The mastermind of all politics Basil Rajapaksa formed the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and manufactured the political space to accommodate all constructively progressive forces of Sri Lanka, which had been rendered in to the helplessness of political wilderness. It is Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, which now carries forward Bandaranaike policies, in place of the SLFP. For the SLFP members, the living Sri Lanka Freedom Party is neither its dead name-board nor the lifeless building at Darly Road in Maradana, functioning as its head-office, but, the life of Bandaranaike principles. In the present circumstances, what is the political party, which comprises Bandaranaike policies ? The SLFP or the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna?
Mahinda and Basil Rajapaksa are beautiful products of SLFP. Hence, Mahinda Chintanaya and Basil Rajapaksa Vision of the Podu Jana Peramuna constitute the central context of Bandaranaike Policies. That is an inevitable fact. It was not PM Sirimavo Bandaranaike, but President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who made the SLFP the most powerful in Sri Lanka, particularly, subsequent to the majestic political leadership he exerted in the final defeat of LTTE terrorism. Then, what happened? The mother of all betrayals took place with couple of hierarchic SLFP members joining with the UNP on the ground of fabricated pretext of corruption and then contested the presidential election helping the UNP to form the so-called “Good Governance” Government. It was a brutal treachery of Bandaranaike policies, the agenda of which constantly contradicted with the UNP policies. The SLFPers were not only puzzled, but also, displeased, disappointed and disgusted.
The Strong SLFP Backdrop
I am from a staunch backdrop of SLFP politics. My father Pani Ilangakoon was the fourth founder member of the SLFP and contested for Ahangama electorate in 1956 and for Weligama electorate in 1970, winning and becoming a SLFP Member of Parliament in both elections. Besides, my father is closely related to former Prime Minister S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike as his blood cousin. I was the SLFP Youth Organizer for Weligama in 1970s, subsequent to the appointment of Anura Bandaranaike, as the National SLFP Youth Organizer. I have a wish. That is to retain and protect the beautiful texture of the Bandaranaike Policies, the SLFP could maintain up to this day.
The SLFP Voters’ Pain
The entire SLFP voter community are locked in pain, lost in hope, broken in promise and yet like the solidity of the SLFP policies. They need reliability, a trust-worthy venue, a non-betraying leadership, a patriotic essence+in politics, the restoration of destroyed political dignity and many more.
The SLFP and its voter have a political dignity. The treacheries of the betrayers cannot be allowed to ruin the valued principles, set by the founders of the party. The party principles have an established ethical purity. It is an ethicality, nourished for more than six decades, with hard work of a set of intelligent leaders and their think-tank members. The SLFP voters are not interested in blending with West-worshipping UNP principles and ending the purity of the reputation the SLFP principles, which have won the hearts of the majority of the people of this country.
The domain of politics in Sri Lanka had two chief playing protagonists. They were UNP and SLFP. In any election they were the major political parties. Others like JVP, CP and Sama Samaja had to align themselves to one of these two powerful major parties. This position was held only up to November 16th Presidential elections. Now, the two major party story is only history. The powerful Sri Lanka Freedom Party was paralyzed. The SLFP supporters have been stranded into total political helplessness. Its local grassroots leaders are in disarray. Out of its five forces, the strongest one, the Maha Sanga or the Buddhist Order has left the SLFP, with the exception of a few Buddhist monks since its political alliance with the UNP. They abhorred the SLFP blending with international NGOs and Buddhism-destroying Western doctrine of secularization of Sri Lanka, the final objective of which was to deconstitutionalize Buddhism and degrade Sri Lanka in to a land of non-religion.
Is there a valid reason for the SLFP’s death ? Indeed there is - the brutal betrayal.
The Betrayal
The SLFP had been intelligently elevated to the most powerful political party in Sri Lanka. It was achieved by the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the strength of his brothers and particularly of the mission, grounded on the vision of Basil Rajapaksa. Many powerful UNP politicians defected from the UNP to the SLFP, on the valid patriotic ground of strengthening the hands of the President in the terrific battle against LTTE terrorists, though a certain degree of selfishness was present in their defection. Even the present Speaker of the Parliament, Karu Jayasuriya was in that crossing-over category. The crisis in the UNP reached such frustrating proportions, its leaders in the administrative hierarchy failed to decide on the UNP candidate for the Presidential election in 2015. It was in such circumstances that the mother of all evil betrayals transpired.
