1 December, 2024

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Misrepresenting History To Attack Moderate Perspectives

By Rajiva Wijesinha –

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP

Politics certainly makes strange bedfellows, as exemplified recently by the allegation made by Shenali Waduge against Dayan Jayatilleka. I see Shenali Waduge as an aggressively writer, a description I am sure she would relish. Yet the charge she levels against Dayan is precisely that which was made a few weeks back by Tissa Jayatilaka, whose agenda now seems to be wholly that of the Americans whose Fulbright Commission he now heads.

Shenali’s criticism of Dayan occurs in the midst of a massive diatribe against G L Peiris, with which I must confess I have some sympathy. Yet I think Shenali has missed the point, because she thinks GL has a perspective which is opposed to her own, whereas the reality is that GL has no perspectives at all. Dayan on the contrary does, but Shenali is totally wrong to say that the 2009 vote in our favour in Geneva was because Dayan ‘secretly inserted a clause stating Sri Lanka would implement the 13th amendment’. This is of a piece with Tissa Jayatilaka’s claim that the victory in 2009 was a disaster because the draft contained pledges which have now come back to haunt us.

In both cases I fear that dislike of Dayan has led to falsification. I can also understand why neither will accept that the draft was discussed at length with the President’s Office before it was finalized. Tissa would hate to think that the President was positive about such pledges, given his demonic view of President Rajapaksa as an extremist. Shenali on the contrary cannot accept that the President was positive about the 13th amendment, and has therefore completely forgotten the fact that he pledged more than once to implement it, and indeed to go further.

In their haste to attack Dayan, both miss out on the fact that the particular clause to which Sri Lanka subscribed, which was used to build up a case against us, was signed by the President in Kandy, with Dayan nowhere near. I remember that, as I saw it, I said I thought it was inappropriately expressed, but I was assured by a leading light in the Foreign Ministry that it was not a problem. Dayan too, as he saw it, expressed surprise, whereas the rest of our delegation had not noticed the potential difficulties. The need of the hour was reconciliation and looking forward, so it was a mistake to dwell too much on the past.

Much later, when I told Palitha Kohona that he should have advised the President against accepting such a formulation, he told me that he had indeed done so, but the President was impatient at the delay in reaching an agreement, and authorized signing the document as it stood. However, I can see that that clause, for which the President was responsible, helped with a couple of votes to swell Dayan’s majority, and I believe we would have had no problems had the President acted promptly on his pledge and appointed the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission straight away.

Unfortunately, in accordance with the advice he received from everyone else except, as he told me, the Secretary of Defence and myself (proof to me that he has few others around him that put him and the country first, as opposed to ensuring general electoral success), he went ahead with a premature Presidential election. The way that played out through him off balance, given that the machinations of those who did not like him played straight into the hands of the hardliners – because of whom indeed they claim not to like him.

I appreciate Shenali’s sterling support for the President, but I think she has got it wrong in assuming that it is people like GL who are undermining him, and whom she dismisses as traitors. The man may be ineffective, and incapable of either telling the President what is really going on, or advising him how to deal with problems, but he is certainly not a traitor (though I have no doubt that, were the plans of those who want regime change successful, GL would be a Minister in the next government too – but that is pragmatics, and would not be because of subtle planning).

Rather, it is those who Shenali would think of as sterling patriots who are more likely to undermine the President, though I hasten to add that I am sure this is not intended. In the first place, while we certainly should not allow other countries to dictate to us, we are in danger of having this forced upon us, precisely because we did not take a few swift measures to satisfy commitments we made voluntarily as well as our obligations to our own people.

Thus, while I believe we can confidently dismiss most of the charges made in the Darusman Report (though government certainly has made a hash of responding, and continues to ignore the sterling efforts of those such as Michael Roberts), we have accepted, in the LLRC Report, that there is need to investigate allegations regarding the treatment of some surrendees. Similarly, we ought long ago to have publicized the Udalagama Report and issued indictments – as the former Attorney General promised me he would do – with regard to the killing of the five students in Trincomalee.

Sadly, as occurred with J R Jayewardene in the eighties, we seem to be doing too little, and that too only under pressure, too late. We all know what happened to Jayewardene, and how, because he sabotaged the District Councils he had set up, which would have assuaged many of the problems the Tamils had, he was forced to concede, not only Provincial Councils, but a pernicious merger, which he went ahead with even though the conditions in the Indo-Lankan Accord had not been met.

