28 March, 2024

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Which Is blacker? Dulanjalee’s Kettle Or Mahinda’s Pot?

By Sarath De Alwis

Sarath de Alwis

Sarath de Alwis

These are days when the Russian novel is compulsory reading. The three principal works that come to mind are War & Peace followed by Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment.

This essay is about a ‘Cherry Orchard’ where many trees were felled and no one talks about it even in these enlightened days of good governance.

To begin with I must inform the readers something immensely important and rivetingly relevant to our current concerns on reforms in public life and governance. ‘The greatest trick the Devil pulled was convincing the world there was only one of him.’ Mahinda Rajapaksa is not the only villain in town.

The aphorism “the pot calling the kettle black” is found in many languages and many cultures. It targets those who accuse others of a failing that they themselves are also guilty of. The Chinese use a different idiom to stress the same truism – A chicken can’t see its own back.

I crave the indulgence of the readers. Gallantry compels me to assign the kettle to the lady and the pot to the gentleman. However the Chicken in the Chinese equivalent pauses no such problem.

Hema Premadasa Ranil W Dulanjalee JayakodyThe daughter of President Premadasa Ms. Dulanjalee Jayakody addressing her latest missive under her maiden name informs former President Mahinda Rajapaksa that she and her brother never even imagined of abusing their positions when their father was the executive president. With remarkable self-possession she informs the former President and the general public how the two siblings conducted themselves when their father was the supreme law giver of our then dysfunctional democracy.

“My brother and I were also a Prime Minister’s children and an Executive President’s children who never even imagined abusing our positions. Young as we were, our mother always reminded us that our father was a public servant while holding the offices of Prime Minister and President.”

Hypocrisy seems to live and parade among us in these turbulent days of reforms promised, denied and grudgingly delivered. Mahinda Rajapaksa did many things wrong. But he did not do what President Premadasa did. He did not assume the role of Moral Arbiter.

True. He had a brother hell bent on subverting our freedoms and quietly veering towards a ‘deep state’. That said, we owe it to history to record that Mahinda Rajapaksa did not have a ‘Lawrence Mafia’ in the palace. The first act of President D.B. Wijetunge in office was the disbanding of that outfit of dreaded enforcers then known as the Lawrence outfit. One of the sickening sights I can never erase from my memory is the sight of two of those goons of the Lawrence Mafia physically beating two young girls stripped naked who were working either for the Airport or the Airline. It was in a room at the Airport. I had arrived on midnight flight. It was a fleeting glimpse but my great misfortune to experience. In a hushed whisper someone told me that the two girls were suspected of helping passengers with forged Visas. Impunity is not new.

Personally I can recite many instances of how your brother, your husband, your father-in-law used the national airline -, Air Lanka as a personal fiefdom.

The fact that nobody wants to unearth the misdeeds under your father’s presidency does not canonize your father. Even if nobody does, I would. Your fathers financial Purohitha is now an aging Kautilya to the present dispensation.

Dear Ms. Dulanjalee Premadasa, I don’t blame you. Nobody told you that the demands you made when your father was in power were wrong. I don’t blame you. You did what you did because nobody told you that what you did was wrong. There were those whose Pavlovian instincts told them what you either desired or would desire. You lived in a make believe world.

I suppose the same is true of the Rajapaksa offspring. Their problem is that their father is not only around but is in that unenviable position of being out of power but very much in the game.

You never had to reimburse the national carrier for those services. Nobody told you that there was no such thing as a free lunch. That is how public institutions functioned. The Airline had its supply of Pavlovian practitioners. Lakshman de Mel a down to earth Chairman of the Airline bought himself briefcase because he feared the possibility of him being physically carried into the aircraft by one of those exceptional Trapeze artists. The sycophant was appeased and was content to carry the empty briefcase. A tranquil Mr.De Mel boarded the aircraft on his own!

Do you remember how your father rewarded the gentleman who looked after your brother and you with the General Sales Agency of Air Lanka for the city of Manchester? I am sure even to this day you do not know how much it cost the Airline to pander to your esteemed father’s notion of gratitude.

