Gota’s book titled ‘Conspiracy to Oust Me from the Post of President states that the struggle started with Samagi Vanita Balavega led by Hirunika Premachandra. He says in his book that it was Hirunika who dispelled the fear of the young men and women who came to raid his Mirihana home. First, Hirunika raided his house and dispelled the fear people had about Gota. At that time, people were afraid to even mention Gota’s name. Gota’s story in his book is correct. Hirunika killed that fear. Sri Lanka Latest News
Hirunika is not just a political female character. She fired a string of bullets to break the Rajapaksa’s stone cave. The downfall of the Rajapaksa started with the 2011 municipal elections. In that election, there was a duel between Hirunika’s father Bharata Lakshman Premachandra and Duminda Silwat for Kolonnawa Municipal Council. A disciple of, Vijaya and Chandrika Bharata was a stalwart of Vijay’s People’s Party. When Chandrika rejoined the SLFP in 1992, Bharat also rejoined the SLFP. After joining the SLFP, Bharata worked not with one of his former leaders, Chandrika, but with Mahinda Rajapaksa, who challenged Chandrika.
In the 2005 presidential election, there was no one to put up posters for Mahinda. At that time, it was Bharata Lakshmana who put posters on the walls of Colombo for Mahinda. Mahinda became president and made him a consultant. Duminda Silva was drawn into Mahinda’s government after Hiru Radio was banned for posting a news saying that Tigers had come to Hambantota. Duminda also set up with Gotabhaya. Kolonnawa was the stronghold of both Bharata and Duminda. When Mahinda took Duminda’s side due to Gota’s influence, senior Sri Lanka Freedom Party members like Nimal Siripala, Maithripala Sirisena and Susil Premajayantha who were against the politics of the Rajapaksa family gathered around Bharata.
The Duminda fight against Baratha turned into a big fight in the 2011 LG polls. The result was the killing of Bharata. When the country was on fire with Bharata’s murder, Mahinda scolded Maithripala, saying that they added straw to the fire against Duminda. Maithri and Nimal Siripalala started conspiracies against Mahinda saying that Mahinda took the side of the Rajapaksa family in the issues arising in the SLFP. Those conspiracies were given strength because Bharata’s daughter Hirunika and her family, who came to Sri Lanka from abroad, pointed fingers at the Rajapaksas for Bharata’s murder.
The cold war between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party seniors and the Rajapaksa family, which started with Bharata’s murder, became heated by 2014. Maithripala comes out of the government as a result. Mahinda attack Maithripala and UNP. Maithripala and U.N.P fell on all fours when UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake was taken by Mahinda. At that time, getting someone from Mahinda’s government to match Tissa was more difficult. Chandrika, who was in charge of the operation to make Maitri the common candidate of the opposition, brought Hirunika to the opposition at that time. After that, Hirunika goes around the country to win friendship. Mahinda’s supporters threw stones at Chandrika and Hirunika while they were having a meal at a house in Beruwala. But Chandrika and Hirunika didn’t budge. She did not give up the fight.
During Maithri-Ranil government, she managed to send Duminda Silva, accused of her father’s killer, to jail. Even though Duminda was pardoned and released by the President after Gota won the 2019 presidential election, Hirunika did not give up the fight. Before the oil and gas queues, she and the Samagi Women’s Brigade raid Gota’s house, heading to a deadly battle with the Rajapaksas. It was the first time in the history of Sri Lanka that a private residence of a Prime Minister or a President was raided. On the other hand, former president was surrounded and protected by the army. There was an opinion in the country that the collision with Gota was like knocking the head on a rock. But Hirunika went on to hit her head on that black stone.
‘This is not a black stone. Don’t be afraid to crash…’
This is the message she gave to the country. Since then, she clashed with the police and went around the country, struggling and leading the struggle. Gota had to flee the country. The presidential pardon given to Duminda was withdrawn by the court.
Don’t point fingers at the Rajapaksas at the time of Hirunika Bharata’s murder. The conflict of Srilanka seniors against the Rajapaksa family will never come out. Maithripala’s election campaign will not revive if she does not give oxygen to Maithripala’s election campaign, which was withering when Tissa went to Mahinda. Ranil became the Prime Minister as a result of that fight in which she also contributed. Ranil became president and U.N.P members got positions because she raided Gota’s house and paved the way for the struggle.
She is an iron woman. A woman who challenged the Sri Lankan system. Many who challenge the Sri Lankan system end up in jail. Premadasa, who entered politics from outside the Sri Lankan system, was murdered. Vijaya Kumaratunga was jailed. Sarath Fonseka was jailed. Ranjan Ramanayake had to go to jail. This is hirunika’s turn.
Except for Premadasa, all those who went to jail for challenging the system made a deal with the enemy. Vijaya was freed by JR and had an agreement with JR. Fonseka was freed by Mahinda and formed separate parties to break the opposition. Ranjan got freedom from Ranil and left politics. It is impossible to think that Hirunika will fall into the same trap following Vijaya, Fonsekala and Ranjan.
There is a legend that the existence of Sri Lanka comes from the lion. Sinhabahu, the son of the lion who broke the door of the lion’s cave and freed himself from the lion, and Sinha Sivali are the two main characters of that legend. Hirunika played the role of Sinha Sivali to free Sri Lanka from the Rajapaksa’s ‘Sinha’ Empire. It has been seen in Hollywood, Bollywood and Kollywood movies about sons chasing after the killers who killed their fathers. But daughters who chase after their father’s killers are rare, she is an adventurous daughter. Surprisingly, her pursuit of her father’s killers changed the political map of Sri Lanka.
