Golden opportunity to express gratitude - Jackson Anthony

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

Veteran Actor Jackson Anthony describes forthcoming Presidential Election as a historic election and its outcome would clearly show the gratitude extended by citizens to the President. The veteran dramatist and film producer in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer said he was fully confident the people would give the President an unprecedented mandate on January 26.

Q: As a veteran actor this is the first time you have climbed on to the political stage. Why did you decide to extend your support to the President at the forthcoming Presidential Election?

A: The decision taken by me is significant as this is the first time my voice is heard from a political stage. But my social dialogue conducted through the media is not a new experience to the people. I have been engaged in this social dialogue over the past three decades. Therefore I am a cultural spokesman and not a political spokesman. In future also I will function as a cultural spokesman. The entire country is deeply shocked over the cultural tragedy that had taken place over the past several years.

Sri Lanka possesses a longstanding cultural history. In 1977 our culture was subjected to a massive change and turned into a westernised culture which did not suit us.

This country can only be saved from this cultural erosion by a dynamic political leadership. We have only a political solution to this cultural crisis. But it should be based on an indigenous political agenda. We did not see such national indigenous political agenda over the past so many years.

A cultural spokesman like me did not have an opportunity to express my views. We did not have the opportunity to appear for the country's leadership. We were always subjected to criticism and disappointments.

Even during the 2004 General Election, I did not come forward as I did not have confidence in any political leadership.

But we could clearly see the transparency of the political agenda implemented from 2005 to 2009. People could see a political leadership with an indigenous agenda has been created to safeguard our indigenous culture.

As this great political leadership selected his own indigenous political agenda, he could prevent the greatest political catastrophe that could have taken place in our country.

This is one of the greatest victories. The President loves this country's culture and safeguards it. Therefore I decided to extend my support to President.

Q: During the previous elections, artistes were divided into several camps and extended their support to various political parties. This time all the artistes have rallied round a single camp, extending their support to the President. What is the reason for this?

A: Artistes have a right to stand on various agendas. That is a democratic right of artistes. Earlier artistes were divided into several camps owing to double standard policies maintained in our politics.

The artistes cannot represent two camps when it was clearly proved during the past four years that present political agenda is the only solution to prevent cultural deterioration.

Therefore all artistes have been rallied round one camp. This is the camp of the artistes. All the artistes have selected the President as the only Leader who has the ability to create an environment conducive to artistes to promote their creations and improve their creative talents. This is not a petty political division. This is a very scientific cultural process.

Q: The Opposition claims the artistes have decided to extend their support to President for personnel gain. Did artistes reach this stand due to their satisfaction with the Government or to gain personnel benefits?

A: These allegations are not made by the artistes in the Opposition. There are no artistes in the Opposition side. If any artistes in the Opposition make these complaints, we can make them understand the reality or respond to them. It is not suitable for the artistes to respond or intervene to these political mud slinging acts of the Opposition.

The demeaning statement by the Opposition that the artistes have entered politics for their welfare is not applicable to an artiste. An artist works for the welfare of society and not for his personal welfare.

There is some social reality which can be understood by an artiste. During the past few years, there was no political ability to be committed to any aesthetic activity.Musical shows were also suspended. The entire country experienced war fear. We could not engage in any art or cultural activity.

The political leadership did not have a time to think of artistes over the past four years due to ruthless terrorism. The attempts made by the President to end this catastrophe is a great victory achieved by artistes.

This has created the environment for the artistes to engage in their activities freely. This time artistes decided to extend their support to the President as he created a country free from war and achieved sustainable peace. Artistes are ready to submit their proposals and win their demands to build up their aesthetic world. Earlier no such opportunity was created for artistes to submit their proposals. Artistes have a fullest confidence that if they safeguard the present leadership they can realise their dreams.

Q: Certain sections of society criticise the artistes entering the political platform. Your comments?

A: Artistes have their own work in their artistic field. They don't have time to engage in party politics. The artistes have joined hands not to gain narrow political objectives. If the country has reached the door step of creating a better society for the citizens, it is the responsibility of artistes to extend their support to take this society forward.

Therefore the entry of artistes to politics cannot be explained on personal grounds. It should be described from a sociological aspect. Artistes have to fulfil a great social task. They don't have time to respond to these baseless allegations. All the artistes have rallied round to fulfil that task for the benefit of the society.

Q: Compared with former Governments, can you be satisfied with the measures taken by the present Government for the welfare of the artistes?

A: Except this Government, we cannot see any Government which focused its attention on the art field even when the war was going on. This Government has studied the cultural sector.

