WHEN all over the world, the trend is to abolish Monarchies and switch on to Westminster style or Republican governments, one is amused to see attempts made in Sri Lanka to anoint a King!
With the successful end to the war - thanks to the war heroes who sacrificed their lives and limbs - all of a sudden a hue and cry is being made throughout the country hailing a "King". As everybody recalls, at the last presidential elections, the voting was to elect a President and not a King, since Sri Lanka had become a Republic more than a decade ago.
To the best of our knowledge, to become a King one should have a royal lineage and it is well known in the country that the last King of Kandy had been banished by the British and since then there had been no trace of a royal lineage in the country. Although one insane so-called "Doctor" had been yapping that he descends from the ancestral lineage of Dutu Gemunu (which in itself is an insult to that great King as the current progeny is a mad thug)
Maybe this talk of a "King" is to perpetuate the current rule and hand over the country to a Royal Brother or a Crown Prince.
It is pathetic that even some so-called educated people including some monks exhort the need for a King in a democratic republic.
They say that in the "Kingdom" of Blind, one eyed jack is the King.
Friday 24 July 2009
OF PATRIOTS AND TRAITORS
NOWADAYS in Sri Lanka, there are only two groups of people.
One group is called "Patriots" and the other "Traitors"
Therefore, it would do some good to distinguish these two groups of people.
In the Eighties during the JVP insurrection in the south of Sri Lanka, the Armed forces, Police and other defence units belonged to the group of "traitors". At that time, Wimal Weerawansa and the other leaders of the JVP demanded that the army and police resign from their posts with the threat that if they do not, their family members would be killed. They also demanded that the Special Task Force be disbanded.
Even duringt that time, our war heroes were fighting with the Tigers but for people like Weerawansa, at that time they were seen as traitors. It is a well known fact that several family members of the armed forces and the Police had been killed by the JVP of Weerawansa.
But the irony is that the very same armed forces are now seen by Weerawansa and his cohorts as patriots. Going from camp to camp with " Nil Manel" flowers, boasting about the achievements of the armed forces, Weerawansa and his gang are now singing a different tune of praising the armed forces and exhorting everyone not to say anything to hurt their feelings and stressing the need to look after their families!
This is a classic example of how one-time "traitors" have become "patriots".
General Janaka Perera was a brave soldier who fought against the LTTE. But since joining the opposition UNP, he became to be known as a "traitor.
There are enough examples of such instances in our midst.
So the million dollar question is : who is a traitor and who is a patriot? This is determined by a gang who recently took up the mantle of sole proprietorship to "patriotism". All others are "traitors"
May God help Sri Lanka.
One group is called "Patriots" and the other "Traitors"
Therefore, it would do some good to distinguish these two groups of people.
In the Eighties during the JVP insurrection in the south of Sri Lanka, the Armed forces, Police and other defence units belonged to the group of "traitors". At that time, Wimal Weerawansa and the other leaders of the JVP demanded that the army and police resign from their posts with the threat that if they do not, their family members would be killed. They also demanded that the Special Task Force be disbanded.
Even duringt that time, our war heroes were fighting with the Tigers but for people like Weerawansa, at that time they were seen as traitors. It is a well known fact that several family members of the armed forces and the Police had been killed by the JVP of Weerawansa.
But the irony is that the very same armed forces are now seen by Weerawansa and his cohorts as patriots. Going from camp to camp with " Nil Manel" flowers, boasting about the achievements of the armed forces, Weerawansa and his gang are now singing a different tune of praising the armed forces and exhorting everyone not to say anything to hurt their feelings and stressing the need to look after their families!
This is a classic example of how one-time "traitors" have become "patriots".
General Janaka Perera was a brave soldier who fought against the LTTE. But since joining the opposition UNP, he became to be known as a "traitor.
There are enough examples of such instances in our midst.
So the million dollar question is : who is a traitor and who is a patriot? This is determined by a gang who recently took up the mantle of sole proprietorship to "patriotism". All others are "traitors"
May God help Sri Lanka.
STAR WARS
The recent arrest of an astrologer in Sri Lanka has become a news item locally as well as internationally. The only "crime" committed by this astrologer was to predict something based on his knowledge of the planetary movements ; which is what astrologers do!
