28 March, 2024

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48 Hours

By Dayan Jayatilleka

Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

“In Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, an anti-Rajapaksa wave” – Meera Srinivasan, the Hindu

“When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn…?” – Where Have All the Flowers Gone

It may seem patronizing on my part, to suggest to the minorities how they should vote. It isn’t. I am a member of the minorities. I am also a member of the majority. As a (non-practicing) Catholic I am a member of one of Sri Lanka’s minorities. As a Sinhalese I am a member of the majority ethnic community.

The Christian community in Ceylon was heavily identified with the West and the UNP. It was a prominent, visible part of the pro-west, urban, anti-nationalist, pro-UNP social bloc (to use a Gramscian term). 1962 was the high point or rather the nadir of this trajectory and identity. The Christian churches and lay community paid for this in spades, three times over i.e. in 1956, 1960 and 1970. The Catholics paid for it more, because they had something more important to lose, which for the most part, they did—their schools.

It took Bishops Leo Nanayakkara and Lakshman Wickremesinghe, and scholar-priests like Monsignor WLA Don Peter, the Rector of my old school, St Joseph’s, to repair the damage, rectify the ‘line’ and bring the churches into the national mainstream. This was sealed by the Catholic vote for Sirimavo Bandaranaike and the center-left United Front in 1970.

The Tamils made exactly the same mistake of identification, most especially as a conspicuous component of Dudley Senanayake’s ‘Hath Havula’, and suffered a discourse and policy backlash in 1956, 1960 and 1970.

Today the minorities are poised to make the same mistake as in the post-independence decades.

Why oh why repeat a ghastly historical pattern? If the minorities all vote for one side, especially if that side is already seen as more pro-Western than the other, then that side is not only branded as minoritarian, but when the cycle turns, the inevitable backlash sets in, and the erstwhile opposition returns to office with a majoritarian ideology and agenda.

That’s what happened in 1956 and 1970. Most dramatic were the ultranationalist backlashes of the late ’80s and during the CBK–RW years. With the exception of CBK, it is almost always the UNP that appears minoritarian and pro-Western. Today the opposition is a bloc of the UNP of Ranil (the CFA UNP) and the SLFP of CBK (‘package’- PTOMS), and therefore the profile is clear. It is compounded by the anti-China, pro-West signaling from Opposition platforms and at Joint Opposition forums. Having a gentleman in a Modi vest as human shield or front office manager doesn’t alter the optics significantly.

Going by received wisdom, the incumbent is doomed at the Presidential election because of the arithmetic. The minorities which account for 25%-30% of the vote, depending on whether you count only the Tamils and Muslims or also the Sinhala Catholics/Christians, are counted as solidly against Mahinda Rajapaksa. Then there is the biggie, the UNP base vote, calculated at 35%-40%. The opposition strategists put these together and conclude that Mahinda Rajapaksa is already dead in the water. Add the SLFP vote that the rebel, Maithripala Sirisena will break off, and a defeat of the President is guaranteed, according to this calculation. I have also been walked through a far more detailed crunching of the numbers which points to a defeat for the incumbent.

It took a young Stanford graduate in philosophy, my wife Sanja’s nephew, to punch a hole below the waterline of the calculation at my celebratory dinner on my 58th birthday at rebel MP Vasantha Senanayake’s restaurant Ellen’s Place early last month. He pointed out that a significant percentage of the minority vote was already included in the UNP vote, and that there was a clear case of double counting in the calculation.

My own contribution to the discussion was more of a question than a conclusion. Does the arithmetic count quite as much at a Presidential election at which the country elects its leader, as it does at a parliamentary election? Don’t all these figures pertain far more to a parliamentary rather than a presidential election at which the collective psychological dynamics are significantly different? Wasn’t Leon Trotsky right when he drew a distinction between arithmetic and “the higher algebra” of politics—and doesn’t the latter prove more relevant than the former at a Presidential election while it is the other way around at a parliamentary one? Do the citizens actually vote primarily according to their party identities and affiliations at a presidential election?

We shall know the answer in 48 hours. As for me, I hope Mahinda Rajapaksa will win. I expect him to.

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Latest comments

  • 3
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    This man DJ perhaps is singing has last song from the sinking ship of MR. Who knows, he may jump from the ship at the last moment!

    Sengodan. M

    • 3
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      When will DJ ever learn?!

