28 March, 2024

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Sri Lanka’s National Anthem Betrayed!

By Sharmini Serasinghe

Sharmini Serasinghe

“….In wisdom and strength renewed,

Ill-will, hatred, strife all ended,

In love enfolded, a mighty nation

Marching onward, all as one,

Lead us, Mother, to fullest freedom.”

These are the mighty words Lanka’s National Anthem ends with, which has no relevance today!

Perhaps it should now read as-

“….In ignorance and strength reduced,

Ill-will, hatred, strife all begun,

In hate enfolded, a once mighty nation

Marching backwards, all as one,

Lead us not, Mother, to perpetual hell.”

How many of us, especially those of our political leaders pay heed to the significance of our National Anthem when they so proudly stand up and pay lip service to it? Where is the “wisdom” in their leadership? Where is the “ill-will, hatred, strife all ended”? Are we a “mighty nation in love enfolded marching forward as one”? Where, Oh where is the “fullest freedom”?

Doesn’t our National Anthem sound hypocritical today? But yet we stand and salute it, uttering its words that hold no relevance today.

Had there been such a thing as a forthright political leadership with “wisdom” in Lanka today, we would be seeing all attempts at healing the wounds of our aggrieved brethren of the North, caused by mistakes of the past, that have plagued this nation for so long. This ought to have been the single most important action of such “wisdom” had we had it, upon ending a protracted and bloody civil war of 30 years.

Instead, in the absence of such “wisdom”, Lanka continues to stand today with open and gaping wounds camouflaged by bandages in the form of new infrastructure as in roads, highways, airports et al in the name of ‘development’- what better example of placing the cart before the horse!

To expect our political leadership to have such qualities as wisdom, vision and direction would be asking for too much. To them, warmongering appears to be a lucrative hobby, while kindling and keeping the embers of disharmony among the populace glowing and alive. After all, peace, unity and harmony in the country don’t bring in the filthy lucre. Wars do!

Not satisfied with polarizing us by our ethnicity alone, we now see a focus on widening the divide with a religious flavour as well. To them, our elected leaders, nothing is sacred. So we now have the sacred Saffron Robe being wielded to silence the ‘other’ into submission in the name of Buddhism, thereby paving the way for renewed “ill-will, hatred and strife” of a much greater magnitude.

Hot on the heels of an erratic group of unorthodox ‘Buddhist monks’ questionable by repute hitting the streets, spewing hate and venom against the ‘other’, there rises the ‘Aranthalawa Massacre Memorial Museum’ in the predominantly Muslim populated Eastern district of Ampara.  The scenes are depicted through gory sculptures of the massacred Buddhist monks in their death throes in a bus.

This tragic and unfortunate incident in Aranthalawa in 1987 indeed sent shock waves throughout the nation, but there were equally horrifying massacres that took place throughout the 30 years of war. Therefore, will such memorial museums be set up in each of those places where such horrific massacres took place, so we will keep bumping into them at every corner, keeping us constantly reminded of their significance and thereby keep the flames of ethnic disharmony permanently alive?

How can reconciliation ever be possible with such massacre sites being turned into permanent ‘reminders’? However if the objective of such, is to portray and preserve for posterity the evils of a ruthless terrorist outfit as the LTTE never to be repeated, then shouldn’t there be a balance in this exercise, by setting in motion the likes of the LLRC recommendations? Wouldn’t this prevent the need for such ‘memorials’ to sprout in the future as well?

It appears the only vision the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and its cohorts have is to ‘divide and rule’ no matter the cost. First we had the father of the SLFP SWRD Bandaranaike setting the trend with his infamous ‘Language Act’ that divided the Sinhalese and Tamils ad infinitum, the results of which we still suffer today. And now we have his successors taking his ‘policy’ to the next level by using religion to drive the citizenry further apart.

One need not be endowed with too much of a vivid imagination to compare our current set of ruling politicians to a group of bad actors. They appear to have been thrown on to a stage and asked to perform without a script. As a result they seem to think only the gallery comprising the SinhalaBuddhist vote base must be kept entertained with cheap gimmicks and other such, they like to see and hear, so they the actors with no talent could remain on stage for ever.

Why do we need to hold expensive elections to choose such leaders? The law of the jungle would have sufficed. Therefore let our bankrupt rulers not lead us up the garden path. Let us not get caught up in their vile schemes that will once again end up in chaos of blood-letting proportions. Lanka is not the playground of our elected political leaders and we are not their puppets.

If Lanka is supposed to be a Buddhist country based on the argument that the majority are Buddhists, then it is the bounden duty of the ‘majority’ sans the politicians to live and lead by example. The ‘majority’ must earn the right to call Lanka a Buddhist country if they must. Therefore it is up to the ‘majority’ to nip the mistrust that is being gradually made to take root amongst us in the bud.

The ‘majority’ if they are true Buddhists must display their magnanimity by showing a sincere willingness to accommodate those of other faiths as well and not denigrate them. Therefore if Lanka is a Buddhist country the ‘majority’ should be propagating peace, harmony and unity amongst all as portrayed through our National Anthem.

There are of course a handful of those who are willing to prostitute themselves, and be led by their noses by their so called leaders. We also find quite a number of them spewing their venom and hatred of the ‘other’ in the comment threads of the likes of the Colombo Telegraph, so why look further. These are the sycophants who see all of the Emperor’s New Clothes, even when he’s stark naked, and cheer him on.

All of us Lankans have suffered enough by being branded by our ethnicity and religion for too long. We have all had enough of being used by politicians for their own ends.  We have all been labeled as this and that ad nauseam for what purpose? Time to wake up Lanka!

Let us start living up to our National Anthem even at this late stage. We have the golden opportunity to realise this, even though symbolic, in the form of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year dawning in under a fortnight from now. It is a good place to start, so let us all Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and Muslims from this day forward, celebrate this event as one, as the Lankan National New Year. At least that way, when we next sing our National Anthem, we will know that we are not lying through our teeth!

*Sharmini Serasinghe was Director Communications of the former Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) under Secretary Generals Jayantha Dhanapala and Dr. John Gooneratne. She counts over thirty years in journalism in both the print and electronic media.

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    Ms. Serasinghe you ask good questions, for which we may never get answers. I also agree about the national anthem being betrayed, like the country is being betrayed by racists and hate mongers.

    May I also add that the Sri Lankan national flag has been disrespected and betrayed. It proudly shows the inclusion of minorities in the country, Hindus and Muslims. It seems the minute fraction of anti Buddhist goons conveniently forget this fact, and their actions show hatred for minorities and the intentions to marginalize them. Sri Lanka has nothing to be proud of right now. We have a government that has failed the minorities, condones that actions of racists, and armed forces that seem to be instructed to look the other way, when violence against minorities are carried out.

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      Excellent piece! Lanka needs to be liberated from the cursed and corrupt, racist, bigoted and UNEDUCATED, greedy and JEALOUS Mahinda Rajapakse military dictatorship and their Balu Sena that are intent on following a policy of DIVIDE, DESTROY (the multicultural social fabric), DISTRACT the Sinhalaya modayas AND RULE in order to cover up the Rajapakse regime’s corruption and crimes.
      Buddhism has been destroyed by a Safron clad mob in Lanka and it is shocking the leaders of the religion from the various Nikayas are keeping silent about how the Buddhist doctrine and practice has been distorted and militarized by the Rajapakse military dictatorship and its Balu Sena. THE BUDDHIST LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO HOLD THE BALU SENA ACCOUNTABLE and its leaders MUST be arrested and tried in open court for incitement to racial hatred, destruction of private property and public disorder.
      The sickening Sinhala Buddhist jealousy, envy and hatred of the economic successes of the minorities (Muslims and Tamils) and the will to destroy them is clear.
      This is the HIGHEST FORM OF UNBUDDHISM that is PUBLIC RELIGION IN SRI LANKA TODAY – distorted and militarized. The Buddha and Buddhism, their spirit and practice have been slaughtered in this insular island that claims to protect Buddhism!
      The history of Buddhism in Lanka is being defamed and destroyed by the actions of the Balu Sena and the Rajapakse military dictatorship – as the Buddhist world looks on in horror at what is being done in the name of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and also Myanmar where violence against others is now a way of life.

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    Nothing takes place without the backing of the western IC hypocrisy-UK/US.

    US created Pakistan drawing the partition knowing very well there would be bloodshed and the naked fakir (Gandhi) asked the Hindus to observe nonviolence and die without a fight.

    Well 2 million Hindus were beheaded and killed. Will the IC permit the re-joining of that great mass of land called Hindustan? No never.

    Whom are you Sinhalese preaching to?

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      Wuliangguobinjiu, Please correct me if I am wrong. I was brought up to understand that there was no Hindustan as such, before the British unified the ‘great mass of land’, into one country. It was at the time, a conglomeration of States ruled by petty ‘kings’. To the British the people were all brown skinned ‘Natives’- ‘The White Man’s Burden’ It was when the British left, that Hindus and Muslims started realising their differences, and the country was divided along religious lines to avert more bloodshed. That ‘great mass of land’ was big enough to be divided. Our little island is not! We have to learn to live in peace with our minorities, before some other other foreign Power decides to take over. Yes, everyone recognises our strategic geographical position between East and West, with no land further South, before Antartica! China does not love the Rajapakses, only the Southern tip of the Island, which they think is Rajapakseland. Trincomalee which has a better harbour is ‘iffy’ because it is being eyed by TamilNadu.

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        Before Hinduism was Jainism subsequently the Mughal conquest of the north (See Percy Brown on Indian Architecture) Yes many nations with their own language, dress and customs and ruled by Brahmins only which is even today. The European traders, Portuguese, Dutch and British- the Dutch started East India Company and when the British beat the Spanish Armada they became the leaders so there was no fight with protestant Dutch. The British sold arms to all sides and knocked the last man out and preferred the Indo Europeans the refugee Parses from Iran to the natives. The British learnt Sanskrit the classical language from a low caste at night. Indians fought from Belgium to Burma and 2 million Indians died for the British in the European war called WW2 so that they may become one Europe and not fight again. The only other classical language in India and still in use is Tamil not Sanskrit. Islam, Christianity and Judaism are not Asian religions neither is Buddhism a religion. Lankans never fought for independence like the Indians did and the British were battered and broke plus the Indians now had the guns therefore the independence with a twist concocted by the Marshall plan financers the US and broke (with begging bowl) Mountbatten (relative of Queen) UK still wants India for its wealth and quite recently Cmoron was rebuked. The point is Ceylon after obtaining independence on a platter in 1948 there has only been ethnic cleansing so to save the common folk the annexing of Ceylon is the only solution- it’s like changing the guard that does not function but blindly kills. Hanuman the monkey king is still revered and worshiped in north India and that is where Lanka lies.

