Dear SF,
Sri Lanka is indeed undergoing a moment that was never witnessed in decades, the moment of freedom and air of unity wrapped with hope of reconciling with the injustices caused in the past. Thanks to you and MR.
First of all, congratulations, in being appointed as an MP. After all this, is quite a remarkable feat ;despite being imprisoned and yet without any self campaigning. You continue to make history time after time with all the things that seem raging against you and lets hope its for the best.
Your entry to politics was indeed dramatic and there was ample hype to propel you into the limelight. Your heroics as a soldier was something that the masses felt the glimmer of hope that this country would be salvaged from the monster in the making.
But despite all this, the post election events sent some terrifying shock waves. Your lack of experience in politics and background injected some high octane fuel to the state machinery in the painting a terrorist in you. We still need to see the truth in all the accusations ranging for meddling with the "arms" procurement, defying the state while in uniform, etc.
Nevertheless , am beginning to rethink in the unconditional support we extended in the runup to the election. Seems like you have have messed up the word we call as "strategy". When you portrayed as the soldier rising as the upcoming politician, MR displayed himself as the Father of the nation, when you condemned international borrowings, MR counter attacked it as for the development of the nation. You were not willing to listen to your allies and they seemed pretty isolated when you were laying eggs with JVP. You should have been conscious that the JVP was in dire straits trying to revive a dying ideology that Sri Lankans were diminishing its support.
Your son-in-law is missing and if he is not guilty, then there is no reason he should go underground. We heard your initial complaints about the poor facilities provided to you and you wife was the hottest topic over in reading out your woes. True, for a character such as you, this was surely a step motherly treatment.
Trust me, Sri Lankans had enough of it. Your complaints time after time is not what people supported you for. Its was not about a lifeline in luxury and rights a vote against the Swan meant. The brunt of the deadly and bloody was borne by everyone or the other including you- after all, it was a vote for uniting Sri Lanka ad striking out the forces that were robbing the nation of its resources. When there was no alternative: MR scored and while you lost.
Forget the manipulation of election results, feel the pulse of the ordinary man. He will tell you the actual story. He strives to live and survive another day.
Your fellow country men.
