28 March, 2024

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Deepening Crisis & Political Muddling

By Rajan Philips

Rajan Philips

“I can’t go as a failed president” – Gotabaya Rajapaksa

“I am the crisis Prime Minister” – Ranil Wickremesinghe

“Our family is better at politics than at governance” – Basil Rajapaksa

It is now a month after Ranil Wickremesinghe became Prime Minister. Apart from his plethora of statements, endless announcement of committees, and the eccentric suggestion for a whole new ‘youth parliament,’ there is no change in the country’s day to day economic life. It is no exaggeration to say that without India’s almost daily shipment of supplies, Sri Lanka will not be able to meet its daily requirements of essentials. Is India going to be the sole source for essential supplies until agreements are reached with the IMF? Talks with IMF take time and both the IMF and the World Bank have indicated that no financing arrangement will be possible until an acceptable macroeconomic framework is in place. IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice told reporters in Washington last week that it is still “too early” to indicate either the magnitude of IMF financing or the timing of its agreement. The picture cannot be grimmer.

Without an IMF agreement including debt restructuring, the Sri Lankan government cannot approach individual countries for supplementary assistance which will be needed in the short to medium term. In obvious desperation the government has asked United Nations help to mobilize international assistance to meet the country’s urgent needs in health care, food and agriculture, and emergency protection. The UN agency in Sri Lanka has already launched a Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) Plan, calling for US$47.2 million for providing assistance to 1.7 million people affected by the current crisis. An estimated 5.7 million women, children and men are in need of immediate life-saving assistance. These are the stark realities.

But there is no desperation or urgency on the political front. Even as the economic crisis deepens, politics has shifted back to its business as usual mode of operation. It is classic muddling-through mode in parliament despite the burning crisis all around. Last week was full of muddling political moves, none of them with any concern for the economic crisis. Every move was self-serving political jostling.

The week began with the usually uncommunicative President opening himself to Colombo’s foreign media last Monday and offering somewhat of a resigned ultimatum. “I can’t go as a failed president,” he said. “I have been given a mandate for five years. I will not contest again.” The President’s statement is at once a soft ultimatum, an admission of failure and resignation to being a one-term President. All of which are significant victories for Aragalaya.

The President’s interview was followed by the Prime Minister who in fact has been making statement after statement almost to the point of pre-occupational rambling. Last week before addressing parliament yet again, Ranil Wickremesinghe called himself “the crisis Prime Minister” in an interview with NDTV. Champika Ranawaka tried to steal some limelight midweek by announcing that he will switch from SJB and be an ‘independent’ MP in parliament, calling for an interim national government but vowing not to be a Minister in the current Administration.

Thursday was all Basil-day, as Basil Rajapaksa made headlines with the brother of all resignations. The younger Rajapaksa has been at the centre of media criticisms for allegedly trying to scuttle even the highly watered-down 21A because it includes a provision to bar dual citizens from being MPs. He finally threw in the towel and decided to leave parliament but not politics. And he clarified his departure as ‘retiring from governance’ but not from active politics. Then he added this gem of a nugget for good measure: “I think we can see that our family is better at politics than at governance.” Lastly, he showed his absolute ignorance of not only Indian history and politics but also Sri Lankan history and politics by comparing the Rajapaksa family in Sri Lanka to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in India.

Within a day after Basil’s resignation, the SLPP, Basil’s Party, announced that business tycoon Dhammika Perera will be replacing Basil Rajapaksa as its new National List MP. Mr. Perera may or may not prove to be a worthy member of parliament, but the question is what special skills he will bring to bear for addressing the current challenges. Earlier, there was much talk about bringing professional economists as National List MPs into parliament and taking them into cabinet as key ministers to deal with the current crisis. But professional economists do not carry the same political IOUs as business tycoons. After all the talk about a lean and diverse cabinet of ministers, the new Ranil-Rajapaksa cabinet continues to keep expanding and it is inclusive not of any special talent but of only old bandicoots.

What lies ahead

Looking ahead, most pundits will likely weigh in advising Aragalaya protesters that they should accept the President’s offer to leave after one term (some worthies may even consider it magnanimous), and not insist on having the pound of presidential flesh by way of calling for his resignation by next week. The way Basil did last week. Insofar as Aragalaya is a spontaneous eruption in response to unbearable objective conditions, it is difficult to see who in Aragalaya is to be advised, and who could take advice for Aragalaya.

Those who rush to advise Aragalaya should also examine if they have any advice to offer to the President – how he should conduct himself and what goals he could set for himself for the remainder of his one-term presidency. Without this President and the manner of his presidency, there would not have been any cause for, or any outcome like, Aragalaya. In the same way, the future course of Aragalaya will be shaped by the economic and the political crises facing the country and how the President, the Prime Minister and Parliament deal with these crises in the weeks and months ahead.

Between the President and his Prime Minister, the President hardly says anything on the economic crisis and the Prime Minister hardly stops saying too much about the two crises – the economic and the political. Even in his “wide ranging interview” with the foreign media, the President did not say anything substantial on the economic crisis after indicating that he plans to serve out his first term. He is already a failed President and if he wants that tag removed before he leaves office, he should say something about what he is going to do differently over the next two years, from what he has been doing over the last two.

As for the political crisis, and its constitutional implications, the President pontificated: “Either the presidency should be abolished or the parliament is kept out of governing. You can’t have a mixed system. I experienced this and now know. People may blame me when I tell this but that’s the truth. What is this executive (powers) of the president? My personal opinion is that if you have a presidency he must have full powers. Otherwise abolish executive presidency and go for full Westminster-style parliament.”

This is profound presidential confusion. What power is he lacking as President that has led Sri Lanka to its current crisis? Or in what way has Parliament, where his SLPP was having two-thirds majority, interfered with the exercise of his powers that he could not prevent Sri Lanka from sliding to its current mess? Obviously, the President doesn’t get it that there cannot be any system, purebred or hybrid, where without having an elected body to pass laws, usually called parliament. Parliament cannot be kept out of governing in a democracy.

With the President saying that he intends to serve out his one term as President, the SLPP MPs will likely assume that they are safe for the rest of their tenure as MPs. They may even fancy their chances in the next elections – they can claim credit if the economy turns around, or blame Ranil Wickremesinghe if it doesn’t. In this set up, it is difficult to envisage significant constitutional changes. If at all the watered down version of 21A that Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe is championing may get passed. Then it will be even more business as usual politics.

But everything can change on a dime depending on how the economic situation unfolds. The situation is not going to get better any time soon, and it will likely get worse than what it is now. The people when they have to suffer more will not remember kindly the opportunities that are being missed now by the Ranil-Rajapaksa dyarchy. Aragalaya will rise again. By then, hopefully, it would be time for Aragalaya protesters and the political parties who support their cause, to set their sights beyond the current parliament and to transform parliament itself by weeding out the old and corrupt MPs and replacing them with young reform MPs.

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Latest comments

  • 36
    0

    I thought the IMF (and others) required that Lankan billionaires be taxed 60% of their wealth as part of the macro-economic policy. So why is Dhammika Perera entering parliament, instead of being taxed? They are STILL pursuing their Vistas of Prosperity over the starving people, aren’t they!

    • 37
      19

      The biggest problem is both our people and politicians lack the knowledge to see priorities. A whole day was allocated on behalf of the victimized MP/ not even few hours to question as to why MARA held such a provocative speech on very day. Reality check is the greater deficiency in abusive parliament today. Not even new premier had the guts/ nor haS opposition leader raised it. Instead wild boar was allowed to hold a speech / is nt that tasteless? Only dog Johnsten was missing????🐃🐕😎😶☹

    • 31
      17

      No doubt, CEB president was threatened with Khashoggi style murder…. so he has to correct what he revealed in COPE meeting session. CEB president s performance should be inveistigated….. we are clear that incumbent president is alleged high criminal, but CEb s president and his true nature is not clear to the public.. 🐃🐕😎😶☹

      • 9
        2

        Dear LM: One important aspect of this “Indian Invasion” (through credit facilities, loans, etc.) that is not transmitted to the PEOPLE of Sri Lanka is the “Role” played by the recently formed “Alliance” of the USA, India, Australia, and Japan in the name of securing the “security” of the South Asain Region. The “Cabinet Minister” alias the “Ambassador” of Sri Lanka stationed in New Delhi is the “Official Representative” of this “Alliance” by the name Milinda Moragoda – another USA a “Citizen”. He is “Officially” tasked both by the USA and “Rajapakses” to carry out the “Mission” of “Indianization” of the region in which the “SELECTED” target is Sri Lanka.

