It is all about leadership

By Octogenarian

Rummaging through my collection of books and magazines recently I came across a copy of a Readers Digest dated June 1965. Leafing through its pages I came upon an article titled "What is Leadership" written by a former President of the United States, and a Five Star General who led the allied forces to victory in Europe in World War II- Dwight D. Eisenhower.

What caught my imagination reading that well thought out article was the similarity of its contents to what President Mahinda Rajapaksa has shown since year 2005 todate. Eisenhower lists each leadership quality in order of merit. He opens with selfless dedication and then courage and conviction to fortitude and humility and concludes with heart and mind. Eisenhower also wrote of these qualities he most admired in his President Franklin Roosevelt, the then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill his Chief of Staff and his brilliant Field Commanders who all combined effectively to defeat terror and fascism of the Nazis.

The President as Commander-in-Chief has time and again articulated the nation's gratitude to the Defense Secretary, the Service Commanders, their brilliant Field Commanders and the heroic rank and file for their combined efforts in defeating the forces of terror and fascism that was eating into our beloved country as would a cancer. It is Mahinda Rajapaksa's detractors, overcome with envy who are engaged in spreading malicious lies which I think has hardly dented his overall popularity. Perhaps it would be better if these spiteful men and women learn to accept Mahinda Rajapaksa's selfless service to his country rather than indulge in such malice. For them time is running out fast and history no doubt will dump them in its garbage bins as a fitting tribute to their mendacity.

The large majority of the people of this country acknowledge with gratitude the President's selfless dedication, courage and conviction of doing what is best for his country and the humility of his leadership which is all about the sublime qualities that is helping to win the hearts and minds of millions of people of our beautiful island home. I have also listened with concern to some vicious elements say that Mahinda Rajapaksa invites attention on himself to boost his image. I don't agree at all with them and their spiteful claims. The President to my way of thinking has hardly any pretensions to greatness and the cheap sophistries that come so easily to the social climbers and the dubious elitists of Colombo 3 and Colombo 7. As he recently stated he is no king although the welcome banners strung up by the enthusiastic and grateful people of Trinco and Kinniya claimed him to be one.

I have heard time and again the venerable Sangha and other responsible citizens make this claim from platforms and at gatherings. It is the grateful people of this country who have raised his image as king.

It is people from all walks of life, the large majority from across the vast backwoods and from the busy bazaars and the tree-lined towns and cities who in their gratitude has honoured his image and placed it on a high pedestal for the bold leadership shown in ridding their country of terror and fear that had stalked their lives for over two decades. Yet he has the humility to tell his people that he is only their guardian, the caretaker of the nation's sovereignty. His services to his country has captured the imagination of his people and when the modern history of our land comes to be written, one great line will stand out.

He showed rare courage and had the strength and conviction to restore the nation's pride, dignity and self-respect.