By

Gamini Weerakoon

Journalists are used to being kicked by all and sundry but not by beauty queens – rather ex-beauty queens. Last week we were surprised to read a front page report about Rosy Senanayake ‘flaying the media’.

Rosy, the young lady – rather not so young – ex beauty queen, turned diplomat, turned politician had taken on the media, particularly the press at a press conference last week and said that some journalists, instead of highlighting the rampant corruption and abuse of power by ruling party politicians, were engaged in boosting their egos and images through their writings.

Most politicians, when they have no one to kick around at a given moment, kick journalists and Rosy like most of them had used her dainty foot to kick us. Of course she had referred to ‘some journalists’ which usually provides a cover to kick all concerned. Had she specified the journalists or their institutions, it wouldn’t be taken as if she was referring to the entire tribe.

Beauties of Yore

There were beauty queens before the advent of Rosy who made their mark at top class global contests.

There was Maureen Hingert who was runner up at Hollywood when Ceylon (as we were then known) and Manel Ilangakoon also a runner up at a London competition. We were school boys then and recall surreptitiously turning into the inside pages of the staid Daily News and The Times to have a peek at those Akkis in bathing suits.

Beauty queens were given far less exposure in those days as of today. Rosy was a pioneer as a beauty queen in sweeping away the newsmakers of the day – politicians, diplomats and sportsmen – from the front pages.

The time was ripe when she triumphed as Miss Asia (or some such contest). J. R. Jayewardene had brought in the free economy and freed the country from austerity and moral shackles that prevented pictures of women revealing their talents in the front pages.

Even some Sinhala language papers took in the transformation. It boosted circulation.

Reigned for decades

Rosy made the news for three decades as a beauty queen, diplomat and politician. Now what is she griping about journalists?

She has taken on journalists like how police and army do at demonstrations.

She complains about journalists not taking on politicians for corruption and abuse of power.

There were some who did, Lasantha Wickrematunga is now six feet under at Kanatte. Sonali Samarasinghe has fled the country. Pradeep Ekneligoda has disappeared into thin air and a countless number of colleagues in the North have gone the Ekneligoda way. Some have stopped writing. White Vans cannot be written off yet. What does a journalist do when a White Van parks itself outside his or her home at dead of night? Ring up a UNP politico as Rosy and ask for help? It is curious that White Vans seem to go for journalists and not politicians, particularly those of the UNP.

Rosy’grouse

Rosy’s has a grouse against journalists for criticising the opposition, most probably the UNP, though she does not say it. But when UNPers make the news with their internecine quarrels what are we to do? Ignore it?

Some newspapers have done the UNP a favour by playing down the UNP hullabaloo. Some journalists are supporting Ranil as they should. He is the leader of the party. Is Rosy supporting Ranil? We have not read reports of her support for her leader even though; he had been largely responsible for her somewhat steady rise in politics.

Rosy and Ranil

We presume that it was Ranil who got her into UNP politics. As the Prime Minister he appointed her as High Commissioner to Kuala Lumpur despite much smirks in UNP circles about the selection of a beauty queen for a top diplomatic post. Ranil’s judgement proved to be right. Rosy shone in diplomatic circles in KL, say our Foreign Office boys who are usually not complimentary to interlopers.

No doubt she had balding, pot bellied KL diplomats choking on their cocktails but that alone is not enough. She had to head the mission in those difficult times when Sri Lanka was under attack. All that is well and good. But what exactly does she want journalists to do? Bludgeon corrupt politicians, well surrounded by contingents of armed personnel?

That is what we have been trying to do all the while and will continue to do so. Rosy Senanayake’s request reminds us of that age old Sinhala favourite: Rosa polla geneng balla maranda (Rosa bring the pole to kill the dog)

COURTESY:THE SUNDAY LEADER