        What is your input on this “Behind the Scenes” operation?

        • 3
          20

          Does anybody of you know what happened to Galabodaaththe Dhadoriya ?
          .
          Madagoda BP Abeythissa ?
          .
          That tatooted monk ?
          .
          Where are they all today ?
          .
          Dr Safi is setting examples teaching these ballige puthas good lessions.
          :
          I think nobody but SRILANKEN media and Fake monks are to be blamed for current crisis.
          They just abused the gulliblity of the average in this country.

          Remember ?
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBf1tN8HhE8

  • 54
    7

    Our crisis Prime Minister Ranil W has been a crisis to the country and a bigger crisis to the UNP for more than 30 years now. Both the country and the UNP being terminally sick, cannot get rid of him.

    The latest violation of Ranil is his personal and vituperative attack on MP Rasamanickam.

    Because Rasa has been challenging Ranil in parliament Ranil turned venomous in his noticeably effeminate style.

    In his anger, Ranil’s deep racism surfaced . Any Tamil who attacks Ranil is labelled a Tiger by this crisis PM !

    An unelected MP is attacking an elected MP

    A man without a mandate is attacking a man with a mandate

    Rasa gave an interpretation to the events of 9th May. As an elected MP he is totally free to interpret matters as he thinks fit.

    By trying to stifle Rasa, Ranil is in contempt of Parliament and is in contempt of our right to think and speak!

    Ranil has built a career on fraud.

    • 46
      18

      DS.
      I agree. Ranil is pandering to appease Sinhala emotions by attacking Rasamanickam who is brutally frank in his views…………

    • 18
      7

      deepthi silva: While agreeing with you, I disagree with that expression of “Interpretation” you try to impose on this young charismatic politician – Rasamanikkan. In my opinion, he (Rasa) very directly said that the “9th of May” uprising was, indeed the expression of “Disgust”, “Frustration” and “Condemnation” of the people that “Rajapakses” were attempting to ruin the country.

      On that Ranil’s “Outburst” – This supposed to be “Vetaron” in politics never wanted and expected to be “CHALLENGED” on the floor of the House by a “New Entrant”, whom he (Ranil), thinks is a “Podian”, but in his heart of heart knew that these “New Entrants” are much, much more “Heavier” stuff than he could ever imagine. That is why this “Monster” Ranil requested the Speaker to initiate an “Inquiry” to “Crush” these types of upcoming young, brilliant and charismatic politicians.

    • 16
      28

      deepthi silva

      Crisis, what crisis?
      Who said no money in the country?
      No petrol, who said no petrol in the country?
      Who said price of cement has hit all time high?
      ….
      …..
      Watch this clip:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6zcz__hFfU&t=853s
      You will find how members of armed forces, saffron land grabbers, (nothing better to do) policemen, stupid Sinhala/Buddhists(who were provided with free food and free transport in luxury coaches), functionaries belonging to department of archaeology, ….. are wasting their precious resources and time by building a Sinhala/Buddhist Dagoba (which is nothing to do with Buddha the enlightened one) in Gurunthu Malai breaking a recent court order preventing structures being built at the Sivan Temple.

      The archaeology department prevented local people from visiting the temple with the help of armed forces under the pretext of excavating for archaeological survey, however allowed saffronistas to carry on with building the Sinhala/Buddhist Dagoba. The rate in which Sinhala/Buddhist structures are being built farmers are going to lose all their fertile land making this island permanently dependent on Stalin’s (supposed to be agnostic) handouts.

      During the incident 3 peacefully protesting young Tamils have been arrested, thrown into the police vehicle severely beaten up and taken to police station.

      What a peaceful religion, peaceful people, disciplined armed forces, humanist police force, …… honourable archaeologists, …..

      You don’t need Ranil to create crisis.

      • 30
        26

        Vedda,

        “…are wasting their precious resources and time by building a Sinhala/Buddhist Dagoba (which is nothing to do with Buddha the enlightened one) in Gurunthu Malai…”

        You forgot to mention that during the time of LTTE, no Sinhala or Muslim was allowed to even visit Mullaitivu. Pretty pathetic, if all the Sinhala Buddhists can do is build a small temple there. Your LTTE bosses practiced apartheid, trained child soldiers, and planned suicide operations in that location.

        • 13
          29

          Lester

          “You forgot to mention that during the time of LTTE, no Sinhala or Muslim was allowed to even visit Mullaitivu. “

          Maybe, they were prevented by LTTE with arms that were provided by Premadasa and his uniformed psychopaths, and the money that LTTE received from psychopaths, genocide perpetrators Mahinda, Gota, Sarath, Kamala, …… for ballot rigging.

          One cannot have the LTTE work for you and expect it to behave. Whats your problem.

          Lets come back to the real issue. Please refer to my comment earlier.

          When you type next time will you use your head for a change?

        • 12
          29

          There were hardly any Chingkallams or Muslims living in Mullaitheevu before 2009, therefore stop posting deliberate lies and misinformation to justify state-sponsored Chingkalla racism. Chingkalla Buddhists can build Buddhist temples anywhere if the legally purchase the land and come through proper sources but not deliberately on the premises of an ancient prehistoric Sivan temple, that has been there for thousands of years and used for worship by the local population. The court had prohibited them from building any Buddhist temple or installing a Buddha statue or any Buddhist activity in this ancient historical Saivite Hindu site. However, if defiance of the court order and the law of the land, the Chingkalla armed forces, the Archeological department, which is full of Chingkalla racists and fundamentalists, and extremist Buddhist monks, with the backing of powerful politicians in the current government, have built this not small but a huge Vihara in this strategic historic ancient Thamizh Hindu site. Proving as far as the Thamizh and Thamizh Muslims are concerned no court order or law is respected. The majority can do anything with them with impunity.

          • 13
            29

            Kuroonthoor Malai is in a very strategic border area that links the Thamizh north and the East and the Chingkallams have been trying to take over this ancient Thamizh Hindu area, using concocted history and by force and so far have failed. Trying to forcibly convert this ancient prehistoric Sivan temple site in this strategic, area into a huge Buddhist place of worship, using the armed forces and fake history concocted by the Archeological Department, is the first move to Chingkalize the area. later the local Thamizh Hindus, who had lived there for thousands of years, will be chased away and outside Chingkllams settled, like it has happened everywhere else and then village and town names will be changed from Thamizh to Chingkallam.

            • 12
              29

              We all know the reason behind this move. Including you. The Thamizh Hindus have been banned to visit this temple site by the Archeological Department on the pretext of digging and the only significant Archeological find was an ancient Sivalingam in the Pallava style, which the Archeological department is trying to pass off as some sort of pillar during the Anuradhapura period, as they had egg on their faces and could not find anything Buddhist there. Whilst the Thamizh was not allowed to visit the temple site they had in defiance of the court order had allowed the racist occupying Chingkalal armed forces to build a huge Buddhist Vihara on this ancient Sivan temple site and had removed all the ancient Hindu Saivite symbols and artefacts from the site. This is a desecration. They are deliberately and systematically trying to erase any evidence of the ancient Thamizh Saivite history of the region. This is also a war crime, as these are systematic activities of structural genocide by deliberately erasing and destroying the history and symbols of other people, to prove that they never existed or have no claim. If you badly want a Buddhist temple to be built, you can donate your land around London or in Kandy. Do not try to steal other people’s lands and places of worship using the might and resources of the state , to build this.

              • 10
                29

                Correct PK, they are systematically trying to settle Sinhalese along the border areas of Mullaitheevu where it meets the Tamil eastern province by creating a huge Sinhalese wedge and breaking the continuity of the Tamil north to the Tamil east. Thereby isolating the Tamils of the east from the north, especially the huge eastern Tamil heartland the Batticaloa district. During the British rule, Pathavikulam was taken away from the north and given to the Sinhalese and renamed Padaviya. In the 1990s the JR government ethnically cleansed the border ManalAru area of its native Tamil inhabitants, which again is very strategic more or less bordering the east and settled this area with outside Sinhalese and remained the entire area Weli Oya, a literal Sinhalese translation of Tamil Manal Aru meaning Sandy River. Ironic as the Sinhalese word Weli is derived from Tamil Veli meaning sand place or sandy open place. Oya meaning a river or rivulet is derived from Tamil Odai or Oyaval meaning the same.

