Desperate Rajapaksa Group Resorts to Ritual Cursing to Overthrow Sirisena
Rajapaksa group smashing coconuts cursing the Sirisena regime | EPS
By 24th March 2016
COLOMBO: Legal and political means having failed to save former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa from the numerous corruption cases against him, his followers have, in sheer desperation, resorted to the traditional Lankan weapon of “ritual cursing” to destroy the tormentor.
According to University of Princeton Anthropologist Prof. Gananath Obeysekere, “ritual cursing” in Lanka involves the smashing of coconuts in select Hindu shrines called “Devales” and a closed door session with a sorcerer who recites “poisonous verses”, called Vas Kavi.
The Joint Opposition Group (JOG) in parliament, which Rajapaksa heads, smashed 100,000 coconuts at the Seenigama Devale on February 6 with the media present in force. The mass smashing of nuts was of led by MPs Dinesh Gunawardene, Bandula Gunawardene and C.B.Ratnayake.
But the ritual was ineffective. It was said that the deity of the shrine, Davol Deviyo, was angry, because the coconuts had not been acquired legally, but were looted from plantations.
To undo the moral damage and keep up the political tempo, a group of Rajapaksa loyalists led by Bandula Gunawardene smashed coconuts at the Ammaduwa Kudakataragama devale in Ratnapura district on February 13. Seven days later, Bandula Gunwardene, along with MPs Salinda Dissanayake and Kumara Welgama, smashed coconuts at Aiyanayake devale at Singakkuliya in Kurunegala district.
Although Rajapaksa got no legal relief, his March 17 rally at Colombo was a resounding success. His pugnacious speech was a shot in the arm for his demoralized followers. “Coconut smashing seems to be working,” said a hopeful follower.
