Understanding Ven. Upali Thero and Minister Wijayakala

• The act of blaming the bearer of bad news or getting rid of the courier may be a strategic move
• She thrashed President Sirisena for not helping to solve the problem faced by the Tamils of the North
• Men and women who ruled this country over the last 70 years and still continue to do so by arousing ethnic hatred are responsible
• She could have done it diplomatically for once if she was educated; stress, tension and emotions are not an excuse

In the South they want a Hitler and Notherners want LTTE back! If this goes like this both will surely get leaders they deserve. The truth is that a large majority does not want Hitlers or Prabhakarans back. Both Ven. Upali Thero and Minister Wijeyakala have conveyed a message; an invaluable one homogenious with people’s notification to ‘yahapalanaya’ made on February 10. It is a figure of speech, a metaphor, that openly refers to one thing by revealing another for rhetorical outcome.

Sophocles says in Antigone;”No one loves the messenger who brings bad news” 

As reported a week ago, at Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s residence the Anunayaka Thero of the Asgiri Chapter, Venerable Wedaruwe Upali Thera addressing Gota has said, “Some people have described you as a Hitler,” he had said before adding: “Be a Hitler. Go with the military and take the leadership of this country,” a ‘sermon’ that has been described as ‘most treacherous and a morally deteriorating public statement.’ The messengers know that a vast section of people feel that the government is fragile and indecisive; uncertain of its future.   

 The act of blaming the bearer of bad news or getting rid of the courier may be a strategic move. As reported in the Daily Mirror the lady member Maheswaran has said, ‘It is seen that there is a huge need of reorganization of the LTTE in the North and East”, State Minister of Child Affairs claimed today addressing the ‘Janapathi Nila Mehewara.’   

 She has flayed the government heads at the occasion held at the Weerasingham Hall in Jaffna in the presence of two cabinet ministers. “A lot of Northern women face grave difficulties now. A six-year-old girl was killed recently in Jaffna. If the LTTE had been around still with us this would not have happened,” she said. Metaphor know how to serve as a tool for convincing a gathering with the speaker’s point of view or opinion, the so-called symbolic metaphor. 

 
Wijayakala, the widow of slain Thiyagarajah Maheswaran MP, former Hindu Affairs Minister, emphasised on the need for restructuring of the LTTE -’Our main intention is to bring back the LTTE if we want to live, if we want to walk freely, if we need our children to attend schools...’   

She thrashed President Sirisena for not helping to solve the problem faced by the Tamils of the North. “He is only concerned about strengthening his party. He doesn’t try to solve the issues of the Northerners. He has failed to save the Tamil people,” the State Minister has said.   

However, Wijeyakala has brought temporary relief to perpetrators of New York Times reported, Chinese company’s contribution of US$ 7.6 mn to the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidential election campaign and the bond scams probe findings on Aloysius’ Mendis arrack-cheques to undisclosed 118 as per alleged missing Anexture-2; and all the evils of bribery and corruption old and new.

 The recent reports relating to traces of LTTE reorganizing that are heard regularly, is the result of the people in the North and the East not willing to discard the LTTE from their hearts.   

Amongst reconciliation of various ethnic groups and peaceful co-existence, if politicians talk about bringing back LTTE, where will the gracious concept of peaceful co-existence head. These men and women who ruled this country over the last 70 years and still continue to do so by arousing ethnic hatred are responsible.   

 Political Opportunists, nationalists and other racist elements and the rest will go to town with this, justifying what they have said about the resurrection of LTTE. It is distressing to find a politician affiliated to the government uttering this type of thing which generates fear in the minds of people.   

With the two leaders who are not only at loggerheads on contentious issues, but look for the slightest chance to vilify and belittle the other—one doing it openly while the other covertly using subordinates, the country is heading for anarchy. Constitutional reforms for power devolution has taken a permanent back seat creating restlessness and agitations by the Tamil youth compelling Wijeyakalas to utter such dangerous statements. Corruption and waste are rampant. Despite allegations of dishonesty, fraud, authoritarian trends practised during their regime Rajapaksas are gaining popularity gradually and steadily.TNA Parliamentarian Dharmalingam Siddharthan speaking to Daily Mirror about politics in the North and the presidential elections, interviewed by Kelum Bandara a few days before said,“Tamils are opposed to Gota in general as a possible candidate; Yet, there are some Tamils who admire him as a doer.” People in the North or South admire doers, not talkers.   
 The recent discoveries by security units suggest that there are obvious signs of resentment among youth in the north. The Chief Minister and a few councillors are campaigning for winning them to their side. Wijeyakala perhaps is the latest addition to the list. The government must work closely with the moderate TNA in handling the situation before things get out of hand.   

The 30-year war has tattered the social fabric. People in the North have grievances and the truth is that the government has failed in instituting law and order in the country and freeing it from the criminals. People will not appreciate the good work as long as they suffer economic hardships. But comparing with a ruthless terrorist group hell bent on devastation or calling for restoration of such a faction is detrimental. The spirit of her words is the pressing need for the implementation of a proper law and order situation in the North. What she implies is action against rape, murder, burglary that was unheard of during the period of the LTTE. Reading between the lines she was not demanding a separate state nor an armed organization to fight the state.   

A few extremists living in Sri Lanka and a good majority living overseas, the Diaspora, who harbour grudges with the armed forces and some factions of people in the South, would like to see the emergence of the LTTE. The north is a beautiful place today with people living in peace and harmony. Wijayakala’s speech and the Anunayake Thero’s words have to be taken in the correct perspective. Today all Sri Lankans, in the North, South, East and West are worried about the deteriorating law and order situation in the country. Children are being kidnapped, raped, and murdered at a rate all over the island. The people who are answerable for maintaining law and order are in their long slumber. Quite naturally, when a six-year-old girl was raped and killed and a 59-year old woman cut with a sharp weapon, raped in front of her bed-ridden husband, people in Jaffna or any part of the land would feel the same.   

“We do not know what development they have done in our area. But I only thank the Government for one good thing and that is to release and return our lands to us. Other than that the Government has done nothing for us,” Wijeyakala said. Some say she should be straight away stripped of her job and be prosecuted under the supreme law of the nation for promoting a terrorist group. Wijeyakala has to be understood with the correct perception. She could have done it diplomatically for once if she was educated; stress, tension and emotions are not an excuse. She was adding fuel to the fire. Surely she witnessed what this small island went through during the gruesome war. Bring back the LTTE for recruiting hundreds of child soldiers, and force them to pick up arms?   

She should not be sacked and charged for sedition, pardon her, let her regret and change her stance. What she spoke about could happen in the south as well. It is quite possible that a small percentage of youth in the north and the east are not prepared to abandon the LTTE from their hearts. Whether we like it or not this is the truth. All Sri Lankans are concerned about the fast deteriorating law and order situation in the country.   

The State Minister spoke to resurrect the banned terrorist outfit in front of two senior ministers of the government. If the government thinks of just stopping Rajapaksa supporters or Maheswaran type rhetoric with their back-benchers balderdash, before long people will speak at elections.   

She in fact repeated what the Thera told Gota; to rule the country like Hitler and discipline the people. Perhaps they want LTTE and a Hitler to punish the wrong doers in a Kangaroo Court?   

 Writer can be contacted on –kksperera1@gmail.com