribe of Kuru engage in a game of dice, the stake being that the losers will leave their kingdom for 13 years of exile.
    Mahabharat is the epic saga capturing the interconnected and intercalated conditions of the world, power, greed, right (dharma), wrong (adharma) in breathtakingly philosophical language. The Bhagavat Gita, a component of the Mahabharat is a heart to heart conversation between Arjuna, the Pandava warrior and his soul mate Krishna touching topics spanning from power politics, art of war and half-heartedness to kill the enemy bound by blood. The above quote is the immortal advice given to Arjuna by Krishna as Arjuna lays his bow and arrows on the ground in abject sorrow at the realization that he will be killing his cousins at war.
    Two camps of cousins, Kaurvas and Pandavas belonging to the common tribe of Kuru engage in a game of dice, the stake being that the losers will leave their kingdom for 13 years of exile. The Kaurva player Duryojana wins through cheating but the Pandavas, keep their word and go in to exile for 13 years and return to reclaim their kingdom.

  • 1
    5

    English writing ability and Indian literaturue had been used to justify the antiques of a Prominent politician in Sri lanka who carried out one of the worst financial scandles in the world. Read and see worst financial scandles in the world. this is one of them. Lehman brothers did something like this and that country had to suffer, austerity Money priniting (Quantitative easing) and all those things needed. Ranil was the party leader of the previous govt and not was a legitimately selected PM. He was appointed by the President who had been, in turn, supported by the PM and his gang. His financial MEGA – fruad was he borrowed govt money (state banks and EPF funds) via a private dealer and paid high interest. NOw, he accuses both the bank goverrnor whose son in LAw got unjustified profits and PM is trying to escape all what he did inclyding getting a foot note gang to who gave duty free car permits to the food note gang. Then as soon as he became the LEgally selected PM, HE closed the eyes of PResident who was Naive to these and 19th amendment is written for him. PResident has become a just a minsiter. HE can do here and there some changes and nothing powerful as an executive president. Only thing author did was give a polished version of the mega financial fruad.

  • 0
    2

    Some one says in another Thread, NAvin dissanayake is looking for real estate to buy in toronto, Canada. both the Maithripala sirisena’s brother and Namal Rajapakse had business – real estates in tioronto Canada. Inthat Sense, Ranil was stupid and jusitifed steaing to oay money he got Daya Gamage, Ravi Karunanayke for the party and those money was paid. Some how Ranil was caught because Mahinda Rajapakse moles were inthe central bank. but, Ranil is not asaint, even at present, the way he ran the Centrak babk, how he got help from MCC and IMF are all scandles. I heard Maithripala Seirisen’a s brother who is working in the Telecome also has some health problems probably stress related thinking he may get caught. Otherwise, there is no need of a chairman to business that has a CEO.

  • 1
    2

    MAhabarath and Bahagavath Geetha are two Epics whoch used the bad and the evil that exist among good humans beings. thsoe epcics never tried to some one like a SATAN. what the author did was Satan’s activities are like those of this evil. He was not sympathetic to the country or particulatly to voters who are poor and struggling. Instead he promoted a sdifferent class and tried to show grandness and ability. HE is screwed up big time. HE is just a NERO. He is not a Arjuna at all. HE was a good fighter. not a cheap theif who was destroying poor. Some one may haver asked to compare to Arjuna. but not so.

  • 0
    1

    Ranil’s plans are all very excellent, especially the tax-plan that is most necessary for capitalistic society. Unfortunately his plans will work in every other country on earth that doesn’t have the threat of India with its caste-system atop it.
    *
    He shows scant regard the enduring soul of the Sri Lankan masses, and their bitter struggle for endurance. He hasn’t a clue how to democratically tailor-make his plans to suit our unique heritage. Once that is scorned and discounted, Sri Lanka is at the grave threat of becoming the dumping grounds of Tamil Nadu. Bond scam is a direct clue of his intentions.
    *
    After the results of the local elections, he might or mightn’t chose to give it over to the greater South Asian council. Should he be given another chance to do good for the motherland, is the question. Well, there are others that can neatly jump into his place, without the threat of the Ranil compulsion towards the South Asian confederacy. If he can stand up in this 11th hour and swear on the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, all might be forgiven.

  • 0
    2

    The way things go, Ranil will win. Sri lanka has a fraudlent political system that works for politicians who are contestong and not for the country. So, right it is a three way game. Mahinda Rajapakse is trying to destabilize the govt. that won’t happen. Ranil was simply stupid. that is very clear. what is happening is all drama.

  • 2
    3

    Indian money is at work to protect Ranil and their Yahapalan project!

  • 1
    0

    ” We don’t know anything
    Every thing was over long ago.
    Every thing is his (God’s) Work”
    So said highly respected ‘Yogar Swamy’ of Columbuthurai Jaffna

  • 2
    1

    Well-balanced article giving both the positive and negative aspects of Ranil. Moreover, his positives are unique; a humility that results in a complete lack of arrogance and an equanimity to withstand all the stones thrown at him. Very few politicians in Sri Lanka has had these qualities.
    Have all those who criticize Ranil asked themselves, if Ranil does go, whom will we get in his place as Prime Minister? Sajit Premadasa? Someone from the JO? God forbid. Nimal Siripala de Silva? Is our parliament really populated by honest, able, sincere MPs who are concerned only with developing the country? At least a few – can somebody name one for a start!

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      Yes, I can.
      .
      I’m actually sending this from the Land’s Ministry. The current ministers, Gayantha Karuunatilleka ìs a good man. Not so his predecessor, John A. Before that there was Gunewardena of the many initials. He was honest, although he may have illegally settled colonists in the Trinco area.
      .
      This land problem of mine has been running since my father died in 1963. It’s partly the fault of my family members.
      .
      For the past 3 years people have been trying to help me. So often government servants are maligned, but the faults are ours.

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      Mevan,
      .
      To give you other decent guys, Buddhika Pathirana, and I wouldn’t write off Sajith Premadasa. I haven’t seen either in the flesh.
      .
      Some time ago, I read an article entitled “Cometh the hour, cometh the man,” written by a Dr Godwin Constantine, a heart specialist who had to do some tests on me owing to a then pending hernia operation. We got talking. When he found out that I was a quite poor pensioner, he returned the channelling fee that I had paid.
      .
      So, you see, although most doctors are vultures there are people like that. I’ll try to link you to that article when I’m seated at my computer.
      .
      We often get the government that we deserve.
      .
      The challenge is for us to select honest people.

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    Ranils no confidence vote

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    Ranils no confidence motion.

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    PART TWO
    .
    Ranil received a huge number of preference votes, for the same reason as his Uncle J.R. did. Both had earlier contested from other areas. J.R. from Kelaniya, Ranil from Biyagama. Their tallies were boosted by largely unenthusiastic voters from the most affluent areas of the city, many of them ignorant of sentiment in the villages, and contemptuous of villagERS. Both received lots of minority votes, and then let the minorities down. Well, you may not agree with me there!
    .
    Yes, so whatever way the vote today goes, I couldn’t really care less. I just don’t know how the country is going to emerge from this. The only guys in Parliament with some integrity may be some decent UNPers whom Ranil never favoured, some TNA Members, and I hope there are at least one or two Muslims (from a community where the female half are hardly allowed a say).

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    Ranil defeats the NCM by 122

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