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        “Trincomalee which has a better harbour is ‘iffy’ because it is being eyed by TamilNadu.”
        You sound centenaries old. The second largest container yard in the world is in Switzerland which is land locked. Because of the shipping difficulties placed by SL on India especially the south Indians the southern enterprises have worked out a plan to enlarge the Chennai harbor to the largest container hub in Asia and this will take off when the government at center changes in 2014 and the best that can happen to India is Narendra Modi a follower of Vivekananda as PM.

        Yes its too small to divide but you dont know how to govern but kill wholesale. Remember its Sirimavo who sold Diego Garcia to the UK/US for $50k so that they may have a nuclear base and Indra did the rest at Baha Baha Atomic station Chennai. TN is one of the richest states of India and the only nuclear state and can do without India or SL but then look at their trade within India and China- over 500 schools of IT for software and english in Shanghai alone (the chinese respect these guys but dont know if they are tamils or punjabis but just Indians and therein lies the difference of the SL mentality.)

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        Pol Pot,
        It was the same in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka had never been a single unitary state until the British united the whole land into one country. The Unitary State was the creation of the British. Throughout the history, Sri Lanka had never been a unitary state. Even after the European colonialists (Portuguese, Dutch and British) arrived, until the British united the Tamil speaking North to the Sinhala speaking South in 1833 for their convenience in administration, the Tamil speaking areas remained a federal region. The Colebrooke commissioners presented the recommendations in 1832, suggesting the creation of one government with one centralized, unitary form of administration under a governor in Colombo. The British did this without the consent of the people, and in doing so ended the hopes for a North & East Tamil or an Upcountry Sinhalese as a distinct political entity, something that no conqueror had managed to do throughout the history of Sri Lanka.

        Some people falsely believe that King Dutugemunu united the Northern Kingdom of Anuradapura to the Southern Kingdom of Rohana. Even if we assume it as the truth, it lasted only a few years. Within the relatively short period of 34 years after Dutugemunu’s death, five Tamils Pulahattha, Bahiya, Panayamaraka, Pilayamaraka and Dathika took over the reins. Later, the Tamils moved from Anuradapura to Jaffna and established the Jaffna kingdom only during the 13th century AD. Even during the recent past, in 17th century AD (colonial period), Rajarata (Anuradapura) was inhabited by Tamils as per the book written by Robert Knox (Robert Knox in the Kandyan Kingdom, Ed. E.F.C.Ludowyk, p 50). Throughout history (until 1833), Sri Lanka always had a federal setup, either Northern kingdom (Anuradapura) and Southern kingdom (Rohana), or Ruhunu/Maya/Pihiti, or Kandy/Kotte/Jaffna, or the Provinces under the colonials as per the existing demography.

        The British created the maps as per prevailing ground situation during their time. What they clearly observed and experienced during their period was that, in the island of Sri Lanka, there were two different Nations (Sinhalese and Tamils) having two different languages, religions, cultures, and living in two well defined and clearly and naturally demarcated (with thick jungles, lakes, river, etc) land areas with their own kingdoms within their traditional lands. The Tamils lived as a majority within their separate land area (North & East) and the Sinhalese also lived as a majority within their land area (South, West & Central). The British, on seeing the naturally existing borders of the two ethnic groups used their technology to demarcate them as two separate regions (occupied by two separate ethnic groups) and created the maps for the first time somewhere in the 1800s. In their map published in England, the area that constituted the traditional homeland of the Tamils is unmistakably shown to extend from Chilaw northward and eastward to a point near Madawchchi; south of Padavil Kulam extending to the Trincomalee district; and the Batticaloa district down to the mouth of the Walawa Ganga in the south. Until independence (1948), the demography of the country was as per the map what the British created.

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      @ Wuliangguobinjiu your talking total crap man the author is talking about our national anthem and how we as a society act exactly opposite to the very words of the national anthem, and you talk of Pakistan and Hindustan,for your information USA had no say in the forming of Pakistan,it was done by Lord Mountbatten (Viceroy of India)Gandhi and Mohamed Ali Jinna (father of Pakistan),please update your knowledege and then comment here or else your looking very silly !

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        PP : Nothing exists as wholes and parts in their natural context. Who gives a crap about your national anthem puta madre? Gaas Gemba you don’t even speak the language to know what actually transpired and why the Indian national anthem is in Bengali. Most SL’s don’t go and live in the north and move with the local folk who matter to understand Hindustan.

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          booruwa wage katharanna eppa oi

          talk to the point ‘you said America created Pakistan which was wrong and the also we are talking about the words of our national anthem and how we act just the opposite of it which itself is a desecration of the anthem

          And you my friend is taling about the Indian national anthem being in Bengali !!!!! (did I ever refer the Indian national anthem at all?) that itself shows who is a gaas gemba asshole you cant even understand a simple article and answer to the point if thats your knowledge then your indeed the proverbial ‘modaya’!

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    It seems that the rot started many years and decades back with the Sinhala Only act by SWRDB. It may have been dormant even before. Now it has come out into the open with full fury, the blatant hypocrisy of racism clothed in religous saffron.

    The reason for 30 years of war was the same and the same is being implemented against another minority. Just as the Tamils have been chased away and regrouped as a diaspora, maybe the same fate will befall the muslims. Saffron Apartheid is the name of the BBS / Gotabaya chinatana.

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      By creating this BBS (Barbaric Buddhists of Sri Lanka) the present Rajapakshe government has started undergoing self-destruction. This is the beginning of their end.

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    Sharmini,

    While I agree with the general thrust of this article, I make the following observations:
    1. Why does everyone refer to only the north in the context of the last war? Why not the east? Why is the Jaffna-centrism of the Tamil issue being yet promoted?

    2. Why do you refer to infra-structure development as a ‘cart before the horse’ issue?
    The infrastructure is the horse that pulls the economic development cart. Without decent housing, electricity, water supply, schools, hospitals, telecommunications, roads, bridges etc., the economy in the north and east cannot take off. The government has not only repaired the war damaged infra-structure, but has also in the process compensated for 60 odd years of neglect. The housing sector yet needs considerable attention.

    3. Where the government has failed is in dealing with the political concerns of the Tamils, in an altruistic and timely manner. It has failed to mobilse the good will and empathy that was generated across the country towards the Tamils post-war, to push through necessary solutions. This was a grievous and monumental failure this country will live to regret.

    4. In relation to the national anthem, the decision to ban singing the Tamil version was a monumental post-war mistake. Instead of healing existing wounds, the government is creating new wounds. If the Sinhalese cannot be made to understand the spirit of the national anthem, while singing it in Sinhala, how can the Tamils understand it, while singing it in a language they know little of?

    4. The issue of poverty in the war-affected Kilinochchi destrict ( where the required information has become available) ,particularly in house holds headed by women,is dire. The monthly income of approximately 64 % in such house holds is less than Rs 1500 per month and those with incomes over Rs. 5000 per month are a reality in only about 4.5 % of such house holds. The situation cannot be any better in house holds headed by men, as well as in other war- affected districts. There are a disproportionately large number of women-headed house holds in the war-affected areas.

    This issue needs to be tackled now, on a war footing. The situation is disgraceful and an insult to all the decent people in this country. It is a crime against mostly young women. It is an insult to and a crime against ttheir children. A generation of children are growing amidst dire poverty, witnessing the pains and insult their mothers suffer. These children, as teenagers and adults will have a grievance against society and their reactions are not going to be pleasant for this country.

    Please highlight this issue as the crisis confronting the Tamils today.

    Dr.Rajasingham Narendran

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      Dr RN: “Why not the east?” Simples they double crossed and are known for it.ltte terrorist leaders from Batti are now ministers with the ruling party.
      The ruling class want to make the Tamils slaves like the upcountry Tamil folk. It is the most difficult thing to make a JT like that. I have never seen even low caste northerners working as house boys at Colombo for even medium periods of time because as a last resort they worked in the fields- you can take a horse………cant meke it drink.
      Anyway from what I see is that the western Tamil diaspora has a turnover of $120billion from their registered businesses and nothing will come that way without a strict negotiation. These northern Tamils are addicted to SL so they spend around $3billion on SL presently but if they collectively decide to strike then SL are in a financial crisis. The west will give aid but with security strings attached which Rajaporkistan is desperately trying to annex which is difficult due to the financial crisis and the untrustworthiness of the successive governments. The worst is yet to come mate.

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      For someone who sold himself for the highest bidder (the government), everything is great as far as the actions of the government are concerned, a few small minor points are raised to make you appear “neutral”

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    Wuliangguobinjiu,

    I like your name! It reminds me of achcharu for some reason! But YOU remind me of delinquent young adults who have not developed enough to take responsibility for their own actions but pathetically blames their parents for every ill in their lives. ” I wasnt loved enough” “my mother did this or father was like this” and by doing this they excuse their own irresponsibility, their lack of maturity and inaction, and do not strive to better them selves but remain wallowing in their own muck digging them selves in deeper while blaming others for their fate and being swallowed up by bitterness. Honestly Wuli,what is this pathetic way of thinking you advocate??

    Here we are, sliding down a very destructive path in SRI-LANKA TODAY..and there you go clear off the tracks with a version of PAKISTANI/INDIAN history blaming that too on the “western imperialists” Aney WuliBinju, when are you young chaps ever going to grow up? when will you start seeing that if Our country is to ever truly prosper we have to STOP BLAMING OUTSIDERS and START TAKING MEASURES TO REVERSE THE BAD OUR SELVES?.. not freaking compound the situation!..and then after making matters far worse – also put the blame on the sudda?!

