Walawwa politics that gave rise to a nation of zombies.
In this year's presidential election, three candidates hail from political dynasties or Walawwas: Ranil Wickremesinghe from the "Sedawatta Walawwa," Namal Rajapaksa from the "Medamulana Walawwa," and Sajith Premadasa from the "Kehelwatta Walawwa." Together, these three politicians are aiming to secure nearly six million votes from the national electorate. They will need to secure the voting bloc separately. Just like these candidates, their families bear significant responsibility for the current state of the country. So how can they shamelessly and fearlessly ask the people for their votes?
At home wedding
These three candidates, along with their blood relatives, have either co-ruled or ruled the country for nearly a century. Now, they are seeking to regain control in order to rebuild a nation that was destroyed by them and their blood relatives. For a politically aware voter, these demands are laughable. However, for someone with little experience who only engages in politics during election season, this feels "familiar"—like a wedding table without chairs. (At home wedding). There are only tables with sweetmeats laid out. Guests are expected to walk around and eat whatever is available. In the southern provinces, these "At home" weddings were often hosted for people from castes considered lower than their own.
This ritual should be stopped.
The Bandaranaike family's political power in Horagolla Walawwa endured for nearly two centuries. Similarly, the Wijewardene family's influence from Sedawatta Walawwa spanned almost a century and a half. These dynasties still wield influence today. The Rajapaksa family's political power in Medamulana Walawwa is now approaching a century. Additionally, at the provincial and district levels, new families are emerging, positioning themselves to inherit political leadership as a tradition. There may be both genetic and social factors driving the pursuit of political leadership through inheritance. But how can we prevent these political dynasties from becoming the dominant force over the country and its people? Even the monks who chronicled the Mahavansa did not shy away from documenting the misdeeds of careless and criminal kings in history. But that tradition has not carried over into the modern age. In contrast, political historians of the contemporary, postmodern era are often hesitant or afraid to document such truths.
Victor Ivan's legacy of servitude
How can families who once ruled the country, along with their descendants from not-so-distant times, engage in such political farce? A prime example of this is Victor Ivan, former author of Ravaya and a key figure misleading urban leftist political retirees under the banner of Punarudaya. In the early 1990s, he likened Chandrika Kumaratunga to the goddess Pattini Devi, thereby elevating her to a central role in the political spectacle. At the end of that decade, he cast Chandrika Kumaratunga in the role of 'Kali Amma'. During the initial phase of these two periods, Victor Ivan portrayed Ranil Wickremesinghe as the executioner in the political parade. Now, he is setting the stage for the next political spectacle, presenting Ranil as the 'De Gaulle of Lanka'...!
Victor, who once toiled at Horagolla Walawwa, now performs the same duties at Sedawatte Walawwa, reflecting his enduring servitude across different contexts. The political historians of our time—the journalists—bear the crucial responsibility of documenting and shaping political narratives. If they fail to fulfill their responsibilities, the result will not be a single calamity, but a cascade of them, symbolizing the disintegration of cohesive governance. The warning about future politics fracturing into a series of such calamities underscores the urgent need to preserve principled leadership.
Shouldn't this history be written down?
After knowing the fates of Lasantha Wickramatunga, Prageeth Eknaligoda, Dharmaratnam Sivaram (Taraki), and Nimalarajan Mylvaganam, many fear facing the same fate. Those who dare to seek the truth often find themselves in eternal exile. If, at the very least, the trials related to these journalists' murders were concluded and the criminals punished, political history would not be shaped solely by the whims of the powerful. For instance, 14 years have passed since the murder of Eknaligoda, yet the trial remains unresolved—a stark reminder of the impunity that distorts our political narrative.
Investigations into the Eknaligoda murder began only five years after his death. Should history remain unwritten out of fear of death or the reluctance to face eternal exile? This reporting transcends the mere recounting of daily news. For instance, in 2002, all the cassette tapes of my National Television documentary, which chronicled the 12 massacre villages in Sri Lanka, were destroyed following a coup d'état. This loss underscores the urgency: the history once etched in stone and inscribed on scrolls must now be preserved in paper books.
Nandana Weeraratne
A collection of letters from the author
https://www.lankaenews.com/category/98