A zombie apocalypse is a genre of fiction in which civilisation collapses due to overwhelming swarms of zombies. In the West, it’s a cultural trope. The idea that the dead will rise up, and civilisation will be destroyed as a result, has fascinated people so much in Europe and North America, that there is a special genre of fiction dedicated to this dark but engrossing idea.
In Sri Lanka, the entire zombie apocalypse is centred around one name. Ranil Wickremesinghe. In Sri Lankan politics, that’s the dead man walking. The funny part is that there is an entire land of zombies who are walking along with the dead man – and so, this is our own version of the zombie apocalypse, as seen through green tinted goggles.
In the last two weeks, there have been quite a few interviews with – wait for it – Ranil Wickremesinghe. This writer came across one that was done by a popular TV show host who is now in his second incarnation as a talk show anchor, doubling as a regular mainstream presenter, and YouTube TV personality.
Then, there was the totally cringeworthy fireside chat a week ago in which Wickremesinghe was asked which kind of cat he eats for breakfast or something like that, along with other sundry posers usually reserved for cheesy celebrities, and K-pop stars. A well-known banker recently wrote a piece on him to a local daily, and restated the obvious, saying: “Wickremesinghe has overstayed his welcome,” but yet felt the need to sugar coat the piece by mentioning that Wickremesinghe has consulted him on many occasions, and had been to his housewarming ceremony 13 years ago!
Another YouTube interviewer-type fawned over Wickremesinghe so much that this writer was waiting for the moment he would bend over and lick the ex-premier’s boots – but it didn’t happen because the interlocutor was so ingratiating to the subject that he appeared to be paralysed in his presence. Even more cringeworthy than a starry eyed young lass doing a K-pop-style interview with the gentleman who is old enough to be her grand-pop…
It just takes a strange, zombie political culture to keep a politically dead man alive like this. Ranil Wickremesinghe, for the benefit of the man from Mars who is reading this article, is the former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka who is leading his party – the United National Party (UNP) – from 1994 or thereabouts, and has helmed that party to an ignominious defeat at the last general election, where under his leadership, it was reduced to a single seat in Parliament. He has been clinging onto the party top slot now for almost three decades despite serial defeats, resisting repeated attempts to oust him, by manoeuvring party fortunes with a farcical constitution he tailor-made for himself.
There is zero chance that Ranil Wickremesinghe will now be able to resurrect his political fortunes by reawakening his party. His party cadre deserted him, en masse, and it is a fait accompli, because the deserters outperformed him manifold at the last electoral outing. He is political toast – of the very badly burnt variety. It’s the kind of edible that can now be thrown out the door for charcoal.
If that is the case, what accounts for the political culture that keeps this walking dead soul, periodically but unmistakably, in the news? Are the fawning interviewers more zombie-like than their subject?
This is a phenomenon that is unique to Sri Lanka. In any other country, charcoal would have been turned to ash, and been interred by now. A gravestone perhaps, a forgettable memorial, and nothing more. As a social phenomenon, this aspect of South Asian political culture certainly merits analysis. Why is it that in a country that boasts of a very admirable literacy rate, which is also the oldest democracy in Asia, at least in its niche television programming and newspaper feature sections, we give any space to a spent-farce that is not merely politically dead but is an utterly reprehensible example to the younger generation of how not to do public service?
Here is a man who has wilfully stomped on younger talent. Selfishly, he refuses to fill the one-seat National List slot that his party has won in Parliament, very probably because he feels that he should be the MP from his party, but also doesn’t want to be accused once more of refusing to nurture younger talent by not nominating a younger person. What respect does he have for universal adult franchise? What example does he set to the younger generations – never mind the youngsters in his party – when he in effect blocks citizen representation in Parliament to serve his own ends; to salve his own wounded ego, really?
What ails our political culture so much that the media – or at least sections of it – wants to give such a reeking corpse, a walking dead man grasping and devouring everything for himself, any media oxygen at all? Is the media fundamentally masochistic? Do they revel in being teased and talked down to, by this queer specimen of a political sadist that keeps grasping for himself, no matter how severely the people reject him?
It’s seems that media neophytes, the more experienced commentators, and the sundry specimens of political analysts in troth to him, are frankly almost more bankrupt than the man himself. They seem to think that this person who represents the upper crust – a Sri Lankan politician to the manor born – represents something they sorely lack: Class.