      • 0
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        Dear Dr Dayan Jayatilake,

        You say > “Having a gentleman in a Modi vest as human shield or front office manager doesn’t alter the optics significantly.”

        Since when did you start judging a person from his/her dress?

        That comment of yours is below the belt and is not worthy of the man I grew to respect and admire when I saw him standing before the UN, eloquently destroying an unjust HR accusation brought against SL by the West.

        If dress is your barometer then you are not a Sinhalese but a man searching for an identity, aping the West, attired in formal western dress!!!

        You also say “The Catholics paid for it more, because they had something more important to lose, which for the most part, they did—their schools.”

        Are you telling the whole truth here?
        No sir, you are hiding salient facts.

        Who funded these schools?
        The SL govt did.

        Free education was implemented by the govt in 1951.
        In January 1961 the hitherto so called Private Schools that obtained govt funding till then either had to forego that assistance or be run as a completely private school without govt funds.

        St Peter’s in Colombo (formerly St Joseph’s College South) was founded by Fr M.J. Le Goc, Rector of St Joseph’s College, Colombo. St Peter’s decided to forego govt funds and opted to remain private. It is still a PRIVATE school run by the Catholic Church. It mainly admits Catholics (a letter from the priest of the parish of residence is required). A few places are AUCTIONED to the highest bidder and a few children from other denominations are admitted on payment of a colossal sum called a “DONATION”. This “Donation” today hovers around half a million rupees.

        Your Alma Mater St Joseph’s Colombo, which produced Sri Lanka’s first Cardinal and a President (Ranasingha Premadasa) opted to go private. The wiki says “In 1960, after the take over of the schools by the Government the financial support was stopped by the government. The College became a private, non fee levying school.”

        Describing the present status of the school the wiki states “The school functions as an “assisted school” with substantial state funding but mainly from its old boy unions worldwide.

        St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala was a Private School that received govt funds. Here is what the wiki says about it.

        The School take over was in 1960. At first the school opted to remain private. But after struggling to maintain the status for few years the school was handed over to the Government in 1964 during the term of then Director, Brother Edwin Ambrose. Thus the College obtained the status of a Non Fee Levying School. (wiki)

        Is it your Leftist Political ideology to use Public Funds to run a Denominational School that almost exclusively admits children of ONE RELIGION (a minority religion as you call it) and denies an education to the MAJORITY children of Lanka?

        I addressed a comment to you in another thread about your current arguments. It deals with your arguments regarding the Presidential election. Hence I am not touching on that subject here. Perhaps you have not seen it. I am re-posting that comment in your own thread under this article to make sure you see it.

        As seen above your arguments are getting increasingly degenerate. It disillusions even people who admire and respect you for your distinguished performance at the UN, in defense of Sri Lanka.

        Please Dayan write with honesty.

        Kind Regards,
        OTC

      • 3
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        DJ is one confused political scientist. Mara will use him again and dump him in a street corner.

        DJ reminds me of the weather…blows hot and cold.

    • 2
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      What a nauseating spinner and con artist this DJ is!

    • 0
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      Dear Dr. Dayan Jayatillake,

      Today I addressed a comment to you which will appear below at this link

      https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/48-hours/comment-page-3/#comment-1742205

      What follows is another comment which discusses the new argumentative style of yours that I addressed to you under an article that discusses your arguments. Perhaps you have not seen it as it remains without a reply. I am reposting that comment hoping to attract your attention to it.

      Dear Dr Dayan Jayatilake,

      I respect you for the way you successfully defended SL in Geneva where your arguments to the world were incisive. But I was listening to you live on Derana 360 today and your arguments were surprising. This article is about your arguments at an earlier date. My comment is about your arguments aired on Derana TV today as they also pertain to your argumentative style.

      I have written copiously defending MR’s War effort on many forums and the 13A and will continue to do so. But I did not agree with the process adopted in removing CJ Shirani B as it was against common decency, Justice and the Rule of Law. I cannot agree to the use of racism to win what should be a democratic election.

      I hope you will clarify the points that I am raising below.

      MR’s term of office extends to 2017 January and hence this election costing the Public a colossal amount of money that could otherwise be used to alleviate the living conditions of the poor is completely unnecessary. The reason for calling this 2 year premature election is hence not in the interest of the Public but in the personal interest of MR. If you don’t agree please explain why.

      The main charge leveled at the Govt is unprecedented corruption. The govt has not denied this charge factually but has attempted to circumnavigate it by shamelessly fanning racism.

