5th Column

My dear friends at Galle Face,

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t write to you this week. The entire nation is watching what is happening at Galle Face. From what we have seen so far, the vast majority support your cause and admire you for the struggle – the ‘aragalaya’ as you like to call it – that you are waging against the powers that be.

Looking back, Gota maama missed a trick at Mirihana. If he allowed those protestors at Mirihana to have their say without unleashing the Police, it may have ended as just another protest, similar to the ones launched by the ‘telephone’ chaps and the rathu sahodarayas outside Gota maama’s office.

He didn’t. That gave you, dear friends, the motivation to take your ‘aragalaya’ a step further, leading to what is now going on at Galle Face. Initially, the call was for a million people to arrive at Galle Face on the Ninth. That number didn’t turn up but what you have done since then is truly remarkable.

That is because of several reasons. Firstly, you managed to get the people on your side without the help of any major political party or any opposition politicians. In fact, it could be said that one reason why you are so successful is because the opposition has, very wisely, stayed away from Galle Face.

Although the Cabinet resigned before the Ninth, our ruling party politicians are so worried that they do not dare to accept ministerial posts again. That was unthinkable a few months ago. We were sick of seeing their faces on our television screens for so long, but most of them seem to be in hiding now.

You have stayed the course despite torrential rains, attempts to infiltrate and discredit your crowd and even the ‘nonagathaya’ and the New Year holidays. All this was done with no identified leader, in a spirit of co-operation, with no one trying to claim the credit over another, like our politicians do.

Perhaps your greatest achievement has been in breaking the barriers of race and religion. Because of what has happened at Galle Face, the majority of our people now realise that racism is a ploy used by politicians to win votes. We haven’t seen Sri Lankans so united since winning the World Cup!

Your ‘aragalaya’ has inspired people who don’t dabble in politics to speak out. We saw cricketers, artistes, academics, professionals and religious leaders from all faiths visit Galle Face. As Nanda Malini so eloquently expressed it in song, you have enabled the ‘silent’ majority to have a voice.

Even though you have no official status, and some – like Johnny – have said that you can be dealt with easily, you even managed to extract an invitation from Mahinda maama. He was a ghost of his former self in his ‘address to the nation’. You were smart enough not to enter into any discussions.

In doing all this, you have retained a sense of humour. The renaming of Galle Face to ‘GotaGoGama’, the ‘raban pada’ that heralded the New Year and the ever popular ‘kaputu kaak, kaak kaak’ tune helps lighten the mood and lends a carnival atmosphere to Galle Face. Yet, this is serious business.

The question now, dear friends of the ‘aragalaya’, is what happens next. You want Gota maama, Mahinda maama, the rest of the ‘R’ clan, as well as the 225 in Parliament, thrown out. It is clear that they have lost the trust they once enjoyed but you should know that this is easier said than done.

You say you are prepared to continue your ‘aragalaya’ for as long as it takes. That is admirable. Meanwhile, the powers that be are hoping that they can cobble together loans from the IMF, India and China and provide gas, fuel and electricity. They think your struggle will then die a natural death.

You must realise, dear friends of the ‘aragalaya’, that whatever you do, you must do within the limits of the Constitution. To step out of those boundaries even once sets a dangerous precedent. Despite all your criticism of the past 70-odd years, we have been a democracy. It should remain that way.

The ‘R’ clan are unlikely to forego everything they enjoy and leave without a fuss. That is because they fear for their safety, if they are out of power and place. So, any changes you hope to achieve must be worked out through Parliament, no matter how much you dislike the 225 people there.

Dear friends of the ‘aragalaya’, that is something that you will need to think about in the coming days. We can see that you have the courage and determination to see your struggle through. We hope you have the wisdom to do so in the smartest, least disruptive and most non-violent manner possible.

Galle Face is where JR, the architect of our Constitution, took oaths as the first Executive President. If you succeed and Gota maama does go home, it could also be the site which brought down its last Executive President. You have the blessings of the nation, barring a handful. We wish you well.

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: The songs at Galle Face remind me of a song about the French Revolution which seems quite appropriate now: ‘Do you hear the people sing, singing a song of angry men? It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again! When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums, There is a life about to start, when tomorrow comes!