By Sarath De Alwis –
There is a slavish bondage between Mahinda Rajapaksa and his personal support base. He is a skilled communicator, eloquent and persuasive. He reaches the deepest recesses of emotions of a large section of our people. His devoted and loyal base does not believe that he or his family has either raided the coffers of the treasury or trampled on their civil liberties. Wimal, GL, Vasu and Dullas are canny, clever and crafty. Their sanity is not in doubt.
Limited in his nature, infinite in his desires, Man is a fallen god who remembers heaven’ wrote Alphonse de Lamertine poet and politician, in his poem L’homme – Man. He lived during the time of the social upheaval which we now call the French revolution. It made liberty and equality imperatives of civilized governance. Sri Lankans are not French. A stupid statement but it makes a point. The average Sinhala citizen would say Liberty, Equality and up yours.
By all counts, the fallen President, remembers the heaven he built and had to relinquish. He reclaims it unabashedly. His fame as the war winning Sinhala warrior is readily and willingly conceded by a majority of the majority. The infamy he has earned for financial profligacy, tyrannical governance and capricious corruption is confined to the razor thin majority that Venerable Sobhitha thero was able to muster on 8th January 2015.
President Sirisena and his Prime Minister Wickeremesighe have grossly underestimated him. That too is the result of unlimited desires on their part. The President has an abundant supply of naiveté. His Prime Minister has an enormous reservoir of arrogance. Those who put them in power have sleepless nights not because the ‘yahapalanaya’ has had a stillbirth which today is a given but the fear that Mahinda could still hijack the referendum on constitutional reforms.
Constitutional and electoral reforms, devolution of power, national reconciliation and a decisive break with tribal politics in favour of a modern national ethos faces a real and present danger. The phrase real and present danger is used advisedly. The danger is not potential but real. It is likely to cause a catastrophe if not immediately obstructed or neutralized.
Mahinda Rajapaksa is not planning a return as the war hero ousted in an election. The choreographed politics of the Joint Opposition, the existence of which we may deny at our own peril has him portrayed as the indigenous leader. Those responsible for his ouster are an unpatriotic clique who conspired with external enemies of the state. They have deprived the people of an enlightened ruler. He is a combination of a Sukarno and an Ali Bhutto.
The Sirisena Wickeremesinghe duumvirate has no idea of what he is up to. They are simply no match for his skills as a street fighter. His latest performance tells this writer that MR is frighteningly close to his prize. His new offensive is classic mob inspiring rhetoric. The video now available in the internet shows Mahinda the grassroots idol of the majority.
‘Mama Dunne Neha. Eyaa Balen Gaththa’ he tells an adulatory audience explaining that he represents the genuine Sri Lanka Freedom Party and that President Sirisena betrayed the principles of the centrist political movement founded by SWRD Bandaranaike. He puts D.A. Rajapaksa ahead of Sri Nissanka a deliberate distortion of history. But that is politics.
His tone is measured and mournful. Plaintive and poignant pleas have replaced defiant and definitive declarations. The intra party SLFP battle is his new theatre of war. Here he is at an advantage.
The SLFP was never a party with a core ideology. It was a reformist party as was conceived by its founder SWRD It worked on expedient adaptations. SWRD’s biographer James Manor called him the ‘The expedient utopian’.
Someone should explain to President Sirisena what the SLFP is about. This writer believes that he does not have the foggiest idea of what it is about.
Bandaranaike by forming the SLFP gave delicate wings to the Sri Lankan caterpillar in its colonial cocoon. In 1956 it broke out. Till then the UNP caterpillar thought that it had its world. To this day the UNP remains cocooned and the SLFP explores the world often with disastrous consequences. Between the UNP and the SLFP there is truly the dialogue of the progressives and the conservatives. As Chesterton observed one rushes to the ruins and the other admires the ruins. The UNP converts SLFP ruins in to sacred traditions and defends. Example – Sri Lankan airlines will not be sold. It will be reoriented. More of it in a later article.
The SLFP made mistakes. Sinhala only was not its mistake. Its mistake was the empowerment of the Buddhist Church. It is the Buddhist Church that compelled Bandaranaike to abandon the Bandranayake Chelvanyakam accord. The Buddha Sasana in the custody of the institution called the Sangha is a nebulous organism accountable to none but itself. In this day and age it wields a political clout that the Pope never possessed in the Holy Roman Empire of Charlemagne.
