By Vishwamithra –
“Censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses that you be the better judge.” ~ Brutus, Julius Caesar
Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once called Mahatma Gandhi “a seditious Middle Temple lawyer, now posing as a fakir… striding half-naked up the steps of the Viceregal Palace.” Churchill was unhappy at Gandhi’s participation at the Second Round Table Conference in London in 1931. Churchill even suggested Gandhi should be allowed to die if he goes on hunger strike. There was a time when Swami Vivekananda was in England. We all know he used to wear traditional saffron suit (Bhagava). One person came and asked him, “Why don’t you wear a suit and look like a Gentleman?” Swami’s gentle reply to this question was: “In our nation ‘Character’ makes a gentleman while in your country ‘a Tailor’ makes a gentleman.”
British Raj, when her sphere of influence and power stretched from Asia to the far West, where the sun was never to have set, when they treated her subjects all over her empire with contempt, derision and without mercy, now have to bow down to a subject, although attired in full suit, an Indian Fakir, born of that same national lineage and character in the third decade of the twenty first century. The new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak may not be Indian-born and nor were his parents. He was born in Southampton, England to parents of Indian descent who migrated to Britain from East Africa in the 1960s. But neither the world nor Rishi, himself can dish his originality as an Indian, belonging to the large family of Indians and following the same traditions and customs which are uniquely Indian.
Mahatma Gandhi, as former American President Bill Clinton called, was the ‘voice of the age’. Gandhi not only set an unparalleled precedent in action against cruel discrimination against race, religion and language by the British Raj, set the world ablaze with non-violent Satyagraha and performed incredible and miraculous human magic. Yet today India, the birthplace of Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and above all Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, is in a league by itself. She is in the exclusive nuclear club and amongst her children are Kamala Harris, Vice President of United States of America and Prime Minister of England, not to mention some other illustrious CEOs of some multinational corporations. What national prestige, what national pride!
Twenty miles south of India is Sri Lanka. Close to twenty percent (20%) of Sri Lanka’s population, of which nearly 15% are Tamils from the North. That 15% has been in the country for more than 1500 years, maybe even 2000 years. Yet one cannot even mention their names in the context of the country’s mainstream political leadership. Buddhist Monks, who, according to the scriptures of Mahavamsa, the Great Chronicle, chose the King (except the last three Kings in Kandy) and would not allow a Tamil or for that matter any non-Sinhalese Buddhist to be near the office of Presidency or Prime Minister. They still live in the dark corridors of historical nonsense, having not stepped into the enlightened age of the twenty first century. That indeed is a tragic commentary about the Sinhala-ness about our country. A nation whose darker characteristics overwhelm the positives of a given paradigm is entrenched in race-ridden stupid, stupid politics.
How could this have happened? A nation, who has claimed to have been following the fourfold virtues of Buddhist way of life, ‘metta (loving kindness) karuna (compassion) mudita (sympathetic joy or empathy) and upekkha (equanimity)’ has abandoned every fundamental element of the Dharma. She is engaged in some of the most polarizing ways of life and this living would have been unthinkable during the days when Siddhartha Gautama was teaching his unmatchable philosophical Dharma of wisdom and eternal compassion.
Questions are many and answers are none. Rishi’s ascendance to Premiership is only a historical symbol. One must not read more into it other than the mere facts that a non-white-skinned fellow, a non-Christian has taken up the nation’s premier executive position. Also, prior to becoming Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak was elected the leader of the Conservative Party, one of England’s mainstream parties which have been successful in gaining electoral success in last couple of elections.
Rudyard Kipling, the Victorian-era poet is known for his celebrated work. His illustrious poetic creation, “The White Man’s Burden” is thematically related to Kipling’s belief that the British Empire was the Englishman’s “Divine Burden to rule God’s Empire on Earth” and celebrates British colonialism as a mission of civilization that eventually would benefit the colonized natives. Such condescending opinions may have had their days during the Victorian era but this is the twenty first century. Internet and the social media have taken the planet by storm. The white man’s burden has been set down. Instead the whole wide world is resting on the shoulders of bright and wise young nations whose only goal is a peaceful and prosperous way of life for all that occupy the planet.
In that race to a peaceful and prosperous way of life, many nations may fall behind; many may stumble and fall down. But it is no more the white man’s burden to carry. The empire has evaporated, again thanks mainly to a great ‘half naked fakir’-Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi instilled more fear in the minds of the British than thousands of armies. Now in the twenty first century, each and every small nation is taking care of itself in its own way. The good elements of the British way of governance such as a great civil service, orderly administration and so forth are amongst many of such positives. Sri Lanka is one of those small countries whose, as its sociopolitical behavior indicates, ethnic divisions and racial violence took ahold of its citizens and ultimately climaxed in a thirty-year separatist war. Nonetheless, it is no excuse for the Sinhalese majority in Sri Lanka to shed her decent conduct in politics and consider their Tamil brothers and sisters as unequal partners in a very simple enterprise called living.
With all that prejudicial conduct and polarized demeanor, the Sinhalese majority, led by Buddhist Monks have been successful in instilling in the majority that granting even an inch more in the fields of land and police powers to the Northern Provincial Council is a no-no. Such fear, such hatred and such foolhardiness should not belong in the modern era of the social media. Accountability and transparency have taken deep root, especially amongst the young and educated. The very optics that usually supports the one who throws the proverbial ‘first stone’, seems to have had a very telling effect on the people. That is one glaring element that came out during short span of the ‘Aragalaya’ time.
In the context of ethnic divisions, our youth displayed a remarkable sense of balance and total rejection of discrimination. It was further buttressed by the young Bikkhus who took part in the Aragalaya movement and the way in which the Christian clergy and Buddhist Monks intermingled was a sight beyond comparison. Yet we should outthink the dirty politicians who would resort to the most devious acts of ethnic and religious divisions when they fear that their political death is in the offing. In such a situation, one cannot expect accountability and transparency from them at all. In fact, it is accountability and transparency that would be the first two casualties when things start turning against them again.
