Witch hunt or Witches’ brew?

‘Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble” (-the three witches in Macbeth)

JVP (Parliamentary front NPP) boss Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) has announced in Parliament that there is a witch hunt against ex-servicemen who ‘associate with his party’. (Island Nov. 26). He has agreed that servicemen should not be ‘involved in politics’ when ‘in active service’ but that ex-servicemen have the right to support any party of their choice.

The JVP loves to quote scripture. They are all pastors now, preaching democratic rights endlessly while confronting the government physically. They must believe it is their trump card, but they never chance their arm like the street fighting FSP. It is a bit tiring to the observers though. It had also practiced the art of infiltrating and suborning the forces from the 1970s.

It did not bother much about a lot of democratic slogans then preferring blood curdling posters. So, what makes Dissanayake pontificate in parliament now? Have his cohorts failed to infiltrate and suborn what they thought were easily hoodwinked soldiers?

Dissanayake is charmed beyond measure by having stuffed in his bag a former ‘Security Force Commander East’, albeit long after the conflict ended. Sadly, during this officer’s tenure suicide bombers wreaked havoc in the Protestant Zion church in Batticaloa on that tragic 2019 Easter Sunday (34 killed, 500 wounded) after two policemen were murdered earlier at a temporary guard post in Vavunativu. That blame was deceptively shoved onto an extinct LTTE. After retiring from the army, he joined Rakna Security Lanka for a while.

The JVP leader laments that the above officer, with his wife, had been being searched at the BIA for ‘narcotic drugs’. That was unfortunate, if it was a set up, as hinted. AKD states this is ‘illegal and unfair’. When did searching anyone for drugs become a crime? Is it unfair only because the suspect was a JVP member? He, using this extraneous example, questions whether ‘only those involved with the government can take to politics. What about others smuggling narcotics?

It may help Dissanayake to know who was the Deputy Commander of the SL troops in the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti in which about 114 SL troops including three officers were involved in the sex exploitation of hundreds of children? This was a depraved and a total collapse of command. No one in high command however was punished.

Dissanayake then fantasizes that ‘orders’ have been given by his bete noire, the Defence Secretary, to limit medical facilities given to ex-servicemen who are with the JVP. To this he adds that ‘There is a ban for these retired officers (only?) going into army camps. The first is a silly and perfidious lie. The second will be dealt with later.

If Dissanayake had bothered to cross check with the Army Hospital or any ex-serviceman, JVP/NPP or not, rather than his informant, (like when he mixed up graphite for graphene) he would have been made aware that no ex-serviceman who goes to an army hospital or any other military facility is ever asked by any doctor or any other official as to his political affiliations. Of course, there is nothing to prevent any JVP acolyte braying.

Serving and retired military remember the bestiality of the JVP in 1971 and then again in 1988-89 when SL was in the throes of the LTTE conflict and the Indian army had invaded. The JVP chose this moment of national peril to pit itself against the Government and the people. It destroyed state infrastructure worth many billions. Patients died in hospitals due to JVP enforced work stoppages.

The total death toll was 60,000 in just over one year or nearly 160 a day. Those killed by the JVP included university students, artistes, journalists, academics, film stars and even people who flew the national flag on Independence Day or kept their house lights on at night or watched TV et al. The notorious JVP bell would not have tolled for Vijaya Kumaratunga, Prof Stanley Wijesundera, Sagarika Gomes and Premakirthi Alwis.

Crocodile tears now for journalists they did/could not kill, is fathomless hypocrisy. Army hospitals however do have shortages of supplements but not of essential medicines. They certainly have no favourite patients. What prevents the rich JVP ex-service officers from making donations the hospitals without whining?

It appears that Dissanayake is under an extreme delusion that ex-servicemen can wander into army installations as and when they please. That is lunacy. This ‘requirement’ to enter secure facilities after retirement appears to fascinate and obsess only the JVP. No other party or individual has made similar requests or complaints for obvious reasons.

Once a soldier/officer is struck off strength, he has no business inside army facilities. He can enter only if invited by the Commanding Officer. Invitations are normally restricted to anniversaries, sports events etc. The armed sentry at the entrance to a camp behind closed gates or patrolling is not a robot. Even inside a camp there are places (and documents) that only people with the matching security credentials and not anyone or of any rank can access. Ex Servicemen are zeros.

Army camps are not like police stations into which anyone can walk in. In any case did Dissanayake bother to ask his informant the reason why he wished to enter a camp long after he had retired but shortly only after he joined the JVP? It appears that the informant made a proper silly person of Dissanayake. Ex servicemen who have legitimate business, like clearance, pension matters have no problem.

Dissanayake followed up with a litany of wrong doings committed by the police when dealing with ‘peaceful’ protests. Of course, what people see live and on TV is anything but peaceful. Since when did the JVP conduct ‘peaceful’ anything? One of them blew up a part of parliament in 1987.Apparently the Defence Secretary (again) interfered with arrested counter protestors at Narahenpitiya police. Is this the IGP’s province or the Speakers?

Defence State Minister P B Tennakoon has tried to educate the JVP leader. The state minister says he enters SLAF camps only after getting permission. Why has Dissanayake’s informant not followed that method? Are his intentions pure? Has he a guilty conscience?

The problem this particular informant has is not his desire to enter army camps or collect medicines but his role as a JVP cadre to politicize his regimental ex services association. He had become its President in 2022 before his political ambitions and stratagems were known. He had not even bothered to be an Exco member before.

His contribution so far, in an association that is in the throes of a financial scandal that he has studiously ignored, has been to visit JVP support districts ostensibly to recruit ex-servicemen, despite there being provincial branches of the Association. In the Association’s 25^th year he has created an ill-advised Officers Only website (comrades of the JVP take note). He, despite being a former Regimental Commander has used the Regimental name, logo and motto without authority for the portal. There has been no AGM in his first year (2022- 3) as he has not known when to have it (March). No annual or financial report exists.

This breakdown has split the membership. His much-proclaimed project with the help of a controversial brother ‘preacher’ to raise funds has foundered as no accounts are available four months after the event! Is it a wonder if he complains that he is persona non grata everywhere except in the JVP HQ where he was much impressed by the washroom (officers only?) facilities?

Has Dissanayake blundered yet again mistaking a deadly witches’ brew for a pathetic witch hunt. He should beware of Macbeth.

One who knows