The Chancellor of the Jayawardenepura University Professor Dr. Bellanwila Wimalaratha Nayake Thero is on record that tame Elephants are essential for the preservation and propagation of Buddhism. The Venerable Monks gambit of making Elephants venerable was ingenious. He said that environmentalists in the country were at the beck and call of Western elements and had little knowledge of Sri Lankan culture. The elephants formed a part of the fourfold army of the ancient kings. The environmentalists of yore and animal lovers in the time of kings did not point an accusing finger at them.
On reading the learned Buddhist prelate’s plea to have tame elephant calves in temples this writer was reminded of that great passage in the ‘Buthsarana’ that describes the confrontation between the Buddha and the Nalagiri Tusker. “Aatha Budu Radunya. Maatha Nalagiri Athuya.” In Buddha’s day the villainous got the Elephant drunk to harm the serene one.
In this day the Elephant is a Buddhist icon and the election symbol of the UNP. Malcom Cardinal Ranjith is a realist. He visits the Sambodhi Viharaya and informs Maha Nayake Theros that the Church finds no reason to oppose the constitutional provision that accords foremost recognition to Buddhism. He visits the Maligawa and offers flowers to the sacred relics. What is his message? He is a true Christian and a realist. He renders unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. The Buddha that this writer is acquainted with was no Caesar. Therein lies the rub.
The SLFP is the party that made the enlightened one a Caesar. This writer was a reporter on the staff of the Ceylon Observer when the constituent assembly deliberated the 1972 Constitution. It had numerous steering committees under different chair persons. This is an anecdotal reference and the reader should take my word for it.
It was proposed that Mrs.Bandranayake should chair the steering committee on Buddhism. Being the astute politician, she suggested that the steering committee on Buddhism should be chaired by Dudley Senanayake – the ‘Upsaka Politician. The obstinate power drunk United Front Government was in no mood to accommodate the UNP reduced to eight members. But the selection of Dudley for this piece of mischief was clever politics by Felix Dias. And his aunt. Dudley Senanayake was genuinely uncomfortable at the prospect. Those were days when one on one l interviews were done without videos or tape recorders. This writer can recall his words of discomfort. ‘Politics compels me to take it. They are opening a Pandora’s Box. There will be a Buddhist commissioner and a Buddhist department. The damn monks will run all over.’ The words may not be exact but the meaning was precise.
Up to 1977, the SLFP was a strong political party with a literate leadership that stood for interventionist economics and reformist politics. It was the party that commanded the allegiance of economically disadvantaged groups.
Seventeen years in the wilderness depleted its ranks of the intelligentsia but was slowly on the recovery path. Except for Lakshman Kadirgamar, the party did not attract people of depth and experience. The new leader did make some miscalculations. She certainly caries the cake for enrolling academically accomplished G.L Peiris who’s dazzling display of political charlatanry is matchless.
The advent of Mahinda Rajapaksa was due to a combination of circumstances augmented by the Darwinian principal of survival. The appalling decision of the UNP and the JVP to field the former Army Commander against the incumbent President in 2010 was the straw that broke the hump of the Camel.
What was in the shadows was brought to the open. Militarism became an essential component of governance. The ruler in collusion with Buddhist monks the traditional moral arbiters, placed himself above the law. The vast majority of the majority did not mind that the protector of the state and the faith was exempt from the task of protecting democracy. Unfortunately that remains the ground reality after one and half years of good, bad and ugly governance of the Maithri-Ranil duumvirate.
In the intra SLFP battle, Mahinda Rajapaksa has the added advantage of having performers whose credibility among people remains substantially intact. People listen to Banduala Gunawardane and Dullas Alahapperuma.
President Sirisena has S.B. Dissanayake, Mahinda Amaraweera and Laksman Yapa Abeywardena. In our tribal politics, Mahinda Amaraweera has a restricted constituency. Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene is a Jonny come lately through the saloon door and Jimmy Packers Casino clown. People remember. S.B. Disanayake is taken seriously only by his current patron Maithripala Sirisena.
This writer has a friend who was a contemporary of S.B. Dissanayake at the Vidyodaya University. They were student leaders and comrades in struggle that comes in search of articulate minds in that stage in life.
My friend whom for the purpose of this narrative I shall call Abercrombie is a man of great enterprise. Just as Minister S.B. Dissanayake from his humble beginnings has ended up with Prime real estate in Colombo, Hanguranketha and Melbourne, my friend Abercrombie has climbed the greasy pole of economic success. Abercrombie’s rise in the elevator to his perch above Crescat Boulevard is known to the commissioner of Inland Revenue. Has Minister S.B.Dissanayake filed his tax friend says of SB. ‘Machang this …ker had a hard time then. He used to move about on an old rickety motor cycle. Now he is in orbit. Not in this planet. In a different galaxy!’