    Cant you boys ever get over this childish blame game by which you really give the west far more power over your MINDS than they deserve..Is it beyond you chaps to speak and act like men coming up with practical and realistic ways to beat down the current chaos. Aney aney! ( and its not the perfume am referring to!)Its a call of despair! over delinquent mind sets in our citizenry..I think my one consolation might be to go get some achchaaru!

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      Maade Gode Poor you go down with the begging bowl lazy bones and eat your own ambul. The fact remains that you are unable to see the facts. SL does not deserve to be an independent nation its was a part of Hindustan – period.

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    Our post-1948 unaddressed divisions included the National Flag
    as well, the coming of which was also contested – I believe with
    S.Nadesan QC in the relevant Committee. Both the Flag and the National Anthem have to be re-drafted/drawn to reflect current realities. Whether the Rajapakses have the backbone to do it – with extremists
    challenging their authority openly – is the question.

    Senguttuvan

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      it will not happen senguttuvan

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    What is the use of land if you cannot enjoy living on it in peace. We, the minorities are being persecuted for no reason, all based on cooked up charges as being deceitful, dishonest and self serving. Land or no lsnd, we simply have to leave it and go when the time is up. The only good we will take with us will be the respect and human kindness we showed to others and our merits earned through piety and actions. Everything else remains. Our children will carry on our legacy, good or bad whichever way thatc we behaved. So there is impermanence in life. I don’t know if ever these BBS monks will realize and learn these things.

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      Dear Marwan,

      You are so right.

      I don’t know what religion you belong to but you can teach better Buddhism to most people who only claim to be Buddhists.

      Peace Dove

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    The Australian national anthem goes like this:

    “Australians all, let us rejoice, for we are young and free…”

    Australian habitation is at least sixty thousand years old, and only the European invasion is “young” (ie just over two hundred years).

    Indigenous Australians are anything but “free” and live depressed and dejected lives, their spirit broken, in reservations and imbibed with alcohol which they never knew before the colonial “settlement”.

    Successive white governments have promised to uplift their lot, but all that is just more hot air blowing in the winds. The rest of Australia, including most migrants, have developed and improved their lives and comforts over the years.

    Sharmini should not expect too much from politicians once they have been lifted onto pedestals. They usually have contempt for those who elevated them. I suspect she knows this, but yarns away regardless.

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      I suppose its six thousand not 60? According to NASA the earliest known structures close to chennai are 7k years old.

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        WWGGBBJJ, don’t you read a comment before replying? Lasantha Pethiyagoda was talking about Indigenous settlement in Australia, which has been scientifically established at 60 (yes sixty) million years ago. Of course Australian Nomadic Indigenous people did not build structures, they lived in the open and under trees. You are talking about the relatively recent settlements in Chennai seven million years ago! I suppose you are a South Indian, trying to establish that you were the first inhabitants of the sub-continent.

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          Stupido dont display your ignorence by saying “seven million years ago” dont try to feed me with your crap monkey. you are truly a four legged moron that does not know the difference between a thousand and million.pissoff.

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            Sorry my mistake. A lapse of memory – should have read Thousand not Million.

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    When the national anthem was adopted in 1951, Sinhala had not been proclaimed as the sole official language. Thus the United National Party (UNP) government of the day got the National Anthem translated into Tamil by the scholar “Pundit” M. Nallathamby. The Tamil version continued to be in use even after Sinhala was made the sole official language in 1956. Both the Sinhala and Tamil versions were sung in the sixties when the Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake visited Jaffna. When Mrs. Sirima Bandaranaike came to Jaffna as premier in 1974 to open the newly set up Jaffna campus of the University of Sri Lanka both versions were sung. There are many countries where the different language versions of the National Anthem are accepted. (Ref. Wikipedia & D B S Jeyraj)

    The recent restriction of the use of the Tamil version in occasions where the majority of participants were Tamil no doubt increased the support for the Eeelam lobby of the Tamil Diaspora, now ending as a demand by Jayalalitha. If Lakshman Kadirgamar was living at the time this decision was taken, he would have explained the ramifications to the short sighted politicians responsible for this mistake.

    The English version in the Wikipedia has this verse.

    “In wisdom and strength renewed,
    Ill-will, hatred, strife all ended,
    In love enfolded, a mighty nation
    Marching onward, all as one,
    Lead us, Mother, to fullest freedom.”

    Sharmini is rightly pointing out the need for all Sri Lankans to be guided by our National Anthem, without leaving room for foreign interference which can end up by the creation of an Eelam.

    We must all unite to ensure that we put our house in order, to safeguard our territorial integrity, by implementing the recommendations of the recent UNHRC resolution in an intelligent manner.

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    Dear Sharmini
    I must first say that all what you write about Sri Lanka in CT are false and baseless. You are a journalist so I do not know how you genrelise isolated incidents over all only in Sri Lanka. If so all the above accusations are applicable to allmost all the countries and according to your false theory, in additions to holding all the above, all the Indians are Rapists and Racists, All the Pakistans are drug traffikers, all the Tamils attack pilgrims and monks, all the French nationals are against Islam and burn Quran, all the US citizens piss on dead bodies of enemies and so on. Please do not harm your country that brought you to where you are now with lot of difficulties and sacrifices. All the above incidents are sabotages that common do not support and care. Please tell me the exact period when the country was better than now. Was it when the Britishes killing inocent civilions in 100’s of thowsands, was it somewhere in last 30 years in which VP was killing in 10’s of thousands of civilions with the help and blssings of west and India, was it within British rule when less than 5% English speakable locals help the Britishes to suck all our resources.

    You hate politicians only because they were elected by majority Sinhala Budhists and it seems that you are in a move of converting the country in to Somalia like leaderless one. I do not want to say what is going to happen then. Do you think it will be better than this. Or are you trying to make minority supported leader as in Syria or Lybia.

    You are also trying to defend LTTE acts saying that Banadaranayake’s policy was behind all of this incidents. But Tamil separatism and terrorism statrted much earliar than that when Chelva was in parliment. 30 years of brutal war was fuelled by India, west and LTTE diaspora sponsered NGO peace keepers for their personnal gains and not for the good of Tamils. Arnanthalawa memorial would remind all the ethnicities to work towards a future free of that kind. You can not justify Aranthathalawa massacre in which just 7 year aged monks were also butchered in a barberic manner with any other simillar incidents.

    Today all the ethnic groups in Sri Lanka are living together peacefully and there is a strong majority elected government that rules the country as a unitary state that can stop any kind of ethnically motivated violences and there is a legitimate defence force and Judiciary commited to it. On the other hand the country is developing in unpresidented manner even without the operation of new ports. Are you trying to stop tourists arrival that ultimately harms the common employees in the trade? Today we can sing our national anthom with all the ethnicities together with the real meaning given to it.

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      Jaliya Wickramasinghe,

      As the author says, “There are of course a handful of those who are willing to prostitute themselves, and be led by their noses by their so called leaders.These are the sycophants who see all of the Emperor’s New Clothes, even when he’s stark naked, and cheer him on”.

      You either belong to this category or you are living on another planet!

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        MM – This JW must be still living in a fox hole. Not just naked; Deaf and blind as well.

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          Dear Celonese
          Reply my arguments if you can or pls. go back to school.

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        Mahadana Muththa

        When an idiot was shown the moon he looks at the finger. Just prove him that it is not the moon or accept it. Your comment seems that you are in the later category.

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      Dear Mr Jalia,

      It is you who harm the nation by justifying the inhumane behavior as the norm and acceptable by citing LTTE killed innocents so it is right to kill Tamil civilians by our soldiers. Do you really think that white van abductions, murder of journalists including Lasantha, killing of surrendered political activists, bombing of hospitals and no fire zones, and killing of thousands of innocent tamils, removing the chief justice punishing the former army commander for participating in a democratic election and now attacking muslims, attacking TNA meeting are the right way of ruling the nation?
      Today not only Tamils but also Sinhalese and Muslims are lost their democratic rights? You and your friends are not going to live long but the Nation has to live Long. Are you going to leave the nation with a history of:
      1.highest unlawful disappearances
      2.worst human right violations.
      3. thousands of people massacred and dumped in mass graves
      4. slavery of people
      5. worst war crimes.

      You may write a different history but in the world history these are well documented with facts and evidence.

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        Mr Ajith

        Aranthalawa LTTE mssacre is a fact but all what you claim are only bogus media allegations yet.

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          I wish Karuna was asked to declare open this monument by MR!!!!

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            LTTE did all the massacres. Karuna is no longer an LTTE

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              Jaliya,

              You have to be an absolute joker!

              Are you saying that Karuna who was the LTTE Eastern Commnader at the time of the Aranthalawa massacre that he had nothing to do with it, becuase he is no longer with the LTTE?

              Come on man, even sycophants are expected to have even an atom of intelligence.

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      JW:“Are you trying to stop tourist’s arrival that ultimately harms the common employees in the trade?”
      hey tatte motte pol haliya!
      Lonely planet is for bag packers, undergraduates on breaks and the unemployed to travel cheap. Back in the late 80’s one could spend 6 months travelling in India with £1000. Even today the social security gives the unemployed families £1000 every year to have a holiday. Back in the 70’s Hikkaduwa and southern SL became famous for its heroine and hippies (so much for your southern Sinhala Buddhist) Rich western executives regularly travel to Male on long weekend holidays while most prefer the south or east of Europe or Cuba for cheap vacations. Northern Tamils are addicted to SL so they spend around $3billion on SL presently but if they collectively decide to strike then SL are in a financial crisis.
      What resources did you have? Hennede? The main export items tea rubber coconut were brought in by the Brits which your kussi amma matine destroyed and folk like you were looking for food in the bins. Preme for all that he did was respected even by the queen and he created your garments industry not you fk southern polygamist monkeys.
      Mugabe Loves you go back to your relative in waiting.

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        Dear Wuliangguobinjiu

        UK anounced SL as the best tourist destination in 2012 in which tourist arrival was beyond 1M with 40% growth. We do not depend on garments export to west. You are living in a dream land but always the opposit of what you dream is the case. Sorry. Pls. imagine in correct way.

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          Mr.Jaliya,

          Could you prove where the sixty planes full of tourists landed everyday for 365 day per year to hit one million tourists last year.
          Even the hotels were complaining less occupancy other than we saw chuun paan tourists loafing in down south.
          Could you give the breakdown of from which countries they came from.

