By C. V. Wigneswaran –
C.V. Wigneswaran
I am happy personally that Sajith Premadasa has been picked upon. He is young and had a liberal early education at Royal College. During his time the classes were divided linguistically unlike in our time where all communities were in the same class with one language binding us (English). But I am sure basically he has an attitude of Live and Let Live nurtured by Royal College Education and Buddhism and may be also his London School of Economics’ Education and his stints elsewhere too.
He did well with Youth through his Tharuna Saviya apart from Jana Suwaya and Sasunata Aruna.
He has a strong Buddhist background which is to be welcomed.
But there are two or three matters which may have conditioned him against us the Tamils. His father falling victim to violence identified with the Tamil Militants. The other is his possible difficulty in separating organisational Buddhism from actual Buddhist Teachings. I have been saying the Constitution should have included Buddha’s teaching into the Constitution in some form or other and but not given Organised Buddhism its foremost place. Organisation of Buddhism is different from the teachings of the Enlightened One. Bodu Bala Sena’s latest antics in Mullaitivu is an example of how organisational Buddhism can be disastrous if not criminal. 
Further his strong conviction that this Country is Sinhala Buddhist can be a bar to the resolution of Tamils’ political problems. He should realise this Country does not belong to the Sinhala Buddhists. From pre Buddhistic times this Country was Tamil Hindu (Saivite), Buddhism was introduced among Hindu (Saivite) Tamils only and the Sinhala language came into being much later in the 6th or 7th Century AD. What remains today as archaeological remains of 2000 years ago were those left during the time of the Demala Baudhayo. (Tamil Buddhists)
Of course now the majority may be 75% Sinhala Buddhist but the North and East are almost 85% Tamil speaking. We prefer to be secular since we respect each other’s religions and Hinduism the major religion in the North from time immemorial has preached that “Truth is One; but Sages call it by different names”. That is why the North Eastern Tamil speaking are asking for self determination within one country.
If Sajith could be as pragmatic as his father whom I knew, he might prove to be the exception to the Reign by so called Nationalist Patriots who have proved to be lacking in sensibility and sensitivity. If he could come out of the cocoon he may have created around him he could well prove to be an excellent President for all communities despite President’s powers being clipped by Law in recent times.
JBX Devatha / September 30, 2019
Good point Wiggy. Not only should Sajith realize that Sri Lanka does not belong to the Sinhala Buddhists only but to the Tamilians who crossed over some swimming, some on Banana trunk rafts, too, like Siva Sankara Sharma, Uru Kutty.
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jayt / October 4, 2019
nuke are only solution! to the Tamil supporters in the world
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JD / October 1, 2019
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sellam / October 1, 2019
In politics whether in Sri Lanka or elsewhere, there are no god men or women. Gotabaya , the so called gentlest, and for that matter Premadasa are no good men in politics
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JBX Devatha / October 1, 2019
In your opinion who is the God/Good politician?
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sellam / October 1, 2019
I am sorry I omitted the letter O in Good men or Women. There are no good politicians anywhere in this wicked world. Even if there are good men, they won’t be in politics because they are surrounded by power hungry men and women.
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k.kulesh / October 1, 2019
Once in power, Sajith Premadasa ( SP) can show a different color that Wiggie tries to emphasize as his father had been the victim of a Tamil assassin and more importantly the killing happened when SP was very young that itself could have made an unforgettable scar in his young mind.
Before the Tamil speaking take the final decision to vote for him, this particular issue should come to their mind. Again, the trend that is developing saying the country belongs only to Sinhala Buddhist, will metamorphose into a dangerous situation, particularly in the North and East of the country.
Against this backdrop, we should see the other candidate GR,who has already created a horrible image among all including Sinhalese people in this country and it could turn into a worse situation than earlier when he himself gets the mantle of power through election. He could not be controlled even by his brother when went on the rampage ( with Wimal Weeraya in the extortion spree) during his tenure as Secretary to the defense. So, why the nation wants to take risk in electing this type of man with military background through their franchise. After all, this is not a military coup but a democratic election where the people of this country in their real sense, using intelligence (if they possess) are going to elect their leader for another 5 years which will determine the destiny of them and their generations. More than anything else, ‘Pohottu’ pakshaya is very young that has been formed by those who carried out heinous crime in this country and were found guilty by the people and( but not by the law of this country) and more particularly to teach a lesson to MS and Chandrika.
So, comparatively, SP does not have any skeletons in his political cupboard so far and could be trusted to some extent but yet to prove.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / October 1, 2019
Yes Sajith does not have any skeletons in his political cupboard, but he possesses the political cupboard of his father which has many skeletons. Already he has shown thug like attitude letting loose his supporters. What is the guarantee that he will not resort to it in bigger way when in power. He is enjoying the ill-gotten wealth of his father, and may not swindle in the future as he has no children to pass that. The first person to commit mass scale political murders in Sri Lanka was his father and not Mahinda or Gota. As far as Tamil problem is concerned he has Sinhala chauvinistic views.
