Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

05 July  2020

Rajeewa Jayaweera’s Truth that the Media was blind to

The ocean means many values to us – each as per their belief. When recently a Muslim contractor expressed appreciation for the ocean view from our home unit – I said I meditated on the ocean from that spot. During the discussion the Muslim revealed that he believed that by fasting he was recognizing that there were others who had less to eat. How it would to fill the gap is not seen nor known. But the fact that he fasts, confirms his belief that it works.

To me it is like me writing without expecting credit in return. I ensure that I am right as per my true measure – based on prior experience. Then when I write  I share that experience which would empower the targeted readership. That to me is the core value of any medium of communication. The way the above mentioned Muslim guy does not know that his fasting makes a difference to those who have less than himself – I also do not know intellectually or physically that my service reaches the needy. But my belief that motivates me to keep writing confirms to me that it is of value. If I wrote just for style, status or money – I would not continue. I would stop due to lack of motivational power.

This morning, Lanka e news article ‘The dead body found at the independence square is a suicide or a homicide?’ came to my attention through the Tamil Diaspora who do care about Sri Lankan standards that we have contributed to. I first had knowledge of Rajeewa’s death on 13 June through the Island editorial. On 24 June, the report ‘Public Tragedy or a Personal Egress?’ came to my attention and I responded under the heading ‘Suicides – Public or Private’ . Now today, I am being taken to a deeper common level through the Lanka e news article. Once we complete each step truthfully – we are promoted to the next level towards universal power of truth.

The Lanka e news article of 12 June raises doubt as follows:

[However, can a printed letter without his own handwriting be taken as evidence of a person's suicide? An assassin can send text messages by snatching the victim’s phone. Why didn’t his brother get alerted about the text message he received last night? There are many unresolved doubts. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the police to reveal the truth without a doubt through a proper autopsy, is a suicide or a planned murder.]

Rajeewa in the mind of  the above author was presented as follows:

[The deceased Rajeewa Jayaweera is the son of former public administrator Stanley Jayaweera and nephew of former administration official Neville Jayaweera. He was a former senior manager of Air Lanka. His wife lives abroad. Rajeewa is a writer of a pro Rajapaksa website which is under the defense intelligence pay scheme, which implies to operate from overseas but operates locally and a frequent contributor to the famous English newspaper the Island. He was pleased with the return of Gotabhaya Rajapakse, in a letter in April the latter said Gotabhaya Rajapaksa must be strengthened to overcome the Kovid-19 epidemic. He also stated that Gotabhaya could gain two third parliamentary power, if the country was liberating from the epidemic with fewer deaths.]

If the above is false the President had the duty to publicly negate it. If true, the doubt that it could be murder is indicated by the following in Rajeewa’s April article ‘‘Empower The President To Manage Covid-19’,  in which Rajeewa Jayaweera highlights as follows:

[Despite these early signs, Sri Lanka geared itself for parliamentary elections and made merry without introducing necessary preventive measures. Mandatory screening of incoming Chinese, South Korean, and Italian passengers did not commence till March. Chairman Civil Aviation Authority announced strict screening for all incoming passengers without exemption only on March 12.  

That was one day after the first Sri Lankan, a tourist guide, was diagnosed with the virus on March 11. He had contracted the disease from a group of Italian tourists he had accompanied earlier on. 

A ban on Italian tourists from entering the country was not implemented until March 13 despite Lombardy being in Stage 3A (Cluster stage) by February 21.

Meanwhile, we were busy playing ‘big matches.’ One is unable to fathom why the President did not issue a directive to cancel all cricketing encounters scheduled in March. ]

And also:

[Unlike western countries (even they are reeling under the virus), our country’s health system is not geared to cope with the virus in the communal stage. What we would do with 2 ICU beds per 100,000 persons when Italy could not manage despite having 12.5 ICU beds per 100,000 is mind-boggling.

The worst affected countries have not introduced curfew but have opted for strict lockdown mechanisms. Citizens are permitted to visit supermarkets and pharmacies in the vicinity. ]

When I highlighted the above on 24 June – I read it as criticism of the Government. But today I realised that Rajeewa was actually separating the People from the Government and was blaming the People as a separate entity the government. Through the above Lanka e news article – it is indicated that money was paid to Rajeewa. By effect Rajeewa confirmed separation from the people and hence blaming the people for not controlling the virus, while he praised the President of deserving greater powers to ‘control’. The frustration happened when Rajeewa himself lost confidence that he could cure himself. That precondition – already in his mind, was expressed through his article of 05 April – as if he was blaming the People as a separate group.

Even though I had not read Lanka e news report until today, I also connected to the article by Rajeewa – to which I responded on 06 April. Today, when I read that article of 05 April by Rajeewa the picture is clearer – that it is NOT the Rajeewa known to me through our Common investment in Air Lanka. That Rajeewa would have had the strength of mind to oppose and to live life to the full.

My question is  - how come the Island was blind to the deterioration in one of its contributors or did it cover up the truth? Whichever it may be – the Island is ranked way below Lanka e news in its eligibility to Press Freedom. Freedom is the entitlement of those who rank Truth above all else – including the rights and wrongs as per law.

Effectively Rajeewa joined Murugathasan Varnakulasingham who set himself on fire to become the torch that would guide us. Rajeewa lit himself as the torch on 05 April 2020. He knew what would happen to his body thereafter.