For anyone who is voting this election, remember that your vote is completely your own decision and no one else can say anything about it. Having said that, each one of us has a personal responsibility to choose the right person not only for us, but also for this country. This is a passage I found, which I think everyone should read before they vote. Vote wisely.
"I humbly request that everyone read this.
You tell me to think about the country and not think about my stomach. Why do you love to shout at me saying that? Do I not love the country? Do I not think about the country? Do I not like to tell people that my country is among the well developed nations? How can you say no? You cannot read my mind. Tell me. Can you?
My father was in the army. He fought in the war for many years. On my birthday, on my sister’s birthday, on New Year’s Eve, my father was not with us. My father wasn’t able to be with us on any important occasion because he was busy fighting the war for my country, for our country. Although my father may have been brave in war and not felt any fear, it was my mother, sister and I who was back home and kept worrying about him. Do you understand what it’s like to have your friends and relatives come back home in sealed coffins? The only way we comforted each other was by telling ourselves, ‘they died for this country’. It wasn’t because we could. It wasn’t easy.
After much fighting, the war was finally over. When we heard the news that Prabharakan’s body was found in the Nandikadal lagoon, we all celebrated in joy. We lit crackers. Everyone in the village came together and celebrated with festive food. It was not only our stomachs we sacrificed, we also sacrificed the happiness in our hearts for this war. Do you still tell me that I only think about my stomach?
As the war ended like this, our hearts became filled with new hope. We dreamed our country would go forth in every direction. All this time, politicians had been telling us that this country couldn’t be developed, people cannot be given any relief because all the money was being pumped for the war. Since that problem was over, we honestly thought that good times were in store for us. We loosened our belts which we had kept tightened for so long, and we also started to think about our stomachs. Tell me, is that wrong? After patiently tolerating all of this for so long, do we become traitors and betrayers of the nation if we start thinking about our stomachs? Is it not fair that my blood begins to boil when sportspersons, celebrities and politicians come on television and tell us to not think about our stomachs and to only think about the nation? Do they face the same problems we have? Do you not understand the difference between those people who earn hundreds of thousands of rupees a month and my father who only earns 25,000 rupees?
What is the point if my mother can only fill a small plastic bag with 2 to 3 vegetables, a tin of salmon and 100g of tea leaves and that comes up to a 1000 rupees? Yes. You must be laughing. Laugh. Laugh all you want. But 1000 rupees is a lot of money to us. There was a time we used to drink milk. But when the 200 rupee packet of milk goes up to 400 rupees, and my helpless mother asks me, ‘son, is it okay if we have plain tea today?’ do you know how it feels?
We only buy a new piece of clothing once a year. When I know that only a denim and a shirt would cost about 4000 rupees, the reason I say no to new clothes is, even if my father and I don’t get any, we like to see my mother and sister looking pretty wearing something new. Even if I wear worn and old clothes, how can I watch my mother or sister wear clothes like that? I hope you understand our situation. Have you also experienced a similar situation?
We also like to dress well. We also like to eat rice with 2 to 3 curries. But you still tell me not to think about my stomach. If we struggle like this, can you imagine those people living in tea plantation sites, who earn only a few hundred rupees a day? Have you ever thought about that? Do you think they don’t like to get away from those shanties and live in a nice house with good food and drinks? Now you’ll tell me they’re uneducated people. Is it their fault alone that they’re uneducated? They spend their hard earned money to send their children to university for 4 years in the hope that their children will spend better lives than they did. But after 4 years of university, there are no job opportunities for them. If the jobs they can find only pay 10,000 rupees a month, what is the point of their education? Why do we need such an education? How can anyone live with 10,000 rupees? Can you do anything nowadays with even 25,000 rupees? You have to get married, have children. Is all this possible with this small amount of money?
If politicians live in huge palaces with our vote, and we have to live in a house with a living room and two bed rooms and still pay mortgage for it our entire lives, where is the justice in that? Is it because we passed our A/L’s? Is it because we attended university? Or is it because we didn’t skip school after grade 8 and go on to become ministers? While our parents lease out a motorbike for 2 to 3 hundred thousand with great difficulty, do you know that in other countries you can buy a car for less than that amount? If so, does the fault lie with us, or does it lie with the system in this country? Do you ever think about that? Is a three wheeler or a motorbike the only vehicle destined for us? Meanwhile, does it give you joy to see ministers who haven’t passed 8th grade to be riding in Lamborghinis? The only two vehicles destined for us, the motorbike and the three wheeler, aren’t allowed in the highways of this country. They build 20 million rupee roads for a cost of 800 million rupees. Then they ride on them with Lamborghinis. Is it because I’m not okay with this that you say I only think about my stomach? Tell me? Answer me.
Does it give you joy to see them wear shoes that cost a 2 to 3 hundred thousand, when their electricity bills go up to hundreds of thousands, when the shirt they wear is around 45,000 to 50,000 rupees, when they wake up in the morning and fly to Nuwara Eliya in a helicopter to go horseback riding, when their children go abroad for education, when they ride Lamborghinis around the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy? Tell me, does it make you happy? Is it with their money? Is it using money they earned? Is it from their salary? Try to understand, that is all our money. Money our parents earned with hard work and tears. That’s money found by selling the petrol litre for 160 rupees when it can be sold for only a 100 rupees. That’s the money with which we can wake up in the morning and have a cup of milk tea. I hope you can understand at least now. Even we have stomachs, not just them.