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            Mr Jayantha

            Please call relevent official web sites for reliable information without just depending unknowns as SL maintains websites for all of its national services.

            Passenger capacity at BIA alone is beyond 7 million in 2012.
            http://forum.srilankaequity.com/t24776-passenger-capacity-at-bia-reaching-7-mn-a-year

            What you see is not the truth. If it is the truth science is not required. What you see is not what every body see and it is the result of an analysis of your poor knowledge/ experience with what your poor organs senced, made at your poor analytical capacity. Please do not be angry with me for making you as the example to explain this fact, this you is common to all.

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              Mr.Jaliya,

              Please see from the following webs. that shows average arrivals per day at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

              (CMB) Bandaranayake International Airport Arrivals ON 3RD APRIL 2013

              http://www.flightstats.com/go/FlightStatus/flightStatusByAirport.do;jsessionid=5BBE5AA0AF473B020C54670FB3374CE1.web4:8009?airportCode=CMB&airportQueryType=1

              When you sort by (on-Time) you could see the number of flights come on an average day.——— to CMB

              Sort By On-time Departure Term
              ———-

              You don’t have to take my word……But by looking at the above arrival roster for March 04, 2013, where did you get the figure to say that BIA hit the 7 million Passengers in 2012……or even 5 million for that matter.

              Also 80 Percent of those flights are from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Male, Singapore and Doha.(SL House Maids and SL Business people to Malaysia and Singapore and India). Where are the European Flights of Tourists for one Million)

              You see the figurs won’t lie, and that’s why we are taught Math and sciences……and not the invisible and ever changing Darshana to dupe masses.

              You can’t fool Math and science and that’s the reason why you belive all these fake and bogus reports and figurs sent by Minister of Development and his ruling family.

              In fact you don’t need arrival rosters, arrival or departure time or one million tourists or seven million arrivals in 2012 if you travel by Gon Karatte “Bullock Cart”

              For that matter you don’t even have to learn Science, Math, or go to Flying School with Graduate Qualification etc….How can you be a pilot without knowing the velocity, C of G, speed and newton’s theory.

              http://airtravel.about.com/od/travelindustrynews/tp/Readers-Digest-50-Secrets-Your-Pilot-Wo-Not-Tell-You.htm

              You don’t understand the value of Science and math or for that matter a Pilot’s worth until your plane hits a tornado or turbulance….which I have experienced couple of times.

              For that matter what you need is only an Obedient Cow or a bull for you to ride a Bakki Karatte as you say even with poor organs and analytical capacity.

              Also Mattala Airport could be your Maharaja’s Second Museum at Hambanthota pretty soon. Already Rajanos looking for additional security personnel to safeguard it from Kangettas, elephants, peacocks and vulturs.

              Go ahead give me your thoughts.

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      OH JALLIYA;

      I LOVE AND LIKE YOUR WORDINGS to Ms Sharmini Serasinghe;

      “You hate politicians only because they were elected by majority Sinhala Buddhists”.

      REALLY??.
      ARE YOU SURE??????????.

      Frankly,
      PLEASE tell me how many family members you lost
      for this separatist war??.

      You know that ,there is a small AARAMAYA in that place where the Aranthalaawa massacre occurred.

      How these idiots UNDERSTAND????.

      Why those JAPANESE did not make a memorial like Aranthalaawa aT THE HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI.
      [ they do have, but not like this to inflame anger and hate ].

      SHOWING DEAD BODIES and harrowing pictures.

      Jaliya Wickramasinghe?.

      YOUR KING and HIS clan are sycophants,
      And they do not have new clothes no them.

      THEY ARE FULLY NAKED AND YOU TOO>

      HOOOOOOOOOOO.

      { I FELT LIKE A CHILD,]because of your comments.

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        Dear J. Amare
        I lost more than 5 of my dear friends (KIA) and one of my BIL who was a Medical Prof. (SLN) when LTTE misile hit the flight he was aboard with civilions over Jafna in 94.

        No oher reply worthy comment in your comment as you realy are a naughty child like. Be a man soon.

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      Jaliya Wickramasinghe

      “But Tamil separatism and terrorism statrted much earliar than that when Chelva was in parliment”

      Please site me evidence for your above categorical statement. I would be grateful.

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        Dear Vedda
        You claimed to be native but do not know about 50 years of our recent past. I must first say that the Sinhala in Sri Lanka was made integrating four groups by the great King Panducabaya in 200BC prior to Veddas appearance. One small group refused to join it went to live in jungle without any civilization and they are the veddas. Now they have realized the big mistake and slowly joining to majority which owns the worlds’ best civilization. So you can never call vedda as native. Sinhala is the Sri Lankan native.

        Chelva started the ITAK (Tamil kingdom party covertly named as Federal party in English to deceive non tamils) against Ponnambalm in 1949 refusing to integrate with the majority and first started the Tamil separatism. In 1951 he tared the letter ‘Shri’ introduced with concent of all to motor vehicle number plates in Batticaloa and started the first terrorist act (unlawful) which was led to the first ethnic disharmony.

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          Hennan de Jaliya
          You are kallathoni from Bihar. Come with me I will take you to meet relatives of bandit queen- Ao ji jaldi.
          Bolo Hindustan ki jai.

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      Mr. Jaliya Wickremasinghe,

      being a Sinhala Buddhist country I have one question to clarify from you.

      As for my own experience when a body is been cremated using sandal wood burning at 950 F for eight hours…..there’s pretty much nothing left except ashes and no chance for a single tooth to survive leaving all the other parts to burn.

      It is the skull that should be survived for a tooth to set free.

      Then what happened to the skull of Lord Buddha.

      If you could explain this to me.

      Isn’t it the best to do a DNA test to confirm if it is the tooth of Lord Buddha and when did he die……

      This is not to disgrace Lord Buddha or anybody but to get a scientific answer.

      What is your opinion on a DNA test.

      I was keeping my son’s first tooth for a long time without throwing to Tooth Fairy……but gone missing now.

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        Dear Mahela

        Your comment is not relevent to the subject. Anyway I’ll try to bring you some enligtement if CT agreed.

        I’m glad you asked this but I hope that your request is a sincere one.

        For Budhists DNA test is a joke as to my knowledge, it is used by western scientists to identify physical parents and family elationships and there are many other ways to know the age and the time of death on a test of a body part. But some day each of us have been related to each other in all the known relationships in this endless journey of our birth and death and short lives we spent in between them. But this relationships can not be proved by those physical tests as they are known only to well developped minds where total Budist path rests.

        Budhists respect not only to Dhalada (tooth relic) of our Lord Buddha but also to statues of the Lord Buddha reminding the unimmaginable wisdom Lord Buddha brougt to the world including the above fact that western science ignores to accept. So my argument is if you convert yourself to Budhhist on a DNA test which proves what you expect me to do, without the above understanding or the basic enlightement, you are nothing but a total idiot.

        Western science is based on the myth that it accepts only sensible things to ones’ 5 sensing organs as true. But on the other hand it forces us to accept that there are electrones, protones, gravitational force and many other such uncensibles storied in so called science books. This only proves that the western science is nothing but a commercial or marketing gimmick that brings so deceived poor Asian and African students to their countries paying millions of their national wealth only to learn this way of marketing which they continue to preach in their future life to earn their living. But learnig western science is not discouraged by Budhists as it is also a way of living and to understand the above fact you have to know not only the western science but also other sciences exists in the state of forcefully overpovered by the west. So now it is understood that science is nothing but the religion and culture it born and therefor there are varieties of sciences in the world. Budhist science is exactly opposit to the western science which has been based on physical existance of substances where posible and make a new story when a thereby unexplinable question was asked or lies as and when required.

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          Dear Mr.Jaliya Wickremasinghe,

          I cannot agree to you on many of your points mentioned above.

          Could you tell me other than a DNA test what is the other way of checking the genuineness of the Dantha Dathuwa through your Buddhist Science method. can you explain this to us.

          If you say that we are all related, then how come Siyam Nikaya is Monopolising the Knady Buddhist sect with Govigama Caste. Who is encouraging the caste system in Sri Lanka specially among the buddhist hierachy guarding Dantha Dathuwa ……How can you be sure if this Siyam Nikaya is duping the masses with a fake object. It’s time to prove even with your Buddhist science method.

          Yes I don’t allow anybody to make me an Idiot by presenting an object which is not genuine….until proves it is genuine. I know Sinhalese are very good at duping others, mostly politicians and businessmen and some monks like Galagodaaththe Gnarasara thera. but not anymore.

          For instance who ordained this th..g looking Galagodaaththe Gnarasara thera. Do you know who ordained him to be a Buddhist Priest…..or he is just a fake yellow robe th…g. Do you know where did he studied, what qualifications he has, what is his home town and what his parents ande siblings do.

          A leading publication say that Gnarasara thera is a wanted cri….nal and a dr…. addi…t. Please read Lanka e news. Only if you could give us more info. on him and his Back ground is welcome.

          This is not a one person Band, but a huge gang of Fanatical batallion of monks which he represent as BBS who are threat to our society.

          All we want is to know what is their Ideology and where they are heading and who is supporting them.

          You say…… “Western science is based on the myth that it accepts only sensible things to ones’ 5 sensing organs as true. But on the other hand it forces us to accept that there are electrones, protones, gravitational force and many other such uncensibles storied in so called science books.”

          Could you explain if not for Western Sciences, how you drive your Motor vehicle…or put gasolene into your car or talk to youe wife over the phone.
          Leave alone western science and tell us who will you brush your teeth in the morning which will be stinking by now. Also other than going in your famous Limousine, please start going in your native Buddhist science introduced Bakki Karatta.

          How to you light up the electric bulb other that lighting your native coppera lamp like in Kandy Perahera. How about wearing and ironing clothes, your telephone and the computer you comment.

          Who found Vaccines for Polio, typhoid, malariya and all other communicabel Diseases, and all the medication and operations done with western sciences……..What type of bullshit you are talking about.

          Other than using Western science for all the day to day life in the whole world, do you want people to meditate in Pansala listning to Bana and pirith and expect Dana from the devotees……Is this the Buddhist Science you talk about. Could you explain what is your Buddhist science philosophy is and their uses to the society.