Any which way one looks at the current status of affairs, the picture looks more and more blurry and more and more unrecognizable as to the final outcome. Such a national dilemma is threatening the very forward movement of a nation and in the absence of any tangible and trustworthy leadership at the helm, looking for a solution might as well be most futile. Rishi Sunak might succeed or he may not. That depends on, among others, how far the British nationals would go to accept his conservative manifesto. But the very optics of occupancy of British Premiership by a person of Indian origin speaks volumes for the absence of ethno-racial factors in their thinking when it comes to political judgments.
Such non-prejudicial political and social judgments are most welcome in an atmosphere of otherwise widely-divisive ‘conservative’ schools of thought. For instance, the potentially dangerous turns the Republican Party in the USA has taken with entry of Donald Trump into politics in 2016 Presidential Elections are quite dramatic and the total lack of condemnation by other Republican leaders in the USA is audibly ominous.
When one starts thinking in terms of seeking power at any costs and relegating ideas and ideals to a lower level in the hierarchy of life’s goals, triumph of evil is inevitable. That might sound melodramatic, yet one cannot ignore the obvious. Such apathy and option to disregard the potentiality of a more severe outcome at the end would certainly be disastrous.
When the sun goes down with its final rays leaving a hazy horizon, the twilight takes over for a short time until total darkness envelopes the countryside for almost half the day. During that darkness, especially in rural Sri Lanka, the eldest in the household, old grandma chooses to engage in her daily religious ritual. For her, the world is within herself and her family. Her devotion to the teachings of the Great One has not dithered. In a vacillating paradigm of the human drama, the actors and actresses may perform on stage, but those who work behind the curtain, the musicians, lighting man, makeup artists and other fellows who execute insignificant jobs matter too. In the panorama of life everyone matters and everything has to depend on one another. He who thinks in terms of ‘me and mine’ is the most disgraceful being one could find.
*The writer can be contacted at vishwamithra1984@gmail.com
ramona therese fernando / October 29, 2022
Money of the hardworking-suffering-Indian-masses absconded by Rich Indians for the benefit of the Britain financial system, to rolled and multiplied into the Neo-Colonial Indian Slave-Trade. How astute the British are.
/
ramona therese fernando / October 29, 2022
British*
/
Dinuk / October 29, 2022
Sunak is part of the Deep State project of AUKUS and the US COld War – a porn. This is part of the Weaponization of the South Asian Diaspora to get India to join the Western Club in its World War 3 on Russia and China. They want the Indian Brown Sahibs to do their dirty work and promoting a brain drain from South Asia too.
Sunak has been appointed, like Ranil Rajapakse was, to break an emergent Asian unity as the New Cold War ramps up in what Kishore Mahbubani termed “The Asian 21st Century”. Well worth reading..
US and UK are using the Saffron wand to lure Modi’s India away from a gathering Russian-led China, India Asian Shanghai Corporation Unity.. at this time of New Cold War. UK, US, Aussi want to use the South Asian Diaspora which is Weaponized to ensure that India goes with the West against the ‘Rest” and breaks ranks with the Global South this time round.
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Dinuk / October 29, 2022
Sunak a Brown man would never win in a General Election because the British are fundamentally racist lot and he knows this.., so he grabbed the job as he was brought by the Conservative Party reps. He is Corporate America’s man for the job having previously applied for a US Green Card!
Britain is a Royal mess now and no one else in the Conservative party wanted the job now with people calling for a General Election, just like in SL where Donald Lu’s American “Force” backs President Ranil Rajapakse appointed by the Parliament of corrupt clowns!
/
Mallaiyuran / October 29, 2022
Hey, Desert-Strom, Jihadi,
So now it is the Fakir Modi or Sahib Rishi who are your new pimps, supplying 72 virgins? Until now, Langkang’s Old Rowdy King and Evil Emperor with Philippines were the leading exporters of Virgins for hard suiciding, Harikari jihadists of ME. Now, Fahir Modi and Shahib Rishi are your favorite? You Jihadis are turning to them now because Hindia has 72 million Virgins and can support 1 million Jihadis? When did you write some good things about India, last time?
/
ramona therese fernando / October 30, 2022
Naa Dinuk….it’s not the British and AUKUS that are the problem (after all, anyone will do anything to survive, irrespective of history…..history has little bearing on today’s lives…..lives have to go on with the best possible options for a best possible average comfort level)…….No, it’s Sunak and his wife and their families! I hear they tried to be socialist at first, and then got impatient when they found that accumulating the wealth of India into their own coffers was so very easy, and are now benevolently giving back to the Indian workers, who are full of adulation, some crumbs of the profits. My God!….what traitorous Indians!
–
(one needs collateral before loans are given for big business in UK….Indian collateral!)
/
old codger / October 29, 2022
Ramona ,
“Money of the hardworking-suffering-Indian-masses”
There aren’t many of those in Kenya and Tanzania, are there?
/
ramona therese fernando / October 30, 2022
Old codger,
–
No, there aren’t many of the hardworking-suffering-Indian-masses in Kenya and Tanzania. Same fellows like Sunak are there also! And Indian masses suffer so much, that for every one Indian who makes it to the billionaire status, 10-million other Indians have to join the beggar industry. Can you believe it? When every other country ensures that their trade and commerce somehow places profits on safety-nets of their underprivileged, poor Indians disgracefully have to beg for it……….and on top of that, create a profit margin out of it!
/
Mahila / October 31, 2022
We, Sri Lankans are performing better, with 33% under poverty line, and starving with1 meal or no meal a day comparatively 10 million in 900 million Indians!!???
I take no blame, as the calculation has been done by famous (infamous) Gamini Luxman springing from the “beach school” and is renowned for Poll and critical vote counts including percentages!!??
You are well on the money!!??
/
ramona therese fernando / October 31, 2022
Yeah…..our leaders are wannabe Indian billionaires, but our egalitarian Buddhist heritage gives it a dashing down.