Whenever S.B. Dissanayake appears on TV, he reminds this writer of Dr. Mrs. Siva Chinnathamby. In her last will, she bequeathed her residence in a prime location of the city of Colombo to the University of Colombo. S.B. Dissanayake was the Minister of Higher Education.
S.B.Dissanayake lost at the last parliamentary elections. President Sirisena nominated him from the national list. It was as explained later an act to redress what he the reformer perceived as a wrong committed by the people.
This writer would suggest that our home grown Mandela seriously introspect on the suitability of S.B. Dissanayake to carry the torch that was held aloft by men of the hill country such as T.B.Illangeratne, Hector Kobbekaduwa and lesser known men such as P.M.K Tennakone the Sinhala poet from Mihintale, our Mandela’s back yard.
No Mr. President. If you think S.B. Dissanayke is made of the stuff that made the men I just mentioned, you live in cloud cuckoo land.
Bagehot / August 31, 2016
All good stuff and informative, except that the writer does not refer to the collusion between Ranil-MaRa that is part of the present ongoing political drama- and Sirisena will be the fool for it. Anyone who claims that Ranil lives in arrogant ignorance does not know what they are talking about or what is currently going on. Call it anecdotal evidence, the reader will have to take my word for it.
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KA Sumanasekera / August 31, 2016
The Asset Registry of Sira’and his extended family which was disclosed to the media by Arvinda from PHU is fascinating to read.
* Athumale Araliya Rice Distribution.
* Vauthawul 104 Room Araliya Luxury Hotel
* Green Hills N’Eliya 100 Room Luxury Hotel
* Araliya Land Sales & Development
* Araliya Constructions
* Arliya Sand Supplies.
* Daham & Chatura Business Enterprises
In addition Telecom Lanka is run by a Sira as well .
Apparently the Colombo Social Media now call Bodhi Sira , just plain Hora according to the same interview..
Can Bodhi Sira take the SLFP to fight Batalanada Ranil’s UNP at the next General Election?.
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Paul / August 31, 2016
Sumanay, there is also
Araliya Metal Crushers, Araliya Amtrad (an IT company), Araliya Auto and Hotel Sudu Araliya, all based in Polonnaruwa.
Now how did a mere Grama Sevaka & family manage this miracle?
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KA Sumanasekera / September 1, 2016
Thanks Paul,
Interesting , People’s Bank Board is in the poo, for awarding a LKR 700 Million IT contract without tendering.
Apparently this IT Firm is the main supplier to Sira’s Lanka Telecom.
And has been awarded not one but three big ass contracts.
And guess what , two whistle blowers in the PB’s board took the file with them and handed it over to Batalanda Ranil..
How cool is that.
Now Batalanada has a File too?..
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Paul / September 1, 2016
Soon we will be able to draw a family tree to rival MR and Mrs B.
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Amarasiri / August 31, 2016
Sarath de Alwis
RE: A Doddering Prophet Battles A Fallen God
“There is a slavish bondage between Mahinda Rajapaksa and his personal support base. He is a skilled communicator, eloquent and persuasive. He reaches the deepest recesses of emotions of a large section of our people. His devoted and loyal base does not believe that he or his family has either raided the coffers of the treasury or trampled on their civil liberties. Wimal, GL, Vasu and Dullas are canny, clever and crafty. Their sanity is not in doubt.”
Succinctly summarized. Thanks.
This slavish bondage is possible because the average IQ of Sri Lanka is 79, and with a standard deviation of 15, there are millions of Fools, Modayas and Mootals left to be fooled by Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his cornices know that.
National IQ Scores – Country Rankings
http://www.photius.com/rankings/national_iq_scores_country_ranks.html
Look Religions do that too! Why can’t the fallen God MaRa do that too?
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Don Stanley / August 31, 2016
Very nice Mr. De Alwis – expose of the corrupt yahapalanaya govt. Sira with SB and let us not forget Ranil and Mahendran at the Central bank – now Ranil’s advisor!
In Brazil, Preaisdnet Dilma was impeached for the same crime as Ranil and Mahendran. All Sri Lankans, particularly the poor who are MR’s vote base, want ECONOMIC JUSTICE.
Basil Jarpassa looted poverty funds (Divineguama) and should get double time in prison for stealing from the poor!
