In a week that shimmered with the glitz of Sri Lanka’s most beloved voices and the gritty realities of its political landscape, the nation found itself at a crossroads of cultural celebration and political introspection.
The contrast could not have been starker, nor the message more apparent: in the heart of South Asia, the soul of Sri Lanka beats to the rhythms of its artists, free from the confines of political allegiance and the enthusiasm of its politicians, whose reputations teeter on the edge of public perception and personal ambition.
Shihan’s allure
Amidst the digital whirlwind that captures our daily lives, Shihan Mihiranga emerged last week not just as a singer but as a phenomenon. Known for his magnetic charm that transcends the mere auditory experience of music, Shihan has become a symbol in an era where celebrity and controversy often dance too closely. As young fans hugged him, wept, and sang alongside him, a testament to his profound impact on youth was laid bare.
Shihan has always been a heartthrob, irrespective of the gender of his fans. With a followership of over one million on Facebook, his short video clip went viral in hours, reaching over three million views on multiple handles and social platforms. It was his Elvis Presley moment. Arguably one of the highest-paid artists in Sri Lanka, Shihan, despite his stardom, is a humble man. It’s not easy to hate him; it’s straightforward to love him not only for his singing and showmanship but for the man’s humility.
When many celebrities overly expose their personal lives, pseudo marriages, and relationships, Shihan has always kept his private life private. Never embroiled in controversy and scandal, he is one of the young Sri Lankans who speaks a different language. He is a free thinker when he’s not singing. His words are powerful, more often spiritual. He uses his stardom to heal people and he builds bridges. He is not the best singer, but there is more to this man. He has a deeper connection to his followers.
Shihan is never one to use his stardom to endorse corporate brands to earn millions at a time when most celebrities are up for sale. Especially since 2005, Sri Lanka has witnessed artists and sports stars siding with politicians and political parties for many reasons but ended up dividing their followers with politics.
Bathiya and Santhush endorsed the Rajapaksas; Indrachapa and Samanalee endorsed the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP); and the evergreen Rookantha sided with Wickremesinghe. Cricketers Arjuna Ranatunga and Sanath Jayasuriya damaged their reputations after entering mainstream politics. Celebrities belong to the public. The public will always be divided by politics. Shihan has stayed away from politics at all costs and I pray that he will not succumb to a political agenda.
The man who suffered the most due to politics was the multifaceted, multitalented Jackson Anthony. ‘Jacka’ was an actor, singer, historian, presenter, and more. He is one of the few who dominated the large screen, the small screen, and the theatre. The mistake he made was to glorify the Rajapaksas publicly. People humiliated him until his death. When he was in the ICU for months, people wished him a casualty. After his death, too, people remembered his political affinity.
While anyone should have the right to choose a political path, a celebrity owned by people needs careful consideration of their words. The only star to escape this was actor and singer Vijaya Kumaranatunga. He was a magnet to the people, a humanitarian, and a leader. Kumaranatunga chose politics, but the public was never divided despite his political path.
Ironically, it was in February 1988 that Kumaranatunga was gunned down in front of his house in Polhengoda. It was the time of charred bodies and bodies floating in rivers, and Kumaranatunga’s assassination was credited to the JVP. After 36 years, Kumaranatunga still lives in the hearts of people.
Three weeks ago, I questioned one of my close friends, a former JVP Leader, about the reasons why Kumaranatunga was shot in the face, almost as if to disfigure the beautiful face that people fell in love with. The answer was silence.
There are two sides to Kumaranatunga’s death; his death, even after 36 years, is a mystery, just like those other deaths in Sri Lanka. The social media critics are defending their party or accusing the other party of Kumaranatunga’s death. But no one wants to know the truth. Kumranatunga’s wife, Chandrika, became the President of Sri Lanka from 1994 to 2005 and despite half-hearted efforts, Vijaya’s death remains a mystery even to date.
I would not be surprised if Vijaya Kumaranatunga becomes a symbol again in the next presidential campaign, mainly due to the recent rise of Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and the JVP. Celebrities worldwide have the power to heal the world. Public leaders like Shihan belong to the 22 million Sri Lankans.
Chamara’s story
Parallel to Shihan’s tale is the story of Chamara Weerasinghe, another singer and heartthrob. Chamara, on any given day, is the most popular singer with mass appeal. He does not have Shihan’s magnetic physical attributes, but Chamara is all about voice; nothing but voice and lyrics. No one can speak to the hearts of youth like Chamara. He is undergoing severe health issues, which are keeping him away from singing. The man with the golden voice cannot sing anymore.