A performing arts centre and a telecity are under construction. It is difficult to believe that these mega development projects were commenced during a war. I also expressed my views on the great threat faced by our local teledrama industry and culture due to the telecast of Indian teledramas. In addition to the severe hardships faced by our local teledrama producers, our indigenous culture was severely affected due to the telecast of Indian Soap Operas in Sri Lanka.

Even amidst ongoing war situation, this Government could provide some sort of involvement through the imposition of a tax to arrest this trend.

This Government took measures to develop infrastructure facilities in the field of art. Initiatives were taken to commence the construction of a new tele village, tele studios and audiovisual studios utilising the income gained from the tax imposed on the imported foreign teledramas.

High quality artistic creations were produced in Sri Lanka even during the war. A Government which was dedicated to promote the art field even during the war has the ability to promote the art sector after the war very well.

Q: During this Presidential Election campaign artistes urge the people to cast their vote for the Sensitive Leader. Why are the artists making such a request from the people?

A: This is not an artificial sensitivity. All these artistes are talking about a social sensitivity. What is this social sensitivity? Our country which has a long history was going to be changed by a historic disaster. However, President Mahinda Rajapaksa could rescue the country from this great tragedy.

Therefore we are urging the people to be sensitive to a doctrine of a leader who categorically emphasised the motherland as his first, second and third priority.

This land is the motherland of all the communities living here. We request the people to be sensitive to the social thoughts of a leader who worshipped his motherland first, second and third. We only ask the people to be sensitive to the social role played by this great Leader and extend their gratitude.

If a question is asked after 50 years, who is Mahinda Rajapaksa, we should try to give that answer today itself without waiting for 50 years. After 50 years, our children will write examinations describing Mahinda Rajapaksa as a patriotic leader who could prevent a massive political and geographical change.

If the Sri Lankan map was divided into two parts, the entire world history would have been changed. During the past few years, our map was contained in two colours-green and red. The red part was the so called Eelam map. The President could prevent a historic catastrophe which would have led to change the entire world map as well.

We appeal to the public to extend their gratitude to this social sensitivity of President who could safeguard the aspirations of our country. Artistes have a social sense on the future direction of the country. We are asking to be sensitive on this sense.

Q: As a veteran artiste why do you think President Mahinda Rajapaksa should be re-elected as the country's President?

A: If I talk as a citizen, the President is the only leader who could create an environment for all the citizens to live freely. During the period of brutal terrorism, people were requested to be alert.

Those days people were compelled to suspect even their neighbours. As a citizen of this country, I should extend my gratitude to the President who rescue me from the fear of death. Certain opportunistic political elements are attempting to create a political catastrophe paving the way to originate another Eelam war here. The Eelam war was successfully ended by the Government. We should extend our gratitude to a political leadership who rescue the entire nation from the fear of death.

The January 26 Presidential Election can be described as a historic election. During this election we extend our gratitude. The outcome of this election is the percentage of the gratitude extended by the country's citizens to the President. This would reveal what percentage of the people know how to extend their gratitude and also identify ungrateful people in this country. This report on gratitude can be seen as an election result on January 27.

We have found a historic leadership. We didn't find such a leader in our recent times. He is a people oriented leader. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a leader produced by our own culture and acts entirely based on a Sri Lankan agenda and Sri Lankan ideology.

This was the leadership expected by the country's people for a long time. When this kind of historic leadership is created, it is very natural for all the sensitive artistes are rallied round that leadership.

Q: Safeguarding the Motherland has become the main theme of countrywide meetings conducted by artistes extending their support to the President. Why did the artistes decide to educate the public on this theme?

A: Today peace has dawned on our motherland. Time has come to promote the concept of love and safeguard the motherland. Today the motherland has become the common objective.

Our children speak about their motherland and wear our national dress by waving our National Flag. If the artistes are sensitive, they should be committed to safeguard the motherland like the President safeguards it.

Q: What is your message to the voters at the forthcoming Presidential Election?

A: The Present President also found an indigenous chinthanaya. Our Constitution was torn by the British rulers at "Magul Maduwa", Kandy in 1815. But we find a leader who retrieved this constitution thrown away by the British rulers.

As a result, we could free the country from the ruthless guerilla terrorism astonishing the international community. The President used our national identity to win the war.Therefore this is our own victory. The international community is looking at us, people should extend their gratitude to the President. The neutral citizens in this country should be determined to extend the result of gratitude to a high percentage.

I am fully confident the people would bring this percentage to an unprecedented level by astonishing the West again.