By H. L. D. Mahindapala –
The post-independent period is a unique segment of Sri Lankan history where everything that ought to have happened, happened without breaking up the democratic foundations of the nation which is a remarkable achievement. In the main, the nation faced (1) two left-wing rebellions, (2) one Right-wing coup led by the Westernized elite. (3) a 33-year-old north-south conflict which began in 1976 with Tamil leadership passing the Vadukoddai Resolution, (4) paralyzing strikes by the Marxists who were planning to ride into power on the back of workers, (5) sporadic ethnic riots, (6) roller-coaster economic rides, (7) student unrest in the universities, (8) periodic changes of governments at the state and local government levels, (9) constitutional changes leaping from parliamentary form of government to presidential, (10) foreign diplomatic and military incursions, Indian in particular, (11) the impact imported ideological waves that swept influential sections of the intelligentsia and (12) the overall transition from semi-feudal, semi-capitalists, semi-colonial phase to a modern nation, complete with world conquering cricket team and a competent military machine that rose from a ceremonial army to meet the greatest internal threats to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation.
Of all the major events two peaks stand out as the highest. The first took place in 1956 and the second in 2009. Both were lasting defining moments for the nation. Both were grass root forces. Both were to regain the lost/threatened heritage of the nation. The “Silent Revolution of 1956” was to reclaim and reinforce the historical roots of the nation – a common phenomenon that rose in rebellion against centuries of colonialism in all post-colonial nations. The “The Triumph of 2009”, though violent, was to regain and protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and the national heritage which were threatened by local and foreign anti-national forces.
Both dates are interconnected. What was won peacefully and silently in “1956” was threatened from the day it was born by the Westernized Sinhala and Tamil elite. The militarized and violent antithetical forces opposing “1956” came up from the Northern political elite. In 1976 the entire Tamil elite decided to opt out of the democratic mainstream and take the gun to reverse the historical gains of “1956”. It can be argued that “2009” rescued from “1956” fading into oblivion.
The Vadukoddai War, endorsed in the Vadukoddai Resolution (1976) officially, was conceived as a strategy of the ruling Vellahla elite to ride on the backs of the Tamil youth to ride into power. But it backfired on the fathers of the Vadukoddai Resolution. When they legitimized the Vadukoddai violence, power slipped out of the Vellahla elite for the first time since they rose to rule Jaffna from feudal times, and fell into the hands of the lower-castes and the rebellious youth who turned their guns first on the high class fathers of the Vadukoddai Resolution. The traditional Saivite Vellahla fascism was replaced by the political fascism of Prabhakaran. For some time, the one-man rule of Tamil fascism seemed unassailable and seemed poised to win by defeating the Sri Lankan forces. But winning the “unwinnable war“ changed the political landscape by eliminating Tamil fascism and restoring democracy from coast to coast. The “Triumph of 2009” not only reinforced the historic achievements of “1956” but also stands out as the second decisive and defining moment in post-independent history that saved the Tamils – and the nation — from the one-man dictatorship fascist Prabhakaranism. .
*Picture via Marithripala Sirisena’s Facebook page
Historically speaking, “2009” is the logical and inevitable corollary to “1956”. Both reveal the inner dynamics of the invincible grass root forces that will rise, again and again, to defend its historical heritage. The greatness of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, who was far superior to the theoretically stunted Marxists, was in recognizing the aspirations of the grass-root people who were gasping for oxygen in an oppressive and suffocating colonial atmosphere. Both as a Christian and a scholar of Western classics Bandaranaike was steeped in the best of Occidental culture and its roots. Of the Westernized ruling elite of the day he alone felt the pulse of the people, leaving the Right and the Left stranded in their ideological deserts. His intellectual rejection of the Western ideologies made him the most perceptive and far-seeing prophet of his time. The Left was buried too deep in the dying Western theories of Marxism. The Right was too addicted to the colonial traditions which they inherited and perpetuated with hardly any structural adjustments to address the rising expectations of one of the most politically alert electorates of S. Asia. .
