It’s extra special when special days arrive one after another. Today is special. It’s Mahinda’s 75th birthday. So first of all, let me wish Prime Minister Mahinda a very happy
birthday.
Next, it’s one year after Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected President. Let me wish him well too.
Yesterday was an extremely happy day for the Toyyas in this country. That would mean Kolombians or Colombots, real ones and wannabes. They were elated that Mahinda had troubled making his budget speech. It is indeed lamentable that Kolombians/Toyyas have fallen so low that they are amused no end by such things.
Mahinda is a character. One day when the history of this land is written or rather the post independence history is written, there will be a chapter devoted exclusively to Mahinda. Kolombian/Toyya representatives such as Ranil, Sajith, Karu, Harin, Kiriella, Ranjan etc would at best merit no more than a few words.
Mahinda is a good man. He is a good hearted man. He is a man who knows gratitude. A man who will forgive even an enemy. These are also his biggest faults.
It was those who he helped most who attacked him. Mahinda sorted out Ranjan’s rape case. Mahinda is still reaping the harvest of what he sowed. Mahinda intervened in Sajith’s sister's counterfeit case. He still gets a lot of flak for this. It was Mahinda who ordered the road outside Sirikotha to be repaired just to help Ranil retain party leadership. The entire country knows how Ranil treated Mahinda when he, Ranil, came to power. Mahinda intervened in the income tax case related to the Dialog building in Nawala owned by Wijedasa. It’s not just once or twice that Wijedasa screwed Mahinda over. Mahinda not only never used the damning video of Ven Sobitha Thero that Ravi Karunanayake brought to him, Mahinda point blank refused to watch it. It was Ven Sobitha who took the lead in ousting Mahinda in 2015.
It was President Mahinda who ended a war that none of his predecessors could bring to a close. Kolombians/Toyyas would no doubt scream their heads off, saying that it was Sarath Fonseka who ended the war. This very Sarath Fonseka fought the war under various presidents before Mahinda. However, the war ended because of President Mahinda and Secretary of Defense Gotabaya Rajapaksa who, unlike his predecessors refused to bow down to arrogant and incompetent politicians and generals. Had this not happened, Kolombians/Toyyas who vent today would have either succumbed to a suicide bomber, a bus bomb or a claymore bomb (the last two relevant to wannabe Kolombians, really).
There’s only one thing that Kolombians/Toyyas who laugh over Mahinda’s age should know. They too will grow old.
Mahinda will go home one day. However, he should not ‘go home’ the way Premadasa went home. The only person who left the seat of power happily is President D.B. Wijetunga. That’s how Mahinda should leave. Happily. As a hero. And why? Well, because he is one individual who has done his duty to the country.
Gotabaya’s first year is like a question paper made by a mad professor with the sole purpose of failing the student. Let’s wish him well. Let’s hope that he will overcome these serious challenges and be eminently capable of delivering promises made to the people.
Gotabaya has his own style. Nevertheless he has lots to learn from his Mahinda Ayya. In other words he has to learn from Mahinda’s mistakes.
He should realize that those who truly love him reside outside the ‘security circle’ of people who surround him. They are the ones who prevent the truth of the country from reaching his ears. It would do him a world of good if he was careful of these yes-sir, under-control-sir ‘friends’. They are just Mervin Silvas, only they have different names and friends. They’ve come forward not to make deals that favor the country but deals that favor their stomachs. As he celebrates the completion of his first year as president, we wish Gotabaya the wisdom to realize this.
We have, so far, spoken about the importance of this day. Now let’s talk of tomorrow. It is also an important day.
It is important because it is expected that judgments will be delivered with respect to two cases involving two individuals who, it could be argued, went to jail or were sent to jail as Mahinda’s proxies, two individuals who nevertheless did not betray Mahinda: Lalith Weeratunga and Anusha Pelpita. If they are acquitted it won’t be the Kolombians/Toyyas who will be most upset but the incompetent Bayyas. This is certain.
The Gadfly knows very well how perturbed Lalith Weeratunga is over the numerous attacks leveled at Gotabaya.
The Gadfly also knows how Anusha Pelpita who handled the media during Gotabaya’s presidential campaign was removed with a single stroke of the pen of Charitha Herath who was in that campaign committee.
Today is Mahinda’s day. Today is also Gotabaya’s day.
Tomorrow belongs to Lalith and Anusha.