      Today you said you don’t know anything about corruption but you can see the development. I agree with you that we can see the development, it is palpable. We can see better roads, better airports and better harbours and a beautiful city but I cannot understand how any educated person can say he/she cannot see the corruption when all of this is devoid of financial transparency (no competitive bids). Does that not lend credence to the charge of corruption? Do you approve the management of public funds in that way?

      By making such a puerile argument about development you were trying to cover up the apparent corruption and mismanagement.

      Can you explain why we pay a colossal amount of indirect taxes which actually taxes the poor, the majority population, of the country (Milk powder, Fuel, Sugar, Electricity etc)? What about the losses made by the CPC hedging deals where initially the govt tried to twist the arm of the Chartered Bank and finally paid up meekly? What about the colossal losses at SriLankan and Mihin Air?

      If you are really unaware of corruption please explain why we pay so much indirect taxes? Today Green Chilies is Rs 1000/= a Kilo. Milk powder over Rs 1000/= a kilo. Vegetables are hoovering around Rs 500/= a kilo. Petrol, Diesel, Kerosine, Sugar Milk Powder, Mung Dhal, Telephone calls, Electricity etc are heavily taxed. Why? We are supposed to be a middle income country on a per capita basis but does the average person’s income reflect that?

      When there is no more war expenditure what is the justification for these heavy taxes on essentials? Is it due to good financial management and good governance?

      How much does the Presidency cost the population? How much does the present cabinet of ministers cost the population (ignore the duty free luxury vehicles)? Where has all the money that we spent on the war gone when there is no more war?

      Recently Mr Sujeewa Senasinghe exposed an unsolicited Water project in Hambantota that has been initially offered at USD 120 million which became inflated to USD 270 million at the time of awarding the contract. Mr SS offered the complete dossier of documents pertaining to this deal to the 5 front line govt cabinet ministers (Keheliya, SB, Weerawansa, Dilan P and Bandula Gunawardene) who were present at the Swarnavahini TV debate on 31st night. The 5 ministers had no answer. This issue was raised at an earlier debate by Mr SS where he made the same offer to hand over the complete dossier to the govt and hence it should not have been a surprise to the 5 cabinet ministers. Yet they were tongue tied! Don’t you see the hand of corruption here? Mr SS asked if this comparatively small project was inflated by USD 150 million, what a lot of padding the very much bigger projects like the Expressways, Habours and Airports would contain. Is that question unjustified?

      Ravi K, Champika, Senasingha, Gayantha Karunatilake and Rajitha represented the MS camp. This is just a small project compared to the other development work. So how can we believe that the other mega development was above board?

      Here is the link to the full debate it is 4h 30 mnts long
      http://sirisara.info/watch?v=6165

      MR has even refused to accept the challenge thrown by MS for a Public, televised live debate. Thus the govt is denying the Public a chance to know the truth. What is the govt afraid of? How will such a refusal be interpreted in France or USA the two countries with Presidential systems that you brought in as examples today? Isn’t this inability to face a Public Debate an admission of guilt?

      Is it not the right of the Public to know what their incumbent President and the Presidential aspirants hope to do?

      I am in agreement with you regarding the number of times a person can be elected to the office of President as it is the public who will decide who is elected. The number of terms in office should not be a disqualification for a future candidacy. However some mechanism should be in place to prevent an incumbent from misusing state power to remain in office by manipulation like JR did with his referendum.

      The constitution says the people are sovereign yet the people’s wish expressed through the vote is prostituted by crossovers that are not subject to the peoples’ review at a by-election. We can thank a certain person for this anarchy. This points to the need for closing the loophole and give real meaning to the People’s unalienable sovereignty.

      Today you said that MS is a puppet in the hands of CBK and RW. I think that is speculation of the worst sort. Neither CBK, RW or anyone else can dictate to a President of SL under the current Constitution, be it MS or anyone else. You of all people should know that very well. Remember both MR and CBK promised to abolish the Presidency. Neither one did that. What makes you so sure that MS will do so? Is it because you trust MS’s word more than you trust MR’s or CBK’s?

      MS has said he will retain the Defense Portfolio and all the powers of the Provincial Governors. That means that the current powers of the Governors would still be devolved on them while MS will have overall power over the Provinces. Please explain how any province can separate from SL under such circumstances.

      Tamara says “Driving the Rajapaksas out of power is fine, but how will this change the daily lives of the working masses if the alternative proposed does not break with an unjust and exploitative system that generates inequalities, division, conflict and poverty through a programme of privatisation and liberalisation?”

