By Ameer Ali –
“Archaeology is not a science, it’s a vendetta” (Mortimer Wheeler, British archaeologist).
“Reconciliation is more beautiful than victory” (Violeta Chamorro, Nicaraguan political leader)
The resignation of Professor Anura Manatunga, Director General of Department of Archaeology, apparently after a heated controversy with President Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW) who rejected the Professor’s request for an unusually extensive area of land for excavation in Mullaitivu, is bound to anger the saffron army of political bhikkhus who are 21st century’s Sri Lankan crusaders against ethnic reconciliation and religious harmony. This army, which has a sordid history of instigating and participating in violence against minorities, enjoyed the support and blessings of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR), who vowed to safeguard the sasana and created a special Task Force to excavate and protect ancient Buddhist ruins in the north and east of the island in particular. He crowded that task force with bhikkhus and Buddhist demagogues rather than qualified and trained archaeologists. It was indeed an act of political vendetta aimed at demolishing once and for all the Tamil claim that that part of the island is their traditional homeland. That was also why whenever GR’s prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR) visited Tamil areas, he never failed to remind his listeners that no province or district in the country should belong to any particular community. But he never extended the same argument when referring to the whole country. That hypocrisy was the reason why when that obstreperous bhikkhu Gnanasara publicly proclaimed in Kandy in 2021 that Sri Lanka belongs only to the Sinhalese neither GR nor MR and not even any of the Sinhalese parliamentarians including the current president, except the late Mangala Samaraweera, dared to counter that assertion. Now, at a time when RW is trying to champion the cause of reconciliation and engaging to strike a deal with Tamil leaders, after promising them to stop unjustifiable encroachment into Tamil territories by religious zealots and soldiers, the professor’s request and resignation, appear to be a premeditated ploy to sabotage the President’s effort. As expected, the usual suspects who want to politicize the issue and gain mileage out of it at the ballot box have already started their malicious campaign.
According to an old historical anecdote the people of Afghanistan believed that they should first kill the white man who first appeared on their land with his mission for surveying and mapmaking, because they thought that he would be followed soon by the British army to conquer their country. Likewise, there is a growing feeling of suspicion and fear among Tamils and Muslims of north and east when sighting a bhikkhu innocently roaming in their area, because they feel that sooner or later a statue of Buddha may appear somewhere and most probably in the dead of night, which would then be followed by a team of so-called archaeologists under army protection planning to excavate that spot for Buddhist ruins, which ultimately would end up in a vihara being built to encourage Sinhalese settlement. This pattern of Sinhalese transmigration into Tamil areas is a post-civil war phenomenon. And, it was to facilitate that pattern Mahanayakkas insisted at the end of the civil war that the army should not be withdrawn from Tamil areas even though LTTE had been defeated and destroyed comprehensively. Yet, the bogey of its possible revival is kept alive by Sinhala supremacists, to justify the permanency of army camps there.
Sinhalese colonization of Tamil dominated districts, which started with irrigation schemes from the Gal Oya project in 1950s to the Accelerated Mahaveli project in 1970s, has now taken a different route under the guise of archaeological excavations in search of Buddhist ruins. This has nothing to do with Buddhism or the teachings of the sublime Gautama, but everything to do with political Buddhism and its hegemonic ideals. In a sense, this archaeological adventurism resembles what is going on in another part of the world, Palestine. There also it is through archaeological excavations based on Biblical and Judaic myths that a four thousand years old and independent Arab Palestine is being systematically dwarfed by Zionist encroachment and made into what Edward Said described as “Bantustan”. Palestinian lands are continuing to be swallowed by Zionist Israel to hollow out any substance that still remains in the so called two-state mantra, which is tirelessly repeated by Western powers. One is therefore tempted to think whether the Israeli Embassy in Colombo is teaching the Buddhist bigots some of the archaeological tricks which its government in Israel employs in occupied Palestine.
Be that as it may, reconciliation is the second half of RW’s scheme to pull the country out of its polycrisis. The IMF partnered economic half may restore badly needed financial stability to enable the economy to revive, but that stability and revival cannot be turned into a growth propelling platform without the active participation and collective synergy of the three major ethnic groups in the country. The political system that is currently in vogue is incapable of achieving that, and ethnic reconciliation is therefore sine qua non for not only communal harmony but also economic development. RW’s predecessor tried to put the cart before the horse and trumpeted that economic development of north and east alone is the answer to the ethnic issue and ended up in bankrupting the economy and reducing the country to pariah status internationally. GR also promised to implement the controversial 13th Amendment when he visited Delhi and met Narendra Modi in 2020, but because of nationalist backlash at home he had to retract that promise as soon as he returned to Colombo. Once again, the issue of 13th Amendment is bound to arise again as preparations are under way for RW’s visit to Delhi. Are we going to witness a repetition of what happened in 2020? The archaeological tumult points in that direction.
RW himself appears to be a charlatan on the issue of reconciliation. If he is really committed to solving the problem and not using it as a tool to win the votes of minorities at the next Presidential Election, he should have used every opportunity of addressing the nation to urge the majority to make the first move. Genuine reconciliation starts with hearts and minds and not with words and appearance. Sri Lanka lacks a Nelson Mandela. Now, in search of an economic miracle RW is trying to tackle the ethnic question. But his hands are tied. On the one hand, his hopes of continuing as president with popular mandate would be shattered if ethnonationalism is allowed to raise its ugly head. The saboteurs of reconciliation would do all what they could to stop him succeeding in his effort. His political agenda would therefore force him to retreat. One bhikkhu has already called GR to speak out and prepare coming back to take charge. If that happens that would be an unmitigated disaster. On the other hand, RW realizes quite rightly that without halting political bhikkhus from rampaging through Tamil and Muslim areas to build viharas and without demobilizing an oversized army that is permanently camped in that region and draining the public purse reconciliation could not materialize, unless forced from outside. The tragedy is that no one in RW’s parliamentary camp seems to be championing the cause of reconciliation. Even ministers from the minority communities had not uttered a word so far in sympathy with the president’s effort. Everyone is playing their cards safe to maximize political advantage. At the end of the day, without reconciliation economic prosperity and development would be hamstrung. IMF cannot do wonders, and RW’s dependence on IMF to achieve his magical economic transformation by 2048 is destined to evaporate as the rupee is allowed to float and import restrictions relaxed in terms of IMF prescription.