                • 8
                  29

                  Now there are trying to widen this wedge by falsely claiming the strategic border area Kurunthoor Malai, as an ancient Sinhalese area by concocting history and forcibly converting is ancient prehistoric Sivan temple to Buddhist, despite the court declaring this as illegal and to stop this. It is all systematic, diabolical and planned. The country can go to hell and the people can starve and die without food or medicine but the structural genocide of the island’s Tamils, their destruction and the erasing of all traces of their ancient history must continue. India can give aid and pressurize the Sri Lankan government to accept all sorts of projects by various Indian enterprises but other than rhetoric does not do anything or pressurize them to behave and grant just Tamil rights and sec 13A. They are just hypocrites, who are overtly and covertly helping the destruction of the Tamil people on the island. This is my view.

          • 4
            8

            There were hardly any Chingkallams or Muslims living in Mullaitheevu before 2009
            UNTRUE
            Check census data

            • 12
              29

              Please recheck again. Hardly. Instead of trying to nitpick on my comment and support this out-and-out Chingkalla racist who is living the good life somewhere in greater London but supporting and agitating for the destruction of Thamizh back home and this includes quislings like you.

            • 12
              30

              SJ,
              Why couldn’t you check the census data instead of telling others to do if you want to deny the fact? It is a fact there are number of Sinhalese colonization by Sri Lankan governments in the East and borders of the North including Mullaitivu. According to Census 1981 there were only less than 4000 (5%) Sinhalese and 4000 (5%) Sonakar (Muslims) were in Mullaitivu out of 77000 population. The problem is why do you need to build a buddhist temple after Court order to not to build any new Buddhist Temple in a place after destroying a Hindu Temple? Are you supporting violence?

    • 14
      10

      deepthi silva ,

      Ranil no doubt is modern day ‘ Judas’ . A man ready to sleep with
      any dog for personal benefit . At last , at the right age and most
      needful time , he has exposed his true self before ending up at
      Borella ! All his life he’s been another real Racist . Another racist
      is now surfacing to get possibly a cabinet job , Sacrificing his
      billions worth of business responsibilities in order to Save his
      Mother Lanka from Economic Catastrophe ! Dramas without
      Audience ! I remember a scene in Kamal Hasan’s ” Varumayin Niram
      Sivappu ” meaning The colour of poverty is Red . In the scene ,
      Kamal’s Fiance’s mother dies and her rogue husband’s immediate
      reaction was to remove all her jewellery as if it was the most
      appropriate first funeral respect ! This is exactly what is being staged
      by the Rogues of our country !

  • 24
    32

    Seldom do I argue – challenge – Rajan Philips.

    ‘The President’s statement is at once a soft ultimatum, an admission of failure and resignation to being a one-term President. All of which are significant victories for Aragalaya’.
    .
    Is ‘Aragalaya’ amenable to Gotabaya continuing only until he completes his term?
    .
    Rajapaksas are great schemers. They never keep their word.

    • 22
      29

      “Rajapaksas are great schemers. They never keep their word’.
      .
      This was not overlooked/ but 6.9 mio were naive/ .
      .
      They kept the word if it for their pocket filling tactics. 🐃🐕🐃🐕😎🐃🐕😎😶

      • 22
        29

        Nathan aiya/
        My granny repeated that asuchi eating pigs would hardly avoid it. That is coded in their DNA. This is valid to homo sapiens and Neanderthals as well 😶😎🐕🐃☹

      • 17
        28

        Dear LM
        .
        Yes 6.9 million voted the bastards. But my question is why? Yes Naivety is a reason or an excuse but have we pondered why such a large population of our population are Naive?
        .
        I think not only the voting issue, but many of the other issues in Sri Lanka are related to this same naivety problem
        .
        We have to look at some basics about Sri Lankan situation. When we live in a society certain fundamental ideas and practices must be maintained to sustain the society properly. Primal attitudes that come naturally to us from our animal side must be suppressed using religious doctrine, ethics, morality and even rules and regulations.
        .
        Sadly Buddhist dharma has been long forgotten. Buddhism is now represented by a bunch of opportunists in yellow robes who are so entrenched in primal practices. Greed and Hatred are not only openly practised by the yellow pets, it have become their way of life.

        Continued…

        • 17
          30

          Continued
          .
          Aside from the yellow pets, we have politicians and so-called leaders, who should be leading by example. But in Sri Lanka, people in power are the worst perpetrators of the uncivilised mode of life.
          .
          Then come the police and law enforcement. They enforce the law in the most lopsided ways. Minuscule offences are given maximum punishment while major crimes by the leaders are not even noticed.
          .
          My point is that fundamental qualities for civilized societal living is absent in most of our people.
          .
          The basic truth like we are all humans and therefore have equal rights, aspirations, feelings, etc is not existing in our consciences. We take the example from yellow pets, politicians, and all other corrupted examples as the norm. No wonder it is so easy to hoodwink the majority. We don’t have scruples by which we are guided.
          .
          This cannot go on. Either we change or we go back to the jungle, because it is only in the jungle these attitudes can prevail.
          .
          Continued

          • 19
            30

            Continued
            .
            I know many people reading this will not understand what I am saying. But LM you know exactly what I am talking about.
            .
            If not for having a proper civilized mindset in the heart of every citizen in every developed country, they could not have gotten to where they are.
            .
            We can deny all we want, but the truth is that even our citizens crave to migrate to developed countries and settle down there. The reason is that by extension of their system, even we the migrants benefit and are able to make a life.
            .
            So let’s get back to our fundamental flaw. The ugly truth…
            Buddhism has been bastardized and propagated in a very unholy manner. Yellow pets do not add anything positive to our society. If you live in Sri Lanka you will understand what I mean.
            .
            I think we should start looking for practical solutions to our issues if we want to move forward as a country.

            • 11
              31

              Great comment from u bro🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

          • 11
            35

            Super religious at paly .Yes not the saffron pets but “some” saffron pets, that play the game(I have met some good ones). By the way this religion game is not restricted to the saffron pets alone but even purple cardinals and priest craft merchants from every religion.(in case you are wondering, I was born into the cardinals flock myself…so what ?).
            The fault lies with the wealthy but power hungry politicians who let them loose for vote catching and the ugly half bred merceneries who sell them. God must be ashamed of mans objectivity.
            System change please before the jet setting dark tall prophet whispers some vibrant freak music into this playground !!

          • 42
            37

            “No wonder it is so easy to hoodwink the majority.”

            Sinhalese were never hood-winked by the monks. When the Europeans came to this country, monks like Dharmapala warned about the threat posed by missionaries. The British used divide and rule to control the population. Monks warned about division of the country, that is why snap elections were called in 2006 to get rid of that virus known as CBK and Ranil. Monks warned about the danger of Islamic fanaticism. Then came the Easter attacks. So far, the monks have a good track record.

            • 15
              35

              Lester/Jester

              “When the Europeans came to this country, monks like Dharmapala warned about the threat posed by missionaries.”

              And the majority fell for what the public racist Anagarika Homeless Dharmapala proposed, Sinhala/Buddhism. He followed and prospered from Colonel Henry Steel Olcott an American. Helena Blavatsky another foreigner he closely associated with.

              Foreigners brought Buddhism to this island.

              • 33
                2

                LTTE Vedda,

                “Foreigners brought Buddhism to this island.”

                They should have brought Chinese instead and settled them in Jaffna.

            • 12
              35

              Lester the fake historian,
              “When the Europeans came to this country, monks like Dharmapala warned about the threat posed by missionaries”
              Are you really as ignorant as you seem, or didn’t your private school tell you that thi Dharmapala was born in 1864, and the Europeans in 1505?
              Go ahead, change the subject, talk about Ukraine or whatever.

              • 12
                34

                Lying Lester,
                “So far, the monks have a good track record.”
                Yes of course, except for killing a Prime Minister, raping a few underage girls (and boys),…….. want more?

            • 13
              33

              Lester/all time clown of Rajapakashes.
              .
              Glabodaaththe Dhadoriya aka Ghanasara – is/was not a buddagama monk ?
              .
              Madagoda BP Abehythissa – is/was not a buddagama monk ?
              .
              Muruththettuwa BP Ananadha – is/was not a buddagama monk ?

              Kollupittiy Dhammarakkitha – Nagaya carried fake relic fair tale – is was not a buddhagama monk ?

              Now looking back, not the British but your elders ruined this nation. Why not mind your business if you cant see anything right yet today ?
              .
              Since 2005, wankers became the leaders. As of today, not even .lk remain as the domain of the govt.
              :
              Looted even the HINGANGE PATHRAYA – the last coin of the beggars. If MAHINDA RAJAPAKSHE would have been hung by his balls .. the angers could be settled to some extent but srilanken law and order would not do it in today s context.

