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The son that rose for Sinhala nationalism
TIMES POSTCARD
By Rajpal Abeynayake
Tilak Karunaratne has joined the UNP. He called the UNP policy one of defeatism; he said Ranil Wickremesinghe does not have a backbone. He said Ranil Wickremeinghe is a chicken -- and then last week he joined the UNP led by Ranil Wickremesinghe.

But you know what? There is nothing strange about that. The really strange thing is that Tilak Karunaratne did not join the LTTE. What - that's impossible you say? He called Ranil Wickremesinghe so many unkind names that he was the talk-show-hosts' favourite hit man who was preferred when they wanted a good foil for a strong UPFA candidate. At those debates he called the Ranil Wickremesinghe and his UNP the chief apologists for the LTTE and for Prabhakaran. So, ergo, if he can join Ranil Wickremesinghe he can definitely join Prabhakaran.

But do not complain anymore that Sinhala nationalists are not empathising with the message of the Tamil people. The bearded guru of the Sinhala nationalists has crossed right over to the UNP to embrace Ranil Wickremesinghe, who got rid of barriers in the city for good or for ill, and who turned a blind eye to the killing of informants of the Sri Lankan army.

So Tamil nationalists should not lose the significance of this message. Sinhala nationalists are not chauvinists --- they are just wolves in sheep's clothing. Well, that's what people suspected some Sinhala nationalists of being, anyway. But now looking at Tilak Karunaratne's performance in crossing over to the UNP, people have changed their minds. They feel now that Tilak Karunaratne is a sheep in sheep's clothing. "Yes sir yes sir three bags full sir" he says to Ranil Wickremesinghe, who he pummelled as the Sinhala nation's greatest disaster for the last two years.

A political columnist says that Mr. Karunaratne realised he can do nothing for Sinhala nationalism unless he joins the United National Party. Well any man is entitled to his belated maturity.

So with hindsight, Tilak Karunaratne will soon join the LTTE also? He will go to Killinochchi and announce that Sinhala nationalism's true patriot is Velupillia Prabhakaran. After all, if not for Velupillia Prabhakran would anybody have listened to a person like himself -- Tilak Karunaratne -- for the last ten years?? Where would Sinhala nationalism be without Velupillia Prabhakran? In the closet, of course, certainly. So Tilak Karunaratne will then after joining the LTTE, proceed without very much ado, to spearhead a recruitment drive for the LTTE.

And Tamil analysts think Sinhala nationalists are chauvinists?
Udaya Gamanapilla says that he will never think of joining the UNP. But get a few more priests in there and what do you think might happen? In fact, get a few Buddhist monks into the UNP, and get them to takeover, and what do you think Tilak Karunaratne might do? He might not only join the LTTE, he might form his own movement for Tamil liberation. What's going to stop him from saying that he is the sole representative of the Tamil people, thus giving him the sole right to challenge all these disastrous political monks??

The sun is not going to rise from the West? Well Tilak Karuanaratne gets up from bed these days and realises than he is a UNPer. Maybe he is confused when he gets up like that, suddenly - - in that halfway stage between sleep and being fully awake. But soon he realises that he indeed joined the UNP yesterday - - so there. But Ranil Wickremesinghe wakes up and realizes that Tilak Karunaratne is now in the UNP. He is in that confused state too. He pinches himself. He wants somebody to tell him - - is this a dream or is this just a nightmare?

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