In the ancient days when Kings ruled the country, astrolgers had been given death sentences for the crime of predicting future events unpalatable to the rulers. But, in a supposedly free and democratic Sri Lanka, this is the first time that something like this has taken place.
This particular astrologer had been taken into custody as he had come up with a prediction during a working session of the opposition United National Party.
What all this shows is the pathetic situation prevailing in the country today.
United National Party is Sri Lanka's biggest single political party with a voter strength of around 47 lakhs of people. If not for the threats issued by that murderous Prabhakaran to the Tamil voters, it would have been possible for the leader of UNP to become the President of Sri Lanka at the last Presidential Elections in 2005.
The strength of a political party is its followers. If a political party steers away from the common man and thinks that it can come to power through planetary activities, then it is sadly mistaken. The planets do not have voting powers!
Not only the opposition, but also the governing party are both strong believers of planetary movements. This is amply proved by the arrest of the astrologer for predicting something unfavourable for the governing party.
It now looks like that just the act of predicting something which is not favourable to the governement even if it is evident via planetary movements; is a crime and such people are labelled as traitors to the cause.
All these stupidities prove one thing: both the government and the opposition have placed their trust on some unseen distant planets rather than on the living souls of the country. In a country like this, obviously only the planets can help its people.
The Opposition is waiting for the planets to move to favourable positions for them. The government is using all its powers to pull the planets to go in the direction favourable to them. People's power has disappeared and planetary positions have got top billing.
So no wonder the poor innocent public are gazing at the sky waiting for some miracle to happen.
In the ancient days when Kings ruled the country, astrolgers had been given death sentences for the crime of predicting future events unpalatable to the rulers. But, in a supposedly free and democratic Sri Lanka, this is the first time that something like this has taken place.
This particular astrologer had been taken into custody as he had come up with a prediction during a working session of the opposition United National Party.
What all this shows is the pathetic situation prevailing in the country today.
United National Party is Sri Lanka's biggest single political party with a voter strength of around 47 lakhs of people. If not for the threats issued by that murderous Prabhakaran to the Tamil voters, it would have been possible for the leader of UNP to become the President of Sri Lanka at the last Presidential Elections in 2005.
The strength of a political party is its followers. If a political party steers away from the common man and thinks that it can come to power through planetary activities, then it is sadly mistaken. The planets do not have voting powers!
Not only the opposition, but also the governing party are both strong believers of planetary movements. This is amply proved by the arrest of the astrologer for predicting something unfavourable for the governing party.
It now looks like that just the act of predicting something which is not favourable to the governement even if it is evident via planetary movements; is a crime and such people are labelled as traitors to the cause.
All these stupidities prove one thing: both the government and the opposition have placed their trust on some unseen distant planets rather than on the living souls of the country. In a country like this, obviously only the planets can help its people.
The Opposition is waiting for the planets to move to favourable positions for them. The government is using all its powers to pull the planets to go in the direction favourable to them. People's power has disappeared and planetary positions have got top billing.
So no wonder the poor innocent public are gazing at the sky waiting for some miracle to happen.
Sunday 19 July 2009
(UN)LUCKY THIRTEEN !
The funniest thing is that those who protested vigorously against the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution saying that it was something imposed by the Indians against unsuspecting Sri Lankan government in the eighties, are now swearing that it is a panacea for the current ethnic conflict.
People still remember how these so called patriots protested under the Bo tree in Pettah against this piece of legislation castigating the then President Jayawardene that he had sold the country to a foreign power.
But more funny is why the loud-mouthed Posh Wansa who saw a conspiracy against the country behind every bush is now so silent on this issue as well. No more proof is needed that some luxuries (as enjoyed by cabinet ministers, of course, without a portfolio) and a few foreign trips can do the trick.
Sri Lanka is rather unfortunate to have such betrayers who are also at the same time shameless to lay claims as the sole proprietors of "patriotism". From ancient days, those who lived in jungles were mesmerized by the natural sounds of thunder and worshipped lightning and thunder as gods. Little has changed: still sound plays a big part in taking people for a ride : louder the sound, bigger the ride.
Saturday 18 July 2009
UNPLUGGED ?
