Will the next first lady of the United States be a blonde? Most likely not. Barack Obama has a good chance in becoming the first ever “minority” President in a country where the “majority” is less than the collective minority.
The world is changing and its taking its natural course in giving everyone a chance. If not for the stupidity of so-called-saviors of the Tamil minority – LTTE, there would have been a great chance in having the first ever Tamil President in Sri Lanka immediately after Mahinda Rajapakse – in the great diplomat, lawyer and statesman Lakshman Kadirgamar. Undoubtedly, he would have been my personal choice, in an island where great leadership is an extreme rarity these days. I’m sure most of the Sri Lankans would have voted for him, even without thinking twice – if he were to contest in the next Presidential Elections – side by side with the likes of Ranil, Wimal and the rest of the clowns.
That's doubtful. Why couldn't he, for example, be the Prime Minister before Mahinda. He was highly placed, wasn't a threat to CBK, and even had the JVP leadership behind him. But CBK had to go for Mahinda.
ReplyDeleteNot that Obama's necessarily going to make it either.
We already had closeted Tamil president (and a whole family). Nilaperumal family from south India, later switched to Sinhala name of Kalukapuge with the “ge” name of “bandaranayakala-ge”. (more : Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon edited by Arnold Wright). also more information about this is in Ancestry.com. So Bandaranayaka was our first Tamil president.
ReplyDeleteBut sure Kadiragaman could have been the first "openly Tamil" president (amoung other things) – I would have gladly voted for him ("vote gladly" is something so far something I was unable to do).
Not a hope in hell.
ReplyDeleteHe may have made PM, but missed out in the end.
No political base anyway and while undoubtedly bright he was rather flawed.
See the memoriam by Tony Anghie here:
http://jestforkicks.blogspot.com/2008/02/lakshman-kadirgamar.html
I guess I'm one of those optimists who think that one day, Sri Lanka would have some brains ruling the country. The only way that could be possible, if at all, is if we abolish the executive presidency and follow a format similar to India, where the President usually is a top-class brain.
ReplyDelete