          Isn’t it the western sciences that made the man to go to moon and sent the satellites to outer space and now doing research of all the minerals which are underlying in all third world, so to exploit them and make money on every mineral, making devises and selling to the world…..while people like you without knowledge of those idling 65 years after Independence while Building harbours on stone rocks, building Airports on fertile land covering 500 acres with concrete and building stadiums in animal habitat destroying nature and environment etc…etc…Is this your Buddhist Science.

          What will you be dirinking in the morning other than what western Sudda introduced Tea and Coffee 65 years after independence.

          Mr. Jaliya, if you want to maintain your respect as a pure Sinhala worrior go and live like a veddha and grow your Kurukkan and rice and eat aggala and batala, and go in Bakki Karatte wearing Amude.

          Mr. Jaliya, Please don’t blame Western Sciences while using everything they invented and using everything they introduced to you. This is what I request. You have all the freedom to use everything that your Buddhist Science gave to you.

          But please don’t criticise Western countries bringing stupid points on their Sciences and Math and their education standards.

          What subjects did you learn before westeners came to Sri Lanka. How did you travel to West other than in their Plane, or on back of your Dandu Monaras.

          Mr. Jaliya, you could con your native weddas with your bogus and double talk like our notorious politicians, but with us that era is gone.

          Please go and get your next 1.5 Billion Loan from somewhere….even China now adopts to Western economy and western technology and life styles.

          Please ask your President not to order Rolls Royces for the next CHOGM summit, but order Buddhist Scientists made Native “Gon Karatte” Bullock carts and Coppra Lamps for night rides.

          Yes please conduct your Buddhist Science to bring up our country from poverty and economy and do the Buddhist test to prove Lord Buddha’s tooth.

          If your theory of we all from one family….then how come our Buddhist Sinhala scientists are so Dumb to build a harbour on a rock with no ships on sight, an Airports on Fertile agriculture and animal habitat land with no planes coming….and now steeling Muslim Businessmens Clothing stores and other minority businesses preaching Buddhist Sciences and Desha Premi Jathi Aala Kada Kadappan etc.

          Is this part of your Buddhist Preaching and Buddhist science to hammer with rotten eggs to people who Patronise Muslim Businesses or threatening our cricketers with Rotten egg bath by this Buddhist Scientist Cheevara egg heads……

          Let me have your answers with some of your Buddhist Science inventions and thinking.

          PLEASE DO NOT FURTHER DUPE OR CON US THE EDUCATED MASSES WITH YOUR FAKE AND DUMB BUDDHIST SCIENCE JOKES.

          AWAITING YOUR REPLY.

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            Dear Mr. Mahela
            It seems you have no capacity to understand my points.

            Buddhists do not want to use bogus western science to prove the identity of the tooth relic or any other thing. DNA test is used in western courts to identify criminals. You can ask some of yours to use it to prove something related to your religion. We have proved ours in our way which you never understand and we are fully satisfied with that. I asked do you convert to Buddhist if it is proved in your way?

            Science and Technology are two different things. Even animals and one day old babies use technology. Sinhala Buddhists were using much better technology without harming the mass when the westerns were less than veddas some 2000 years ago. Sinhala Buddhists survived for over 2.5k years while the west is struggling just after less than 500 years of the birth of western science to feed the countries in their self-made destructive way. Flying, sea going and other transporting from place to place and country to country were there all the way in the SL history. We too can innovate anything if it is needed as we defeated the LTTE in our way and have built our own Hydro and Architectural technology based on Buddhist science some 2000 years ago. My point was that the western sciences’ reasoning is false and its claim to be the only science in the world is the biggest lie. The world including Sri Lanka is suffering only due to the domination of the world by the western science (WS) which believes that the environment is made to facilitate the human consumption in selfish manner. WS helps 5% of the world to eat 95% of the world resources. But still very high poverty and unemployment prevails in those so called scientific countries. But Buddhists are the happiest people in the world because they know the truth taught by the Lord Buddha. On the other hand all the tech. innovations now claimed to be western are not so and they came from different parts of the world and the west absorbed the tech from India , China etc. in to their use and right and almost all those innovations you proudly claimed to be due to western science are made on trial and error basis with the effort of some dedicated people who had no knowledge of WS.

            You seems to have become mad seeing my comments and threatening me to be silence without confronting any of my points. You also have become totally brainless and spineless due to blind worshiping to false W & WS and without having anything to be claimed as yours or your countries’. You still can save your toothless son becoming a you like traitor of the mother country that gave you everything up to this level, by teaching him our past and present glory as every country does.

            I do not have to reply most of your other comments based on false media reports. Lets meet and continue in other CT post as this is too old now.

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              Mr.Jaliya,

              is this the reason that happy and proud GOSL sends Plane loads of House maids to Middle East to earn Foreign Exchange, while your President Goes about in imported Rolls Royce, Lanborghinis etc,

              Is this those happy people trying cross oceans to go to West in wooden boats.

              Is this those happy people that stand in front of all the Western Embasies trying to get visas to jump abroad from Misery.

              Is this those Happy people that over 70% of them are under nourished and 50% under employed while the Jobs are given to maha Rajano’s unqualified goons.

              Is it the happy Gon. education Minister said that a person could live with 2,500.00 rupees per month when a Gas cilinder alone costs 2,300.00 rupees.

              We wonder whether you live in Sri Lanka or in a Western country paid on Rajano’s happy pin padi payroll to dupe others.

              There’s another character like you called Prof. Nalin De silva who has similar crazy ideas like you….or if you copied those from him.
              Please watch the following web.
              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdkz3zJ9CCQ

              Yes anybody who talks against your Mr. Tsunami robber, Mr.10% commission Kakka, Mr.Kasippu Mafia, Mr.Drug Business kinpin, Mr.Parliament Kappan party jumpers….etc..etc.. are categorised as Traitors, terrirists, foreign conspirators, NGO kakkas etc..etc….when your BBS registered Saradiels are allowed to steal Muslim Businesses in broad daylight when Ponna Police watching doing nothing.

              Infact I get my best Kasippu bottles through my Friend’s policeman working at Thimbirigasyaya Police station. DEid you try there.

              Get hold with a Policeman to get the best Kasippu in town.

              Who said that your Maharaja gave us free…other than we work hard for our income.

              Only your Maharaja Wandi Battayas who lift their asses to him and bend down to Ground and worship, get those positions and Kappan should be grateful to him.

              Mr.Jaliya enough is enough for your Boss’s Drama to Dupe public with fake Chinthana and Suba Anagathayak or showing Handa Hava or the Wisdom Tooth.

              Please get ready to eat Punnakku and Thanakola and oil your Bakki Karatte and sing happy Wannam and Karatta Kavi.

              Good luck.

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        Mahela,

        This Jaliya fellow is talking through his rear end.

        First and foremost he doesn’t know beans about Buddhism leave alone understand it enough to be an authority on it. He’s a potty little Mahavamsa Buddhist which makes him a good example of a Rajapaksa boot licking SinhalaBuddhist.

        The Buddha was the greatest scientist this world ever knew, so he would have more than welcomed his ‘perceived’ tooth relic being subjected to a DNA test today.

        By the way what most Buddhists worship and revere as Buddha’s tooth relic actually comes from a wild animal, most probably a leopard. But this is a well guarded secret or else the Kandyan Buddhists will have nothing to brag about.

        But that is by the way.

        The problem is that with people like Jaliya, they worship Buddhist symbols and don’t have a clue about the real Buddhist doctrine. Such Buddhists, even if they worship the Buddha’s entire skeleton and all the statues they can find, they have not and may never benefit from the wisdom of the Buddhist philosophy.

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          Mahadana Muththa

          Please reread my replies to Mahela.

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            Jaliya,

            I have better things to do than reread your crap.

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          Mahadena Muththa,

          I think you are correct about the tooth. The reason is During Ranaviru Real star mega event Jackson Anthony linked President Rajapakses as blood relatives of Lord Buddha and King Dutugemunu.

          Along with his comparison and Gotas shouting to Fredrica Jansz about the dog issue calling her as You blo..dy pig eating sh…t say it all.

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      This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
      https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/

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    Srilanka is odds on favorite to host the junior Packer’s mega bucks high roller Casino.

    TNA friendly rsolution sponser US, has one of its top shelf hoteliers fast tracking their 600 suite luxury pad in Colombo 3.

    Diasporians are queing up to get a passport, even with a friendly interview with our Defence Sec.

    Are these rich and powerful raving lunatics to get in to our Mother Lanka , when our Westen looking Ms Sharmani( borrowing her own admission )recokns we are heading to Hell?

    Even our Tiger friendly TNA only whinged about the medium of delivery not the contents.

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      K.A Sumanasekera,

      As the author says, “There are of course a handful of those who are willing to prostitute themselves, and be led by their noses by their so called leaders.These are the sycophants who see all of the Emperor’s New Clothes, even when he’s stark naked, and cheer him on”.

      Haven’t you proved time and again that you are one of them?

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      K.A Sumanasekera

      “Srilanka is odds on favorite to host the junior Packer’s mega bucks high roller Casino.”

      Good Sri Lanka is shining.

      What are the other development projects MR and you have in mind?

      Here are some businesses suggestions which might enhance the status of the country among the big spenders.

      Recreational drugs import and retailing.
      Opium growing and distribution.
      Running high end brothels, pimping, …….exclusive services for big spenders, the Arabs…..Russian Oligarch…

      Well by now you would have drafted business plans for each category of the above investment potentials.

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        NO NEED TO suggest of Running high end brothels, pimping,
        M R AND 400 odd CLAN are doing those with his ministers and goons.

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          JULAAMPITYE AMARAYA

          No they wouldn’t do it as the clan is biased Sinhala/Buddhists. They have a reputation to maintain being a Sinhala/Buddhist country.

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        I was wondering what is going on for the last two years when Rajapakse Brothers visiting China many times, and when herd about the mega Casino joint coming to Sri Lanka, I put the dots together and came up with this answer.