Like all iconic revolutionaries of the colonial and post-colonial era Bandaranaike believed in the superiority of the indigenous culture which he was bent on reviving and reinforcing as a prime political need of the time. While the Right and the Left were emphasizing material and bread-and-butter issues he focused on the cultural aspirations which proved to be stronger than bread. As in most of the post-colonial nation there was almost a xenophobic rejection of anything that came from the West. But Bandaranaike stood in the middle attempting to build bridges between the two. He knew he was in an age of transition drifting between two worlds, one dead (colonial) and the other (national) struggling to be born. (Mathew Arnold). If the Western models were to be incorporated into the local culture it was to be absorbed with suitable adjustments to local conditions. The model for this trend was set, for instance, by Bishop Lakshman Wickremesinghe, the leading light of the Anglican Church. He introduced oil lamps instead of candles in Churches. Like in Buddhist temples, he insisted that devotees entering the Church should leave their shoes at the entrance. He even introduced a tinge of yellow into the cincture that was tied round middle of the cassock.
Blending both cultures without offending anyone in particular was the intended middle path chosen by Bandaranaike. He not only gave Sinhala Only but Tamil also. This, however did not go down well with the Anglicized ruling elite of all communities who earned their crust through English. At the same time, he was conscious of the need to adopt the overarching principle of being superior to the White Man just to be his equal. That was his motto at Oxford. He wasn’t going to be overawed by the dominant culture of the colonial masters. When he dropped the Western garb and donned the national costume he wasn’t putting on a “kapati koat” like modern day politicos. He pioneered the national dress and expressed his contempt for the Western garb by declaring boldly that you wear the coat and trousers only when you go for dog shows.
The intellectual subtleties and nuances that changed the colonial culture and reinforced the people-based culture was either prostituted or neglected by those who succeeded him, using his name, including his third-rate progeny. We can dismiss his daughter who qualified more in imbibing French wine than in political science at Sorbonne. So let’s take the case of President Maithripala Sirisena’s metamorphosis after first official visit to London. After he returned home he has been projecting the image of a born-again evangelist for the West, distancing himself from his initial Marxist days and the recent al-lay, val-lay and pal-lay common man from the Polonnaruwa paddy fields. In his address to the SLFP Organizers meeting he was glorifying his visit to Buckingham Palace where the Queen amazed him by shaking his hand without wearing a glove. The fact that she offered her ungloved hand to him and his wife, Jayanthi, was marketed by him as a mark of special respect conferred on him by the Queen. Good old Bandaranaike would have taken it in his stride, being familiar the Western culture and the Queen’s antecedents better than the Queen. But not Sirisena, the boy from al-lay, val-lay and pal-lay from Polonnaruwa. It was like gama-yata magic,
Sirisena also announced with some pride that David Cameron walked out of his official residence to receive him on the macadamized entrance to No: 10, Downing Street, with a hand shake and to escort him personally into the inner sanctum of the Prime Minister’s residence. Shaking the ungloved hand of the Queen, which enabled him to touch the skin of the Queen, and David Cameron coming out to greet him outside No: 10 Downing Street, were reported to the SLFPers as significant achievements of his visit to UK. In gloating over these experiences there is more than a touch of the naivety of a first-timer being overawed by the big names in big places.
His report to the SLFPers was meant to impress the party big wigs that his first trip to the West was a triumph of his personal diplomacy abroad and that he is no longer the backward rustic from the paddy fields of Polonnaruwa. Shaking the ungloved hands of the Queen was placed before the SLFP audience as another instance of his breaking the international deadlock that has bedeviled post-war relations with the West.
He also claimed credit for getting the West to postpone the scheduled presentation of the UN report on Sri Lanka to UNHRC in March. He said that the world was divided over Sri Lanka and his initiatives had united the world. He said that the task now is to unite. “And it is I who did it,” he announced, exuding a touch of personal glory.
There is some symbolism attached to the Queen offering a gloved and the ungloved hand. The Queen who shakes the hands of tens of thousands yearly, wears gloves partly for hygienic reasons and partly for decorum. Her royal wave, for instance, is always gloved. She offers her ungloved and gloved hand to thousands and there is nothing special in Mr. and Mrs. Sirisena shaking it ungloved, though Sirisena gave the impression that it was a privileged concession granted to him and his wife.