But memories are short. So both Tissa and Shenali will get away with distortions – since scoring points against those they dislike is more important than moving forward.

Latest comments

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    Rajiva, if you read all the articles written by Tissa you will notice that he has never changed his colour. But I read your articles I at times get the feeling you are on one side and in the next article you are on the other side and some times you are on the fence. So you have no right to condemn Tissa as he has stood his ground at the same position always.

    One example you complained that the cabinet is too big, but at the same time you remain in the government.

    You should have the guts to be firm on one side not jump like Rauff Hakeem or Thondaman or most of the UNP guys who are with the ruling party.

    • 0
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      Park,

      If you study the root cause of all these you will note that it is the President himself who manupulate the whole Political system in Sri Lanka duping both local as well as Internaltional Community.

      That’s why Sri Lanka UNHR rep. Plantation Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said after the Geneva fiasco that it was the Presidents view and instructions that compelled him to talk like such stupidity about Sri Lanka, that brought disrepute to it from many member states.

      If Rajapakses think that they could hoodwink both Local and International community and representatives, it’s a bad Joke and a huge mistake for them.

      Rajapakses have already got their titles both locally and International arena as Duplicity, double game, double tongue Jokers in the world. Just watch some youtube videos in the internet.

      Very soon the Jokers behaviour and card will be revealed to the world during the CHOGM summit.

      • 0
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        Hey Rajiva, how about CBK for President of Lanka – third time around?!

        Would you and Dayan and co. support her? Please, say yes and start the campaign for CBK as joint opposition candidate to rescue Lanka from the Rajapassa military dictatorship..

    • 0
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      Rajiva you are the best example of politics making for strange bed fellows!
      You and your Liberal party support the ultra-nationalist and SInhala racist Gota the white van Goon BBS thug who runs the Rajapassa outfit of corrupt criminals in Lanka..

      You write as if Mahinda Rajapassa the corrupt clownish dictator in waiting (like Ranil who we also despise) is a innocent baby who has “bad advisers”. Give me a break and stop deluding yourself. MR is corrupt to his rotten uneducated CORE!
      I presume it was those “bad” advisors, (unlike you and baby doll Dayan, the good advisers?! ha, ha, ha), who told baby MR to get his brothers and sons into politics and military business and turn Lanka into their private family business with a few cronies like the clown Nivard Cabraal at the Central bank who has mortgaged Lanka to line his and the Rajapassa pockets?!
      Give me a break and stop DELUDING yourself!

  • 1
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    Mr. Rajiv Wijesinghe,

    “Misrepresenting History To Attack Moderate Perspectives”

    “Politics certainly makes strange bedfellows, as exemplified recently by the allegation made by Shenali Waduge against Dayan Jayatilleka. I see Shenali Waduge as an aggressively writer, a description I am sure she would relish. “

    Shenali Waduge writings need to be taken with a pinch or kilogram of salt, and sorted out. Need to separate the wheat from the chaff. Sometimes, one gets the impression Shenali is a Shill.

    Shenali writes in the Shill and Regime controlled web sites and newspapers like the Daily News, Daily Mirror, and many Shills say Amen.

    They do not want a just society. They want a Sinhala Buddhist Racist Society, and believe in the Mahanama Myths for ever.

    They never address the historical facts such as:

    1.The current core issues in Lanka are due to Sinhala Buddhist Racism.

    2. This was promoted by Racist Monk Mahanama Myths and his additions to Mahawansa historical narrative, and perpetuated.

    3. Demonize the original natives, Veddah, Yakkas, Nagas, and Raksayas. and their Animist, Jain and Hindu Beliefs, that were there before Buddhism.

    4. The new demons are Tamils (Old and New), Muslims and Christians.

    5. Conveniently forget that Buddhism and Sinhala were imported from India.

    6. Conveniently forget that Buddhism sprang out from Jainism and Hinduism.

    7. Ravana was Hindu and Lanka has a civilization Before Buddhism, like India, if Ramayana is true. Bali is still Hindu, 94% Hindu, and peaceful. The data seem to support that Buddhism is the curse of Lanka, due to Monk-King-Ruler-Axis hegemony and not the Sinhala people or the natives.

    8. Buddhism grew at the expense of Hinduism, a more peaceful Religion, without the Monk-King Axis.

    9. Sonali Waduge is the Spokeswomen for the Sinhala Racist Buddhist BBS and JHU. They claim to be Buddhists, but they are not. Read your Buddhism.

    They are the Wahhabi Version of Islam.