        Look at what is the world’s biggest casino in the world……It is in China Macau island. See the following webs.

        http://biggeststuff.com/biggest-casino-in-the-world
        http://www.ask.com/wiki/Geography_of_Macau

        Both Macau and Hainan island have been changed into a world’s biggest Casino, Tourist attraction, recreation, amusement parks and and hotel projects.

        Therefore my predictions were correct when Rajapakse Company visiting China so many times.

        Hope Rajapakses are not that late behind China.Get ready with your wallets and Bl….k mon…y.

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    Wow! at least I am able to Read what Sharmini has written instead of going through “proxies” ! :)

    Looks like the GOSL has lifted the ban on CT !

    OR IS IT AN APRIL FOOL’S JOKE PLAYED ON US !!! :)

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    Oh gosh. Why is it that most who reply start a quarrel with each other? Is there no room for an enlightened exchange of views? No wonder we get leaders who are mediocre at best. Sharmini, has put down something we should think about.Do not wear blinkers and ignore what is going on within the country. People live in fear of one man and his family. This is so according to those who are educated,decent and with a modicum of intelligence. Not the hurrah boys and those die hard fanatics who have given up thought for blind allegiance. Discuss how our nation can get back to decency. Being born buddhist, christian or to islam was not by choice. Being born a human was.We develop a mind and wisdom along the way….learning to live with all human beings as equal is being decent, fair to all,and wise.Forget the war and who won it. We must move on as one people. There will be reward for all Sri lankans if we do. If not, it will be so for some and those who are more equal than others.

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      It seems you like some more. Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in, bear’t that th’opposed may beware of thee.
      …..” by choice. Being born a human was.”
      Did you know which place which family you would be born? Premadasa. Rebirth ha ha ha. Invite Daisy Lama please if you are a Sinhala Buddhist.
      “People live in fear of one man and his family.”
      Even in jazz just one person takes the decision but dictators are never a single family- look at the man who loves all you folk Mugabe! Is he only a family or for that matter Kim Jong-un. If you have respect for human life then SL does not deserve to be an independent nation- period.

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    Unfortunately some people, for that matter quite a number of them, remain static in this dynamic world. It is like the rock of Sigiriya just stand there as a monument for thousands of years unchallenged by the passage of time.

    The majority too fall into this same category, I am not against them because they are not malicious nor mean but quite ignorant, refuse to budge, refuse to re-adjust the thinking capacity in this changing world.

    Some of us are lucky to be in the west to some extent where we could see for our self how dynamism is in operation and compare that input with our static society that remain static with their out dated thinking and believes like the Sigiriya Rock boasting of a past glory.
    Sri Lankan people are going through the same crisis some countries in Europe would have gone through some decades or centuries ago. With economic prosperity and development, religion, history etc. have taken a back seat. Even India with its long Hindu history, culture & spirituality is now talking about secularism. This has happened as a result of the economic development and their politicians identifying their priorities for the interest of their country. Countries with Short histories like USA, Canada & Australia are flourishing while the ego of a few South Asian countries like Sri Lanka are keeping them down talking about their rich past but not the unfortunate present & the disastrous future.

    Unfortunately, our majority have been brought up, grew up, evolved and metamorphosed in the out dated and non-existent history/mindset and strongly, genuinely and reverently believes that this little tear shaped island belongs to the Lion race, the chosen people of Lord Buddha.

    Out of their ignorance and innocence they still cling onto myths and refusing to move in any progressive direction and even prepared for self -ruination rather than re-writing this myth. They are hell bent on clinging on to this sinking belief at any cost and not prepared to think beyond the ancient past. Any political arrangement to co-exist with the minority in the name of good governance and for the larger interest of the country is sacrilege to them; at least this is what they believe.

    There are numerous countries that are successfully executing this political arrangement and progressing by leaps and bounds while the Sri Lanka is going on the reverse gear, sinking into untold misery and poverty, innocently immersed in this perverted and foolish belief.
    For the Sinhalese, history starts at a point only convenient to them and they are blind to look beyond that. This is why what many of us try to enlighten them about the Tamil militancy, violence, non-cooperation; resistance, etc. do not get into their head.

    For them the Tamil history in this country starts with Tamil militancy and whatever sins, crimes and injustices done to the Tamils do not strike their conscience. This is where the trouble is. This is why many of them keep on repeating the same story in spite of painful efforts made by many to explain the underlying situation for this turmoil. In other words the majority remains unmoved like the Sigiriya rock and watching the world moving by without any effort to influence their thinking and analytical capacities.

    All those Tamil blokes, educated and illiterate, good and bad, old and young and males and females, all of them trusted very much in the sophistication of SL democracy and even trusted in Gandhi’s ahimsa one time and their bodies are still aching of the response by the ‘civilized’ Sinhalese for placing trust in those sophisticated methods.

    They tried, tried and tried, day in, day out but no progress, they were just there like the Sigiriya rock. Then for a change finally they tried the ‘primitive’ method as someone down the line thought that primitive method has to be met by primitive method and then things started to move. Pain was understood though not accepted and democratic methods of talking peace surfaced, the cornered lion started talking of peace and democracy. Had the Sinhalese really believed in these methods sincerely none of these problems would have arisen. Any way but someone down the line believes that never trust the Lions and keep the pressure on until democracy spills out of the lion’s mouth. The Tamils made a mistake by underestimating the original primitives by adopting their methods in which they were experts.

    The biggest challenge for Sri Lanka is how to make the majority to think and analyze the past effectively in order to build a bright future which is actually a Herculean task. My only hope is, they won’t remain like the Sigiriya rock forever.

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      Siva,

      Nothing will come right in Sri Lanka until these Buddhist Sinhala Dogma is kept alive by these Pinguthtahrayas.

      This is the Bait they give to people to keep all the talented, hard working, scholars and minority population under their wings.

      These uneducated crooks do not know nothing what is going around in the world and neither they do anything to upbring and uplift the country.

      The biggest Laziest, Jealours, cunning crooks and robbers in the world could be found in Sri Lanka’s Parliament influenced by the fairy tale tooth Buddhist preletes, and they are there for ever to stay and only the parliament seat change……not the thinking.

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    Siva,
    Nicely written. Sometime I wonder whether ” False history is powerful than the power of fusion reaction”, unfortunately, when other parts of the world moved many miles ahead, still Asian countries harbouring in history, loose what their geography and geology has in its possesion. I just wondered for a moment if Asia had a Democratic big china and India together, with peace living pakistanis, Afgans, and SL living with Tamils and Sinhalese peacefully all through years, united as friends sharing cultural, Scientific, progressive socities, how beautiful, the Asia would have been!!

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      msk

      I bet you will never attain your aspiration as these South Asian people are very, very very stupid indeed.

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        unfortunately I have to be pessimist..? do i have no alternative??

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    Why is it that every time Sharmini writes, people start fighting with each other through their comments?

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      Peace Dove

      This is where they relieve their frustrations.

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      Maybe ;)”Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.” Mark Twain

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      Dear Peace Dove,

      You are a very peaceful soul and also very sensitive.

      What Sharmini writes tend to make some people come face to face with their own hypocrisy and can’t handle it, so that is why they fight. No other reason.

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    Ha! Excellent question.

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    Sharmini,

    “We have the golden opportunity to realise this, even though symbolic, in the form of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year dawning in under a fortnight from now. It is a good place to start, so let us all Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and Muslims from this day forward, celebrate this event as one, as the Lankan National New Year”.

    Try getting the Catholics to celebrate the Aluth Avuruddha,they will run a mile screaming “we don’t believe in astrology”. In that case Buddhists shouldn’t celebrate it either because the Buddha condemned astrology. But astrology is part of Hindusism so Buddhists have accepted it.

    Although Catholics, Christians and evangelists don’t want to celebrate the Aluth Avuruddha because of astrology, it is amazing how superstitious they are when it comes to auspicious times. Most of them even have horoscopes.

    You can forget about getting Muslim participation because they don’t want to raise the wrath of Allah.

    When it comes to the Aluth Avuruddha the Hindus and Buddhists become one ethnic group and the ‘others’ another.

    If all our people can’t come together as Sri Lankans to celebrate something so peaceful and harmless as the Aluth Avuruddha, how can we expect Sri Lankans to be ever united in other ways?

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    I must question the motives of Sharmini Serasinghe in writing this article. A country is not defined by its national anthem, which is probably a good thing. The first line of the German national anthem, for example, is “Germany, Germany, above all.” And the second line is, “Above all in the world.” Now, if the German people really took their national anthem to heart, there would be no end of world wars. A national anthem just reflects a moment in time. It does not define a people or culture through infinite periods of time.

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      Lester,

      Sharmini Serasinghe quotes these words from our national anthem at the outset of her article-

      “In wisdom and strength renewed,
      Ill-will, hatred, strife all ended,
      In love enfolded, a mighty nation
      Marching onward, all as one,
      Lead us, Mother, to fullest freedom.”

      Are you saying these words don’t hold true today? Are you saying there is no ill-will, hatred and strife today? What do you think the Muslims of this country feel today, enfolded in love by the BBS?

      Come on man, learn to read between the lines.

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        Why do you care about the BBS? They are a temporary phenomenon, with no chance of entering mainstream politics. If they don’t disappear completely, they will remain on the fringes, like the BNP and EDL, if you know what those are.

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          Lester,

          You still don’y get it do you?

          You must be having cotton wool for a brain.

