By Colombo Telegraph –
“Catch the suspects and hand them over to the police” the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri, last Friday.
Gotabhaya
“I received a call from Gotabhaya, the conversation initially appeared to be cordial, though later it turned into a bitter exchange” the president of the Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA),Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri told Colombo Telegraph.
Calling to Nirmal’s home telephone re the threats Dr. Nirmal is receiving, Gotabhaya said, he even didn’t know who the Nirmal is and therefore accusing MOD is pointless. Dr. Nirmal replied Gotabhaya saying, whether he knows Nirmal or not is irrelevant and the MOD’s job is to protect citizen’s security” Nirmal Ranjith’s claims at the Friday press conference is “damaging MOD’s reputation” and asked him to “catch the suspects and hand them over to the police” angry Gotabhaya threatened Nirmal.
Dr.Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri is one of the few outspoken intellectuals who criticises Sri Lankan government regarding it’s unlawful activities.
Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri is the only university teacher who criticised Secretary to the Ministry of Defence regarding abduction and whitvanning. Speaking about abduction of Prema Kumara Gunarathnam and Dimutu Attigala he said “ the fist accused is the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, there is no Secretary of Defence post in Sri Lanka it’s a lie. He is just another secretary to a Ministry. There are lots of other secretaries like him, the only difference is, he is a sibling of the President, he must be questioned. …..” ( watch 6.20 mins in the video below)
Related posts;
‘Ensure The Personal Security Of Dr. Dewasiri And His Family’ The FUTA Asks Rajapaksa
Gota’s Critic Dr Niramal To Be Whitevaned
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TuCjbf1dWc
Ahangama / June 27, 2012
There is a problem in the way we go about debating. Sinhalese lost their ability for critical thinking because of the education system imposed by the British. The British inculcated into us the idea that the teacher and government are both benevolent.
The truth is that nobody is altruistic. To expect any kind of leaders, teachers or politicians to be saints is stupid.
Teachers value the idea built into our minds that whatever they say is unbiased and well meaning for everyone and has no selfish motive. The bureaucrat, the twin of academic, carries that same haughtiness that they had as academics and adds to it authority and power to it.
Politician is less educated but street smart. They are beggars at the time of election and tyrants when in power. They usually consult the teachers and bureaucrats with trust and become subject to manipulation by them. Teachers and bureaucrats value this privilege and will guard it with all their strength.
A good example of politicians dependence on the counsel of a trusted bureaucrat is President Rajapaksa’s dependence on Mr.Lalith Weeratunga. Similarly, Mr. Paskaralingam was holding his reins over past presidents.
Let’s see what the Teachers Union says:
Currently, the FUTA is campaigning with the intention of constructively engaging with the government in fulfilling its responsibilities towards protecting and strengthening the public education sector including universities. We are asking for a process to be initiated in good faith and in consultation of university academics to revitalize the public universities in the country. Upon failing to arrive at consensus in achieving the aforesaid objectives, we have been compelled to resort to trade union action.
Essentially they say that they are good and moral and they can only have good intentions and the government is against their such ideas. What are these ideas is not for us to know because they can do only good! We have to unconditionally trust them.
Whitevanning:
The teacher says that there were thugs loitering and investigating his movements. The Secretary says to catch them and report them to the police. That is basic. Why didn’t the teacher do it? If people are roaming around his house, he could, may be, take pictures of them, or speak to them or do something to find who they are. If that was hard to do, he should explain why it is not possible. As far as we can see this is a matter for the police. The ‘uneducated’ secretary is right. It is wrong to arbitrarily blame the MOD without trying police action.
The conflict is due to the teachers feeling indignant that the politicians did not take their demands just the way they made. Traditionally, the politician takes what the teachers say without questioning.This time it looks like the Minister of Education did not do it and the teachers are angry.
I do not know the inside stories and the only way I see the conflict is through the knowledge of who we Singhalese are — a self-centered bunch. We are happily destroying ourselves.
What I can’t understand is that knowing that we are not producing productive educated class but nitwits, why the campuses are not converted into military academies. We have the most recent military experience in the modern asymmetric warfare that it would attract a lot of foreign students. Make General Fonseka the chancellor and let him give his best.
