[The Admiral]
Independence Day is over. Finally we are free. Free from what exactly, nobody knows. But we celebrated. Flags waved. Speeches happened. The President said predictable things. Everyone clapped. Then everyone went home. Just another day. Another parade. Another year of independence from solutions.
There are only eleven months left to this year. Eleven months to deliver something. Anything. One thing. Just one promise kept. Just one problem solved. But let us not get our hopes too high.
The ministers are very happy. Economy is improving, they say. Everything is getting better.
People should not worry. Relax. Trust us. We are fixing everything. Just close your eyes and believe.
The opposition is screaming. Economy is nose-diving, they say. Everything is collapsing. People should panic. The government is destroying the country. We told you so. We are always right.
Both are lying. Of course both are lying. Lying is the national sport. Everyone plays. Everyone wins. Nobody gets disqualified.
Here is the truth. If the economy is really improving, people would feel it. Wallets would be heavier. Bills would be lighter. Rice would be cheaper. Hope would be stronger. People would smile without forcing it.
Are people smiling. Are wallets heavier. Are bills lighter. You know the answer. Your wallet knows the answer. Your grocery bill knows the answer.
If the government is really doing well, people would appreciate it. Automatically. Naturally. Without being told to appreciate. Without being threatened to appreciate. Without social media campaigns begging for appreciation.
But the government is very worried. Very sensitive. Very defensive. About what the opposition says. About what social media says. About what everyone says.
If you are really doing well, why worry about criticism. If your work speaks for itself, why defend yourself constantly. If results are obvious, why fight for credit daily.
But they fight. Every day. Every hour. Every post. Defending. Explaining. Justifying. Attacking critics. Threatening media. Very busy. Very defensive. Very not-confident for people doing such great work.
Remember Clean Sri Lanka. Big campaign. Huge announcements. Clean the country. Clean the system. Clean everything. Where is it now. Did we get clean. Or did the campaign get dirty and disappear.
Remember the fight against drugs. War on drugs. Zero tolerance. Big headlines. Big raids. Big promises. Where is the war now. Did we win. Or did the war take a vacation. Or maybe the drugs won and nobody wants to talk about it.
Remember rebuilding Sri Lanka. Grand plans. Major projects. Transform the nation. Build the future. Change everything. What got rebuilt. Anything. Or just more promises waiting to be rebuilt.
These initiatives. Born with fanfare. Died in silence. Nobody remembers. Nobody asks. Nobody cares. New initiative coming soon. Same pattern. Same promises. Same death. Same silence.
Ranil made headlines. Shiranthi made headlines. Namal made headlines. Days and days of headlines. Investigations. Files. Evidence. Proof. Charges. Everything except jail. They are still free. Still walking. Still smiling. Still living their best lives.
But we had great headlines. That counts for something. Right. Right.
Tilvin went to India. Big news. Big discussions. Big debates. Did it matter. Did anything change. Or just photos and handshakes and everyone moved on.
Vijitha wants damages from colonial masters. Bold statement. Historic demand. Courageous position. Will we get anything. Will anyone pay. Or just another statement that made news for two days then disappeared into the statement graveyard with all the other brave statements.
Education reforms. Remember that. Sex education. Social justice. Revolutionary changes. Big fights. Bigger controversies. Now nobody talks about it. Died quietly. Buried silently. Forgotten completely. Education system still broken. But at least we had a good fight about fixing it.
The Speaker has problems. Big problems. A Deputy Secretary checkmated him. Allegations are severe. Very severe. Parliament is shocked. Media is shocked. Everyone is shocked.
But the Speaker still leads Parliament. Still sits in the chair. Still runs the show. Because allegations are just allegations. Shock is just shock. And Parliament must go on. With or without answers. With or without investigations. With or without shame.
Businesses are suffering. Closing down. Laying off workers. Struggling to survive. Tax is crushing them. Costs are killing them. But they should not complain. Economy is improving. Ministers said so.
People are migrating. Leaving the country. Running away. Youth packing bags. Families saying goodbye. The brain drain is real. The talent exodus is happening. But do not worry. Economy is improving. We have statistics.
Banks are making huge profits. Record profits. Massive profits. While people cannot pay loans. While businesses are dying. While youth are leaving. Banks are celebrating. Dividends are flowing. Shareholders are happy.
Central Bank says nothing to worry. Everything is fine. Banks making billions while people suffer. This is normal. This is good. This is economic improvement. Trust the numbers. Ignore your empty wallet.