They conflate class with social strata – Royal College, family politics a la JRJ (J.R. Jayewardene), Esmond Wickremesinghe, the lot. They have also swallowed all the erstwhile UNP propaganda that desperately intended to create an image for Ranil Wickremesinghe, because he simply wouldn’t budge, and they had to try their best to sell and unsaleable commodity.
So they said that he reads books, that he is an “intellect” – as that senior banker offers unctuously in his article – and that he is politically wily. He is none of these, though.
The gentleman is an absolute, abject failure, period. How many books does a man have to read to run the economy to the ground when there was no pandemic? What sort of intellect does a man need to possess to reduce the oldest political party in the country to a single seat – and that too an afterthought slot, on the National List?
What political wiles does anyone have, to be able to face so many electoral contests – when the outcome staring in the face has been certain defeat?
Those who are in troth to him are masochists who want a little bit of the defeat that Ranil Wickremesinghe embodies, to rub off on them too. Only the bankrupt will think of fostering a serial bankruptcy in the form of Ranil Wickremesinghe, and that should be axiomatic.
Also, to indicate that the man is well read or that he represents something “intellectual” shows that in our political culture, palpable duds exist, who are like ingenues in a period drama. They seek refuge in their own bromides and in the bromides of a man who is in politics these days, because he literally cannot find anything better to do.
Such utter mediocrity all round is ridiculously gobsmacking. At least if RW is not given the benefit of a mic, he would fade away, as almost everybody that’s a sane and thinking person wants him to. What sort of political culture is it that serially insults the voters by more or less trying to force them to listen to a man they loathe – because he doesn’t know when to quit, because he ruined the country palpably on many occasions, and ruined his party completely to boot?
The answer is simple. It’s a political culture of zombies holding hands with zombies. That perky young lady who did the last interview with RW pursed her lips and asked her “leader”, what do you think went wrong with this country’s politics?
You shouldn’t have bothered missus. Why should you have to ask when you are looking at the obvious answer that’s bulging right before your eyes, right there, on that settee, in the flesh?
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication)Why is the media keeping Ranil Wickremesinghe alive?
31 Mar 2021
Why is the media keeping Ranil Wickremesinghe alive?
31 Mar 2021
A zombie apocalypse is a genre of fiction in which civilisation collapses due to overwhelming swarms of zombies. In the West, it’s a cultural trope. The idea that the dead will rise up, and civilisation will be destroyed as a result, has fascinated people so much in Europe and North America, that there is a special genre of fiction dedicated to this dark but engrossing idea.
In Sri Lanka, the entire zombie apocalypse is centred around one name. Ranil Wickremesinghe. In Sri Lankan politics, that’s the dead man walking. The funny part is that there is an entire land of zombies who are walking along with the dead man – and so, this is our own version of the zombie apocalypse, as seen through green tinted goggles.
In the last two weeks, there have been quite a few interviews with – wait for it – Ranil Wickremesinghe. This writer came across one that was done by a popular TV show host who is now in his second incarnation as a talk show anchor, doubling as a regular mainstream presenter, and YouTube TV personality.
Then, there was the totally cringeworthy fireside chat a week ago in which Wickremesinghe was asked which kind of cat he eats for breakfast or something like that, along with other sundry posers usually reserved for cheesy celebrities, and K-pop stars. A well-known banker recently wrote a piece on him to a local daily, and restated the obvious, saying: “Wickremesinghe has overstayed his welcome,” but yet felt the need to sugar coat the piece by mentioning that Wickremesinghe has consulted him on many occasions, and had been to his housewarming ceremony 13 years ago!
Another YouTube interviewer-type fawned over Wickremesinghe so much that this writer was waiting for the moment he would bend over and lick the ex-premier’s boots – but it didn’t happen because the interlocutor was so ingratiating to the subject that he appeared to be paralysed in his presence. Even more cringeworthy than a starry eyed young lass doing a K-pop-style interview with the gentleman who is old enough to be her grand-pop…
It just takes a strange, zombie political culture to keep a politically dead man alive like this. Ranil Wickremesinghe, for the benefit of the man from Mars who is reading this article, is the former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka who is leading his party – the United National Party (UNP) – from 1994 or thereabouts, and has helmed that party to an ignominious defeat at the last general election, where under his leadership, it was reduced to a single seat in Parliament. He has been clinging onto the party top slot now for almost three decades despite serial defeats, resisting repeated attempts to oust him, by manoeuvring party fortunes with a farcical constitution he tailor-made for himself.
