Lanka Citizen

Lanka poll: Kegalle Sinhalas yearn for non-elitist leader

by PK Balachandran

One of the distinguishing features of the November 17 Sri Lankan presidential election is that the majority Sinhala-Buddhist community seems to be earnestly seeking a “homegrown” and “non-elitist” national leadership to replace the Westernised and elitist one which has held sway since Independence in 1948.

This explains the significant support this community is giving to a person like Mahinda Rajapaksa, the candidate of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in preference to Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) in Kegalle district in North Western Sri Lanka.

In Kagalle, Rajapaksa did not have the advantage of being a “local man”, an advantage he had in the districts of the “Deep South” like Galle, Matara, Humbantota and Moneragala. In Kegalle he was seen as a “homegrown”, non-elitist, Sinhala-Buddhist leader, who could be trusted to safeguard the cultural, religious, political and economic independence of the country in the face of threats from inside and outside.

Despite his wealthy background, Rajapaksa was seen as a representative of the hoi polloi, the rural hoi polloi especially.

Rajapaksa’s indigenous “Sinhala” orientation in terms of both polices and personal attributes, was being contrasted with the Western, and therefore, “alien” orientation of his principal rival Ranil Wickremesinghe of the UNP.

Breaking away from elitist past

Talking to people on a random basis in the towns and villages of the district one got the impression that the people were eager to move away from the post-independence tradition of being led by the Colombo-based, well-heeled, Westernised elite. Since independence in 1948, Sri Lanka has not had a truly homespun leadership of the kind, which India has had. SWRD. Bandaranaike did unleash an indigenous cultural revolution when he formed the SLFP in the 1950s and his wife Sirimavo did carry the left-oriented home grown revolution forward. But they were, quintessentially, the traditional landed gentry, who led a Westernised life.

The post independence ruling elite comprised certain well known families. Now, it appears that the Sinhala-Buddhist hoi polloi no longer want the likes of Dudley Senanayake, Oliver Goonetilleke, SWRD Bandaranaike, or JR Jayawardene.

Even Chandrika Kumaratunga, who has the ability to camouflage her elite background, and who held sway for more than a decade, is now out of favour. Ranil Wickremesinghe, who belongs to the crème d la crème of the Sinhala Westernised elite class, has been making brave attempts to undergo a cultural transformation, but he has failed to convince the electorate. In fact, he is the butt of jokes in this matter.

People in Kegalle pointed out that because of his background, Wickremesinghe was not conversant with actual conditions in the market place. “He should not talk about things he has no knowledge of,” one lady fruit seller said.

Therefore, if there is critical factor which is standing between Wickremesinghe and the Sri Lankan Presidency, it is his inability to meet the new socio-cultural demands of the Sinhala - Buddhist electorate, their new aspiration to have a culturally indigenous leadership, which will not dance to the tune of the West and other international powers, whether it is in the cultural, political or economic sphere.

Suspicious of international forces

The Sinhala-Buddhist majority is deeply suspicious about the role that the Western powers and even India may play in the economy of Sri Lanka and in the peace process. Wickremesinghe’s predilection for using foreign investment to help Sri Lanka come out of the rut of economic backwardness, and for using international involvement to help rein in the separatist LTTE is seen as being dangerous. The people here have not understood the rationale of his economic and political policies.

Secretiveness

Secretiveness is another attribute given to Wickremesinghe and this makes the people suspicious about his policies. The fact that he signed the controversial Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) with the LTTE without consulting anyone outside his chosen circle, is working against him. On the other hand, the people appreciate Rajapaksa’s declaration that he will consult everybody and hold talks with Prabhakaran directly, without any intermediaries.

At least one tea shop owner in Kegalle town said that Rajapaksa would take on the enemies of Sri Lanka as Duttugamunu, Pandukabaya or Puran Appu did earlier in its history. “We are confident that Rajapaksa will solve the LTTE problem by peaceful means or by war if necessary,” said a small village shopkeeper.

The district level leadership of the UNP in Kegalle district is also alienated from the voters. Rukman Senanayake, scion of the famous Senanayake family, which ruled Sri Lanka in the early years of independence, is being seen to be too elitist, unlike his SLFP counterpart Athauda Seneviratne. According to a three wheeler driver, Athauda Seneviratne, a former radical leftist, keeps an open house, while Rukman Senanayake prefers to meet only the bigwigs of the district.

JVP radicalism unpopular

However, the people do not want a very radical leadership. Therefore, the radical Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Permuna (JVP) is not favoured. In Kegalle district one often heard people say that that Rajapaksa should not have entered into an alliance with the JVP.

“Many who would have voted for Rajapaksa have shifted to UNP because of the JVP factor,” said a Kegalle shop keeper.

Traders and minorities back Wickremesinghe

The business community in Kegalle are largely with UNP because of its right wing policies and its pro-peace stand. The Tamil and Muslim minorities too are backing the UNP to the hilt, as they have always done in the past. Even those who have benefited from the SLFP government like a set of rubber plantation workers, are backing the UNP because they have always done so.

Unlike the Sinhalas who are looking for a new kind of leadership, the Tamil and Muslim minorities are not. The issues that agitate them are different and they also believe that Wickremesinghe and not Rajapaksa has the answers to their problems.

Kegalle (Sri Lanka), November 4, 2005

Courtesy Hindustan Times