Breaking the Piper’s charm
“Of all the pleasant sights they see, which the Piper also promised me. For he led us, he said, to a joyous land, joining the town and just at hand, where waters gushed and fruit-trees grew, and flowers put forth a fairer hue, and everything was strange and new.”
- The Pied Piper by Robert Browning
Political commentators seem to have run out of superlatives when attempting to describe the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapakse.
Academics have joined the fray, falling over themselves to award him honorary degrees while Business Schools have attempted to analyse the crucial elements of his leadership style.
All are in agreement that his leadership is unprecedented in history and has no parallel elsewhere.
Even for keen observers of history it is difficult to identify a suitable mould from which, it may be assumed, the President may have been cast. It is only if we delve into the realm of fable that we find a parallel – that of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
The essential elements of the story are the same – a plague of vermin, a desperate people, willing to try anything to rid themselves of the menace, a solution from a magician who later demands a price too high to pay and finally robs the townsmen of their future – their children – as the final price.
For many decades, Sri Lanka grappled with the plague of separatist violence. Through the years, there have been numerous vacillating attempts to resolve the conflict either by way of military solution or negotiated settlement. But until incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa decided to put all his eggs in one basket and go for a military victory there did not appear to be a political leadership genuinely resolute about a method to eradicate the LTTE once and for all. A desperate people worn out by years of conflict may have been willing to give this option a chance, not entirely unaware of the cost involved, to themselves and to the country.
And the Rajapaksa regime, master in the dark art of propaganda, crafted a story every bit as compelling as that of the brothers Grimm.
Building a case for a ‘just war’ was achieved by the simple measure of controlling information. As Nazi Propaganda Minister Dr. Goebbels once remarked: ‘He who runs the information, runs the show’.
First, access to the war zone was controlled. Very few journalists were allowed in, and the few that were, were limited to guided tours under the close supervision of the government. Any others who might spread information – aid workers, diplomats, politicians and the others were given similar treatment.
Aid workers had to make the ugly choice between serving the civilian population in the conflict zone under the strictures imposed by the government or abandoning them to their fate.  All those who took the risk and spoke out against alleged atrocities in the war zone, were promptly labeled Tamil Tiger Propagandists, had their visas revoked and faced deportation.
With these primary sources of information largely cut off, the regime then set about controlling what was published. A series of attacks on journalists took place, some were killed, others fled the country and many were silenced. Media houses were purchased outright by government affiliates. Television studios and presses were torched in extremely successful attempts to intimidate media outfits into submission.
To date, each of these attacks against scribes and media organizations remains unsolved. In some cases, government officials even spoke in favour of the attackers. One by one, independent journalists fell silent; dissenting voices were subdued and the media fell in line.
Thus a single consistent message emerged – the one which the state wished to convey.
The only discordant voices were the foreign media, diplomats and a few international agencies.
Playing to fears of neo-colonialism, a disingenuous interpretation of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and sinister international conspiracies, these could easily be dismissed on the basis that they were either biased, misled, or the manipulated by the Tamil Diaspora. Even as respected a figure as Bishop Desmond Tutu was all but called a terrorist in Sri Lanka’s local media when he called on the UN to protect civilians trapped in the conflict.
Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth, and so it did.
People wanted to rid themselves of the menace and were willing to believe that the methods used were just and necessary. With little to the contrary appearing, and that which did, demonised, the magician was able to weave a spell of intoxicating sound that cocooned the population from reality.
The masses became blind to what was going on and as to the price that was being extracted, slowly but steadily. A nation that was founded and nurtured by the teachings of the Buddha was willing to look the other way at the tremendous human cost of war. The state-controlled media, once scorned by a politically astute citizenry because of its intense political prejudice, became the primary source of public information on all matters of governance and war. The Pied Piper had them all mesmerised, glued to their televisions sets, day in and out, watching the‘humanitarian operation’ to ‘liberate’ an oppressed people and unify the country unfold in gory detail.
If all had gone according to plan, by the time the people would awaken from the spell cast over them, it would have been far too late. Indeed it would have been quite ironic if they found themselves consumed by the very thing – terrorism, albeit this time at the hands of the state – that their supposed saviour had delivered them from.
But fortuitously, the people of Sri Lanka may not yet have met their doom by the hypnosis of the Pied Piper.
