Can Fonseka Be Obliterated From History?
General Sarath Fonseka may have his faults but he is no Adolf Hitler. He was the ‘greatest army commander in the World’ to leaders of this government after his troops triumphed over the LTTE which was considered invincible by many military pundits both here and abroad. He became a national hero rivaling others such as President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother Defence Secretary Gotabhaya. Fonseka warred for many years on the battle field and nearly succumbed to his injuries. He held on to the Jaffna peninsula perilously after the victorious LTTE cadres swept through the North and were about to wipe out a beleaguered 50,000 troops under him. He finally repelled them. He is the stuff great soldiers and generals are made of.
Military history
When an attempt is made to write about Sri Lanka’s 30- year- old war competent impartial historians as well as military strategists of renown should be called in. The crying shame of Sri Lankan journalists and writers is that there are enough hacks and parasites waiting for crumbs to fall of the big man’s table and wag their pens to ruling party tunes. ‘Historians’ of the security forces particularly in the army have many an axe to grind against Fonseka and also the surging jealously for his indisputable victories.
How did he do it?
The unanswered question two years after the war is: How did General Fonseka turn tables so soon on the ‘invincible tigers’? True, fortunes favoured him as it often happens in war.
The break up of the LTTE East wing from Prabhakaran was a major factor. But the relentless sweep down South and then through the Vanni jungles from west to east and then to the north is attributed to the iron discipline he enforced on his troops. There were no retreats and evacuation of camps as had been the earlier order of the day.
The paradox of this war hero is that while he languishes in jail another general who has the record number of his camps run over by the terrorists is once again brought out of retirement and rewarded with a lucrative civilian appointment.
Many of those in power after putting Fonseka behind bars want to obliterate his name from history. That cannot be done because General Fonseka is now a part of history and history cannot be obliterated.
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Vamsakkaraya:
January 15th, 2012 at 3:52 am
Guruge’s Mahavmsa section on Premadasa was commissioned before he became a SL Dipplomat. First he translated the 1st 37 chapters of Mahavamsa by changing words in Geiger’s translation. Next he wrote a big volume on Asoka to ‘convert’ Premadasa to the Asokanway. His version of Prema[dasa] vamsa will compare him to Asoka. He is now writing eulogies about Mahayana monks in Los Angeles. He has recently offered to write Raja-vamsa too. He has wormed his way to Temple Trees recently to deliver a Rajapaksa oration. He is getting ready.
Isuru:
January 15th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
Very true. General Fonseka is part of history and Mahinda is not. The Mahawasama will tell about the two Presidential elections that were swindled by the brothers and company . That’s the history of the Rajapkse family.
gamarala:
January 16th, 2012 at 7:09 pm
Most, if not all, of the 61 kings mentioned in the Mahavamsa are said to have suceeded their predecessors by killing them.
Thus wrote a now retired professor, I remember.
I hope that history is not repeating itself.
PresiDunce Bean:
January 17th, 2012 at 8:09 am
All things are possible in a dictatorship. Read George Orwells famous book “1984″ to find out how?
http://www.planetebook.com/1984.asp
Kumar Pathirana:
January 18th, 2012 at 7:47 am
Funny I just purchased George Orwel’s 1984 today. I will read it for sure.
General Fonseka will stand tall alongside the likes of Dutugemunu in our Annals. He went to history books many years ago not by connections but by great sacrifice and hard work!
asoka abeywardena:
January 19th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
mahinda too will be in history for keeping murderous, corrupted, drug traffickers and uneducated ministers in the biggest cabinet in the world. he is already there…nobody’s going to change it…because you can’t…