The only leader who has been bold enough to say publicly that the 13th Amendment should be implemented temporarily until the whole system is overhauled with a new constitution is AKD from NPP. That gives a glimmer of hope for statesmanship quality in the country’s future leadership. Will the voters give NPP a chance?
*Dr. Ameer Ali, Murdoch Business School, Murdoch University, W. Australia
Ajith / June 16, 2023
“The only leader who has been bold enough to say publicly that the 13th Amendment should be implemented temporarily until the whole system is overhauled with a new constitution is AKD from NPP.”
In Theory, it is a welcome move. However, the important part is not about publicly announce but to educate the Sinhala Buddhist people to understand and change their attitude by their political and religious leadership so far destroyed the facts and truths and brought this country and Buddhism to the level of bankgruptcy and worthless.
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old codger / June 16, 2023
“The only leader who has been bold enough to say publicly that the 13th Amendment should be implemented temporarily until the whole system is overhauled with a new constitution is AKD from NPP.”
Really? Try as I might, I cannot find any evidence of such boldness. Only Harini Amarasuriya has coyly admitted that it is in the constitution.
https://economynext.com/sri-lanka-opposition-mum-as-monks-burn-india-backed-constitutional-amendment-111752/
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https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking_news/13A-or-13-not-a-solution-to-ethnic-problem-AKD/108-253924
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Actually, the only national leader who publicly supports 13 A is Ranil himself. So, using Dr.Ali’s own logic, “That gives a glimmer of hope for statesmanship quality in the country’s future leadership. Will the voters give UNP a chance? “
In general, Dr. Ali seems to have realised (finally! ) that Ranil’s methods are working. “reconciliation is the second half of RW’s scheme to pull the country out of its polycrisis. The IMF partnered economic half may restore badly needed financial stability to enable the economy to revive,”
As to “archaeology “, it is time the purported Archaeology Department was renamed as the Buddhist Missionary Department. Its main purpose seems to be to seek out ancient ruins to rebuild and then populate with Sinhala settlers. At this rate any householder in the island is at risk of being dispossessed if some monk finds an ancient brick in the householder’s garden.
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chiv / June 16, 2023
Agree with OC. Even if said , does it mean 13 will be implemented. 1) When did Sb government agree on 13 2) How many years have passed since then 3) How many of them promised not just but 13 + / ++/+++/- …… . 4) Do you still expect Tamils to believe what is promised by SB politicians 5) when a person comes to power with help of millions of SB racists , do you still expect to implement 13
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srikrish / June 17, 2023
Thanks Old Codger and let us come openly and express our opinion openly without any hesitation.
Ranil Wicramasinhe had shown consistency in his commitment over a long period to meet the minority aspirations at least from the beginning of the millennium.
He was the only leader among the southern politicians ever to sign a historic ceasefire agreement with Prabhaharn, the leader of LTTE .He signed the 2002 ceasefire agreement with LTTE leader himself. He had the courage to do so and stick to it.
.Ranil went to the 2005 Presidential Election with his agreement with LTTE and a significant number of Sinhalese voters had voted for him proving beyond any doubt that Sinhalese were reasonable and nonracial and not Intransigence and always ready to support a reasonable settlement.
Ranil in 2005, was narrowly defeated by Mahinda in one of the most closely contested elections and Ranil would have won, if not for the LTTE enforced boycott of voting in the Presidential election in the LTTE controlled areas.
National question faced many missed opportunities and the time has come to capture this golden opportunity and move forward!
The best bet for the country is Ranil
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SJ / June 16, 2023
OC
The author is an economist, and has been economical with the truth more than once.
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Mallaiyuran / June 17, 2023
” economical with the truth
When Northern Douggie Deva’s churned the Southern Milk Ocean to get nectar, monsters & poison emerged.
When you are continuing to be churning your map making process, you are being too extravagant in spending your dumbfounded, nincompoop talks.
As usual we can see well “a chaff’s inability” in envisaging the difference in “telling a lie” (if that is case of the author) and avoiding telling a truth (Which is nowhere present in the essay; no others except this person has accused the author of convoluting the situation purposely by hiding some well-known truth on the other side of the coin of the events presented). This is how the extravagance of the foolish, pompous English ends up!
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SJ / June 17, 2023
I think that you need a dictionary very badly and someone to help you to use it.
The first part is easy if you have cash to spare after your expenses on you-know-what.
The latter needs more effort.
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Mallaiyuran / June 17, 2023
You may think so my little immature child, but the reality is so painful for you accept. I could benefit from searching for a dictionary, but it is abundantly clear you have no salvation in any subject even with any additional help. If not, you might have well understood, before you write it here that connecting his achievement in Economics to his political comments which you attempt to frame as lies. Still, it would have been better if you had stayed in the boundaries of the subject of Mechanics, instead of self-proclaimed Marxism lectures in economics. If he is a mountain in Economics and Politics, you are a real mole. hides in dark tunnels. Either you could not say where Dr. Amir played a game with truth or how your language usage is lime-lighting his actions. While your games and the excuses to hide them after they are caught is well recognized by almost every reader, you still trying to create a dent in Dr. Amir’s talks without any point or substantiation is a mountainous farce. The real humor is a boaster fearing his knowledge and being prevented from coming forward with any points for his malignant accusations. Stay attached to CT for the enjoyment of the readers.
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SJ / June 18, 2023
Hi Granddad
Remember to get the dictionary, and more importantly help from someone who knows how to use it.