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    Dear country men….you all know what a hard time our country went thru for the last 30 years…or, have you all forgotton, ?we were frightened to go on the roads, buses, everything was with a question mark will there be a bomb???at last our country has seen some peace and very sadly people forget…the heart aches and the destruction and the years of strife our country has gone thru..this beautiful land…serendib ,called the pearl of the oceaN…God has blessed us with precious stones in the ground, so why cant our fellow men be precious and value other religions and spread peace and love….When the war was on we were most frightened for our loved ones…lots migrated…….well this country has seen it all……we learnt in school about ehlara and dutugemunu….well history had to be repeated…..when will our people learn to do away with jealosy and make this a peaceful land for all with no divisions…..True the present President did a great job giving us the greatest gift of all PEACE…(sadly no other govt could deliver peace!)….but i do wish he sees that the cost of living comes down when a mans stomach is full and he knows that his family are well fed he is happy..(food is so expensive) and he makes EVERYONE BE ABLE TO LIVE AN AFFORDABLE LIFE….WITH THE SALARY THEY EARN….but true no one appreciates what our leaders do…especially the good they do…sadly, anyway I wish for our generations and us too that we dawn upon an era (very soon because we have wasted enough of time)that the poor in this country can say my stomach is full,the rich too or people who can afford a liittle too find it so difficult with food prices….and that is what our politicians need to DELIVER ASAP….Our country is a beautiful country…God has blessed us with everything and our ways of thinking have to change….I am a Muslim but i respect all religions…..and i also have been into temples and churches…have anyone of you been in a mosque? Our Srilankan flag fights to keep flying high dont bring it down…everyone has something missing in there lives…but will survive all IF THERE IS PEACE….there are bigger problems in the world….children are starving …sickness poverty……this is not correct after 30 years of war and we feel we that now we can smile and walk around with our heads up…to start another problem…it is not right ….let Srilanka emerge out of the blizzard and let our flag fly high and super powers who are stamping on us realise..that we are too strong and united to be stamped on……stop all this violence and love each other…PEACE be to all

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    Emerald,

    You say “The present President did a great job giving us the greatest gift of all PEACE…(sadly no other govt could deliver peace!)”

    Make no mistake that all the previous Presidents and governments could have brought “the greatest gift of PEACE” a long time ago, if they didn’t have a conscience and give a hoot about the thousands of innocent lives that were bound to be lost, as we saw in the final stages of the war.

    You wouldn’t be referring to it as a “great gift of all PEACE” if you and your family had been amongst that “collateral” damage as it is cruelly called.

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    What do betrayed , It is the most crappiest national anthem in the world

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    Like they say “an eye for an eye” some time you need to make a firm decision on what cancer to kill with the chemotherapy….right???so we chose the terrorist, if not the whole country would have been at stake and everyone would have either to migrate(which is the talk of the day) or live life in risk…those of you who are in business would not have been able to continue your work and i must say sadly we would have been living everyday at’ what off ‘tomorrow…thats what we did for 30 years….Mrs Sirimavo also had to eradicate the ones who were holding the country to a standstill if not we will be either not here or we will be wearing red shirts and red caps and maybe waving a red blood stained flag ( but i enjoyed the school holidays during the curfew)….did you want that….did you all want the whole country to be ‘eelam’…..,If you all feel in your heart that you find srilanka and its flag crappy…just leave it and go find another country to call your motherland…!why are you disgracing yourself and even holding a Srilankan passport…! nobody is forcing you to do and lots of you go and claim refuge in other countries, thats easy isnt it ?…see get this stuff staight if you all want to bring racial stuff in your daily lives the majority and peace loving citizens of the country will suffer…so practice your religions in your respective temples of worship and keep aside and change your desires and natural insticts of racial dis harmorny….we have nothing against past govts but the fact is they did nothing to stop this war, and when they did too the terrorists did not keep to their word and what ever said and done this present President…like most of us have forgotton worked sincerely with a clever team and Army to see an end to terrorism….i hope this peace will last, as it seems we have already forgotton the terror…what about those young boys who were going to the front..the jungles and even losing their lives and some are living with phycological disorders and some have no limbs and have to go to jaipur foot centre to get replacements,…we have not forgotton that…maybe we didn even go 10 miles near the areas where the war was but we had a taste of the bombs..try to recall the areas where there have been terror and bombs in colombo…..sad to say we have forgotton……….see how the mind works it just forgets in approximately 2 years…and people are already grumbling….you elect a president..who, facts are stubborn brought a 30 year war to a halt, say jayawewa dance on the roads..now forgotton… now since you all want change want to upset the countrys harmony…what about your children and generations to come….some kids have been born at the time the war started…i myself have seen 30 years of war, checkpoints and bad news of blasts here and there…I was 21 then…lovely life to lead no.., 30 years of war ..we are all in the same rocking boat even if we are from different religions we have all seen it together..I was in hospital delivering my daughter when they were saying ‘koti enava’ and it seems that everyone was running from fort towards bambalapitiya..ha ha fun no?well those who have a foreign passport or dual citizenship can say here goes the fun and say ooh no here it goes again (when they know they can take off anytime)..but what of us who dont and in our hearts respect our motherland…you know lots tell me there is no place like srilanka, but we cant cope with this jealosy and racial attitudes that people dont want to change…they welcome all changes but not there own ways of thinking and behaviour…now see that srilankan man said ‘crappy national anthem’ but he must be holding a srilankan passport..or he must be singing the national anthem of another country….!!!!?God save the king?…this is not an issue of Govts…most of them dont have a strong nerve centre maybe a good neuro can do the works..?this about changing the minds of our people to let go hate and jealosy, respect everyone for what they are…respect even a person with disabilities,give them special care and not stare at them like they dropped out from outer space,…upgrading the quality of life for people,transport systems HAVE TO BE DEFINITELY CHANGED…the bus in srilanka drives as if its on a suicide mission…i am frightened to cross the roads because of them…and before you can get in the bus takes off..Ha we dont need fun parks or those dangerous games like sky diving…people should go in a bus…but unfortunately a majority of our people have have no choice….the old people have to get special care..a system has to be developed for this..so if it was possible to win a gruelling war against the most cruel terrorist organisation in the world..,and even they started the war first it was with everyone in mind then they terrorised people,taking everything by force and later they didn wear even cyanide capsules around their necks, duping innocent people to perform suicide acts of being rewarded a good life after death… i dont think it is an impossible task to give our country men and women all these facilities .A national anthem has its meaning so its very sad if a person cannot respect its meaning and country…cannot call himself a srilankan citizen…I have respect for all people from different ethnic groups and religions and expect that too in return and people should respect traditions and different cultures and ways of practising it..you cant sell things for money specially if it is to certify something religious and we all anyway individually do what we think is right by our religion, but our high priest always tells us to live in harmony in the country that we are residing in and respect everyone…we should hold everyone in high esteem and regard and respect their wishes…

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    Ancestry and arrival in Lanka

    Vijaya Singha (this surname gave rise to name Singhal or Ceylone) the ousted prince of Singhapur/Sinhpur went with his dared evil comrades to Sri Lanka.
    As per Sri Lanka history Mahavamsa, written around 400 AD by the monk Mahanama, using the Dipavamsa and Sinhala Attakatha as sources, correlates well with Indian histories of the period. Ceylon before colonization by Prince Vijaya was earlier inhabited by the ancient tribes known as the Yakkhas and the Nagas. With the arrival of Prince Vijay and his 700 followers [3] history of the Sinhalese started. Vijaya was eldest son of King Sinhabahu (“Man with Lion arms”) and his Queen Sinhasivali of Bhurishrestha Kingdom.

    A section of the mural at Ajanta in Cave No.17,depicts the ‘coming of Sinhala’. The prince (Prince Vijaya) is seen in both of groups of elephants and riders.[1]
    Vijaya married Kuveni [3](local Yaksha princess) like his army marrying off local women. Later this gave rise to the modern Sinhala race. Vijaya landed on Sri Lanka near Mahathitha (Manthota or Mannar), and named the island “Thambaparni” (‘copper-colored palms). These are attested in Ptolemy’s map of the ancient world. Mahavamsa also claims, Lord Buddha visiting Sri Lanka three times. Firstly, to stop a war between a Naga king and his son-in-law who were fighting over a ruby chair. It is said that on his last visit, he left his foot mark on Sripada (Adam’s Peak). Tamirabharani was the old name for second longest river in Sri Lanka (known as Malwatu Oya in Sinhala & Aruvi Aru in Tamil). This river was main supply route connecting the capital, Anuradhapura to Mahathitha (Mannar). The waterway was used by Greek and Chinese ships traveling the southern Silk Route. Mahathitha was an ancient port linking Sri Lanka to Bengal and Persian Gulf.[4]
    At the beginning of the chronicle (see History of Sri Lanka) the King of Banga (Bengal) is married to the daughter of the King of Kalinga. Their daughter, Suppadevi, was not only ‘very fair and very amorous’, but was also prophesied to consummate a ‘union with the King of beasts'[5] – in the Mahavamsa, a lion. When this duly happened, she gave birth to two children – Sinhabahu and Sinhasivali. ‘Sinhabahu’ means ‘lion-armed’ and the young prince himself is described as having ‘hands and feet…formed like a lion’s’.[5] The family lived together in the lion’s cave, blocked in by a large rock the lion had placed to prevent their exit. Eventually, however, Suppadevi and her two children flee the cave. Later Sinhabahu kills his father with an arrow. Then, marrying his sister, he establishes a kingdom based on a city called Singhapur. Sinhasivali bears him a series of twins; their eldest child is named Vijaya, and his younger twin brother Sumitta. However, a critical twist and serious study by scholars and researchers with further references suggest that the King of Sinhpur/Sinhapura ( Sihor ), region’s very ancient telltales and references about Prince Vijaya, his exile, his route, are the ones which connect strongly to the History of Sri Lanka and Sinhala/Sinhalese people and culture.
    Vijaya is described as indulging in ‘evil conduct, and his followers were…(like himself), and many intolerable deeds of violence were done by them’. So antisocial were his activities that the people of the kingdom eventually demanded that the (now aging) King Sinhabahu have him executed.[5] Instead Sinhabhu had half their heads shaved (a sign of disgrace) and exiled Vijaya with his followers, their wives and children, from the kingdom – traditionally said to number a total of 700 souls. After resting in several places they are found to be hostile, and the wayward prince and his associates eventually ‘landed in Lanka, in the region called ‘Tambapanni.[5]
    Later research by Sinhala linguist W.S. Karunatillake supports the hypothesis that the Sinhalese originated in the Eastern India and that many words (over 50%) resemble Bengali language.[6] At the same time, the fact can not be denied for it was rise and origin of sub languages from Sanskrit in the times of Middle India where a great volume of syntax and material were common to all the newly emerging Indian Languages. And yet they were few at that time. This is to ask for a serious comparison and conclusion for Prince Vijaya’s origin, whether it was from Singhpur, Kalinga or it was from Sihor, Gujarat, despite references weigh more in favor of Vijaya’s origin to lower Indus, and Sihor, which was officially known as Sinhapur in Kathiawar peninsula in ancient times. Another critical point of observation is that, the last and, now only home to Asiatic Lions (locally referred as ‘Sinh’ or ‘Sinha’) is Gir Forest falls under Kathiawar peninsula in Gujarat and approach to core Gir territory is just some miles away from Sihor. In fact, till date as in year 2011, Lions are sighted in rural areas adjoining Sihor.
    Interestingly, some dialects, words and punches between Bengali and Gujarati languages are strikingly common so the researchers and scholars may have to stress more on other viable aspects too while any Indian sub language during Middle India was not prominent and dominant, where Sanskrit was being widely used in majority of Indian sub-continent. This is where esteemed scholars and researchers have to stress more while they strive to bring out their valuable observations and opinion.
    A second geographical issue is the location of Tambapanni, the landing-site of the Vijaya expedition. The Rajaveliya states that the group saw Adam’s Peak from their boats and thus landed in Southern Sri Lanka, in an area that eventually became part of the Kingdom of Ruhuna. British historian H. Parker narrowed this down to the mouth of Kirindi Oya. This is now thought to be a far too Southerly location. The more favored region currently is between the cities of Mannar and Negombo, and Puttalam, where the copper-colored beaches may have given rise to the name Tambapanni, which means ‘copper-palmed’.[7]
    [edit]Origins of the Vijaya Clan