            • 21
              33

              Lester
              .
              Kata ariyoth gonna eliye.
              .
              I have been saying this over and over, you are just an empty vessel with racism as your only qualification.
              .
              Do you consider yourself a good Buddhist?
              .
              Buddhism and Racism are mutually exclusive.

              Most so-called Buddhist branded bastards are the biggest racist.
              .
              This is because like I mentioned above, monks have turned to monkeys and the followers are all donkeys like you.

              • 33
                2

                Human Dung,

                My mouth is doing well. Certainly better than your coconut ventures. Perhaps you should consider joining Leela in Germany, doing street business. Street business is legal there. You write a lot of gibberish about Buddhism and Buddhists. If Buddhists are “racist”, why are they not converting others to their religion? I asked this question before. Europeans used to sail in big boats with cannons and priests.

          • 12
            30

            What is being practiced in sl is not buddhism but Buddagama. .
            .
            That is why true buddhism is being destroyed today.
            .
            Mahinda of the day has stood against mihindu mahinda☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹

  • 11
    16

    I can’t go as a failed president” – Gotabaya Rajapaksa
    “I am the crisis Prime Minister” – Ranil Wickremesinghe

    Mr Failures give as a sure-fire formula for success.

    For the last year 225 in the government did not understan Failure that happen every day and was dwelling upon it you should have gone to the world consulting company focused on optimizing workplace through extraordinary leadership.and leading a country.

  • 19
    15

    A source in the know says our ‘very-rich’ new minister made his initial money operating a casino where all the well-known Colombo ‘girls’ were encouraged with free drinks and privileges. That brought foreign workers and many of our local elites flocking. Cannot go wrong with beginnings like that.

  • 29
    8

    …….if you have a presiden(t)cy he must have full powers……
    You have more power than any earlier President. And what you done –
    1. Abolished circulars and brought disarray to the admin service.
    2. Listened to charlatans and denied farmers fertilizer.
    3. Brought in retired generals as Secretaries and ruined admin service.
    4. Brought in political CB Governors and caused the $$ crisis.
    5. Formulated a new tax policy and Treasury lost billions.
    Only a few of the monumental mistakes. And still passing the buck, or passing a ball which Basil says he has not got.

  • 17
    15

    …………He finally threw in the towel and decided to leave Parliament but not politics………..
    Says the essayist referring to Basil[ Kaputa ].

    Aha! Just like that eh!
    Basil who loves money more than anything else that the world has to offer would not give his Parliamentary seat gratis……….
    The question is how much and in which currency………….

  • 29
    36

    I had a hope that “Aragalaya” have really changed the attitude of the people and they understood the real motive of the ruling capitalist Sinhalese landlord families which is keeping the people in the dark with racism and buddhist fundamentalism. But it looks like that the people are kept still in the dark and the ruling capitalist group continue to keep their tactical move in cheating people with racism and fundamentalism. The crisis PM’s critical attack on a Tamil MP for blaming the 20th amendment for the current economic crisis and the former PM Mahinda who initiated violence calling “Aragalaya” no longer a non violent group suggests that they are getting back to usual politics. In the mean time the opening of Buddhist temple in Kurunthumalai by Ministers, Military and Buddhist monks today is just to give a “kiribath” to Fundamentalism by the President and his group.

    • 5
      8

      A, what an oversimplified view of the world you have.
      Perhaps it was inherited from the Thalaivar.

      • 13
        33

        Tamils of North and East and now many Sinhalese praise “Thalaivar” for managing the economic sanction of your “fake patriots & Heros”.

        • 3
          7

          Do they praise Him?
          Watch out.
          You must be hearing voices.

          • 7
            31

            SJ,
            Are you hearing voices. Why don’t you cantact your GP?

    • 30
      15

      Ajith,
      “…keeping the people in the dark with racism and buddhist fundamentalism.”
      —-
      In Sinhale/Sri Lanka ‘RACISM’ is linked with Tamil politicians in Yapanaya and ‘FUNDAMENTALISM’ linked with Muslims. Sinhala Buddhists who accommodated Tamils and Muslims in their country giving them citizenship are neither ‘RACISTS’ nor ‘FUNDAMENTALISTS’.

    • 12
      35

      They shamelessly get aid( food, medicine and fuel as well as monetary aid) from India and Thamizh Nadu. The military, Buddhist monks, politicians and Chingkalla racists eat and get fat on the food aid provided by India and Thamizh Nadu, then indulge in anti-Thamizh, anti-Hindu activities by building Buddhist temples on ancient Hindu temple sites and erecting Buddha statues, using fake history, now and trying to ban local Hindus from going to this Hindu temple site, where their ancestors have been worshipping for thousands of years. The Indian authorities and the Thamizh Nadu government should be aware of these anti-Hindu/Thamizh activities of these ungrateful racist Chingkallams, their government, and the armed forces. who is eating and getting fat on the aid given to them.

      • 14
        35

        Then again these North Indian Hindian BJP/RSS Chadiwallas who are also busy trying to destroy ancient Muslim shrines in Hindian land, using the same tactics, most probably sympathise and empathise with these Chingkalla Buddhist racists, as they are doing the same in Hindian land. Further, the victims are Thamizh and they really do not care much about the much more ancient Thamizh Saivite Hindu religion from the Dravidian Indus valley civilization. To them, Hinduism means the Vedic Aryan largely Vaishnavite-based religion. The Chingkallams, from ancient times, will always use Hindia and Thamizh Nadu to get what they want and then once they get what they want and their use by date has gone, discard them like used curry leaves. They should have learned their lesson after May 2009, when they helped the Chingkallams to win the war over the LTTE and commit horrific war crimes against the civilian Thamizh population in the Vanni. Used them promised all sorts of things not only to the Hindia but even to the west, who also helped them and then ran to China, as a counterbalance to India and the west and also to wiggle out of their promises to grant just Thamizh rights and federalism. They will do the same again.

        • 35
          15

          Pandi Kutti,
          “…promises to grant just Thamizh rights and federalism.”
          —-
          What are these ‘JUST THAMIZH RIGHTS’ they promised to give?
          —-
          Only Vellala Tamils want federalism to continue to oppress low caste Tamils in Yapanaya. Low caste Tamils do not want land and police powers given to NPC. Forget federalism.

      • 33
        16

        Pandi Kutti,
        “…indulge in anti-Thamizh, anti-Hindu activities by building Buddhist temples on ancient Hindu temple sites and erecting Buddha statues…”
        —-
        Who told you this blatant lie? It is the other way around. Dravidians who came after 13th Century and occupied Sinhala land in the North and gradually moved to East during colonial rule vandalized Sinhala Buddhist heritage sites and built Hindu Kovils on top of ancient Buddhist temples.
        Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera in his 540-page tome ‘Sinhala Buddhist Heritage in the North and the East of Sri Lanka (Colombo; Mount Laurel, N.J. : Dayawansa Jayakody & Co., 2005)’ has documented almost all these heritage sites and places where Kovils and Mosques have been built on top of ancient Buddhist temples.

    • 15
      35

      Ajith, denying Tamils access to their ancestral land, changing the name of villages, replacing churches and Hindu temples with Buddhist viharas, and victory monuments dedicated to the Sinhalese domination, is a concerted effort to erase the Tamil history and culture of the island, especially in the North and East of the island the historical ancient homelands of the island’s indigenous Tamils. The incident of trying to illegally takeover the Ariyakulam tank was an eyesore but is now beatified by the Jaffna municipality by the Jaffna Vihara backed by the armed forces and Northern Province governor who everyone considers to be a quisling and the latest incident of the armed forces in defiance of the court order, building a Buddhist temple on the site of an ancient Hindu temple, that has been there for thousands of years, and the so far failed attempt to install a stone Buddha statue at the site of this temple, are all part of this attempt that started from the time of independence but now accelerated under the Rajapakses. This is happening despite the economic turmoil, with no funds to purchase any essentials, food , medicine , gas, petrol etc.

      • 15
        35

        The population is in great hardship and starving and this includes ordinary Sinhalese people but somehow lots of money and funds are found for these sorts of racist anti-Tamil/Hindu activities and to maintain a huge occupation army, whose sole aim is to make life hell for the Tamil people living in the north and east and accelerate in the Sinhalization process of their lands. When did a national army start to build and forcibly convert ancient Hindu temples and Christian churches to Buddhist Viharas and take the private lands of Tamil people, on any flimsy excuse, as they can do so? The country can go to the dogs, and the people can starve but the dispossession, marginalization and deliberate plan to erase the island Tamil people’s ancient history and symbols go without hindrance and looks like most Sinhalese even if they starve and face hardship applaud these activities, otherwise this will never happen, as the authorities know this pleases them and will divert their attention. Ironically many of this aid and funds now to marginalize the island’s Tamils and Hindus seem to be coming from India. Surely they must be aware of what is happening but no questions asked or pressure applied to behave.

