Sri Lankans, Countrymen and Countrywomen: Be patient till the end.
Hear me for my cause, and be open to what you may hear. Please censure my thoughts in your wisdom and awaken your senses so that you may be the better judge. – Sounds eerily like Brutus’ speech to the Romans. We are currently in a similar predicament in Sri Lanka. A leader like Caesar, who brought fame and fortune to his people and enriched and empowered many, is being labeled a traitor and shunned by his own. As it was in Rome 44BC, Mr. Rajapaksa is betrayed by his ministers, beneficiaries, and citizens.
No leader or human being is without fault, and I am sure the President has many faults, but the brutal civil war would not have ended if not for him. There is always the victor in victory, and there is the vanquished. The Sinhalese people believed they were the victors and many Tamils believed they were the defeated. But if one takes a moment to analyze the outcome with an open mind, the citizens of Sri Lanka were the victors. Why, may one ask?
The war was fought among Sinhalese and Tamil youth, mostly from poor rural families. These youth lost their lives, but their families not only lost their loved ones but their livelihoods as well. Many Sinhala youths joined the armed forces to feed their families, and many LTTE cadres were forcibly conscripted.
The brutal ending to the war resulted in many innocent Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims losing their lives.
But since the war ended for the past 13 years, how many youths have perished in an untimely manner? How many new Sinhala and Tamil mothers are weeping, looking for their loved ones? Now people have hope in the North and East and have access to education, commerce, freedom of movement, entertainment, and leisure they can breathe again. There is no animosity between Eastern and Northern Tamils that the LTTE instigated.
Of course, many of the LTTE diaspora are happy; they were able to swindle the funds they had gathered for so-called freedom. Where is that money now? How come the Tamils who contributed to these funds and live in so-called democratic countries in the West are not protesting? Even now, the LTTE diaspora that will never return to Sri Lanka is still trying to rekindle insurgency to have some prominence in their society and create new avenues to gather funds.
All citizens of Sri Lanka are now free from the year from bombs blasts, suicide bombings, and other carnage. Under the leadership of the Rajapaksas, Sri Lanka has created highways, free trade zones, electronic commerce, viable harbors, and airports that are necessary infrastructure developments to attract foreign investors.
In combination with the high literacy rate due to the government sponsored education system and the English medium option, Sri Lanka has become a global player in the service sector industry like Information Technology. Furthermore, under Mr. Rajapaksa’s leadership, the government has allocated over 85 billion rupees to create 100,000 new jobs in 2022.
Under the current leadership, Sri Lanka has continued to evolve as a secular republic. Some may argue otherwise, but Muslim and Tamil ministers have prominent ministerial portfolios in the cabinet if one pays close attention to details. Christian ministers from Sinhala and Tamil ethnic backgrounds are assigned to powerful ministries. Clergy from various faiths have been allowed to criticize the leadership of this country without any harm befalling them. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has been a strong vocal critic of the leadership of Mr. Rajapaksa, and no harm has fallen on him. Members of the Islamic faith have peacefully conducted protests without fear of reprisal. Even the Bora Conference was held in Sri Lanka. Under the Rajapaksa’s leadership, the Islamic radicalization by foreign entities has been very minimal.
All the so-called patriotic protestors are causing undue turbulence and agitation in the peaceful isle without any action plan. Who will lead this beautiful nation if the current government vacates,
The UNP – There is still infighting among its leadership, Mr. Wickremesinghe and Mr. Premadasa. Furthermore, they had a chance in recent years to govern but were voted out by 6.9 million popular votes.
JVP – Truly a hard left party and without stable leadership. It still has a militant element and will not be recognized by the other nations.
Army – The Armed forces are entirely faithful to the Rajapaksas. Furthermore, a Military Junta rule will be disastrous for the nation. No military government has successfully governed a nation with success.
India’s and China’s proxy – If the current government is toppled, Sri Lanka will become another Myanmar or Nepal under the complete influence of one of these regional superpowers. The Sinhalese may think China will be more partial to them, and Tamils may think the same of India. Neither of the nations has an affinity towards either one but only care about geopolitics.
Sri Lankan Diaspora in the West: The people protesting in the West are well settled in their chosen lands or those who will utilize this opportunity to seek asylum in foreign countries. They are patriots when the weather suits them, or they are on television, or they need to seek asylum, etc. How many of these patriots came back from their comfortable lifestyles to preserve the unity of Mother Lanka? Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa did and nearly lost his life in the process.
Our Cricketers: Really?
Only Mr. Rajapaksa can deal with the extreme elements within the country and keep the country united. On the global platform, Mr. Rajapaksa is still recognized as the democratically elected leader of Sri Lanka. Only he can work with China and India without being held hostage or ransoming the country. His global experience will enable Sri Lanka to evolve technologically and prosper in free commerce. The current situation in Sri Lanka may seem disastrous for some, but things are looking better. IMF recognizes the current government, the UN recognizes the current government, and all correctly view the current leadership as the popularly elected democratic government of Sri Lanka. IMF, UN, World Bank, Commonwealth, and the patriotic diaspora will help rebuild this beautiful nation under the President.
Not one nation from the so-called Arab Spring prospered. All were torn apart by civil wars, poverty, and lack of leadership. Let us not have the same aftermath of Julius Caesar’s demise- the so-called Liberator’s Civil War and the fall of the Republic.
Let that not happen to our beloved land. Love, hope, pray and join hands to rebuild our nation.
Author,
Nomad.