A powerful SLFP protagonist, unethically urged by the issues of personal grudge, conspired with the international actors of vested interests and the UNP leadership, to defeat and overthrow the Rajapaksa administration. As a consequence of this clandestine subterfuge, the then SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena with couple of his political allies defected from his own political party, the SLFP, after joyously relishing a delicious hopper meal, hospitably offered by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and joined the UNP, to be the candidate of the UNP led presidential election campaign. Maithripala’s UNP-entrusted task was to affirm the palpable lies, repeated by the Opposition, comprising corruption and nepotism charges, the paralyzation of the judiciary, castration of the rule of law and couple of others. People innocently believed in the UNP lies, on the strength of the open statements, declared by Maithripala Sirisena and the clan.
Why? They came from inside, from the very centre of the SLFP, enjoying the highest status of the post, the General Secretary of the SLFP. The people of Sri Lanka never ever believed in UNP lies of Rajapaksa corruption and nepotism. In fact the public was not interested in any nepotism whatsoever, save for few selfish and self-centered hypocrites, who suffered from the infection of jealousy. Nonetheless, the flaming worry of the voters was the willful oppositional fabrication of politicized corruption. Maithripala Sirisena’s defection from the very centre of the SLFP and the multi-billion rupee UNP led propaganda campaign became the most powerful foundation for the people to believe in the UNP lies. The reiterated repetition of the lie of Rajapaksa corruption became a truth. And the bogus pledge of Good Governance or Yaha Palanaya became the people’s hope. The cost of this mother of all betrayals to the SLFP was a substantial portion of SLFP voters voted for the UNP candidate in the Presidential election. This is not only a sad, but also led to a bad feeling among the SLFP voters.
Destruction of SLFP Voters’ Hopes
If the UNPers vote for the UNP that can well be understood. That was their wish and duty. Yet, the SLFP vote base had, not only a definite, but a terrific target – in the main, bringing the corruption perpetrators to book and the recovery of allegedly plundered wealth. What really happened? No sooner, Maithripala Sirisena became President, Parliament was dissolved and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was undemocratically appointed as the Prime Minister, when the Parliamentary majority was with Mahinda Rajapaksa. This was a huge disappointment for all democracy-loving voters. It was a brutal violation of their democratic rights. Constitutionally, it may have been right, but, for the hearts of SLFPers, it was not a right, but, a wrong. The abuse of power went even further. The TNA, which had only sixteen seats in Parliament was appointed as the Opposition, trespassing the elected majority MPs’ rights in Parliament. This was not a wished for by SLFP supporters. The frustration continued.
The FCID was created with the declared hope of contributing to the implementation of Yaha Palana principles. Nevertheless what happened? It arrested some SLFP politicians on charges, which the courts invalidated. The SLFP supporters felt that they had been taken for a ride by Ranil+ Maithripala+ Chandrika marriage. The war heroes were put in jail. The only offence committed by war heroes was that they fought a battle with ruthless LTTE terrorists, courageously faced death in the name of the safety and security of the future generation, lost their eyes, hands, limbs and many other organs, won the war and established peace, gifting freedom to all Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and other communities. This was an enormous ground to arouse not only anger, but also the hate of all SLFP voters and even UNP supporters against the Maithripala +Ranil regime. Then, only one month could lapse. A non-Sri Lankan Singaporean citizen was appointed as the Chairman of the central financial authority of Sri Lanka, the Central Bank. The whole of Sri Lanka was against this. Even the then President Maithripala Sirisena objected to it. In spite of all that opposition, the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe continued with the execution of the appointment. Again, the SLFP voters were in agony. Then, the new Central Bank chairman was not ready to lose his time. The multibillion dollar bond issue flexed its muscle, setting several future unborn generations in unbearable debt and compelling them to pay the burden of the load of the loans for about thirty years. The SLFP voters were disgusted. The next and the worst of all was, the attempted secularization of Sri Lanka via the de-constitutionalization of Buddhism.
The SLFP Voters’ Choice
The SLFP voters were and are ashamed of themselves. The painful perception pierces their brains day and night, what a terrific crime we have done, not only against our beloved motherland, but also against our religion. The Hambantota Port was sold to China. The Mattala airport majority ownership was granted to India. This was the national wealth of the land, which ultimately should be the heritage of our future generations to come. Certainly no SLFP voter can and is prepared to make partnerships with such treacherous agendas, designed to destroy this country. The SLFP voters must have a right choice and what can that choice be? It is the SLPP, which now embodies the original principles and ideals of the SLFP.
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