I can only speak of my own experiences working for a state owned enterprise under the enlightened Presidency of your father. You say that you and your brother never abused your positions. I believe you. You did not abuse your position. You did not have to. Your father made sure that we were adequately intimidated to serve the whims and fancies of his household. Thus I was witness to a pathetic sight of a station manager of Air Lanka crawling in to the cargo hold of an aircraft to appease the thirst of a pedigreed pup that was carried either for you or your husband from London.

As Ronald Syme observes in his seminal work The Roman Revolution “In all ages, whatever the form and name of government, be it monarchy, republic, or democracy, an oligarchy lurks behind the facade.” The indispensability of the sage counsel of Mr. R. Paskeralingam to the present regime, confirms that there is no exceptions to this rule.

It was only yesterday that I watched the excellent film ‘Truth’ based on the book “Truth and Duty: The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power” by Mary Mapes. Mary Mapes wrote the book after she got fired by CBS news for exposing the false Military record of George W Bush. Whether in Washington or Colombo, injustices perpetrated by the privileged and the powerful remain unpunished. Hoping for restitution is like pissing against the wind.

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Latest comments

  • 37
    1

    Good stuff Mr De Alwis.

    Ah sweet innocence! Telling the children the actualities, that is the hardest. But Dulanjalee was old enough to work things out and if she didn’t know, she does now, and it would be wise of her not to complain, because in the nether world of sordid politics memories are long, and mostly unforgiving.

    • 31
      4

      Does anybody care about the crimes against humanity in the mass extermination of more than 60,000 young Sinhalese with impunity.

      Our war criminal Gota was part of that game of extermination of Sinhala youth then!

      Everybody is playing sathu nowadays including Ranil.

    • 31
      0

      Thank you Mr. Alwis.

      Must say I learned a lot by reading this article about Mr. Premadasa’s dubious rule over Sri Lanka.

      First time I heard about “Lawrence Mafia”. Somebody should document these things for future generations about the megalomaniacs who end up at Temple Trees.

      Cheers!

      • 13
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        Ben, Sarath leaves a digital record of the happenings through this page.

        At Airlanka/Srilankan, during the Premadasa era, the Son of DIG Lawrence was parachuted as the Head of Corporate Management/Strategy; he was assisted by two ” iththa’s “. None of them had aviation experience. Their only job was to run around the corridors carrying tales to the Premadasa appointed Chairman Dunstan Jayawardena. DJ from the UDA, he knew more about roads and housing, had no clue either and was happy to accept advise from Lawrence Jr and his merry men.

        All this settled with the demise of Pres Premadasa.

      • 3
        0

        Thank you Mr.Sarath deAlwis
        I like the way how you have cited Ronald Syme’s work about a oligarchy hidden behind every form of government and referred to the indespensibility of a Financial Prohita now an ageing Kautilya who later on morphs as a “sage” to the present dispensation.
        As for the restitution of injustices committed by the privileged, many historical precedents exist from the abolition of slavery, the ending of apartheid and the Vietnam war.
        Tireless striving is the only solution for desired results when it comes to restitution of justice. Not hopeless despair.

  • 37
    1

    We recall how the lady chased out staff members of president’s house because they called her Nona rather than Madam. We recall staff being told to say “ehey” and not “ouw”.

    We recall the stolen portraits from state houses.

    We recall search of valuable Victor bathtubs and replacing them with cheap BMC plastic tubs at President’s Cottage in Nuwara Eliya

    We recall tyre pyres and Richard DeZoysa. We recall sudden wealth accumulated and we recall journalists being killed for taking photos of VVIP wives in tennis outfits.

    What happened to all the portraits Herbert stole from President’s House?

    How many innocent people were slaughtered before your born again religious conversion and your Rosy outlook of life under the most paranoid leader?

    Who supplied weapons to tigers?

    • 3
      1

      As far as I recall , Dulanjali had taken milliions to be deposited in the bank,which was found to be forged. She pleaded her innocence saying she was only depositing what was handed over to her. All inquiries halted after this . Why was there no inquiry into this incident during the. MR goverenment.

      Who gave her this money? were there any arrests?

  • 13
    17

    Well – Mahinda has NO business dragging Dulanjalee in this!

    • 24
      3

      Well.