Monks are screaming. Angry monks. Protesting monks. The government is wrong, they say. The government is failing, they say. The government must change, they say.
The Cardinal is supporting them. Religious leaders united in anger. Rare moment. Historic moment. But government is not worried. They know better. They have economists. They have statistics. They have social media teams. What do monks know about economy.
Doctors are on strike. Fighting for something. Nobody remembers what exactly. Just another strike. Just more doctors angry. Just another day in paradise. Patients can wait. Sick people can wait. Dying people can wait. The strike is important.
Trade unions are fighting. Always fighting. Fighting is their job. They fight government. They fight each other. They fight everyone. Very busy fighting. Very little time for actual work.
Coal tender is corrupt, opposition screams. We are not corrupt, government screams back. Both screaming. Nobody proving. Nobody investigating. Nobody going to jail. Just screaming. Good exercise for the lungs.
The health scandal. Remember. Big scandal. Huge scandal. Medicine shortage. People dying. System broken. Headlines everywhere. Now nowhere. Disappeared. Solved. Or forgotten. Probably forgotten. Definitely forgotten.
The container scandal. Luxury vehicles. Illegal deals. Corruption. Investigations. Files. Everything. Now nothing. Not a scandal anymore. Just a misunderstanding. Just a mistake. Just move on. Nothing to see here.
Agreement signed with India. Secret. Very secret. What did we promise. What did we give. What did we get. Secret. National security. Cannot tell. Just trust. Just believe. Just sign and shut up.
Agreement signed with China. Also secret. Very secret. Same story. What terms. What conditions. What interest. Secret. Classified. Confidential. Trust the government. They know best. They signed papers. You just live with consequences.
Trump gave us twenty percent tariff. Very generous. Very kind. What did we promise him. What did we give. What did we agree to. Sealed with a kiss. Sealed with silence. Sealed forever. You do not need to know. You just need to pay the price.
All the CID complaints made by ministers. Corruption here. Fraud there. Investigate this. Arrest that. Big announcements. Big promises. Big press conferences.
Results. Zero. Nobody arrested. Nobody charged. Nobody in jail. Complaints went to CID. CID sent them to filing cabinet. Filing cabinet sent them to oblivion. Very efficient system.
Threats to media. Not a problem. Freedom of speech is guaranteed. As long as you speak what government approves. As long as you write what government allows. As long as you praise what government demands. Then freedom is absolute. Total freedom. Complete freedom to obey.
This is the problem. The real problem. The biggest problem.
People forget. Very quickly. Very easily. Very conveniently.
Clean Sri Lanka. Forgotten. Drug war. Forgotten. Rebuilding plans. Forgotten. Investigations. Forgotten. Scandals. Forgotten. Promises. Forgotten. Everything. Forgotten.
New headline comes. New scandal appears. New promise made. Everyone forgets the old. Everyone focuses on new. Everyone gets excited. Everyone gets angry. Then everyone forgets again.
This is the cycle. This is the pattern. This is the system. Politicians know this. They depend on this. They exploit this.
Make big announcement. Get headlines. Get attention. Get praise or criticism. Wait few days. Let people forget. Make new announcement. Repeat. Forever.
Nothing gets solved. Nothing gets delivered. Nothing gets completed. But plenty gets announced. Plenty gets promised. Plenty gets forgotten.
Wake up. Stop forgetting. Stop moving on. Stop accepting the cycle.
Remember the promises. Remember the scandals. Remember the investigations. Remember the initiatives that died. Remember the reforms that disappeared. Remember the corruption cases that went nowhere.
Keep a list. Write it down. Check it regularly. What was promised. What was delivered. What disappeared. What was forgotten.
Hold them accountable. All of them. Government and opposition. Ministers and critics. Everyone who promises. Everyone who announces. Everyone who forgets they promised.
The year has eleven months left. Eleven months to deliver something. Eleven months to solve something. Eleven months to complete something.
But they will deliver nothing. They will solve nothing. They will complete nothing. Unless people stop forgetting. Unless people start demanding. Unless people wake up.
Independence Day is over. The speeches are done. The flags are packed. The parade is finished.
Now what. Another year of promises that die. Another year of scandals that disappear. Another year of initiatives that fade. Another year of people forgetting.
Or wake up. Remember. Demand. Question. Push. Fight.
Wake up. Please. Wake up.