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Concerned Citizen / October 2, 2019
Sri Lanka (both North & South) is known as an agricultural country with a fertile tropical land suitable for cultivation of a variety of crops, but very unfortunately the present day politicians like Sajith Premadasa and the UNP are clueless when it comes to agriculture and farming. Sajith knows only building houses and chaitiyas (dagabas). Sajit Premadasa does not have any program for the Agriculture and farming community of Sri Lanka. Similarly he has no idea what so ever about the National problem (ethnic issue) in Sri Lanka. Sajith may not be a racist or a fanatic but very similar to most of the Sinhala-Buddhists, from very young age, they are brainwashed by engraving the Mahavamsa Mindset into their sub-conscious minds to believe the myth that Sri Lanka is a Sinhala-Buddhist country and the non-Sinhala Buddhists are outsiders (the minorities are aliens). They always forget the fact that the forefather (creator) of the Sinhala race (Vijay and his men) and Buddhism also came from outside and are not native to Sri Lanka. We should not forget the fact that after the war ended, it was the same Rajapakshes who built the North & East. They are also very well aware of the National problem (ethnic issue) in Sri Lanka. The four and a half years old Yahapalana government did nothing to the North & East, they were only taking the Tamils for a ride by talking about a new constitution that never happened. It is high time that the TNA should join hands with the future government (similar to Muslim Congress & upcountry Tamil Congress) and work towards the betterment of North & East instead of sitting in the opposition and getting nothing for the Tamil people.
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Concerned Citizen / October 2, 2019
It is true that some Sinhala Racist politicians (who cannot even win in the election) using Buddhist monks as well as ethno-religious symbols in their public campaigns to arouse the emotion of the Sinhala-Buddhist masses. They appeal to the deep-seated fears of the majority community about how its future is threatened by the minorities and political parties who seek minority votes to win elections. However, the Tamils should think very carefully and be wise enough to choose the right person/party who will work together to solve the political, economic and security issues of the Tamil people.
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K.Anaga / October 2, 2019
Sajit says he will use his salary/ allowances for the welfare of the poor. Good. But how will he look after himself and his family? Is he going to
enjoy his father’s ‘ill-gotten wealth’? He will need a lot of money to run his political campaign and from wher is he going to get the finances from? Maharajas?
I hope he will declare his wealth prior to handing over the nomination papers.
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Spring Koha / October 3, 2019
K Anaga
Good point! In sunny Sri Lanka there is no requirement for a politician to declare his/her wealth, its sources, and the taxes paid. Because of that there is a small army of investigative journalists permanently employed on the job of working out the financial ramifications of our politicians. The investigators are simply no match for the politicians who are experts at concealing their financial matters.
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Ajay / October 1, 2019
Wiggy:
Would you please stop being miserable. You’re the one polarizing the communities and estranging the North from the rest of the country by your racist comments. First, practice what you preach: keep the Northern Provincial Council secular. Set a good example by not dressing like a religious freak when carrying out your official duties. And don’t desecrate Tamil culture and Hinduism by your insane promotion of Matale Prem Kumar who styled himself as Swami Premananda and raped and murdered children.
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Bodin / October 1, 2019
Wiggy writes
His father falling victim to violence identified with the Tamil Militants.
Militants who go about blowing up people, trains, buses, praying Muslims in Mosques, or even trusting friends like Amithalingam are known as Terrorists.
When did terrorists ebcome militants?
What kind of a person in Wigneswaran? He is also trying to falsify history. Forunately Captain Percival has written who lived in Jaffna -mostly Moors- when Ceylon became a crown colony.
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chiv / October 1, 2019
Native, dont waste your energy. You may have to answer Saman two more times because he has alters called Siva and Love Lanka. I am sure, there is plenty to come. Other than Gotha and Wimal (the fake passport holders ) a lot of their supporters too seems to have alters. Imagine this many alters voting in coming election. What can EC or Mahinda Deshapriya do when he him self is suffering from Multiple Personalty Disorder.
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Fred / October 1, 2019
CVW is suggesting that Sajith is in error in has alleged “strong conviction that this Country is Sinhala Buddhist”. While CV has not said so in so many words, what he is stating is that SL is not exclusively Buddhist. Not many would quarrel with that. But what surprises me is that someone ostensibly well educated and with a substantial background in the law should try to support his case with some dodgy re-writing of history and, just as importantly, with something that is wholly IRRELEVANT to his case. His case, that SL is not an exclusively Buddhist county, will not stand or fall on whether or not Tamil settlement in the island predates that of the Sinhalese. CV could surely have put forward some arguments that were more germane to the case. It would seem that in pushing his favourite theme of self rule for the N & E, the gentleman has got his thinking all muddled.