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Mallaiyuran / June 18, 2023
Hi Savam,
So slipping into singing Bi Bi Bi Thoy Thoy Thoy. That is also an entertainment? Is that why they say in Tamil Vealai Kallikku Pillai Pirakku?
I learned from real teachers. Not from the last century Sadampies who need to inserted fiber into the nose to keep them awake in the class room, Please.
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Raj-UK / June 16, 2023
I am no fan of RW but I am with OC on the current situation. NPP & AKD appear to be the popular choice but looking beyond the rhetoric, if the JVP have changed, why not have the guts to admit & apologise for their murderous & destructive past? As for the NPP, a pickle of all sorts, I have my doubts if they can agree on a common ground collectively if in power, considering the presumed socialist agenda of academics, trade unionists, ‘business professionals’ (not sure how the Bhikku front fit in) & other groups in the alliance, therefore, for me, remains only as a glimmer.
RW needs the support of his old adversaries to be in power but once the Rajapakses get their act together, he will be dropped like a hot potato, therefore, needs to toe the line & abide his time. However, if he gets elected by the public at the next Presidential election, I am hopeful he will get rid of the riffraff to rebuild the country, otherwise, I am sure he is aware, that he will do down in history as another self-serving & gutless politician. Would he try to redeem him self is the question.
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chiv / June 17, 2023
Cicero, is absolutely right and there is no better way to say.
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Sinhala_Man / June 17, 2023
Dear Raj ,
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/b> You are decent and honest , no doubt about that. There are a few things that you keep repeating at second hand. AKD has apologised for the violent past of the JVP. It may be that such apologies have not been abject enough for you. What will AKD say tomorrow morning? None of us can be sure. People seem to pick and choose from past events that suit them. Now let’s see what the tenor of tomorrow’s meeting/protests will be about:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ezfehf2W9M
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After the protest in front of the Elections Office in Rajagiriya in defiance of a Court Order, they’ve had Tangalle also, which took only an hour. However they’ve followed up with three-hour meetings in Nawalapitiya and elsewhere – I’m losing count, but I end up listening to more than you possibly can.
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All that is said, must be seen in the context in which utterances are made. The demand now is not that power be handed over to the NPP; it is merely to hold elections for Local Government bodies. It’ll then be the people who decide.
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Panini Edirisinhe of Bandarawela
.
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Sinhala_Man / June 17, 2023
As for the JVP website, I do look at it, and see what is there. I’d rather it wasn’t there; I never liked that sort of communism myself. It is probably there for two reasons. Probably only: I don’t know everything!
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I’d personally like to see them advocating the use of strategic Preferential Voting at Presidential elections. One of their fears is that some of their rank and file may fear that they actually support the SJB which is a right-wing group. The rank and file fear being called “Rathu Aliyas” (Red Elephants).
.
As you rightly observed recently, the electability of a Party is a necessary consideration. You said that you’d rather you voted for a person like Nagananda who has “principles”. Nagananda is honest, but he focuses on just one or two issues – he’s just not realistic. He was talking again about the Customs, where he worked with dedication and honesty. After dealing with the gold, he talked about car permits. He had a list (incomplete!) of MPs who had imported duty-free cars, and then sold them for huge profits. The JVP was also there, but he acknowledged that they had accounted for the income from those sales in their Party audits.
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Raj-UK / June 17, 2023
Sinhala_Man
You are more in touch with the happenings in SL than I do, therefore, better informed but my opinion of the JVP stands. AKD or any party member can say as they please at public meetings but it does not hold water. An official website is the information hub for the benefit of the public & can be updated easily, therefore, expected to be current & whatever stated therein can be accepted as a commitment. So why doesn’t JVP issue a statement of apology & take out the picture of its founder & the communist emblems if they are not continuing on that path?
Nagananda was an example of the calibre of people needed & I would like to see such civic minded people running the country. The JVP benefitted from unfair Parliamentary perks but whether it was the party or not, it is the same as the rest of the self serving Parliamentarians. The public paid for those unfair privileges, & as socialists, the JVP should have rejected the perks, which is why I admire people with principals.
If you have so much faith in AKD & Co, get them to pull up their socks because I am not buying their rhetoric
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Sinhala_Man / June 18, 2023
Raj,
.
You are an idealist, and a perfectionist. I have no counter to your arguments except to say that compromises are common in politics.
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We are both familiar with the UK in different ways. I’ve never been there, but the study of its language, literature, history and sociology have been my life-story. Think of the present situation in the UK.
.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2023/06/17/letters-boris-johnson-must-stop-derailing-the-government/
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See how divided opinions are:
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https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jun/17/just-an-ex-mp-rishi-sunaks-allies-pour-scorn-on-beaten-boris-johnson
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and,
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/17/johnson-has-been-utterly-disgraced-so-why-does-mr-sunak-flinch-from-condemning-him
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I’m proud that Sunak with whom we have this common “sub-continent background” has so far succeeded brilliantly, but didn’t we all squirm about what he said at Tonbridge-Wells?
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And I studied how the Labour Party cooked up all that stuff about Jeremy Corbyn being antisemitic. Let’s not try to debate those issues! You’ll win easily!!
.
But by-elections will be held there; be the result what it may!
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old codger / June 18, 2023
SM,
“have no counter to your arguments except to say that compromises are common in politics.”
Really? So why do you only allow the JVP that facility? Why do you condemn Ranil for doing the same?
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leelagemalli / June 18, 2023
Oc,
.
Answer is just simple. Sm s brain is half dead.Unfortunately he is not alone.
.
Only good psycho therapist can help 😌 SM or the like self proclaimed pundits
further .
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Raj-UK / June 18, 2023
Sinhala_Man
We make our own decisions according to our perceptions & I respect that. Maybe I am an idealist expecting principled politicians in the corrupt world of SL politics but the question here is the integrity of AKD & Co of the JVP/NPP coalition. The NPP is portrayed as the intellectual bunch capable of ‘resurrecting’ SL’s economy but I would like to know how they plan to do it, supported by facts & figures, not just promises. Individual members can shout from roof tops for all I care but unless the facts are in a binding form, such as a published political manifesto or a website, clearly outlining the party objectives, policies, funding for economic growth, etc., I am not convinced. We got burnt by GR & his ‘Viyathmaga’ intellectuals, do we need to get burnt again?
