19 March, 2024

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Tamil Vote: Disaster For Rajapaksa With Low IQ UPFA Propaganda Admitting Mass Murder

By Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

Prof S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

Prof S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

Bad News for the UPFA.

The TNA has decided to support the Common Candidate, Mr. Maithripala Sirisena. It is good news indeed for all of us who are excited about a common opposition to the Rajapkse family regime that is built on a return to democracy, good governance, an independent judiciary, etc.

Mr. Sirisena is expected by TNA analysts to get 75% of the vote in the North. The EPDP has a fixed vote bank of about 30,000 voters, most of whom will vote. For the rest of the North, of the 450,000 registered voters, about 200,000 to 250,000 are expected to turn up to vote based on the best turnout so far at the Provincial Council elections. Thus the turnout is key – the more the turnout, the less the UPFA percentage will be, probably 12 to 15%.

The opponents of Mr. Sirisena are not making this election easy for him. In Jaffna, Mr. Sirisena’s posters are immediately taken down by unknown persons in the night. Full page advertisements in Jaffna newspapers by another presidential candidate, A.R. Sirisena, seem designed to confuse the electorate and draw votes away from Mr. Maithiripala Sirisena. Despite this, Mr. Sirisena seems to be a popular candidate. Today’s (Jan. 02) public meeting at Muthiraichanthai, my cousin reports, attracted some 5,000 cheerful people who came (on their own, might I add) in support of Mr. Sirisena.

TNA Position

The TNA is yet to launch an active campaign for Mr. Sirisena. It is mainly Mr. Samapanthan, Mr. Sumanthiran and Mr. Mavai Senathirajah who have publicly spoken up for him. On the other hand Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam’s Tamil Congress, which goes by multiple names like the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) and the Tamil Civil Society, add to the confusion as they call for a boycott of the election under their multiple names. The Tamil Congress believes that all the candidates are bad. However, I am confident that the momentum of the pro-democracy movement will offer Tamils greater agency in directing our affairs. Even if not, and, for arguments’ sake, if all this is indeed part of a political circus as they argue, does the TNPF not concede that a free judiciary and the rule of law alone will help us Tamils to secure our rights and safety, and that that is more likely to happen under Mr. Sirisena? As remarked by Aahithyan Ratnam in these columns, there is no perfect candidate and we must vote for the best; and Chandrika and Ranil being leaders of the Common Opposition makes it unlikely that the democracy project can be derailed easily. Despite the presence of General Fonseka whose record on human rights is extremely poor, I do not think his ideas can overawe the others in the pro-democracy Common Opposition. The best candidate remains Mr. Maithripala Sirisena as the TNA has stated.

As good people have fled Sri Lanka on account of the murder and mayhem that had free rein these last decades, the TNA itself has made a major mistake in taking in all kinds of thugs and known murderers – perhaps for lack of good people and the practicality of wide appeal. A case in point is the Pradeshya Saba in Point Pedro, which has former EPDP hooligans now officially in the TNA. It was reported to me (by TNA supporters) that when the Sabha Councillors go, supposedly to help the helpless, accompanied by camera crews, the people being helped turn out to be their own relations and in-laws. Bribery is said to be their norm in making contracts. Given these circumstances, it is no surprise that the UPFA is offering Rs. 20million to each TNA politician who crosses-over and has even had some degree of success. Thankfully most TNA persons cannot be bought over so easily as seems the case in the South. The biggest thorn for the TNA is Provincial Councillor Ananthi Sasitharan, the wife of the missing LTTE leader, who is not amenable to party discipline and has outrightly joined the TNPF’s call for a boycott. News reports from Jaffna say that when Mr. Senathirajah confronted her – she fainted. Touted as a feminist candidate, that fainting did not do women credit.