So let us ask the visiting UN Sec. General Mr. Moon to send some UN experts to help the useless FCID in Sri Lanka to prosecute the FINANCIAL CRIMES committed in Sri Lanka just as war crimes where also happening. Currently there is a culture of total IMPUNITY for Financial crimes by corrupt politicians and their stooges in the Miracle of Modayas!
But Sri Lankans also want ECONOMIC JUSTICE and a special court to try FINANCIAL CRIMES as much as WAR CRIMES, even though the international donors who are part of the global financial mafia looting the poor counties turn a blind eye..
In fact, in Sri Lanka the same people like Mahinda Jarapassa, family and cronies, indulged in both sets of crimes and enjoy complete impunity under A-Yahapalanay govt.
We want an END TO IMPUNITY FOR FINANCIAL CRIMES in Sri Lanka and the GLobal South. Since the useless IMF and World Bank which should be tracking down and prosecuting Global Financial Crime and studying the Panama Papers hare, as they are supposed to be the international financial institutions,are not dong anything, the UN should.
In fact, IMF and WB are part of the global financial criminal mafia that is looting poor countries along with their corrupt political elites and causing MASSIVE POVERTY, INEQUALITY, and wars in the world. The UN is also supposed to work for Social and Economic justice after all.
Just like the Mahinda Jarapassa, brothers and sons thieves who enjoy Absolute IMPUNITY for Financial Crimes, there is a lot of loot taken out of the Global South and boosting the western economy. This racket must end or the world will be steeped in endless wars due to INEQUALITY and Conflict!
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M.Yoga / August 31, 2016
interesting articale well written, most of the content is correct as the story is told.. will the island of paradise be a paradise hotel or hell in heven ?
Future is defined by circumstances… or planned by culprits..
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Bensen Berner / August 31, 2016
de Alwis has been too charitable towards the Rajapaksa family. For instance, we are told that DA Rajapaksa came to join SWRD in forming the SLFP. Actually his joining the SLFP was by mere accident. The story goes that DA Rajapaksa a UNP MP, an alcoholic who in his stupor happened to join SWRD at the time he was crossing over towards the opposition seats. And when he recovered found that he was an SLFPer. SWRD much to his advantage believed that DA Rajapaksa was an SLFP convert. I do not know whether Sirisena can be classified as a street fighter. Bensen
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Nimal / August 31, 2016
Great stuff Sarath. I was very close to SB at some point in the past and know this animal very well. The wealth SB has amassed by sucking the blood of the very people who stood behind him is beyond anybody’s guess. What you and I know even as a close friend of him is only a tiny tip of the iceberg.
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janaka / August 31, 2016
Helping Hambantota 2 trial would put an end to the filth?
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NAK / August 31, 2016
Mr.Alwis’s lament is understandable.
Those who made mistakes must pay for their mistakes.The sad part here is that those who opposed those mistakes too having made to pay.
Mr.Alwis though with vast knowledge of many things has failed to understand why the Buddhists of this country are so slavish to MR.
Buddhists were targeted in the separatist war and Mahinda put an end to that and the Buddhists are eternally grateful to him for that.
When two most sacred Buddhist sites were desecrated and worshippers massacred those human rights champions or the as you say ‘realists’ were deaf and dumb founded to the extent even to deplore those heinous crimes.
Now that they know the elephant can not be trampled, might as well get friendly with it!
The other thing is, though huge claims were made before 8th Jan 2015 of mega deals and billions of dollars pilfered but none has been found except people are taken into custody on flimsy charges of ‘kodi kanu and ‘sil redi’ and remanded.
What is the real issue behind this huge hue and cry behind domesticated elephants.
The number of domesticated elephants in Sri Lanka are a fraction of what is there in India.(http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/ad031e/ad031e0g.htm)
Elephant domestication is as old as human history but here the problem seems to be Temple elephants.
In the recent past many elephants died tragically knocked down by trains but no one seem bothered about that.They should be howling at the government to erect barricades on either side of the rail track leave passes for the elephants to cross.It can Easily be done with all the scrap that railway has.
Why are these animal lovers only love the temple elephants and not the other domesticated animals such as Horses,ponies,camels and hounds raised for racing leave alone many other animal raised for slaughter.
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sarath de alwis / August 31, 2016
Nak,
You use Sacred sites and Buddhists as identity markers. One purpose of my essay was to delink what the Buddha taught from what the Sinhala Sangha preach and the Sinhala people practice.