/
old codger / October 31, 2022
Ramona,
“underprivileged, poor Indians “
Perhaps you don’t know that Sunak’s ancestors, like our estate workers, were “underprivileged, poor Indians ” in East Africa.
https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1899/feb/23/indian-coolies-on-the-uganda-railway.
/
ramona therese fernando / October 31, 2022
How come they couldn’t do the same in their own country? They took their chance to accumulate wealth via the British over poor innocent unsuspecting Africans!
(those estate workers looks quite elegant and refined actually….i saw them on tv on the Lankan news the other day)
/
ramona therese fernando / November 1, 2022
Ok…that is a bit unfair towards the hard-working Indians in the African countries who went there with nothing. But the truth is, as worker immigrants, they were more proficient in working with the system of the British rulers….happens in all colonized places…..local people caught unawares, and resentful of having their traditional lives in upheaval. Guess these African-Indians are contributing much to those countries at this time. Quite a different scenario from Sunak who took the wealth of India to roll it on international markets.
/
old codger / November 1, 2022
Ramona,
I feel really sorry for Nimal Fernando.
/
nimal fernando / November 1, 2022
Now, passing your troubles over to me, eh? :)))
/
old codger / November 2, 2022
Nimal
I hope Ramona is as understanding as you.
🤣🤣🤣
/
Mahila / October 31, 2022
Party thinking outside the Square?? Or Squire/Laird more appropriate???????
Resort of circumventing a ‘SITUATION OF NO HOPE’ or absence of alternatives for salvation!!?? Damned, if this is HARD ON THE TRUTH!!!!??? NOT VERY BRITISH!!?? TEND TO AGREE!!
/
Nathan / October 29, 2022
“the potentially dangerous turns the Republican Party in the USA has taken with entry of Donald Trump into politics”, needs further elaboration.
Did Donald Trump come out of nowhere. No.
If you look closely, the ‘Red’ States and the ‘Blue’ states reflect that USA is ‘two states in one’!
… Sri Lanka?
Your answer depends on your vision for our country.
(My answer is indicated in my last sentence!)
/
chiv / October 29, 2022
This land ( India) produced CEO’s of Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Twitter (fired by Musk yesterday), Mastercard, Pepsi, IBM, Albertsons, Netapp, Nokia, Palo Alto, Artista, Novartis, Delloite, Starbucks , Rishi, Kamala and many more. Locally there are hundreds of Tata’s who own, anything from tea (Tetly) , steel, automobile . . . . . . ..
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Paul / October 29, 2022
Chiv, India also produced Gautama Buddha but is the gigantic difference in population size irrelevant?
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chiv / October 30, 2022
Paul, it is relevant. Regardless, with the same failed system that we have, is this ever possible in a country like Lanka??? Supposedly we too have 2500 years civilization and Silly Mao (woman)) nominated to the highest position. We also have Singapore for comparison.
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old codger / October 30, 2022
Paul,
In Buddha’s time, the population of India would have been about the same as ours now.
But we’ve only managed to produce Arahat Samantha Badhra.
/
leelagemalli / October 31, 2022
OC,
.
Arahat Samantha Badhra and srilanken ” sinhala buddhism”.
.
to my recherche, if anyone would later become a monk or nun in SL, he or she has some sort of problems in their physical and mental life. Many young like Samantha badda ordained in sanga culutre, might well be connected with their hormone inbalances. Now the kind of men live up their fantasies hidden behind the “sanga costume”: Samanth badda has some other qualities than various other “sinhala buddhists monks” … namely, he has completed a degree in ” microbiology at Uni of Kelaniya” while all other like-minded monks have nothing in their head.
–
My own information, gathered by me, prove me today, almost every temple across this ” rajapakshe punished land” child molesters and other hidden sex crimninals are part of their composition.
–
All these are deliberately kept away from SRILANKEN media, because the place given to SANGA (be them real or pinguthtaraya sort) is above the law. I travelled by a public transport private bus from kandy to colombo last week, there two sanga got in to the intercity bus were equipped with all sophisticated electronic gadjets. Their behaviours were no different to elegants rich women in srilanken society.
/
old codger / November 2, 2022
LM
Borelle Sirisumana is the first arahat to be arrested (yesterday) for colluding with Thilini Piumali.
/
Mahila / October 31, 2022
“India also produced Gautama Buddha but is the gigantic difference in population size irrelevant”
Then we have the convolution to suit the Paradise Isle – ‘SINHALA BUDDHISM’, which is Hybrid and differently “Tuned”, ‘Home Grown’ to suit Local conditions specifically – Best of all concoctions!!??Ask Gamini Luxman, would elaborate it in Oxford English diction for better understanding as he does with vote counts!!!?? How best that suits locals and local conditions!!!
/
Sinhala_Man / November 2, 2022
Paul,
.
I know that looked at very strictly this is not relevant, but you said, two weeks ago, that you you were, for once, making a point seriously.
.
I agree. Whether Gautama was born in Lanka, or only visited Lanka three times, matters not a jot. The “Dharma” is valuable, but, unfortunately, I wasn’t seriously told that during my salad days. Now I’m not physically fit to indulge in all the debauchery that I eschewed at that time. I’m fit enough to still do some English teaching, but nobody wants me to.
.
Professor Charles Sarvan has sent me a PDF book on Buddhism where even re-birth is considered not of great significance. Nobody wants to seriously undertake the Dharma, which was what Gauthama wanted studied. My spelling his name two different ways in one comment doesn’t matter, either.
.
But I agree that “the Resurrection” is much more important for most Christians; but not for Tolstoy (in his old age) or for most Quakers.
.
I have read this:
.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_(Tolstoy_novel)
.
I know that it was his last novel.
/
old codger / October 29, 2022
Leave alone a Tamil, would a Catholic Fernando from Wennappuwa stand a chance to be PM?
But wait…. Vishwamitra is wrong. There have been at least two leaders of Tamil descent, the ones who screwed up the country. But, strangely, both claimed to be Buddhists. No prizes for guessing their identities.