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Thambapanni Man / October 1, 2019
What C. V. Wigneswaran is saying is absolutely correct. Sri Lanka was originally a Tamil Hindu country. The Island of Lanka was known during the ancient period (before Buddhism) as Siva Bhoomi – the Land of Siva. All the ancient rulers of Sri Lanka before the arrival of Buddhism were Saivaites who worshipped the Pancha Ishwaram Temples. Even today, if they dig/excavate deep in any part of Sri Lanka, the archeology department could find only Statues of Shiva, some of them are kept in the museum while many got disappeared.
The Tamil Hindu Sri Lanka was invaded by Kallathoni Vijay who created the Sinhala race in Sri Lanka. Vijaya the father of the Sinhala race invaded the island Sri Lanka that originally belonged to the Saivaite Tamils. That is why the Tamil Cholas and Pandyas kept on invading to take back their island that was once a part of their country.
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Lester / October 2, 2019
The Pandyans allied with Sinhalese to fight off the Cholas. Vijaya was a Prince from Kalinga. The only Kallathonis are the low-caste Vellalars brought by the Dutch in the 11th century. You Eelamists can keep trying to re-write history, but there are thousands of inscriptions in Sinhala/Brahmi script showing the long history of Sinhalese on the island. Mahavamsa is confirmed by all the great Indian epics, Mahabharatha/Ramayana, etc. In Mahavamsa, all the South Indian invaders are clearly identified by name.
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Thambapanni Man / October 2, 2019
Parangi Lester,
Whether Prince from Kalinga or Pandya or Chola (whatever), Lanka was the country of the Veddas (Yakka) and the Tamils (Naga). It was invaded by Kallathoni Vijay and his men (creators of the Sinhala race) who came in a boat from Hindusthan (note that Kallathoni is a Tamil word for illegal immigrants by boat). Today, the Hindusthan invader kallathoni Vijay’s descendants are calling themselves Sinhalese (in Tamil they are known as Paradesi Chingalam). Vijay’s people (Sinhalese) came from Hindusthan and Buddhism also came from Hindusthan. All those thousands of inscriptions are in Brahmi script (not Sinhala) and Brahmi script was common to both Tamils and Sinhalese. The so called ‘long history of Sinhalese on the island’ started with the invasion of Kallathoni Vijay and his 700 men (thugs). In Mahavamsa, the North Indian invader is clearly identified by name. The country was originally a part of South India and therefore the South Indians were not invaders but the rightful owners. The pot smoking Buddhist monk who wrote the Mahavamsa mistook them for invaders.
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Lester / October 2, 2019
Scholars have accepted that the cave inscriptions are some variation of Sinhala language (modern Sinhala evolved in 3 stages) and not Tamil.
” The oldest writing of Sinhala can be traced back to about 3 century B.C. These are inscriptions mainly marked by either cave or rock [8] found in almost all part of the Island. Usually these cave inscriptions are found below the drip-ledge where the script too is protected from water… In some cases, the writing continues as one line for about forty to fifty feet from left to right and in some cases it has been written from right to left.” – Bridging the Digital Divide in Sri Lanka: Some Challenges and Opportunities, S. T. Nandasara, University of Colombo, Yoshiki Mikami Nagaoka University of Technology
Here is a script that was found in the village of Vallipuram of the Vadamaracci Division of Jaffna District in 1936, dating to the 2nd century A.D. “Hail! In the reign of the great King Vasa(ba) and when the Minister Isigiraya was governing Nakadiva, Piyaguka Tisa caused a vihara to be built at Badakara-atana.”
So many of these scripts are references to Buddhism. They mention people, places, and events that are confirmed in Mahavamsa. There were no Tamil Buddhists in Sri Lanka, so again we know that the scripts were written by early Sinhalese people.
Even the “Jaffna Kingdom” was not founded by Tamils.. Kalingha-Maha was no Tamil. Look at it his name, he is Aryan from Kalinga, as Deepavamsa correctly notes (“Damila Warrior of Kalinga”).
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Native Vedda / October 2, 2019
Lester the New Epigraphist
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“Scholars have accepted that the cave inscriptions are some variation of Sinhala language (modern Sinhala evolved in 3 stages) and not Tamil.”
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Which scolar are you referring to?
Was it S Paranavitana who found inter linear inscription in Sigiriya?
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Was it Mahanama who watched/heard a beast raping a beauty or found rock art depicting the act?
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By the way compare the evolution of Sinhala scripts in S T Nandasara’s paper (page 6) and Evolution of Tamil scripts in the table which can be accessed from the link below:
https://www.scoopwhoop.com/interesting-facts-about-the-tamil-language/
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Compare the evolving alphabets and see there had not been much difference between the two scripts. Since there hadn’t been much difference in the early period, you could also claim that Tamils stole the scripts from Sinhala language following Champika’s various outrageous historical claims.
