5th Column

My Dear Field Marshal,

I wanted to write to you because you are still making headlines, some 15 years after the end of the war. Some would say it is for all the wrong reasons. This time, the man who fought with and defeated Velu is fighting with Sajith, the leader of his own party, leaving everyone confused.

You have gone to courts against Sajith, preventing him from removing you from the positions you hold in the ‘telephone’ party. That includes being its chairman. We also have to listen to a war of words between the two of you. This tells us the ‘telephone’ is so disconnected from the public now.  

The ‘telephone’ party is also falling apart like the other major parties in Paradise. In the Blue party,  Aiyo Sirisena and his onetime secretary Dayasiri are fighting it out in courts. Then, it is similar to the ‘pohottuwa’ too because its chairman GL was also stripped of his post rather unceremoniously.

Don’t get me wrong, Field Marshal. We admire you for the way you fought the war with Velu, promising that you will not leave it to another Army Commander and then keeping that promise. That too, after being nearly killed by one of Velu’s suicide bombers and taking many months to recover.

That is why the ‘R’ clan called you ‘the best army commander in the world’. Of course, that respect lasted only until you decided to contest against Mahinda maama for the top job. That was a crime for which you were punished by stripping you of your rank, stopping your pension and sending you to prison.

You should have learnt your lesson then, Field Marshal – that politics was a much dirtier battle than the battles that you had to fight in the military. It should have also taught you that, while you might still have been the best Army Commander in the world, you weren’t the smartest politician around.

You have been in politics for some time now. In that period, you have been in many political parties. You first entered Parliament in an alliance with the ‘rathu sahodaraya’s. Then you joined Maithri and the Greens. When the ‘yahapalanaya’ mess ended you left with Sajith’s ‘telephone’ party.

What strikes me about your political journey is that you have made many enemies. The ‘rathu sahodaraya’s dislike you. Aiyo Sirisena who elevated you to Field Marshal hates you and calls you names. Now you are openly fighting with Sajith to the point where a parting of ways is inevitable.

Sajith’s decision to recruit Daya angered you – and rightly so. Daya was the ‘Evidence Gathering Officer’ at your court martial, for which he was later rewarded with your job. Few recall that among your lawyers at the court martial was Justice Wijey, the same chap who now calls you ‘vel vidaaney’!

Sajith was insensitive to do that. He should have the courtesy to discuss it with you. That is what smart, decent people do. Unless of course, he wanted to get rid of you and saw this as an opportunity, knowing you will react in the way that you did. Others say he is sacking the ‘wrong’ Fonseka!

So, when you spoke out against Sajith, it was no surprise. You spoke like a general in an officers’ mess but in a political party, it sounded like a bull in a China shop, washing your dirty linen in public.  After Gota maama, we are being reminded again that having military men as our leaders is not great.

Then there are rumours that though the ‘rathu sahodaraya’s won’t have you back, Uncle Ranil might have an open mind because he needs all the help he can get. Still, knowing him, he may keep you in the ‘telephone’ camp for as long as possible because you can cause more damage to them that way.

Is that why you are still meeting with Senaka and his ‘better’ half Diana, Field Marshal? Senaka may be your aide-de-camp and your loyal servant. As a minister, Diana may provide ready access to Uncle Ranil. Yet, your ongoing links with them will upset Sajith as much as his links with Daya upset you.

This tells us that, although the ‘telephone party’ is known as the ‘Samagi Jana Balavegaya’, there is certainly no ‘samagiya’ or unity, the ‘jana’ or people are deserting it and it is not a ‘balavegaya’ or a force to reckon with anymore. Unfortunately, that is the sad state of our main opposition party.

Watching the party that was formed to destroy the Green party self-destruct, Uncle Ranil must be laughing all the way to the next election. He must be telling himself that while war is too serious a matter to be left to generals alone, politics is too serious a matter to be left to Field Marshals alone!

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: Namal baby, after hearing of your plight, says you will be welcome in the ‘pohottuwa’ camp. Whatever you do, we hope you don’t accept that invitation. You won the Eelam war. That is your legacy. You don’t want to destroy your legacy like Mahinda maama has done, do you, Field Marshal?