What is the point if there’s no law towards heroin dealers, no law towards ethanol dealers and no law towards murderers? Why aren’t they releasing these files? Are they not releasing them because of how much they love our stomachs? Is there a law only towards kasippu dealers in this country? Is it only towards the innocent?
How do you think soldiers who were well respected and looked up to back then feel now when they’re made to clean canals, carry bags of sand and made to clean roads? Did you ever wonder how their women and children would feel? Do all these people who shout, saying don’t think about your stomach, think about your nation, know that if a war starts up again, it is these people who will go to war for them again? If one day the BBS manages to create a war again by dividing people using religion and race as a tool, it is these soldiers who clean roads and canals that will have to go to war again. The only reason they keep bringing up these issues on religion and race is to mess with people’s heads. It’s their survival. If they don’t create a problem within the community of this country, there’s no survival for them. Why is that so hard for you to see? Should we lose our stomachs because of the problems they create? Please try to understand.
A country where anyone can express their free will. A country where people aren’t kidnapped by white vans. A country where media corporations aren’t burnt down and journalists aren’t killed. Don’t we all need a country like that? Instead of posters and banners everywhere, politics filled with empty threats and disgracing a person’s character, don’t we need a decent system of politics where the two main candidates can appear together and have a civilized debate? For real, how hard is it to understand? All these things have to change. A country needs law. We need a country with justice, equality and democracy. A country where its people can eat and drink, dress well and own a proper vehicle for themselves. That’s what you mean by development. That’s what you mean by paradise. That’s what happens in developed countries. When the right people, when educated people get into politics that happens automatically.
When people who haven’t passed 8th grade, heroin smugglers, ethanol smugglers, rapists and murderers become ministers and they make money off making highways, night races, when they try to divide people using race and religion and when people listen to what idiotic actresses have to say about politics, even if you keep saying ‘think about the country’ 24 hours a day, do you really think this country will become a paradise? If you really think this is how it should work, then I can only do one thing, and that’s to feel sorry for you. If you learnt anything by reading this, please educate those who don’t know. Tell your parents. Tell your friends and relatives. It’s the biggest thing you can do. This is not about replacing one person with another. At least now, we should begin to change this entire system. Let us take a step towards that. Therefore, please leave emotion aside and begin to think using your brains."
Sandun Goonaratne
"I humbly request that everyone read this.
You tell me to think about the country and not think about my stomach. Why do you love to shout at me saying that? Do I not love the country? Do I not think about the country? Do I not like to tell people that my country is among the well developed nations? How can you say no? You cannot read my mind. Tell me. Can you?
My father was in the army. He fought in the war for many years. On my birthday, on my sister’s birthday, on New Year’s Eve, my father was not with us. My father wasn’t able to be with us on any important occasion because he was busy fighting the war for my country, for our country. Although my father may have been brave in war and not felt any fear, it was my mother, sister and I who was back home and kept worrying about him. Do you understand what it’s like to have your friends and relatives come back home in sealed coffins? The only way we comforted each other was by telling ourselves, ‘they died for this country’. It wasn’t because we could. It wasn’t easy.
After much fighting, the war was finally over. When we heard the news that Prabharakan’s body was found in the Nandikadal lagoon, we all celebrated in joy. We lit crackers. Everyone in the village came together and celebrated with festive food. It was not only our stomachs we sacrificed, we also sacrificed the happiness in our hearts for this war. Do you still tell me that I only think about my stomach?
As the war ended like this, our hearts became filled with new hope. We dreamed our country would go forth in every direction. All this time, politicians had been telling us that this country couldn’t be developed, people cannot be given any relief because all the money was being pumped for the war. Since that problem was over, we honestly thought that good times were in store for us. We loosened our belts which we had kept tightened for so long, and we also started to think about our stomachs. Tell me, is that wrong? After patiently tolerating all of this for so long, do we become traitors and betrayers of the nation if we start thinking about our stomachs? Is it not fair that my blood begins to boil when sportspersons, celebrities and politicians come on television and tell us to not think about our stomachs and to only think about the nation? Do they face the same problems we have? Do you not understand the difference between those people who earn hundreds of thousands of rupees a month and my father who only earns 25,000 rupees?
What is the point if my mother can only fill a small plastic bag with 2 to 3 vegetables, a tin of salmon and 100g of tea leaves and that comes up to a 1000 rupees? Yes. You must be laughing. Laugh. Laugh all you want. But 1000 rupees is a lot of money to us. There was a time we used to drink milk. But when the 200 rupee packet of milk goes up to 400 rupees, and my helpless mother asks me, ‘son, is it okay if we have plain tea today?’ do you know how it feels?
