5th Column

My dear Velupillai,

I am writing to you this week even though you are in the Land of Never Return, because your name is being mentioned frequently these days as your birthday is remembered. It is hard to imagine that it is 15 long years since you were gone – or that you would be 70 years had you been around now!

Isn’t it strange that only your birthday is being talked about this year? There was a time when Mahinda maama’s birthday in November was celebrated with much fanfare. No one talks about it now. Anura sahodaraya’s birthday is also in November, but he doesn’t want to talk about it, anyway!

You would have realised that you are not among those fondly remembered by a majority in Paradise. What you may not know is that there are still quite a few people who bring your name into the limelight every now and then, when it suits them. We saw that happen last week.

Suddenly, there are various warnings about the potential threat to our national security and the possibility of the ‘Tiger’ waking up again. There also seems to be something in common among those making these statements. They have all become politically destitute and are fighting for survival.

Last week, we saw one of them emerge from hiding after a long silence. Wimal of ‘panchayudha’ fame was not seen or heard for months. He didn’t contest the last election. He knew what was in store for him. Unlike his thicker-skinned buddy Udaya, the prospect of defeat was too humiliating for him.

Seeing your birthday remembered in the North, Wimal says the race and nation (‘rata, jaathiya’) is in danger again. Some photos he and others refer to were from past events, it has been shown. Wimal also diabolically falsely accuses Dr Shafie again, even though he was acquitted by court recently.

We feel sorry for Wimal. 20 years ago, Wimal was the rathu sahodarayas superstar. Anura was just one of them. If Wimal remained in that camp instead of being greedy for quick riches, he may be where Anura sahodaraya is now. Isn’t it said there is nothing so sad as ‘what might have been’!

Namal baby too spoke out recently. He was silent for some time about ‘saving the nation’. In fact, we agree it was his father and his uncle who saved the nation from you. They deserve all the credit they can get for that. We fully repaid that debt, giving each of them a turn to govern us after the war ended.

Suddenly, Namal baby is getting all worked up about the re-opening of a road and the handing over of a property in the North where an Army camp was located, to their former owners. He too is issuing grim warnings about national security and reminding us about the ‘30 war against terrorism’.

I thought Namal baby learnt the lesson he was taught by voters at the last two elections. His party went down from the infamous ‘69 lakhs’ five years ago to just three per cent. He himself got on the National List and burrowed his way to Parliament because he was not man enough to face the people.

All this was because the people remembered the brand of politics he represented which not only included a corrupt system but also promoted the supremacy of one race over others. He should know, after seeing the election results, that this is a slogan that doesn’t attract voters anymore.

When he suddenly pipes up about national security, it tells us he and his party want to incite people on racial lines again. Just when I was wondering whether Namal baby would make a better Leader of the Opposition, he has proved not. Sajith, for all his faults, doesn’t play the communal card.

It is not only in the South that people try to revive your ghost, Velupillai. When the new Parliament opened the other day, we had a young doctor trying his best to create a spectacle, sitting in the Leader of the Opposition’s chair in the chamber and refusing to budge. He is one of your fans, apparently.

Watching the way he was behaving, as if he didn’t understand simple instructions, some questioned whether he is of sound mind. The penny dropped when he said later that you, Velupillai, are his ‘God’. Unfortunately, many are those who were quick to pounce on those words, repeating the ‘Tiger’ cry.

This, I suspect, is precisely what he wanted. He had the ‘usual suspects’ rushing to the CID to complain against him. A particular section of the saffron robed community called for his head. Now, far from being just another backbench MP, the entire country knows who he is. Clever, isn’t he?

Velupillai, I can’t see any difference between Namal baby, Wimal (and his side-kicks in the ‘Delete’ party) and the young doctor who called you ‘God’. They are all in the same business, invoking your name to create divisions among communities so they can get into Parliament and power.

You and the ‘rathu sahodarayas’ staged insurrections at the same time. You didn’t want to change your outfit to a political force. They changed, you didn’t. Now, they are in charge of the nation. You are in the Land of Never Return. The parties which should represent your community are in disarray.

The lesson in this is that our leaders must realise what the people want and change. If not, they will be rejected by the people. Those such as Wimal, his ‘Delete’ clan, young Namal and that doctor chap don’t realise this. History will repeat itself. In time, they will be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: Did you once say we in Paradise have short memories? Other than your birthday, last week was all about the ‘treasure’ at Veyangoda and the ABBA concert, but now it is about ‘42 all out’ in South Africa. Someone might now say Anura sahodaraya ordered that, so other issues will be forgotten!