Besides the rhetoric, what has been the contribution of the JVP to the country so far? The UNP, as a party, instigated the free ambulance service which I consider a great service for the average citizen but there was immense opposition, the GMOA even encouraging people to stone the ambulances, yet, I can’t recollect the JVP support, despite being the champion for the average citizen.
Cont.
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Raj-UK / June 18, 2023
Cont.
Politicians in UK (or in any developed country) are held accountable. No matter how appealing they maybe, if they don’t deliver, they are out, as happened to Liz Truss in only 44 days as PM. Boris J. became PM on the promise of ‘delivering’ Brexit but Brexit is a failure & Boris was a bungler. His antics got him kicked out but though the current PM, Rishi, is undoubtedly the best man for the job in the current context (the reason for him being elected by the party uncontested), the upper class Tories consider him an outsider, due to his ethnicity & religion, & to many, Boris is ‘lovable’, therefore, acceptable despite his stupidity. Corbyn stood for true labour principals but he was brought down by the powerful US & UK Jewish lobby because of his sympathy to the Palestinian cause.
As you have said previously, it all boils down to ‘electability’ but whatever the reason for being elected, at least in UK, politicians are held accountable, unlike in SL.
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Sinhala_Man / June 18, 2023
And I’m adding this immediately:
.
The reason why AKD cannot do as you request is unflattering to us all. We are less important than the rank and file.
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The rank and file has many supporters of the JVP, more important than Kumar David, Simon or me. Should we place Dr Ameer Aki also there? We are definitely at the stage where we have succeeded in ridding this Party of communalism. The JVP faithful (they’re not hardcore!) will just not understand, and will stop marching and demonstrating.
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Given guys like the gold-smuggling MP I’m compromising with regard to the car permits. Blame me if you must. I’ve had a life-long battle with Education. Almost no support from even the most sanctimonious at the alma mater. Some have acknowledged, but too late.
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I don’t mind that glorious failures have never been systematically recorded in history. Some statistics get compiled about human miseries; famine, starvation, and the massacres that follow revolutions. “Accepted perks,” recorded somewhere is preferable to all that.
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Bottom line:
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The justification for all that is Ranil’s evil refusal to have any elections.
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Panini Edirisinhe of Bandarawela (NIC 483111444V)
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old codger / June 18, 2023
SM,
“I don’t mind that glorious failures have never been systematically recorded in history.”
Oh dear! As a purported English scholar, surely you would have heard of the Charge of the Light Brigade?
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leelagemalli / June 18, 2023
As HT made it clear lately, SM ‘ s anwers are similar to ” koheda yanne malle pol”, OC, please don’t waste ur precious time 🙏
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old codger / June 17, 2023
Raj,
“I am no fan of RW but I am with OC on the current situation.”
Yes, the current situation is the keyword. I am not a blind worshipper of the guy. I find him short- tempered and arrogant, as charismatic as a brick, but still the only guy who can perform.
Gota was arrogant but stupid. MR was charming but little else. Both were beholden to the monks. RW seems to take delight in provoking them. The much-touted JVP avoids publicly spelling out what its real policies are, but hides behind the smiles of the NPP. RW doesn’t mince words about his intentions, from disposal of state assets (or more correctly, liabilities) to cutting down the military. So far the Rajapaksas have played along. If the population thinks this is the wrong path, even God won’t be able to save this country.
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Ajith / June 17, 2023
OC,
13th amendment was not the outcome of any Political leadership including RW. It was brought by Indo-Sri Lanka accord but we still talking of implementing it in full. It was forced by India and not with the will of JRJ. The current move by RW was only after “Aragalaya” movement and there is a need for Sri Lanka to get finance to overcome the crisis from International community. But to implement you need the support of Sinhalese people and politicians. It is the same parliament which is denied the North_East merged PC. It is the parliament that is barrier to implement the accord fully including police and land. During the period of good governance, there was a All party proposal which is gone out of talk now. Even if this parliament agree for full implementation now what is the gurantee that it will not be removed again? Even Mahinda promised to go beyond 13+ publicly. This did not come from the heart to escape from the situation. Once again the situation may that makes for such public support. Who knows? Wait and See.
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Cicero / June 16, 2023
Sinhala politician will be in the wilderness if he cannot beat the communal/religious drum. It is too late to change. The Buddhist Taliban (the saffron robed wrestlers) will also loose their power and will have to become real Buddhist priests. Neither group desires this fate. There is an army of 6.9 morons educated in Sinhala only who will support them. The future for the country is bleak. The Sinhalese who can are now migrrating leaving behind the 6.9 to continue to wallow in the Mahawamsa shit-hole. The Tamils and the Muslims should ignore these guys and carry on with their work of improving an economy they create for themselves. They also have links with diasporas which will help them. Hopefully, the Sinhalayos will creep out of their shit-hole and see some light in due course as to how their leaders sold them to the dogs while they robbed the country.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / June 16, 2023
Cicero, it is not only the Sinhalese-educated masses but most of the Sinhalese elite both Buddhist and Christian, largely English/Western educated living on the island and in the West support this racist agenda. They are the worst. It is they who have incited and brainwashed the Sinhalese educated masses to believe in this Mahavamsa fairy tale so that they can reap the benefits, whilst the masses wallow in poverty. They should know better. The ones living in the West enjoying all the good life and wanting all the equal opportunities and other benefits that the rich and tolerant West offers to them, whilst advocating, marginalisation discrimination and structural genocide of the island’s Tamils, should know better. One ruled for them and their immigrant offspring wanting equal rights and justice for them and their families in the West and another for the island’s Tamils who had lived on the island for over 3000 years and had their own land and nation until European colonisation. If the Island’s native Tamils from the north and east are destroyed then it is a cakewalk for them to destroy the other two Tamil minorities the Indian-origin estate Tamils and the Muslims, as these people do not have the ancient history and homeland like the native Tamils to fight back and largely live amongst the Sinhalese. 99% for the Indian-origin Tamils and 73% for the Muslims.
