Galle Face protest and reality

by SENA THORADENIYA 

Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was rejected by even Colombian elites at the 2020 General Elections, who later entered the Parliament through the national list as UNP’s sole representative, was appointed as the new Prime Minister on May 11 by President Rajapaksa, after the resignation of MR who commanded 145 seats in the present Parliament.

When Sirisena in 2015 appointed Ranil who had nearly 30 odd seats in the Parliament as the Prime Minister, chasing away the incumbent Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne and his cabinet, MR’s followers who later formed the Joint Opposition (JO), precursor of Pohottuwa, cried foul.

Now the Pohottuwa MPs, who still represent the majority in the current Parliament, apparently keep mum about this appointment for some unknown reasons. They may have thought that Ranil was the most suitable person, rather than the three contenders—Nimal Siripala, Dullas, and Wijeyadasa.

Soon after being appointed as the new Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he was not going to dismantle Galle Face Gama (one wag has renamed it as “Mahakiligama”) at Galle Face Green, and his government was ready to provide any infrastructure facilities to the protesters. Already he has entrusted this work to a Sirikotha confidante, another defeated UNPer.  What is unfolding is vital for political analysts and observers that reenacting Subha, the palace guard’s conspiracy to dethrone Yasalalaka Tissa (52-60 A.D.) is in the offing.

The 21st Amendment to the Constitution is designed to give more power to Ranil, the Prime Minister. Will pohottu MPs who come from far away remote areas of the Island, allow GR to play the role of Sirisangabo? How can they watch the masquerades of the man who invented the tagline “Sir Fail!” and discredited GR calling him “Nandasena ”?  A massive banner displayed covering the entire front portion of Sirikotha, borrows two lines from a poem from ancient poetry book “Subhashithaya”: “Kalala gilunu matha varanidu goda ganutha-Thumula balethi gijindeku misa un kewatha”. (Only a King Elephant with extraordinary power can rescue a King Elephant drowned in a swampy marsh.) “Subhashithaya” does not tell us what happens to the two king elephants after the rescue operation! We may add that the rescuer had cut the two majestic tusks of the drowned king elephant!

How can Ranil oppose the Galle Face carnival, when his (former) Media Director has become an ardent supporter of Galle Face protesters, visiting Galle Face Green frequently? It should be remembered that this person represented Ranil at the LTTE’s “Pongu Thamil ” celebrations held in Vavuniya, when Ranil was the Prime Minister. This happened soon after the signing of the Norwegian crafted CFA. These celebrations were held continuously for sixteen hours commencing at 3.00 p.m. A massive boot symbolizing the Sri Lankan Army was set on fire by the mother of a dead Tiger combatant. (“Pongu Thamil ” celebrations held at Colombo New Town Hall in late October 2003, were attacked by supporters of a political party, which later joined the Sirisena-Ranil Yahapalana government. This writer was an observer from its beginning to end. His impressions were published in November 2003.) Ashu Marasinghe, ex-UNP MP has admitted that he was involved in Galle Face protests from its beginning. He had telephoned Minister Pathirana, informing the latter about the impending attacks on 9 May. So how can Ranil dismantle the Galle Face campsite when he and his followers support it?

Active participation of JVP and FSP cadres, UNP and SJB supporters has removed the so-called “non-partisan” garb of the protesters.  Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has stated that he too supports the protesters, although he is not physically present at the site. Can GR run the country with a set of people of this caliber?

The Galle Face protesters have rejected Ranil’s assistance. What assistance can they get from a cash strapped government, which scrapes the bottom of the barrel when there are MNCs and other corporate leaders to look into their comforts? (Although there is a talk that funding from the corporate sector is dwindling after Ranil’s “Sixth Coming”.)

Do the protesters have any criticism against Ranil which are legion, although they have re-named the entrance to the Temple Trees as “No Deal Gama?” (It should be “Deal Gama”, instead of “No Deal”. Some years ago, a Melbourne-based TV channel ran a popular programme called “No Deal”.)   The only disparaging comment on Ranil made by the protesters so far is “Banku Hora”, bank robber, the man who robbed the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. None of them are aware of Ranil’s anti-national, anti-social acts that he had committed from the day he entered the Parliament under JRJ in 1977. As the Minister of Education, Ranil presented a White Paper on educational reforms. When teachers and teacher-trainees protested against it, leaders of Maharagama Teacher Training College were forcibly taken to Sirikotha, and UNP thugs assaulted them with bicycle chains, mercilessly. Protesters in front of Malay Street (where the Ministry was located at that time) were baton charged and mounted police were set on them injuring hundreds of protesters. Present day Teachers’ Unions heads should study the history of teachers’ struggles in Sri Lanka, before embarking on a regime change project masterminded by their political masters. JVP rump of the 1980s may remember the Batalanda torture camp and the farcical Batalanda Commission of Inquiry appointed by CBK.

Raiding the Millennium City safe house of army long rangers at Athurugiriya, killing of nearly 40 intelligence officers by the LTTE because of their exposure as a result, charging against  the army commander and army intelligence chief and allowing Tigers to encircle the Trincomalee harbour during the “peace honeymoon”, (the list is too long) that brought his ouster by CBK, ably assisted by Kadirgamar – all took place during a previous tenure of Ranil. It is better not to deal with what the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) did during the “no peace – no war” period, and how the government attempted to downsize the armed forces, using a set of local NGO aristocrats funded by the Berghof Foundation. I am only recalling a few things which were discussed in detail earlier by many political commentators. Under Sirisena he co-sponsored a resolution in Geneva against his own country. Still Sri Lanka is entrapped in this, and we have to wait and see what he is going to do at the next Geneva Sessions.

Protesters who displayed laser projections demanding a “United Sri Lanka” on April 17, the demand of the Federalists, who sang the national anthem in Tamil, and those who commemorated the fall of Nandikadal on May 19, would be pleased if they knew Ranil’s deeds; and readily disband the “No Deal Gama”! An expert told the writer that for such a laser projection one needed nearly 20-25 projectors. Who provided these projectors to tech savvy protesters? Advertising firms? Media moguls? In Thailand it was only in 2020, 10 years after the crackdown of “Red Shirts”, that the remaining protesters were able to use laser projections onto the walls of Bangkok’s downtown buildings, displaying their message, “Searching for the Truth”. How advanced are our protesters?