Lessons From The Algama Immolation
It has been in the news all week, but it has been a case of stating the obvious as to why Rienzie Algama decided to immolate himself in front of Sirikotha, the UNP headquarters in Kotte.
Various opinions have been offered as to the reason why Algama did what he did and not a ‘WW’ like the one opposite the UN the other day, but many, if not all, seem to have missed out on one salient point – that while Algama’s stated reason for having set himself on fire was the disunity within the grand old party, it was also his frustration at the inability of his party to come to power, thereby leaving him with no other choice but to live under the present dispensation. Well, he simply chose not to. How bad is it then?
He rightly or wrongly was convinced that it was the disunity within the UNP that rendered the party impotent and hence it could not win an election and thereby, the prospect of having to live under the Rajapaksas, for an extended period of time. Given the choice of a Rajapaksa government or self immolation as the path to nirvana, Algama chose the latter, sending with it the chilling message that the chief opposition party better get its act together fast because people like him have come to the end of their patience with the party.
That a man chooses to kill himself rather than live under the Rajapaksa regime is also as chilling an indictment on the government that has only just begun a second term, with the President yet to commence his second term. If frustration is running at such a high level so early into a new term, there better be some introspection as to what really is going wrong.
Many are the promises that can be made at election time without ever hoping to fulfill any of them, but the moment economic measures begin to bite it is but a short ride downhill from hero to zero in the peculiar case that is Sri Lanka. Ranil Wickremesinghe and his UNP of 2004 learnt this the hard way. Now it seems to be Mahinda R’s turn.
Algama being a long-time supporter of the UNP from Kelaniya and the representative for the area being the redoubtable doctor, Mervyn Silva, it is not hard to understand Algama’s frustrations.
The options to have lodged his protest are many, or in the alternative he could well have done what is in vogue these days — ‘crossed-over’ to the delight of the ‘doctor’ and harvested the rewards that come with such action. Yet, he has shown us all that there still remain people with principles in this land. That they are not politicians however, is reason enough to feel sad. With his death, Algama has cast all those who crossed over citing dissatisfaction with the party as the excuse, in a very poor light.
His death was surely meant to stir the conscience of those within the UNP who seem to work to the agenda of other parties. Maybe it is their political naïveté or sheer immaturity or even greed to grab posts that motivate them to do what is finally to the detriment of the party, but the bottom line is, at the end of the day, the only purpose they serve by washing the dirty linen of the party in public, is anger their supporters — in this instance, cause the death of a diehard supporter.
Due to this reason, when the party’s supporters decide enough is enough and do something as in the case of Algama, there will be no party left to resurrect. So it is in the interest of all those now fighting in the UNP over various issues to first check the pulse of their supporters if they are at all sincere about resurrecting the party.
If their actions are going to result in the erosion of support for the party (as shown by Algama) then the question needs to be asked, in such an eventuality, who will be the beneficiary?
If the UNP is to redeem itself, a good place to start will be by disciplining its members who publicly bring the party to disrepute in the guise of reforming it.
The moral bankruptcy of the party is apparent with its leaders choosing the media to attack each other instead of the appropriate party fora of which there are many. To the Algamas of this world, nothing could be more repulsive than the ongoing public spat among the office bearers of the grand old party. The funny side of this is that when it comes to the right forum to air their views, almost all of the otherwise vocal members get afflicted with kate pittu. Algama would surely have been less agitated had the pittu stayed in the kata but that was not to be and so by default, all those party members have contributed to Algama’s demise. To expect the type of politician today to feel any sort of guilt or remorse over such an event is asking way too much.
However it is to be noted that the aspirants to the leadership in the UNP seem to have understood this norm but not so their henchaiyas, who by proxy are fighting a disgraceful battle in public. It is about time the party thought of disciplining its errant members, however senior they maybe. That is the only way some degree of confidence could be reposed in the leadership.
Those now battling it out, seeking positions, would do well to take a leaf out of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s book. After all just like what is going on in the UNP now, he too had to fight it out to be the presidential candidate with the odds piled up against him with the party leader and president at the time, Chandrika Kumaratunga openly pulling in support of her brother, the late Anura as the presidential candidate only to relent at the right time and propose Mahinda for the post after matters were sorted out amicably within initially the SLFP and then the UPFA.
We for a minute did not see the ugly spectacle we now witness in the UNP, in the SLFP in 2005 although many were the contenders for the presidential nomination.
To diehard supporters like Algama, there is little hope of saner counsel prevailing within the UNP under its present set up and sooner the party realises the errors of its ways and paves the way for whoever is to lead the party, to rise up, ironically the Mahinda Rajapaksa way, there is little hope of success for the party any time soon. And it is probably this hopelessness that Algama saw that drove him to despair.
Algama needed help, did none in his family friends circle, noted this ???