All that is well and good. Sri Lankans should share the cordiality that greeted him at Buckingham Palace and No: 10 Downing Street. In Sirisena’s Marxist days, however, his political guru, Shanmugathasan, would have hooted with belly laughs if he heard that one of his cadres was ecstatic about the Queen shaking hands, gloved or ungloved. There is no doubt that he would have looked at it disdainfully and dismissively as the hand of a blood-stained imperialist who was heading the global killing machine of UK. But it’s different now. Those days the craze was to pose with Mao Tse Tung. Now the erstwhile radicals take great pride in shaking the ungloved hands of the Queen. Boy, O, boy! How roaring radicals change into pet mice overnight!
The cosmetics at Buckingham Palace and at No:10 Downing Street can be dismissed as much ado about nothing. Even before Sirisena went to London the West knew that he was there point man in Sri Lanka. They were merely buttering him up to show their appreciation of the shift in foreign policy from the East to the West. It doesn’t cost them much to shakes hands cordially with their new client state. Obviously, Sirisena has not grasped the hidden meaning of the Queen and David Cameron going out of their way to be extra courteous. It could either mean that they were patting President Sirisena on the back for doing the job of overthrowing their bête noir of the West in a bloodless coup. Or it could mean that they are happy with the return of a prodigal colonial boy to his old colonial masters. It may also mean that they are glad to welcome another reliable client state to partner in the Western agenda.
On his return home, the President spoke glowingly of the lovey-dovey affair at Buckingham Palace which, after all, is only glove deep. He implied that he had opened up a new era of friendly relationship with UK after Mahinda Rajapakse rejected David Milliband’s intrusive intervention to stop the war in 2009. Milliband, working on behalf of the Tamil lobby in UK, was merely trying to reassert the lost colonial powers by forcing ex-colonial nations to fall in line with their neo-colonial political agenda. That failed. So is it surprising that UK is overjoyed at Sri Lanka returning to the neo-colonial royalty on genuflecting knees?
But, as they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch or a handshake. The question, therefore, is how much is that handshake going to cost the nation? There is a price to be paid. What is the price that the nation is expected to pay in return for the thrill of touching the skin of the Queen? For instance, will it change the pro-Tamil political stance of David Cameron who is funded heavily by the Tamil Diaspora? When he pressed the hand of Sirisena was he batting for Sri Lanka or for the Tamil Diaspora?
Sirisena’s speech to the SLFPers raised the four political sources that matter to him specifically which reflects his new mind set. First, he mentioned the Indian Prime Minister Modi who had asked him what he thinks of his experiences after sitting in the Presidential chair for just two months. Oddly enough, he skips answering the question, leaving the audience to wonder whether he answered the question at all or whether he wants to keep it a secret. Second, he reflects on the Queen’s ungloved handshake in rather ecstatic terms. Third, he gives a glowing account of his meeting David Cameron, the man who hated Sri Lanka under Mahinda Rajapakse. And fourth, he claims that for the first time in the history of Sri Lankan politics all the Tamil parties sat with him when he went to Jaffna. All this was wrapped in his overall theme of giving into the demands of the TNA. Sirisena seems to have acquired more courage and inspiration after his return from UK to accommodate the demands of the North.
There are two meanings to this constellation of political forces: 1. it is this quartet that brought him into power and he plans to keep it going for his benefit ; 2. it marks the beginning of the reversal of history created in the post-Nandikadal period. Repeatedly he emphasized, most vociferously, the need to give into the 13+ demands — a common cause with the quartet that helped him to win. Earlier it was the Wickremesinghe-led UNP that was going all out to accommodate the North. Now the leader of the SLFP too has joined the bandwagon. Is this the meaning of the “national government” : giving into the extremist demands of the North with hypocritical JHU and JVP tagging along with Wickremesinghe?
Does this herald the beginning of the drift to the dissolution of the state in the guise of constitutional reforms? Or has Wickremesinghe outwitted Sirisena and taken the SLFP under his wing, as the head of the elusive “national government”, to break up the nation? Is this the end of Bandaranaike’s SLFP, with his daughter, joining hands with Wickremesinghe, to sell the nation down the river? And is the new wave of Mahinda Rajapakse which began in Nugegoda the logical political counter to save “1956” and “2009”? Whichever way you look at it, the combination of the four forces mentioned above – the Queen, David Cameron, Narendra Modi and the Tamil parties in the Diaspora and Jaffna — is a serious threat to the nation.