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SJ / June 16, 2023
Are their counterparts among Tamils and Muslims any better?
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Cicero / June 17, 2023
They are not any better SJ. But they did not have the power. The Tigers did not come from the Tamil elite. I am not condoning what they did. The elite leaders of the Tamils were also leaches now exploiting secessionist ideologies for their own purpose of maintaining themselves in power, They do not have the same opportunities of loot as their Sinhala counterparts nor are they assisted by a group of religious bigots who wear saffron robes.
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SJ / June 18, 2023
“The Tigers did not come from the Tamil elite.”
But they were not the poorest either.
Whose interests did they serve in the course of their campaign.
*
The point I am constantly making is that we consistently forget the bigotry within us while pompously pointing fingers at others.
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Cicero / June 18, 2023
The Sinhala bystanders must recognise that they condoned the violence against the Tamils in 1958, 1983 and later. They also serve who only stand and wait. The Sinhala elite stood by and watched the massacre of the Tamils, the Sinhala Only drives, the colonisation of Tamil areas, the disenfranchisement of the upcountry Tamils. Were fault lies, such fault needs to be ascribed, The Tigers, Tamils see, as a response. Some do not condone some of what was done by the Tigers. Most see as a response to what went on. Similar responses will take place if this ethnic fever of the Sinhalese is not stopped. No people keep on bending while being knocked. They will stand up. We will have recurring patterns of this happening unless the madness of the diehard Sinhala extremists and Buddhist priests is stopped. We have to point fingers SJ.
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Ajith / June 18, 2023
“But they were not the poorest either”
Yes they are not rich as SJ and his sponsors.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / June 17, 2023
If you mean the Tamil and Muslim diaspora, no they do not. They may form cultural and religious organisations, which try to foster their religion, language and culture but do not form racist organisations Eg SPUR and many others like the Sinhalese solely for the purpose to spread false anti-Tamil propaganda and to canvass and spread misinformation both to the general population in the country they reside and to the government. Tamils and Muslims may come out and protest in large numbers, against the injustices that are now being committed against their people back home but unlike the vast majority of the Sinhalese diaspora, who openly support and canvass against the Tamils especially and now the Muslims too, for a racist Sinhalese only Buddhist state, they do not indulge in anti-Sinhalese activities. Are you aware that 90% of the Sinhalese diaspora were only supporting and funding the election of Gothabaya and there was a huge immense celebration amongst the Sinhalese diaspora in the West when he won. These people should have known better. The Tamil and Muslim politicians are reacting only to Sinhalese state-sponsored racism but many of them are also opportunistic and praying on their vulnerable and discriminated population for their own benefit but they are still not that bad or racist like the Sinhalese elite or politicians supported by rabid racist powerful Buddhist and until recently a Catholic Cardinal.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / June 16, 2023
Another good and accurate article by Dr Ameer Ali and a correct observation. How ironic the own history and achievements of the Eelam Tamils and the monuments that they had built in their own homeland during ancient times when a significant amount of them, like in the rest of South Asia converted to Buddhism. Is now being used very cunningly by Sinhalese Buddhist extremists, the Sinhalese Sri Lankan state and the occupying racist Sinhalese armed forces, to commit structural genocide on them, destroy them, by denying the Tamils their own ancient history, achievements historical symbols and monuments,, by usurping them for the Sinhalese. What a diabolical agenda I do not think even the Israelis would have thought of this.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / June 16, 2023
Cunningly, distorting and now re-writing history, that these ancient Tamil Buddhist sites and lands in the north and east were Sinhalese and proof that once Sinhalese lived there and so need to be reclaimed, which they never were and using them as a tool to rebuild huge new Sinhalese Buddhist viharas on the site and on the ruins of these ancient Tamil Buddhist sites and then confiscating thousands of acres surrounding private and public Tamil land, stating that these lands were all part of this ancient Buddhist Viharas, which they never were and then settling outside Sinhalese on these confiscated Tamil lands. Now even the Tamil place names of these areas are being changed Kuroonthoor has become Kurunda or something silly and Thiryai has become Thiriyaya, and these newly Sinhalised names are deliberately being used by even the southern Sinhalese national newspapers and reporters proving how much Sinhalese racism and has crept in, Mission accomplished. The correct thing would have been to have preserved these ancient Tamil Buddhist ruins as they were found, like in many Indian states and told the real history of the region, instead of now trying to build new Sinhalese Buddhist Viharas on these ancient Tamil Buddhist historical sites and deliberately destroy the actual history of the region, to deliberately claim the entire areas and the surrounding thousands of acres for the Sinhalese, using fake history.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / June 16, 2023
Lots of Buddhist sites down south would have been built on ancient Saivite Hindu sites, so why are they not being excavated and reconverted back to ancient Tamil Hindu temples, like what they are deliberately doing in the north and east? It looks like the so-called Archaeological department is not for the entire country or to find the real history of the land but only working for the Sinhalese and promoting lies fake history and Sinhalese Buddhist extremism.
When Buddhism arrived it was not only the large semi-Tamil-speaking Yakka population down the southern central and western parts of the island who converted to Buddhism but even a significant number of the population in the predominantly proper Tamil-speaking Naga north and east also converted to Buddhism. The only difference is these people unlike the population down south did not evolve into the new Sinhalese identity by corrupting their local Tamil dialect with the Pali Prakrit of Buddhist but retained their ancient Tamil identity and many of them not only converted to Theravada Buddhism but even to Mahayana Buddhism as seen in many of these ruins, proving they were never Sinhalese, as the Sinhalese only converted to Theravada Buddhism, whereas the ancient Tamil Buddhist belonged to both sects.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / June 16, 2023
However like the rest of India by the 10AD these Tamil Buddhists in the north and east had reconverted back to their original Hindu faith, and these once Tamil Hindu places of worship that became Tamil Buddhist again reconverted back to Hindu.
