5th Column
A not-so-innocent spin doctor
View(s):My Dear Mangala,
I thought I must write to you even though I am not sure whether I should send this letter to you at home or to the remand prison in Matara-such are the difficulties you face when you leave the Cabinet and then join a party that is trying so hard to be its own enemy!
As the ‘media spokesman’ for the Greens, I am sure you must be thinking that any publicity is good publicity. If so, last week would have been good for you: you made national headlines for the first time since you left Mahinda maama’s Cabinet more than six years ago.
If memory serves me right, Mangala, you then formed your own party but all of us-except maybe the retired General-know that such parties take you nowhere. So, you joined the Greens three years later, even though it seemed quite unimaginable at that time.
It was ironic because, until then, you had been responsible for most of the problems of the Greens. Under Satellite, you were a very powerful man. You were in charge of the media and those days, we couldn’t switch on a television set without having to see you telling us how bad the Greens were.
You had other talents too. Under your watch as Media Minister, a new kind of media freedom emerged: the freedom to bash media personnel both in their homes and when they were protesting on the streets. Of course, we have more of that kind of media freedom now!
Then, Mangala, although you were Satellite’s loyal friend and ally for many, many years, especially in all her battles with brother Anura, you knew which way the wind was blowing. So, when Mahinda maama took over, you quickly switched your allegiance to him.
Whether it was right or wrong, you were obviously good at what you did, which is why Mahinda maama picked you as his campaign manager for the big election-and this was at a time when most of the Blues thought that he didn’t stand a realistic chance against Uncle Ranil.
You did your job well, labelling Uncle Ranil a ‘kotiya’ for negotiating with the Tigers and entering into a ceasefire agreement with them. It is a tag which has stuck and that is one of the main reasons why the Greens find it difficult to sell Uncle Ranil as a worthy candidate even now.
Of course, you then suddenly became very democratic and began complaining that Mahinda maama was behaving like a dictator which is why you were sacked from the Cabinet. I suppose Mahinda maama must have feared that you would bring Satellite back from retirement!
Uncle Ranil, in his wisdom, then decided to accept you to the Green party and I must admit that you have been well and truly loyal to him, although your presence among the Greens-after doing so much damage to them when you were with the Blues-has ruffled quite a few feathers, and justifiably so.
Some are aghast at what happened in Matara a few days ago when pole-wielding thugs attacked the Green protest march. As for me, I am not at all surprised because pole-wielding thugs attacking the Greens was the order of the day when you were with Satellite. Old habits die hard, I guess.
I suppose someone will now propose a conspiracy theory saying that this was all Mahinda maama’s work. They will even say that it was a grand plan to destabilise the Greens, by sending you to them so you could create internal divisions. I am not sure whether it is a conspiracy, but that is what has happened!
From what I hear, sections of the Greens are calling for your arrest and Uncle Ranil is trying his best to defend you. Whatever the motives of the protest march and whatever the motives of those who attacked it, you can be sure that Mahinda maama will be laughing all the way to the next elections.
Of course, Mangala, despite all what has happened in the past few weeks, we have to admire you for having the courage to stand up and be critical of the powers that be at a time when even those like Dayasiri suddenly become spineless and decamp to the other side.
Mangala, you have a come a long way since we knew you as ‘Innocence”, the fashion designer. Your political innocence was lost many years ago but I do worry about your future. Think about it, because there is nothing more lonely than a ‘retired’ politician who no one wants to talk to-just ask Satellite!
Yours truly,
Punchi Putha
PS-Remember Satellite’s other friend, Seeni Bola? He too tried to do what you are doing: joining the Greens and trying to make them win. As we all know, he is now back with the Blues and singing Mahinda maama’s praises while looking after our universities. Who, knows, Mangala, if you do return to the Blues, maybe your political career too could become ‘jayamangala’ instead of the way it looks now-‘avamangala’!
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