Retired CDS General Sarath Fonseka, like President Mahinda Rajapakse, is a colossus of our times. The two of them proved their mettle in their respective fields, the one in the political, and the other in the military, something that would not have been possible had it not been for their strategic partnership in the most crucial final phase of the country’s struggle against terrorism. The president’s political astuteness found an ally in the army commander’s military acumen: either would not have been such a brilliantly effective leader in the absence of the other in that situation. Sarath’s military genius matched Mahinda’s political adroitness; they complemented each other’s effectivenss in the performance of their respective jobs.

Since different parameters of excellence apply in the two domains, military and political, no comparison between the two is possible or necessary. In terms of efficient performance both excelled themselves.

However, in the final analysis, the political leadership eclipses the military, for the simple reason that the former possesses all the executive power in a democracy. The military is only an instrument at the disposal of the political head. Political authority entails accountability to the nation. The President, naturally, had to fight on many fronts, whereas the Army Commander had to do so only on one. The President found himself pitted against both internal opposition and external pressure, economic hardships, embarrassments frequently caused by some of his own ‘supporters’ and sycophants, and so on. If everything aborted, Sarath Fonseka would have quietly taken a back seat with little blame, but Mahinda Rajapakse would have had to face the music. This is a self-evident fact that hardly needs any reiteration.

To assert that the General should be satisfied with his due share of credit, which the country has not denied him, even if apparently the political leadership were a little remiss in not extending it in an unambiguous way for some unknown (personal?) reason, is not to belittle the importance of the role that he played, or the invaluable contribution he made as a key player in the defence establishment including both the high brass and the rank and file.

The liberated people instantly started singing the praises of the President when the terrorist leaders were done to death, calling him the "Maha Rajano" (Great King), not because they are ignorant about the non-existence of any monarchical rule in our country, but because they correctly understood who was the foremost architect of that outcome; otherwise they would have honoured some other person or persons with the title of "Maha Rajano".

The confirmation of the rumour about Sarath Fonseka going to take to politics challenging his erstwhile commander-in-chief has now been confirmed. This was dreadful news to none other than the public who had, at long last, breathed a sigh of relief after nearly thirty years of terrorist persecution. In any case, now the die is cast: the country has lost one of its greatest heroes to that abominable incubus of party politics; we are condemned merely to wait with bated breath, praying and hoping:

1. that Sarath Fonseka be blessed with the circumspection that will spare him the fate of Janake Perera, another great hero (of being sacrificed to mindless political opportunism),

2. that he desist from further deepening his (unintended) betrayal of the country’s recent victory over the antinational forces that he himself made a big contribution to the achieving of, and

3. that he eventually join forces with Mahinda Rajapakse, and patch up differences for the sake of the country, which his proven magnanimity of character makes us confident of, and enhance the incumbent’s inevitable victory at a future presidential election.