President Rajapaksa:

A multi-faceted personality

S. Francis Perera

The philosopher Carlyle in his treatise on hero worship has exploded the myth that heroes are born fully equipped to fill a slot in a social set up. The heroic element, he says is latent in humans, but only a minuscule number of them take the trouble to draw on it.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa belongs to that small group of men, who had the courage and the will to draw on the precious element for the service of the nation.

When a close study of his career, from its humble beginnings to the present is made, it becomes clear that it is nothing but his infinite capacity to take pains that has raised him to eminence. In the process of achieving success in diverse fields, Rajapaksa has given the lie to the claim of the poet Alagiyavanne, that no man can gain mastery in more fields than one.

President Rajapaksa’s services to the nation are of a manifold nature. One cannot resist the temptation to make close scrutiny of his career to discover the qualities of head and heart that have helped him to win a place among the foremost servants of the people.

His life should serve as a beacon light to the up and coming generations. It is neither talent - though talent he has - nor erudition that have carried him to dizzy heights of success. Rather it has been work - unrelenting conscientious and indefatigable work.

Rajapaksa’s path to power was by no means a smooth one, it was strewn with thorns rather than roses.

At every turn were formidable obstacles to be surmounted if the winning post were to be reached. Sad to say that Chandrika Kumaratunga, his predecessor, played a treacherous role all the more vicious for being covertly.

She seems to bear him a grudge for being the unanimous choice of the masses, as well as of the party high command, for the post of Presidential candidate. Despite sabotage, Rajapaksa emerged victorious. It is an unsavoury tale best left untold.

When the tsunami tidal wave struck the land, Rajapaksa was the angel of mercy, who more than any other laboured to bring succour to the victims.

While the Head of State was holidaying in England, while Anura Bandaranaike her brother, was holidaying in the States, Rajapaksa like one in a sublime frenzy kept rushing from one affected town to another, accompanied by a large retinue of auxiliaries, providing food, clothing and shelter to those rendered homeless. State employees were seconded for duty in these areas.

School buildings, recreational halls, pavilions and all unoccupied State buildings were commandeered to house victims who had escaped from the deluge, with only the clothes they were in. Inspired by his example, thousands of people from near and far came offering their help in cash, kind and service.

For days on end, the whereabout of Rajapaksa was not known even to his Cabinet colleagues. At last, they would locate him in a remote coastal hamlet working side by side with volunteer workers, to relieve the displace. On Kumaratunge’s return, she found everything in shipshape thanks to Rajapaksa’s unremitting labours.

U.N. authorities carrying out a survey of tsunami affected lands in South East Asia paid a glowing tribute to Sri Lanka for being the first such land to return to normality. Few knew that Rajapaksa was the catalyst who brought about the wonderful change. We have hitherto failed to show proper appreciation of his contribution to bring order out of chaos, in that critical period.

It is left to the future historians armed with hindsight to make an impartial assessment of his services when catastrophe hit the land.

At this stage, it behoves us to touch upon Mahinda Rajapaksa’s philosophy of action - contained in the book titled Mahinda Chintana.

It is a highly pragmatic, down to earth approach to the problems besetting a community. His dynamic philosophy covers all aspects of the Sri Lankan society.

It is the practice of all great Statesmen and moral teachers to go into hibernation, as it were, to contemplate on the mission they have set themselves.

History shows that all great moral teachers as well as men of action have withdrawn from the hurly burly of human settlements to reflect and formulate their philosophy.

Of course, Rajapaksa did not retreat to the woods to brood over the tasks he had planned to carry out. As a busy Parliamentarian and Prime Minister, it was imperative that he remained at his post in the urban environment to discharge his manifold duties. All he had to do was to lie low and address his mind to the human predicament. So, though he remained in the urban environment he was not of it.

It was a gigantic task for which he needed guidance and assistance.

It is evident that he has sought the assistance of knowledgeable persons or subjects such as economics, science and education. The age of men of encyclopedic minds is over. It is a mark of humility to admit that one knows that he does not know everything, and to seek advice.

Mahinda Chinthana is the precious fruit of hard thinking, keen observation and open discussion. Think of his scheme of service as the innocuous south sea octopus with its tentacles spread to all sections of the Sri Lankan polity.

Nothing relavant has been left out. He has not only dealt with all aspects of the organic State, but has also made provision for possible unforeseen eventualities.

It is statementship to launch oneself into action with a plan for governance. To parody the works of Dr. Johnson nothing he has touched he has failed to adorn. Well might he say like Napolian that he would go down in history with a copy of his philosophy of action in his hand.

To be continued