by Sachi Sri Kantha, May 12, 2022
The dictionary definition for sycophant is revealing, “n. servile flatterer, toady, parasitic person. From French sycophante or from Latin > Greek sukophantes informer.” [The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 7th ed., 1983, pp. 1081-1082]
Now that the stars and fortunes of the Rajapaksas have faded, one should not forget the notable Tamil sycophants who bad-mouthed the LTTE and their freedom struggle, to curry favors from these rascals. Here is my list.
Mahinda Rajapaksa and Narasimhan Ram
Subramanian Swamy
Narasimhan Ram
Douglas Devananda
Anandasangaree
Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan (aka Col. Karuna)
Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (aka Pillaiyan)
K.T. Rajasingham
S.C. Chandrahasan
Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole
Velayutham Dayanithi (aka Daya Master)
Noel Nadesan
Kumaran Pathmanathan (K.P.)
Angajan Ramanathan
Subramanian Swamy and Mahinda Rajapaksa
I’m certain that this is an under-count. Nevertheless, all identified share one or more common features among them: crass opportunists, hypocrites, turncoats, leadership pretenders without any followers, peace-pantaloons, and moralists of a duplicitous degree. They also craved for a photo-op with the Rajapaksas, a parade in an army vehicle with gun-toting goons ans free helicopter rides. An invitation to visit the Presidential palace or the Prime Minister’s residence was a badge of ephemeral recognition for them.
Subramanian Swamy
This Swamy, a clown and loose cannon in Indian politics, had the temerity to propose that Mahinda Rajapaksa deserved ‘Bharat Ratna’ award from India. And this week, he had opined that India should send its army to rescue the Rajapaksa rascals. Here are few of my previous thoughts on Swamy’s support to Rajapaksa coterie.
Subramanian Swamy, the Loonyswamy of Madurai, Aug 14, 2012. https://sangam.org/2012/08/Subramanian_Loonyswamy.php?uid=4824
Rebutting the baloney of Subramanian Swamy, July 26, 2014. https://sangam.org/rebutting-baloney-subramanian-swamy/
Narasimhan Ram
In this site, I had criticized Narasimhan Ram’s sycophancy more than once. Here is a select list.
The low-down on Narasimhan Ram the Ignoramus, Dec. 9, 2005. [https://tamilnation.org/forum/sachisrikantha/051227ram.htm]
The naivete and rascality of N. Ram, Oct. 28, 2008. [https://sangam.org/2008/10/Naivete.php?uid=3145]
On that Narasimhan Ram interview with Mahinda Rajapaksa, July 11, 2009. https://sangam.org/2009/07/Ram_Interview.php?uid=3615
I began this 2009 critique with the sentence, “To persecuted ethnics (not only Tamils, but also Palestinians, Chechens in Russia, Basques in Spain) collaborators and turncoats are the scum of the populace. But, even scums serve one solid purpose as negative controls. Will it be possible for the scums to deliver what they had been professing openly?” What is notable now is that, all of the sycophants listed above failed to achieve anything for Eelam Tamils by their anti-LTTE stand, by their fart-catching behavior to Rajapaksa rascals. Thus, proving what Prabhakaran aimed as his chief objective was perfect indeed.
Douglas Devananda
I have not written much about Douglas Devananda, except his involvement with the kidnapping of Allen couple in 1984. Simply he was a phony Tamil militant, who morphed into a semi-literate political opportunist via convenient alliances with Ranasinghe Premadasa, Chandrika Kumaratunga and the Rajapaksa rascals. As such, I reproduce what D.B.S. Jeyaraj has written about Devananda’s politics during the last Presidential election in 2019.