    So Sonali Waduge promotes Wahhabi Buddhism. She was praising the Shill editor of Daily Mirror praising the Monk from JHU who burned, which was not called for in True Buddhism.

    Sonali Waduge fall into the category of those who persecuted Gal;oleo and Giordano Bruno, for the Myths of the Church.

    Shenali is praising the Monk Mahanama Myths.

    Sehnali needs to read the facts, given below, and straighten her bearings.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genographic_Project

  • 0
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    One goes to bat for the other. LOL

  • 0
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    Mr. Rajiv Wijesinghe,

    “Misrepresenting History To Attack Moderate Perspectives”

    “Politics certainly makes strange bedfellows, as exemplified recently by the allegation made by Shenali Waduge against Dayan Jayatilleka. I see Shenali Waduge as an aggressively writer, a description I am sure she would relish. “

    Shenali Waduge writings need to be taken with a pinch or kilogram of salt, and sorted out. Need to separate the wheat from the chaff. Sometimes, one gets the impression Shenali is a Shill.

    Shenali writes in the Shill and Regime controlled web sites and newspapers like the Daily News, Daily Mirror, and many Shills say Amen.

    They do not want a just society. They want a Sinhala Buddhist Racist Society, and believe in the Mahanama Myths for ever.

    They never address the historical facts such as:

    1.The current core issues in Lanka are due to Sinhala Buddhist Racism.

    2. This was promoted by Racist Monk Mahanama Myths and his additions to Mahawansa historical narrative, and perpetuated.

    3. Demonize the original natives, Veddah, Yakkas, Nagas, and Raksayas. and their Animist, Jain and Hindu Beliefs, that were there before Buddhism.

    4. The new demons are Tamils (Old and New), Muslims and Christians.

    5. Conveniently forget that Buddhism and Sinhala were imported from India.

    6. Conveniently forget that Buddhism sprang out from Jainism and Hinduism.

    7. Ravana was Hindu and Lanka has a civilization Before Buddhism, like India, if Ramayana is true.

    8. Buddhism grew at the expense of Hinduism, a more peaceful Religion, without the Monk-King Axis.

    9. Sonali Waduge is the Spokeswomen for the Sinhala Racist Buddhist BBS and JHU. They claim to be Buddhists, but they are not. Read yo

    They are the Wahhabi Version of Islam.

    So Sonali Waduge promotes Wahhabi Buddhism. She was praising the Shill editor of Daily Mirror praising the Monk from JHU who burned, which was not called for in True Buddhism.

    Sonali Waduge fall into the category of those who persecuted Gal;oleo and Giordano Bruno, for the Myths of the Church.

    Shenali is praising the Monk Mahanama Myths.

    Sehnali needs to read the facts, given below, and straighten her bearings.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genographic_Project

  • 0
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    “You scratch my back and I yours” between Rajiva and Dayan continues in this essay that was supposed to discuss an entirely different subject. But wisdom has not deserted the ex-Advisor entirely – the quintessential Oxonion – although his entry into the snake-pit of politics did disfigure his once splendid principled history of liberalism. He shudders, as we must all, as he ponders “we seem to be doing too little, and that too only under pressure, too late” How true indeed. And the sucker punch follows “We all know what happened to Jayewardene, and how, because he sabotaged the DC’s he set up” But the piece-de-resistance is “he was forced to concede not just PC’s” but more. Will we see history re-visiting us in that sensational warning of George Santayana?

    Senguttuvan

  • 0
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    Dayan, Sonali, Rajeev….. are few condoms in a fast devilizing regime who is now dare enough even to show its real face in public (still toggles between devil face and baby face). After using condom should be discarded; only the time-taken-for-orgasm matters.

  • 0
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    These shills of differing literary ability, little else, such as Rajiva, Dayan, Shenali etc. have a great deal in common – attachment to the hind teat of a rotten regime.
    Like Vaas Gunewardena, they fall out of favour from time to time and bleat about being treated “unfairly.” However, at the end of the day, they are simply a bunch of unprincipled opportunists who have an unerring instinct that takes them to where the lucre is!

  • 0
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    This is not an article. The content has only comparison of writings of Dyan, Shenali and Tissa and criticism based on Rajiva’s thinking. No apparent difference between the readers’ comments and Rajiva’s artcle. A Member of Parliament who cannot reflect what people of this country perceive and think about nationally important issues fails in his civic duty and Rajiva appears to be one such MP. As a National List MP he is expected to reflect in his speeches and writings the people’s viewpoints, not his viewpoint. Appears to have lost his inner peace due to the society at large not accepting him as a learned “politician”.

