My dear General,
I didn’t think I would have to write to you again so soon, but I thought I must because these days you are the man who is being talked about the most, even more so than Mahinda maama who won the election against you.
Of course you keep telling us that it was you who won the election and they keep telling us that they got an overwhelming mandate that is beyond any kind of rigging and even though most people are confused as to what really happened we must believe them, for they keep telling us all this repeatedly and they are honourable men.
Even though you were supposed to be the best Army Commander in the world, the man who plotted the demise of Velu when everyone else thought that was impossible, and the man who risked his life for his country not once but thrice, they now tell us that all this is simply not true. And, we must believe them for they keep telling us all this repeatedly and they are honourable men.
They tell us, General that instead, you are a mean individual who brooked no nonsense from anyone and that you behaved scandalously all these years and that you even chopped off people’s ears if they defied you. It is a bit puzzling why they promoted you, decorated you as a war hero and appointed you to the highest rank in the military, but then, we must believe them for they keep telling us all this repeatedly and they are honourable men.
They tell us, General, that when you were supposed to be leading the war against the Tigers you were in fact doing business on the sly and collecting a commission. That this was discovered after all these years, just as you decided to contest the election must be an unhappy co-incidence but then we must believe them for they keep telling us all this repeatedly and they are honourable men.
Now they tell us that you were up to more dark deeds; that you were plotting to overthrow the government and stage a coup and had they not done what they did, democracy would have been dead. Why you chose to stage a military coup after leaving the military is rather strange when there was a time when you had the entire military at your beck and call but then we must believe them for they keep telling us all this repeatedly and they are honourable men.
Why, they even say that the coup was planned in a five-star hotel with Ranil as your sidekick. I cannot think of a worse place or person to plan a coup with, but you probably did so because you are a four star General and this is a five star democracy but then, we must believe them for they keep telling us all this repeatedly and they are honourable men.
They say that they came and dragged you away in the dark night like a common criminal because you had planned to assassinate the powers that be. It is a bit odd that those who actually plotted such assassinations like Karuna and KP are being given ministerial portfolios and VIP treatment at state guest houses but then, we must believe them for they keep telling us all this repeatedly and they are honourable men.
Then they tell us that you must be tried under military law even though you had retired some time ago from the military because that is the correct way of doing it and that they have nothing personal against you. If that is indeed so, why cardboard war heroes like Weerawansa-who haven’t even been to Sigiriya leave alone Elephant Pass-have to appear regularly on television and slander and defame you is a mystery to me, but we must believe them, for they keep telling us all this repeatedly and they are honourable men.
While they keep telling us all this, General, we are wondering why some of the opposition parties and now even some Mahanayake theras are saying that you should be treated differently and decently because you too are part of the reason why we are now free of terrorism. Pardon me, General, but the big question is, should we believe them instead, for they too claim be honourable men?
Yours truly,
Punchi Putha
PS-Most of us went out and voted nearly three weeks ago, General, opting for either a better future or a change that we can believe in. They tell us we are assured of a better future now because they have rid the country of terrorism and we can live as we please without any fear. I suppose we must believe them, for they keep telling us all this repeatedly and they are honourable men. But General, seeing what has happened in the past few weeks I can’t help but sometimes wonder, can we believe, really? |
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