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Udugampola / June 27, 2012
Eventhough far-far away from Sri Lanka, we salute you and a few who stand to speak and write the truth bravely.
“I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.”
By James Madison,
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne / June 28, 2012
Udugampola,
James Madison, the fourth president of the United States of America, was an old Freemason who contributed nothing sensible to global politics, emancipation or freedom, simply because the Freemasons were an imperial, colonizing force of the British and Americans.
This quote you have shared with us sounds like a typical American Masonic one-liner. It can be interpreted many ways and used to bolster many different arguments, depending on context. Are you saying that the Sri Lankan government is gradually reducing social freedom, while the LTTE (“violent and sudden usurpations”) were not as repressive? Sorry, if I misunderstand you…as I said, these sorts of one-liners (often quoted as examples of the brilliance of American “statesmen”) can only be understood in context and are deliberately ambiguous. In what context did Madison say this, do you know?
It is also, on another level, a truism. Anything that is “gradual” must, by definition, occur “more often” than “usurpations” (whether violent and sudden or not).
Anyway, the Sri Lankan government has NEVER curtailed freedom in any country outside Sri Lanka. The United States government has curtailed freedom all over the world. Besides, freedom to do what? Start another “usurpation”? I DO believe people in Sri Lanka should have the freedom to smoke ganga without being arrested just because the American government wants to keep the cannabis trade under the control of the CIA. But freedom to carry guns and terrorise people? I think not.
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karu / June 28, 2012
It seems that evryone in Sr Lanka think that if they make a big demonstraion or ‘hurt’ public by striking, they would get evrything by holding the govt. ransom. No one tend to think where the money come from to meet the demands. Ofcourse, there are corruptions in the country and law and order mechanism is not perfect. Can anyone name a country which is free of this? I like to see improvement on these areas but people should realise the freedom they are enjoing now. If you are a law abiding person and mind your affairs, I don’t think you are in any danger.For instance, what is the difference between Julampitiye Amare and DR NIRMAL? They both using their political connections to intimidate others.
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SERUVILA SENARATH / June 28, 2012
I HAVE A Proposal.
GET SOME FUN, DO NOT BE ANGRY.
Dear All,
Please Give Some Ideas to Our President and HIs Learned Brother Secretary to The Ministry of DEFENCE.
HOW TO REDUCE THE POPULATION OF SRI LANKA.
First THIS REQUEST CAME FROM I M F AND WORLD BANK.
HOW IS THAT.
So THAT is A SIXER IN THE FIELD.
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne / June 28, 2012
Hi Seruvila,
The West has been urging people in Sri Lanka and the rest of the Third World to have less children for generations. It is because of a failure to achieve what the Americans were calling “Zee Pee Gee” (ZPG – standing for “Zero Population Growth) in the 1960s, that the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was unleashed on the Third World. I know this because Australia and Australian scientists were involved.
Please have a look at this document and links:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/86180468/Eugenics-and-AIDS-Summary-by-Dr-Romesh-Senewiratne-2012
I explain more evidence that HIV is still being used for genocide in the Third World on my You Tube site. Here’s a link to my 2005 documentary, The AIDS Conspiracy Part 8:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUT1aE0oBOQ
Romesh Senewiratne
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chathu / June 29, 2012
Romesh,Same way miracle struck paradisians laugh at daddy,miracle paradisians are begining to think you are either one sandwich short of a picnic or one loku pacha hilak,either way laughable.
In miracle asia struck paradise we have dirty linen but,don’t wash it in public,So patch up with daddy over a barbie and don’t stress mamma over father-son good tiger/bad tiger turf war.
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Vicky / July 3, 2012
@Dr Romesh Senewiratne and many other Srilankans often seen to champion the rights of Aborigines of Australia and Canada and the people of Palestine,it is something “cool” and “trendy”,but back home when policies like “sinhala only” is implemented or when Muslim shrines are destroyed or when traditional land is robbed in the name of Sacred land they become numb.
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