There is zero chance that Ranil Wickremesinghe will now be able to resurrect his political fortunes by reawakening his party. His party cadre deserted him, en masse, and it is a fait accompli, because the deserters outperformed him manifold at the last electoral outing. He is political toast – of the very badly burnt variety. It’s the kind of edible that can now be thrown out the door for charcoal.
If that is the case, what accounts for the political culture that keeps this walking dead soul, periodically but unmistakably, in the news? Are the fawning interviewers more zombie-like than their subject?
This is a phenomenon that is unique to Sri Lanka. In any other country, charcoal would have been turned to ash, and been interred by now. A gravestone perhaps, a forgettable memorial, and nothing more. As a social phenomenon, this aspect of South Asian political culture certainly merits analysis. Why is it that in a country that boasts of a very admirable literacy rate, which is also the oldest democracy in Asia, at least in its niche television programming and newspaper feature sections, we give any space to a spent-farce that is not merely politically dead but is an utterly reprehensible example to the younger generation of how not to do public service?
Here is a man who has wilfully stomped on younger talent. Selfishly, he refuses to fill the one-seat National List slot that his party has won in Parliament, very probably because he feels that he should be the MP from his party, but also doesn’t want to be accused once more of refusing to nurture younger talent by not nominating a younger person. What respect does he have for universal adult franchise? What example does he set to the younger generations – never mind the youngsters in his party – when he in effect blocks citizen representation in Parliament to serve his own ends; to salve his own wounded ego, really?
What ails our political culture so much that the media – or at least sections of it – wants to give such a reeking corpse, a walking dead man grasping and devouring everything for himself, any media oxygen at all? Is the media fundamentally masochistic? Do they revel in being teased and talked down to, by this queer specimen of a political sadist that keeps grasping for himself, no matter how severely the people reject him?
It’s seems that media neophytes, the more experienced commentators, and the sundry specimens of political analysts in troth to him, are frankly almost more bankrupt than the man himself. They seem to think that this person who represents the upper crust – a Sri Lankan politician to the manor born – represents something they sorely lack: Class.
They conflate class with social strata – Royal College, family politics a la JRJ (J.R. Jayewardene), Esmond Wickremesinghe, the lot. They have also swallowed all the erstwhile UNP propaganda that desperately intended to create an image for Ranil Wickremesinghe, because he simply wouldn’t budge, and they had to try their best to sell and unsaleable commodity.
So they said that he reads books, that he is an “intellect” – as that senior banker offers unctuously in his article – and that he is politically wily. He is none of these, though.
The gentleman is an absolute, abject failure, period. How many books does a man have to read to run the economy to the ground when there was no pandemic? What sort of intellect does a man need to possess to reduce the oldest political party in the country to a single seat – and that too an afterthought slot, on the National List?
What political wiles does anyone have, to be able to face so many electoral contests – when the outcome staring in the face has been certain defeat?
Those who are in troth to him are masochists who want a little bit of the defeat that Ranil Wickremesinghe embodies, to rub off on them too. Only the bankrupt will think of fostering a serial bankruptcy in the form of Ranil Wickremesinghe, and that should be axiomatic.
Also, to indicate that the man is well read or that he represents something “intellectual” shows that in our political culture, palpable duds exist, who are like ingenues in a period drama. They seek refuge in their own bromides and in the bromides of a man who is in politics these days, because he literally cannot find anything better to do.
Such utter mediocrity all round is ridiculously gobsmacking. At least if RW is not given the benefit of a mic, he would fade away, as almost everybody that’s a sane and thinking person wants him to. What sort of political culture is it that serially insults the voters by more or less trying to force them to listen to a man they loathe – because he doesn’t know when to quit, because he ruined the country palpably on many occasions, and ruined his party completely to boot?
The answer is simple. It’s a political culture of zombies holding hands with zombies. That perky young lady who did the last interview with RW pursed her lips and asked her “leader”, what do you think went wrong with this country’s politics?
You shouldn’t have bothered missus. Why should you have to ask when you are looking at the obvious answer that’s bulging right before your eyes, right there, on that settee, in the flesh?
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication)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!