by Prasad Gunewardene

Some may treat this news as the joke of the decade. But our former Minister of Public Affairs and Public Relations Mervyn Silva is very serious about the attempt to kidnap him. He has lodged a complaint at the Mirihana Police last week that a white van was haunting his Mirihana residence to kidnap him. Readers may ask; who wants to kidnap Mervyn and for what? Mervyn lives in many places. He moves from place to place in fear.

Obviously for fear, though he posed off as a brave warrior from the South in his ministerial days surrounded by his security and private body guards who were known to be thugs. Mervyn has a bad mouth and is known to be a time server in politics. He was introduced into politics by Mahinda Rajapaksa and inspired by late Ms. Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

Well, he abused Ms. Bandaranaike taking her son Anura’s side when the latter fell out with the mother. Now he abuses Mahinda Rajapaksa who introduced him into politics. That is Mervyn Silva who is known for his maverick tricks.

Every person born on this earth has some talent. Mervyn has the talent to charm any person to suit his conviction. It is he only knows the art of that charm. Mervyn also knows better charms than a Gurunnanse. When Ms. Bandaranaike was on the decline in politics in the late 1970s, Mervyn told Ms. B that someone had done a charm to her Rosmead Place residence. He was a regular visitor to Anura’s house that was adjoining to his mother’s main house.

Ms. B shocked by Mervyn disclosure asked what could be done to rid the charm. Mervyn promised to bring a good Kattadiya from Hambantota. Ms. B was happy and the dates were fixed for the Thovila to rid the charm. Accordingly, the Kattadiya arrived, performed the Thovila cutting lime. Ms. B paid the cost that ran into a few thousands of rupees to the Kattadiya. But nothing came right and Ms. B was wondering as day by day she had problems in the SLFP. She had also lost her Civic Rights at that time.

Anura Bandaranaike and Mahinda Rajapaksa were close friends at that time. Anura used to travel to the South with Mahinda. A few weeks after the charm was rid at Rosmead Place, Mahinda was driving with Anura in the car to Hambantota. Anura having seen the Kattadiya walking along the road had requested Mahinda to stop the car to talk to the man. The man recognizing Anura had taken to his heels. Mahinda had asked why Anura wanted to talk to that man.

“He is the Kattadiya whom Mervyn brought to rid the charm in our Rosmead Place house”, Anura had replied. Mahinda has had a hearty laugh and said, “Are you mad? He is a Mason Baas and not a Kattadiya. Don’t you know Mervyn’s antics?” Anura had remained silent in anger. Mervyn is a good actor. Once he worshipped Ms.B. Then he praised Chandrika. Thereafter, he worshipped Mahinda. He has abused all three after deserting them. Be that as it may, Mervyn has proved that there are no permanent friends in politics to him.

Mervyn spent a few years in the UNP under Ranil Wickremesinghe. Ranil kept him at a distance and warned him that he (Ranil) would not tolerate nonsense. Mervyn was representing Hambantota at that time and was clashing with the newcomer Sajith Premadasa as Sajith was fast becoming popular in that district. Ranil who was made aware of Mervyn’s conduct issued him only one warning. Mervyn was quiet till he left the UNP to join the SLFP under Chandrika Kumaratunga. After joining the SLFP under Chandrika he resumed his antics again much to the embarrassment of the SLFP and the leadership of the party. There was none to control him.

It became worse under Mahinda as Mahinda had a lot of sympathy and affection for Mervyn whom he knew for decades. He protected him against all odds. Once when Gotabaya wanted to take Mervyn to task over the latter’s misdeeds, Mahinda came to Mervyn’s rescue. What did Mahinda get in return? He got the Rajapaksa clan insulted in the manner Mervyn insulted the Bandaranaike clan. However, Mervyn did not take the Bandaranaikes’ to the Police. He has gone a step further against the Rajapaksas’ by lodging complaints at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Mirihana Police last week alleging that Mahinda and Gotabaya should be held responsible if he was kidnapped.

These are good lessons for Mahinda to learn even at this late stage. Mahinda protected Mervyn against the wishes of the SLFP Membership when Mervyn faulted. Once when Maithripala Sirisena as the party General Secretary proposed strict disciplinary action against Mervyn, it was Mahinda who swept that inquiry under the carpet as Mervyn visited him and shed tears pleading the leader to protect him. After Mervyn displayed his antics at Rupavahini and the Sisara TV station precincts, what did Mahinda do in a Cabinet re-shuffle? He made him the Minister of Media. In a later re-shuffle Mahinda created a new Cabinet portfolio for Mervyn as Minister of Public Affairs and Public Relations.

The SLFP and the public viewed such promotions to Mervyn with anger. As the Sinhala proverb states; Mahinda’s anukampawa (sympathy) has turned a bhoomikampawa (an earthquake) for him. The general belief is that; even if Mahinda returns to power again, he would treat Mervyn with sympathy again. Considering the above facts and the sympathy that Mahinda has for Mervyn, it is difficult to believe that a white van would be sent to kidnap Mervyn.

Courtesy:Ceylon Today