The split in the triumvirate that led the Sri Lankan troops to victory over terrorism is now exposing parts of the truth. The government in response has pushed its propaganda machine into overdrive, while those who lent an intellectual framework to the government’s policies – columnists from Dayan Jayatillaka to Malinda Seneviratne have conspicuously ignored the real issues raised, but have focused instead on finding new arguments to support the incumbent. This is probably born of necessity, for it is inconceivable that they were completely ignorant of what went on-and in the event of the truth emerging would find their credibility greatly damaged.
Given the enormous advantage enjoyed by the incumbent and the inexperience of the challenger, it is by no means certain that the Piper will find himself ousted but while the spell is not yet broken, its power is clearly diminished. With two weeks to go before Sri Lanka goes to the polls, the opposition presidential challenger, chief architect of the government’s military victory, has made phenomenal inroads into the incumbent base, an unimaginable prospect a mere seven months ago.
In the meantime, the hills are alive with the sound of music as the beleaguered Piper plays the cadenza of his life.
9 Comments
Leave a Reply
Subscribe to Content Updates
iPhone app
Whatever the case, the war did the trick and the LTTE was defeated. It was necessary and the government did the right thing. Does Browning want to go back to the days when bombs were going off left and right?
I love your writing! excellent! However, what is conspicuous is that you never once mentioned any atrocities committed by Prabhakaran and the LTTE.
The blog would bare greater credibility and truth if you changed the name Rajapaksa to Prabhakaran….
He was the master pied piper who drove an entire community to their destruction.. If there were any Nazi like fascists in Sri Lanka it was only Prabakaran. A man who made all tamils under him pledge allegiance to him with their lives every morning and evening. There are many tamils whom I know personally here in the UK who used to worship Prabhakaran’s picture first thing in the morning. He was called surya deyvum… or sun god… Thank goodness, the majority of Sri Lankans aren’t as foolish as those who were under Prabakarans grip and spell.
I completely agree with Dayan Jayathilaka’s and Malinda Seneviratne’s sentiments that the tamil community need to stop whining and get back into the fold of democracy and make use of the tremendous opportunity that the destruction of the LTTE has brought. New democratic tamil leadership can unite, heal and bring together communal cohesion in Sri Lanka. But unfortunately the tamil leaders wont. because even after the pied pipers death, they can still hear his music…
Can someone name me one journalist who is operating beyond the forward operating bases in Afghanistan? They are all chaperoned by the US military. SL information strategy was nothing unusual for a conflict.
FYI there are no aid workers beyond the forward operating bases in Afghanistan. Afghans are at the mercy of the US troops mood.
“…………..the tamil community need to stop whining and get back into the fold of democracy……………………….”
How – when the northeast is a militay cum police state, and when every tamil who travels in the country has to prove every minute that he has/had no connection with the defunct LTTE and are arrested and incarcerated under the PTA and thus kept without being informed of the charge against them, and without being produced before a magistrate for ninety days?
How – when tamils are prevented from going back to their homes and lands in the ‘high security zones’ which are no longer necessary?
How when hundreds/thousands of tamils are being kept in detention for months & years without indictments being filed against them?
How – when their lands are being robbed and given to newcomers in areas in the northeast?
How – when paramilitaries under “tamil” political parties extort money from them,threaten/abduct/torture them if they refuse?
How – when their business places are given to migrants from the south under patronage/protection of the military governers?
How – when those from the prison camps are transported to other ‘transit’ camps without being freed?
How – when even now 90,000 tamils are still in the prison camps?
How – when 12,000 youth are held in secret locations without any indictments being filed against them?
How – when tamils cannot file complaints in their language in any police station and are compelled to sign ‘complaints’ written in sinhala which they cannot understand?
How – hen they are arrested in colombo when they are about to go abroad to escape this persecution?
How – when even those who return from india to pursue normal lives,now that the war is over,are arrested and held in detention?
A good article Chintaka.
While the LTTE bears a large portion of the blame for what has befallen the Tamil community through the tactics it chose, it has been painful to see the refusal of the South to engage in an honest & open discussion about the true human cost of the last stages of the war.
Reconciliation, healing and the building of a new national identity do not come from asking the Tamils to forget about the death & suffering incurred in those last few weeks while the Sinhalese pretend that it was a clean humanitarian war.
For both communities sake and the sake of the nation, both sides need to honestly confront the failings and excesses of their own in order to understand and reconcile each others views of the end of the conflict and its aftermath.