  • 11
    30

    to add to MyView—
    6] let the scams involving Sugar & Garlic happen;; 7]Imprisoned a clean MP (Ranjan R) and a dedicated & able investigator(Shani A); 8] Released convicted people–Navy personnel, Duminda, Monk;
    9] Trying to pass the 21st amendment that IS NOT what the ARAGALYA/ citizens wants i.e abolishing Executive Presidency; 10] No inclination to find[A] a permanent solution to Tamil speaking peoples rights;[B] cancelling PTA legislation

  • 5
    6

    “The people when they have to suffer more will not remember kindly the opportunities that are being missed now by the Ranil-Rajapaksa dyarchy.”
    What are the opportunities missed?
    Being relieved in the short term by the IMF?
    They will be even more unforgiving before long if the country takes the IMF road.
    *
    Does any one of the parliamentary political parties have clue as to how to get out of the mess?
    We have come along the wrong track for 4 decades. It cannot go on.

    • 13
      34

      SJ
      “We have come along the wrong track for 4 decades. It cannot go on.”
      “So, three decades of right track”. Memory of some only started to work from 1978.

      Great Sinhala only act, Masscare of innocent Tamils in 1958, Black economy of 1970’s under Srimavo, Butchering of Tamils in 1977, Language based standardization in 1970s, introduction of special status to Buddhism in the constitution by Hon.Srimavo and Leftist Colvin R,De.Silva”, Economic crisis in 1973 under Srimavo.

      • 3
        9

        So you seem to be in love with what JRJ’s economics!
        Watch out, you may be unfaithful to your ‘Thalaivar’.

        • 5
          33

          Country was on the wrong track even before you were born, but you just realized, on your retirement.

        • 10
          34

          “So you seem to be in love with what JRJ’s economics!
          Watch out, you may be unfaithful to your ‘Thalaivar’.”

          SJ,
          It is not about love with one or other. I know accepting the truth and facts is another type of cheating. My “Thalaivar” is much better than holding the tail of Srimavo.

  • 13
    34

    Tamil speaking Sri Lankans can be said had been under colonialists for last 5 centuries,
    Portugese,Dutch,British and then the Singhalese. It is time for federalism or Independent state. Tamils have lost lots of lives, educational opportunities, lands and economic deprivations at the hands of ALL Governments of SL

  • 11
    0

    If the Aragalaya accepts President staying on to the end of his term then the following conditions must be fulfilled:
    1. The Cabinet should be 15
    2. No MP who has had any case filed against him or her on charges of corruption, murder, rape, or drugs should be in the Cabinet.
    3. A true national govt should be formed
    4. Independent commissions must be implemented
    5. 21A must be implemented

  • 12
    33

    “I can’t go as a failed president” – My advise, commit ‘hara-kiri’, the Japanese way of accepting shame & dishonour. As for Basil’s stupid utterances, he would have been honest in saying his family is better at conning instead of using the word ‘politics’ (even though it is an admission of the way of politics in SL). After-all, what can you expect from illiterate yobs & school drop outs? Certainly not good governance.

    RW is different but remains as a failed leader & PM but has come back for more. We all know it, yet, the same bunch of yobs are back in Parliament. So, the ‘aragalaya’ must continue until we have a fresh set of parliamentarians. Ghandi, Mandela, & others have shown citizen protests can eventually overcome repression & the Iranians overthrew a royal dynasty but that was a revolution. Nevertheless, these incidents should be the inspiration for the ‘aragalaya’ & not be disheartened by the protests which have been cracked down with Military might, as in Hong Kong, Myanmar & some other countries.

    Are there any true patriots who are willing to take up the challenge of reforming the politics in SL by volunteering without a paycheck or generous perks, considering the empty coffers in the treasury? Unless the generous perks, pensions & privileges are abolished, we will have the same kind of uneducated & unscrupulous yobs in politics.

    • 6
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    • 32
      8

      Raj-UK,
      “After-all, what can you expect from illiterate yobs & school drop outs? Certainly not good governance.”
      —-
      Voters in this country elected ‘Yahapalana’ Government with a ‘Royal’ educated person as the Prime Minister in 2015. Did this ‘Royal’ educated Prime Minister and his ‘Royal Gang’ brought good governance to this country?
      Those who promised ‘Good Governance’ eventually became notorious bank robbers.

  • 10
    34

    The economic ‘crisis’ in Sri Lanka is totally staged by the freemasons.
    Hegelian dialectic (problem – reaction – solution) at work.
    Along comes the IMF and other masonic groups, offering to ‘save the country’,
    and in return they confiscate all the land and resources.

  • 11
    26

    In 1948 the economic crisis started along with Political Muddling
    Many articles are written by professors and political experts about the way country is progressing . No one identified the basic reason for the crisis. It is the ETHNIC policy of the Sinhala Buddhist majority government resulting in many riots and spending dollars in importing weapons to pop up defense. There was first brain drain of educated Tamils. Now due to bad economic situation the second brain drain of educated Sinhalese have started . What residue of a different class od people will be left behind in the island. Of course, the residue will be Drug dealers, political gangs , Swindlers, corrupt politicians. Begging for dollar will continue leading to economic invasion and pending millions on defense neglecting the usage of many reasons. Educated politicians cannot become presidents or PMs. It is the Wallowa people who are entitled to be on Top position. Discriminatory ethnic policy along with corruption at all levels pushed the country to this pathetic situation Even now the top politicians and many Singhal patties and Buddhist clergy are refusing to accept their fault. Unless the basic reason is resolved there is no survival; Changing the constitution proves the weakness in the country’s operation system
    It is very difficult to find honest educated politician with a vision and a plan to develop the plenty of resources available.

    • 35
      10

      Kuviyam,
      “It is the ETHNIC policy of the Sinhala Buddhist majority government resulting in many riots and spending dollars in importing weapons to pop up defense.”
      —-
      It is not the ethnic policy of the Sinhala Buddhist majority Government that resulted riots and spending dollars in importing weapons to pop up defense but separatist policy of racist Tamil politicians in Yapanaya. Those separatist Tamil politicians passed Vadukkodai Resolution and declared war against the Government of Sri Lanka and Sinhala Nation to grab their land to create a separate State for Tamils and launched the terrorist campaign to massacre Sinhala Buddhists. To eliminate Tamil terrorists, the Government had to spend a colossal amount of money.

  • 15
    34

    The IMF and other international donors, including India, should also insist on reducing the highly bloated, very inefficient public service, that is 99.99% Sinhalese, and not recruited on merit, also the armed services should be greatly reduced. 300000 or more in a poor country of 22 million! What for? Even other rich industrial powerful states like Britain do not have such huge numbers serving in the armed forces. Such a huge drain on the public purse and the country’s resources, when you cannot afford it. 16 of the 20 armed forces divisions are stationed in the Tamil North and East, as an occupying force to deliberately suppress and brutally oppress the Tamil civilian population there and now the Tamil Muslims there too. They’re also there to assist with Sinhalization and Buddhisation process, as we recently saw in Kurunthoor Malai in the Muallaitheevu district, where an ancient prehistoric Saiva temple is deliberately and forcibly being converted to Buddhist Vihara with fake concocted history and the occupying Sinhalese armed forces have built a huge Buddhist vihara, against the court orders and were trying to install a Buddha statue at the site, transporting thousands of out of area Sinhalese and Buddhist monks in luxury buses to this remote site. The installation of the Buddha statue has been stopped by the local Tamil population, enraged at what is happening at this ancient Hindu site.

    • 14
      34

      There is no money for food medicines, gas and electricity and instead of using this money to purchase these and alleviate the sufferings of the local Tamil population and the people of the land, this government, President, military and Buddhist monks and many other powerful politicians are indulging in racist Sinhalese Buddhist Fundamentalism to satisfy the Sinhalese masses and to divert their attention from the current crisis.
      There is no money for food medicines, gas and electricity and instead of using this money to purchase these and alleviate the sufferings of the local Tamil population and the people of the land, this government, President, military and Buddhist monks and many other powerful politicians are indulging in racist Sinhalese Buddhist Fundamentalism to satisfy the Sinhalese masses and to divert their attention from the current crisis. Look what we are doing even now during grave hardship and poverty, our golden heroes led by our great president are bravely laying the foundations for Sinhalese Buddhism in the Hindu Tamil heartland by using the state’s meagre resources and power to forcibly convert an ancient prehistoric Saiva temple to Buddhist. The IMF, and all other institutions and other western countries, India and Japan should put a stop to this racist, religious bigotry and nonsense by the Sri Lanka state the armed forces and this government, that is the root cause of all these problems.