The attitude of the Sri Lankan government on the issue of the loan from IMF seems to be one of Shakespeare's "To Be or Not To Be" as different ministers, depending on their moods, sing a different tune a la "she loves me, she loves me not". But the deafening silence maintained by the co-architect of the "Chinthanaya", "Gel/Posh Wansa" defies all logic.
Right thinking people, with good memories (as distinct from those have been brainwashed and fed with Poonac) still remember how the erstwhile co-architect went round the country saying how he was going to "unplug" the wire from the World Bank as Sri Lanka was not a satellite country of the "rapacious" West and the Europeans and Americans along with the Indians, were conspiring to subjugate free and sovereign Sri Lanka. Like Alexander the Great (the duplicate cardboard version), he stormed the country side airing his empty rhetorics and ensured that his preferred choice for the Presidency won the election. Only a few realise that he is only just an empty air bag with nothing upstairs, but in countries like ours, it is the sound that matters, not the substance. Accepted that he has enough sound in his vocal chords and he has used it to his maximum advantage, although it is obvious that he is suffering from "verbal diahorrea"
But, alas, what has happened to his vocal chords now is rather a mystery. When his colleagues in the government are crying for the IMF Loan without which the county is going to be in real trouble very soon, Posh Wansa is maintaining his stoic silence. His solution (coming from a pea brain) of collecting all the gold bangles and jewellery of the women in the country (didnt say whether it included his wife's ornaments) and donating to the treasury did not find much acceptance with his colleagues (who would like to part with such hard (ly) earned assets what with the decline in arms purchases and less and less commissions coming their way)
What is more hilarious is the proposal brought forward by the Urumaya types with their chief priest declaring that there is no need for Sri Lanka to beg for foreign funds as the country is very rich in Gold - referring to the golden Buddha statues in the country - and that those could be sold ( to the foreigners ?) to raise enough funds to develop the country. What is shocking is that not even the Imperialist rulers who governed the country before independence thought of such a scheme out of respect for the religion of the majority. So it is a case of scatter brains and pea brains trying to outsmart each other and attempting to prove who is more patriotic.
Any fool will know that even to get a small loan from a simple Co-Operative, there are terms and conditions attached to it - such as guarantors, collaterals etc. But, what is hilarious and pathetic at the same time is how the Chintana types including the erstwhile governor of the Central Bank are trying to fool the gullible public by saying that the government will never agree to any terms or conditions as the country is a sovereign, blah blah...
One would definitely like to hear from the co-architect of the Chinthanaya his views on the IMF loan as it is obvious the other pro-Capitalist elements of the government are having an upper hand and simple people in the country have started believing that Gel Wimal of the National Fools Front has become mesmerized with the two foreign trips to Myanmar and Egypt accompaying the President and his mouth and the vocal chords are now "plugged" . Or is it ?
What remains for the government is to find a longer 3-core wire and put the plug back to the IMF/World Bank socket and not allow "errand boys" to make unnecessary noises which might spoil the game.
Right thinking people, with good memories (as distinct from those have been brainwashed and fed with Poonac) still remember how the erstwhile co-architect went round the country saying how he was going to "unplug" the wire from the World Bank as Sri Lanka was not a satellite country of the "rapacious" West and the Europeans and Americans along with the Indians, were conspiring to subjugate free and sovereign Sri Lanka. Like Alexander the Great (the duplicate cardboard version), he stormed the country side airing his empty rhetorics and ensured that his preferred choice for the Presidency won the election. Only a few realise that he is only just an empty air bag with nothing upstairs, but in countries like ours, it is the sound that matters, not the substance. Accepted that he has enough sound in his vocal chords and he has used it to his maximum advantage, although it is obvious that he is suffering from "verbal diahorrea"
But, alas, what has happened to his vocal chords now is rather a mystery. When his colleagues in the government are crying for the IMF Loan without which the county is going to be in real trouble very soon, Posh Wansa is maintaining his stoic silence. His solution (coming from a pea brain) of collecting all the gold bangles and jewellery of the women in the country (didnt say whether it included his wife's ornaments) and donating to the treasury did not find much acceptance with his colleagues (who would like to part with such hard (ly) earned assets what with the decline in arms purchases and less and less commissions coming their way)
What is more hilarious is the proposal brought forward by the Urumaya types with their chief priest declaring that there is no need for Sri Lanka to beg for foreign funds as the country is very rich in Gold - referring to the golden Buddha statues in the country - and that those could be sold ( to the foreigners ?) to raise enough funds to develop the country. What is shocking is that not even the Imperialist rulers who governed the country before independence thought of such a scheme out of respect for the religion of the majority. So it is a case of scatter brains and pea brains trying to outsmart each other and attempting to prove who is more patriotic.
