Today marks the 80th birthday of Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has held the office of President twice and Prime Minister four times in our country. Looking at the eras of family rule in Sri Lankan politics, the Senanayakes ruled the country for eleven years, and the Bandaranaikes for twenty-seven years. While the Senanayake rule was ended by J.R. Jayewardene, the Rajapaksas came to power, ending the Bandaranaike family rule, and governed the country for twelve years.

The political history of the Rajapaksa family now spans nearly a century. Since 1931, from D.M. Rajapaksa to Nipuna Ranawaka, about a dozen members of the Rajapaksa generation have represented the State Council and Parliament. However, among them all, the undying star of the Rajapaksa family was Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sworn in as the youngest Member of Parliament in 1970 at the age of 25, Mahinda became a Cabinet Minister in 1994, the Leader of the Opposition in 2001, and the Prime Minister in 2004.

During the 2005 presidential election campaign, his biography was released as "The Story of the Maroon Shawl" (Kurahan Saatakaye Kathawa). At its launch, something Professor Sunil Ariyaratne said remains etched in many memories. He noted that since there had been eight kings named "Mahinda" in our history, he wished for Mahinda Rajapaksa to become the ninth King Mahinda. Within days, fulfilling that wish, he became President, a position he held until 2015.

The Era's Greatest Victory and the Marks of Development

During Mahinda Rajapaksa's regime, a number of decisive, positive changes occurred in the country. The foremost victory among them was ending the brutal three-decade-long civil war, a war that the international community, and even the then-Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, claimed could never be won against the LTTE organisation. That horrific era, when the shadow of death followed every person, has now been consigned to the past by a nation that quickly forgets.

Furthermore, numerous massive development projects such as the Southern Expressway, the Katunayake Expressway, Mattala Airport, Hambantota Port, Colombo Port City, and the Norochcholai Power Plant were implemented during his rule. Even one of his staunchest critics, the late "Ravaya" editor Victor Ivan, once stated that the golden age of the country's road system was the Mahinda Rajapaksa era. However, the allegation made by opponents—that all this was development achieved by trapping the country in a debt trap—cannot be forgotten here.

Dark Shadows – Allegations and Democratic Backsliding

After liberating the country from the severe disease of war, friends and foes alike expected Mahinda Rajapaksa to heal the nation. However, issues such as family rule, corruption allegations, nepotism, and the weakening of democratic institutions overshadowed the country's development. Interferences with the judiciary, such as the impeachment and removal of a Chief Justice who did not bend to his will, left an indelible black mark on the government. The murder, disappearance, abduction, and intimidation of journalists, which forced media personnel to flee the country, severely discredited his regime.

Even so, there remained a vast populace in the country who revered the name Mahinda Rajapaksa like a religion. This is why, despite being defeated in 2015 after even amending the constitution to run for a third term, he secured the highest number of votes outside the North and East. After his brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, became President in 2019, he became Prime Minister and secured a massive victory with 145 seats in the 2020 General Election, despite all the allegations against him.

However, in the face of the "Galle Face Aragalaya" (Struggle) that emerged against the Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime, the entire Rajapaksa family was forced to temporarily step away from the political stage. Such is the irony of fate that Mahinda Rajapaksa, once considered a "king" by the majority of the country, including Professor Sunil Ariyaratne, became a "Naki Maina" (Old Myna) to some following the Aragalaya.

This brings to mind a quote from Mark Antony in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: "The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones." To some extent, Mahinda Rajapaksa is facing this very experience while still living.

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