/
SJ / October 29, 2022
OC
Are you suggesting that the two that screwed up the country were of Tamil descent?
That will make the case for not having a pure bred Tamil (whatever it may mean) for the job.
/
old codger / October 29, 2022
SJ
Their ancestors were pure bred, whatever that means. But what exactly their ethnicity was is difficult to say. Some might say female canines were involved.
/
SJ / October 29, 2022
OC
That is an uncertainty that each of us could face.
/
Native Vedda / October 29, 2022
old codger
–
“There have been at least two leaders of Tamil descent, the ones who screwed up the country.”
–
Are you counting Weeping Widow and her husband as one entity (One Soul in Two Bodies) and JR as a separate entity?
–
I am not interested in prizes.
Please send it to Nimal Fernando (wherever he is)
/
nimal fernando / October 31, 2022
What’s strange is, people who take up different identities go against their former selves the most: Badaranayake against the Tamils, Rajapakses against the Muslims
–
Native is against women.
–
I’m starting to worry about Native! ……… He would’ve been one beauty!
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leelagemalli / October 31, 2022
NF
Rajapakshe ARE against the muslims ?
:
Is Ali Sabry not muslim ?
.
Mahinda Rajapakshe the pariah of this nation is against anyone.
.
Alone to see the dog is out of a prison cell as yet is a huge pain to me.
/
nimal fernando / November 1, 2022
LM,
–
Who instigated all that trouble against the Muslims through Ganasara? The Rajapakses signalled out the Muslims, their former selves, for special treatment.
–
Ali Sabry is just one conniving traitor who betrayed his fellow Muslims.
–
Even Hitler had his favourite Jew!
–
Now, even Native has his favourite Fascist; guess who? If Fascism can be expanded to Cynical-Fascism the description would be closer to home. :)))
/
Native Vedda / November 1, 2022
nimal fernando
–
“Native is against women.”
–
All my friends are women.
Most of my relatives are women.
Most of my teachers were women.
My partner is a woman.
I have full praise for female generals, for example Kamala.
–
Most of our effective and active human rights defenders are/were women:
Shreen Saroor,
Manorani Saravanamuttu,
Nimalka Fernando,
Jeyakumari Balendran,
Sunila Abeysekera,
Harini Amarasuriya
Rosanna Flamer-Caldera
Swasthika Arulingam
Ambika Satkunanathan
Jezima Ismail
Sandya Eknelygoda
Bhavani Fonseka
Deepika Udagama
….
…..
….
–
I admire women.
How can I go against women?
I assure you I am not a male chauvinist pig.
/
Mahila / October 31, 2022
OC,
The great Bridge Builder (New Kelani fame) and great motivational Public (meaning political rally) Speaker Fernando will certainly WIN!? Wennappuwa special would beat the ‘Weerayas Sankili’ anytime soon!!?? Favoured Puppy!?? Good bet!!
/
RBH59 / October 29, 2022
Fully Clothed Indian Fakir Is PM In England: In Sri Lanka A Tamil Won’t Have A Chance In His Own Motherland.
Even Ranil has to go via back door to get is president how can others get Family is row to get the president NO accountability those who put this country begging the world but imposing tax
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Mallaiyuran / October 30, 2022
“Even Ranil has to go via back door to get is president how can others get
What you mean by “Even Ranil”? Is that Evil has a longer Tail than only yours or even longer than every other Wildlife Sanctuary’s special species, the Sinhala Intellectuals? You people set fire for the country the day voted to deport 2.5M Tamils out of the country. Every other Modaya in the world might have kept all of them in in job and invested the money on many other industries. None of the Modayas in Langkang has not read yet what Nelson Mandela did. SA. Bangladesh are countries coming up by wise decisions.
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Ajith / October 29, 2022
When the independence movement started in this country a Tamil called Sir Ponnampalam Arunachalam became the President of Ceylon National Congress. Unfortunately the Buddhist Sinhala Fundamentalism intruded in politics of this nation brought this country to the standard of Bankgrupt Nation and made people to face poverty and made Beggars Nation. Buddhist Sinhala Fundamentalism chased away all the hard working intelligent uncorrupted people away from this country and now become a Country lead by Criminals. Let us think twice about our Nations Buddhist Sinhala Fundamenalism for Sinhala only Policy.
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SJ / October 29, 2022
What matters is not the ethnicity of a head of government, but how fair a state is by its people.
*
Had someone like the late Kadirgamar been made PM, or even become President, would it have made any difference to the plight of the Tamils or Muslims?
*
Sunak was denied the post only a month earlier by his party membership. What does it tell us?
/
Mahila / October 31, 2022
Party thinking outside the Square?? Or Squire/Laird more appropriate???????
Resort of circumventing a ‘SITUATION OF NO HOPE’ or absence of alternatives for salvation!!?? Damned, if this is HARD ON THE TRUTH!!!!??? NOT VERY BRITISH!!?? TEND TO AGREE!!
/
Mahila / October 31, 2022
“Had someone like the late Kadirgamar been made PM, or even become President, would it have made any difference to the plight of the Tamils or Muslims?”
What for the telling??
Soon after that proposition was made to Queen, and denied by popular vote, lost his life to a snipper – mysterious circumstances, because he survived 12+ years, with his assiduous prosecution of proclaiming LTTE as proscribed organisation in all developed countries!!
Did LTTE wait patiently till the eve of change of ‘TOP GUARD’, in SL polity to commit the dastardly crime to cynically cast the “DARK SHADOW” of blame on the ‘WHITE KNIGHT’ with shining armour tainted at his time of coronation!!!???
Meaning LTTE deep state and Velupillai,, and if that is so and they were cunning indeed!!! Who knows?? Things much weirder than that happens in this world!!??
Weirder, is the STATE FUNERAL CREMATION of LK, not BURIAL in Cathedral grounds or Kanatte cemetery, which was a precursor to COVID-19 Muslim victim’s burials and not traditional burial within 24 hours!!