Low IQ UPFA Propaganda

The TNA decision to support Maithripala Sirisena’s candidature was soon followed by worse news for President Mahinda Rajapaksa whose electioneering is in the hands of low IQ goons. The second day of the new year did not augur well for the President in Jaffna when he came to campaign.The opening of the railway extension from Jaffna to Kankesanthurai was planned as a part of his electioneering. A large crowd had been gathered at Duraiappah Stadium. Samurdhi recipients participating in the crowd testified that their Grama Sevakas (Village Headmen) had claimed that their doles would be cancelled unless they turned up for the opening. 450 buses had been organized to transport Samurdhi participants to the stadium – some from as far away as Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu. To add insult to injury, lunch packets were thrown at the crowd as food is in a zoo. At the same time, it turns out that the President was having a sumptuous lunch with professionals at the so called Momentum Forum at Trico Hotel to exchange views and advance the cause of “A Stable Country. Continuing Development.” [So desperate was the UPFA for a crowd at that forum and so free with money that the written invitations told invitees to feel free to invite their friends for the 4-star hotel lunch after an RSVP telephone call.]

After the crowd at the stadium, estimated at some 20,000, had stood in the burning sun, SLFP Jaffna organizer, Angajan Ramanathan, had given them blue t-shirts to wear. These had the words “Blue Force Regiment” (Neelap Padai Ani) in Tamil and the President’s picture. This regiment is associated with the President’s son Namal. When those who had been forced to attend by Douglas Devananda, Angajan’s UPFA rival for Rajapakse’s patronage, were asked to wear these shirts, there were fisticuffs between Angajan’s and Douglas’ goons. Douglas’ brother is said to have been badly assaulted. The crowd was tense.

With that treatment the people forcibly gathered looked rather sullen for a supposedly enthusiastic cheering party. When the announcer made several requests to clap for the President there was no response. Later, the President, described in news reports as ‘heart-broken’ because the crowd did not clap for him, had left the arena without doing the journey by the new train service as originally billed. That had to be left to Minister of Environment and Renewable Energy Don Susil Premajayantha and Minister for Transport Kumara Welgama to make.

The UPFA does not realize that people forced to attend rallies or sign petitions, often while being treated poorly, are unlikely to actually be persuaded to vote for Rajapaksa when the time comes.

Massacres: The Cat out of the Bag

There was worse to come during Rajapakse’s stadium rally.

Perhaps the biggest shock was when the two EPDP MPs Devananda and Murugesu Chandrakumar (who had when seeking asylum in the UK, openly accused Douglas of several internal murders including that of Thinamurasu Editor Atputhan) openly referred to the massacre and cluster bombing of civilians in the final phases of the war.

Countering claims made by Chandrika and Fonseka to being responsible for ending the war (see article UPFA Admits to Massacres and use of Cluster Bombs in the Last Phase) the two took the stage to challenge their statements and in the process, admitted to large numbers being murdered and cluster bombs being used by the government.

In the background, the President sat smiling, oblivious to what the two faces of his unintelligent Northern electoral campaign were saying in Tamil.

This revelation comes with great satisfaction to those who, amidst great opposition and persecution, continued to attempt to shed light on the cruel murder of innocent bystanders who were most unfortunately trapped in a war that was not their own, but one that was between the LTTE and GoSL.

The Weather Vane: Jaffna University Wakes up

Jaffna University is like a weather vane. After years under various authorities brutally lording over them, some university folk are now good at gauging which way the wind is blowing. There are even some experts at this who are always on the winning side. For the less astute, monitoring their decisions on whom to support is telling of political tides. Their behavior now tells us that the regime will change soon. The VC is appointed by the President and is close to the authorities of the times. The VC then appoints the Heads and only the Heads are eligible for election as Deans who are on the Council. Thus, some of the best weather vanes are on the Council.

These Jaffna weather vanes have sensed the mood. When the President invited academics for a pre-election party at Temple Trees two weeks ago, hardly anyone went from Jaffna. A notable exception was the Dean of Graduate Studies, Professor G. Mukunthan of Agriculture, who characteristically of those supporting the Douglas VC Vasanthi Arasaratnam had been associated with the LTTE Police under previous regimes. Some of the best vanes, always on the winning side, are Dean of Science Prof. S. Srisatkunarajah and his predecessor Prof. K. Kandasamy. Both were, until recently, VC Vasanthi Arasaratnam’s die-hard supporters. They did not go to the President’s party. That they are no longer the VC’s supporters is our cue. One Dean joked that he contemplated going thinking perhaps it may be his last chance to say goodbye to Rajapakse.