“In spite of Devananda’s inability to deliver, the Rajapaksas did not indulge in ‘Karapincha/Karueppilai’ treatment. The family appreciated Devananda’s loyalty and recognised his intrinsic worth. Douglas Devananda had hitched his wagon to the Rajapaksa star since 2005. He remained with the Rajapaksas when they were out in the cold instead of crossing over. This was appreciated by the family and Douglas was given a Cabinet portfolio by Gota after his victory last year though both the EPDP could not get Tamils to vote for him in large numbers.” [Sept. 2, 2020] [https://www.ft.lk/Columnists/Ranjan-Wijeratne-the-Rajapaksas-and-the-rise-of-Douglas-Devananda/4-705420]
K.T. Rajasingham
K.T.Rajasingham prided himself as the first Tamil to introduce a young Mahinda Rajapaksa to the population of Northern province in early 1970s. His twitter message of January 3rd 2022 was,
“Political volcano is about to erupt in Srí Lanka in the near future. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has categorically stated that he will not step down from his position as Prime Minister. Meantime reports revealed that Basil Rajapaksa has set his eye in that position.”[ https://twitter.com/KTRaja/status/1477849470314237961]
Well, within five months, Rajasingham was partially correct. Political volcano did erupt. But, as of May 9th, both Rajapaksas (Mahinda and Basil) he had mentioned have been dumped by their youngest sibling Gotabaya, to temporarily save his neck.
‘Sour grapes’ Sangaree
How can we underestimate the idiotic belief and chutzpah of V. Anandasangaree (the leader of the rump TULF) in toadying up to the Rajapaksa rascals, less than a year ago? [Island, Colombo, July 24, 2021.] https://island.lk/current-rajapaksa-govt-best-suited-to-settle-tamil-issue-asangaree/
S.C. Chandrahasan
In his published interview with Namini Wijedasa on Aug.5, 2012, to supplicate Rajapaksas, Chandrahasan pouted, ‘Those who have been brainwashed by the LTTE are the problem. The LTTE era has to be forgotten. We have to dismantle that.’ Wijedasa continued,
“Chandrahasan went up to President Rajapaksa at the function. ‘He did something good,’ he pointed out. ‘He deserved to get the credit. I complimented him and I said this is a moment in history and we should get ourselves photographed together. It was symbolic.’ It took the president a ‘minute or two’ to get over the praise.” [https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-ltte-era-must-be-forgotten-chandrahasan-sjv-chelvanayakams-son/]
What an unworthy son of a worthy leader!
Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole
I have asserted more than once before that though I do admire Prof. Hoole’s academic credentials and experience, I hated his religious jingoism and sycophancy to the Rajapaksas. Here are links to two of my previous commentaries.
Professor Jeevan Hoole Meets Poet Rudyard Kipling, Dec. 21, 2010. https://sangam.org/2010/12/Hoole_Kipling.php?uid=4173
The Mystery of the Recent University of Jaffna Vice Chancellor Appointment, President Rajapaksa’s Angle, Aug. 15, 2011. https://sangam.org/2011/08/Vice_Chancellor.php?uid=4433
Noel Nadesan
A veterinarian by profession, currently residing in Australia, Noel Nadesan had said/written pro-Rajapaksa tripe such as what follows:
“On behalf of the Diaspora Dialogue for Peace and Development, its coordinator Dr. Noel Nadesan from Australia made a statement that the doors in the North and East are now wide open for development and rehabilitation with the victory of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. ‘The Tamil diaspora has tremendous confidence in President Rajapaksa rebuilding the war devastated North and East. It’s a pity to see the Tamil National Alliance trying to keep the people in the North and East in their grip with a meaningless political stance,’ he said in the statement.” [Ananth Palakidnar, ‘Tamil expatriates welcome President’s re-election, Sunday Observer, Colombo, Jan 31, 2010]. http://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2010/01/31/new20.asp
“President Mahinda Rajapaksa achieved in Sri Lanka last 5 years was stability and established law and order that many presidents and government were not able to provide to citizens of Sri Lanka for many years that why he is being elected every election from 2006 to today….Now after three decades, ordinary Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese are sleeping peacefully at their home with their children beside them and dreaming of their future but some people outside Sri Lanka do not like their peaceful dreams.” [Noel Nadesan, ‘Let them dream peacefully’, Colombo Telegraph, April 28, 2014] [https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/let-them-dream-peacefully/]
What a pity? Such kind of fantastic, fanciful dreams of Nadesan had burst in 2022!
