GOTA'S WAR The Working Hero - Gota betrays himself

A political giant, praised in books and songs as the unparalleled operator on the battlefield, has now created a strong controversy in the country with a statement made before the court that he never directly intervened in battlefield operations.

Former President and former Secretary of Defence, Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who testified via Zoom technology before the Jaffna Magistrate's Court yesterday (29) regarding the abduction and disappearance of social activists Lalith and Kugan, stated that he has no recollection of many of his past activities. When questioned about the abduction and assault of prominent journalist Keith Noyahr, he stated that he only has a faint memory of the incident and completely denied the allegations that Mr. Noyahr was released on his instructions.

The former Secretary of Defence, stating that he does not know that Keith Noyahr disappeared or was assaulted, also said that he does not even remember who informed him about the incident over the phone. It was evident that the image he had built up until now was a false one, as he claimed to have only performed clerical duties as the Secretary of Defence to gain an advantage in this testimony. The special statement made here is as follows: (Quote below) 

"Lawyer's Question: 
As the then Secretary of Defence, you directly intervened and gave instructions regarding abductions and disappearances, didn't you? 
Gotabaya's Answer: 
I deny that. I have not been involved in any ground operations. My duty as the Secretary of Defence was to transmit policies adopted by the government to those institutions. I have not been directly involved in ground operations in any way.."

This court statement is all the more ironic because of the massive heroic image politically built around Mr. Rajapaksa. Through C.A. Chandraprema's book "Gota's War," Gotabaya Rajapaksa was portrayed as the strategic mastermind of the entire war victory, deliberately disregarding even the leadership of the then Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. Although it was described as a book written by the author to distort history to secure the presidency for Gotabaya, this criticism was not understood by the 6.9 million voters at the time.

Furthermore, during the 2019 presidential election campaign, the song "Wadakarana Ape Viruwa" (Our Working Hero) was used to portray him nationwide as an extremely active, decisive, and unparalleled leader, an image that has now completely collapsed before the court.

He states that during his tenure as Secretary of Defence from November 2005 to January 2015, his role was merely to communicate the government's policy decisions to the relevant institutions, and that he had no ability to give instructions for ground operations. Even as a member of the Security Council with the President, Prime Minister, and the three armed forces commanders, his lack of a clear memory as to whether the then Inspector General of Police was properly informed about a serious crime like the Keith Noyahr incident raises serious doubts.

The 'Working Hero,' crowned in songs and books as the main architect of the war victory, by retreating to the role of an ordinary clerk who knew nothing during crucial human rights investigations, leaves behind only the bitter question of when true justice will be served to the oppressed people and victims of this country.