Kya Karun? What shall I do?

April 2, 2015
There is an element of tragedy pervading the frenetic campaign by
elements of the former Government to revive the political career of
Mahinda Rajapaksa, the defeated President. Only three months back, even
before his second term was over, the people voted Rajapaksa out with quite
a convincing majority.
In a democratic culture, this is not a startling event. After all peoples

needs, attitudes and ideas change and with it a change of leadership

becomes desirable, if not essential. Yesterdays answer is often todays
problem.
As commonly said, politics is a calling and not a career path to riches, a way
to join the genteel class, to live off public money, uplift your family or to
indulge in an ego trip. A person takes to politics to serve, to work for a
larger cause than self. But when does he decide that no further purpose will
be served by persisting, what is the final whistle?
After all, Mahinda Rajapaksa has been a Minister, a Leader of the
Opposition, a Prime Minister and then finally a two-term President. In that
forlorn group campaigning for his return, there is not a single person
examining the causes for the rejection of 8 January, their only demand
being the restoration of what was rejected!
In the post-independence electoral history of Sri Lanka, the presidential
elections of 8 January (2015) will surely occupy a special place. If nothing
else, it was one of the biggest upsets seen at an election.
Prior to the elections the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa was
seemingly so well-entrenched in the office that he even despaired of a lack
of a credible Opposition. This confidence was not limited to an incumbent
increasingly identifying his own interests with that of the State, but of many
others as well who saw an atavistic vision of a kingly tradition in the garish
doings of the President.
What more seasoned and mature minds would have seen as an over-blown
and dangerous megalomania, they saw as rightful rituals of governance, so
agreeable to their temperament that Rajapaksa was to be succeeded by
other Rajapaksas, the order of succession of course depending on
astrological arrangements.
Diminishing democracy
Eventually the challenger rose from the Presidents own ranks. The kind of
concentration of power that Mahinda Rajapaksa indulged in did not exactly
encourage Oppositional activity. The last few years have shown how easy it
is to diminish democratic institutions and methods into mere formalities,
while deeply undermining and corrupting them.
An unscrupulous administration may use the entire State machinery as a
campaigning tool day in and day out. Employment given in the State sector
with no heed to economic factors, favours of every sort granted as

inducements to buy loyalty, roads and schools named after those targeted
for conversion, for the heedless voter sumptuous meals at the Presidents
house; the list of such abuse of governance and moral corruptions is
endless.
It is a sad fact, illustrative of our political mores, that most powerful media
institutions in this country are in the hands of the Government. Going by
the characters appointed to lead them during the Rajapaksa regime, it is
clear that they intended to use them to the hilt to abuse and vilify political
opponents.
What was called private media could be bought over or intimidated with
ease. Even when the people vote a person into the Opposition ranks, it was
shown repeatedly that he could be enticed with portfolios and other
benefits to join the Rajapaksa Government, if such a cross-over was
deemed useful by the Government.
For daring to challenge Mahinda Rajapakse at the 2009 presidential
elections the price paid by the intransigent Sarath Fonseka, the former
Army Commander, was a jail term with hard labour and the loss of all
retirement benefits earned in a long career as a soldier. Fonsekas relatives,
supporters and even friends were harassed in various ways.
In charge of the entire law enforcement apparatus was the somewhat
sinister figure of Gotabaya, the Presidents own brother, with an open
cheque to do as he wished and apparently not accountable to anyone. The
schooling, the training, adherence to the public service code, so essential
for other administrators, was not required of him.
At all times a public servant is accountable and if found guilty of something
improper or not expected of him, he runs the risk of ruining a career built
up over the years. Not so with people like Gotabaya, who can hog the
system for a few years and then walk away with no liability whatsoever. Of
the Courts of law, that last bastion of human rights, all that the people saw
was a Chief Justice beaming with joy while rubbing shoulders with the
President and his family.
It is in this bleak and forbidding environment that Maithripala Sirisena broke
ranks to lead an opposition that was perhaps the last opportunity to reverse
a creeping family dictatorship. There is no question that he risked a lot in
daring to challenge the Rajapaksa juggernaut. Many still do not realise how
close to the precipice the country had got.

Basil, a metaphor for the family

Even for a culture inclined to indulge family excesses, the Rajapaksas were
extremists. Nothing was denied to a Rajapaksa, no, in reality they could do
anything and they were always declared to be right!
Basil Rajapaksa, said to be an American citizen, the chief campaign
organiser of all three presidential campaigns of Mahinda, is perhaps a
metaphor for the family. When Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected President in
2005, although he was not even an MP then, Basil overnight became one of
the most powerful figures in the country. In the 10 years that followed Basil
in sequence became an adviser, an MP and then although a junior MP, a

very senior Minister commanding a huge budget.

These were dream years for the Rajapaksa family and Basil lived the life. He
was in a decision-making position in respect of many, if not most, of the
economic and business matters of the Government. He was also made the
chief organiser of the SLFP.
Then on 8 January came the unexpected defeat of his brother President
Rajapaksa. On or about 10 January, Basil (now) a former Minister (with wife)
went in a convoy of the plushest vehicles this country could afford to the
Katunayake Airport, checked in at the VIP lounge and then flew away first
class to the USA, his country of domicile. We can only hope that those two
first class tickets to the USA would be the last time this country would have
to bear costs incurred by Basil Rajapaksa and family.
Nepotism unleashed
Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed two of his nephews as Ambassadors to the
USA and Russia respectively. As we all know the USA is the only super
power in the world today while resource-rich Russia is a very big
international player. In the everyday parlance not being from the Foreign

Ministry or the public sector, these two are what are referred to as political
appointees.
Their careers prior to these appointments are shrouded in obscurity but we
understand that they were already living in those countries, a familiar
pattern. We do not know what qualifications or personal qualities the two
possessed to claim these important diplomatic appointments, but we can
be sure that there are thousands of other Sri Lankans who are more
deserving and would have brought honour to their country had they been

selected.
Under the culture unleashed by Mahinda Rajapaksa it was only natural that
his son Namal Rajapaksa became the Leader of the SLFP Youth Wing and
even commanded a small personal court consisting of much older
ministers and MPS. We even saw so-called intellectuals, governors and

captains of industry acting in a manner far beneath their age and dignity in
the presence of the prince.
Of course the Rajapaksa ethos then prevailing did not allow any questioning
of the wisdom of Mahinda Rajapaksa when he thought it fit to bring his
brother-in-law Nishantha Wickramasinghe in as the Chairman of SriLankan,
an ill-advised venture which has now become one of the biggest drains on
the public purse, when turning the airline around would require the
leadership of a Lee Kuan Yew with perhaps a Lee Iacocca steering the
wheel!
Plight of the Sri Lankan voter today
It is this kind of man and that kind of political culture that they are now
demanding is brought back!
But if that demand is tragic for the poverty of its philosophy, what of the
confusion now prevailing in a Government which pledged good governance
within 100 days, the fulfilment of which may perhaps prove to be a promise
too far?
To an independent observer it will appear that this country is between
Scylla and Charybdis. Having exorcised an evil Government, we are now not
sure whether the replacement is an improvement or another tragicomedy in
embryo. Perhaps the Rajapaksas are just a symptom of a far deeper
malaise; of a way of thinking, of a way of seeing and more importantly of
being!
That Gandhi despair 60 some years ago, Kya karun? What shall I do? may
well reflect the plight of the Sri Lankan voter today. While going back to the
Rajapaksa past is a definite no, what the future holds, only time will tell.
(The writer is an Attorney-at-Law and a freelance writer.)
Posted by Thavam