5th Column

My dear Lakmali,

I thought of writing to you because it appears to be hard to keep you out of the news, even though you are only a backbencher in the ‘maalimaawa’ camp. You seem to operate on the principle that ‘any publicity is good publicity’. This time, however, what you said may even cost you your job.

To be honest, when the tide that swept the ‘maalimaawa’ into power last year brought you to the House by the Diyawanna Oya, many had high expectations from you. You were the type of person the country wanted: relatively young, educated, with a passion for change and also a lawyer, to boot.

Most people had hoped that we should entrust responsibilities and decision making to those like you if we were to change the course of the nation. That, and the fact that the majority were sick and tired of the old ‘two party’ system is why the ‘maalimaawa’ secured a landslide, the scale of which is unmatched.

Unfortunately, what we have seen from you since then, Lakmali, was less than flattering. There were glimpses of your attitude even before this, especially when you attended television talk shows. That led us to wonder why the powers that be in the ‘maalimaawa’ persisted with you to represent them.  

There was the occasion when you refused to answer a question posed by an opponent, saying “No I won’t answer”, adopting a SB-style approach. Then there was that other time when your comment that it was the ‘maalimaawa’ that had reached an agreement with ‘Sinopec’ was inaccurate.

Then you also disputed a statement attributed to Anura sahodaraya and was provided video evidence to the contrary live on television. With such ‘incidents’ occurring one after the other many were beginning to question and challenge not only your sincerity but also your arrogant know-it-all attitude.

Still, your colleagues continued to place their trust in you. Once when you were attacked verbally by a ‘telephone’ chap in the House in a disgraceful manner, Harini and your colleagues rallied around you saying that young girls in this country aspired to be like you one day. I am not so sure about that now.

We all heard you loud and clear the other day, telling an official “Didn’t I tell you before, not to implement the court decision?”. Even a lawyer of Sunil’s calibre, seated beside you, realised the blunder at once and tried to minimise the damage caused, saying “with all due respect to the court”.

You being a lawyer, Lakmali, we were surprised at what you said in a public forum. What was even more striking was the way you said it. There was a sense of arrogance that comes from being in power which we have seen many times in your predecessors, which the ‘maalimaawa’ promised to eliminate.

You may be relatively young, Lakmali, but you are old enough to remember what happened to SB. He said something on the same lines, that he wouldn’t accept the court’s verdict in slightly more colourful language. He was sent behind bars for two years for those words until Mahinda maama pardoned him.

There were others. Gnanasara hamuduruwo was found of guilty of the same offence and sent to prison after he disrupted court proceedings. Actor Ranjan claimed that some judges were corrupt and was given the same treatment. Both were pardoned, the former by Aiyo Sirisena, the latter by Uncle Ranil.

Even more recently, and perhaps more in line with what you said about not implementing a court order, Harsha, the chap who controlled Immigration and Emigration was also found guilty of contempt of court. He is now serving two years in prison despite having friends in high places.

It is interesting to note that some have already been detained in the case that you referred to, for not implementing the same court order. So, your political rivals are asking why it should be any different for you. After all, it was the ‘maalimaawa’ which boasted that everyone is equal before the law now.

We then heard Harshana trying to defend you. Even he conceded that you should have chosen your words more carefully. He argued your motive was to help people. This from someone who forgot to correctly submit his asset declaration despite presiding over the justice portfolio.

I heard a complaint has been made against you, so I suppose the due legal processes will follow. It will be a good learning experience for everyone, for the rest us to see whether the wheels of justice turn with equal speed for everyone, and for you, to learn that careless talk can cost you dearly.

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: If this matter gets to be heard for alleged contempt of court, I hope you will get someone better than either Sunil or Harshana to argue your case, Lakmali. That is because, although all the politicians convicted of this offence were later pardoned by Presidents, Anura sahodaraya won’t be able to do so!