Gaje / March 25, 2015
Wow! You thoroughbred Mahinda-pala the bum sucking servant (pala) of Mahinda. What if he does not use gloves? The protocol officer would have told him and given the glove! What if he decided he and Queen are on the same platform and decided to do away with tradition? If a priest brings down the flag of the British and tramples or burns it, he is considered a hero! Don’t talk B’s hit You relatively uneducated bum!
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Analyst / March 25, 2015
Ha ha ha Excellent the [Edited out] servant Pala is at it again white washing. Does he think he is the man servant of the Queen as well to advise on the Royal protocols?? His master is trying hard to come back to power who is now heading to his senility . The main ambition of his and his [Edited out] are to bring the Mongol eldest Prince as the future President and the other two princelings as future PM and Defence secretary. That’s the dream of the mad man from Medamulana.
The white washers with the IQ of 50 are working hard . Hope the voters are aware of these conspiracies. Do we need a family run Regime again? The country is already has been sold including the Airspace in Colombo above the so called Port City .
The washers are singing the songs for the old regime so that every crime can be BURIED full stop and they will get their Pahas.( pocket money in billions swindled from the state coffers.)
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Amarasiri / March 25, 2015
H. L. D. Mahindapala –
RE: Sirisena Shakes Queen’s Hand Without Gloves – Wow!
The Queen won’t even shaker her hand with Gloves with Medamulana Mahinda Rajapaksa!
However, H. L. D. Mahindapala and other shills and Cronies will try their best to clean up the shit of Medamulana Mahinda Rajapaksa! Wow!
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Pygmalion / March 25, 2015
……….Good old Bandaranaike would have taken it in his stride,being familiar with the Western culture and the Queens antecedents better than the Queen…….
How about the antecedents of SWRD?
His direct male ancestor was Nilaperumal,a Tamil from South India who arrived in this country in the late 15th or early 16th century.
Since he had known the Queens antecedents better than the Queen[?] SWRD WOULD ALSO HAVE KNOWN HIS ANTECEDENTS!
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Spark / March 25, 2015
Neelaperumalge also never signed in Sinhala. All documents related to property issues of the Bandaranayake era are signed by beloved Neelaperumal in Tamil. When Mahindapalan from Tamil Nadhu came to Sri Lanka, he too bastardized and created a punk now in the form of Mahindapala who also drops his “n” and claims he is Sinhalese (similar to weerasinham of weerasinghe, Jayasunderam of Jayasundera, Ratnayagan of Ratnayake not taking the bastardization of the Sinhalese by westerners leading to Silva’s, Fernando’s, Perera’s and what not).
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Amarasiri / March 25, 2015
Pygmalion
“His direct male ancestor was Nilaperumal,a Tamil from South India who arrived in this country in the late 15th or early 16th century.”
Interesting.
Go back a few Millennia, and we can lump All these Para-deshis, aka Paras into one group. Paras from South and East india, collectively known as Dravidians. The Proof is in their bodies, in the DNA, where they arrived from, to the Land of native Veddah Aethho.
Whether, Mahinda-pala, Mahinda-palan or Mahinda-palam, the DNA in the bodies of the Paras do not change.Similarly, Pandara-Nayakam, Bandara-Nayaka, Weerasinha or -m of Weerasinghe, Jayasundera or -m of Jayasundera, Ratnayagan of Ratnayake , Ramachandra or Ramachandram, etc. including Silva, Perera, Fernando does not change the DNA- Still Paras.
So, the National anthem of Lanka, The land of native Veddah Aethho, Should start. by Lamenting the Destruction of the Land brought about by the Paras…
Oh Para. Para, The Davida who came from Dravida Nadu, Dravida Desh and Kalinga Desh
What have you done to this beautiful land of the Veddah Aethho with your Para Habits….
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Point of View / March 25, 2015
Wow ! Mahinda shook hand with Gaddafi, Chavez and King Mswati IiI of Swaziland. How great is that !
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Ebola da Silva / March 25, 2015
“The post-independent period is a unique segment of Sri Lankan history where everything that ought to have happened, happened without breaking up the democratic foundations of the nation which is a remarkable achievement”
It also produced a sick man called Mahindaopala Ayyo Mahinda, you are a bioot licker of dictator _JRJ, Premadasa and now MR.
You do not seem to be able to identify the decent.