The news about his health issues made people cry and many prayed. When millions of people pray, even the gods need to answer. Chamara is recovering. He made news when Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa visited him. The footage was taken and released to social media. I doubt Premadasa intended to seek popularity through this meeting but it would have been great if the visit had been private.
There was heavy criticism of Premadasa on social media for taking advantage of the ailing star. This could have happened even if Wickremesinghe, AKD, or Dilith Jayaweera had met Chamara and someone had released the footage. Just like Shihan, Chamara too never endorsed politicians. Chamara never endorsed a corporate brand either. In this day and age, celebrity endorsements are a risk for both parties. The public reaction to celebrities backing politicians is a double-edged sword.
Tribute to Priya
Shihan – Priya – Chamara
The narrative deepens as we recall the poignant moment veteran singer Priya Suriyasena, a name synonymous with the golden era of Sri Lankan music, received a rousing tribute. Bound to a wheelchair, his presence at the Sumathi Awards stirred a collective memory, a shared nostalgia among generations.
Suriyasena’s singing and lyrics shaped my generation. His voice was unmatched. He was the most underrated and unappreciated singer of the 1970s generation. The man was never commercial – it was pure artistry. The medley sung at the event by Rookantha, Chandralekha, Umara, Bathiya, Santhush, Raini, and Sankha was a pure treat. The medley of Suriyasena songs from seven voices was probably the best medley ever to be sung. Suriyasena never endorsed politicians publicly. He was a private man and led a simple life.
The beauty of the Suriyasena tribute was in appreciating a man or woman when they are living. When people die, most take to social media platforms to celebrate their lives. A tweet, a Facebook post, or Instagram message alone does no good to the person who passed away. The beauty is if you look after them while they can hear and feel. There are many artists and sports stars living in poverty now. The fingers someone uses to create hate on social media can be used effectively to support people in dire need, especially artistes.
However, Sri Lanka has a history of crowdfunding for personal gains by showcasing causes. This is what I would like Shihan, Chamara, and like-minded celebrities to do – use their stardom for the common good. At least take leadership to support the needy artistes. The world in a digital economy provides an amazing avenue for public leaders to shape causes for a village, a city, and a country. The power of good words from good people can heal a country like Sri Lanka.
Weerawansa returns
Contrasting sharply with the world of unblemished celebrity is the tumultuous realm of Sri Lankan politics. Wimal Weerawansa, the firebrand ex-JVP Leader, catapulted the ‘Indian invasion’ narrative into the spotlight, exploiting a silence that spoke volumes. Weerawansa was once projected as the next JVP leader but was outsmarted by AKD and his cohorts in the party.
Weerawansa, once a Marxist, turned a capitalist under the Rajapaksas and formed a new party – the National Freedom Front (NFF) – under his leadership. He fell out with the Rajapaksa family publicly and over the last couple of years eroded his brand equity. He was in no-man’s land. Without the Rajapaksas, Weerawansa does not have currency in the public domain. He was plotting a re-entry into the public domain, but the terrain was not conducive for his narrative.
Born and bred in JVP politics, Weerawansa knows the anti-Indian narrative well enough, more than most of the present-day JVP/NPPers. The recent love affair of AKD/JVP with India was a god-given chance for Weerawansa to re-emerge with fiery oratory. Weerawansa has always been a conspiracy man. Even Mario Puzo will have a hard time plotting a scene with Weerawansa. For weeks, Weerawansa narrated the anti-Indian story, knowing there was no politician who would speak against India now, ahead of the Presidential Election.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that Dr. Wasantha Bandara would re-emerge. Weerawansa and Bandara are political brothers. Both are compelling storytellers. If AKD gave them a window of opportunity, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando gave them a blue pill. Fernando’s Mumbai speech where he said “Sri Lanka is part of India” before a crowd of 400 Indians in the travel trade was in bad taste for many Sri Lankans and ended up causing public uproar.
Fernando, an ambitious young Minister, has a history of attracting trouble due to words. The most famous were his few words after the 21 April 2019 Easter attacks. He publicly stated that his father had information about the attack. The public, most Sri Lankans in general, are yet to forgive him for his statement and the recent “Sri Lanka is part of India” added salt to the wounds. Bandara led a group of protesters demanding Fernando’s sacking from President Wickremesinghe. Weerawansa took parliamentary privileges and painted Fernando as an enemy of the State. It’s inconceivable that Wickremesinghe would sack Fernando from the Cabinet based on demands of the political brothers Weerawansa and Bandara.