      Now that she dragged in, I propose a public mud wrestling match between the two “distinguished” citizens. Of course with prime time broadcasting.

      Suitable attire would be “Diya Redda” for Ms. Dulanjalee & traditional “amude” for King Kong.

      Cheers!

      • 0
        0

        What “distinguished” citizens ??

        Not that [Edited out]

  • 29
    1

    It seems amnesia runs in the families of ex Presidents.

    Richard de Soyza was brutally tortured and killed. There was no investigation, no one was arrested, and
    the President at that time, Premedasa, did not utter a single word of condemnation, did not order an immediate investigation, and the silence was telling. That was similar to what happened to Lasantha Wickrematunge too, during the Rajapaksa regime. I would advice the off springs of past Presidents to not write as if their parent was a saintly President. That will be opening Pandora’s box, and it will not be nice.

  • 13
    1

    The witch hunt mentality of Sri Lankans going after the Rajapakses blinds them to the long history of politicians who have been ‘corrupt’, abused the powers and privileges that come with high office. The same abuses are going on with the current regime as we have seen in the last twelve months. If anyone is really interested to fight corruption they should start with the ‘culture of corruption’- pandankarayas, our habit of brown nosing the rich/ powerful and the need to maintain the status quo for a start.

    • 1
      1

      Anotherbuddist:
      Not you, again!
      I say “let there be witch hunts without end until each and every one of those who’ve despoiled this nation is behind bars,” pandankarayas such as you who seek to defend those thieves as well.
      Have a problem with having to visit your buddies in jail or are you going to be among them?

  • 19
    1

    There it is, my former co-worker, hanging it out to dry, leaving a digital artifact of the ” Kettle calling the pot black “.

    We are such bloody fools, we continue to vote the goons in from the front door, to plunder us through the back door.

    In the absence of good governance, the next social upheaval from the South will come around to square things out. Sigh!

    • 2
      4

      From the South? All that comes to mind is the sound ‘pooh pooh’.

  • 16
    3

    40,000 Dulanjalie, 40,0000 in tyre pyres, Under your Dad!
    Your father did a tremendous service to the poor, But Mahinda did more than that!

    • 3
      0

      @ srinath.g : “Your father did a tremendous service to the poor, But Mahinda did more than that!”

      Yeah right! Especially for himself and family!!

    • 1
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      Under Rajapakshes – how many ? not yet clear .. how big the avalanches of civilians were targetly killed during the war end.

      In the post war sessions, how many of the people regardless of the race were attacked by Rajapakshes…

      this list can be long to untold stroies.

      My parents had lost their properties, since Rajaakhse had no law and order systems. Unbelievable kind of illegaal thugs were bred during the last few years alone.

  • 15
    1

    Thank you Mr.De Alwis. I rest my case.

  • 23
    3

    She is a hypocritical liar

    !. What happened to photographer who took photos of her family playing tennis in shorts ?

    2. What happened to forged currencies deposited at Sampath Bank. SP had to phone MR desparately to save this b****** skin ?

    • 16
      0

      MAY BE SHE [ Dulanji] DOES NOT KNOW?????????.

      for the Trans Asia hotel, how much money diverted from ETF and EPf through the appointed kosgoda accountant chairman and
      what happened to the computer network installation package contracted through a Singapore planted 5 Dollar company.

      how her father driving a L 300 van to flower rd in a disguise Muslim attire to check his account balance sheets.

      Her mother declared opened the Trans Asia hotel tennis courts trying to hit tennis balls three times but no hits!!!!!. no body allowed to take pictures and every body clapped.

      GAM UDAWA also was spinning gold with nawalokaya??????.

      What happened to the air port lottery BMW cars??????

      Which Is blacker? Dulanjalee’s POT Or Mahinda’s Kettle?.

      BOTH ARE TAR BLACK AND SMELLY.

  • 14
    0

    Here here. Thank you for raising CT’s standards.

