From Mirihana To ‘Gota Go Gama’: Chupon Or Honorable Exit

By W. Vishnu Gupta –APRIL 16, 2022

W. Vishnu Gupta

It was astonishing to find out that, Google has not taken many days to register “Gota Go Gama”, in Google Maps. The glorious protesters of Mirihana mostly dejected Millennials and Generation-Xs have achieved a major goal that JVP and LTTE or other chauvinists could not accomplish with the sacrifice of many innocent lives, thousands of our mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and children lost their lives for challenging the actions of dubious politicians since 1955. Today, the world has noticed the disastrous outcomes of what Rajapaksas and other similar charlatans before them have done to Sri Lanka (Ceylon), one of the three richest countries (Japan, Malaysia, Ceylon) existed after WWII in Asia. It is a pitiful nation that begs for basic needs of its citizens, food, clothes, shelter, and medicine.

Attempt to dupe and create division among Sri Lankans

The patriarch of the political family of Rajapaksas made a pathetic plea to spare them of agonising moments of their lives in an addressed to the nation this week. This was a speech of a senile man suffering from selective memory syndrome. First, the MR’s advisers have failed to tell him to shed every sign of black-magic or magic associated with the devil or other evil spirits when he goes before the national T.V including the talisman he wears and conceal in his right palm. He said that “every second the youth protested; the country was losing vital dollars”. Instead of that threatening vociferation, MR should have said “every second his family occupies the seat of power, the country was losing vital dollars”

Secondly, he added “there was a lot of blood shed during the 88/89 period due to the rejection of democracy at that time. “Around 60,000 young lives were lost as a result of the violence unleashed at that time.” He conveniently forgot to say over 40,000 Sinhala lives in 1971 and over 100,000 lives of both Sinhala and Tamil were lost during the period from 1980 to 2009. What about the lives lost in 1953,1956 and 1958.Though these numbers are quoted by many sources, no one knows how many Sri Lankan lives were lost because of the struggles made by Sri Lankans to rid themselves of the dubious democracy and all corrupt politicians including the current (225 +1) occupying our legislature and presidency through deceit.

Finding a Refuge is becoming harder

One of the livable attractive destinations among four countries (Maldives, Singapore, Dubai, and Uganda) identified for Rajapaksas to seek refuge has come under the scrutiny of the G7 countries suddenly. It threatens the hope of Rajapaksas to seek refuge in Uganda because a recently published report states that “the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global inter-governmental organization on the initiative of the G7countries to develop policies to combat money laundering and terrorism financing” has put Uganda on the ‘Grey List’, It means transactions originating from Uganda or made through Uganda’s financial system and cash from or to the country, face more scrutiny by the international systems, which leads to delays in concluding the business transactions. For Rajapaksas, perhaps this would have been the worst news that they received at the dawn of 2022 Sinhala-Tamil new year.

End of Tyranny in sight and Chupons

The people have been awakened from deep slumber of 72 years. 72 years of political deceptions that brought vile autocrats pretending to be Sinhala Buddhists. Neither Bandaranaikes and Jayawardene clans are Sinhala Buddhists, yet they managed to swindle the nation, recruit, and train despicable set of autocrats; Ranil, Premadasas, Rajapaksas and lay foundation to a failed and bankrupt state. They defiled Buddhism demonized innocent Sinhalese, and precipitated national hartal in 1953, 1956 Gal Oya Riots, 1958 Anti Tamil Riots,1971 JVP insurrection, 1988/89 JVP insurrection, 1980-2009 LTTE insurrections. It baffles the minds of any decent literate person on earth, how did a handful of crafty politicians managed to swindle a nation such as Sri Lanka (Ceylon) for such a long time. Their political charade must come to an end with the departure of the last autocrat and his family from the political landscape of Sri Lanka very soon and the majority hope it will happen in April 2022.

At the start of glorious rallies in “Mirihana”, “Gota Go Gama” and other villages and towns in the country, the main theme, and the goal of the protesters was to depose entire Rajapaksa family from Sri Lanka. However, by third or fourth day, the protesters have incorporated with another demand, accordingly Rajapaksa must return the assets and wealth stolen from the nation and stashed away in foreign countries. Also, it is alleged they have laundered money internally, through fraudulent schemes of buying real estate and starting business operations. The luxury lives enjoyed by the Rajapaksas are openly challenged, the leagues of lawyers, civil activists, prominent artists, teachers, and health unions have come together and added their voice to encourage the glorious and non-violent campaign at “Gota Go Gama.” It is obvious every sinister move such as making Shantha Bandara, SLFP MP a State Minister will delay the departure of Rajapaksas, but simultaneously it will give the opportunity to relevant authorities and detractors to investigate and tightened the legal noose around Rajapaksas and their cronies involved in corruption and mismanagement since 2005 starting with notorious “Helping Hambantota” exploit and very recent scams including the sugar imports, malpractices related to Covid-19 testing/vaccines kits and fertilizer imports. It is problematic to any sensible Sri Lankan to observe, that the key Rajapaksa cronies involved as main advisers and state officials in Rajapaksa regimes since 2005 have remained the same. Before, it is too long the glorious rallies will add the names of these rogue cronies into the “WANTED LIST”, making the departure of Rajapaksas more complicated and harder. Especially, if the exit of Rajapaksas is further delayed they will become “chupons”, a Spanish slang for those who are finished and useless; like the oranges with juice squeezed out of them. Rajapaksas must realize they did not inherit power to rule but it was given to them by the people, hence the people can take it away from them at any time not withstanding the constitutional ploys that shield them from corruption, criminal activities including money laundering. Because, an executive presidency, legislature, judiciary, all three branches of the state are subservient to the sovereignty which belongs to the people. If these three branches are incompetent and corrupt it is the responsibility of the people to use non-violent methods such as Mirihana protest to evict them from their respective tasks. Also the people must be mindful of the dangers ahead, they cannot afford to endure a civil unrest or a military rule in the country due to incapacitated three branches of the government due to corruption, mismanagement, and lack of credibility. Therefore, a transitional government or a caretaker government under a handpicked leadership of less controversial politicians of the current legislature is the best option.

Read More