Saturday, September 1, 2012

A weekend of campaigning in Polonnaruwa





I am now unabashedly political, defending the direction and objectives of the party and believe the most important part is to impart one’s opinion to those who really matter in the context of attempting to change the system for the better. It is the traditional UPFA voter who needs to be talked to and convinced that they are being taken for a ride.

What better place to do this than in the electorate I happen to live in which is Minneriya? It was the electorate that gave the President the highest percentage vote of 78% (of all electorates in the country) and which has suffered the most in the recent catastrophe to hit the peasant farmers, namely the bad water management. I have my little cabin there and my agricultural property that I struggle to keep against numerous odds.

So it was an interesting exercise when a bunch of people from all parts of the country, all of whom other than two colleagues in the office, who I did not know, and were willing to give of their time and commit two or three days to a cause they happen to believe in and who were willing to come of their own free will, cost to an unknown destination to meet another set of unknown people and go canvassing on behalf of candidates who none of them knew. To me that is what I call really committed, and I hope they will one day be rewarded for their efforts.
 
The results from the limited number of homes we visited were very encouraging. We went too far to reach homes that had never been canvassed by any party or anyone. So they were actually pleased to see people from other parts of the country canvassing for their votes. It was surreal to hear the explanations of many of the people of the conditions they live in and the trials they have had to undergo recently. Not one person was willing to defend the record of the government. I am sure there are those who will vote for the administration, but fear to say so, but that in itself is encouraging, as previously they would have batted for MR with more vigor.

It was an interesting time, and Saturday, the road show of the UNP came to the village at 11pm though the appointed time was 6pm and at that late hour Sajith Premadasa took to the mike and sang for a crowd of 100 people who had stayed up that late, when bed time is 8pm usually.

19 comments:

Jack Point said...



What is the most critical issue?

To restore the institutional framework that ensures democratic government.

The presidency needs to be abolished, the independence of the judiciary, parliament and the public service restored.

In other words to restore the liberty of citizens, something that has been taken away from them, stage by stage.

Anonymous said...

so how are these guys any different from anyone else that knows nothing and goes around acting like a professional? if the party wins, these people will be rewarded with JOBS in the administration. Do you really want people with no knowledge or real skills running things? The people are smarter than we give them credit for and won't be deceived, as it is plainly obvious that these canvassers are seeking benefits for themselves in the form of future jobs, perks, power, etc., not for the benefit of the country which they have hardly given a thought about.

Anonymous said...

I think the big issue is that overseas Sri Lankans need to return to Sri Lanka and lend their education and skills back to the development of their motherland.

In the absence of such, you get the uninformed that enter politics as a means of social advancement in a patronage-based society. When they enter power, they haven't the slightest clue what policies and frameworks are the need of the day to position the country in good stead moving forward. Instead, they continue to drain the system and the whole thing muddles through.

In the meanwhile, those that have received free education and then migrated are developing other countries while riding high on their expatriate lifestyles.

Anonymous said...

“In the meanwhile, those that have received free education and then migrated are developing other countries while riding high on their expatriate lifestyles”

That is actually very wrong thinking. I can teach you well how to think correctly because I see that you do have some critical thinking ability anyways Keep reading and you will get some good points:

First of all that very same type of thinking by those who can at least think critically to a certain extent (which is the middle class generally speaking) is actually one of the most critical mistakes Sri Lankans make. Anyone and everyone regardless of which corner of the planet they live in must be able to freely go anywhere they want to go in order to succeed in life. Wanting to succeed individually is what makes a family (or a person) move out to a better location where there is a better frame work already established by the people of the past. We need to be able to see the value in that. Personally I would be horrified if I did not have that freedom! Knowing the world well today, I am pretty accurate if I were to say that majority of the 7 billion people in the world today in 2012 will agree with me as well.

Humans are capable of remarkable things. And those capable people are born in various places of the planet. And when one of those born in a place which is highly undeveloped I would be very sad if that individual did not have options to move out or achieve his/her dreams.

At the end , it is those high achievers , who actually provide remarkable things into this world that will benefit the entire 7 billion people. Here are some examples ; Eistesin, Bill Gates, Hypocrates, Edison, Ford, Shakespear, Plato and most of the Greek Philosophers (from which democracy is based ), and on and on. Now, think about Bill Gates, how many jobs you think his creations have evolved into this world ? Millions !. So, you see who benefit!. Entire world benefits when that high achiever has the 100% freedom to achieve whatever he / she wants to achieve. Take Eistein himself. If he could not move out of where he was born at , we probably won’t even be alive today if you know history well.

I am so thankful to those Sri Lankans who are courageous enough , hardworking enough, and most importantly intelligent enough to understand that they can achieve whatever they want to achieve in this world and going at it, even if it meant moving out of the country. For anyone human to move out of their own birth place is a very nerve wrecking thing, it is not a simple thing. And being able to appreciate that hard work is a divine thing not many people have.

Anonymous said...

I appreciate the September 11 comment but ask that people not only analyze things from an individual perspective. If all of the smartest people leave the country how are things supposed to improve locally? You need smart, interested, motivated people to make things change socially. If they leave, then you end up with the system you have today, where rajaratarala is an anomaly amongst a bunch of power hungry fools. So I ask can you expect the system to change itself?

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