    Can’t imagine that Rajiva was the Secretary General of the Peace Secretariat.

    • 0
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      No wonder that peace collapsed and SL went back to war!

      BTW what is liberal about the Rajapakshas?

      Nothing.

      Then what is the Liberal Party leader doing in his government? Strange bed fellows.

  • 0
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    Moderates never voted for Rajapakshas.

    But they won two thirds in parliament.

    What does that say?

    Most SLs are NOT moda-rates.

  • 0
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    We can gather from Rajiva Wijesinghe’s article that Mahinda Rajapaksa is impetuous in his decision making. That is our judgement too. What recent history teaches is that he can also lie. That too is what we know. So what else is new?

  • 0
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    “President was positive about the 13th amendment, and has therefore completely forgotten the fact that he pledged more than once to implement it, and indeed to go further.”

    Prof Wijesinghe:

    I understand what you are saying. Since the independance Sri Lanka did not have proper leaders who had a true vision for Sri Lanka. Initially, they were the chosen Colombo elite because they were the closest to British master.

    Sri Lanka does not have a proper selection system to get true leaders at the top. The system is made in such a way if there are leaders they are removed from the system or kept subjugated.

    See, the people at the top and those waiting to sit on that chair and what kind of CVs they have.

    Will they do anything for Sri Lanka or they are for themselves ?

    • 0
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      JIM, Budhsim is a problem for all. look at the rest of the country around us? where they are? Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Maldives… even Bangaladesh? see where they are and where we are ? we are like Burma… Vietnam, i think this country will have Pros houses than a Normal houses soon.

  • 0
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    People make mistakes and are not right always. Yet, Shenali is one who really loves Sri Lanka.

  • 0
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    Rajiva,

    Whether we like it or not we are against at cross roads because of the ultra right Buddhist fundamentalists raising their ugly Nazi head. This is the time where the liberals has to take to task to educate the people, You, Dayan are the few patriots left in the country with moderate and modern values, Stick with the President and enlighten him, One should not forget what happened to Banda, You sleep with dogs, You wake up with fleas.

    • 0
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      Well Said Srinath, Banda did the same thing turn the country to Sinhala only then he got it via [Edited out]Monks a Bullet in to his heart. so MR will get the same from Gnanasara [Edited out] Monk soon…

  • 0
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    “You sleep with dogs, You wake up with fleas.”

    Dear Mr. Srinath Gunaratne,

    Did you mean that Prez MR sleep with dogs? People of this country bathed the dogs and shampooed them to ensure that clean dogs clad in “white” win at Parliamentary, Provincial and Local Elections. Now it is apparent that those elected stopped bathing at “public wells” and therefore flea infected. Time for people to consider “chasing away” the flea infected “dogs” at elections in the future. Only way to do this is by organizing themselves under “civil societies” and not under political parties and NGOs.

    • 0
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      The Professional, You are a Bumb Sucker of MR.

  • 0
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    OH Rajiv, You are again? please stop writing articles as it has no meaning to anyone. you are a waste of time.

  • 0
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    what a shameless looser..calling other people names when he is a sad sellout

  • 0
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    I read the first part of the Mahavansa recently and was rather surprised what a perverted mind this celebate monk had, for a brother to have sex with the sister to beget vijaya (born of incest).Even the Mahinda and Sangamitta story is suspect as a prolific writer Asoka had not mentioned anything of their journey down south.It appears the whole story is a myth concocted by a perverted monk that appealed to a uninformed population of the time. No wonder any BS goes with the ignorant.

  • 0
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    Mr.rod atkins,knife can be use good way either bad way.so,can we blame the knife?what about the Buddhism influenced japan,china,korea in the current status of the world arena.buddhism neither religion nor philosophy.it’s realize existentialism & realistic reality of the present moment.blind-faith illusion can eliminate,only the way through teaching of the Buddhism.every subjects deeply study,then never occur to narrow-minded attitude.

  • 0
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    I have not seen a single article written by Shenali with Dayan J as a specific subject or headline… in all probability she would have referred to him in the course of an article…

    BUT for Dayan to be silent and for Rajiva to write an article in Dayans’ defense thats a wee bit strange..!!

    Besides is shenali working for the Rajapakse’s or the Govt – NO

    But Rajiva is.. he is welcome to open and get out of the door…

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