Rajapak-istan is in the making

" Having done everything to increase Namal’s profile, including making him a MP, the President did not fail to reflect the true character of his son’s mission when the ICRC tractors were grabbed forcefully."

(October 27, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) President Dr (Lumumba) Percy Mahendra Rajapakse’s son Namal Rajapakse’s for the first time showed his true colours and character when he lead a gang of MP’s to forcefully grab the 400 odd handheld tractors to be distributed to the resettled people by the ICRC in the Vanni and Vavuniya area.

Such a daylight robbery with the blessing of the President took place amidst the presence of the police and large number of civilian. The police have not taken any action against the President’s son or other violent parliamentarians nor had returned the tractors to the ICRC or the intended beneficiaries.

The media in Sri Lanka too is soft peddling the issue, except for vaguely reporting the story.

President Mahendra Rajapakse gave all the publicity needed to kick started the campaign when his son Namal Rajapakse’s is being groomed as future President of Sri Lanka. Namal’s red shawl tying show by his dad, shaking hands with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and meeting the UN General Secretary with his father recently are some of the high profile shows to progress the puppy to become the leader of the Rakapak-istan in the making.

Having done everything to increase Namal’s profile, including making him a MP, the President did not fail to reflect the true character of his son’s mission when the ICRC tractors were grabbed forcefully.

All what happened in Vavuniya was blatant disregard to rule of law and disrespect for the role played by a reputed international agency ICRC. ICRC that hears and deals with daily gruesome accounts of human rights violations is carrying out its commendable service under extra ordinary circumstances. On one side, it must maintain silence on the work it has undertaken whilst seeing some relief is brought to the victims and those contact them under extremely difficult circumstances.

The offer of 400 handheld tractors was a real magnanimity of this pioneering organisation to help the victims of the war. Unfortunately, that magnanimity is anathema to a state that is progressing at a speed of disrespecting the core values needed for the state, leave aside core principles of Buddhist values that are professed by the government.