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| Why do I feel that she is laughing at us Kolombians? |
I am disturbed. I am disturbed by all the attention that Mahinda Rajapaksa is getting. Don’t get me wrong, I like the man. In fact you might remember me offering honorary Kolombianship to him not too long ago, what with him having a name like Percy and for all his yakko-talk letting us Kolombians have it all. Still, he’s not a member and we have to stand by our folks. Like Ranil. Like Chandrika. That’s why I am bothered by Mahinda-out-of-power looking larger than Mahinda-as-President. Worries me.
I am worried because I suspect he’s figured us out and he’s not keeping it to himself. The other day he made an observation that really rattled me. It rattled me because I didn’t think he could figure such things out.
He was referring to something Chandrika had said. He didn’t mention the name but he didn’t have to either. He said that there are people who are of the opinion that he shouldn’t engage in politics now that he’s no longer President. He observed that there are others of the same ex-president category (yes, Chandrika) who think it is ok to do politics.
Noting the contradiction is easy. That’s not what worries me. What worries me is the tongue-in-cheek explanation that he offered: ‘එයාලාවලව්වේඅයහින්දවෙන්නඇති’ (‘Perhaps this is because they are aristocrats’).
This is true. There are separate rules for us. Unwritten ones. More importantly unsaid ones. Chandrika might think that the ‘walawwa’ still has overriding power. That’s not true. It’s us, the Kolombians, who make up the ‘Walawwa’ of the 21st Century. Mahinda has used the correct term though. Walawwa is what best describes the power relationship between us and them. There are high seats and low seats. And then there are those who have to sit on the floor. Not everyone is allowed to drink from the glass that touches the lips of the walawwa-residents. We like to be apart, we don’t like being a part. Mahinda has figured out that subtle but nevertheless decisive difference, I am beginning to think.
I blame it all on Chandrika. She’s of the old school, the old ‘walawwa’. The modern version is about outcomes and not frills. It is about rich bank accounts and not seating arrangements, deferential addresses and such.
The other day she said ‘වැඩකරන්නඕනනම්ඇවිත්ඔළුවනමාගෙනවැඩකරන්න (If you want to work, come, lower your head and work)’. ‘Be servile!’ she orders. That’s plain dumb on her part. It’s something you need not say. The moment you articulate the point, people here and since we are a numerical minority it can kill us at the polls. For instance.
Mahinda figured out ‘Walawwa’. What if he figures out ‘Kolombia’? What if he spreads the word? I am worried. Seriously.