Advice to Dr Dayan Jayatilleke from an illiterate hack

"The 18A is a serious issue for us as Sri Lankans and although you say it could be rescinded we are putting our democracy on the line and it is the duty of every Sri Lankan not to cause this democracy to feed the greed of hungry politicians who want authoritarian power."

by Pearl Thevanayagam

(September 18, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) You know so little that you do not know that you know so little. This what my mathematics tutor used to tell us. Dayan feels that he is so far gone in academia that he does not know what a satire is. Does he not realize that even if you did not listen to Classic FM or are a regular to the Albert Hall any fool would know that Tchaikovsy is a composer and a fine one at that.

We also have fine classical musicians and composers in the sub-continent such as Amaradeva, Victor Ratnayake, Sanath Nandasiri, Kunnakudi Viswanathan, Kannathasan and scores more. Dr Dayan Jayetilleke, Tchaikovsky rhymes with Trotsky and the point I was making was that it does not matter what academic qualifications you have or what your tastes are, it is how you use them to convey a message in journalism that is important.

Please read P.G. Wodehouse, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore et al and their plays and you will find how they use split infinitives, faulty semantics, odd comparisons to bring the humour out of their plays. Perhaps you should be mixing with Rajiva for light entertanment. Also, please read Tarzie Vittachi’s Fly-by-night columns.

Not everyone can be a journalist but anyone can obtain a PhD provided they have the funds since there are a million topics. Journalists are the conduits between the academia and the laymen. Journalists have to sift through reams of academic drivel to get some substance although I must congratulate you that you have improved a lot in recent times.

I retract my statement about your father not getting his degree and offer you my profound apologies. As his son you know better. And I do like your headline, ‘Fake Pearls and Sprigs of Basil’. It shows you still have a tendency towards humour and that is a good thing. But seriously you need to lighten up and more importantly listen to your inner self. Leave aside prejudices and partisan mentality and your intellect would take you a long way.

The 18A is a serious issue for us as Sri Lankans and although you say it could be rescinded we are putting our democracy on the line and it is the duty of every Sri Lankan not to cause this democracy to feed the greed of hungry politicians who want authoritarian power.

I once requested that you take up politics but now I find you have an agenda towards Rajapakse regime, your intellect and knowledge notwithstanding, and on hindsight I realize you would have been a peril to our democracy had you listened to me. Just as you joined the Tamil rebels without thinking you are embarking on a political discourse which would cause you the same damage. So take some advice from an illiterate fake pearl whose only credentials are speaking from the heart and sincerity.

Please refer to previous article: Fake Pearls and Sprigs of Basil