A H M IQBAL
COLOMBO : Betrayal is never pleasant, but it always hurts just a little bit more when it comes from a person whom you were once close to.
Here is a classic example of a “good friend” who once aspired to become the next president of Sri Lanka standing closely to one of the most influential and vociferous personalities, Azath Salley, who worked tirelessly for the presidential candidate in every nook and corner of Sri Lanka.
In return Azath Salley was guaranteed a seat in the parliament through the National List. This assurance gave renewed hope and confidence in Salley to use his maximum influence in the Eastern Region in favor of the front-runner. For the first time in his political career Sajith Premadasa secured 5,564,239 votes. His party lost the election was a different story.
As days drew closer to the appointment of who would enter parliament, it came as a shock to many when the SJB leadership denied Salley the promised National List slot. It went to Diana Gamage.
Gamage, during the vote for the controversial 20th Amendment, along with several other Muslim MPs shamelessly crssed over and joined government ranks which secured the required two thirds majority for the Podujana Peramuna Government.
Having supported a successful campaign against the Rajapaksas, Salley couldn’t believe what was happening. He was shocked, but being an outspoken politician with higher self-respect, Salley didn’t go behind anyone seeking the National List slot.
This is not his first victimization. Salley fell into Ranil Wickramasinghe’s trap in the previous elections and endured the same fate. He failed to see these wolves in sheep’s clothing!
Then came Salley’s arrest and detention up to this day without a just cause. When Parliamentarians from various factions including some racists stood up against his illegal arrest, Sajith Premadasa was silent. He never raised his voice in support of the man who went from house to house, province to province campaigning for him.
If it’s not taken in from a xenophobic mindset, it can be said that most of the Muslim votes went in favour of SJB in the last Presidential election. The Muslims had a glimmer of hope in Sajith when he promised during the run up to the Presidential elections, a secure environment for the Muslim community with no place for perpetrators or exploiters of fear.
But his silence in voicing his dissension over arbitrary arrests and detention of Muslims and his wayward attitude towards not protecting the promised freedom and liberty of Muslims, the same protection enjoyed by holders of other beliefs raises questions in the minds of those who supported him – Can we trust him?
Looking at this picture it reminds me of the quote, “Better to have an enemy who slaps you in the face than a friend who stabs you in the back.” How true!
