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Rienzie Algama`s tragic death opposite the UNP Headquarters, Sirikotha, on Monday is a riddle wrapped in a puzzle. Different people are giving it different interpretations and many claim to have known him very intimately and been privy to his thoughts on what was going on in the party. Whatever the truth may be, the UNP`s official position is that Rienzie took his life as he was disgusted with his party`s internal dispute.
It is reported that Rienzie was a cousin of Gen. Lucky Algama, who died in an LTTE attack on a propaganda meeting in support of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe`s presidential bid in 1999. Gen. Algama was killed by a suicide bomber and his cousin committed suicide. It may be argued that former`s assassination, far-fetched as it may seem, was one of the reasons why the latter had to set himself ablaze about eleven years later.
We are told that Rienzie had chronic taedium vitae, which finally made him commit self-immolation because his party was in total disarray owing to humiliating defeats at consecutive elections. Why has the UNP been experiencing a string of electoral debacles all these years? It ruined its prospects of winning elections by opposing the country`s war against terrorism and appeasing the LTTE at the expense of national security interests. A person like Gen. Algama would not have allowed the UNP to grovel before the LTTE, had he been alive.
Gen. Algama was widely expected to be the Defence Secretary of a UNP-led government to be formed and that exactly was why the LTTE assassinated him on the eve of a presidential election, which, it apparently thought, would be won by the UNP. Prabhakaran went all out to physically eliminate the then President Chandrika Kumaratunga from the presidential race in 1999 and pave the way for the formation of a UNP government without the likes of Gen. Algama, who would have resisted appeasement and advocated military action.
The LTTE`s plan failed in that year, but it worked two years later in 2001, when the UNP-led UNF came into power and became putty in Prabhakaran`s hands. It was then that the UNP`s fate was sealed! The UNP does not seem to be capable of reversing the trend in the foreseeable future, however much it may try, though the war is over. It has no alternative but to resign itself to letting the bad spell run its course.
Meanwhile, it behoves the UNP leaders to convince the party`s rank and file of the futility of resorting to suicidal action. An effective antidote to the gnawing despondency of UNPers may be for the party leader at daggers drawn to iron out their differences and enthuse the membership with some grassroots level political activity. Never should Rienzie`s self-immolation be romanticised in any way because in this country which is notorious for a very high suicide rate, there may be many others who want to follow suit and find a shortcut to `martyrdom`.
Sadly, on Tuesday, UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya happened to refer to Rienzie`s suicide as an `exemplary sacrifice` for the party. What really prompted him to say that is not known. However, his statement is fraught with the danger of sending the wrong message to the party members who must be as depressed, disgusted, distraught and disappointed as Rienzie.
Suicide is not exemplary at all. We hope that Karu`s misguided attempt to lionise Rienzie posthumously will not lead to a spate of copycat suicides.
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AnuD
Senior Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 43087
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 29 Jul 2010 03:04:16 GMT Report for Abuse
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UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya happened to refer to Rienzie's suicide as an 'exemplary sacrifice' for the party. What really prompted him to say that is not known. However, his statement is fraught with the danger of sending the wrong message to the party members who must be as depressed, disgusted, distraught and disappointed as Rienzie.
Suicide is not exemplary at all. We hope that Karu's misguided attempt to lionise Rienzie posthumously will not lead to a spate of copycat suicides.
Profiting from Some one's death is cheap. |
AnuD
Senior Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 43087
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29 Jul 2010 03:07:39 GMT Report for Abuse
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Ranil Wickramasinghe does not have any leadership ability.
HE is a Sloth.
Thsat is why all the problems. |
noworries
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 566
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 29 Jul 2010 05:43:14 GMT Report for Abuse
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Apparently he is a cunning operator, which is why he still survives.
Does the UNP have a Mark Antony amongst them? If not, then this taedium vitae will consume more of their loyal supporters! |
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