By Vishwamithra –

“But above all, in order to be, never try to seem.” ~ Albert Camus

Ranil Wickremesinghe has no choice; Sajith Premadasa too is running out of options. Pohottuwa exhausted its choices with the departure of Gotabaya Rajapaksa from Presidency. Ranil killed the United National Party (UNP) and trying to be elected President is not a difficult task; it’s an impossible one. Ranil failed to get a single elected to parliament in the last elections. The UNP was erased out of the electoral map in 2020. Once the symbol of consistency in electoral performance, the Grand Old Party of Ceylon evaporated into the smog-filled air amidst a two-third landslide victory for the Pohottuwa led by Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna.

After losing the Presidential elections in 2019, Samagi Jana Balavegaya led by Sajith Premadasa, its un-charismatic leader, gained only fifty four seats in Parliament; a mere 24.9% of the total polled. After he lost the Presidential elections, Sajith Premadasa took more than two solid weeks to come out of his hiding; he was hibernating, none knows where. Even then, he exhibited the qualities of a born loser. His quasi-rhetoric could not save him from a Pohottuwa-tsunami. The UNP which was divided into two distinct segments, the original UNP led by Ranil and the Samagi Jana Balavegaya led by Sajith and the ‘gang’, managed to secure only less than twenty five percent (25%) of the total polled.

With such a drastic collapse at the polls, how can either the UNP and SJB combined together or separately as two individual parties claim to gain another potential twenty five percent (25%)? Why is it such a hard task for either of these two groups or even a combo of these together to win the next parliamentary elections? It’s a very common-sensical argument. One needs not look beyond the obvious. Everything that could go wrong for the traditional political parties, which can be categorized as the status quo went wrong. The collapse of the economy; the consequential sociocultural depression and an astonishing intellectual awakening amongst those who could think for themselves and articulate that condition to the people at large, all conspired to contribute to a visible change in our society. That change found expression in the Aragalaya-22. It brought solace to young men and women.

Many a household felt it in their bone and marrow. Farmers had to put up with natural manure for fertilizer import was banned; the time three-wheeler drivers had to wait in petrol queues exceeded the time they would otherwise spend in driving their hires; small businessmen lost all their business for they couldn’t find anyone to finance their supplies; car owners spent their valuable time in gasoline lines; three meals a day came down to two or one meal a day. Life of every man, woman and child was living hell, so to speak.

What materialized on Galleface Green, primarily at the beginning, was an impromptu reaction to the hardships endured by the people of all walks of life. Later that protest manifested itself as a more organized demonstration of a people abandoned by their leaders; political leaders who made a futile attempt to attend the Aragalaya-22 at the Galleface Green were greeted with stones and harsh words. Only Sarath Fonseka and Anura Kumara Dissanayake were spared. Both Sajith Premadasa and Eran Wickramaratne were unmercifully chased away from the protest grounds. They chased the political leaders and embraced their brethren from the North and the East. For the first time in a period that was defined by sharp polarization along ethnic and religious lines, they showed harmony and togetherness with Tamils and Muslims. Sri Lanka could be identified as one nation with one flag and one people.

Despite this strong and unusual intimacy with one another, the Pohottuwa goons could not recognize the coming effects of such togetherness. They unleashed their thugs armed with poles and daggers; a peaceful demonstration of unarmed protesters were mercilessly hammered, intimidated and  physically violated. The funny shade of this ruthless treatment is that it was executed in broad daylight and before the television cameras for any and everyone to see. Furthermore, the dissemination of what was happening over the social media with a more than authentic headline or emoji contributed to the alacrity with which these episodes were left with the Smartphone owner-users.

Apart from the processes and MOs that were used, the very substance that was attributed to the 75-year rule by a class of men and women and the utter contempt and disgust with which this ruling class was held by the ordinary man in the urban, suburban and rural setting, drove home an undeniable fact that the entire ruling class was categorized into one huge lot-the status quo. Although the the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna at the time of the Aragalaya-22 too was not given a special place, the post Aragalaya-22 environment enveloped a contrasting landscape.

Ranil Wickremesinghe held the reins; Sajith and the SJB fell asleep; Pohottuwa feared to come out at all. That left a political arena devoid of players. Classification of all remaining politicians into the 75-year lot helped the NPP immensely and AKD and the rest of its leadership launched a totally novel plan and campaign and they are still in the midst of executing that plan with seemingly positive and visible results. With the 75-year narrative, the NPP could muster the entire lot of the so-called underprivileged men and women; and they began their flocking around the Maalimawa (the Compass). The people started referring to the NPP and its leadership as Maalimawa. Although one might not realize, at this stage of politics in the twenty first century, that directly identifying a political party and its men and women with their electoral symbol is rather unique and a marvelous victory for those who believe in brand-politics. The Maalimawa brand has been established beyond all expectations. While the current UNP is directly identified with Ranil and the SJB with Sajith respectively, the NPP is identified with the Maalimawa! There alone rests the victory of the brand.

When a political party is identified with its current leaders, it tells of two stories, one different from the other. It tells the story of its leader’s prowess or lack thereof. If the policies are acceptable, the leader’s lack of charisma etc. becomes  a burden; but when the strengths of the policies are not acceptable, they bring down the image of any leader. Both Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sajith Premadasa are victims of this process. It’s truly a ‘heads I win, tails you lose’ theory.

When the Maalimawa began its popularity climb, the wheels of both the UNP and SJB started turning; they began hyperventilating and the horizons visible to both parties, UNP and SJB, were utterly hazy and blurry. Should they decide to contest whatever election that comes first, Presidential or Parliamentary, on a tree-cornered fight, an NPP victory could be a bygone conclusion. In such a profoundly depressing circumstance, what alternative do they have other than getting together and offering the people a binary choice at the elections – Us (UNP/SJB) or the other (NPP). In the event both Ranil and Sajith calculate that a binary choice would lend them a better chance at defeating the NPP, they shall form a coalition. But such a binary choice also may help the NPP in particular and the larger majority in general, in that then the choice is between the status quo and the ‘new‘.

Nevertheless, such a coalition of forces hellbent on safeguarding the status quo will launch their campaign on the grounds of losing one’s traditional truths and values. It could have a very short-term measure but a cleverly planned campaign can overcome it. In the context of Ranil and Sajith running out of alternatives, AKD and the NPP simply cannot rest on their laurels and expect others to do the work. And they don’t seem to be doing that either. That, the extra efforts rendered by the NPP would not go waste. Taking nothing for granted and taking no proverbial prisoners should be their motif, if they are really serious, and there is no doubt that they are serious too. Eating, drinking, sleeping and breathing, not their slogans but their principles and work to do could be a kind refrain for their daily lives. For the many Ranils and Sajiths shall not rest either.

As was penned in my last column, training the trainers on governance, execution of government policies, critical and creative thinking, management of the social as well as mainstream media  on massive scales not yet known to our country should not be the exception; it should be your general policy. Lack of time, lack of finances, lack of help or lack of attention should be no reason or excuse. On the contrary, they should be your motivating factors. Come what may, keep pushing, keep pulling and above all keep breathing. Let not the ’71 Insurrection-slogans fool you anymore. The horizon is much larger than slogans and abstract political theories. What is at stake is larger than one could imagine. The NPP will not get another chance.

*The writer can be contacted at vishwamithra1984@gmail.com