5th Column

My dear Wije,
I thought I must write to you this week, as you seem to have lost your job, although it is still not clear whether you were sacked or whether you resigned. Whatever it was, I heard someone say that the government is now two down, with forty five more to get – and that was not a cricket score!

Most people, I think, are not unhappy that resignations and sacking of ministers are coming at the rate of one a week. In fact, given a choice, they must be hoping for a few more. However, we were still surprised to see you go because your exit was so different from that of Ravi’s. I will tell you why.

With Ravi, regardless of whether what he did was right or wrong, it was the opposition boys and girls who were demanding his resignation. When he did go, he staged a grand farewell, sounding like a martyr but we all know that he had to be dragged out of the Cabinet kicking and screaming.

With you, Wije, it was your very own Green boys and girls who were demanding your resignation, though we know that the Green Man, in his usual style, tried to hush things up and sweep it under the carpet. Meanwhile the Blues in Maithri’s camp didn’t utter a single word, either for or against you.

In fact, the boys and girls in Mahinda maama’s Blue camp were saying that they wouldn’t support a no-confidence motion against you. Mahinda maama himself remarked that he wasn’t against you because you are a ‘gamey minihek’ (from his village). That’s letting the cat out of the bag, isn’t it?

Wije, we appreciate your difficult journey from the paddy fields or wel yaayas of Walsamulla to the hallowed halls of Hulftsdorp. There you were a legal expert, having even authored more than a dozen text books on matters relating to law. That is when you decided to take the plunge into politics.

Wije, I don’t know what they teach you in Law College, but it appears as if those who take to politics after becoming legal experts and writing books on law also develop a tendency to change political parties from time to time. Of course, I am referring to that other rascal before you, Professor GL!

Anyway, Wije, it has been ten long years since you said you were disgusted with your namesakes who then led the Blue party and quit. At that time you were seen as a crusader for justice and you were embraced by the Greens. You told us you always stood for what is right – and many indeed believed you.

So, it was puzzling when you stood up in Parliament and defended Avant Garde boasting that you prevented Gota’s arrest. Good old Tilak was asked to resign for just defending Avant Garde but you stayed put. Even at that time, even if justice was being done, it didn’t appear to be done.

At that time, you denied having anything personal to do with the Avant Garde chap – until the Field Marshall produced holiday photos from many years ago. Angry at being found out, you called the Field Marshall a ‘vel vidaaney’ but I guess the ‘vel vidaaney’ must be having the last laugh now!

For a few months now, Wije, we had noticed that you were trying to be the champion of the majority community and religion, a ‘Dutugemunu’ of sorts in the government. That is all well and good but it seemed eerily similar to the line taken by Mahinda maama and his breakaway group of the Blue party.

That was a surprise because five years ago, when you were with the Greens, you brought a private member’s bill to Parliament suggesting that all clergymen – which would obviously include Buddhist monks – be barred from Parliament. Now, you were not playing ‘Dutugemunu’ then, were you?

After quitting the Cabinet, you have been quiet about whether you would join Mahinda maama again. Although you had to leave over what you said about the AG’s Department and selling the Hambantota port, not many think you are squeaky clean now – so we have to take what you say with a pinch of salt!

For the moment though, you can say goodbye to being in charge of justice. That job has gone to Thalatha and I think I know why it was given to her: she can solve all the problems of our justice system by importing foreign judges – after all, she is also the minister of foreign employment!

Yours truly,
Punchi Putha
PS: You have said about being in the government, that it is ‘hitiyath ekai, nethath ekai’ (it is the same whether I stay or go). Most people in the government and indeed in the country now feel the same way about you. Still, whatever you do next, I hope you don’t become a Walasmulley Gnanasara, because that seems to be where you are heading!