  • 25
    1

    I’ve watched the responses to Dulanjalie’s letter to MR with a mix of amusement and shock…does she really think we have forgotten all the misdeeds of her father??? I think in the end he totally lost his mind.. even got a throne carved for him… I remember our national carrier making unrequited trips to Japan just to assist the family flower business!..all in all Dulanjalie your father ablnd family were known to be extremely corrupt. Must say this for MR .. yes he showed a much softer side to him when you got caught banking counterfeit notes. We understood from the papers that weekend that the first people you got in touch with were Gota and MR. And they helped you out.. of course he is going to remind the UNP’ers 9f this given the callous treatment meted out to his family. But never mind all that.. you really have NO MORAL RIGHT to paint your father as a saint and good ruler. We remember better!

  • 9
    12

    Mahinda`s pot is full of shit!

  • 15
    5

    Mahinda’s shit is million times better than Premadasa’s blood !

    At leat MR stoped the war (ofcourse at a price)

    Premadasa played a double game, even supplied arms to LTTE

    • 6
      4

      Malaccan Jarapassa F king gave money and Arms to killer LTTE and cheated all sri lankans.
      bugger played treble games with our lives.

    • 4
      1

      “Premadasa played a double game, even supplied arms to LTTE”

      What you say is true but you have to see this within the context of India’s involvement – initiating, abating, guiding and trying to control – in foisting the Tamil insurgency on SL to achieve their objectives – at the time.

      The Singhalese-ness in us prevents us from seeing the objective truth (discussions always end-up as Singhalese vs. Tamil battles far from the objective truth) but the greatest act of patriotism (smart or otherwise) Prabakaran and the LTTE did the country was kick out the Indians! Gave them such a bloody nose they were falling over each other to get out and prevented the Indians having anymore military adventures in SL.

      If the LTTE didn’t kick-out the Indians, North-East SL would now be controlled by the Indians through proxies.

  • 16
    0

    Ms.Premadasa as well as rest of the family should be better off if keep their views on virtues upheld by their late Father to themselves for most of people of this country are not born again .

    Much as we do not want to See a Rajapakse era again we certainly do not desire to see a Premadasa Era ever.

    We still remember how people celebrated the untimely death of President Premadasa by lighting firecrackers.So much for the love for a”‘ beloved “‘President.

  • 12
    0

    Very strange.

    Pedigreed pups for the Premadasa siblings.
    Pedigreed pups for the Rajapakse siblings.
    Draggled-tailed gutter snipes go for things pedigreed eh?

  • 0
    0

    My problem is that in this age of enlightenment, racists like the author are equating black to evilness and white to goodness.

  • 10
    1

    One of the earliest misdeeds – the Overseas Childrens School was for foreign children from embassies etc alone. Sri Lankans were not allowed to enroll. Premadasa quietly enrolled his daughter, but the Island newspaper printed a picture showing her in the Chemistry lab. The rules were changed immediately to allow Sri Lankan children to enroll.

  • 10
    0

    I have mentioned this before of Jayantha Dharmadasa who was a classmate in 1962 telling me that his father Navaloka mudalali had built Premadasa the house at woodlands (donated by Dudley S)as a kickback for all the local govt contracts he got from the minister of local govt.These thieves and baiyas steal from day one and there will be no prosecution for all the criminality of the politicians.

  • 12
    1

    Dulanjalee will now bitterly regret for her account to the Colombo Telegraph titled ‘Mahinda R, My Sympathy For You Has Turned Into Disgust’.

    Honestly I felt she should have kept silent when she too had skeletons in her cupboard. She could have simply commented like us without revealing her identity.

  • 5
    10

    “The campaign to slander Premadasa commenced with the Impeachment Motion which contained several false allegations such as abuse of power, violation of the Constitution, mental incapacity, dictatorial rule, misuse of state assets and last but not the least raping of a virgin every week in fulfillment of a vow.

    When journalist Richard de Zoysa, a great buddy of David Gladstone, was killed the finger was pointed at President Premadasa; of course not without reason as armed men in full military uniform had taken him away from his house.

    When Major General Denzil Kobbekaduwa along with several senior army officers perished in the LTTE land mine explosion at Araly Point in Jaffna, President Premadasa was accused of plotting and planning the gruesome killings; the motive being to get rid of Denzil Kobbekaduwa a prospective candidate at the Presidential Election!!

