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.