Kumaran Pathmanathan
There is hardly any doubt that this turncoat guy (who ‘pretended’ to be the LTTE leader in the post-Prabhakaran phase) had lost his marbles, after his ‘capture’ in Malaysia.
In an interview with an unidentified Special correspondent, [Daily FT, July 30, 2020], KP had presented his ‘new avatar’ as the foremost fart-catcher of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Two of his answers, reproduced below, would suffice.
”Q: Last year, Sri Lanka faced a new threat – extremism. How do you see this new threat that shattered the hard-earned peace in the country?
We do not have to worry about it. As long as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa holds office, he will ensure the country’s security, and he will ensure such carnage will not happen again in the country. Extremism or terrorism, he will make sure Sri Lankans in the motherland will not be harmed. Trust in him.
Q: Why do you have such confidence in him? Is it because he saved your life?
Yes, I strongly believe in him. I have confidence that he will deliver and meet people’s aspirations. I have met him from time to time, and he always talked about his desire to build our Motherland. He is the right leader for the country.
He is the right person that has been elected to the correct office. Our President Rajapaksa is a gift to our Motherland. When compared with other political leaders, he is the only leader that could develop this country, as he has a vision for the country’s future and our younger generation.
Misleading notions about him are being spread by politicians who fear him. However, I urged our people not to be carried away with such accounts, as he is a leader for all communities of Sri Lanka.
We should not overlook the opportunity of standing together with him. He loves this country deeply. We should trust in him to lead us into a new era of development, which will uplift the lives of our people.” [https://www.ft.lk/Opinion-and-Issues/Attempts-to-revamp-LTTE-futile-under-GR-government-KP/14-703851]
Another news report, less than a year ago [Oct 8, 2021], contributed by Zulfick Farzan to a Colombo website News 1st, had this gibberish:
“The now-defunct LTTE’s Head of Department of International Relations Kumaran Pathmanathan, known as ‘KP’ has welcomed President Rajapaksa’s invitation for the Tamil Diaspora to the discussion table.
“We must work together. We must come to the table for the present and future generations,” he told reporters during an event to declare open a Children’s Home in Killinochchi along with Piyal Nishantha De Silva, the State Minister of Women and Child Development.
“The President has a 2/3 majority and that needs to be used in a proper manner. That is my message to our people and the leaders,” said KP.” [https://www.newsfirst.lk/2021/10/08/lttes-kp-opens-orphanage-with-state-minister-denies-he-was-given-ltte-assets/]
Angajan Ramanathan
Check the following news reports/commentaries on the anti-Tamil activities of this sycophant. https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=32465
“2009 முள்ளிவாய்க்காலில் எங்களது உறவுகளின் இரத்தத்தை குடித்த காட்டேறிகளின் ஆட்சிக்கு 2010ல் இருந்து ஆதரவளித்து வரும் அங்கஜன், எமது வீர வரலாறு தொடர்பாக பேசலாமா என முன்னாள் வடக்கு மாகாணசபை உறுப்பினர் ச.சுகிர்தன் கேள்வியெழுப்பினார்.
அவர் இன்றைய தினம் வெளியிட்டுள்ள ஊடக அறிக்கையிலேயே இவ்விடயம் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இவ் அறிக்கையில்,
2009 ல் எங்கள் உறவுகளின் இரத்தம் காயமுன்னர், எங்கள் உறவுகள் கம்பிவேலிக்குள் இருந்த நேரத்தில் தமிழர்களை வென்ற வீரனாக சிங்கள மக்கள் மத்தியில் காணப்பட்ட மகிந்தவை ஆதரித்து, 2010 நாடாளுமன்ற தேர்தலில் மகிந்த கட்சியில் வேட்பாளராக நின்று சக வேட்பாளர்களுடன் வாக்குக்காக அடிதடியில் ஈடுபட்டு துப்பாக்கி பிரயோகம் வரை சென்ற அங்கஜன் வன்முறை தொடர்பாக எங்கள் இளைஞர்களிற்கு அறிவுரை கூற என்ன தகுதி இருக்கின்றது?