Why do Buddhists need elephants? Why is the Dalai Lama not allowed to worship at your Maligawa where you have allowed Prince Charles the next head of the Anglican church to offer flowers ?
It is not my intention to enter in to a debate on these questions. Find answers to my questions. If you can find reasonable answers good luck. Warm regards to a curious mind.
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Native Vedda / August 31, 2016
sarath de alwis
“Why do Buddhists need elephants? Why is the Dalai Lama not allowed to worship at your Maligawa where you have allowed Prince Charles the next head of the Anglican church to offer flowers ? “
NAK wouldn’t know the answers to your pertinent questions nor about Buddhism because he is a bigoted Sinhala/Buddhist and not a Buddhist.
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NAK / September 1, 2016
Thank you for your response Mr.Alwis.Neither do I intend in getting into a debate.
Buddhism and Sinhala Buddhist culture are not one and the same but two different things.
While Buddhism does not need elephants Sinhala Buddhist culture has had elephants in that culture for thousands of years.
My question, still is, why no attention is paid when elephants die in their numbers in vain but some are only concerned about the temple elephants.
Dalai Lama is not just a buddhist monk but a political figure and therefore it is a political issue.
What would a veddha know about culture or religion!
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Native Vedda / September 3, 2016
NAK
“Neither do I intend in getting into a debate.”
Fear of losing the debate?
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Non PhD / August 31, 2016
Sarath you are one of the sons of mother Lanka so is DJ. The difference is :
DJ only claims that he is a smart patriot but you have not only proved that you are a real honest patriot but also a practising one.
“…The phrase real and present danger is used advisedly. The danger is not potential but real. It is likely to cause a catastrophe if not immediately obstructed or neutralized.
Mahinda Rajapaksa is not planning a return as the war hero ousted in an election. The choreographed politics of the Joint Opposition, the existence of which we may deny at our own peril has him portrayed as the indigenous leader. Those responsible for his ouster are an unpatriotic clique who conspired with external enemies of the state. ….. “
Hope Yahapalanaya as a united coalition will act fast. JVP & JHU has a bigger role to play in enlightening the majority of the majority on an urgent basis.
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jim softy / August 31, 2016
Upto now, Yahapalana govt – either Maithriapal Sirisena or Ranil wickramasinghe – has not done anything to stop corruption. Every thing MY3 has done is to out – manouver to Mahinda Rajapakse. They use Rajapakse as propaganda to divert attention from all the stupid actions and corrutp activities of the yahapalana govt.
MY3 removed some theives from the nomination list simply because they were trying to get rid of MY3. Every one MY3 appointing is a son of a politician. Appointing SB dissanayake and keeping grand thieves with him says a lot about MY3 and about Sri lankan politics.
No one has time to talk about what Ranil Wickrmasinghe and his Ministers are doing, because media is preoccupied with JO and Rajapakse-saga.
It looks author is foreign to Sri lankan culture even though he was born and worked in Sri lanka.
If another govt comes, Ranil faction of the yahapalana govt will be prosecuted for the thefts they are doing right now. I think Mali Samarawickrama is equal to Basil Rajapakse of the former govt. How ever Basil rajapakse accumulated wealth for himself. This guy may be accumulating wealth for the party expenses.
They don’t write rules for that. Because, they can keep on looting the country as long as they want.
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goofy / August 31, 2016
Elephants are used not as a Buddhist symbol of faith. They are a cultural feature in celebrations and in the days well before the modern day motor, elephants were a mode of transport used mainly by the King and his dignitaries. Same as horses used by the westerners, eg Queen of England parading in horse drawn carts on ceremonious occasions still. Think of horse racing where at least 3 or 4 horses get killed or put down due to serious injuries. Think also of bull-fighting in Spain, Mexico etc. No such thing happens to Temple elephants. This sudden loving kindness about Temple elephants is the last straw that might break the camel’s back – a kindness propagated by the foreign aided NGOs who have become the self-proclaimed police everywhere to monitor every aspect of our daily lives – well funded and brain-washed by CIA, M15 etc who manupulate the rest of the world’s affairs.
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Stanislaus / August 31, 2016
“Whenever S.B. Dissanayake appears on TV, he reminds this writer of Dr. Mrs. Siva Chinnathamby. In her last will, she bequeathed her residence in a prime location of the city of Colombo to the University of Colombo. S.B. Dissanayake was the Minister of Higher Education”.
Please, Mr. de Alwis clarify. What exactly does this cryptic passage mean? Did SBD steal the SC.’s house?
