Following is a translated version of an article written by Mr. Sirimevan Kasthuriarachhi, an eminent journalist in the country. This appeared in Divaina Newspaper on 29th. Jan. 2010.
General Fonseka who had earned the honor and the appreciation from people for giving leadership to the SL army which contributed to the end of the biggest curse that the country had been plaguing for 30 years, also earned a lot criticism after his controversial entry to the politics. I am not tempted to write about him due to some personnel responses I got from him. However, I think if he had come to power in any case, I would have not even got a chance to write this. Whatever differences and agreements existed between us it is the common understanding among the majority in the army too that he was a tough officer. And also there are enough evidences for anyone to get an understanding about what his common vocabulary is, how he uses it and what his attitudes are.
It is very much clear now that the majority of the people in this country were not prepared to hand over the leadership of this country to him. There is also a lot criticism about the forces behind him. It is apparent from the election results that there have been much favorable responses to him from the areas where he was engaged in military operations. There were people who were eying for positions and other benefits by helping him to come to power. Politicians, government servants, businessmen and media men are said to have been among those people. They were elated by General's contribution to the war victory and put him on the Murunga tree to achieve their ulterior motives by encouraging him to enter into politics.
But the general's perch on the Murunga tree was short lived. He has now fallen from the Murunga tree and is in unbearable pain with his back hitting the ground. The opportunists who put the General on the Murunga tree are now leaving him. The president, when general Sarath Fonseka decided to contest as his rival in the presidential election, told him " Sarath, reconsider your decision, this is wrong decision which will affect your life, you can't win this battle, when you lose all these people who are now around you will leave you, then come back to me I will be accepting you". It was the president as the commander of the armed forces who made him the commander of the army when he was in a helpless situation having decided to leave for the USA after losing the chance to be the army commander.
The president was, however, magnanimous enough to treat him kindly and not to consider him as a political enemy. But the General ignored president's kindness and decided to be his rival in the presidential election race.
Some allege that the General's decision to contest in the presidential race was not his alone but is a result of an exercise carried out by JVP and UNP to instill an exaggerated pride in him, thereby to achieve their political goals. Muslim Congress joined with this exercise and TNA too joined at the later stages. Many allege that the biggest folly and the betrayal committed by the General to the country was his decision to join in the hands of TNA.
Our memories are still fresh with harsh criticisms made against him and how he was being ridiculed by persons such as Lakhsman Kiriella, Mangala Samaraweera, Ranil Wickramasinhe and Ravi Karunanayaka when he was leading the army victoriously. He joined with Rauf Hakeem and Sampanthan who dedicated their political careers on behalf of Prabhakaran.
His political battle was adversely affected by his decision to join with TNA, the official political front of the LTTE. This resulted in him wining the appreciation of the Tamil people. The success he displayed in the Tamil dominated areas are evident for this. It is very clear to us why he got the majority votes from Muslims and Tamils in the North and East.
The overall result shows that how the people from South showed their gratitude to the president for giving political leadership to save them from terrorism that plagued the country for 03 decades. It is also the acceptance by the people that it is the president's political leadership that contributed for the war victory.
It is the general Sarath Fonseka himself who should take the responsibility for the unfortunate fate that befallen in him by coming into politics in order to satisfy his power hungriness and hatred. He did this by claiming the sole ownership to the war victory.
It is quite pathetic to see how sorry, unfortunate and tragic situation that general Fonseka and the opportunistic politicians and media men who pushed him to this abyss are in now. How tragic it is to see General Fonseka who had earned gratitude and honor as a brilliant war hero just a few months ago has reduced to be branded as a traitor and a defeated politician! The majority of peace loving, grateful and patriotic people of this country have proved that the ownership to the war victory does not go alone to him and the president is the only owner for the political leadership that pave the way for winning the war.
This victory goes into history as not only a political achievement of the President Mahinda Rajapaksha but also a victory for the gallant war heroes who gave freedom and peace to this country. This victory is also an utter defeat to the treacherous political forces of this country and local and international LTTE supportive forces who intervened to stop our victorious war.
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