Vasanti Arasaratnam’s attempt to dissemble support for Rajapakse (reported in these coumns) has been a disaster. Not a single person signed her petition expressing support for the President. Indeed when the VC, Prof. Vasanthi Arasaratnam, demanded that the Deans get the signatures of the academics on a petition supporting Rajapakse, the politically astute Srisatkunarajah, sensing the changing winds, had sent it to the Elections Commissioner’s office in Jaffna asking what he should do and received instructions not to circulate it. Other academics had sent it to Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe’s office from where a formal complaint was lodged with the Elections Commissioner’s. The University Teachers’ Association headed by Rasakumaran was up in arms. They have now their University Teachers for Social Justice (under FUTA) going as polls monitors. In the end Arasaratnam was left insulting and berating Dean of Arts Prof. Sivanathan in Tamil at the last Council meeting at the end of December for leaking her memo.

The VC’s high handed action only served to expose the abuse of authority and impunity that characterize this government, and the parlous state of governance under this regime. Those who are firmly principled rarely hold office; instead they are active in the unions as the conscience of the faculty – for example, the UTA’s Rasakumaran; also see the statement by the Jaffna University Science Teachers’ Association, JUSTA, released on Jan. 2, 2015. Those in authority would try their best to keep thinking persons out of the Council. For example, Dr. S. Sivanantharajah, one of the few professionals appointed to the council last time, was left out by Douglas Devananda when stuffing the Council with stooges who cannot even attend Council meetings (for instance by virtue of living in Canada or being an ineffective drunk). After Sherine Xavier in Canada was appointed, she was deemed to have vacated post after missing the first three meetings, and Dr. Sivanandarajah was appointed in her place. But on the orders of Douglas, the VC and Registrar have – unlawfully – refused to send him invitations to Council meetings. Such is the state of lawlessness at the university.

The time was that even Sir Ivor Jennings, the very first VC, always listened to his Registrar Mr. A.M.K.Coomarasamy from Jaffna College. Today we have Registrars who do not know their rightful power and authority to use it for the good of all. VCs, who can lawfully tell the UGC and even the Minister of Higher Education off on grounds of their statutory independence when there is interference, are equally ignorant of their powers.

Maithripala Sirisena’s No Thanks to Douglas

Tamils overwhelmingly are not prepared to vote for President Rajapakse – and very rightly so. Rajapakse knows that he will not be able to rally the Tamil vote, which remains significant in the North and East. The government has sunk so low that the only thing they can do is play and replay the late LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham’s exhortations to the Tamil people in 2005 to not vote for anyone since they are all bad for Tamils. This Balasingham speech is on Dan TV, orchestrated by Maniattam Remedius, formerly of the TNA, who after crossing over to the government has little stock with the people. Now that the people know that that speech was made by Balasingham after accepting a massive bribe from the Rajapakse camp to the LTTE, it has little power for persuasion. The fact is that a boycott is the best the government can hope for. I do not know why the TNPF is effectively rooting for Rajapakse by calling for a boycott of the elections.

The only real worry for the Tamil public is that, as Remedius correctly says, there are communalist parties that are running to the opposition at the last minute. They represent the dangers to the democratic process that is giving momentum to the opposition. However what gives confidence to us who want Mr. Sirisena elected is that Rajapakse is relying on horrible supporters with no standing among Tamils such as Devandanda to give him a third term. In the meantime, reliable reports show that even Douglas Devananda had approached Mr. Sirisena to join him and had been firmly told “No Thanks!”

Such are the President’s supporters. I pity him.

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Latest comments

  • 5
    2

    The president demolished any chance of tamils’ vote when he murdered the tamil language in his so-called speech – after having been president for so long of a multi cultural multi ethnic multi lingual nation – and, having worshipped at hindu-tamil shrines in Jaffna and abroad, only for his own success – NOT for the welfare of the nation.

    His army did worse – latest insult was when thousands of soldiers dressed as tamil devotees, forcibly occupied the Nalloor Temple on the most important last day of the annual festival.

    • 8
      5

      Ratnajeevan Hoole cares about no one but himself.

      Like Maaru Sra, like Rampuka, he is begrudged because didn’t get his Jaffna University job back. So he is protesting.

      He has no right to cry for Tamils because he is exluded as a scheduled cast, Methodist like Sumanthiran.

      So, there is a bit of history ad sociology combined to you, Hool.