Raja Raja Cholan’s 10AD invasion of the island and the following 100-year Chola rule on the island put an end to Tamil Buddhism on the island just like in the Indian mainland. The Cholas were ardent Saivite Hindus and they did not want any other religion or form of Hinduism to prevail in any part of the Tamil land. Especially in the Tamil homeland in the northeast of the island, as they wanted a Hindu Tamil population as a buffer and loyal to them and not a significant Buddhist Tamil minority population that may turn against them. It was the 10AD Chola invasion of the island that clearly demarcated the established ancient Tamil lands of the north and east of the island as the Tamil homeland and a bastion of Saivite Hinduism. It had =always been their homeland but this Chola rule clearly emphasised, established and demarcated it. The Sinhalese never lived north of Anuradhapura or east of Polonnaruwa. North and east of these areas had always been Tamil from ancient times. The population here never evolved into the Sinhalese identity that came with Buddhism like in the south.
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SJ / June 16, 2023
” he never failed to remind his listeners that no province or district in the country should belong to any particular community. But he never extended the same argument when referring to the whole country.”
Be fair.
Whatever his true intentions, did MR ever say that the country should belong to any particular community?
There are plenty to applaud any attack on MR, but that is no license for wild allegations.
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srikrish / June 16, 2023
Dr Ameer Ali,
Will the voters give NPP a chance? Dr Ameer Ali asks a rhetoric question from the voters?
This means that Dr Ali is endorsing NPP in the next presidential election? And both NPP and DR Ali are in the same boat!
Both Dr Ali and NPP, the alleged promoters of systemic changes as necessary and sufficient condition for rescuing the country from the crisis in 2022 are hypocrites for deceiving that the crisis could also be overcome and achieved through elections.
The similarity between slogan of the old left in their key days advocating “parliamentary road also to socialism’ ending up finally as dead leftists!
Strong words indeed!
Supporting “Aragalaya’”last year was only a tactics by deceiving the rebellious youths to make maximum sacrifices as scapegoats for others to reap the benefits–a classic betrayal!
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Plato / June 16, 2023
Both quotes given by Dr.Ameer Ali at the start of this essay sums up the content of this well presented essay.
But,still I have two issues.
1]Political Archaelogy unlike Political Buddhism had its beginnings only recently,in the post LTTE period. The man behind the scenes Vithura Wickremanayake has not been highlighted in the essay. Most Sinhala politicians play the Sinhala card to camouflage their sideline businesses. His sister herself exposed him on these pages sometime ago.
The Prince of Denmark has not been mentioned in your Hamlet Dr.Ameer Ali.
The man has got skeletons in his cupboard..
2] The other is your brief for the NPP/JVP. True, for most people in the country who are fed up with the politics in the country for so long yearn for a change. But this is essentially only a Hobsons choice. The NPP/JVP IS FINE AS A STRONG OPPOSITION but to govern the country…………………?
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nimal fernando / June 17, 2023
Native,
–
It’s a pity that a man like you, who has his heart and mind in the right place, in most issues – especially Lankan issues – go through life with a closed mind …… thinking/believing only Ranil can solve problems and no one else!
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When you roam the streets of the world with an open mind …… you encounter people who haven’t been yet discovered ……. who can wipe the floor with better known artists! …… The young, who haven’t got their chance yet …….. cause the old established geriatric farts have been hugging all the limelight.
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Contrary to what you have believed all ye life, these might shock you: hope it doesn’t give you a heart attack. These are women!
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t62CCTH-OlY ……. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKQRJ__Lerc …….. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vd5TjQqxJI
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OC, hope you don’t get into trouble ……. close your eyes and listen only to the music …….. will help you to avoid the sofa tonight ……….. or you can keep SM company, who has been on the sofa all his life …… :))
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old codger / June 17, 2023
Nimal,
You’ll only get SM off his sofa if you post videos of Shakespeare doing Wagner in a short skirt….
With AKD in the audience of course.
I suppose we’ll all get to that stage……
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leelagemalli / June 17, 2023
“you can keep SM company, who has been on the sofa all his life …… :))”
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No matter who says this, this is the truth about bandarawela know-all . He seems to have no life than supporting 89-murderes be our saviors..
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My wish is a collection of young politicians [less corrupted] representing various parties be our future leaders. Why I am repeating this is both our people and their representatives are obviously not rational and uncorrupted.
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Pandi Kutti / June 17, 2023
Dr Ameer Ali, are you aware that the armed forces and some Buddhist Bhikkus are secretly building a huge Chingkalla Buddhist Biharai in Pulmoddai in the Trincomalee district in the east? This has now only recently come to light. This is a strategic area that borders the Thamizh Mullaitheevu district in the north and links the Thamizh north and east and they want to break this continuity of the Thamizh homeland by building this huge Chingkalla Buddhist Vihara by the members of the racist Chingkalla occupying armed forces supervised by extremist Chingkalla Poutha Pikku brigade. This is the reason the Mahanayakes and the Chingkallams want the racist occupying armed forces to remain in the north and east, in order to help and facilitate the building of new Chingkalla Viharas, converted ancient Thamizh Hindu temple and Viharias, to Chingkalla Buddhist Viharas and also to help the fake Archaeological department and other government departments like the Mahaveli, Land, forestry to steal Thamizh people land on the basis of all sorts of excuses like development, forestry, needing lots of lands to maintain newly built Chingkalla Viharais, strange they do not need all these lands in Chingkalla areas, chase of the local Thamizh and Thamizh Muslim and then handover land to outside Chingkallams to covert ancient Thamizh areas to Chingkallam using fake history, archaeology and force for which this racist occupying Chingkalla army is needed.
