Ask yourself, if you were Mahinda Rajapakse, with no intention of resigning as PM, would you unleash a mob to attack unarmed protestors, knowing the ultimate blame will fall on your shoulders? Presuming the answer is negative, think about what could have really happened. Without falling for pick &  go versions, think of the events & make your intelligent conclusions.

9 April 2022 – Protestors create #GoHomeGota inside Galle Face Green

Did the President err in allowing structures inside public place for a handful of protestors to claim it as their own inside which curfew & emergency were deemed null & void, questioning inequality to others having to remain indoors! This protest soon was overtaken by others with agendas diluting the message of the protestors (knicker show/anti-Buddhist slogans & dramas etc)

7 May 2022 – President declares emergency

9 May 2022 – Supporters arrive to urge Mahind Rajapakse not to resign (some had come in buses – some marched)

SCENARIO 1

• Around mid-day these supporters began attacking protestors stationed outside Temple Trees & thereafter proceeded towards Galle Face Green where they attacked the GoHomeGotaGama protestors.

Questions to answer

• Who organized these supporters to arrive at Temple Trees
• From where did these supporters arrive (districts/provinces)
• How did these supporters arrive (given the fuel crisis)
• Was PM Mahinda Rajapakse part of the organizing team?
• Did they bring poles/sticks etc with them or were they strategically placed en route or were they given poles/sticks at Temple Trees?
• If so who supplied these poles/sticks
• If the supporters inside Temple Trees did not have sticks but another group of supporters joined with sticks – who organized these people?
• who instructed them to attack the unarmed “peaceful protestors”?
• By 3p.m. another set of people mostly youth arrived – were they JVP/FLSP/SJB or another group (who organized these)
• The Temple Trees supporters were outnumbered & many landed up in Beira Lake – clothe removed by ‘peaceful protestors’. Minister Johnston Fernando’s vehicle was also put into the Beira Lake – with quite a number of arrack bottles.
• The attacks left over 150 injured with the death of 1 policemen, 2 bodyguards and a SLPP Member.
• It was unusual to see the Opposition Leader Sajith P and Eran W arrive at Galle Face Green in the middle of an altercation – who asked him to arrive?
• JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, former MPs, Lal Kantha, Wasantha Samarasinghe and Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa also arrived – who asked them to arrive?
• Who attacked Sajith? Why didn’t the same people who attacked Sajith not attack Anura Kumara & Co? Does this mean the protestors at Galle Face Green are supportive of Anura Kumara but does he get the same support from the rest of the Island which is 99.9% of the populace?
• The police & army are accused of not taking action – was this under orders (if so by whom & why) or was it out of fear as they have been lambasted by the international community & human rights organizations not to block “peaceful protests” & the time they did take action, this has resulted in arrest of police. Was the arrest to scare police from taking actions as arrest meant withholding salary until cleared of charges! Was police neutralized into inaction this way?

• The most important question is was Mahinda Rajapakse aware that his supporters were going to attack the “peaceful protestors” & did he give the nod of approval?
• Another point to consider is – would political savvy Mahinda Rajapakse who would have known the outcome of armed supporters attacking unarmed protestors, allow such an attack when the outcome would have been blamed on him? This is the crucial question that needs to be answered.

The ultimate outcome of this attack

• Resulted in the resignation of PM Mahinda Rajapakse & the entire Cabinet

SCENARIO 2

• Immediately after the attacks in Galle Face Green – SLPP MPs houses became the target of arson with over 50 being burnt to ashes, vehicles smashed & furniture destroyed.
• If this was an act as reaction to the unprovoked attacks on unarmed protestors in Galle Face Green – how were groups of men with kerosene ready to attack houses of Ministers/MPs around the island & knew where these houses were located?
• Why did the attackers not attack the President’s residence in Mirihana, though the residences of Mahinda Rajapakse in Tangalle, Medamulana, Carlton House & Kurunegala were burnt down as well as the shrine for the parents of the Rajapakse brothers?
• Who organized these groups – generally around 25 to 30 for every attack? Why were they wearing helmets? How was media present to film the attacks?
• Why were no one present in the homes that came under attack? Were they given prior warnings? Why? Was the intent to only cause property damage & not lives?

There are numerous opinions regarding these attacks which are linked to the allegation that the police & army just watched looking helpless.

Scenario 2 – were the attacks by

• Locals organized by foreign intel
• Prime Minister & his associates (setting fire to their own homes)
• JVP / Peratugami
• SJB
• Champaka & Pathum K
• Or any other?

Then, there is the deafening silence of the head of State & all protestors appear to have forgotten about the “kakka” – were these two with their families overseas also facing some sort of arm-twisting not to take action as were the other heads upon whom fell the responsibility of defending the nation & the people.

From the above scenarios, we must be intelligent enough to analyze & wonder who has the biggest advantage of the chaos that prevails? It is certainly not Mahinda Rajapakse. Who has the advantage & how?

We see very strong messages coming from the US & India is even mooting Indian troop presence claiming Indian interests in Sri Lanka are at risk.

If you were in Mahinda Rajapakse’s shoes – would you have created a situation where you are being hounded by helmet gangs and there’s a threat to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty?

GOAL ACHIEVED

In getting the PM to forcefully resign, the President has been further cornered minus the brothers that backed him, by getting over 40 key MPs to lose their homes & fear for their lives & family, they are now in a situation where to survive in politics, they have to bend on knees & beg – no longer can they dictate terms or demand dollars or positions for their vote. They are now political pawns & will say or do anything for their survival. They have been effectively neutralized. This is the perfect potion for pass legislation sans even debate or objections. There is even the question of rallying candidates to contest for the next elections with no strong leader to lead the party.

Such an operation cannot be done with local brains.

Therefore, we have to wonder who are the brains behind the chaos that erupted. From where did the pluck the helmet gangs for the job?

The biggest disadvantage was, to no one else but Mahinda Rajapakse – the once loved and the most charismatic politician in Sri Lanka. A Goebbels propaganda systematically brainwashing people over 5 years has been successful. He is now the most hated person in Sri Lanka by the LTTE-lobby/ the LTTE diaspora / the anti-Rajapakse Christian/Catholic lobby / the JVP-SJB-Peratugami & even foreign intel.

Being the only politician able to command the largest vote base, it was important that he had to be neutralized ahead of an election as well as to weaken the state and prevent him leading any opposition.

Getting rid of him was not a major exercise given the arrogance of his family members and the greed of acquiring wealth. Whether allegations of corruptions are true or not, the campaigns around them united people against him far beyond previous times.

Combining the unprovoked attacks, the allegations sufficed to justify that he was unsuited to be PM.

If he was not prepared to give up his PM position even on the day that supporters were arranged to arrive in support of him, was this unprovoked attack planned to force his resignation and to neutralize all the MPs that posed a threat for the ultimate goal of the brains behind the attacks – to abolish the Executive Presidency?

With the resignation of the PM & entire Cabinet, even those who oppose the Executive Presidency would realize its merit. Whether a weak leader sat in the seat, the position is giving the much needed powers to keep the country stable. Those that recently proudly proposed its abolishing will be realizing its importance now, especially in the light of personal vendettas/looting taking place in the guise of ‘revenge attacks’.

If the Opposition is brimming with glee – they must surely know, they can also be next!

Shenali D Waduge