5th Column

My dear Karu,

I thought I would write to you after hearing that you had offered yourself as a potential leader of the Green party. Apparently, this has led to some controversy, with some claiming that you are no longer a member of the Greens and others suggesting that they need a younger person to lead the party.

These are the most difficult times for the Green party. When they were routed in ’56 by SWRD, they still had eight seats. When Sirima defeated them in ’70, they had 17 seats. Now, they have just one National List seat – and they haven’t filled that because they are squabbling over who should fill it.

I have no doubt that you made yourself available with very sincere intentions. Why else would you do that when you could be enjoying your retirement after celebrating your 80th birthday next month? However, some don’t seem to like it and they are trying to find every excuse to try and keep you out.

It is true that you are getting on in years, but looking around the new Parliament, we see Sampanthan seeya who is 87, Vasu is fighting fit at 81 and the newly elected Wiggie is 80. Chamal maama and Mahinda mama are on the wrong side of 70 too. Need I say more about age?

Of course, if you are offered the Green party leadership, few people will expect you to lead it to the next election, when you will be nearly 85. I believe what you are suggesting is that you take over to ensure that there is a period of transition so that the green party won’t disintegrate altogether.

This is not your first attempt at leading the party either. We recall how you teamed up with Sajith 9 years ago and challenged the Green Man for the leadership. A committee packed with his loyalists ensured you were defeated. Had you won then, the Green party’s history would have been different.

Unfortunately, that did not happen. The Green Man went on to lead the party, right until its recent debacle. In fact, even though he made noises about resigning soon after the election results were declared, he is still in charge and pulling strings to make sure that his chosen successor gets the job.

It appears that contenders are mushrooming by the day. The fact that people like Akila, Rangey and Daya are putting themselves forward as worthy successors to DS, Dudley and JR is comical if not for the fact that it is tragic for the country. Who next, you wonder – Thevarapperuma or Mervyn, perhaps?

It is interesting that Bond Ravi has also thrown his hat into the ring. With Sajith forming his own outfit, Ravi must be thinking that the Green leadership is his without a doubt. He ruined the Greens once dabbling in the big bank bonds, disgracing the party. Now, he wants to finish it altogether.

What is worrying for me, Karu, is that there is no person who stands heads and shoulders above the rest of the pack as an obvious choice. Of course, if Sajith was still around, he would fit the bill, but I don’t think he is interested, even if he was asked, in being burdened with a party now on its deathbed.

The other complicating factor is your son-in-law, Navin. Much of the hostility directed towards you is because some feel that if you take over the Greens, you will ensure the leadership passes on to Navin. The issue is even more complicated because Navin’s brother is already with the ‘telephone’ outfit.

You have seen this kind of situation before. Remember how you crossed over to Mahinda maama’s team but had to return less than two years later? In that instance, the Green Man welcomed you back and appointed you deputy leader, but we know he won’t do the same for Sajith and appoint him leader.

The ideal outcome would be for the Green Man to do so, so that the Greens can be united not just in name but also in reality. Those aspiring for the Green leadership won’t allow that to happen, so that is wishful thinking and I’m afraid even your offer of leading the party is likely to suffer the same fate.

The Green ship is sinking. Sajith and his crew escaped with a lifeboat in the form of the ‘telephone’ outfit and have made it to the safety of the new Parliament. Yet, isn’t it silly, Karu, that so many people are aspiring to become captain of the Green ship, without realising that the ship is sinking?

We know you are much more sincere than that. Your finest hour was during the constitutional crisis created by Cheerio Sirisena. You did your utmost to safeguard democracy and even suffered physical blows in Parliament. So, even if you don’t lead the Greens, we will always be grateful for that, Karu.

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: When you first contested to become the Mayor of Colombo, your slogan was ‘Aavoth Karu, paayai hiru’. Unfortunately, some in the Green camp fear that now it is ‘Aavoth Karu, pannai horu’. So they are preventing you from taking over – and you may be the best leader the Greens never had!