SF’s Promotion Is A Symbolic Act Of Militarization: Dr. Dewasiri

March 26, 2015

Academic and social activist Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri says the recently awarded Field Marshall title toSarath Fonseka is a ‘politically motivated move’ and says it is a symbolic act of militarization.

DR. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri

Dr. Dewasiri points out although there is no doubt over the fact that Fonseka was subjected to great injustice under the Rajapaksa regime, the question however remains as to whether awarding this title was the best way to compensate for the injustice he faced.

“Those who are shedding tears for the ‘injustices’ allegedly faced by the Rajapaksa today under the present government, are behaving as though they are not aware of what happened to Fonseka following the 2010 Presidential election or to retired Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake. The question, however, is whether this is the way to compensate for such injustice,” he said while adding that he perceives this promotion as a symbolic act of militarization, which was one of the main criticisms against the Rajapaksa regime.

He also said the move is problematic in the context of SF being a major political player in the present political scene and added that it is interesting to see how the Tamil community would perceive this move.