As the Titanic sank, Captain Smith stood on the ship’s bridge, and around him the band played on.
WTF is wrong with y’all, man?
At this moment when Sri Lanka faces the most daunting challenge in its history, which threatens its very existence as a nation, the country’s political leaders remain as divided and self-centred as ever, thinking of only themselves and their pathetic little political parties. WTF!
People are literally starving and dropping dead in fuel queues after waiting for up to five days, shops closing down, workers being laid off, farmers unable to find diesel for their tractors, and children denied the right to go to school. Yet, tomorrow, the 225 Members of Parliament are to vote in a secret ballot on the next President, the man who is expected to guide the country through the next two years and four months; the man who must bring about the recovery of a devastated economy.
Sri Lanka’s population rose as one on 9 July to overthrow President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose extraordinarily idiotic economic policies had led to the ruin of our thriving economy within the short span of two years. The expectation was that our politicians would finally close ranks behind one leader or a set of new leaders who would work hard to deliver the suffering population from the depths of misery.
But contrary to the expectations of the well over a million people who flocked to Colombo that day, the last week or so has seen the worst of Sri Lankan politics. WTF man! No less than three candidates from three different parties have thrown their hats in the ring to claim the presidency, with even an ex-military man making rumbling noises that he would like to sit on the throne.
Most incredibly, none of the candidates appear to be the least bit concerned about how they would bring about an economic recovery. Their sole purpose appears to be self-glorification. WTF! Uncle Niresh is speechless!
The present Acting President, who was expected to step aside and not contest, instead turned around and is making a bid for the top spot despite his vast unpopularity and the fact that his party has just one seat of the 225 in Parliament. WTF!
The largest party in Parliament, the SLPP, which is now deeply unpopular among the public, has publicly said that its members are split, with some saying that they would support the Acting President, and others declaring their loyalty to the party’s own candidate. WTF!
And finally, the Marxist JVP is also fielding a candidate, despite having just three seats in Parliament. WTF!
None of them have articulated a proper plan for economic recovery, apart from begging the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other donors for help and bringing in a few ships of fuel that will be so insufficient that it’s already being rationed. WTF man! For how long can this go on?
The Acting President in fact appears confident of victory and appears to be making preparations for a military crackdown, with hundreds of troops roaming around Colombo’s streets in very threatening-looking army vehicles. A state of emergency was declared yesterday, to emphasise this point. The people want hope; all they’ve got so far are tear gas and bullets.
If he wins, and cracks down on protests, then there will surely be bloodshed. And as dissent is stifled through force, there would doubtless be extremists who would recruit hopeless youth into their folds. Major violence would surely follow. That’s the lesson that history has taught in dozens of countries worldwide over the centuries. Not that violence would ever solve anything.
Make no mistake. Many Sri Lankans have a horrible streak of violence in them. Sri Lanka has had many violent insurrections in its short post-colonial history – 1971, 1989/90, and the Civil War. A Prime Minister was gunned down; a President blown to smithereens. No less than 45 Members of Parliament have met untimely violent ends.
It will be a sad day indeed if the bomb and the grenade become the method of dissent in the land of milk and honey.
Even now, let sanity prevail. Let the party leaders gather together and settle on one candidate for President, another for Prime Minister, and a Cabinet of representatives of all parties. That way, the new Government would also have no problem getting bills passed in Parliament. And most importantly, the public would have to accept such a government, as there is no other option until elections are held.
Anything short of this is likely to end in disaster.
It’s ta-ta, bye-bye from Uncle Niresh until next week, when I’m sure we’ll have much more to talk about in our paradise-without-hope that would be insanely more insane than this week.
Happy tear-gassing, and try not to get shot.
(WTF stands for whatever each of you want it to stand for. If you’ve got a ridiculously dirty mind, that’s not my fault).
Get together and stop this nonsense!
20 Jul 2022
Get together and stop this nonsense!
20 Jul 2022
As the Titanic sank, Captain Smith stood on the ship’s bridge, and around him the band played on.
WTF is wrong with y’all, man?
At this moment when Sri Lanka faces the most daunting challenge in its history, which threatens its very existence as a nation, the country’s political leaders remain as divided and self-centred as ever, thinking of only themselves and their pathetic little political parties. WTF!
People are literally starving and dropping dead in fuel queues after waiting for up to five days, shops closing down, workers being laid off, farmers unable to find diesel for their tractors, and children denied the right to go to school. Yet, tomorrow, the 225 Members of Parliament are to vote in a secret ballot on the next President, the man who is expected to guide the country through the next two years and four months; the man who must bring about the recovery of a devastated economy.
Sri Lanka’s population rose as one on 9 July to overthrow President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose extraordinarily idiotic economic policies had led to the ruin of our thriving economy within the short span of two years. The expectation was that our politicians would finally close ranks behind one leader or a set of new leaders who would work hard to deliver the suffering population from the depths of misery.
But contrary to the expectations of the well over a million people who flocked to Colombo that day, the last week or so has seen the worst of Sri Lankan politics. WTF man! No less than three candidates from three different parties have thrown their hats in the ring to claim the presidency, with even an ex-military man making rumbling noises that he would like to sit on the throne.
Most incredibly, none of the candidates appear to be the least bit concerned about how they would bring about an economic recovery. Their sole purpose appears to be self-glorification. WTF! Uncle Niresh is speechless!
The present Acting President, who was expected to step aside and not contest, instead turned around and is making a bid for the top spot despite his vast unpopularity and the fact that his party has just one seat of the 225 in Parliament. WTF!
The largest party in Parliament, the SLPP, which is now deeply unpopular among the public, has publicly said that its members are split, with some saying that they would support the Acting President, and others declaring their loyalty to the party’s own candidate. WTF!
And finally, the Marxist JVP is also fielding a candidate, despite having just three seats in Parliament. WTF!
None of them have articulated a proper plan for economic recovery, apart from begging the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other donors for help and bringing in a few ships of fuel that will be so insufficient that it’s already being rationed. WTF man! For how long can this go on?
The Acting President in fact appears confident of victory and appears to be making preparations for a military crackdown, with hundreds of troops roaming around Colombo’s streets in very threatening-looking army vehicles. A state of emergency was declared yesterday, to emphasise this point. The people want hope; all they’ve got so far are tear gas and bullets.
If he wins, and cracks down on protests, then there will surely be bloodshed. And as dissent is stifled through force, there would doubtless be extremists who would recruit hopeless youth into their folds. Major violence would surely follow. That’s the lesson that history has taught in dozens of countries worldwide over the centuries. Not that violence would ever solve anything.
Make no mistake. Many Sri Lankans have a horrible streak of violence in them. Sri Lanka has had many violent insurrections in its short post-colonial history – 1971, 1989/90, and the Civil War. A Prime Minister was gunned down; a President blown to smithereens. No less than 45 Members of Parliament have met untimely violent ends.
It will be a sad day indeed if the bomb and the grenade become the method of dissent in the land of milk and honey.
Even now, let sanity prevail. Let the party leaders gather together and settle on one candidate for President, another for Prime Minister, and a Cabinet of representatives of all parties. That way, the new Government would also have no problem getting bills passed in Parliament. And most importantly, the public would have to accept such a government, as there is no other option until elections are held.
Anything short of this is likely to end in disaster.
It’s ta-ta, bye-bye from Uncle Niresh until next week, when I’m sure we’ll have much more to talk about in our paradise-without-hope that would be insanely more insane than this week.
Happy tear-gassing, and try not to get shot.
(WTF stands for whatever each of you want it to stand for. If you’ve got a ridiculously dirty mind, that’s not my fault).
Kapruka
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!