Any fool will know that even to get a small loan from a simple Co-Operative, there are terms and conditions attached to it - such as guarantors, collaterals etc. But, what is hilarious and pathetic at the same time is how the Chintana types including the erstwhile governor of the Central Bank are trying to fool the gullible public by saying that the government will never agree to any terms or conditions as the country is a sovereign, blah blah...
One would definitely like to hear from the co-architect of the Chinthanaya his views on the IMF loan as it is obvious the other pro-Capitalist elements of the government are having an upper hand and simple people in the country have started believing that Gel Wimal of the National Fools Front has become mesmerized with the two foreign trips to Myanmar and Egypt accompaying the President and his mouth and the vocal chords are now "plugged" . Or is it ?
What remains for the government is to find a longer 3-core wire and put the plug back to the IMF/World Bank socket and not allow "errand boys" to make unnecessary noises which might spoil the game.
IT PAYS TO RUN ERRANDS
If one wonders as to what benefits Sri Lanka achieved by taking part in the recently concluded sessions in Egypt of the Non Aligned Movement, one need not look that far.
Our very own "Gel Wimal" or "Posh Wansa" of ex-JVP and current leader of the "National Fools Front" who cried like a Montessori student in the Parliament some time back telling the whole country of how he sacrificed for the cause of the JVP , even denying himself the luxury of a visit to Sigiriya ( although it is another matter that his leader - the other Wansa - told a news conference that although the man never visited Sigiriya, he may have visited the rest houses in the vicinity of that area) , got a golden chance this time to make up for all that he lost.
Our man has now flown to Egypt ( after the recently concluded trip to Myanmar along with the President) over the heads of the poster-pasting "hoi polloi" and seen with his own eyes one of the seven wonders of the world: the great Pyramids of the Pharaohs.
Well, one does not grudge the man this luxury, but the sticking point is that he has proved to all and sundry that running errands and polishing the shoes of those who matter really pays at the end. But the sad fact is that as one who preached to the unsuspecting, immature students that it is "better to die standing on one's own two legs rather than live kneeling down" has not practised what he preached : which over the years has been a salient feature of most of the so called Marxists who had promised to usher in socialist revolutions. The Sama Samajists did it first by abandoning their slogan " rise up now all those who suffer from hunger" and joined the semi-capitalist government of Mrs. B in the seventies and faded into oblivion thereafter.
Way to go ! To hell with socialist revolutions because it never pays rich dividends.
Our very own "Gel Wimal" or "Posh Wansa" of ex-JVP and current leader of the "National Fools Front" who cried like a Montessori student in the Parliament some time back telling the whole country of how he sacrificed for the cause of the JVP , even denying himself the luxury of a visit to Sigiriya ( although it is another matter that his leader - the other Wansa - told a news conference that although the man never visited Sigiriya, he may have visited the rest houses in the vicinity of that area) , got a golden chance this time to make up for all that he lost.
Our man has now flown to Egypt ( after the recently concluded trip to Myanmar along with the President) over the heads of the poster-pasting "hoi polloi" and seen with his own eyes one of the seven wonders of the world: the great Pyramids of the Pharaohs.
Well, one does not grudge the man this luxury, but the sticking point is that he has proved to all and sundry that running errands and polishing the shoes of those who matter really pays at the end. But the sad fact is that as one who preached to the unsuspecting, immature students that it is "better to die standing on one's own two legs rather than live kneeling down" has not practised what he preached : which over the years has been a salient feature of most of the so called Marxists who had promised to usher in socialist revolutions. The Sama Samajists did it first by abandoning their slogan " rise up now all those who suffer from hunger" and joined the semi-capitalist government of Mrs. B in the seventies and faded into oblivion thereafter.
Way to go ! To hell with socialist revolutions because it never pays rich dividends.
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