      Tamara wants SL to jettison capitalism (which both the UNP and MR’s present govt follows). She wants an overnight revolution and does not seem to believe that the reversal of the cut backs on Education, Health etc that the govt has imposed does not benefit the poor working masses. She cannot see that the reversal of those two cut backs alone encompass the whole SL population not just the working masses. She should explain to us why she considers injecting back to the treasury Rs 19,500,000,000 (money allegedly pilfered by a small water project) and the many billions that are allegedly wastefully spent in the other much bigger projects will not improve the daily living conditions of the masses.

      Perhaps she thinks that those cut backs does not affect the working masses and the reversal of that situation is not for the benefit of the population. Her opinion is irrelevant unless she can answer the points raised about financial mismanagement, misappropriation and the rule of law.

      You see Dayan, you are selectively choosing what MS says to fit your argument.

      Kind Regards
      OTC

      https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/dayan-jayatillekas-arguments-for-supporting-mahinda-false-premises-and-faulty-logic/comment-page-1/#comment-1740832

  • 3
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    DJ says he is a minority because he is a non-practising Catholic. Former ‘LTTEers’ Karuna and KP are also members of the minority community but are well looked after by the MR regime. Why is that? The answer to that question is also the same reason why DJ passionately supports the MR regime.

  • 6
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    If Mahinda does not win…I expect Dyan to be silent forever !

  • 0
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    They have learned that Mahinda is a demon who won’t listen to their needs. And they will vote accordingly. It’s not their fault but solely Mahinda’s. That’s a good outcome for the whole country.
    I too as a non practicing catholic deplore what Mahinda is doing at the time of the Pope’s visit. The election should have been postponed out of respect for the Pope.
    I hope he loses.

  • 4
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    It would appear that DJ is a great supporter of nepotism, corruption,negation of the Rule of Law, violation of fundamental rights, suppression of media freedom, disappearance of activists, suppression of dissent and interference with the judiciary! What would his father have said!! No further comment.

  • 1
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    Dear Dayan

    Until a few weeks ago you turned 58, you have been preaching something through your writings, and now just because you break with those principles you expect other normal common sense people have to follow through the U turn you made.

    I wished you could have written more about the dishes you have had the other day than about your calculations.

    So, you are holding the hope on the double up mistake you made on your calculations, so much for your heroes’ popularity, and better you stick to your political analysis, as we all accustomed with it, not math. Presumably, most of you are still backing the regime because you believe although it cannot win by votes, still it will retain its power using every ways and means at its disposal, get it.

    Wondering at times whether you made a dent on the great journalist Mervyn de Silva’s reputation. To substantiate my doubts, I cite to an article published some months ago, the author was none other than your hero the HE. He went to say there that he admired Mervyn for saying a spade is a spade and, then added though he dined and wined with anyone, when wrote, he stuck to journalistic ethics. Aside, the questionable sincerity of the author’s, where he admires someone calling a spade is a spade on an occasion and kills other on another, if you did follow that great person’s footsteps, you would not have made the u turn leaving your readers high and dry- do not think many would have been if they were observing your mood swings time to time. Even if you didn’t call a spade is a spade, understandable, given some plum positions to some developed countries representing the HE was at stake, at least when an election is due, you could have stopped misleading or confusing your readers. Reading the original article expressing you support to HE of late, I felt you have some difficulties in justifying your stand. You were trying to say, somewhere that the MR camp more patriotic than MS’s. While people sailing SL ship currently having more green cards in possession than that of in MR’s camp, I was at a loss to read what was the spin version of definition for patriotism. And, you said your backing would have been different if Mr S Premadasa were to be the chosen candidate. Your support seems to be largely based on assessment of an individual than his/her policy. Didn’t you figure out more people means less concentration of power. We knew your personal preference of individual played a major role in your decision, if it so, simply say so, don’t trying to bs with your tricks and, when you feel shaky do not bring your leftist buddies to buttress you. People like GL, you and the prof must have to take a fair share of responsibility for HE’s misdeeds as well, not the people like Dumintha, Sajiin, Mervyn, and etc. who seem to have won heart and mind of HE, and ulimately defined the course of this regime. You cannot washed off all the sins you collaborated with in the name of LTTE as HE himself does use it effectively time and again until he formally expressed his intention to contest for high office for third time. Even for Chambaga, it was too much to take. Went a little bit side way than to the subject, but doesn’t matter, you should read how you let down some.

