The Honeymoon Is Over
Mahinda’s war honeymoon is over. In the past month there have been crippling petrol and student strikes, plus a wholesale collapse of the national electrical system. Water, ports and railways have also threatened strikes. These are mundane things, but they are the type of grievances that topple governments. The only thing missing is a narrative to bind them together.
Focus
Mahinda had a plan for the war. It was a simple plan, marketed, funded and executed ruthlessly. He has no such plan for the economy. The basic idea seems to be to ride the wave of post-war prosperity. Indeed, a secure nation has opened up opportunities for many people.
However, mega-projects aside, his developments haven’t created many jobs. They have made for good commissions and contracts for companies (including many Chinese) but the daily wages I’ve seen in Hambantota and along the east coast rarely exceed Rs. 400. These projects are good in the long term, but they’re not putting food in people’s mouths now.
Cost Of Living
And the people are hungry. We have sacrificed tremendously in terms of the direct cost of war and its collateral drag on the economy. Moreover, the increasing size and decreasing competence of government has also drained our earnings while money printing has impoverished us via inflation.
People were willing to tolerate these issues for a reason, but that reason is over. The war is over, conclusively. People were happy and they put the stickers on their buses, but once the petrol runs out they’re won’t be so supportive.
Strikes
If the power, petrol, water and transport staff strike at once it will shut down the entire country. Most of these people have already struck separately, plus the perennial parade of university students. They strike for the own reasons, some foolish some wise, but if they were united by a narrative they could actually change something.
Unfortunately, of course, there is no opposition to connect the dots. If they could, however, it wouldn’t be a pretty picture for Mahinda.
This is wishful thinking. However much we wish the honeymoon to be over it does not look as if it is over. Each and every point that you have mentioned is incorrect. We want the honeymon to be over. We want the opposition to have a good leadership. Unless the Colombo mob decides that Sajith is the man there will be lot of waiting around that.
Student strikes are an annual event in the university calender. Talk to any senior faculty member or a peon and they are able to tell you when the strikes start and end. they will also tell you what is done to make sure that these students (final years) graduate on time. What you see are events that happen in SL either each year
“Power, petrol, water and transports trike at once it will shut down the entire country” and which country would not be shutdown if it does happen ? Talk to the CEB engineers and they will tell you the yearly or the biannual nature of their strikes. They have deprived the country of power at a very regular interval.
Talk to the private bus operators just on the 138 route and you will find out how often they alone stop services.
In Sri Lanka there is a method to madness. Strikes are just part of that and has never brought any government to its knees. How many petrol strikes has there been in the last few years alone ?
Strikes and hunger never stop a government from getting the vote for the second term. People will be rid of M but not another 5 -7 years. You base you end of honeymoon on strikes and cost of living. Its like saying the honeymoon is over cause the groom watched News on TV. ha ha ha !!!
Come on mate, this is one post that clearly shows how foreign you are in the country that you call home.
Written like a journalist who never visited Sri Lanka.
Context, context context , that is the secret of understanding the Sri Lankan madness.
If the attitudes you describe are that that entrenched then it wasn’t just the war stemming Sri Lanka’s development and it will take something much greater than a final army surge to put the country on the right track.
Wow… was this post off the mark or what.
MAHINDA’S HONEYMOON IS JUST STARTING!!!! :)
Well that political prediction failed grandly :)
Kinda like Tisaranee Gunasekara’s rants…. NOTHING she has predicted in her foaming at the mouth sky is falling down articles has come true… hehe…