We only buy a new piece of clothing once a year. When I know that only a denim and a shirt would cost about 4000 rupees, the reason I say no to new clothes is, even if my father and I don’t get any, we like to see my mother and sister looking pretty wearing something new. Even if I wear worn and old clothes, how can I watch my mother or sister wear clothes like that? I hope you understand our situation. Have you also experienced a similar situation?
We also like to dress well. We also like to eat rice with 2 to 3 curries. But you still tell me not to think about my stomach. If we struggle like this, can you imagine those people living in tea plantation sites, who earn only a few hundred rupees a day? Have you ever thought about that? Do you think they don’t like to get away from those shanties and live in a nice house with good food and drinks? Now you’ll tell me they’re uneducated people. Is it their fault alone that they’re uneducated? They spend their hard earned money to send their children to university for 4 years in the hope that their children will spend better lives than they did. But after 4 years of university, there are no job opportunities for them. If the jobs they can find only pay 10,000 rupees a month, what is the point of their education? Why do we need such an education? How can anyone live with 10,000 rupees? Can you do anything nowadays with even 25,000 rupees? You have to get married, have children. Is all this possible with this small amount of money?
If politicians live in huge palaces with our vote, and we have to live in a house with a living room and two bed rooms and still pay mortgage for it our entire lives, where is the justice in that? Is it because we passed our A/L’s? Is it because we attended university? Or is it because we didn’t skip school after grade 8 and go on to become ministers? While our parents lease out a motorbike for 2 to 3 hundred thousand with great difficulty, do you know that in other countries you can buy a car for less than that amount? If so, does the fault lie with us, or does it lie with the system in this country? Do you ever think about that? Is a three wheeler or a motorbike the only vehicle destined for us? Meanwhile, does it give you joy to see ministers who haven’t passed 8th grade to be riding in Lamborghinis? The only two vehicles destined for us, the motorbike and the three wheeler, aren’t allowed in the highways of this country. They build 20 million rupee roads for a cost of 800 million rupees. Then they ride on them with Lamborghinis. Is it because I’m not okay with this that you say I only think about my stomach? Tell me? Answer me.
Does it give you joy to see them wear shoes that cost a 2 to 3 hundred thousand, when their electricity bills go up to hundreds of thousands, when the shirt they wear is around 45,000 to 50,000 rupees, when they wake up in the morning and fly to Nuwara Eliya in a helicopter to go horseback riding, when their children go abroad for education, when they ride Lamborghinis around the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy? Tell me, does it make you happy? Is it with their money? Is it using money they earned? Is it from their salary? Try to understand, that is all our money. Money our parents earned with hard work and tears. That’s money found by selling the petrol litre for 160 rupees when it can be sold for only a 100 rupees. That’s the money with which we can wake up in the morning and have a cup of milk tea. I hope you can understand at least now. Even we have stomachs, not just them.
What is the point if there’s no law towards heroin dealers, no law towards ethanol dealers and no law towards murderers? Why aren’t they releasing these files? Are they not releasing them because of how much they love our stomachs? Is there a law only towards kasippu dealers in this country? Is it only towards the innocent?
How do you think soldiers who were well respected and looked up to back then feel now when they’re made to clean canals, carry bags of sand and made to clean roads? Did you ever wonder how their women and children would feel? Do all these people who shout, saying don’t think about your stomach, think about your nation, know that if a war starts up again, it is these people who will go to war for them again? If one day the BBS manages to create a war again by dividing people using religion and race as a tool, it is these soldiers who clean roads and canals that will have to go to war again. The only reason they keep bringing up these issues on religion and race is to mess with people’s heads. It’s their survival. If they don’t create a problem within the community of this country, there’s no survival for them. Why is that so hard for you to see? Should we lose our stomachs because of the problems they create? Please try to understand.
A country where anyone can express their free will. A country where people aren’t kidnapped by white vans. A country where media corporations aren’t burnt down and journalists aren’t killed. Don’t we all need a country like that? Instead of posters and banners everywhere, politics filled with empty threats and disgracing a person’s character, don’t we need a decent system of politics where the two main candidates can appear together and have a civilized debate? For real, how hard is it to understand? All these things have to change. A country needs law. We need a country with justice, equality and democracy. A country where its people can eat and drink, dress well and own a proper vehicle for themselves. That’s what you mean by development. That’s what you mean by paradise. That’s what happens in developed countries. When the right people, when educated people get into politics that happens automatically.
When people who haven’t passed 8th grade, heroin smugglers, ethanol smugglers, rapists and murderers become ministers and they make money off making highways, night races, when they try to divide people using race and religion and when people listen to what idiotic actresses have to say about politics, even if you keep saying ‘think about the country’ 24 hours a day, do you really think this country will become a paradise? If you really think this is how it should work, then I can only do one thing, and that’s to feel sorry for you. If you learnt anything by reading this, please educate those who don’t know. Tell your parents. Tell your friends and relatives. It’s the biggest thing you can do. This is not about replacing one person with another. At least now, we should begin to change this entire system. Let us take a step towards that. Therefore, please leave emotion aside and begin to think using your brains."
Sandun Goonaratne
