Typical Gutter Style of Journalism of H L D M Mahindapala - 5 July 2002

 Typical Gutter Style of Journalism of H L D M Mahindapala

HLDM has again taken onto his gutter writing in referring to a criticism I wrote on Michael Roberts pamphlet titled "Sinhala-ness and Sinhala Nationalism".  Many politicians, including Labor MP Duncan Kerr say the allegation should not have been raised.  However, the head of the Australian Broadcasting Authority, David Flint, says the release of Cheryl Kernot's memoirs has invited the media to closely examine her past. "We're not looking at the merit, we're not looking at her political judgement, we're dredging up something that we wouldn't be dredging up if it was a male politician in the same position," Ms Killick said.  "This sort of salacious gutter pursuit does you no credit, you ought to stop and I have no intention of talking to you any longer."

In his misinformation campaign he refers to some questionable trips to Iraq and a mysterious explosion in the harbour.  And he follows with a statement that there may be no connection between the two.  What is his underlying intention?  I have visited many countries including Iraq.  I resigned from the JVP in 1984 and since then the CID, NIB and MI5 subjected me to questioning many a time.  Major thrust of the whole exercise since my detention in July 1983 under the pretext that the JVP was behind the Black July riots in 1983 against the Tamils in the south was to force me to join the then UNP government led by President JR Jayawardena.  I rejected all offers that were put on table.  In 1985 it was Minister Lalith Athulathmudali who tried to make me join the UNP.  As the compulsion did not work and my wife challenged in court my detention.  Just one day before the court was to hear the fundamental rights case I was released without any charge or condition.  Even my passport was returned.  I was subjected to innumerous questioning with regard to whereabouts about Rohana Wijeweera who had gone underground because of the government repression against the JVP in general and death threats to the lives of the JVP leadership.  In 1985 I was again detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act on the pretext that I, as the leader of a so-called “JVP-new tendency” was conspiring to overthrow the government with the assistance of the PLOTE.  Minister Lalith Athulathmudali, who had signed for my detention sent me messages asking me to join the UNP if I want to get released.  While I was in detention the government planted false news items with regard to me in the press utilizing journalists who were henchmen of the government of the day.  One such news item was that I had sent some JVPers to India for military training.  I made statements denying these reports.  I was never part of a JVP new tendency or I have never worked with the PLOTE.  The point I want to emphasise is that during all this time or even afterwards I have never been questioned with regard to an explosion in the harbour or a trip to Iraq.  Since resigning the JVP I was working in Sri Lanka until mid 1989 when the government of which HLDM was a henchman and the JVP went on a killing spree.  HLDM then says that I “cottoned onto Lalith Athulathmudali” and got myself an entry visa to Australia”.  There is a Sinhala saying “Yako, Danne Nathnan Katawagahena hitapang, modakama nopenna!”, meaning “Devil, if you do not know keep your mouth shut without exhibiting your stupidity”.  Since my release since 1985 detention Minister Athulathmudali was friendly with me and tried to persuade me to join the UNP.  Even after every attempt failed he remained a friend.  Minister Athulathmudali had nothing to do with my entry visa to Australia.  I challenge HLDM, the falsifier, to make all evidence he has with this regard public immediately.  What this misinformer does is wait for several months then write the same thing again, like Goebbels, he believes many a time he write about these lies people will believe him.  His ‘SPURious” friends tried to do the same thing implying that I was on the paylist of the LTTE and I have carried out campaigns against ‘Sinhala Buddhists’ and Sri Lanka and so on.  When challenged they kept mum for a while then repeat such allegations, ad nauseam.  Not an iota of evidence have been so far provided by anybody including HLDM.  This gutter pursuit has not generated any positive outcomes for debauchees like this.

HLDM further mentions that I became a champion of human rights overnight.  What I can visualize is a “Viyaru vetunu sunkayek” – A mad dog.  Mad dog will try and byte everything it meets.  Just to mention briefly about my human rights record I was an Executive Committee member of the Human Rights Organisation of Sri Lanka established in 1978, which for the first time endeavoured to make people aware of their democratic and human rights and to train them to protect themselves when their rights are subjected to major assaults.  Not only that we were the first to campaign against the Prevention of Terrorism Act when the JRJ government brought it to the Parliament by misleading Sinhala people.  I was in the forefront with Late Dr Neelan Thiruchelvam, Late Mr Nimal Senanayake and Late Mr H N Fernando.  While HLDM likes were glorifying such undemocratic Acts of the then government.  What I did and am doing is a continuation of that practice.  “Ballo biruwata thawalama nathara venne nee ne”.

HLDM further charges me that I cannot exist without attacking the 'Sinhalese Buddhists.  I consider a better Sinhala Buddhist than HLDM.  Though I am a Sinhala Buddhist I am prepared to critically look at past practices of the governments of Sri Lanka and extreme nationalists.  HLDM equates majority of the Sinhala Buddhist people in Sri Lanka with Sinhala extremism.  I have not.  What is the anti-Sinhala-Buddhist rhetoric HLDM refers to?  According to HLDM the careers, perks and acceptance of academics, who critically look at the extent of extremeness of nationalism and the influence exerted on the attitudes of society, “among their peers in Western academia depend entirely on the distance they travel to denigrate the natives and worship the white man's institutions and ideologies as the panacea for all ills in the developing world”.  This is a convoluted argument.  My whole argument is other way around.  This is typical gutter style of journalism!