Sunday Observer
Seylan Merchant Bank
Sunday, 17 July 2005    
The widest coverage in Sri Lanka.
Features
News

Business

Features

Editorial

Security

Politics

World

Letters

Sports

Obituaries

Oomph! - Sunday Observer Magazine

Junior Observer



Archives

Mihintalava - The Birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhist Civilization

Silumina  on-line Edition

Government - Gazette

Daily News

Budusarana On-line Edition
 


'Bala, Jana Mulaava' - The great deceit of the masses

Light Refractions by Lucien Rajakarunanayake

The presidential aspirations of Ranil Wickremesinghe are of such magnitude that a whole mass of humanity was needed to prop up his image as the emerging national leader.

The so-called 'Jana Bala Meheyuma' or Operation People Power of the UNP began as a massive deception of the people as to the true aims of this jumbo exercise, from the time the first steps of the trek to Colombo began at Devundara, nearly two weeks ago.

The complaints of the participants were many and varied. At the start they said that "Not a single house had been built for tsunami victims in the past six months". This was followed by wails that not a cent of aid had been given to the affected people. Ranil himself said that government ministers had or were busy pocketing all the aid funds that had come in.

As the bandwagon moved on those in the tsunami-affected areas became aware of the hoax that was being played on the people. A large number of those affected had already moved into temporary homes, and some had already moved into permanent shelter.

Those affected were well aware of the Rs. 5,000 per family and other cash relief that they continue to receive. Many showed the passbook they held as proof of having received cash relief, to UNP recruiters who asked them to join the throng.

Undaunted by this reaction of the majority of those actually affected by the tsunami, the UNP was more than happy to go on their 'bajaw' bandwagon along the south coast, with more and more people who had not suffered any loss at all from the tsunami joining in. From the time the green hordes reached Kalutara, the tsunami relief slogan was dropped.

It was a tidal wave of change in strategy. It was as if the UNP had never been aware of the tsunami and its aftermath. The tragedy of the tsunami was soon replaced by the aspirations of Ranil. Suddenly the loud and raucous promises of giving houses to all the tsunami affected within 90 days of Ranil being elected President, as well as the promise to give boats to all affected fishermen during the same period were all forgotten.

The 'Jana Bala Meheyuma' was not meant to give promises to the people. It was meant to ensure that Ranil will be elected the next president of Sri Lanka. Never in the history of electoral politics in Sri Lanka, have so many people been fooled by just one man, for his own personal gain and glory.

The UNP's slavish media were right on track. When there was only a trickle of people in the walk there was a TV station on hand to put on a musical show and gather a crowd to be telecast later as participants in the Jana Bala Meheyuma - to ensure the election of Ranil and Herr President. Many of them would have preferred if the UNP's media manipulators had presented Ranil as "Der Fuhrer" to come, escorted by goose-stepping green shirts of the JSS.

As each day and each town passed, the tsunami went further away from the sights and minds of the organisers and the participants, who had never seen anything of the tsunami except on TV screens.

"Ranil as next President" emerged loud and clear. The people shouting it, posters hailing the emerging leader and banners about this new saviour of the people, were not from any tsunami affected areas. They came in buses from inland, on the final day some from as far away from the tsunami as Kekirawa.

On the final day when Colombo was in gridlock, with the hundreds or even thousands of buses that brought people to the city for this great show of strength, of the leader in waiting. They had come, or been brought with various inducements in cash, kind and spirits, to hail the new leader.

All this for the world's number one loser in electoral politics, suddenly placed at the head of a movement that believes so much in the supremacy of the people. He believes that a huge gathering of heads is all that is needed to change the electoral laws of the country. Hail Ranil, the green shirted revolutionary, who will be at the barriers, leading the onslaught of the people to force a presidential election this year.

Somewhat poignantly in the midst of this Ranil 'Hurrah' display there were one or two floats showing S. B. Dissanayake, with his manacled hands raised, pleading for pardon. But S. B. was not important anymore.

The people could be brought down without him. His days of people power seemed to be over. Gamini Loku Aligedera was getting his legs massaged at a five-star massage parlour chatting to John Valalitunga, about the success of the UNP's show of people power.

"From the beginning we had no qualms about shamelessly exploiting the tsunami situation. We were not bothered about the truth. All we needed were slogans and we made them up in plenty."

The massage parlours in five star hotels and other places had a huge clientele to cope with as the Ranil's great walk to power approached Colombo.

The masseurs and masseuse were kept busy with a constant flow of people needing help to get over the aches and pains of a little walking.

Sports goods shops that sell Nike, Puma, Reebok and other designer brands of footwear also had a rush for their products to be used by those in the lead.

Women's hairdressers had a roaring business, and some even refused business for bridal coiffures, to cope with demands by leaders of the Green Women's Brigade for the best hairdos to match the styles of the special clothes they had bought for the walk. Even the sellers of women's umbrellas noted a marked increase in sales, after the photographs of Maithri Wickremesinghe shading herself from the harsh effects of the tropical sun on her skin, in the effort to make her husband scale the electoral hurdles to power.

Liquor shops, from distant towns where people were bused for the final lap, and all along the route of the this walk of deceit had roaring business, with the green gangs needing more of the spirits to keep their own spirits high, because they could not get any kick from the idea of Ranil being the next president, especially when even Ranil did not know when the next presidential poll will be held.

And so the grand show ended, with warnings similar to the storming of the Bastille coming from Ranil, surrounded by those happily eating cake and savouries, while others held up posters about bread being beyond their reach.

The organisers of all this must be happy at their success in massive political deceit. Yet, the verdict will come from the people, and the other side had better tell the country very soon who will challenge this Fuhrer in the making.

ANCL TENDER- Platesetter

www.hemastravels.com

www.singersl.com

http://www.mrrr.lk/(Ministry of Relief Rehabilitation & Reconciliation)

www.Pathmaconstruction.com

www.peaceinsrilanka.org

www.helpheroes.lk


| News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security |
| Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries | Junior Observer |


Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager


Hosted by Lanka Com Services