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No harm in making outrageous claims.
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Many so called scholars do not know the difference among various scripts, Pallava Vatteluthu, Asokan Brahmi, Tamili/Damali, Grantha, Sanskrit in Devanagari, Kharosthi Script, ….
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If you consider yourself a scholar please let me know the difference between your conclusion of Vallipuram script and late prof A Velupillai’s reading of the same script. Is it another interlinear inscription?
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You do not have to respond to my comments.
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Thambapanni Man / October 2, 2019
Parangi Lester,
What you have written is a load of rubbish. Prakrit (a form of Sanskrit) was the only language found in the cave inscriptions of the early historic period. The actual language called Sinhala started developing only in the 7th century CE and first appeared only in the 8th century CE Sigiri mirror wall writings. What existed before the 7th century CE was only Prakrit and Pali and written in the Brahmi script which was common to both Tamils and others. The same Prakrit and Pali were also found in South Indian (Brahmi) inscriptions.
Regarding Tamil Buddhists in Sri Lanka, you seem to be a total ignorant. There are plenty of articles & books on Tamil Buddhism. It is a historical fact that among the many ancient Buddhist shrines in the North and East, what the Sinhalese call Velgam Vehera and the Tamils call Natanar Kovil stands out as the only known example of a `Tamil Vihare or Buddhist Palli` or as the late Dr. Senerath Paranavithana described it in his book `Glimpses of Ceylon`s Past` as an `Ancient Buddhist Temple of the Tamil people`. Some of the Tamil inscriptions found at the site record donations to this shrine.
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Thambapanni Man / October 2, 2019
Everything changed in Sri Lanka only after the arrival of Emperor Asoka’s missionary monks lead by Arahat Mahinda who converted the Saivaite King Muta Siva’s son Prince Thissa to Buddhism. A large number of the Tamil Saivaite tribes in the island embraced Asoka’s Buddhism, Aryanised/Prakritised their speech, learned to write using Asoka Bhrami script, adopted Asoka’s Lion symbol (Indian Lion) and the Dhamma Chakra (also called the Asoka Chakra), accepted the Asoka Buddhist culture and implemented Asoka’s technology to build Stupas, Chaitya, Viharas, Sangharama, and so on. Later, those who moved towards the South of Anuradapura/Rajarata created their own language Sinhala (because they were isolated from others) whereas those who moved towards the North of Anuradapura closer to the Tamil mainland continued to use the Tamil language due to the influence from across the palk strait with free movement due to the Rama Setu bridge.
The Sinhalese still worshipping the Dravidian (Hindu) Gods/deities while calling themselves Buddhists indicates their original Dravidian roots. It is important to note that both Sinhalese and Tamils are Dravidian from the same tribes/stock but the language was changed to either Indo-Aryan (Sinhala) or remained Dravidian (Tamil).
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jayt / October 4, 2019
nuke test on Tamil nadu is the best solution to your deceits
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subramaniam sahadevan / October 2, 2019
wiggi is very well playing for the tamil gallery. you were Supreme court judge until retirement and you charged Tamils under PTA, and you are talking about injustice now ,you should have resigned then,you have no moral right to talk. Dont think tamil are fools. Leave alone the confrontational politics of tamil nationalistic policies.we can still work on the 13 th amendment and live peacefully.
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Spring Koha / October 3, 2019
Wiggy is right to be concerned. Sajith like all other Sinhala-Buddhist politicians know fully well that you have to stay on the right side of the ‘Sangha’ – that includes the rampant and most unBuddhist BBS with its motley collection of frothing-from-the-mouth saffron clad thugs.
Do not expect a sudden conversion of Sajith to liberal values.
The tussle for the Buddhist Soul of this country has now been appropriated by GG (Gota the Gentle One) who has since the Aluthgama Marakala Kollala established his sympathies for Gandasara.
Those hoping for a secular Lanka should continue to pray hard.
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Sirisena Yatawara / October 4, 2019
CW Wig has to realized… that their Homeland in Tamil Nadu …republic of India.
No doubt about that Sri lanak will annex by Tamil Nadu after couples of decades!@
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Wewagadara Appuhamay / October 4, 2019
Sajith Premasasa has to know that lowest cast man can be President of our Republic.
That is the key feature of democracy of Island …republic.!
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Pygmalion / October 5, 2019
The fact remains that for a very long time,since the time he became an MP, HE WAS A LONER.!
He had his own projects doling out money and gifts in his electorate and went about on his own.He was by no means a Team player!
It is very likely that if and when elected he would start with his Chaitiyas and Dagobas,all over the country side!
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