Victor Ivan Says “Not A Black But A Heavy Hand”
Excellent questions but Victor’s explanation borders on the naïve. Oh aiiya is soft on mali and since GR is popular he is, unwisely, allowed to do as he pleases.
Prof. Kumar David
In my piece last week
(Black Hand or Manic Folly) I summarised a much canvassed view that a conspiracy was in progress to stir up trouble as an excuse to declare a state of emergency and set in motion a dastardly plot to impose dictatorship. I did not use names for obvious reasons but Victor Ivan in Ravaya of 22 June has taken the plunge and pointed the finger at Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse (GR); Victor accuses GR of being insensitive, heavy handed and brusque, not of intentional conspiracy. This is different from the ‘Black Hand behind the scene’ conspiracy theory. The later is voiced by word of mouth in opposition quarters, particularly the Dead Left and Colombo society. The common factor is that both Victor and the BH theorists agree President Rajapakse is guilty giving his brother too a free hand to damage the fabric of liberal governance.
Victor’s article is going viral thanks to its sensational content, but since it is not available to non-Sinhalese and non-web readers (Ravaya is not on the web but Colombo Telegraph carried a summary in English) it is necessary to describe its main contours. It is also important to note how it sharply differs from conspiracy theories. Victor has fulsome praise for GR as a leading contributor to war victory. Then he turns sharply critical of GR’s role and his brother’s lack of oversight in the post-war period. For example he asks why was the military not sent back to the barracks at the end of the war as any democratic President should have done; why are prisoners held in military custody and not handed over to civilian custodial authorities as after 1971 and 1989-90; why is the military involved in every layer of civilian life; why is military brass filling diplomatic, gubernatorial and corporate placements? Read More