/
leelagemalli / October 31, 2022
SJ,
.
fully agree with you regarding
.
“Had someone like the late Kadirgamar been made PM, or even become President, would it have made any difference to the plight of the Tamils or Muslims?”
–
Our people misinterpret it. Sunak is seen as an indian, but he is not.
.
The same is the case with VP in the US.
/
SJ / October 29, 2022
“He who thinks in terms of ‘me and mine’ is the most disgraceful being one could find.”
V, can you name one who does not?
There is a problem with the phrasing: a word like ‘only’ or ‘alone’ seems missing.
/
cugan / October 29, 2022
Still Gota is free man, he messed up the economy and livelihoods, not any action, Sangam wants their electricity bill slashed thats all,they may be satisfied about the Hitler
They all silence, Pothuwa may gone but Ekwa will be back strongly,
How many Aragalayas seen this land,even Rohana Wijeweera tried VP given his whole family
Foremost in the constitution itself in this digital world, world is moving on but we have to cling on to that 2500 destiny, make it fully sinhala Buddhist state, forget the multi culture, it could work on the orther part of the world, not in here Archaeological dept going around with JCB and measuring tape, we have strong man power of tri forces
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hanchopancha / October 29, 2022
I would like to get a comment in not on the present heading but a past one . I am blocked out because after 5 day time lapse in response to a comment which appeared today
/
nimal fernando / October 29, 2022
Injuns are taking over Old Blighty ………. the Lankans are taking over NY! ……… The Anglos are cursing their forefathers for that ancient boat trip that landed them in India. The chickens are coming home to roost! …… https://nypost.com/2022/10/26/miss-sri-lanka-new-york-angelia-gunasekara-blasts-rumors-about-brawl-after-beauty-pageant/
–
Strangely enough, I was in NY at the time to attend a wedding and was contemplating if I should go to this event ……. looked at the talent contesting, looked like politically connected privileged middle-aged ladies who were passed their prime – to put it mildly. If I knew they were going to put up this show, wouldn’t have missed it for the world!
–
Native were you there? Are you the one who lost the trousers?
–
Man, Lankans are something else! …….. Sinhala_Man’s teaching has had no effect on his students ……….. like him, they have picked up the language of the English, not the decorum
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old codger / October 30, 2022
Nimal
“like him, they have picked up the language of the English, not the decorum”. Ooh, that’s so nasty.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
/
Nathan / October 31, 2022
old codger,
Both Sinhala_Man & nimal have gained a language. You see the price they both had to pay for it.
/
old codger / October 31, 2022
Nathan,
Should SM start calling himself English Man?
/
leelagemalli / October 31, 2022
OC,
.
He prefered to be called EM. Anyways, he is now in a dillema not being about to prove his proficiency in Sinhala.
/
Nathan / November 1, 2022
old codger,
Yes, if nimal is ready to accept, French Man!
/
nimal fernando / October 31, 2022
SM has some peculiar idiosyncrasies ……… just taking the mickey out of the guy: nothing sinister. :))
–
I like the guy for his crazy eccentricities.
/
old codger / October 31, 2022
Nimal,
All of us have eccentricities. But most of know enough to keep them well hidden.
/
nimal fernando / October 31, 2022
“keep them well hidden.”
–
Well, all of Native’s are out in the open. :))
/
leelagemalli / October 31, 2022
NF,
.
After a long time, how are your travels? I heard you toured North America. Have you been on a trip?
.
I am traveling all over Asia these days. Incessant rain prevents me from visiting Sri Lanka.
.
Do you like his crazy eccentricities? Unfortunately, that has misled some of us at CT over the past few weeks. Above all, his unique affinity for “bold texts”. I thought he had it all mixed up – he probably thought the CT post would be among the high profile news stories with high impact.
–
This reminded me of the common German saying “Jede das seine” in German (to each his own).
/
nimal fernando / October 31, 2022
“how are your travels?”
–
Had to catch up for the travels we missed during the pandemic
–
Drove around almost 3000 miles ….. didn’t like Toronto and Montreal ……. Ottawa and Quebec City were beautiful. French comes in handy ……… my parents thought English is a dead language and encouraged us to pick up other languages. Look what English has done to Sinhala_Man: given him airs! :))
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Canadian drivers are maniacs: nearly got killed in Montreal twice. Drove through Vermont where all the leaves are changing color …… have you heard the song “Moonlight in Vermont?” :))
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Visited Harvard, Yale, Princeton ……. and my old places U of MD and MIT. ……… U of MD, Collage Park has changed a lot since the last visit in 2013; not necessarily for the better. Lots of nice memories there. :))
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Witnessed cities, countries, societies in decline ……… the whole world is going downhill …… in spite of Native’s best efforts ……….
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Nathan / November 1, 2022
nimal,
Quebec City is truly scenic. The cathedral and its environment is majestically serene. (I wish that I were a hermit!)
But, US too has some splendid rural areas.
Nothing like Sri Lanka, for me.
We should learn to live in peace just to preserve the beauty of our island. I am a dreamer, you know!
.
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Nathan / November 1, 2022
… or, should I say divinely serene!
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nimal fernando / November 1, 2022
Nathan,
–
“Nothing like Sri Lanka, for me.”
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True, there’s no place like Lanka for me as well ………. more I travel, the more I become aware of it …….
–
–
“We should learn to live in peace just to preserve the beauty of our island.”
–
It’s heartening to know …….. the younger generation of the Aragalaya is well aware of this.
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Nathan / November 1, 2022
Thank you, nimal.
I know for a fact that kindness more often than not is betrayed. But, my formative days have taught me to cling on to it, against adversity.
In that spirit, I ask you to choose kindness in times all the time.
When unable to do so, simply walk away.
(You are wise enough to know why I am being fatherly.)
/
Nathan / November 1, 2022
Error corrected:
In that spirit, I ask you to choose kindness all the time.
/
nimal fernando / November 2, 2022
Nathan & LM,
–
I just tease people ……. thought people would’ve realised by now.