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AVB / March 25, 2015
I only read the heading.. This [Edited out] man ([Edited out]) says MS allowed to shake hands with Queen without gloves sarcastically. This ModaPala was a bogus refugee in Australia and got Aus residency showing JVP-Gov killings and now this parasite is allowed to write B..s..t in respectable website.. Isn’t God unfairly favour this Modapala..
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Vibhushana / March 25, 2015
This is all fine. However, the SLFP’s pro-labour stand lacks the political sophistication present in pro-labour parties in Australa and UK for example.
The existence of Tamil fascists unfortunately is the reality. If the SLFP decides to clash then it must have the capability and the man power to do so without sending country down the drain.
Post-2009 is classic example where SLFP displayed its lack of sophistication. If they decide to take Tamil fascists head on then it must have a reputable team to represent Ceylon.
What happened was Ceylon kept losing consecutively for 5 years on almost all international fora. The incompetent GL Peries and his side kick Sajin Vaas managed to totally destroy the reputation Ceylon.
How can a country function when the parties that it depends of for survival i.e. USA and Europe are against you? Its not rocket science because USA and Europe is where most of Ceylon exports its goods and services.
Basically SLFP lacks the “good governance” credentials that are present in other labour movements overseas.
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dcn / March 25, 2015
This Mt…pala is a disgrace to journalism and a jealousy person. He could not bear up our President Maitre pala Sirisena and the First Lady being recognised by the Queen in a respectable manner and shaking hand without the gloves. In fact, we as Sri Lanka n’s should be happy and proud of this event.
This stupid, jealous person must be upset that this did not happen his favourite MR visited the Queen.
M…pala, it is time you move to a home for the aged and give up this jealousy journalism
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max / March 25, 2015
dcn, should not you have bit of decency when it comes to criticize a senior journalist. just because you feel proud for the fact that old lady has removed her gloves when she shook hands with our boss, a sizable no. of sri lankans feel otherwise. worshiping a current member of a family that has looted wealth from this country could be something proud for you but not for us.
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dcn / March 25, 2015
Max
The so called senior journalist should conduct himself to deserve the respect. Whatever said and done, the queen is still respected as head of commonwealth.
For your information our country has been looted not only by British but our own leaders who live amongst ourselves Which Is Supposedly Banked In Overseas Banks And We hope The Present Efforts By The Govt to recover same may
succeed which could be substantial to bridge our budget deficits.
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shehan / March 25, 2015
Who is this bitter old joker writing nonsense?
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aratai / March 25, 2015
.
Another DJ in the making………
:-)
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ela kolla / March 25, 2015
appa SIRA has not washed his hands since shaking hands with queen
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shehan / March 25, 2015
Mara didn’t wash his *ss after King of Swaziland did you know what
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Navin / March 25, 2015
MaRa now has [Edited out]; that’s why he ran to the US for treatment; not to get the [Edited out] treated. Btw, he has no [Edited out]
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Native Vedda / March 25, 2015
ela kolla from Erivirrar Pattnam
“appa SIRA has not washed his hands since shaking hands with queen”
Sirisena is still waiting for you to wash his hands when you wash him regularly in the evening. He noted that you have gone on French leave since last month.
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hikz / March 25, 2015
iO sirisena is a real puppet and a clown in a circus
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Point of View / March 26, 2015
No no, the only Clown in the country and his three idiots are from Medamulana ! Now that they are ousted from the circus they are gone mad just like circus animals !
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Afzal / March 25, 2015
At the end of lengthy gibberish it’s about bringing Don’s beloved Manahinda mama back !
just another diashora scum.
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InconvenientTruth / March 25, 2015
“he reflects on the Queen’s ungloved handshake in rather ecstatic terms”
Mr. Mahindapala you crack me up!
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max / March 25, 2015
Yes Sirisena is not the same Sirisena what we expected. He’s just a puppet. The current Sri Lankan affairs are a classic example of the age old saying “so many cooks spoil the soup”.
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dcn / March 25, 2015
Max
President Maithreepala Sirisena is a sensible person, but not a show man as the previous one was. He is doing his best to solve many problems in an equitable manner.
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Ali Baba Sabry / March 25, 2015
“Sirisena Shakes Queen’s Hand Without Gloves – Wow!”
