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The total charges amounted to Rs. 560 a princely sum, I did not
have. I applied for a distress loan. The Chairman
Ranjith Wijewardene gently, with a twinkle in his eye, reminded
me that it was a distress that I could have taken steps to alleviate
over the preceding nine months! Somehow, the bill was settled.
He was mindful of the definition of a distress and equally
appreciative of my present and immediate distress. A solution
was worked out. It was Budget debate time. Overtime earnings
came in handy. I celebrated the birth of my first born with Tikiri
Herath and Sarath Muththeuwegama after Parliament.
That was in November 1970. I remember making a few
generous comments on the maiden speech of the young
Parliamentarian Mahinda Rajapaksa. His speech was drafted by
my friend and neighbour Professor Mendis Rohanadheera. My
active journalism ended in 1974 although I continued to write
whenever possible including a regular column as Narada when
Mervyn de Silva edited the Sunday Times.
Dr. D. J says that he criticised Gota then while others were silent. I
do not know what he wrote about Gota. As for me I was scared
when I wrote about the regime. I am told prison has only
squatting pans. I was not only shit scared but was scared to be in
prison because passing shit is a part of the business of living. I did
criticise the Defence Sectary a few times in a circumspect
manner. To my utter horror my dear friend D.C. Karunaratne who
is still practicing the craft of journalism told me that he gathered
that I was praising this politico military aberration. I stopped
writing about Gota!
Yes. I did call Viyath Maga a tribal war dance. Indeed it was a
tribal war dance. In primitive tribes the war dance was about
appropriation of power. The Viyath Maga event was also about
appropriating power. The old chief was present. The new chief
was in charge. The old tribe in the years 2010-2015 transformed
the tribe and embraced modernity in the form of co-opted
corporations and academics.
Gota was also in the army in the 80s. He should know what
happened in Batalanda. He must certainly know what happened
in my hometown Matale. That said I am grateful for the reference.
It gives me an opening to deal with the living breathing atrocity in
the persona of Major General Kamal Gunaratne, the author of
Ranamaga Ossey Nandikadal. He celebrates his wifes bodhi
pooja that earned him the privilege of having his soldiers
dropping the body of Prabhakaran at his feet.