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I hope I haven’t been too hard on Sinhala_Man ………. I take the mickey out of the guy but I like the guy. He has a way of rubbing people the wrong way …….. I think it comes from his years of teaching and correcting students.
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I tease Native all the time he knows there is no malice and takes it well.
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Unfortunately English is an abrupt language especially the way SM uses it …….. French is a romantic language: a language of love. Old Codger is the only man I know who speaks English like French ……… Ah! that’s a great lover, if ever there was one …… a natural born ladykiller!
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old codger / November 2, 2022
Nimal,
Does Ramona speak gobbledygook in French?
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leelagemalli / November 1, 2022
Hello NF,
.
Isn’t that an exaggeration? I have dealt with Universities of Toronto and Yale in 2008.
To your knowledge, SM may be misled, but he shouldn’t be. It is the person who adjusts his behavior in that way. It is individual specific.
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Sinhala_Man / November 2, 2022
There this idiot, nimal fernando, goes again!
.
How can he know about the airs that I give myself when he has been accorded every opportunity to get to know me when the fellow visits his house in Bindunuwewa, Bandarawela, Lanka.
.
Telling us that he has access to that holiday home is giving himself airs. As well as masticating scones. These guys may even ask me why I don’t use the version of the name of this country given to it by Sirima (?). Well, “Sri” means blessed. Yes, Nature blessed us, but we have brought curses upon ourselves. So, unless it becomes misleading to non-Lankans, I don’t use it. How many other countries have “two-part” names. other than the UK and the USA:
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https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-UK-Great-Britain-Whats-the-Difference/
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They are able to come up with coherent explanations.
.
Why was the First Woman Prime Minister, who was born Sirimawathie Ratwatte at Ellawela Walawwa, Ratnapura, referred to as “Sirimavo”?
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Why was our capital moved out of Colombo? I think good reasons could be given. But why change the well-known “Kotte” to “Sri Jayawardenapura”? What a mouthful!
.
Our “Pretender President” could still be mulling something. I know that there is a small place called “Wickramasinghapura” where we have the Independent Television Network. Does the Tyrant’s brother still own it? (“Yaaawn” go the readers.)
.
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nimal fernando / November 3, 2022
“There this idiot, nimal fernando, goes again!”
–
“I know for a fact that kindness more often than not is betrayed. But, my formative days have taught me to cling on to it, against adversity.
In that spirit, I ask you to choose kindness in times all the time.
When unable to do so, simply walk away.”
–
I’m quoting Nathan …….. now that Native has started quoting Voltaire. :))
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“when the fellow visits his house in Bindunuwewa, Bandarawela, Lanka.”
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Bindunuwewa Road, Bandarawela.
–
–
Now that the Major General has taken over your school in Bandarawela ………. he’ll whip you into shape …… left right left right left ……… way to go ……….. :))
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Plato / October 29, 2022
The Mahanayakes hold the view that the Sun never sets on the Lankan Empire., even on Poya days.
Unless, an Amirthalingam becomes an Amirthasekera, A Bandaranayagam becomes a Bandaranaike etc etc etc.
Onetime chief Minister of Kotte, Alagakonar became Alageswara and he went places………..
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cugan / October 30, 2022
Mahanayakas all barricades in air condition palace they don’t or no need to step out side to see the sun set/rise. if they wants to discuss any matter they got power to call in even the prez,
Then the knots then the blessings
But Raja got cover from Thirupati though, but he convinced his Malli,but he is adamant to Ganakka
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Mahila / October 31, 2022
Ignorant rural folk, the mainstay of SL electorate, does get carried away by these fake Sinhala Buddhists!! For good measure starting with Sirimavo made sure History is not a subject in education – more illiteracy, greater chance of these lackeys thriving!! What a Resplendent Isle??
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old codger / October 31, 2022
Mahila,
“Sirimavo made sure History is not a subject in education”
All the better, I think. The history texts by now would be written by the likes of Medhananda and Jackson Anthony.
What we need are some real historians, who can talk about things which aren’t in the Mahavamsa.
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nimal fernando / November 3, 2022
History is best taught on an empty stomach ………. like now
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Those are lessons people rarely forget ………..
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Mahila / October 31, 2022
“Leader Pandaram” should have been ‘Pandaranayagam’, became BANDARANAIKE – SINHALA!!!??
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leelagemalli / October 31, 2022
Plato,
.
How cool would it be if we were all named with a code?
–
Then no one would be privileged based on family history.
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I wish there would be an era where everything would be similar to ones in clinical trials, be named by a code like “ID Codes”. If this woudl have been the reality, people s social problems based on creed and castes would automatically be ommitted.
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It is high time that people are freed from prejudices based on surnames and family lineages, and the Sinhalese man or the like are freed from their usual activities.
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Human Touch / October 30, 2022
Vishwamitra.
.
What kind of a lousy article have you stitched together here? You are lacing two truths together in two different context, that is typical of cheap Sri Lankan Journalism. Shame on you.
.
You are comparing the way the west treat Indians with how we treat our minorities here in SL and trying to make it look as if that is how things happen in India.
.
You are a dreamer. If you want to make a comparison, compare how indians treat indians in India to the Sri Lankan case.
.
I can tell you Indians are maltreated far worse by their own people thanks to the institutionalized cast system.
.
Cast system is something far worst than Racism. And it is the core of Hindu faith and sadly our idiots too are following the same. Cast system is the curse of the indian subcontinent that has kept us underdeveloped.
.
Please try to be honest to yourself and your audience when you write articles.
.
If not you end up exposing your stupid narrow-minded myopic mindset.
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Tony / October 30, 2022
It is obvious Vishwa skipped HISTORY lessons during school days. Nilaperumal SWRD, Thambi Mudiyanase JRJ, etc were of South Indian ancestry and DSS, MR, CBK, and RW are all Christians by faith, but to fool Sinhala BUDDHISTS they pretend to be Buddhist.