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Pandi Kutti / June 17, 2023
Strange a few weeks ago a Chingkalla Poutha Pikku was seen in the Pulmoddai area accompanied by a bunch of heavily armed thugs, going around inspecting all the lands in the area and just like Dr Ameer Ali stated was chased away by the local Thamizh and Thamizh Muslim villages when they caught him red-handed trying to install Budda statue in some local Muslim farmer’s field. When the local Thamizh and Muslims confronted him and the Chingkalla thugs who accompanied him, the thugs threatened the local Tamil Hindu and Muslim villagers with a gun but still facing fierce resistance they ran away with the Buddha statue. Now looks like they have gathered more reinforcements and have now recruited the racist Chingkalla occupying armed forces and returned with a vengeance to build this huge Chingkalla Buddhist Vihara in occupied Thamizh land and then use this to appropriate land from the local Tamils and Muslims to settle outside Chingkallams to break the continuity of the Thamizh north and east. All these fake claims are largely in the strategic Trincomalee and Mullaitheevu districts to deliberately divide the Thamizh north and east, also these areas have very rich fertile lands. They created a huge wedge between the Thamizh north and east with Pathavikulam now called Padaviya and later with Manal Aru and renamed Welioya but still could not break the continuity, so now brazenly building a huge new Chingkalla Buddhist Vihara in Pulmoddai with the help of the armed forces.
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Deshi / June 17, 2023
I have never seen / heard AKD supporting atleast a temporary implementation of 13A. JVP hasbeen vehemently opposing any merger of the N&E.
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RBH59 / June 17, 2023
Now, at a time when RW is trying to champion the cause of reconciliation and engaging to strike a deal with Tamil leaders, after promising them to stop unjustifiable encroachment into Tamil territories by religious zealots and soldiers.
We are not makers of history. We are made by history. We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Reconciliation is meant to rebuild and repair relationships that are broken. It can happen between two people, the Professor’s request and resignation, appear to be a premeditated ploy to sabotage the President’s effort
Mahatma Gandhi is revered in India as the father of the country. He is remembered most for his nonviolent means of working for social justice
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Mallaiyuran / June 17, 2023
Author is mixing up things. Evil was not elected by Sinhala Buddhists. Evil has no mandate for decide on anything. Evil was privately appointed by Rowdy Royals only to save them from the perceived cyclone that was about to sweep in Colombo in the name of protest. Evil started economic restoration only to limit Western interference with the name, IMF, Paris Club, recollecting the debts, credit rating companies and helping the poor with philanthropist organization. This was badly needed to save the Rowdy Royals. Even an investigation as the last resort to curb the Langkang on China Infatuation. Rowdy Royals and Yahapalanaya donkeys are contented that UNP has lost down to the Amude, so nothing to lose. So, they could go forward, take any unpopular decisions to save Rowdy Royals, like wooing or filtering with the IMF for some time. A branch of the old UNP is replanted as “SJB.” In case all goes bad, there is a child to tell the name “UNP”, under the guardianship of Valaiththodam. Valaiththodam Jr & Thulanjani are neither completely strangers to Rowdy Royal. Right after seeing that fixing the Exchange Rate was nothing but impossible Evil voluntarily offered to Rowdy Royals to take the helm wheel. Now every action of the Evil Emperor is rubber stamped by Pahatu Party pirate warriors stationed on the palace ship JR installed in Diyawanna Lake.
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Mallaiyuran / June 17, 2023
“The Buddhist Temples land “ is a double-edged sword, 1). buying time from the feared General Brunswig (IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva), who is leading the army of the IMF in the name of providing economic justice; 2). hunting for sacrificial goats on the altar of Sinhala Buddhism (one, whom the Sinhala Buddhists can label, at the end, as Ehelepola), here it is the all covers stripped, nude UNP. After the IMF loan, China and Rowdy royal will work together and respectfully cremate the UNP for all the services this Ehelepola delivered against the Tamil King Rajasinghan. (The biggest drawback of Sinhala Buddhists is not their 2 weeks memory, but their inability to see the logic in the simple maxim of” Cause and effect”. They just reaped the Hunu fertilizer harvest of the Hitler King. Then already now the season for UMP’s Evil & IMF restructuring bumper harvest is standing ready to reap, around the corner. So, they are deeply blessed in the curse of “sow & reap” without any possible fixation.) Old Rowdy has caught Evil as his sacrificial goat. In turn, Evil has got a whole herd like Sampanthar Aiyya, Justice CV, NPC Sivagnanam, Sumanthiran P.C. Charles, all Muslim politicians…. even the whole Tamil population, whether they stand with the UNP or not.
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Mallaiyuran / June 17, 2023
This woman Charles once, during Evil’s Yahapalanaya, blocked the unloading of an American military plane without she is inspecting the arms, on behalf of Rowdy Royals. That time Evil was using Mangala, the world’s greatest liar, to stage many dramas like releasing lands, calling back the Army from the North, implementation of UNHRC resolutions…….., even a new Federal constitution specifically for Sumanthiran, but not calling it “FEDERAL”. Mangala was flying around the world and performing hard to beat Kadirgamar. Then it was said America had an agreement to Bridge Trinco & Colombo. This Batticaloa woman could not bear Evil is offering the Eastern Port, Trinco to America. Eventually she was put in the Election department to disturb the elections being held. After that, seeing the massive drawback the Royals fell into, she joined Evil and has gone as the governor to North. Her & Karuna’s first enemies are Northerners. So Evil is on the right foot to use her in the north. Once a terrible Rapist Army General Chandra Siri, signed the Divi nigumba bill instead of an elected Chief Minister signing it, as per the 13A. When next time the Demolu Pariah Dr. Jaishankar comes to Palali, she will hold on to the pants demanding that India must show her everything coming to the Airport. She will be good watch dog on the Indian games, through Palali AirPort.
