Patriotism has won again!

(By Hasaka Ratnamalala – Mississauga)

Finally the Election is over. Peoples’ verdict is similar to the presidential election. Results are being evaluated in different angles based on the political view of the individual; but there is a truth hidden in it. Whether you like it or not once again patriotism has won the day. If it is so, now is the time to deliver what has promised. Otherwise today winners would be losers of tomorrow.

 It doesn’t mean opposition politicians are immune from this verdict. They also have to bow the verdict of the people; if not forces of nature will destroy them further in future elections. It is time for UNP to re-think about none patriotic Policies they have been practicing so far. What Sri Lankans need now is trustworthy leaders from all political parties who should continue Sri Lankan agenda forward; rather than following agenda of foreign elements. We may be carrying different political ideologies but our internal conflicts should not allow to be used against us, by foreign elements. Currently there are some NGOs busy in documenting family conflicts and some vanishing feudalistic practices as government involved human rights violations, to portray Sri Lankan society as a whole is a barbarian society. These NGOs are getting money for these works. Some other groups are trying to create a religious war creating tension among religions. It seems everyone needs a piece of Sri Lanka.

 During the presidential election we have seen the maximum showdown of such foreign politics attached to General Fonseka’s campaign. Issues his campaign raised were not related or supportive of Sri Lanka. Otherwise who in Sri Lanka would ask to take Sri Lankan soldiers to war crime tribunal? Introducing Fonseka with his foreign made slogans JVP confused its sympathisers.

 JVP finally found its face in this election. JVP has been over estimating its abilities in the past while shining through vote bases of other political parties. Even this time JVP was so desperate to tap into UNP voters but failed as UNP decided to contest their own. At the end JVP had to hang on to the bait General Fonseka. But that even didn’t deliver anticipated voter sympathy towards DNA, except few hundred votes in Colombo district thanks to Anoma Fonseka’s crying advertisement; at the end DNA delivered what JVP had from the beginning.

 As General didn’t bring any new votes to DNA, will the JVP operators allow General Fonseka to lead JVP? Unless General Fonseka behave like a real politician and JVP remain without using its exotoxin behaviour; leadership struggle within DNA is eminent. But as long as JVP could use him as sympathy bait, JVP will hang on to General Fonseka; but the question is whether General Fonseka will stay with JVP? This will further prove that DNA or JVP are not fighting for democracy or human rights but it is only fighting for resources.

 As usual former TNA now Tamil Arasu Kachchi leaders are bragging that they have got a mandate in North and East for a separate state.  What have they got?  Getting few more votes than the opponents does not mean a mandate for separation!  What happened in the north and east was a classic display of peoples` rejection on gun culture.  People in the North and East didn’t come out to vote as there were no democratic politicians to vote. Even the politicians who represented the UPFA in these areas come from former armed organizations, with armed group mentality. It is time to find democratic Tamil politicians; unfortunately LTTE killed most of them. For almost 30 years Tamils in North and East have forgotten the parliamentary democracy. It will take some time for them to recover and until then people in north and east will shy away from democracy.

 One of the mistakes President Mahinda Rajapaksha did in this election was to leave all in the hands of Tamil political parties to run the North & East election campaign. He may have done it in good faith, but most of these politicians are still doing politics with armed group mentality. This is not suitable for multi party politics and definitely not good for democratization of North and East. According to a Tamil friend of mine, who happened to be working with UPFA in Jaffna told that people in North have no knowledge of what the government is doing and what it is planning to do in the future either. No one in the UPFA bothered to educate those people in North and East. Even though the gates are open the massage is still hanging around at the gate it is not moving in. I think the new government has a special role to play in North and East on educating the people on what it is doing and planning to do. Having a huge carnival once in a while at Dorai Appa Stadium would not enlighten highly self ghettoized group of people like those Sri Lankan citizens living in North and East.

 On the other hand control of TNA or ITAK has switched back to hands of its original roots, the most privileged of the Tamil society; the Vellala caste and Anglicans. Those are the people who spread the seeds of separatism in Tamil society, as they began losing the privileges received from British invaders. LTTE grab this political power from them and now masters are back in control on the demise of Prabakaran. They already joined hand with separatist groups in the Diaspora, which also now controlled by privileged and Anglicans with the British and NGO backing. It is the duty of the new government to find an end to all these nonsense and take the Sri Lankan agenda forward.