    In fact the assassination of Lalith Athulathmudali which took place just one week prior to President Premadasa’s assassination was the last stroke that broke his morale completely. Soon after the tragic event he summoned me to his private residence at Sucharitha Mawatha.

    He was shocked and surprised and seemed helpless and devastated. He knew that as usual his enemies would accuse him of plotting and planning the gruesome killing. He instructed me to telephone General Sepala Atygalle, Sri Lanka High Commissioner in London immediately and get down a team of detectives from Scotland Yard.

    I felt relieved because if the President had any hand in that dastardly act he would not have called for Scotland Yard assistance. In hindsight, I have now come to the conclusion that the assassinations of both Lalith Athulathmudali and Premadasa were expertly masterminded by the LTTE both in respect of methodology and timing so that President Premadasa would suffer one week of mental torture before his demise.”

    -K.H.J. Wijedasa

    • 2
      0

      //When Major General Denzil Kobbekaduwa along with several senior army officers perished in the LTTE land mine explosion at Araly Point in Jaffna, President Premadasa was accused of plotting and planning the gruesome killings; the motive being to get rid of Denzil Kobbekaduwa a prospective candidate at the Presidential Election!!//

      But, wan’t it true that the bomb that went off and killed Denzil Kobbekaduwa exploded from INSIDe the vehicle, not outside?

      Tamil expected Premadasa to solve the ethnic question in Sri Lanka. Probably, Premadasa was the only national leader (President or the Prime Minister) would could fully understand Tamil (not Mahinda, who ‘learnt’ the language for political reasons). But, the political forces took then Speaker MH Mohammed under their control and brought a no-confidence motion.

      //I felt relieved because if the President had any hand in that dastardly act he would not have called for Scotland Yard assistance. //

      As someone close to Premadasa, you could not say that Premadasa was not a man of that kind. You did not have the confidence to think Premadasa would not have done anything like that. You were relieved only when he invited Scotland Yard! What are you trying to establish here, Mr. Wijedasa?

      Can you please elaborate on the role of Lawrence in the Premadasa era? Also, you may want to shed light on the way he procured the land on the way to Battaramulla, and built a well secured house.

    • 2
      1

      Well,there is at least one person who thinks Premadasa derserves a better place in the History of this nation.

      Heavens to be thanked that his rule ended when we least expected it.If he continued any further we would have seen a Sri Lankan version of Emperor Bocassa

  • 1
    2

    KHJ WIJEDASA was a solid public servant in the Premadasa dispensation.I am proud to have been friend of a person of such integrity and humanity. When his successor arrived KHJ shone even more by contrast.

    • 1
      0

      Well it is no doubt Mr.Wijedasa has been a good public servant in the Premadasa Regime.At the same time he is also known for his absolute loayalty to his Master.Therfore it is not surprising that he has kind words for the late President.

      However do not believe whatever his views are the facts as shown in the Article could be disputed.There are certain things which Mr.Wijedasa either did not know or did not want to know.

  • 2
    1

    When I first read Mrs. Dulanjali’s letter to MR, I thought of telling her to “keep your mouth shut” and “mind your own business”. Yes I said it in a different way in my comment on the publication of her letter by CT. Now that this is being discussed widely, I would remind her a few things. (1) How was his husband Mr. Rohan Jayakody was appointed as a Director of Airlinka? What type of aviation experience or knowledge he possessed? After getting into Air Lanka how did he handle his “Orchid
    Export Business” through the influence he had. How many flights to Japan were ordered to be delayed until the flowers arrived from their gardens in N”Eliya? (2)I was on a flight to Colombo from Dubai on a particular day, and after boarding all the passengers, we were kept inside the aircraft for nearly two hours. On inquiring from the ground staff, it was revealed that the aircraft awaited the arrival of the Country Manager, one Menon who was supposed to be bringing a “parcel” addressed to the First Lady. (3) Do you all know of the Rs. 200 million cheque that the then Secretary to the Treasury, Mr. Paskaralingam, now an “Adviser to the Ministry of Finance handed over to the LTTE as an “initial payment” to start the “Tamil National Army”? (4) How did the then President, the father of this Dulanjali, afforded all the “five star” hotel comforts to the LTTE hard core cadres in Colombo and ordered that they be escorted by the Sri Lanka Air Force with the understanding of releasing those 500 Police Officers. What did he (this Dilanjali’s father) the President did when all those 500 Police Officers were “brutally” murdered. (5) Who organized the “PRA” during the year 1089 and killed nearly 60,000 youth of this country. Interestingly Mr. Gotabaya Rajapakse was the commanding officer at Matale during that time and we now find the “Mass Grave” from that place. (6) Did he pay any respect for the Educated Professionals of the country at that time? That was the time when we lost most of the educated and professionals to other countries. (7) Was anyone able or allowed to express any opposition or opinion against his “domination” of all the Governmental affairs. (8) What would have happened to anyone single person who had by sheer ignorance or unknowingly come into possession of a “fake currency note”. What did you and your brother get from the ex President, MR when you walked into that Bank with a suite case full of “Fake” currency notes? There are many more, I can document as regards the very functioning of Air Lanka with your husband as one of its Directors. That is why I said in an earlier comment to “keep quite” and have your communications with MR without making it known to us; because we are compelled to come out with all that were rotting under your father’s Presidency and family. Please learn to live a quite life now.