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Mallaiyuran / June 17, 2023
Evil has asked a group of Sinhala Buddhist extremists to put together a set of proof to establish Tamils area Buddhist temples as evidence of Tamils are occupying the Sinhalese lands by chasing away the Sinhala Buddhists out of there. Probably once again, Florida Lab will certify with Carbon dating that the Sinhala CWE existed in the 2nd or 3rd century in the North.
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Thanga / June 17, 2023
The saffron robed Buddhist brigade are a national disgrace to Buddhist Dhamma as taught by Buddha. Buddha was not a god or even semi-god. He revolted against the the four-fold Varna system that prevailed in Hinduism that segregated men and women by their caste and rituals involving animal sacrifice by Brahmin Hindu priests. Buddha was essentially a teacher. He asked people to follow his teachings to dispel sorrow and live happily in this world. What the saffron-robed wrestlers are engaged is to build Viharas where there are no Buddhists.
According to Mahavamsa Vijaya was a Hindu. His sons Muttu Sivan, Mahanama and Tissa were all Hindus. Ethnic wise they were Nagas. It was Devanampiya Tissa (son of Muttu Sivan) who got converted to Buddhism. Yet the rulers of Ceylon never attempted to build Viharas where there were no Buddhists. In fact, pride of place was given to Hindu Gods in Viharas. Duttu Gemunu worshipped Lord Kataragama before embarking on his march to Anuradhapura.
Present and former Sinhalese Buddhist Presidents and Prime Ministers were regular visitors to Tirupati, Guruvayoor temple etc. Only the saffron robed brigades have declared war on Hinduism Hindu temples.
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Rohan25 / June 17, 2023
Thanga they are getting away with all this because powerful members of the present government, the Sinhalese elite and the Sinhalese occupying army and police, especially their senior officers support this. They are building Viharas in Tamil areas where there are no Buddhists or building Buddhist viharas by destroying ancient Hindu temples or on the ruins of ancient Tamil Buddhist sites, then changing place names, to deliberately destroy the ancient history of the island’s Tamils, their homeland and their existence as people and a nation and with the intention of bringing and settling thousands of outside Sinhalese in the vicinity of these newly built Sinhalese Buddhist Vihara by ethnically cleansing the Tamil population that was living there.This is the reason they, the fake Archaeological department, as well as other government departments, are demanding thousands of acres of Tamil lands and state lands surrounding these newly built Viharas, stating that they are needed for their upkeep, and for other various reasons for Sinhalese colonisation to change the demography and destroy the Tamil homeland and commit structural and cultural genocide on them.
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Rohan25 / June 17, 2023
They have already reduced the Tamil population which at the time of so-called independence was 26% to 15% within 70 years. This has always been their aim and target, well planned before independence and now very efficiently being executed and stupid short-sighted Tamil leaders largely the elite Colombo based did not care at that time or were taken for a ride. The current Tamil leaders a helpless. India and the West who helped the Sinhalese to win the war on the fake promise that they will provide federalism and just Tamil rights now do not care and are playing a double game running behind the Sinhalese to keep China out and the Sinhalese know this. They are very good at these fraudulent games. They think once the three Tamil minorities are marginalised and destroyed, they can start building the nation, however, this will never happen. As their leaders politicians clergy and elite are corrupt to the core and most Sinhalese are lazy, they have been trained to expect and get everything for free at the expense of the Tamils.
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Jayasiri Samarakoon / June 17, 2023
“The only leader who has been bold enough to say publicly that the 13th Amendment should be implemented temporarily until the whole system is overhauled with a new constitution is AKD from NPP.” To say that 13A should be implemented or that PCs would not be abolished is one thing (Champika also says so now). But to agree that the only solution o the ethnic issue is that there should be sharing of State power is another- JVP/NPP has not taken a position on that. See what Kumar David, national list candidate of the NPP says in The Island of 04 June: The JVP’s attitude to the minorities is immature. Anura spoke at a well-attended meeting in Jaffna recently and was pleased as punch that the big-wigs of Jaffna politics were in attendance on front row seats. The JVP seems to have made the jackass assumption that Tamils will vote for itin droves even if it says nothing about evolution, redressing grievances ofTamils and Muslims, returning to their owners private Tamil homes occupied and trashed by the military, and the nagging issue of the “disappeared”. The legislation proposed by the RW government to replace the PTA is more draconian than the original.One-time Tamil militants have been imprisoned interminably on flimsy grounds but Anura has made no promise that a JVP government will release them.”
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Sinhala_Man / June 17, 2023
Dear Jayasiri Samarakoon,
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The 13th Amendment is certainly not the “only” solution to ethnic issues; it certainly was an attempt at a solution. The real solution is a change of “attitude“, but that by its very nature is too private; it has necessarily left to the individual, and cannot be enforced.
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The problem with this Amendment was that it was imposed upon us by Rajiv Ghandhi, Prime Minister of a different country. As such it is not acceptable to the Sinhalese. Almost every Sinhalese who has attempted to “enforce” it had some ulterior motive in doing so.
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Law and Constitutions is not my forte, but personally I have no hostility towards this Amendment, and that has consistently been the case.
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Kumar David has long and sincerely been wrestling with this issue. You have quoted him, seemingly unaware that his article was here on Colombo Telegraph:
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https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/ranils-strategic-manoeuvres-but-global-capitalism-is-at-a-tipping-point/
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We discussed it; Kumar is a man who has won for himself the right to express dissatisfaction. Not only did I respectfully disagree, but I checked with some Jaffna friends.
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More effective than me in comments there has been Simon. To solve these problems we must, before all else, get rid of ego.
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You will find all those comments below that article.
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Panini Edirisinhe
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SJ / June 18, 2023
“Reconciliation is more beautiful than victory” (Violeta Chamorro, Nicaraguan political leader).
With whom was reconciliation sought in Nicaragua under her?
Violeta Chamorro was with the CIA sponsored Contras, the murderous armed group that acted to wreck the Nicaraguan economy during its US-backed civil war lasting 11 years.
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