      • 31
        9

        Siva Sankaran Sharma
        “…many other powerful politicians are indulging in racist Sinhalese Buddhist Fundamentalism…”

        In Sinhale/Sri Lanka ‘RACISM’ is linked with Tamil politicians in Yapanaya and ‘FUNDAMENTALISM’ linked with Muslims. Sinhala Buddhists who accommodated Tamils and Muslims in their country giving them citizenship are neither ‘RACISTS’ nor ‘FUNDAMENTALISTS’.

      • 28
        11

        Siva Sankaran Sharma,
        “…president are bravely laying the foundations for Sinhalese Buddhism in the Hindu Tamil heartland.,,”
        —-
        There is no such thing as ‘SINHALESE BUDDHISM’ and ‘HINDU TAMIL HEARTLAND in Sinhale, the Land of Sinhalayo and Vedda Eththo. Sinhale has been a Sinhala Buddhist country for thousands of years and therefore no one has to bother to lay foundation for Buddhism.

        • 14
          40

          Mahindapala, according to archaeological findings, original inhabitants of the island were Veddhas and Dravidians. There were no Sinhalayo. Original languages spoken were Veddha dialect and Elu which is considered proto-Tamil. Original religion practiced by both Veddhas and Dravidians was Saivaism. Veddhas worshiped Murugan the God worshiped only by Tamils, and wrote in Brahmi and Tamil Brahmi, the scripts invented by Tamils. Geological proof has surfaced that at one time there was a single landmass, which Tamil folklore says as Kumarikandam. Sri Lanka is not Sinhala Buddhist land as racists are trying to show with distorted history and demography. Face the truth and get out of Tamil homeland.

          • 0
            0

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          • 41
            34

            Fake history alert. Elu is not proto-Tamil.

            ” R. C. Childers, in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, states:

            [Elu] is the name by which is known an ancient form of the Sinhala language from which the modern vernacular of Ceylon is immediately received, and to which the latter bears is of the same relation that the English of today bears to Anglo-Saxon…The name Elu is no other than Sinhala much succeeded, standing for an older form, Hĕla or Hĕlu, which occurs in some ancient works, and this again for a still older, Sĕla, which brings us back to the Pali Sîhala.[1]

            Original Veddas did not worship Shiva. They are the “Yakkas” mentioned in Ramayana and Mahavamsa. Yakkas are actually an ancient Sinhala tribe. For example, Ravana was a descendant of ‘Surya Wansha’ of ‘Hela Yakka’ tribe (ancient Sinhala tribe). King Ravana was one of the best fighters in Angampora, the traditional martial arts of ancient Sri Lanka. There were no Dravidians living on the island before South Indian invasions.

            • 11
              41

              Elu is proto or semi Thamizh and Hela or old Chingkallam is Elu+ Prakrit= Elu. Therefore just like bears to Anglo Saxon modern English Hela bears to modern Chingkallam. Elu was a simple semi-Thamizh Dravidian language or dialect as it never had a written script and was not that well developed. Both Elu and Hela or old Chingkallam were very close in structure and pronunciation to their Thamizh mother than modern Chingkallam, which has now been deliberately Sanskritized and Aryanized but its vocabulary is 35% Thamizh derived and its grammar syntax, lexicon and alphabet is purely derived from Thamizh and not from Pali, Prakrit, Sanskrit or any other Indo Aryan language. This is not what I state but lots of renowned Chingkalla historians, linguists and anthropologists say. Lots of these pro-Aryan theories by these British anthropologists about the Chingkjallams and their origin have now been proven to be rubbish. It is because of these people who advocated the anti-Thamizh diatribe and fairy tales with regard to Mahavamsa and the idea the island only belongs to Chingkallam only that the Thamizh are now in the mess. The British have a lot to answer.

              • 9
                38

                The Ramayana is a myth based on a story that happened somewhere in India. See how similar this story with the story of Helen of Troy. The Naga and the Yakka were Dravidian tribes, who migrated to the island from the southern parts of India during prehistoric times. The Vedda arrived first from South India and then these people They would have never spoken an Indo-Aryan or Prakrit language but some Dravidian dialect or language, which was called Elu, which is a simple semi-Thamizh dialect. The Naga were largely more sophisticated and were elite, whist the Yakka were more peasant-like. Both these people were basically the same and were closely related. The Naga elite around 3000 years ago adopted proper Thamizh as their language and most Sri Lankan Thamizh is believed to be their descendants. Where ever the Naga predominated the population did not convert much to Buddhism but remained largely Hindu and retained their ancient Thamizh identity. Even if they did get converted, they did not get Prakritized like the Yakka, who converted to Buddhism on a large scale, corrupted their native Thamizh dialect with the Pali and Sanskrit of Buddhism and evolved as Chingkallams. This is the reason the closest relatives to the Sri Lankan Thamizh are the original Chingkallams, especially the Kandyan Chingkallams.

                • 10
                  37

                  Old Thamizh is the closest to Proto Dravidian or is basically Proto Dravidian, even now modern Thamizh still contains 85% of the Proto Dravidian vocabulary, which other Dravidian languages and dialects do not. All major Dravidian languages are offshoots of Old Thamizh, starting from Kannada and Malayalam the last to diverge from its Thamizh mother only a few centuries ago and not from old Thamizh but from middle Thamizh. This is the reason it is closer to more archaic Sri Lankan Thamizh dialects. However other Dravidian languages have retained other aspects of Proto-Dravidian that Thamizh has lost.

            • 11
              37

              Lester Lying Jester

              You copy and paste from Wikipedia:

              ” R. C. Childers, in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, states:

              [Elu] is the name by which is known an ancient form of the Sinhala language from which the modern vernacular of Ceylon is immediately received, and to which the latter bears is of the same relation that the English of today bears to Anglo- ……………………………………………………….”

              Did you know R. C. Childers, died in 1876. Since then there has been volumes of research done by many scholars including Prof Indrapala, incidentally the favourite historian of the Sinhala/Buddhist racists?

            • 11
              37

              Lester the fake hydro-electric historian,
              “Fake history alert. Elu is not proto-Tamil.”
              Didn’t you just write that Anagarika Dharmapala resisted the Portuguese?
              To do that, he must have lived 450 years. So, why not claim that the ancient Sinhalese lived very long lives?

              • 5
                34

                OC,

                not only about HYDRO ELECTRIC but also about GLYPHOSAT…. he can please his gallery with hearsays….. but being on the Queen’s soil.

              • 1
                0

                OC
                Resisting the Portuguese is pastime for several loyal citizens.
                I have seen many an article not long ago bitterly denouncing the Portuguese for their destruction of this country.
                They are a much safer punchbag than the Dutch or British who do support travel of our great scholars to conferences.
                Wonder if the custom started with AD.

          • 10
            36

            Dr.G,
            You are sending messages to the wrong address. This Eagle isn’t Mahindapala. Mahindapala was an English graduate and a Lake House Editor. Potta Eagle only knows a few sentences, which he keeps repeating.

            • 1
              1

              OC
              He is sending a message to the whole of South Asia. Whom it is addressed to is irrelevant.
              Show some respect for his gems of prehistory.

            • 1
              0

              Thanks, old codger.
              .
              I myself have been trying to tell people that many times over.
              .
              Much that Mahindapala used to say was unacceptable. He had lived in Australia for a long time, but then he had returned to Lanka about two years ago. Thereafter, his wife had passed away, and when I saw her obituary, I drew attention to it in a comment.
              .
              I admire Dr Gnana Sankaralingam for always using his own name, but he does say things that are extreme. I think that the use of pseudonyms by some people is mischievous; when they are a menace they must be exposed.
              .
              It is a measure of your objectivity, balance and accuracy, dear oc, that I never feel that way about you. I confess that I’m so grateful to you that I harbour some curiosity as to who you are, but how can we take exception to your choosing to engage with us only on your terms?

          • 0
            0

            GS
            I think that I will let you into a great secret.. You said “Original religion practiced by both Veddhas and Dravidians was Saivaism.”
            There is a book of Vedda Saivaite hymns that the Tamils plagiarized to make all the Thevarams and the like. You know that one of the 63 Naayanmmar was a Vedda. It was he who gave the orignal the Vedda ola texts to Tamils. The Tamils destroyed them after translating them to Tamil. As a result the Veddas are left with a handful of chants for the lord of Kathirkaamam.

