Roger, Royce and the likes…

| by Helasingha Bandara

( March 6, 2014, Washington DC, Sri Lanka Guardian) Roger Senaviratne and Royce Fernando (coincidentally R & R) are two political aspirants who claim that they want to serve people through politics, in other words by holding political office. Let’s see how sincere this claim is and how suitable they are to hold public office.

Roger Senaviratne is an actor cum politician. His clandestine relationship with Mihira Wickramarachchi’s (a businessman) wife culminated in them starting a life together leaving their respective families. He has been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for causing physical injury to Mihira, ironically a suspended term. Interestingly horoscopes of wealthy businessmen seem ominous these days, only the other day the wife of Salaka owner drew attention of the press being the mistress of infamous Laksman Hulugalle.

Roger, together with Mihira Wickramarachchi’s wife, broke hearts of two people and ruined two families. He has abused Mihira’s generosity and friendship, cheated on his own wife, committed adultery and caused irreperable damage to the children of two families. The story goes on to say that MIhira has gone back to woo his wife back on the insistence of his two daughters when Roger broke his leg with an iron rod. Wimps exist and women are not happy to be with wimps. Mihira’s wife seems no exception.

However, Roger has broken norms of a civilized society by first stealing someone else’s wife (she was not a baby to be stolen, yet the expression is stealing someone else’s wife) and breaking hearts of the husband of the woman and breaking the heart of his own wife, damaging the psyche of two sets of children and finally breaking the man’s limb? It can be argued that they fell in, love, so to leave them alone. Agree, but they must live in their cloud cuckooo love land in isolation. Falling in love may not be a crime but causing physical injury to someone certainly is a crime. Since it has been proved, Roger is a convicted criminal. Criminals should not be allowed to contest elections, parliamentary or otherwise.

Roger seems a popular actor but an imbecile not to realise that a thief is always a thief. She would do it again. What about Mihira’s ex wife? Is she not more than an imbecile? Just imagine that Roger would become a politician (anything and everything is possible in the Fools Paradise). His popularity on the silver screen combined with political power would be a Casanova in the making. He will not only break her heart but also ruin many more families and break many more legs and even necks. He may be allowed nomination and he may even win. God bless the voters!

Contrary to Roger’s somewhat likable appearance, Royce Fernando looks a marauding criminal. He has allegedly robbed a jewellery cum money exchange shop in Negombo to finance his election campaign... He needs the money to squander on his election campaign because money can win elections in the Paradise.

Imagine he won the election with the help of stolen money and came to power! How much he would then steal from the people? One of his gang members has said that he was threatened with death by Royce. Looking at Royce’s face I fear that he could murder people. The combination of his STF training, murderous intentions and political power would be lethal generally for everyone and especially for his opponents.

These are the most recent samples of political aspitrants coming forward to govern this country. List is endless. Drug barons and drug addicts, war lords and murderers, racketeers and commission seekers, rapists and adulterers, nudes cum actresses, all are very popular. Some are popular because of their money, some are for their ability to intimidate others and others are for their bodies. None is popular for their qualifications, experience, skills, good intentions, policies or manifestos. People are not wise enough to understand the difference between good and evil. In the next ten years, instead of becoming the dream of Asia we will be Asia’s nightmare.