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| Sunday, 25 April 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Sakala Banda - new saviour of Green Elephants Light Refractions by Lucien Rajakarunanayake Angry about their recent defeat to the Bulath Heppuva Kendra in a hung finish to the contest, there has been plenty of thrashing about in the Green Elephant Circle. Just like what's happening in Washington D. C. these days with the inquiry into the tragedy of 9/11, there is plenty of passing the elephant buck from one defeated jumbo to another for their rout. Much effort is underway to hide the obvious, that the buck stops with Ranil Ali Rajah and his favourite jumbos mostly in Blue & Gold, just as in Washington all efforts are made to hide the fact that the buck stops at George W. Bush and those who have his ear at the Oval Office. "Disce aut Discede" is the motto of the Blue & Gold place where Ranil Ali Rajah and his boyfriend cohorts had their training for life. However, they have now demonstrated they are neither able to learn nor willing to depart, when that is the need of the hour for the Green Elephants. The Green Circle that boasts so much of management expertise and organizational skills, made no efforts to get such professional views about their failure and chances for future success. Instead, even before doing a serious study to learn and understand why the people rejected them with such determination, it has been decided that the first need is to have a new national organizer for the Green Elephants and not a new leader. In a bid to take the heat off him for this most humiliating defeat, Ranil Ali Rajah has been quick to announce a new national organizer. Believe you me, the new National Organizer of the Green Elephant Circle will be none other than Sakala Banda (SB) Dahajarava, a comparative newcomer to the Green Elephant Circle, but with known capabilities for organizing of a certain kind, which is not the most peaceful and law abiding. It has come to a situation when even the Blue & Gold boys, who ruled the country with such boyish pleasure for two years, are compelled to get an alumnus from the Poramadulla Madhya Maha Vidyalaya, to be their National Organizer. It has mattered little that SB Dahajarava is at present in Australia, possibly being treated for feeling down under, at how the elephants fared after all his trumpeting about their certain victory, in 16 of the 17 districts outside the North & East, only to be left with three. What is worse is that this shame of a Dahajarava has been chosen to be national organizer at a time when he is ordered to show cause to the Supreme Court as to why he should not be dealt with for contempt of the highest seat of justice of the land. And this comes after he once apologized to the Supreme Court for the same offence, and promised it will not be repeated. It is obvious that the Ali Rajah, in his selection of the new National Organizer, did not care two elephant wind blasts from the rear, for those still in the Green Elephant Circle who still believe in respect for the Rule of Law and the Judiciary of the country. Many an elephant supporter is concerned that the new national organizer of the Green Elephants is one who has been admonished by a magistrate at his inability to properly raise his own two children. This man is chosen by the leader to organize the Green Elephant Circle so as to win back the hearts and minds of the people. If past form is any indication, although he was unable to tame his own children, it is most likely SB Dahajarava, as national organizer, will beat and drive the Green Elephants into following his own methods in winning future contests. What these methods include were seen in the Hanguranketha area during the recent contest, but was mercifully not seen in most other areas of the country, except of course the North & East, where the Tigers had their own and similar methods of organization. It's the perfect merge of Tiger and Elephant tactics. The new team Whatever the organizing capabilities of this Sakala Banda may be, he is sure to be in need of a team to carry out his work to change the image of the Green Elephants. I am told there are already willing volunteers to join his team and all of them tried and tested in much of his own style of getting things done. He is expected to select as deputy National Organizer, his long-jump colleague from Devundara, also a recent gate crasher into the Green Elephant herd. This is the dark elephant better known as Kaluvara Mahinda, who is known to have a special liking for ebony. What is more important is that he shares with Sakala Banda the distinction of also being reprimanded by the same magistrate for his inability to raise his son to be a good citizen and letting him on the loose with firearms, and armed guards to protect him. His methods of organization are very similar to that of Sakala Banda's and involves plenty of the rough and tumble. He has no time for those who disagree with him. Something very important in the behaviour of the Green Elephants, as Ranil Ali Rajah would have it. With Sakala Banda in charge and Kaluvara Mahinda as his chief lieutenant, there is bound to be the need for SB to have a Special Operations Unit, and the proper elephant to head it. This Special Ops Jumbo has already been identified as Aliranga Bandara from the jungles of Puttalam. A ready and willing violator of the law even as a former law officer, this is a green elephant that has a lot of bloodstains on its trunk. This is the very reason that Sakala Banda will be able to use him for the Special Operations of the Val Ali kind, whenever it becomes necessary, and if SB acts true to form there will be many such occasions. If as it is said the love of money is the root of all evil, it is also the very purpose of the existence of the Green Elephants today. With much of its coffers depleted in the recent contest, what with the Hora Maadhya Ali Rela of Ali Rajah's own Media Unit, carrying out questionable expenditure of over Rs. 900 million to sling mud at the Betel Leaf Lady, that only led to the Ali Rajah getting back to his favourite seat in the opposite side of the jungle, Sakala Banda's new organizational activities will need more funds. It is reported that Ravi Alikeliya a.k.a Horagajaraala from the jungles of Kotte has been identified for this job. Most private sector jumbos who contributed much openly for the contest and before are not willing to come forward so readily with funds after the recent defeat. This is where the special capabilities of Ravi Alikeliya will come in handy. He has the muscle and the promise to shake down hesitant donors, with promises of very big favours when Sakala Banda puts them back into power in the jungle with his organizing capabilities. He will not shy away from what are referred to by some as shady deals as he likes to deal in the shadows. With the betel guys already canceling many promising changes in ownership of state institutions, Ravi Alikeliya, can be depended upon, especially in the view of Ranil Ali Rajah, to persuade would-be donors that the time is not very far, when they begin all those deals again. He will give an assurance that once in the seats of power again, thanks to Sakala Banda, the calling of tenders will be made illegal, so there will no case of violating tender procedure. That is part of the new Green Elephant policy, endorsed by World Bank, IMF and Dick Cheney too. The one jumbo show Puran Appulaage Tyronne, the Moratu Aliya for many decades, has become a nuisance to these green elephants keen on reorganizing their circle, under the guidance of Sakala Banda. He has said that the presence of Sakala Banda in the Green Elephant ranks was a burden the other elephants could not carry. As he went public with his views, it is now expected that the unquestioned rule of Ranil Ali Rajah will prevail, and he will be expelled from the Green Circle. No effort will be made to make note of the telling criticism of the leadership he made, preferring to continue with the One Elephant Show that he complained about. Sacrificing such long time elephants, to retain the henduva or goad in the hands of the Ali Rajah, however wrong he may be, is nothing for the Green Elephants. Most of them believe in the Elephant Dung Doctrine of Junius Alivanchaava, who made a one jumbo show possible in the Green Elephant Circle and the country too. He was both uncle and political mentor of Ranil Ali Rajah. It is whispered that in a bid to silence any criticism of the leader, all future applicants to join the Green Elephant Circle will be asked to hand over undated letters of resignation, irrespective of whether they expect to be nominated for any elections to Parliament or even a Pradesheeya Sabha. The rule is to be extended to present members too, under the Sakala Banda revival scheme. The Green Elephants are not trumpeting, but tearing up the grass in desperation, about unfinished business after just two years in the make money seats, and even more about having to be organized as a herd by Sakala Banda Dahajarava and the Hanguranketha Doctrine for winning future contests. Ranil Ali Rajah is full of great expectations of retaining his place as leader, not realizing that Sakala Banda may be cutting the grass from under his feet. |
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