Going forward I would like to believe all communities want the same thing of our nation – a nation free of any discrimination based on ethnicity, language or religion, where the government and its institutions are accountable to the law of the land, where freedom of expression and political thought is respected.
Whether Sinhalese, Tamil or Muslim, one would hope our votes are based on who is best suited to deliver a future that we can all look forward to.
I must apologize for the use of the line “the tamil community need to stop whining”. In hindsight I realize that it may come across as being highly insensitive, for that I am regretful. However, I was trying to stress the point about the weakness of the tamil leadership in Sri Lanka. They only seem quite detached from the very people they claim to represent. They themselves are not united.
Justitia; all those questions are grievous sins alleged to be committed by the government. However one must also remember that a sovereign state has all the right in taking necessary precautions in releasing civilians. It is plain ludicrous to think that once the war is over, high security zones and civilians who were in close contact with the war would be sent home without a screening process. You mentioned that there are still 90,000 in refugee camps. what you did not say was that the number used to be 300,000 in May/June last year. This is a massive improvement. People must appreciate the fact that the government is doing all it can. Obviously the government has its flaws. but the resources available are also limited. This is a herculean task in resettling 300,000 people. There will always be flaws which people like you will pin point. But people seem to forget that we are a tiny and poor country who went to war against a blood thirsty fascist group who had no care about pregnant women or children. Compare that with the 1 million people displaced within a day when the US led offensive began against the Taliban in Pakistan. Or the 500,000 children killed by the US forces in Iraq. Sri Lanka’s efforts are much more impressive than that of other similar or even more powerful or so called civilized countries. Sherman said “war is hell”. That is what it is. no one loves it. however, today can look forward to a more peaceful and united nation. The healing process will take time, but it needs to begin somewhere.
I think the release of the IDP’s was due the EU – the GSP+.
They were taken and dumped without a thought as to how they should go about rebuilding their lives.
Dear Shaad – Even the sinhala leadership is not united,it is fragmented – over what benefits the sinhalese are entitled to, in this country.The ‘manape’ race is causing fierce & deadly inter- sinhala rivalry, resulting even in murder by goons carrying firearms. As for tamils, the state sponsored mercenaries of a “minister” do the same.
These “grievous sins” as you call them ARE being committed by the state.
Now it is seven months since the war is over and what is this ‘screening proces’? It has come to light that a few of the IDP youth have been threatened with dire consequences including torture,rape and murder if they refuse or fail to identify former LTTErs.This is known to all tamil IDPs who have been released.
These are not “flaws” but outright human rights violations against helpless tamils.Now the government speaks about “concessions” given or to be given by the president (election talk) to the tamils. It is the BIRTHRIGHT of every tamil to live free from harassment and fear and to be allowed to return to their homes,pursue their livelihoods & businesses,educate their children,and take part in democratic elections – most IDPs have not been given documents/identities for them to vote in this election yet.
Tamils care two hoots about what happens in pakistan,iraq or any other country – just as the sinhalese do.The government machinary in place is being prevented from allowing steps to ensure tamils resuming normal lives so that
such steps could be allowed slowly as “concessions” which actually their BIRTHRIGHTS – just as they are, for the sinhales.The military governers ensure this.
There can never be any ‘healing’ unless the tamils are allowed their birthrights to live free unhindered lives in the aftermath of the confilct which ended many months ago.
Dear Justitia,
This is the gist of the problem. None of what you say can be verified neither what the government say can be verified. Most allegations against the government are only hearsay and speculation. The exaggeration in allegations against the government haven’t helped the cause either (e.g. allegations of “genocide” by the tamil diaspora abroad). Hence the common man such as myself are just torn between feeling sympathetic and deeply moved by the plight of the innocent displaced tamils and the need for security measures to secure the nation’s sovereignty. We have just come out of a bloody thirty year insurgency and unfortunately the perceptions of future terrorist threats would not completely disappear.
You are absolutely right Justitia, and I completely agree with you on equality and the birthright to all forms of accepted freedom by all humankind. In an ideal and uncomplicated world, this would have been possible. However, the stark reality is our governments and leaders are not run by prophets or Avatar’s.
If all your allegations are true…(and judging by the selection and collection of peoples surrounding the sovereign; I must side with your views).. then we as a nation have failed our own people.