      • 1
        2

        I am not a Methodist but I am a Christian.

        In Hindu law, all Christians are outside the Sangha — that is, untouchable. I am happy to accept that label without any sense of shame or dishonour. It is the badge of Christ.

        PS: Mr. Pena Kiyanna:

        You seem quite ignorant of caste laws on which you try to pronounce with authority. The term scheduled caste is an Indian term and not Sri Lankan. In India there are official schedules in which different castes are entered and those from castes in those schedules are the scheduled castes.

        Please read a little before you try to write next time.

  • 2
    1

    Prof S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

    RE: Tamil Vote: Disaster For Rajapaksa With Low IQ UPFA Propaganda Admitting Mass Murder

    Good that you recognized the “Low IQ UPFA Propaganda” .

    Sometimes, the UPFA Propaganda is very silly. The best explanation so far is the Low IQ UPFA Propaganda and the low IQ of the Audience.

    However. one needs to ask, why Low IQ Propaganda by UPFA? Because it has worked before? Why?

    Because there are Tamil Mootals, Tamil Madus, Sinhala Modayas and Muslim Mootal-Madu-Modayas?Because the averahe IQ of Sri Lankans is 79?

    The UPFA Politicians may be catering to the audience. The TNA and others did the same earlier.

    Welcome to the land of Mootals, Madus, Modayas and Fools.

    Fortunately, still there are enough people with Common sense who do not fall into the trap of the Mootal, Madu , Moda Politicians..

  • 2
    0

    https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=432384386914228

    This is how Mahinda got the crowd in Jaffna.

  • 3
    1

    A Mass Murder took place at the very end of the war when surrendees were massacered en masse:-

    http://white-flags.org/

    Those not killed were taken away in buses, by the army, in full view of the civilians, and subsequently disappeared forever.

  • 6
    1

    Irrespective of ethnicity, religion or even political persuasion, the immediate need is to restore Democracy and rule of law in this land. Thus, the critical question that the voters need to ask themselves is “do I vote for Democracy or Dictatorship’?

    No one can deny that Dictator MR has done the following:
    1) Stole funds (Hambantota Fund)that were donated to be used for Flood victims
    2) Violated the Constitution of SL by seeking a 3rd term and calling for an election 2 months ahead of schedule
    3) Illegally got rid of a CJ who gave a ruling he did not like (Divi Neguma Bill)

    Do we want a President who is a thief, a person who violates the very Constitution he has taken an oath to defend and has no regard for the law of the land?

    This is not to mention the corruption, nepotisn, family bandyism, thuggery, abductions, rapes and total anarchy that pervades the land.

    The choice is in the hands of the voters. Be vigilant, as Dictator MR will try every trick in the book to stay in power as he does not believe in bowing down to the will of the people as he is not a Democrat.

    • 1
      0

      Erratum:
      1) should be Tsunami victims and not Flood victims
      2)should be two years and not two months

      haste makes waste!

  • 6
    1

    K.A Sumanasekera

    Here is serious news for you:

    MR’s astrologer hospitalised
    2015-01-03

    President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Personal astrologer Sumanadasa Abeygunawardena was admitted to the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital yesterday.

    Hospital sources said that he was out of danger

    http://www.dailymirror.lk

    Who is going to advice MR when to wake up, when to use the toilet, …. when to have the morning Ganapathi pooja, …. when to receive ministers, dignitaries, ……

    Has he got a resident deputy Rasputin?

    If the job is vacant I think you should apply for the same.

  • 2
    7

    Is this a a high IQ analysis of the “Jaffna Vote” for UNP, TJHU, TNA, Fonseka, CBK,SLMC ,& Surendran Coalition?..

    Ananthi is naturally cheesed off,

    Because Vellalas couldn’t find her a gig ,after all her Dalit followers ticked off the Vellala CM ,to rule them from Cinnamon Gardens.

    So it is obvious that this PhD is not telling the Elite, Anglicans and the Vellalas that the Jaffna Vote for this unholy Coalition is a sure thing..

    Jaffna inhabitants were forced to suffer for 30 years, while Vellalas were living their normally good lives in Wellala Gardens and Cinnamom Gardens.

    And even better lives in Western Garden Cities..