    “Today the minorities are poised to make the same mistake as in the post-independence decades.”

    What is the same mistakes that you are referring to that Tamils have made?. Just for a moment forget about the state organized pogroms, burning of library, killing of detainees in the state custody, the list goes on. I don’t want to highlight them while the communities are joining hand trying to resolve a national problem.

    But, just think about what your current hero did to Tamils for them to return favor for him, as these are recent events I don’t think you could have forgotten:

    -reneged on the his own A, the 13 A
    -waged a war holding the humanitarian charter on one hand resulting zero innocent causalities
    – during the war bombarded hospitals, NFZs that MR asked to take shelter in and using cluster bombs is confirmed by horse mouth.
    -while they were still languishing traumas of the war MR unleased the grease devil and made them spend sleepless nights, and you may remember when HE promised to TNA that “I will see that it is stopped,” it was stopped indeed.
    -kept reading his LLRC’s recommendations for ever
    -while all the burning issues remain untouched, he instigated issues re national anthem
    -held an election amidst mounting IC pressure to NPC, but when he saw the will of the Tamils, he made sure the PC’s functioning are curtailed to a minimum, and subset of this was, he refused to nominate even a governor with background in civil service even a Sinhalese as requested by the chief minister. Equivalent to the dismissal of request even for five homes for Bhandava in epic maha bharada by the durona, got it?.
    -channel fund allocated to the PC via Governor making sure his brother take control of its financial management, and making a big fuss that TNA incapable of spending money that was allocated
    -To make the PC more of a laughing stock, he didn’t want to see the secretary of the CM reporting to him but to the Governor, how low of a game this guy can play, and I am sure except JR no other Sinhala leader would treat a minority as he did, particularly when there no LTTE.
    -All this he does to a democratically elected institution while claiming on other hand that he releases the youth who took up the arms into the community after being rehabilitated to embrace the democratic ways, would they reconcile and adapt to democracy principles in earnest, when what is being practiced doesn’t match with what was taught in the theory as part of the reconciliation process, looking at NPC becomes, a dog breakfast.

    Hmm, do you still think they should worship and belive in Mahinda Cinthanaya, when Douglas and his killers roaming the peninsula, and diaspora tamil, majority of them and drama queen Ananthy are tacitly backing MR. What a unison at an hour of need. Pity on poor innocent folks.

  • 3
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    No he was promised something he wanted so badly cushy appointment, that Dr. Charitha Herath( apparently told a crowd that, when this is done, DJ will have no problem saying “Sir” to Monitoring MP Sajin. So even they know this guy can be bought off, and such a bankrupt fellow who would sell even his parents to what he can get. I am glad he endorsed MARA without ruining the Oppo camp within.

  • 2
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    He is singing his swansong(Hansa geethaya- the last song) how ironic is that MS symbol is the Swan.

  • 2
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    Enough has been said about this despicable sub-human and his idiocies that to add another comment might seem redundant.
    However, among those things that will herald a new dawn for Sri Lanka would be not seeing this b..ds blatherings in print!

  • 4
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    “As for me, I hope Mahinda Rajapaksa will win. I expect him to.”

    Of course Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, you have no prospects under a MS/RW/CBK government. That is the sole reason of your U-turn betrayal. So even though you claim to be a non-practicing Christian, we all know that you are secretly praying to God for a MR win.

    • 1
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      Maybe he has gone for confession(secretly) and zeroed all his sins…hence his new found passion for the MARA regime.

  • 0
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    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/

  • 1
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    Dayan,

    Rajapaksa will win this one.

  • 2
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    I rather respect Minister Mervyn Silva over this double tongue reptile called Dayan Jayathileke. Three weeks ago this man was spanking Mahinda’s foreign policies (on Sirasa TV) and now praising Mahinda’s very same policies on ITN and Rupavahini. He first called US and EU are not enemies but now he’s saying US and EU are LTTE agents.

    People should not take this man seriously as he might praise My3 again, in the next month.

  • 1
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    I am now not surprised why people made Dayan naked at Colombo Kanatta some years ago.

  • 1
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    Why doesn’t this man ever talk about MR’s invasion and wrong doings in the judiciary such as evicting the Chief Justice?