            • 0
              0

              GS again,
              “Geological proof has surfaced that at one time there was a single landmass, which Tamil folklore says as Kumarikandam.”
              You know that Kumarikkkandam (Not Kumarikandam: Mr Sethukavalar would have whipped you for that mistake.) means virgin’s throat.
              The map of Kumarikkandam as found by the secretive band of archeologists whom only you and I know, shows the land shaped like the throat of a young woman with huge goiter. Hence the name.
              Tamils then, being a passive people, decided to move north and decided to drown Virgin’s Throat by continuously pouring water on it. (Really they kept on urinating and hence the salinity of the Indian Ocean.)
              Between us, we can make a great pair of ancient historians. We are both ancient and that is a very important point of agreement.
              Let us rewrite geology as well in the process.
              Cheers.

    • 2
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  • 11
    29

    Gota hasn’t made any good decisions to date and if you think he is going make some miracles in his remaining term, good luck.
    Another example of what is expected, Dhammika Perera’s appointment is another blunder, one crook replaced by another crook.
    Haven’t we got the hint from IMF and WB , unless there is a significant change in the government, there won’t be any assistance in immediate future!
    Gota and Ranil should call election immediately, you can’t leave the corrupts to run the government any longer.

    • 1
      33

      Yo man a tectonic shift is happening as Hindians start history before Lanakan grasp,when SL was part S India.

      Its love from Adani of North to South of the boarder.
      Are you a true Aryan or a fake like me ?

  • 6
    3

    Dear Rajan,
    .
    Our people not only have very short memories, but are also easily distracted.
    .
    This is a courageous article that many may miss because they’re not interested in cricket. This is from one of the best writers on cricket, although he had not himself been the greatest of cricketers. For him to have put these thoughts down where he has is something that required courage.
    .
    https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/andrew-fidel-fernando-cricket-cannot-solve-sri-lankas-massive-problems-but-at-least-it-can-be-a-distraction-1319458
    .
    Normally I would just put this comment on CT and forget about it until somebody responded; however, there are all sorts of devious methods being used by a few unscrupulous people.
    .
    Some issues do get to us, but it may be in sanitised form because if we talk too directly we get snuffed out.
    .
    https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking_news/Protest-erupts-outside-Dhammika-Pereras-house/108-238941
    .
    I’m beginning to realise that not everybody reads with understanding, and even fewer still have the courage to act. That article has this two-minute video embedded in it:
    .
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfx1Z_BgUKc&t=14s
    .
    I have made a comment on the 2-minute video, but that’s a different story. Let me see how many follow up on that, or whether my comment will even remain there!
    .
    Panini Edirisinhe of Bandarawela (NIC 483111444V)

    • 4
      32

      Dumb Champa
      .
      The size of the temple or the Daagaba doesn’t equate to your knowledge or understanding of the Dhamma.
      .
      That should be your first realisation.
      Dharma teaches you to detach yourself from materialism.
      .
      The more you become foolishly attached to anything, the more you will be attached to Samsara. Don’t you know this?
      .
      Could you explain the relevance of a temple, daagaba, bo tree or a Buddha statue in the Budda Darma?
      .
      Let me tell you there is no connection…
      .
      Only stupid retards like you who live like frogs in a well will chase after these physical things instead of following the Dharma.
      .
      Do yourself a favour. Try to find out the essence in Buddhist Darma. You have to do it with diligence. May not be too late for you still, if you honestly want to learn.
      .
      Following idiotic yellow pets will never get you there, most of them are even more messed up than you.

    • 7
      31

      Dear Gambada Iskolemahaththaya,
      .
      You are spot on regarding majority of our people.
      .
      “Our people not only have very short memories, but are also easily distracted.”

      So what do you tihnk should be changed in their mindset, and how can we settle that mamooth task ? As one who has worked with locals for decades long, you may know what efforts to be made.

      This is why I thought immediately after the war was declared to be over, that was in May 2009, they should have started rebuilding the nation. Germans did it after WWII was over. So did the vietnamese. Unfortunatley, Laksiri Fernando led pundit were not wise enough to persuade mlechcha Mahinda Rajapakshe to go for it, instead, they offered them wtih DOCTORAL titles.

      • 1
        0

        Thanks, LM.
        .
        I’m afraid I have no panacea for all ills. You under-estimate the task that we are faced with. I know in advance that I will not be able to do much, but keep trying because our COMBINED efforts may achieve something.
        .
        We’ve got to be satisfied with partial success, and set ourselves achievable goals. Right now it must be to rid our country of these rulers whom almost nobody wants. I engage even strangers in “political conversations”. I know that at a subsequent election many will once more vote foolishly, but there can be no permanent solution to prevent imperfect humans like us from hurting ourselves.
        .
        As I’ve already told you, I had made a long comment here:
        .
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfx1Z_BgUKc&t=14s
        .
        It has “been disappeared.” This Dhammika Perera is a dangerous guy. I’ve googled and seen some of the stuff that he’s put on “Facebook”. If I start telling you what I saw there, my comment will have to be complex. Else, what I say will be distorted.

      • 0
        1

        LM. If I were you, I would look for a saner pastime.

  • 34
    7

    The government has declared three new temples as Buddhist sacred sites including “Gangaramaya Temple”.
    How did “Hunupitiya Gangaramaya” become a sacred site? Next, Narahenpita Abhayaramaya will also be gazetted as a sacred site. This is outrageous.
    Then, “Kurugala (misspelled as Kuragala) Rajamaha Viharaya” has also been declared as a sacred site. How did the newly built cement structure, which is a gross violation of the Archaeological Act, become an ancient monument? This illegal structure should be demolished to preserve the ancient site.
    As I said before, Gotabhaya is on a heinous mission to destroy ancient Buddhist archaeological preserves by building completely out of place new structures or defacing them under the guise of restoration.
    Then, the “Muhudu Maha Viharaya”. We were only told a story about Vihara Maha Devi and the true history of the temple was concealed by British writers who were in possession of the original Mahavamsa. I am yet to find out how many hectares were gazetted as temple property.
    “Sanda-Hiru Seya “, which was built by the Rajapaksas on King Dutugemunu’s Tomb, should be reconstructed to restore the ancient monument. I have the description of the two-storeyed Tomb with stars, which was first destroyed by the British.

    • 32
      8

      I have the description of King Dutugemunu’s two-storeyed Tomb with STAIRS………

      • 10
        32

        Champa, the racist while you are busy changing history and political geography, Dr. Shafi donated his arrears of salary amounting 2.67 million , for the purchase of essential medicines for hospitals , so to save scums like you who falsely framed his family and him. Difference being magnanimous, humble and bears no grudge on those who maligned him. Whereas people like you are a curse to humanity.

        • 26
          6

          chiv
          How could exposing lies and telling the truth connect with racism?
          I have written evidence to prove our Sinhalese Buddhist history. The British were not the only non-Sinhalese who translated our Mahawansa. There were other writers. Buddhas were ‘transported’ to India by the British. The word Sanskrit was invented by the British to conceal the fact that Sinhala was the world’s first written and spoken language. I can easily expose fake Buddha history in India. I take time for a reason.
          .
          Shafi ‘donated’ illegal money. He is not entitled to any arrears. Out of approx. 1,000 complaints against Shafi, including one complaint that Shafi abruptly took a pregnant mother to a theatre in the middle of the night and carried out a cesarean operation without a nurse or an attendant, none were investigated.

          • 2
            2

            Champa

            “How could exposing lies and telling the truth connect with racism”

            It is not racism.
            However when a well known public racist like you open your mouth or start typing what we get from you is pure unadulterated racism. I really admire your ability to spew pure racism.

            Come to think of it Udaya, Wimal, Champika, Channa, Elle, Gnana, ….. need several years of learning to equal your level of knowledge in bigotry. I congratulate you for one of the top racist in this country.

            Any chance your absentee father is/was a Muslim Imam, Hindu Priest, Local Catholic priest, Buddhist Monk, …..

          • 0
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            Champa, we too are flabbergasted that you came back with your handy “rent a thumb machine” .

            • 0
              0

              Champa, I may be wrong. It’s usually Lester the Clown, handy with his “Rent a thumb” tool. Anyway I have a doubt , can those starving Lankans get some food , walking up the two storied tomb stairs of yours, or end up in a tomb, of their own.