    These inhabitants now have proper roads, proper rail services ,hospital facilities , jobs and proper schools.to send their children to attend.

    The last item is the most important because the parents not only couldn’t give their kids an Education , but they were forced to make them child soldiers .

    While the Vellala TNA kids went to grade A Govt and Private Schools in Colombo, .

    Jaffna inhabitants surely haven’t forgotten that and it was the Chandrika -Ranil leadership which was responsible for those 30 long years.

    Although this PhD is trying to tell the Jaffna inhabitants that RANIL, CBK combination is the best for the Tamils since slice bread.

    May be it is for the Diaspora and the Vellalas in Colombo .

    But most of our Jaffna inhbitants don’t even have a Toaster yet. although 98% now have access to Electricity.

  • 1
    2

    “Low IQ UPFA “

    That is why maybe for the tamil separatists rajapakshes will be pain in the short term and gain in long term,while medium IQ ranil/chandrika crowd will be gain in short term and pain in long term.

    Remember it is for separatists,not the other tamils that it applies to.

    • 2
      0

      Shonker or any others

      Can some one please tell us where was this [Edited out] fellow when the mass killer terra king Valu Preba was running a muck for 30 odd years? He must have slipped his both mouths and hiding behind his Pombula’s Sari urnating in his Amude. Not a single Thamil Pandit was slipping a word from their mouths. At least he has got freedom in tis country now to talk from both ends. What a joker is this Pundit [Edited out] He has selected IQ memory when comes to racisim.

      I thought fellows like [Edited out] should be preaching constructive and collaborative and harmonic thoughts rather than spreading venoms and antogonising his fellow country men.

      • 1
        1

        Hi Sinhala Banda It seems from your comment that you are one of those among the low IQ. Are you an idiot or an imbecile or a cretin. Mass killer was none other than Mahinda, Gota, and the army top brass who were carrying the UN Human rights book in one hand and gun on the other hand but had left the brain on the toilet seat. The Sinhala politicians were the unmistakable instigators of terror from 1956, they who created Praba. He was 4 year old who saw the Pandura Hindu priest being dismembered and being burnt, 3/12 old baby snatched from a mothers arm and thrown into boiling Tar barrel, many more terror acts. You all are comfortable with the latter 30 years of war, had forgotten all about your “nation busting” period of the first 30 years after the independence. Velu preba was demonised to gain political mileage by the Sinhala polity, All the blame was placed on him without sufficient proof. Did you know, in the south the Sinhala army intelligence unit who had carried out most of the “fire works” and blamed Kottias to instil fear and get the Sinhala masses to hate the Tamils. Kottias had accepted the central Bank bombing. not the Fort station or the Trains in the south. Even the Anuradhapura bus claymore incident in April 2006 was placed by AIU, to start the war, instruction by MR & Gota. You have been reading most of the news and events with the blinkers on. Time to get out of your box and do some research on the MAR-MR period also of that of CBK& RW. They are no saints, but cautious of International criticisms. But MR has a thick hide, that of a buffalo.

      • 0
        0

        sinhala bonda,after reading your intellectually impaired comment,i am in favour of abortion in cases of incest.Are your parents also siblings like vijaya’s parents?

        careful now,don’t let your brains leave your ass and go to your head as this forum as you can see is not all brawn and no brain one.You are way out of your depth here mate.don’t you have a terribly empty feeling in your skull like lucky duminda silva.

        You are depriving a village somewhere in srilanka of an idiot.This what happened to uni education when they took based on what village you came from and not on merit.Can’t find a proper job no even after going to peradeniya university? WPB’s are full of your applications to the private sector in srilanka.

  • 3
    2

    Douglas Devananda has campaigned for Maithree in the presence of MR in Jaffna to ensure majority of the Tamils support Maithree. It is people like Douglas both in the north and south around MR who are helping Maithree gathers more votes. Their actions, speech es are disgraceful.

  • 1
    2

    Well, Professor G. Mukunthan was there with Rajapaske at a recent business forum at the Tilko City Hotel. So some still have close links with the regime.

  • 1
    1

    Thanks for the article. Let’s hope and pray for change.