  • 2
    1

    Mr Alwis why did you forgot tell the story of diverting Airlanka flight to Japan to a destination to support flower business run by Dulanjalis husband.It was a disgusting sight the way she behaved in the front of her fathers coffin which was telecast for days.Pot calling the kettle black. Comedy of the year.

  • 3
    0

    Mr Sarath De Alwis,

    Before it is all too late, somebody needs to record the various presidencies we have “enjoyed” and I believe you display sufficient proof that you are more than adequately qualified to undertake such a task by way of a book.

    There must be a historical narrative done – sooner than later – and it must be done by one who was mature enough when experiencing the times then, and mature enough to objective analyse now.

    I believe you fulfill both those counts.

  • 4
    0

    Thank you for seeking to bring CT’s readership back to reality, Sarath.
    Yes, while it might be less painful to be clobbered by a 5 kilogram club than a 10 kg one, we are still being clobbered!
    A pox on ALL their houses and, in the meantime, may they and their ill-gotten gains go up in smoke!

  • 5
    1

    It’s Simple ….. POWER CORRUPTS ALL……. MR TOOK CORRUPTION TO A HEIGHT WHICH WAS NEVER SEEN BY MANKIND …. EXCEPT A FEW OF HIS FRIENDS SUCH AS … GADAFFI…..SADDHAM HUSSEIN…..IDI AMIN…. PUTIN…… THEY WILL ALL COME DOWN TO EARTH SOONER OR LATER…… ONLY ONE LEFT NOW AND IT IS PUTIN….. HIS DAYS ARE ALSO NUMBERED….

  • 1
    1

    Lankan Chickens not able to see the back because the dressing mirrors Chinese suppling are blurred.

    If the New Royals starts to buy western mirrors, it will work. But the Old Royal’s Port City contract is not that easy one to abandon it.

    So none of the Royal family Chickens are aware of how bad their backs looks like.

  • 3
    0

    well done Sarath – there is nothing more to be said on her tripe , except to remember and offer merit to the 750 poor police heroes who were sacrificed to the LTTE in the East by the revered idiot -wijedasa s whitewashing notwithstanding.

  • 2
    0

    Sarath De Alwis,
    As usual another master piece from you.
    Some always claim they are smart patriots. But you are always an unbiased real patriot.

    I sincerely hope you will come out with a piece of writing about war winning leader MaRa with particular reference to reconciliation and taking the country forward. In other words MaRa and Co staying in politics is a LIABILITY OR AN ASSET to Sri Lanka now that the war hero Sarath Fonseaka has joined the MS-RW regime.

    Sarath Fonseka should throw more light on matters that are useful for the reconciliation and expose MaRa regimes wrong doings during the last stages of the war and after winning the war until 2014.
    It is not the party politics ( UNP or SLFP or JVP or JHU or TNA or the Nava SLFP led by MaRa or GoRa ) that is important the country should come first. Any time SF is white in character when compared to blacks you have written about.

  • 3
    1

    we had a good leader but he fought for tamil eelam{lanka}if he would have been for eelam only he would have been succeed for all sri lankans

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