/
Sri Lanka has nothing to do with so called Tamils. The Dutch brought Malabari tobacco plantation slave descendants adapted Tamil identity 120 years ago. Tamil Nadu is the only motherland of 120 million Worldwide Tamil community in this galaxy.
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Sunak is not a fakir at all. He is a BROWN SAHIB, equivalent to SriLanka’s Christian missionary schools brain washed KALU SUDDHAS.
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Mahila / October 31, 2022
MR lineage from British protectorate Malaya and Sarawak Province!!?? 2nd generation immigrant lineage from south – “Hamban Tota” – ‘HAMBAN PORT’!! True they belong to Christian faith and fled from Sarawak due to persecution of those of Christian faith, in then Sarawak Province of British protectorate of Malaya to British protectorate Ceylon!!!
CBK – daughter of SWRDB – Christian and mother Sirima R D B, Nee Ratwatte Dissawe (forefather was signatory of 1815 Kandyan Convention ceding Sri Lankans’ sovereignty to British Crown and very significantly decipherable IN TAMIL – INDICATING TAMIL LINEAGE – whether South Indian or indigenous is moot point) – Buddhist and brought up as a Buddhist, similarly, Anura and Sunethra and not Christians
RW, – son of Late Edmond W – Christian (Brother of late Bishop of Kurunegala Lakshman W) and mother Nalini Wickremesinghe nee Wijewardhane, daughter of D R W, leading architect of SL Independence movement, Founder of ‘Lake House’ and a staunch Buddhist – brought up as a practicing Buddhist by Priests from Walukarama! RW is not Christian, but a practicing Buddhist!!
CBK, Sunethra, Anura and RW similarly attended Buddhism classes and not Christianity in school!
SOME ARE ‘FAKES’ – BUT NOT ALL!!?? Please don’t TAR ALL WITH SAME BRUSH!!??
!
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Raj-UK / October 30, 2022
The so-called ‘socially elite’ in SL, originally amassed their wealth sucking up to the British Raj. Their offspring, like SWRD, had the opportunity to be educated at Oxford (or higher education abroad), emulating the ‘pukka sahib’ culture to the hilt but to progress in politics, ’embraced’ Buddhism to appeal to the ‘natives’, the larger vote base. The naïve average voter was instigated with a sense of ‘national pride’ & our own interpretation of Buddhism & the racist Sinhala Buddhist was born.
In UK, despite an older generation of conservatives who still dream of the glory days of the British Empire & largely uneducated racist yobs, a person of colour ascending to the highest position in the country was only a matter of time, considering the diverse ethnicity of British politicians. Unlike SL politicians, Sunak did not abandon his Hindu faith & though coming from a comfortable middle class family, he made his own fortune & his billionaire status, the talking point of his critics, comes from his wife. SL politicians become billionaires after coming to politics, at least, Sunak was already a billionaire when he came into politics.
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leelagemalli / October 31, 2022
Raj-UK,
.
those who displayed those jeep races LAST week in yala park are the trade mark for srilankens billionaires. Not even 6 months ago, one another similar event was organised by bastard son of MaRa – by name Yoshitha.
–
In fact today, I was in a mission of distributing ” lunch packets” and some ” funds” to those who are really in need. The truth is if WANTED I could travel across the country by using domestic flights, i could have done so.Instead I saved some for the poor and did my best for the sake of them. I thought of my great mother who guided my entire life.
.
My heart does not allow me to waste funds for no good reasons. That is why I sacrifice my vacation for charity work… self made charity work.
Some of them, the recipients are former ” middle class” people.
.
How those jollyful men that raced their luxury jeeps, became as such remains a secret to entire srilankens because Rajapakshes were behind them. Media fraudsters would not make ” headlines” on that topic, as was the case with the true expendisture to MaRa’s bolonge trip last year. This is why my hatred towards main stream media grows drastically.
–
When I study these issues, I feel, how curseful it should be, Rajapakshes to have twisted the system for their crony capitalists.
/
Raj-UK / October 31, 2022
leelagemalli
Good on you for doing what you can to help our fellow countrymen (& women). I find the behaviour of these louts who have become filthy rich the easy way (any guess how many of those vehicles have been imported with duty free permits?) can flout laws with no respect for the environment at a time when millions of people are struggling for survival as utterly despicable. Certainly they had the Rajapakse brats as their role model & it would be interesting to see if the full strength of the law is enforced on them or the whole episode shoved under the carpet on the guise that no laws have been broken.
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ramona therese fernando / October 30, 2022
Naa Dinuk….it’s not the British and AUKUS that are the problem (after all, anyone will do anything to survive, irrespective of history…..history has little bearing on today’s lives…..lives have to go on with the best possible options for a best possible average comfort level)…….No, it’s Sunak and his wife and their families! I hear they tried to be socialist at first, and then got impatient when they found that accumulating the wealth of India into their own coffers was so very easy, and are now benevolently giving back to the Indian workers, who are full of adulation, some crumbs of the profits. My God!….what traitorous Indians!
–
(one needs collateral before loans are given for big business in UK….Indian collateral!)
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Rajash / October 31, 2022
Sunak was rejected by the Tory Party members in the first leadership contest, they chose Liz Truss. . However he was the first choice of the Tory Parliamentary Party
The second leadership contest was precipitated by Liz Truss and her new chancellors disastrous mini Budget.
The Tory party was in a dire situation, Labour leading the Tory party by more than 30 points. A general election would have wiped out the Tory Party.
They have to do something drastic to avoid going to the Members again for the leadership votes.
So they set the bar high for new leadership contest, requiring 100mps to back the nominee. last minute Internal trading and arm twisting means the preferred candidate of the parliamentary party became the Tory party leader and PM.
The General Public did not choose Rishi Sunak. The Tory Party members did not choose Rishi Sunak.
Rishi Sunak was chosen by a handful of parliamentary party members.
Yes Britain have the first Asian PM.To save the Tory Party and to calm the “market”
The white British public seems to be adopting to this. It’s yet to be seen if they will elect him.