  • 1
    1

    Ratnajeevan H. Hoole –

    RE: Bad News for the UPFA.- The greater Oppressor and MaRa Dynasty

    ARGUMENT
    Sri Lanka’s Electoral Dysfunction
    Why the island nation’s upcoming election could be a choice between two oppressors.

    http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/12/24/sri-lankas-electoral-dysfunction/

    Rajapaksa’s record of nepotism and abuse of power is long.

    Sirisena also rejected calls for accountability or justice for the 40,000 civilians who died at the end of the war.’

    Jan. 8, two years ahead of schedule, Sri Lanka will hold a presidential election that could help restore democracy by scrapping the country’s authoritarian presidency and replacing it with a strong parliament. Real change, however, seems unlikely.

    While the political opposition has campaigned on a platform of good governance and rule of law, it has also systematically undermined pluralism and minority rights, as well as justice and accountability for past crimes. Both the opposition parties and the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa — in power since Nov. 2005 — have effectively shut Sri Lanka’s Tamil and Muslim minorities out of the upcoming election. Restoring democracy, it seems, will take the support of the international community.

    Rajapaksa’s record of nepotism and abuse of power is long. After he was elected in 2005, he appointed two of his brothers to head the ministries of economic development and defense; a third brother is the speaker of parliament. Soon after winning a second term in January 2010, he jailed his challenger, Sarath Fonseka. In September 2010, Rajapaksa’s party introduced a constitutional amendment that abolished the two-term limit of the presidency and negated parliament’s oversight of the independent elections commission, the police commission, and the human rights commission, among others. His government also illegally impeached the sitting chief justice and kept a heavy armed presence in northern Sri Lanka, which has resulted in ongoing human rights violations.

  • 8
    0

    Power greedy Prof.Hoole was hell bent on getting the VC post in the university of Jaffna.In 2006, Prof.Hoole went to Douglas Devananda’s office in Colombo day and night ,waited for hours and begged the minister and got the VC post.Tigers did not want him become the VC ,so he left Srilanka .
    Hoole came again to SL with the determination of getting the VC post at any cost.In front of LLRC he praised DD and said,” “THE PUBLIC HAD SEVERE MISGIVINGS ABOUT MINISTER DOUGLAS DEVANANDA ONCE.BUT HE HAS WORKED HARD AND SEEMS TO HAVE EARNED A PLACE AMONG THE TAMIL PEOPLE AS JUDGED BY RECENT ELECTIONS WHERE HE HAD THE HIGHEST PREFERENTIAL VOTES IN JAFFNA”.
    Hoole took a copy of his evidence to DD to please him.This time DD told him that the council would decide and in the election he didn’t have enough support.
    Once Hoole came to know that he cant become the VC ,the same Hoole,who praised DD at the LLRC started a smear campaign against DD.
    The episode did not end.
    Hoole started writing articles praising MR.Our readers are smart enough to understand why Hoole was doing that.Hoole wont do anything without any self interest.That is for his third chance.
    This time he didn’t come to SL but ,did his campaign through emails,phone calls and Skype. This is what he wrote to DD:
    “You(DD) have the interest of the university at HEART and I am writing to ask for support in my endeavor to lead the university”.
    Again, as usual, Hoole has started to attack DD and MR. If MR wins again then ,he will summersault and praise again.
    Prof.Hoole!,you are ready to stoop to any level to achieve your personal ends.
    Never before in Srilankan history has an academic behaved so unashamedly. You went behind Prof.Carlo Fonseka,Mavai,DD,Angajan,et al. SHAME ON YOU!
    For you ,all is fair when it comes to power .
    Unfortunately you were rejected by the council.
    If you had got the position you would have defended MR .
    In fact,you made cross over and summersault an art .The politicians of today learned that art from you. What moral right do you have to talk about rule of law,democracy,family rule etc.etc.?
    BEFORE THE REGIME CHANGE,YOUR ATTITUDE SHOULD CHANGE.

    • 0
      3

      My same response to Ramanay I posted with another article on this page.

      Ramanay just lacks discernment. I am quite sure that he did not read Prof. Hoole’s LLRC testimony before writing that he praised Douglas Devananda. I know Prof. Hoole well. I am a former public servant. I am aware of the restrictions on a pubic servant making a public statement. In 2011 Prof. Hoole was a public servant. Facing restrictions on speech, I can imagine the pressures he was under when he was asked to testify before LLRC. Even when cornered he is sharp enough not to have contradictions in his overall positions.

