5th Column
JR’s legacy enlivens paradise politics
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My Dear JR,
I thought of writing to you as people are talking about you once again, perhaps because it was your birth anniversary this week. In doing so, they seem to realise that even though 25 years have now passed since you left office, your influence on Paradise is as great as it was back then. First there is this issue about the Constitution you introduced 35 years ago. What is funny about it is that when in opposition, everyone promises to abolish it but once in power, all of them seem to forget their promises.
Why, there was Satellite, who called it your ‘bahubootha viyavasthaava’ and promised to abolish it not once but twice but apparently forgot to do so in the eleven years she was in power. Then, Mahinda maama also promised to do the same but he too seems to have different ideas now. I remember how people used to accuse you of trying to be a dictator. At least you had the decency to include a clause which enforced a limit of two terms of office. Now they have done away with that too — although I am sure Sarath will have a word or two to say about that, when it is put to the test.
We also remember how you included a clause to say that if you were elected from one party, you couldn’t cross over to another party. Well, JR, they have done away with that too — again, thanks to Sarath! And you would be disappointed to know that most of the Greens are now with the Blues!
Then, we remember your famous boast that what you couldn’t do was only to change a woman into a man. They have done that too: they changed the lady Chief Justice into a gentleman almost overnight, so you have been proved wrong on that too.
When all is said and done, JR, I suspect that your legacy to Paradise will not be the presidential system but your decision to open the doors of our economy to the rest of the world. We remember how you said, ‘let the robber barons come’. Well, it seems they have never left us since then!
There is a difference, though. In your day, it was Thatcher or Reagan who wanted to support us. Now, it seems as if the Chinese and Japanese are queuing up to help us. Why, the leaders of both countries were jostling each other to meet and greet Mahinda maama last week!
It may interest you to know that when the Japanese chap was here a few days ago, he was grateful for what you had done many, many years ago at a conference in San Francisco by arguing for Japan to be treated with dignity after the end of the World War, when others only wanted to seek compensation.
While the Japanese Prime Minister chap repeatedly mentioned your name in his speech pronouncing it in his delightfully Japanese accent, our local fellow at that meeting conveniently forgot to do so, referring to you instead only as a ‘Sri Lankan’!
You will be intrigued to know that the local fellow was another Sarath who was only a puny ministry secretary during your time but is a minister now. Ironically, you appointed him as a ‘censor’ and he has now ‘censored’ your name! Perhaps, in his dotage he is sucking up to his current political masters.
I know that the deeds of such minions will not bother you but anyway, there is good news too. At long last, it appears as if the Greens have ended years of bickering and got their act together, although there may still be a few people who are dissatisfied with this outcome.
Your nephew and your deputy’s son have said that they will work together. Comparisons are already being made to what you and your deputy did forty years ago and die-hard Greens want history to repeat itself but I’m afraid that won’t happen automatically.
To begin with, while your nephew is blessed with as much integrity as you had, I don’t think he is half as cunning as you were. And your deputy’s son has miles to travel and lots to learn before he can claim to be a worthy successor to his father.
Anyway, JR, I hope you can now rest assured that your legacy is still alive and well in Paradise even though you still don’t have a statue in your memory while the statues of your ministers — your deputy, Lalith and Gamini — dot the landscape of our capital. Perhaps it is best to be remembered that way.
Yours truly,
Punchi Putha
PS: We remember how, as the President running for re-election you launched a slogan saying ‘mata rakinna parapurak netha, thrakaranna boodalayak netha’. I can assure you, JR, that is one slogan that Mahinda maama will not be using in his next re-election campaign!