Harin Fernando is a man who loves conflict and fighting. He took parliamentary privileges to turn the attack back on Weerawansa. Fernando owned the “Sri Lanka is part of India” story and blamed social media for distorting his long speech into an edited clip of a few minutes. He said this was why an Online Safety Act was required.
Had Fernando said “India is our neighbour” or “India is our friend,” we would not need an Online Safety Act. He defended himself well, and reminded Weerawansa of his past. Weerawansa started his life operating a small communication centre and now, thankfully due to politics, he is a wealthy man with a court case against him on accumulation of wealth without concrete evidence. Fernando reminded Parliament, in Weerawansa’s absence on the floor, of Weerawansa’s history of political conspiracy theories. The power of words, again.
Parliament continues to be a talk shop of certain politicians to launder their reputations. No wonder people dislike politicians and youth stay away from political discourse. However, youth staying away from politics is not confined to Sri Lanka but a universal problem.
Saliya Weerakoon, Senior Corporate Executive
Words and politics
Words at play once again. Ceylon Electricity Board Media Spokesperson Engineer Noel Priyantha swallowed both his feet in public. His statement that children do not need electricity as an oil lamp was enough for studying and a derogatory statement against upcountry estate workers ended up with him throwing down his resignation from the post of media spokesperson. Priyantha, an engineer, is certainly a learned man of books, but doesn’t seem to be a man of common sense. This is a reflection of the culture of entitlement in the country.
It was just a week ago that I was having an exchange on the subject of the culture of entitlement with a diplomat friend. ‘Priyanthas’ are everywhere in the country. Last week, I wrote that people lose their senses in front of microphones. Words have power. Words can break people easily but words take much longer to make people. A similar fate befell Dr. Rukshan Bellana, a Health Ministry official – another learned man of books but with zero common sense. His words instigated a health workers’ strike.
We often find fault with politicians for insensitive and sometimes stupid statements, but little do we understand that similar things happen in the public service. Thankfully, the narratives are controlled in the corporate world. If not, we would have seen a similar fate in the private sector as well. Common sense seems to be the issue of the country. If you zoom out, common sense looks to be an issue of the world. This is why public leaders should be aware of the power of words.
Amidst the political skirmishes, retired senior political leader Karu Jayasuriya emerged. His advocacy for the abolition of the Executive Presidency stirred the pot of political discourse, challenging the status quo and igniting debate on the future of Sri Lanka’s governance. Jayasuriya’s journey, marred by media trials and misconceptions, reflects the personal cost of political engagement. Yet his unwavering stance, even at the age of 83, serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of those who seek change.
Jayasuriya was seen as a paw of Wickremesinghe to scuttle the impending Presidential Election in the second half of 2024. According to Jayasuriya’s inner circle, he was not playing anyone’s cards but was fighting for something he truly believed in. Also, according to his aide, Jayasuriya does not seek reelection to public office but is active in charity and social service.
Since 1994, the abolition of the Executive Presidency has been a hot topic. Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe categorically stated that the abolition of the Executive Presidency could not be done in a hurry and all roads connected to the Presidential Election constitutionally due before 17 October. However, Jayasuriya should make a public statement of his role, proposing the abolition of the Executive Presidency at a crucial election time. Fake news and rumours get wings when you are silent. It is best to clarify, explain, and effectively communicate.
The soul of Sri Lanka
The week’s narrative weaves the complexity of Sri Lanka’s soul, captured in the melodies of its most cherished artistes and the ambitions of its political figures. The stark contrast between the purity of artistic influence and the tarnished arena of politics offers a poignant lesson: celebrities wield a unique power, one that can uplift, unite, and inspire beyond the confines of political allegiance.
Yet, the allure of politics, with its promise of influence and change, often tempts those whose voices carry far. The challenge, then, is to navigate these waters with the wisdom to remain untethered to political machinations, preserving the sanctity of their influence, for in the heart of every Sri Lankan, the memory of a song and the echo of a voice hold the power to transcend the transient nature of political divides, uniting a nation in shared heritage and hope.
Let us cherish the voices that sing not for political patrons but for the people and ponder the paths of those in power, whose legacies are etched not just in the laws they enact but in the lives they touch. In the end, the soul of Sri Lanka, vibrant and resilient, finds its truest expression in the harmony of its people, free from the discord of political divides.
Source: themorning.lk