We will know in two years time.
In the mean time celebrate the first Asian PM
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Mevan / October 31, 2022
According to analysts and observers of British politics, Sunak is only a passing phenomenon. He will shortly be challenged for being unable to deal with the economy thereby forcing a general election. This will be won by the Labour Party and Sir Keir Starmer will become the PM – which is what the powers that be and the deep state in the UK really wanted.
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Rohan25 / November 1, 2022
Most of the so-called Sinhalese leaders from the time o independence up to now, who promoted and practised Sinhalese Buddhist fundamentalism/racism and encouraged the marginalization of the island’s native Tamils and enacted laws to this effect be they the Bandaranaickes, the Ratwattes, Jayawardene’s and their relatives, as well as all the others, have a recent South Indian Tamil immigrant origin and ancestry. This is the irony. It is not only them but a very significant proportion of the so-called Sinhalese population that have a recent South Indian Tamil origin and ancestry. It is not only the Karwa, Salagama, Durawa, Hunu, Berewa and other allied service castes but even many from the dominant Govigamma caste as well as most of the Sinhalese elite and aristocratic families both Kandyan and low country, are of recent South Indian Tamil origin. The family names, now Sinhalesed, are still a dead giveaway. This is the irony. It is not only the north but the east, where the Tamils are the largest community is ancient Hindu Tamil country. Other than a few border villages the Sinhalese only arrived in the east after independence and the vast majority within the last 40 years. The South Indian origin Tamil Muslims or Moors as they now call themselves a few centuries ago as refugees.
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Rohan25 / November 1, 2022
Now Sinhalese are being settled on a large scale in the north too, especially in Mullaitheevu to deliberately change the demography. Go to the Kokilai lagoon, the army bars the local Tamil fishermen from fishing but has settled outside Sinhalese fishermen from the south to fish here. Now attempts are being made to claim ancient Hindu temple sites as Buddhist with fake history and even if these were Buddhist these belonged to the ancient Tamil Buddhists and not to the Sinhalese, as now being falsely claimed. The native Sri Lankan Tamils belong to two categories. The original lot is the ancient prehistoric Dravidian Naga settlers who arrived from South India when there was a land bridge. They were here long before the so-called mythical prince Vijaya arrived or a people called the Sinhalese evolved. The second came with the 10Th Century Chola invasion, especially during the reign of Raja Raja Cholan, who settled thousands of farmer and military families, in the Tamil areas of the island, to bulwark and safeguard against their arch enemies the Tamil Pandian’s helping their Sinhalese royal allies, who were, in reality, a branch of the Tamil Pandian royal family and making inroads into the island.
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Rohan25 / November 1, 2022
Gradually these two lots merged to form the modern-day Sri Lankan or Eelam Tamils from the northeast. In the east and even in parts of the northeast a significant proportion of the Sri Lankan Tamils, are of Veddah ancestry.
How can a Tamil ever aspire to be a leader of Sri Lanka, or even hold any responsible position, when even they are not allowed to live peacefully as a people, their ancient history, culture, language and religion are not recognised or allowed to exist by the so-called Sinhalese elite, politicians, religious clergy Buddhist as well as some Christian, and the Sinhalese people? ironically many of them are of recent South Indian origin. Compare this to how the other native indigenous people in the UK like the Scots and Welsh are now treated. Systematic planned discrimination and marginalization of the island’s Tamils and steps to destroy their identity, language, homeland and culture, which I believe was planned long before independence by the ruling Sinhalese elite, with the so-called gullible and selfish Colombo-based Tamil elite taken for a ride by them have now reduced the island’s Tamil population from around 28% at the time of independence to its current 15.6% within 70 years.
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Rohan25 / November 1, 2022
As for the island’s Muslims who are in reality ethnically Tamil, now complaining about Sinhalese harassment and discrimination is laughable, as they were also the copartners of the Sinhalese anti-Tamil genocidal dance and many Muslims were given very important ministerial positions and high government positions, as a reward for their partnership in the anti-Tamil agenda. They were only around 5-6% of the population at that time but were rewarded with many ministries and positions, whilst the Tamils who were 20-25% at that time were not given anything and if a ministry was given to a Tami quisling it was something inconsequential or minor like posts. Even now what they are now facing under the hands of their former allies the Sinhalese, is nothing to what the Tamils faced or a still facing. They backed evil and are now reaping what they sowed and complaining. The Sinhalese used them as a tool, to deny and marginalize the island’s Tamils their just rights and are still doing that in the east.
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Fakeculturebug / November 1, 2022
Sounds all toxic! I happen to be traveling but it is good to know what you think. Met lots of Indians in Texas and find that Shunaks parents are known among some doctors and universities and kenyan Indians of long Island etc. One of his grandparents had an MBE……and they are no different from sucessfull families for generations like anywhere in the world , although he has taken it to another level.So what ?…. ….many whites seemed happy too. I have no special admiration and dont don’t care so I float and enjoy my drink.
What’s wrong here on CT….so many false assumptions that whites are all racist and Indians are all slaves.My work took me to many places but in Sri Lanka I find that we are talking about others while no one is talking about us !…..and when we do, our future is in our past !! What a future.
One thing I know is the youngsters in SL are not happy.. May sanity prevail.
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Sinhala_Man / November 3, 2022
Thanks, Fakeculturebug,
.
I appreciate your sane comment. Why? Tonight (03.11 a.m. in Bandarawela) there’s “no time” to elaborate, but your comment is spot on.
.
There are four or five articles on CT right now. I have made all too many comments. Whether you’ve noticed them, I don’t know. You may have because I often give my real name below most of them. We make fun of issues much of the time, but there always is underlying seriousness.
.
Sometimes we all unwittingly make make serious mistakes. If you spot any such from me, please “rap me on my knuckles” immediately.
.
Most are unhappy, but as a grandfather I realise that our concern has to be about youngsters.
.
Panini Edirisinhe (NIC 48 3111444V)
/