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Upul / September 1, 2016
Mr. De Alwis.
An eloquent and biting analysis of the President and PM. “Banda come to town” would be mine. And, the PM of course thinks he is the smartest Sri Lankan ever to be born. Ironically the Dhamma they both claim to profess informs them that ignorance or ego at its extremes are acceptable qualities. Unfortunately for most Sri Lankans, they are caught in the abyss in-between. The consequence of little learning and limited perspectives. The fact that the media did not utter a words questioning the logic of elephants serving Buddhism is the best example of where we are as a society. Ever ready to jump into one corner and claim superiority or proprietorship.
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KA Sumanasekera / September 1, 2016
Sangha bashing and Buddha praising Yahapalana suckers should at least pay some attention to the Economic plight of our Dalit inhabitants, who are the great majority of Sinhala Buddhists.
Soon they are going to lose their Flag, the pole position of their Religion and one third of the Land too.
After such sacrifices , shouldn’t the Yahaplana suckers think what the future holds for these under privileged, majority of the nation, going forward?.
In addition , Batalanada Ranil is going to privatize even their Hospitals, which are now served by Sinhala Buddhist Doctors,who will soon be replaced by Hindians.
And AL and above will be totally out of bounds to Sinhala Buddhist Rural poor with Batalanda Ranil’s American Education,
All they can hope for will be be Batalanada’s School Leaving certificate, BSLC…
Which will qualify them to get an assembly job in an Indian Factory in Hambanatota, now that Volkswagen has pulled the plug off Batalanada’s bullshit promise of One Million Jobs to go with free Wi Fi for the dalit youth,.
Bodhi Sira yesterday promised to make all Srilankans rich by eliminating poverty starting from January 2017.
He is going to use Samurdhi to do it, because it was all Samurdhi Blokes and Chicke who were there.
No mention of Batalanada or the UNP at all,
I thought UNP Finance Minster is the one who pulls the purse strings of the Nation.
So much interesting and important topics to address,
Yet all these experts pick only Buddhist Monks and their Elephants to write kick ass essays…..
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soma / September 2, 2016
“Bodhi Sira yesterday promised to make all Srilankans rich by eliminating poverty starting from January 2017.’
In Dec 2015 the joker said by the end of 2016 there won’t be any gap between the rich and the poor.
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jay / September 2, 2016
MR is a doddering crook, been proved over and over again!Don’t waste copy and space!!
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soma / September 2, 2016
Dear Mr Alwis
There is no such thing as Sinhala Buddhism. It is a word concocted by hate purveyors. There are Sinhalese who consider themselves as a race and there is Buddhism which is recognised as a religion. Majority of Sinhalese claim that they are Buddhists while there is a minority who claim to be Christians. Unlike among the Tamils there are no Sinhalese who claim to be believers in Islam. Why don’t you say American Christians dropped atom bombs on Buddhist Japan instead of saying Americans dropped atom bombs on Japan?
Do those Sinhalese who claim to be Buddhists actually follow Buddha’s word? Do those Westerners who claim to be Christians actually follow the word of Christ?
Organised religion needless to say is a crown worn by different cultural units. Pulling this into the discourse is a waste of time.
Now these Sinhala Buddhists over millennia have have built up an agrarian
Civilization with an abundance of Buddhist temples and seem to be harboring a desire to continue this civilisation. This kind of desire is prevalent everywhere, not unique to Sinhalese. It is this some call Sinhala Buddhism for their vilification exercise whose agenda is to dismantle the Sinhala Buddhist state. Unavoidably there is conflict of interest. It is this pit that, quite unconsciously, even honest, good hearted people like you have stepped into.
To make matters worse there is an old book Called Mahavansa which has become the modern day bible of anti Sinhala Buddhist propagandists. As a matter of fact the new Sinhala generation has not read this book at all. This chronicle is supposed to be glorifying the above mentioned agrarian civilization.
And we believe that we came down from a cross between a woman and a lion -right?
To recap, there are Sinhala Buddhists and Sinhala Christians but there is no such thing as Sinhala Buddhism or Sinhala Christianity. There are British Muslims but there is no British Islam. There is American war machine which is never referred to as a Christian war machine.
Non Buddhists have heard the story of Siri Sangabo and wonder why other Buddhists do not follow the example. They never ask why American Christians don’t give the other cheek. They want us to bend forward to make it easy for them.
Abuddassa Kale, even Muslims are preaching Buddhism to us.
Soma
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