  • 1
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    I have seen an idiotic logic as written by this author. Poor D.J is all muddled up in his brain.Sometimes he pretends to be impartial and appears to criticize the present regime. But today he sounds so desperate to see Rajapakse win.He thinks all minorities are pro-western. What a joker this guy is.

    • 2
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      This so called politrickal scientist will change his mind again, in 48 hours.

      Dayan should ditch his American made operating system and use something Rusian/Chinese to keep up with his mindless anti West campaign. This guy is still living in the cold war era !!

  • 1
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    Dear Dayan

    One of the comments I reserved in my previous response was that, one of the other aspects MR liked about your father was predicting the turn of political events accurately. Not sure how would you tuned around from now on. It was an utter disappointment that you made an acute U turn. Lean to be more pragmatic and sensible, if readers even to consider reading your stuffs anymore.

  • 0
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    Dayan, where are you mate?

  • 0
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    Dear Dr Dayan Jayatillaka,

    I have watched and read your tirades against Maithripala on TV, electronic and print media with sadness. Sad because I held you in high esteem after seeing your performance in defense of SL at the UN. I was witnessing a man degrading himself unashamedly in public.

    At no time did you base your criticism of MS on Values as you now claim. You even stooped to the level of SB, Mervin and Weerawansa when you authored the following, “Having a gentleman in a Modi vest as human shield or front office manager doesn’t alter the optics significantly.”

    You were casting slurs on MS for his Indian attire while wearing Western attire yourself! Is this not petty, foolish and hypocritical? Is that worthy of an Educated person?

    You say “The Opposition’s strategy was to win the vast majority of the minorities and a minority of the majority, by generating a split in the majority vote”

    You are way off the mark.
    MR’s campaign focused on Racism because he was trying to fan nationalism of the Sinhala south as they had no effective counter to MS’s campaign focus on govt corruption and the absence of the Rule of Law. That MR’s camp succeeded in doing that is reflected in the Vote from the South. The vote that you are now identifying with. It had nothing to do with racism as you allege.

    Listen to Mr Sujeewa Senasinghe who produced solid proof of an unsolicited project initially offered at USD120 million getting inflated to USD 270 million at the final award.
    http://sirisara.info/watch?v=6165

    BTW what strategy did you employ when you wrote the following on CT?

    “I am also a member of the majority. As a (non-practicing) Catholic I am a member of one of Sri Lanka’s minorities” ….. “The Catholics paid for it more, because they had something more important to lose, which for the most part, they did—their schools.”

    The way you calculatingly hid the truth to create religious enmity to split religious and ethnic minorities, simply for the sake of a vote in favour of MR was deplorable. Do you think that was worth it?

    More at my comment addressed to you here which remains without a response.
    https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/48-hours/comment-page-3/#comment-1742205

    Free education was implemented by the govt in 1951.
    In January 1961 the hitherto so called Private Schools that obtained govt funding till then either had to forego that assistance or be run as a completely private school without govt funds.

    St Peter’s in Colombo (formerly St Joseph’s College South) was founded by Fr M.J. Le Goc, Rector of St Joseph’s College, Colombo. St Peter’s decided to forego govt funds and opted to remain private. It is still a PRIVATE school run by the Catholic Church. It mainly admits Catholics (a letter from the priest of the parish of residence is required). A few places are AUCTIONED to the highest bidder and a few children from other denominations are admitted on payment of a colossal sum called a “DONATION”. This “Donation” today hovers around half a million rupees.

    Your Alma Mater St Joseph’s Colombo, which produced Sri Lanka’s first Cardinal and a President (Ranasingha Premadasa) opted to go private. The wiki says “In 1960, after the take over of the schools by the Government, the financial support was stopped by the government. The College became a private, non fee levying school.”

    Is it your Leftist Political ideology to use Public Funds to run Denominational Schools that almost exclusively admits children of ONE RELIGION (a minority religion as you call it) and denies an education to the MAJORITY children of Lanka?

    More in my comment addressed to you here still awaiting a response.
    https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/dayan-jayatillekas-arguments-for-supporting-mahinda-false-premises-and-faulty-logic/comment-page-1/#comment-1740832

    That said, I hope the MS govt will use the skills that you displayed at the UN in SL’s defense, in an advisory capacity to the team representing SL at the UN.

    Kind Regards,
    OTC

  • 0
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    Dear Moderator,

    The following comment was inadvertently posted in the wrong thread.

    https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/48-hours/comment-page-3/#comment-1744061

    Kind Regards,
    OTC

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