5th Column

My dear Sajith,

I thought I must write to you after seeing and hearing you on Tuesday leading all those people to Galle Face, just outside Gota maama’s office. It was a massive gathering. Even you must have been surprised at the response your Party had to your call for a protest against what’s going on in Paradise.

You may have also been surprised that Gota maama didn’t stop you. Someone – perhaps Mahinda maama who might have remembered his own ‘Jana Gosha’ days – must have advised him that it is better to allow you to have your say rather than trying to stifle all those people wanting to be heard.

It was a long time coming, though. Many people were worried that you were like NATO on Ukraine: ‘No Action, Talk Only’. We didn’t hear from you until last week, although some others in your ‘telephone’ Party did make some noise about the rising prices and shortages of just about everything.

After all, you lead the major opposition Party, at least according to the numbers in Parliament. You are also the Leader of the Opposition. So, you have a duty to the long-suffering citizens of Paradise to agitate for their grievances. Yet, what we heard all these months was a deafening silence.   

In the meantime, others got their act together. While you were engaging in watchful expectation and masterly inactivity, the rathu sahodarayas seized the opportunity. They keep reminding us that two major parties wrecked the country for 70 years and someone else needs to be given a chance.

That argument, coupled with the convincing reasoning put forward by the likes of Anura sahodaraya and Sunil sahodaraya have convinced some people that they should try their luck with the rathu sahodarayas at the next election. They may not win it, but they won’t remain at three per cent either!

Then we have Aiyo Sirisena and his Blue Party fellows. They enjoy the best of both worlds. Some of them are in the Cabinet, others are State ministers. Yet, they openly criticise Gota maama and talk to others about forming alliances to contest the next election. What a wonderful democracy we have!

I know Aiyo Sirisena has a soft spot for you and even offered to make you PM during that infamous constitutional coup. I hope you are still able to resist his invitations. That is because, of all the rascals around you, if there is one person who should not be trusted at all, that would be Aiyo Sirisena.

Aiyo Sirisena betrayed Mahinda maama after serving him for so long. Then he betrayed the Green Man who got him the top job, so it goes without saying that he can betray you much more easily. All Gota maama has to say is ‘I will have you prosecuted for the Easter attacks’ – and he will toe his line.

Now, another lot claims to be the ‘opposition’. They are the three who saw no evil, heard no evil and spoke no evil all this time – Wimal, Vasu and Udaya. Suddenly they have become our saviours and claim to be the real opposition. Few will believe them, but they too will be a challenge for you.

Sajith, much has happened since you last chose to stand up and speak up. You will have to work hard to catch up on lost ground. Ironically, you will be least challenged by the Party you left, the Greens and the Green Man. Sadly, that Party might die a slow death, unless they join you eventually.

Still, it was good to see you lead that crowd on Tuesday. It must have given you and your Party a lot confidence because it demonstrated that you are a force to be reckoned with, just as much as the ‘Mahinda sulanga’ was some years ago – and we all saw what a whirlwind that became.

It was even better to see the Field Marshall and Champika by your side. They disagree with you on many issues. Many feel they have their own ambitions. There is nothing wrong with that – as long as the ‘telephone’ Party can make the correct call and pick the best man to run against Gota maama.

Not all those present on Tuesday were supporters of the ‘telephone’ Party. There were many who voted for the ‘pohottuwa’ as well. They were there not because they loved you more than Gota maama but to show how angry they were. It doesn’t necessarily mean they will vote for you!

One protest does not win you the next election, or get you the top job on a platter. Three years is a long period. A lot can happen in that time. So, you must realise that, if you are not careful, Basil maama might come up with another gimmick – and the citizens of Paradise will be fooled yet again!

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: We saw just how sensitive Namal baby is this week. Like Nero who fiddled while Rome burnt, he was playing with water jets in the Maldives while his fellow citizens were in queues for gas and diesel. You haven’t planned any trips to Yala to relax and go looking for leopards, have you, Sajith?