Beating Humanity Into Kurahan Thalapa The Rajapaksa Way

Make no mistake and this is no joke. This regime under President Rajapaksa would never allow any one to have Deputy Minister Mervyn Silva indicted, condemned or relieved of his political power, never mind the representations some government members made to President MR, as revealed by spokesman and Media Minister Rambukwella.

For President Rajapaksa and his clan, Mervyn is an indispensable venison Ānama (gravy) for their Kurahan Thalapa and that explains why, Mervyn Silva could commit any offence under this Rajapaksa regime.
That also explains UPFA General Secretary Premjayantha’s meek and painfully slaved excuse that Mervyn’s criminal act is not a decision by the government and thus warrants no answers from him. A lawyer by profession, he cannot but ridicule and insult the profession by evading the fact that criminal acts don’t need political decisions by a government to be legally acted upon. Premjayantha avoids saying, why Mervyn is not arrested by the police and why disciplinary action isn’t initiated by the party, first by suspending Mervyn’s membership in the UPFA.
Sirisena too finds political slumber more soothing and there will be no disciplinary action against Mervyn, by the General Secretary of the SLFP. As a political party, Sirisena should be able to discipline his own membership, but not under this Rajapaksa regime. Thanks to the Jayewardene Constitution, no ruling political party could even discipline its  misbehaving members, without the consent of the Executive President. Ultimate in such power so far, is Rajapaksa.
Ever since that bandy legged boy in a baggy pair of shorts with a plain cloth vest was brought to Colombo by D.A. Rajapaksa from John Mudalali’s wayside tea kiosk in Dammulla somewhere in 1967 and found work as casual labour in the CWE, this bonding was on the cards. It was in the making between the generation that followed the older Rajapaksa and his serf like loyalist. Presidency has given that political thuggery, a life time license.
Just to note a few recent events as proof of this unwritten, unexplained bonding of Rajapaksa politics and unbridled thuggery of Mervyn beyond that of parental loyalty, there were no doubts in any mind that President Rajapaksa would stand by Mervyn after he stormed the Rupavahini Corporation on December 27, 2007 and was adequately treated by its staff. Then Media Minister, Lakshman Yapa went live on air promising an independent inquiry, but was simply blown away no sooner it was promised.
Mervyn was not even condemned or censored by President Rajapaksa, who is also the almighty political power in both the SLFP and the UPFA. Mervyn’s many open clashes and intimidating assaults on journalists, especially on media persons from the Sirasa group was thus approved by Rajapaksa. In fact Mervyn was rewarded with foreign trips as an official member of the presidential entourage. This Rajapaksa regime is clearly with Mervyn Silva and that message had been very adequately conveyed to society and to all state offices and authorities. Mervyn Silva could therefore have a citizen, a Samurdhi employee, tied to a tree in public, while three police constables kept watch. Mervyn could have his own goons parade in support of him and have private media shamelessly stooge for him. That sums up Mervyn Silva’s power within this Rajapaksa regime.
This is no issue the much educated and empowered middle class could sit comfortably and enjoy making sarcastic comments on. This should at least prick the conscience of professional and academic pride. It thus would, first and foremost, question the civic responsibility of this society in electing the type of members they elect as representatives, to legislative bodies. Next, it brings up the issue of how seriously this society reacts to such horrendous criminal acts. Third, it questions the integrity and discipline of political leaderships and how genuine they are, in asking for law and order in society. Fourth, it questions the responsibility of the media and their ethics in how they inform the public of political criminality. Finally, it challenges the role and responsibility of civil society organisations, including trade and professional organisations, towards a decent and democratic society.
All of it together speaks volumes on how this Rajapaksa regime used this ‘war against Tamil separatism and Tamil Tigers’ to dismantle the whole organised society on a perverted ideology, backed by JHU and JVP’s Sinhala patriotism, from Point Pedro to Dondra and Chilaw to Batticaloa. How the war was used to construct a morbid Sinhala patriotism to justify the rolling back of governing and law enforcement systems and hacked them into a warped apparatchik with henchmen, to establish their own power cult. All of it explains how the promised ‘Sinhala Utopia’ minus ‘Tamil terrorism’ was out to establish a family regime on popular support. How within a kleptocratic power centre, the regime provides the likes of Mervyns too, their due share in vulgarised political existence.
This was inherent and growing in this Sinhala Buddhist society, that was never modern and was always out of step with the post WWII world, despite our claim as the ‘noblest’ in this world. All attempts to bolster a modern image with a free market, on a stupidly parochial mindset in this Sinhala South could, on the contrary, only live and understand feudal life and its values. We thus preferred to weep for a ‘King’ that even ants have. We believe its a noble ‘King’, who’d give us rain during the right season. We trust our leaders who say, they would use the Galle Face Green to wipe out corruption. Chandrika promised that in 1994 and so did Gen. Fonseka during his 2010 presidential election campaign, promising a corrupt free society. Its the feudal mindset of spiking and hacking people to death on a presumably ‘royal decree’, that still reigns, in this Sinhala society.
Can such a backward society take these criminal offences seriously? The middle class trend that argues what Mervyn did, was for the benefit of people, questions the capacity of this society. With more saner citizens crying foul, Mervyn himself has compromised by saying he did not tie the person and that person has commended Mervyn for his good work. Should this haemorrhaged society settle with such ‘jokes’? Criminal offences cannot be left aside on childish talk by those who commit them. They cannot be pardoned on a public apology, as defined or called for by trade unions. This is a criminal offence that should begin with the arrest of the culprit. It should end in a Court of Law and left to be decided by a judge according to the law of this land. Unfortunately for this ailing society, even the opposition is not demanding for the rule of law that requires immediate arrest of Mervyn Silva.
With a wholly derailed and clannish opposition, we also have opposition MPs who dig in with Mervyn in cheap reality shows, giving the programme a ‘viewer acceptance’ and their ‘rogue buddy’, all justification to continue with his dirty politics. These MPs who claim they stand for decency, high morals, justice and democracy don’t have a political will to refuse publicity from dirty companionship. It is their shameless acquaintance in public shows that provided this solid waste, a recyclable value in public life. The media, the type that’s run by Sinhala trader mentality and dependent on this regime for profits, needs to be told by the public that they are not a necessary channel for media plurality. For that is not what media freedom and independence is. Today we need a more intelligent, people-oriented media and not one that runs for quick and easy money. Today, we need to tell the media too, where they should stand on issues that badly effect the life of our society and its future.
This society has already allowed the procession to reach its Calvary. Do we want to turn back and march to sanity ? No politician, no political party, no academic and professional organisation that to date has dodged this issue would help us turn back and reach sanity. If we do, it is our responsibility to start a discourse in finding the way out. Pessimistic ? No, just trying to be realistic.