      • 5
        33

        Karumakkara Champa
        .
        Before you the truth in Buddhist Dharma, it will take time like the kana kasba seeing the moon through the via sidura. Almost eternity…
        .
        You know what I mean.
        .
        Your sins accumulated by your wicked heart and actions will never allow you to escape samsara.
        .
        Stop calling yourself a Buddhist and deceiving yourself and helping wicked elements to destroy true Buddhism.
        .
        People like you “so called Buddhists” have done immense damage to true Buddhism through your infinite ignorance.
        .
        For you to be able to understand the Dharma you have to have merits (ping). Sadly with your kind of attitude I don’t see how that is possible.
        .
        I honestly feel so sorry for you and your types.

        • 5
          31

          I have no doubt, CHAMPA or the FROG-IN- A WELL men/women do/ does not know Pali, nor Sanskrit.
          .
          So how can s/he be a know-all to srilanken buddhgama issues ? The kind of self adulated mahouts behave like mercy cows for their rest of life.
          .
          Like whole lot of MERCY COWS -sinhala buddhagama followers, Champa too would nod her head to all what is being preached by pinguththarayas.
          :
          I stopped myslef doing so, because no point of following these PINBATHAs anymore. THe harm they have done to this nation is beyond estimation.
          .
          Look that DHADORIYA aka Ghanasara is no longer existing to the press today.
          Athana methana natana RATHANA went missing so as Madagoda Abeythissa.
          .
          Dr Safi taught them the biggest lession, …. by becoming a TRUE buddhist but being a born muslim.
          .
          To tell you guys, I myself spoke with few experts at BMJ while entire nation was chasing after Dr Safi and his beloved wife. Alone that would be MORE than enough Dr Safi or the like minoritarian personalities to take refuge in UK and Germany….. if their mindsets would have been like that of medamulan bps, they would long have left this HELL forever.

          I wonder how Dr Safi digested all the ultra racial acts against him and his own family. Our sinhala meeharak should be well aware of the fact, muslims, tamils or other if were born to SRILANKA should be able to enjoy the same citizen rights.

        • 27
          4

          I am flattered that I am always a trending topic in CT’s non-Sinhalese, non-Buddhist Haters Club.

          • 3
            2

            Champa, we now know that you are now caricatured by Lester and EE. This reminded me of Amblangoda Rukada.
            .
            You are all a good company that would stay commenting similar to the unethical manner, people enjoy by BURUWA gahanawa (playing cards for money) in a funeral house. You the kind of stupid men and women are to be blamed for the todays mess.
            Not long ago, you pleased WIMAL BURUWANSE the most abusive man of SLPP fraction – on this very platform. However, you just stood against GOTABAYA becoming the president, but not being totally against MaRa- the nation’s donkey.
            .

      • 6
        30

        Champa,
        .
        You as self-proclaimed historian should be well aware that most of what they have detailed in Mahanawansa are not the facts.
        :
        Mahawansa and true teachings of Buddha are most paradoxal. Buddhagama monks guided this nation to a no-go levels as of today. Most importantly they dont utter a single word when Dr Safi sacrifices his millions of his wealth for purchase of the medicine who are really in need today… while Mahinda Rajapkashe continues to waste the last coin of the tax payers funds for his own maintenance.

    • 8
      30

      Champa,
      “The government has declared three new temples as Buddhist sacred sites including “Gangaramaya Temple”.
      How did “Hunupitiya Gangaramaya” become a sacred site? Next, Narahenpita Abhayaramaya will also be gazetted as a sacred site. This is outrageous.”
      This is what goes on in the NE too.
      Anyway, I congratulate you on writing some sense today. Keep it up.

      • 5
        30

        OC,
        .
        Hunupitiy fake monk is said to be a thug right ? All these so called monks are like PATHALAYA men and women of the day to my eye….. worst of all is that chief buddgama monk of Kelaniya Rajamahaviharaya…. last time, he slithered away, immediately he saw me appearing bomaluwa.. not being able to see in my eyes…. like 5 years ago, he himself tried to tie up a pirithnoole around my wrist…… srilanknes monks in general are real criminals to my eye today.. I stopped kneel down before them anymore…. knowing that they should long be jailed for all what they deliberately made to this nation. My pet dog is right… he would never respect buddgama monks…
        :
        Champa on writing some sense ??????….. my foot…
        :
        This woman is the best example to shhow that our people are like looking at the finger when trying to point at the moon.

    • 2
      0

      Champa,
      .
      I have never dismissed your comments on the current situation in this country as valueless.
      .
      However, what you say about our mythical past is absolute rubbish.
      .
      There are a few anonymous, cowardly, despicable guys, whom we needn’t take seriously, who are now using the red DISLIKE button on well nigh everybody.
      .
      We must get rid of the Rajapaksas as fast as possible. Please focus on that, and stop being flattered by all the criticisms. Many of them come from rational people who consider ALL that you write to be rubbish.
      .
      This country is headed for disaster.

  • 4
    1

    “Our family is better at politics than at governance” – Basil Rajapaksa

    That means that they good as opposition rather than running the country. They are good at opposing everything that is good and stumbling the country form progressing. They are best leaving politics altogether. They have huge responsibility of handing back the money they stole and made this country broke.

  • 10
    32

    If Chingkallams are really serious about an inclusive Aragalaya or revolution, they should also openly protest and decry this move by the Sri Lankan state, armed forces, and extremist Buddhist monks and Sinhalese racists to forcibly convert ancient Hindu temples in the north and east to Buddhist viharas, using fake history, settling Chingkallams on Thamizh lands and building Chingkalla monuments to victory. Otherwise, their so-called inclusive revolution is fake and is only related to Chingkalla’s problems. A few singing the national anthem in Thamizh or lining to a candle to the May 2009 Thamizh war crime victims, would be seen as hollow gestures, that are planned to divert the world’s sympathy for the plight of the island’s Thamizh, a creation of the British, to the present economic plight of the Chingkallams, that is a creation of their racism from the time of independence. Proving their attitude has not changed. They only want the Thamizh and Muslims to show the world that the island is united, so that aid will come to alleviate Chingkalla’s economic suffering, however as soon as they get relief, will revert back to their former racist selves.

    • 3
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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

    • 8
      31

      Pandi Kutti
      .
      Being a sinhalese, sadly I have to agree with you.
      .
      Sinhalese do not understand the meaning of fair play, justice or humanity.
      .
      We are quite primal in our way of life. We understand hunger, scarcity etc much better because it affects our basic existence. We do not care about the existence of others, eg EE, Lester, Champa, Soma and many others.
      .
      We are like this because the so called Buddhism we the majority practice is not true Buddhism. We don’t even know it, because it is propagated by a bunch of yellow pets we swallow it blindly.
      .
      The yellow pets are mostly unfortunate elements of the society who are looking for survival. What do you expect.
      .
      Then we have the scum of the earth politicians to match. Then we have the language barrier, which makes it even more difficult to understand what happens outside the country.

      In essence the Sinhala Buddhist has no chance of realising the fundamental workings of a civilized society.
      .
      We are left to stew in ignorance. If we need to make Sri Lanka a prosperous country we have to start from the very beginning and educate our people what it means to be human. Until such time you will only see primal behavior.

      • 8
        29

        HT and PK,
        .
        I agree with all what brother HT has articulated above.
        :
        We the sinhalese are misled by Buddhgama yellow pets for such a long time.
        :
        Buddhagama yellow pets are not real good buddhist monks. I dont believe, that even 10% of srilanken monks are good monks. Most of them become easy prey of political criminals such as Medamulana Dogs.
        .
        Just imagine, in that press conference KAPUTAs had the audacity to question ” then why did those 6.9 millions vote for them” ?
        .
        With this being the ground reality, there are lot more SINHALAYAs scattered in the country that would not be without RAJAPAKSHES.
        .
        Prof. Kovoor is dead right about his then predictions about SRILANKEN, above all sinhalayas.
        https://www.onmanorama.com/lifestyle/keralaspora/2020/07/05/sri-lanka-rationalism-malayali-prof-abraham-kovoor.html

        • 1
          1

          Appreciate your objectivity and frankness.
          If you see my comment on Adani above and the dislikes you will see what I mean.
          Im no admirer of Adani or Hindutuva (not one anyway).
          in fact I denounce it on principle.

          But I do not deny geographical tetronic shifts and political gimmicks.
          Some of our jokers are carried away by them and call themselves “patriots”…it works!
          Adult franchise for the 6.9 !!
          DS and Ramanathan had a dream turned nightmare !
          Another 74 years ???

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