2015 ல் ஒட்டுமொத்த தமிழர்களும் கொலைகார ராஜபக்ச குடும்பம் ஆட்சிக்கு வரக்கூடாது என நினைக்கையில் தனது பதவி ஆசைகளிற்காகவும் தனது வியாபாரத்தை பாதுகாக்கவும் எமது மக்களிற்கு மாறாக மகிந்தவுக்காக வாக்கு கேட்டு தமிழின துரோகியாக செயற்பட்டு மகிந்த தோல்வியடைந்த மறுகணமே யாரை வெல்லக்கூடாது என முதல் நாள் வரை செயற்பட்டாரோ அவர்களுடன் தனது பதவிக்காக கட்சி மாறி அமைச்சு பதவி பெற்ற பச்சோந்தி அங்கஜன் எங்கள் இளைஞர்களிற்கு அறிவுரை கூற தகுதி இருக்கின்றதா?
மீளவும் தமிழர்களை கொன்றொழித்த ராஜபக்ஷ குடும்பத்திற்காக 2019ல் கோட்டாபயவுக்காக பிரசாரம் செய்து தமிழர் வாக்குகளை போலி வாக்குறுதிகளை கூறி பெற்றுக்கொடுக்க முயற்சி செய்த துரோகி தமிழர் வீர வரலாறு தொடர்பாக பேசலாமா? 2020 ல் வேலைவாய்ப்பு, அபிவிருத்தி என்ற கோசத்துடன் நாடாளுமன்ற தேர்தலில் பரப்புரை செய்து தேசியத்திற்காக போராடும் தமிழர்களின் வாக்குகளை உடைத்து தமிழர் பேரம் பேசும் பலத்தை சிதைத்து நாடாளுமன்றம் சென்று தனக்காக வாக்களித்த மக்களுக்கு எதுவும் செய்யாது ஏமாற்றிய அங்கஜன் எங்கள் இளைஞர்களிற்கு அறிவுரை கூற தகுதி இருக்கின்றதா?
நாடாளுமன்றத்தில் தனது பதவிகளை காப்பற்றுவதற்காக 20ம் திருத்தச் சட்டத்திற்கு ஆதரவாக வாக்களித்து அரச தலைவுருக்கு காட்டுமிராண்டித்தனமாக அதிகாரத்தை வழங்கி ஒட்டுமொத்த தமிழர்களையும் ஏமாற்றிய அங்கஜன், டக்ளஸ் போன்றவர்கள் வன்முறை தொடர்பாகவும் எங்களது வீர வரலாறு தொடர்பாக கதைக்க எந்த அருகதையும் இல்லை – என்றுள்ளது. [https://ibctamil.com/article/what-a-qualification-for-angajan-1652380172]
Coda
Thoughts of a political analyst M.M. Nilamdeen is presented in this site, in Tamil.
[https://ibctamil.com/article/did-mahinda-escape-from-sri-lanka-1652374157] He suggests that Mahinda Rajapaksa had escaped from the island. This may be true or not.
One wonders what these sycophants would have thought, when they saw how their patron Mahinda Rajapaksa and his coterie had fled from his own Sinhalese ethnic commoners, in helicopter to Trincomalee. What a despicable fall for the purported Sinhalese war hero of May 2009, fleeing from the wrath of Sinhalese hoi polloi in May 2022. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s behavior indicates that the island history, since Mahavamsa was written, is repeating itself. Sinhalese kings had always escaped from the wrath of Sinhalese hoi polloi, to the safety of non-Sinhalese regions, including South India.
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