      As I recall, he was trying to be VC to rebuild the university in Jaffna. Douglas had a say in who would be made VC. The government had asked Prof. Hoole to testify, probably hoping that he would say something in its favour. Prof. Hoole could not say anything bad about the government or Douglas openly. As an intellectual he had to be honest and would have been careful. He therefore hedged his statements.

      After reading Ramanay I went back and got a copy of what he said. One can see that he was careful. He sticks to facts. He says the public was against Douglas (“had reservations”). Then he correctly says Douglas had the highest preference votes. He uses the word “seems” and the phrase “it is widely believed” (that is he himself does not necessarily think so. He argues for loyalty. He hints at it being wrong for the government to be cultivating those like Douglas, Karuna and Padmanabha. He argues that Devananda, Karuna and Padmanabha who went against the government once can be trusted to go against it again. His is the classic equivocation of one who was asked to testify at a time he was trying to be VC. He wants listeners to think he is saying one thing but is really saying something else – he is effectively saying that the government should work through the TNA to win the hearts of the Tamil people. That is probably why he was not made VC. Only the less intelligent people like Ramanay and Douglas Devananda will think he was writing in praise of Devananda. To understand Prof. Hoole one needs to be well trained in reading the text carefully.

      Given the vagueness of what Prof. Hoole said, one can keep discussing what he said. But it would be a waste of time. Here is what he said: “The public had severe misgivings about Minister Douglas Devananda once. But he has worked hard and seems to have earned a place among the Tamil people as judged by recent elections where he had the highest preferential vote in Jaffna. But it is widely believed that government loyalties are shifting away from him although he has served the government so faithfully under severe risk to his life. Does this encourage other Tamils to join the government? In politics, as my friend Carlo Fonseka often reminds me quoting from Australian politician Graham Richardson’s book Whatever it takes, there are three cardinal rules: 1) Loyalty is all. 2) if they rat on you once, they will rat on you twice and 3) The value of political forgiveness is nil. Government would do well to take note and choose through whom it tries to win over the estranged Tamil public.”

      • 1
        0

        In defence,thanks for your reply supporting my criticism.
        o
        1. “The government had asked Prof. Hoole to testify”…..
        o
        o There you are!,now the cat is out of the bag!.I didn’t know that MR government asked Hoole to testify before LLRC.”Government had asked Hoole to testify before LLRC hoping that he would say something in favour”. That means, the government must have thought that, Hoole WAS THE RIGHT PERSON WHO WOULD STOOP TO ANY LEVEL TO ACHIEVE HIS PERSONAL ENDS.That means,Hoole is hell bent on getting the VC post and would do anything to achieve that.Hoole is ready to lick anybody’s boots in his self interests. Is that right? Do you think that any other academics with self respect would have acceded to the government’s request? Any academic with self respect would have never thought of doing such dirty things.
        Can we also assume that the articles he wrote supporting MR,was also at the request of the government?What moral right does Hoole have to talk about corruption,family rule,rule of law,democracy etc.,etc?

        2. Hoole himself says a.DD has worked hard….b….DD had the highest preferential votes.Who lacks discernment?You or me?
        3. Did DD also asked Hoole to testify before the LLRC?

        HOOLE WILL DANCE TO THE TUNE OF ANYBODY WHO WILL OFFER VC POST

  • 3
    0

    Keep believing and dreaming Hool that Srisena will be offering some rights to the Tamils on a silver platter. Is there any lesson from the last 65 years?

  • 5
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    Ratnajeevan must state whether he himself was assaulted by Douglas when he licked up to EPDP’s murderous administration after cleaning out the president.

    ALets not forget all that selfishness for “high IQ” vice chancellor of Jaffna University position.

  • 1
    1

    Another “high IQ” question by Ratnajeevan – I do not know why the TNPF is effectively rooting for Rajapakse by calling for a boycott of the elections

    Because TNPF knows that their voter base is nearly nil.
    TNPF probbaly believes in special poojas to wish for Rajapaksa to loose.

  • 3
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    Prof , please do a favour, just forget that dream of becoming the Jaffna Uni VC. Will you do it? [Edited out]

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