5th Column

My dear Keheliya and Ramith,

I thought of writing to both of you at the same time since both of you are now together at the same location which unfortunately is remand prison. It may not be the ideal place for a family reunion but we must allow the law to take its course. That is what the people have been demanding for years.

You must be sad about where you are. We are also sad but in a different way. Keheliya, you entered politics, being described as ‘ugath, buddhimath’ or ‘educated and intelligent’, the type we want to see more of in politics. However, as even the ‘maalimaawa’ is showing us now, they may not be the best!

You trained as a hotelier, Keheliya, and also displayed your entrepreneurial skills by producing a film, ‘Sakvithi Suvaya’, starring Gamini Fonseka while still in your 20s. So, when you entered politics you were a very promising prospect. You would have believed that a great future awaited you.

What’s more, you seemed to be a principled politician too, Keheliya, because you had the courage to side with Gamini and Lalith and oppose Preme who was at the height of his powers. In hindsight, we now know this is not a good yardstick to measure integrity: young Ravi was in the same camp too!

Looking back now, we realise you were always keen to seize the next opportunity that came your way, Keheliya. You were back with the Greens after Preme’s demise but joined Mahinda maama a few years later, getting a Cabinet portfolio as a reward. You put yourself before the party, even then.

That cross-over served you well, Keheliya, because a year later young Ramith was suspended for alleged misconduct at his school, Royal College. As a minister, you used all the muscle you could muster, sending ‘agents’ to the school to put pressure on the Principal to withdraw that suspension.

You succeeded, the Royal College Principal succumbed to the pressure, and young Ramith had his suspension lifted. That is where both of you missed the bus. If Ramith was properly disciplined then, both of you would have realised that sometimes, you have to face the consequences of your actions.

Instead, Ramith, you went on to become a star cricketer and even captained your school cricket team. Unfortunately, you had learnt the wrong lesson from what happened at Royal. You may have learnt of books, you may have even learnt of men, but what you also learnt was to play the wrong kind of game.

Keheliya, you held many important portfolios. As Minister of Mass Media, you were the public face of the government. As you appeared on our television screens day after day and became famous, your actions also came under scrutiny – such as when you fell off a balcony while touring Down Under.

Keheliya, the decision by Mahinda maama to release money from the President’s Fund to treat your little escapade is still making headlines. Jumping from heights also seems to be a trait that is running in the family because a year later Ramith tried to open the cabin door of an aircraft at 32,000 feet!

Now, you have both fallen from great heights, Keheliya and Ramith, though it has taken time. Some even doubted whether your fall from grace will ever come. That is because there was a time when the law was applied differently to different persons and some people got away with almost anything.

When the scandal over the human immunoglobulin issue first emerged, Keheliya, Uncle Ranil shifted you from the Health Ministry to the Environment Ministry. That is how he deals with such issues. Remember, during the Central Bank bond scam, Ravi was shifted from Finance to Foreign Affairs!

When the then opposition brought a motion of no confidence against you, Keheliya, the ‘pohottuwa’ chaps lined up to support you. Today, when they gather to analyse why their vote plummeted to 3 per cent at the general election, your name must be listed as one of the reasons for that to happen.

Seeing you enter court the other day, Keheliya, walking feebly on crutches, you were a far cry from the arrogant minister who used to berate officials and media men at the height of your power. We don’t get any joy seeing you in that manner, but some will feel that justice is being done at long last.

Keheliya, it is also ironical that you are now sharing a remand prison with your former political rival in the Kandy district, Mahindananda, with whom you have fought many a fierce political battle when you were in different political camps – although both of you later served in Mahinda maama’s Cabinet.

If only Mahinda maama knew where his proteges would end up, he would have upgraded our prison system with luxury facilities instead of building airports that attract no flights. That would have been useful to all of you, because if this trend continues you will soon have a two-thirds majority – in prison!

Keheliya and Ramith, we realise that both of you have only been remanded. Neither of you have been found guilty of any offence yet. As such, you are entitled to the presumption of innocence. Still, we are also sure that, just two years ago, you wouldn’t have dreamt that you will be where you are now!

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: Even though many weird and wonderful events have occurred in Paradise, having father and son in remand prison at the same time must be unusual. I am sure there must be other famous fathers and sons who are now hoping that they don’t have to follow in your footsteps, Keheliya and Ramith!