Carcinogenic Kumar: Thanks, But No Thanks

By Grusha Andrews –JULY 31, 2018

In the year 2018, when France has a Macron, Croatia has a Kolinda Grabar and even Pakistan, a country with an estimated literacy rate of just 58%, elected an Imran Khan backed by its army in a moment of dangerous hope, the editor of Colombo Telegraph, Uvindu Kurukulasuriya has shown poor taste in sharing a two year old post from 2017 proposing Kumar Sangakkara for the Presidency of Sri Lanka. This post suggests that Sangakkara is of presidential material based on the fact that he ‘renounced’ the captaincy of the Sri Lanka cricket team. I translate his 2017 Facebook post: “what is needed are leaders who can renounce power. What Sri Lanka lacks is just that. What would happen if someone like Kumar Sangakkara emerges for 2020?”

Dangerous Memes Inflate Dangerous Men

Little does the editor Colombo Telegraph realize the danger of being an originator of a dangerous meme. It is irresponsible for a senior journalist of his political and professional maturity to propagate the myth that Kumar Sangakkara, ex cricket captain of Sri Lanka merits presidential hopes for an array of reasons. This meme has resurfaced with the election of Imran Khan to the premiership of Pakistan after two decades of tireless political activism and investment. The conversation in the media suggests that the presidency of Sri Lanka should be offered on a golden platter to Sangakkara, cricketer and once national icon perhaps the only traits Sangakkara shares with Imran Khan.

Sangakkara is a human embodying the very concepts of sharp and cunning strategy. His fluent ‘accented’ English and pageantry brand of western sophistication that can be aspired to by the common man only in his dreams making him a ‘can-do –no –wrong” gentleman in the eyes of the gullible Sri Lankans. In a country tragically devoid of heroes, even a cricketer playing for millions of rupees as a salary is a savior prince; a messiah; a resurrected Jesus; an unearthed prophet. The pathetic extent of Sri Lankan tradition of persona worship and western sophistication worship is such. 

Love, Sex, Accountability and Transparency

Sangakkara delivered the 2011 MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture at Lords, popularly considered “the most important speech in cricket history”. During this hall mark speech he stated “accountability and transparency in administration and credibility of conduct were lost in a mad power struggle that would leave Sri Lankan cricket with no clear, consistent administration”.

How sweet? It appears that Sangakkara is a big fan of yahapalana jigsaw pieces such as accountability and transparency. In 2015, an event organizing business called Live Events ‘pretended’ to organize a musical concert titled Love and Sex where Enrique Iglesias was to perform. Live Events, a company formed in the aftermath of Sangakkara’s retirement by himself, Mahela Jayawardena and others executed this event in a fashion amounting to daylight robbery and blatant disregard to any business ethic where the show did not start for over 3 hours and there was gross mismanagement of crowds, ripping off those who paid high prices for tickets .The company owned by Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena was reportedly involved in an estimated 30 million Sri Lankan rupees ($288,123) tax fraud in the form of evaded municipal tax due for this concert to the government. Sangakkara and Jayawardena who command great social and power clout due to their celebrity status wriggled out of this unprecedented entertainment cum business fraud with the following words: “although we know an apology or refund cannot fully satiate your disappointment, we wish to reiterate that we remain fully committed to all of you and our country,” Yeah. Some commitment to the people and the country. Transparency and accountability, anyone? Pity these Sri Lankan who think that such day light fraudsters will take us to a better place. 

Consistent Spokesperson For Cancer Causing Food Industry

From cement, telephone connections, shirts, substandard cars, three wheelers to supermarkets, Sangakkara has been a rampant endorser of goods putting his mouth where money is.

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