Harry Potter and the Sri Lankan Crisis

YouKnowWho aka Voldemort seems to have made a reincarnation in our splendid isle as none other than the Leader of this Beloved Nation. The Dementors are most definitely swooping very close as hope is driven out and despair rises each day. Muggles are being killed in abductions, kidnappings and bomb blasts which occur weekly. People seem to be Confuded regularly. The members of the government media appear to be Imperiused. Especially those at the 'Daily Noise' as they clearly haven't got a clue what's going on. Those that are in private media organisations are cleverly evading a heavy rain of 'Avada Kedavras'.

One glaring difference stares back at us in this eighth edition of Harry Potter. We do not have a 'Boy Who Lived' to whom we can turn to for salvation. In fact, all those who could have possibly been candidates have become 'Boys Who Didnt Live' such as Honorable Gamini Dissanayake, Vijay Kumaratunga, Lalith Athulathmudali, and R. Premadasa to mention but a few. The closest we have is Neville Longbottom in the shape of Ranil Wickremasinghe who needs to be coaxed into definitive action by Dumbeldore's Army. The Order of the Phoenix and Dumbeldore himself does not appear in this version. Dumbeldore's Army in the shape of Mangala Samaraweera, S.B. Dissanayake, Rosie Senananayake and numerous others in the UNP and associated Opposition parties do not seem to be able to rise to the challenege without the whispered intelligences of Dumbeldore and Harry Potter. We don't have the ultimate hero, Severus Snape either.

However we have multitudes of Death Eaters. The 109 ministers, the party affiliates, the masses that voted for these persons and still uphold their honor by conducting their various illicit activities for them are strong in numbers. Death Eaters and Snatchers rule. I wonder if Ms. Rowling did some research on Sri Lanka before she wrote the book. Where else could she have come up with such a similar situation albeit with no sense of hope.

It is a depressing time indeed. Someone will come to our rescue. At somepoint. Else we will also carry a wheelbarrow full of cash to go buy the loaf of bread from the local shop in the very near future.