ALGAMA IS A “HERO” THATS A UNP’ER. BUT HE SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE IT
COMPARE HIM WITH “GONG WANSA” WHO GAVE UP HIS “FARCE” UNTO DEATH. ALL THE WHILE GETTING “SALINE” THROUGH HIS ARSE -HOLE.
HIS ONLY ACHIEVEMENT WAS TO GET THE “PREZ” ON HIS KNEES.
THE BACKLASH FROM HIS ANTICS WILL BE THERE SOON.
The plight of hundreds and thousands of party faithfuls who hope against hope had believed that this party ” a virtual national institution” that has played such a pivotal role in shaping the destiny of this country (notwithstanding the mistakes made in the process) is now bogged down in internal squabbles rather than coming to the forefront to lead the hapless majority that needs – leadership and direction. They may not immolate themselves, but must have died a thousand times when the party failed them at every turn during the past decade – not so much winning or losing elections – but the way it has handled every major issue.
Is Algama is the type that live off the party or depend on the party for survival??
Otherwise, why self immolate………………..
What has the Party failure got to do with life? He should have known to move on unless he dumped all his money on the party and especially on Karu to find Wijewardene & Paba overtaking Karu at the Polls.
This may have been too much to bear.
A very rich, brilliant, and sensitive piece, Pattharakaraya.
Just wonder how the hierarchy and seniors of the grand old party take these invaluable points.
With much respect to the late Mr Algama, this comment is on a slightly different pitch, but one that may be better for all in the long-term.
The frustrations that led Mr Algama to this sad eventuality, is felt, more or less, by a whole lot of the larger Lankan electorate.
At the time of the Presidential elections early in 2010, many felt that the Hon RW had done the best he could do by initiating a path to what could have led to a culture of politics of consensus.
Why one would think along these lines is clear from a brief look at the political history of the past 3 decades, leave alone, the 6 since independence. Both the UNP and the SLFP, the two main political parties, have, together with their allies, demonstrated the worst of manipulation of the state and its resources for petty and personal gain.
When one side does it, there is the other in the opposition that takes a righteous stand and points fingers, and, vice versa. But when in power, they have only excelled the other in diabolical violation of the laws of the land and any convention of responsible public conduct.
This has gone on for pretty much too long!
There remains only one more experiment within the liberal/democratic mould that can be tried to create a system of governance where inbuilt checks and balances become meaningful, with some coercion that people’s representatives learn to play the game honourably, and in the highest regard for the laws of the land, and the long-term welfare of the people. That is the culture of consensus politics.
If the leader of the UNP had this in mind and had the persuasive capacity to convince all, or a majority of the members, of its benefits, in the lead-up to the Presidential elections early in 2010, then we wonder why a different path was taken at the general elections that followed!
If one reads of the reflection of one fellow Lankan, Dilip Kumar, who witnessed the burning of the Jaffna Public Library and comments about the mindset of law enforcement officers stationed in Jaffna at the time, [http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2010/08/01/an-eye-witness-account-of-the-day-when-the-jaffna-library-was-burnt/comment-page-1/#comment-57544], and if one follows closely what the SLFP regime did and did not do between 1970 and 77, and of course, all of what followed 1977, between the UNP, SLFP, the Leftist Parties, the JVP, and the JHU, and other parties, and their utter failure to forge a unified national stand with long-termism and the welfare of the country and its peoples in mind, on any major issue, one may feel that we’ve had enough with party politics as we’ve seen in the last 60 years!
It is opportune, then, that the major political parties, either on their own, or at the serious urging of the multitude of citizens, admit their failure to have forged any lasting policy of socio-economic development, governance and public interest, and look at a national legislature system.
A national legislature can be one where major and minor political parties can have their electoral pacts, and once elected, can only act perforce the national constitution. Shedding party allegiance in the national legislature is not the same as denouncing individual parties. It only means that all elected members are bound to uphold the constitution and the time-honoured conventions of parliament (if there are any such being developed and recorded now), and that none is bound by party interests, with full freedom to vote on national matters in accordance with one’s conscience.
For starters, now that constitutional change is in the air again, a serious attempt must be made to arrive at a document that makes all communities feel inclusive in one land, and that their interests are secured by this primary document.
There can be many different forms that a national legislature can take, but a bare minimum must be the focus on national interest and a clear definition of ‘national’ must be inclusive of all (compare with the spirit of section 29 of the independence const).
May Mr Algama’s death, and the death of many in the last 30 years, not be in vain. May their sacrifice spur the conscience of the nation, and particularly, its political leaders of all hues, to give the much needed leadership for all to follow, with the conviction that fairness and equality rule the day.
May all be safe and well, and be blessed with just and fair rule:)
Sunday Leader was indeed among who missed the “salient point” as it reported that Mr. Algama immolated himself demanding party reforms.