Be thankful that at least she had her dress on.
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Hold My Pala / March 25, 2015
Wow! Wow! Wow! Three Wows for Mahinda’s Pala and his attempted hatchet job on Maithri. The shameless sod is still batting for the erstwhile King of Krime who was up to his eyeballs in all manner of shameful deeds that Pala’s imitation ‘patriotism’ saw nothing wrong with.
With friends like this why would Sri Lanka need enemies?
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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / March 25, 2015
H L S D DON Mahindapaaaaaala;.
I do not Want to read your Rubbish Letter.
But I like to answer your Heading of that Sxxt Bucket, man.
Man; Still, Our Sri Lankans, 90% of them are using their left hand to Wash their Arses after they shit and gone to the toilets,then wash hands with soap.
May be you SO CALLED Westerners, just wipe with toilet paper to keep your Arses Dry.
So the Hands of Our President Maithreepala’s hands are clean.
From any angle you look.
Not like Corrupt Hambathota Gam Kabraya.
If the Gam kabarya got any chance to hand shake with QUEEN, He must wear gloves as His HANDS ARE NOT CLEAN and very dirty, Smelly.
then Queen will wash her hand with Dettol.
mr Sirisena Shakeing Queen’s Hand Without Gloves is noteworthy and those are clean hands.
So there is NEITHER any Humbug nor Big issues.
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Samuel Jayaweera / March 25, 2015
This man is no doubt malicious. MY3 explained this to make it clear how humble the world respected leaders/leitfigure has been while so called from you beloved Rajanos abused people#s assets for their extravagant life styles. You, [Edited out]pala – is a pain for us all that see it right to work together for real reconciliation heading to permament peace of this multi ethnic island nation. You may go on washing underwears of the wrong ones for your own reasons, but peace loving people of this country would never allow Rajapakes – the like to rule this nation again. This is crystal clear.
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Justice & Fairplay / March 25, 2015
A pretty poor headline; poor enough for me to skip reading the content which followed.
Maithiripala Sirisena is our President, and one whom I am very proud of. Therefore I don’t think I need to spend any further time reading drivel of a mad man.
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Seelawathi / March 25, 2015
We the peace loving, respctful and dignified of this country are proud of MY3 to have risked his life in getting rid of most abusive president of the country in all times. MY3’s patience and gentle way of life wihtout all wastages being that exemplary is exemplary- and is model for the entire world not only to Island nation. His style of politics could definintely work for the healing of all wounds of divided folks within the folks. Mahndananda, Dayan Jayathilaka, Buruwanse, Gembanpila are all just to cough for the wrong side, that will not cause to morasurana wassa (heavy rains) – the way head of us is Rjaapakshe free, crime free society. Ende gut alles gut (if end is good all is good). Jaywewa for ruling ones.
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Citizen / March 25, 2015
Excellent read…the fact that Sirisena claimed he didn’t give his hand to MR because MR’s hands would stain his (Sirisena looked very scared to be in the presence of MR if one were making an honest assessment), makes his new claim (crowing about shaking the ungloved hand of the queen) even more of a hoot.
Further,
“Speaking at a meeting yesterday, Sirisena said that President Rajapaksa attempted to extend his hand towards him, but he did not want to stain his clean hands by taking it. Therefore, he kept his hands together in a greeting in a true Sinhala Buddhist style, Sirisena added.
He went on to say that he had the guts and the temperament of a lion to stay steadfast to his decision of not shaking the hand of the president.”
HILARIOUS.
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backlash / March 25, 2015
You might not like him, dislike what he likes and even hate him for his paid-for pro-Rajapakse political writings but HLDM writes splendidly. After all, he belongs to the old genre of Lankan English-educated writers – well informed of the world and its ways, thorough with local affairs and a good student of men and matters. Yes. Sirisena
talked on his return, as you say, like godayata magic. But that’s the quality of political leaders the present generation has created in the country. But the guy is sincere. Remember, in the same speech he said he calls Ranil “Sir” But he (MS) is no spring onion. If you watched his days as Irrigation/Mahaweli Minister, Health Minister and so on, there is very little socialism there – if you know what I mean. It is the old English adage “make hay while the sun shines” Is the Sinhala equivalent “hande athey nam, beda ganilla” If you know Sirisena when he began politics in the 1980s and today, you know he has come far – pretty far and mighty soon to be precise.
