"Country needs leader who provides security for the country" -- Murali's speech at Gota's conference

"Country needs leader who provides security for the country" -- Murali's speech at Gota's conference

Distinguished player Muttiah Muralitharan who was present at Viyathmaga convention held last morning at Colombo Shangri-La hotel said that a leader should not act with words but with examples and that though it is alright to say it with words, what is more important is example. The convention held under patronage of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, he said: "Whoever is chosen ... he should solve problems as a leader". 

He said that what is important are things like all politicians are not only talking ... they should work
for the public, solve problems of the masses, should be prepared to find solutions to problems of the people, solve issues relating to the country and take action to provide security necessary for the country. 

"We have many religions. There are many races. For the leader all of them are equal to children of a father; he loves all children without any discrimination as to whether it is a daughter, son or second child. Our leader should be someone who has such high qualities. In the same way he should receive help and support; he has many objectives. Not only one ... many things like social, welfare, women's and education come under it. Everything can't be by just one brain. Therefore it needs a group or team. The leader should be able to control that group. He should be competent enough to handle and control that team to work towards some goal according to his word. It's not ordering as such. 

You need a group of that sort. Some say, 'I will die for the sake of the country'. Why should you die ... it is you who should rule the country. Do I say 'Give me a place in the cricket team.\'. Do you say 'I will even die and get wickets?' If you die, how can you get the wickets? It is not right. You should use your brain. Why do you need a leader? It is very important that a leader is clever in taking decisions. I would help such a leader from the bottom of my heart. I believe that at this moment what the country needs is such a leader. 

I am a Tamil. We lived in this country without fear. If people do not know what fear is ... I came to know what fear is when subjected to gunshots in Pakistan. That was a two seconds fear. But I went for training. In 97 - 98 we were in Pelawattha. I never used the Parliament Road. I knew that at any moment a bomb attack could come our way for a political reason ... for everything we went around. Even if we came to Colombo we lived in fear. We lived in fear because we were Tamils. 

I consider the most significant date of my life ... the year 2009. I think that we could live in this land without fear ... but such a fear dawned again. So this election is very significant ... a person who could provide protection for people of this country to be free from fear ... only that kind of leader that I want. There are so many whom I can name. I will cast my vote to a leader who has such a quality. I won't say ... that selection is yours. 

To be a politician ... he should be someone who did something before. Our army come to know what fear is when going to war. Nobody understands to what extent soldiers face difficulties. We have received everything as privileges. But people dedicated themselves to this country. Fear means a big thing. We also lived in fear. I was born in 1972. The government toppled in 77. Many houses and properties perished in fire. My father attacked by a sword and he sustained a cut of about 12 inches. It can be seen even today. 

It was because my father was a brave man that he stayed in Sri Lanka. 80% left to India. My father said, 'I am a Sri Lankan ... I won't go! It was that trust and strength that I also got. Both sides should be responsible for the fear we experienced. What the government did was wrong ... what the L.T.T.E. did too was wrong. They had something to choose. Towards the end of 87, 88 with the ceasefire not only the Tamils but everybody faced problems. 

Like politicians, people in this country too are moving in the wrong direction. When one considers business-people, they have so many objectives. How are we to know about them? What does a cricketer know? If someone becomes a good cricketer ... if he is a very good person for that matter -- if he is chosen and he turns out to be a good leader -- even if I am taken for example, i know how to play the game of cricket. I know a little about managing business. In the least ... a political experience of 20, 30, 40 years is necessary. After all names come forward ... after elections commissioner announces the names ... we'll see who is the good leader. But what I say is to look and choose a leader who has done something for the country".

- Ruwanthi Kariyawasam -