The last time a Sri Lankan politician cut a casually authentic figure as Ukrainian president Zelenskyy does, was probably when W Dahanayake became premier and insisted on hopping the bus from Parliament to his constituency in Galle. He donned the National dress and carried a suitcase, or so the unofficial historical record states.
What’s “casually authentic”, someone may ask? Well, simply put it’s for a want of a better set of words. The Ukrainian President in the mid of war in his country wants to identify with wartime warriors. Zelenskyy apparently has said that he symbolises the fight for freedom from Russia by wearing his casuals all the time. He also vows to wear his war-beard until the fighting is over. That may mean that the world shall never see a clean-shaven Zelenskyy, but nothing turns on that outcome anyway.
But he did shock the US Houses of Congress by addressing the lawmakers in his fatigues. He didn’t think he should exchange those casuals for suit and tie on this occasion, and there is something to be said about having that kind of single-minded dedication to an idea. Perhaps he has won the hearts and minds of Ukrainians by identifying with their struggle, because it’s they who suffer the rigours of war and not so much him, in his presidential palace.
He operates from his presidential palace but dons the garb of the casual worker or the soldier off duty. Some would say it’s symbolic but hypocritical because he is still enjoying the perks of the presidency, even though while wearing a kit that makes him seem as if he is sacrificing much.
EXTERNALS
But he is not entirely immune from the effects of war and that has to be said too. He had to be separated from family for long periods of time due to security considerations, and there would have been times when he was hunkered down in a bunker. Of course, most of the time he lives in Kyiv and has said that he is not afraid of anyone, pointing out of his window on one occasion to reveal the starkness of the Ukrainian night sky and the offices outside.
But how far does symbolism go? Dahanayake took the bus to Galle and wore the national but by itself, it didn’t take him that far politically, though he, for a short time, became Prime Minister almost by accident. But Sri Lankan politicians would know about what Zelenskyy does by swearing to wear war garb as long as the war lasts.
The late PM Bandaranaike wore national and after him, there were many others who followed suit including JR Jayewardene, even though the white national war never their regular garb before politics. These are folk who grew up used to wearing tie and suit and having to exchange that for the national costume may have been a bit of a task. Recent Presidents wore the national as well, but they may have been at least in some way more natural wearers of what’s taken to be the regular attire of ordinary folk.
Except that it isn’t. The vast majority of Sri Lankans — office workers, labourers and the entire lot these days — wear shirt and trouser and it’s not just because it’s convenient.
If manner and deportment is more important than real conduct and other leadership attributes such as policy, then probably the Ukrainian President is spot on. He should know anyway how these externals matter because he was previously on television as a comedian. He was no actor, but as a public personality, he would have known that what you wear matters almost more than what you do.
What can he do but fight the war? He is doing that job well, at least from the point of view of Ukraine. He knows how to get the maximum out of the international community, and he knows how to speak the language of war. But he chose to augment all these attributes with his special attire.
He also projects one type of personality. This is that of the besieged wartime leader. Tucker Carlson the former Fox News presenter and star news-anchor who now has his own show on Twitter, called the Ukrainian President rat-like.
That was totally unkind. What makes him rat like according to Tucker? That he hunkers down and grows whiskers — or, at least a beard?
FORTHCOMING
What can be said is that President Zelenskyy knows how to talk the talk and walk the walk. He doesn’t do it the Churchillian way either — he does it his own way, which is why it makes his act remarkable. He seems to be one politician who knows that leadership is in part acting, and knows how to act his part. Were there any Sri Lankan leaders of this sort? Worth asking what Vijaya Kumaratunga may have been like had he lived long enough? But from what little is known of him, the late Vijaya didn’t act as a politician and only acted as an actor.
The way he acts — and this is not stated pejoratively — Zelenskyy does not seem to have any parallels. He is one of a kind, and not just this, is perfectly trail-blazing. To say that he will wear his war beard and his casuals as long as the war lasts, and to keep to that promise on the dress code whether he is in the US Congress or the conference rooms of NATO, takes some chutzpah and some resolve. Of course, Indian politicians very admirably are casually attired almost all the time and they don’t need any special pledge to go-simple, sartorially. But Zelenskyy was expected to wear tie and coat. The West thinks of him as one of their own and if that’s not the case at least expects him to be.
GRASPING
But he chose to be the man in casuals wearing the war beard, and risked being called a ’disrespecter.’ In fact, there were commentators who faulted him for his appearance when he spoke to Congress. But there was no apology forthcoming. He stuck to his guns.
It needs some self-belief to do that, and most times politicians of this region haven’t displayed that sort of resolve. They are reticent to chart their own course, mostly for fear of being judged.
Zelenskyy will certainly be remembered once he is no more on the world stage.
He will be remembered that he knew how to inspire, and this is irrespective of whether he is a true democrat or otherwise. All those questions are at best up in the air. Also, there is no question that he has the support of the Western powers to the hilt, and for any leader that is almost all that’s required these days in that part of the world.
But even so, he has to keep his people on his side and walk a fine balance trying to get everything from the West but yet not appearing to be ungrateful and too grasping. By all estimations, he has done tremendously well, and he has done it blithely his way. Historians would give him a huge thumbs up for that, no matter who they sided with in this war.
Perhaps there is something leaders in this part of the world can learn from him. One is that if one is going to put on an act as a politician, one has to be extremely good at it. Zelenskyy is an actor. Ok a comedian, but that’s close. But there is nothing funny about how he gets about his role. He is an absolute pro and hats off to him. He knows how to act the same way Novak Djokovic knows how to play tennis. With tremendous talent and conviction.
Rajpal Abeynayake