“True hope is swift, and flies with swallow’s wings; Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings”
Backlash
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Patriot / March 25, 2015
H. L. D. Mahindapala may be an ardent supporter of Mahinda Rajapaksa. However, this article is an eye opener to the educated public of Sri Lanka to understand that their President,Maitripala Sirisena,has a very serious inferiority complex.
“Shaking the ungloved hand of the Queen, which enabled him to touch the skin of the Queen, and David Cameron coming out to greet him outside No: 10 Downing Street, were reported to the SLFPers as significant achievements of his visit to UK”.
A person with an inferiority complex is not at all suitable to become the head of a country. The head of a country should behave in a dignified manner. Sri Lankans should be ashamed to have a leader who boasts about these trivial occurrences. Maitripala Sirisena needs to learn how to become a person with a superiority complex.
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Lankan / March 25, 2015
I will exercise great selection restraint and cut out the expletives.
How dare you attack a person’s background?
Freedom of speech I guess, but you just bared
your disgusting personality for all to see.
Shame on you….
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nike / March 25, 2015
Sirisena Shakes Queen’s Hand Without Gloves and [Edited out]
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Spring Koha / March 25, 2015
HLD is at his hypocritical best. An eager brown sahib himself, he must have rich memories of genuflecting to all above and around him in the Lake House food chain. This is a man who always looked for the main chance. His fading grey cells has left him clutching at straws – and these days he writes what he is told. Like the liyana-mahathaya of old days he keeps himself busy putting other peoples thoughts into lingua franca. Still, anything to keep body and soul together. Staying a godaya down under must be hard work.
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Plato. / March 25, 2015
The Queen does not shake hands with every Tom,Dick and Harry without Gloves. She has done so with President Sirisena which is an honour.
I understand that the only other Ceylonese who had this honour was Prof:C.Suntharalingam Prof:Mathematics of the old University College forerunner to the University of Ceylon.
PROF:C.Sun later entered politics and was in the first cabinet of Post-Independence Ceylon.
Mahindapala is being sarcastic about Pre:Sirisenas class background.
How about Mahindapalas former hero Premadasa? What class did he have?
He neither had a degree nor a Pedigree!
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Javi. / March 25, 2015
“He neither had a degree nor a Pedigree! “
That is exactly why we still think you folk are still the old age plantation colony.
The queen in the 21st centenary is not afraid of TWA syndrome (read a Harold Robbins carpet beggars)
Premadasa met her in style that any western guy would love to- he met her at the royal derby- royal ascot with Aloysius mudalali.
That is the place to meet kings and queens- they are always smiling seeing their horses winning.
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Gaje / March 25, 2015
Interesting! Only 1/5th replies are for m’pala! So much for his and MaRa popularity!
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Analyst / March 25, 2015
Best for these b suckers to shut up and close the shop. Or Find another ladder to climb and to plunder.
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Aia / March 25, 2015
Being married to a Tamil, this man’s hatred towards Tamils is understandable. What he does through this writing is, he simply insulting HE MS, which is an insult to Sri Lankans, there is nothing sarcastic about it. Queen shaking hands without gloves gets MS excited is one thing, what is most appalling is this guy has gone to this level and is writing an article about it at his age. Did this Palu know what the Pope said about MS. With his mannerism, MS commands a kind of respect from any doesn’t matter if it was Queen or a normal peasant as opposed to MR, with his elephant in the china shop demeanor and kurakan shawl, demands a respect, which only his acolytes can bend on, not the Queen or David Cameron. That is the reality.
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backlash / March 25, 2015
Aia – The Queen found an excuse not to meet Mahinda R even in Commonwealth functions when the former went to the UK. Cameron was openly hostile to Rajapakse, within the confines of diplomatic space. The fault was Rajapakses – having made an enemy of most world leaders. He was comfortable with African and other despots of countries in the lower rung in the global scene. What more can you expect when you have ex-convict wharf clerks as Foreign Ministry adviser.
Both the Queen and PM Cameron, in warming up to Sirisena, are only trying to send the message they have nothing but love, respect and affection to the Sri Lankan people though they were indifferent and ill-disposed towards the Medameluma tin pot dictator.
Backlash
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