Born again to the Mahinda Chinthana

All it takes for to get the water gushing in is to open the sluice gate.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa made full use of the symbolism of a reservoir and gushing waters at Moragahakanda last Thursday, to open what could be a political floodgate. What better place to do this than at the foundation stone laying ceremony for one of the largest reservoirs of the country?

In measured words he said: "Our government is a people's government. The door is open to anyone who loves the country to join the government."

Moragahakanda is about damming the Kalu Ganga at Laggala to build a new reservoir in this land of reservoirs. It is all about water in the service of the country. So with one sentence he has opened the flood gate to enable those who have so far been dammed in by the barriers of the UNP to come over to his side of the divide. Mind you it's all for the love of the country. Of course, it is.

Welcome mode

The speculation is largely over. The President is in welcome mode. There are many outside who are in receptive mode. The magic words have been said and the floodwaters from "jumbodeepa" or elephant country can begin to flow to Mahindadeepa.

The only guess now is about the most propitious time for the flow to begin. We are more used to calling this the auspicious time, as it has much to do with the planets and astrologers.

Even before the President made his announcement at Moragahakanda, it was not difficult to guess that all efforts to stem this flow from the green side to the blue had failed, with the Green leader, who is considered the elephant keeper, Ranil Alirajah, deciding to holiday in South Asia. It is difficult to think of a better way to sulk and suck one's fingers in the face of a total erosion of his ranks, than fleeing from the place where all this happens and sojourn in less turbulent climes outside.

Those who join the government for the love of king and country as it were will also have to observe one rule. The President laid down the caveat. Those who join the government, even for love of country, must respect the Mahinda Chinthana, he said; because that was the expectation of the people and also the mandate he received.

Favourite astrologer

It appears that the advice from one's favourite astrologer whether in Sri Lanka or in India wont be enough for the greens, and possibly others too who will be washed across by this political flood tide. They will have to do some homework studying the Mahinda Chinthana . The President has not said whether they will have to sit and qualify in an aptitude test on knowledge of the Mahinda Chinthana before being granted full citizenship in the new political terrain, as is now becoming the fad for citizenship in the UK, USA and Australia in their renewed racism.

The newcomers are welcome to nourish the Mahinda Chinthana, but not to weaken it, the President warned. No sooner the President's speech at Moragahakanda was heard, there were many calls made to people in government asking for copies of the Mahinda Chinthana. The calls came from the already well publicized leaping jumbos, as well as those who kept their thinking closer to their chests.

It's time for some enterprising guy to start a tuition class on the Mahinda Chinthana . All that is needed are some posters defacing city walls and handbills distributed with newspapers announcing that "Chinthana Sir", the expert on the Mahinda Chinthana , will hold classes on how best to get on with loving the country. There can also be counsellors on the how best to follow the ruling Chinthana , and nurture it, somewhat like marriage counsellors.

Pleasure of politics

This will be important for newcomers into the ranks of government, especially after the President's admonition that anyone who joins it can nourish the Mahinda Chinthana, but should not weaken it. Eating one's words is part of the pleasure of politics, especially in great democracies such as in Sri Lanka. There will be many who will take delight in partaking of this dish of one's own words uttered not so long ago, condemning and scoffing at the Mahinda Chinthana. There will be plenty of political regurgitation in the coming weeks, and even sack cloth and ashes, as politicians compete with each other to recant their earlier derisive comments on the Mahinda Chinthana, and go public on their present conversion to that thinking.

These are the born again politicians of our time. They will publicly trample all the old political beliefs they had, always very lightly held, and declare their full conversion to the Mahinda Chinthana. It took a longer time for them to be converted to the new thinking than others. But conversion it is. The Good Book for them is the Mahinda Chinthana. They have seen the light and the light shall show them the way. Their baptism of fire is the oath taking ceremony before the President. The signs are the flood waters will keep flowing for some time. There will be great demand for the Mahinda Chinthana, which is bound to be the best seller these days.

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