    The arena associated with the legend of Vijaya and his followers may be in Singhapur (Simhapura or Singur), in the Lala Rattha (Lata Rashtra).[8] The country is identified with the modern Rarh region of West Bengal, India still called Lala/Larh or Rarh/Larika of Ptolemy.[9][10] Lala is referred to as Lata-desa in Sanskrit texts.[11] Al Biruni calls it Lardesh[12] to the extreme hilly west of Bengal where Hooghly district and modern Singur is located. There is however an epic reference to one Sinhapura kingdom with little historical proof, located on the upper Indus which shared borders with Ursa, Abhisara, Bahlika, Darada and Kamboja.[13] Seventh century Chinese pilgrim Hiun Tsang also refers to this Simhapura (Sang-ho-pu-lo) and locates it on upper Indus, in Gandhara (north—west Punjab) which might be a namesake like there were many Koshala or Ganga kingdoms in various parts of India.[14] Scholars have identified it above Salt Range.[15] Yet another Sinhapura is referred to in Gujarat and has been attested to in the Charter of the Maitraka King Dhruvasena I (525 AD-545 AD). Its modern name is ‘Sihore’ (Sinhore)/Sihor of Kathiawad.[16] There is also an ancient place name ‘Hingur’ located 40 miles east from the apex of Indus Delta but any of these have little evidences to be a relic of the ancient Sinhapura of the Sinhalese traditions (Hingur < Singur < Singhpur < Sinhapur).[17]
    It was thought by some early historians that the Republican Gramaneyas of Sabhaparva of Mahabharata[18] may have been the ancestors of the Sinhalese.[19] The original home of the Gramaneyas seems to have been the Sinhapura of Gandhara/Kamboja, but the people shifted to lower Indus and then, after defeat by Pandava Nakula, to Saurashtra Peninsula, centuries prior to common era. There they seem to have founded a principality in Saurashtra Peninsula, centuries prior to common era which they named Sinhapura probably to commemorate their past connections with Sinhapura of Gandhara/Kamboja.[20] In all probability, Vijaya and his 700 followers, the earliest known Aryan speakers of the island either belonged to the 'Sihore' (Sinhapura)/Sihor of Kathiawad (in Bhavnagar district) or else to Hingur (Sinhapura) east off the Indus delta from where they had sailed to Sri Lanka and settled there as colonists suggesting ancient links of Northwest Kambojas with Sri Lanka.
    Oriya scholars claimed Simhapura was the same as the ancient capital of Kalinga in modern-day Odisha. Nissanka Malla's inscriptions mention Simhapura as the capital of Kalinga. The Yalpanavaipavamalai, a Jaffna Tamil text written in the 18th century by Mayilvakanapulavar mentions a King Ukkirasingan,[21] whom Oriyas identify with Kalinga Magha of the Culavamsa as being a descendant of Vijaya's brother who remained in India though concrete evidences not found. And major drawbacks of all the hypotheses except east Indian town of Singur was they all lacked ancient developed ports like Tamralipta through which voyages to Sri Lanka would have been possible.
    [edit]Kuveni

    Vijaya's arrival in Sri Lanka [3] is said to have coincided with the passing away of the Buddha. Indeed the very first 'person' that Vijaya supposedly encounters on the island is the 'Lord of the Gods', Lord Vishnu, who is charged by the ailing Buddha with looking after Vijaya and his descendants.[7]
    The second encounter is far less auspicious – a Yakkinni, or demoness, who 'appeared in the form of a dog'. Vijaya's men, surmising that 'Only where there is a village are dogs to be found', followed the creature, only to come upon the Queen of the demons, Kuveni (also known as Kuvanna). Though the protection of Vishnu prevented Kuveni from devouring the hapless man, it did not prevent her from hurling him – and all of Vijaya's other companions – into a chasm.[7]
    Vijaya eventually comes upon Kuveni and threatens her with death unless she releases his men. When this is done, Kuveni supplies them with food and clothing, and, 'assuming the lovely form of a sixteen year old maiden' seduces Vijaya.[7] Then, in a complete reversal of her allegiances, she states that she 'will bestow Kingship on my Lord (Vijaya)' and thus 'all the Yakkhas must be slain, for (else) the Yakkhas will slay me, for it was through me that men have taken up their dwelling (in Lanka)'. This Vijaya goes on to do, vanquishing the demons and driving them from the island, all the time with Kuveni at his side.
    Though Kuveni bears him two children, a son and a daughter, Vijaya eventually rejects her with the words 'Go now, dear one, leaving the two children behind; men are ever in fear of superhuman beings'.[7] Despite begging Vijaya not to send her away, a broken-hearted Kuveni eventually leaves the palace, taking the two children despite being ordered not to. Arriving in one of the few surviving Yakka cities she is killed by her own people for her betrayal. One of her uncles takes pity on her children and tells them to flee before they, too, are killed. They eventually flee to Malaya rata where they settle and become the ancestors of the Pulindas. And alternative tale is that Kuveni flung herself from Yakdessa Gala, imploring the Gods to curse Vijaya for his cruelty – which they do by preventing any of Vijaya's children from ever sitting on the throne of Rajarata.[22] Interestingly 'Vijaya's curse' is held by some to still hold sway over Sri Lanka's troubled politics.
    The Kuveni-Vijaya story evokes some similarities with the encounter of Odysseus with Circe. Circe is also an enchantress and a witch. The Kuveni myth is also remarkable for being so violent and tragic. Both the demon Queen and Vijaya are portrayed as being deeply treacherous and unfeeling – the former in betraying her entire people, the latter in betraying her in turn so callously. Indeed Vijaya's reason for rejecting Kuveni is his desire for a 'a maiden of a noble house' to be consecrated Queen with him. This desire could have had a political aspect – in marrying a princess of an established noble house he would essentially have established himself as a legitimate monarch in his own right, on a par with the other rulers of the subcontinent's kingdoms.
    Kuveni, on the other hand, is regarded as a descendant of the demons of the Ramayana and of Ravana, who also dwelled in Lanka. A common folk tale was that her children did not, in fact, flee to Malaysia, but instead remained in Sri Lanka's jungles and became the Veddas – Sri Lanka's aboriginal population. This may indeed be the explanation for Kuveni and her people, as early Indian settlers would almost certainly have come into contact and conflict with indigenous Sri Lankans. The Yakkas are referred to occasionally as 'invisible',[7] and indeed would have appeared so to the newcomers unused to Sri Lanka's jungles, through which the Veddas even today can move in near-silence and with barely a trace.
    Interestingly the Dipavamsa, on which the Mahavamsa is based, makes no mention of Kuveni whatsoever.
    [edit]Reign and death

    Vijaya's ministers in the meanwhile had set about securing a princess for their leader to marry, and found one in the form of the daughter of the Pandyan King of Madurai in Southern India. Not only did the King dispatch his daughter, but he also decreed that 'Those men here who are willing to let a daughter depart for Lanka shall provide their daughters with a double store of clothing and place them at the doors of their houses. By this sign shall we (know that we may) take them to ourselves'.[7] Thus every male in Vijaya's crew received a wife (their original wives had been separated from them on their voyage to Sri Lanka, and according to legend they were sent to the Maldivian Islands).
    The ministers also appear to have been quite intrepid in founding their own towns and cities around Tambapanni – Ujjeni, Uruvela, Upatissagama, Vijita, and Anuradhagama.[7] Anuradhagama ('Anuradha's village') in particular was a significant foundation – under the name Anuradhapura (Anuradha's city) it was to become capital of Rajarata for over a thousand years.
    Following the arrival of the princess of the Pandyan Kingdom, 'the ministers in full assembly consecrated Vijaya king and appointed a great festival'. Age and marriage appear to have had a profound impact on Vijaya, who changed his way of life and ruled 'in peace and righteousness' for thirty-eight years.[7]
    The Mahavamsa describes the Pandyan ladies as originating from "Dakshina Madura" or "Southern Madura", which most Sinhala scholars have interpreted as modern-day Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu, "Northern Madura" being the city of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. This is a solid evidence of the relationship that Sri Lanka and South India have shared for long. There are several such recorded instances of intermarriage between ruling families of Sri Lanka and the major royal South Indian Dynasties, in particular, the Pandyas and the Cheras.
    The events surrounding Vijaya's death provide an interesting insight into the standards of government – or at least the ideals of government – during this period. As seen before it was the ministers of Vijaya who took the initiative in finding a bride for the King and in founding cities, indicating a considerable amount of independence and authority. Similarly when Vijaya dies, 'the ministers ruled, dwelling in Upatissagama…for a year' [23] whilst Vijaya's chosen successor, Sumitta, was summoned from Sinhapura. In the event it is not Sumitta but his son Panduvasdeva who arrives and takes up the reins of government, thus ensuring that the direct line of Vijaya's house is broken.
    [edit]Significance

    Vijaya's reign is of immense importance to the Sinhalese people as it forms the core of their cultural identity. As the Sinhalese kingdom developed into something of a South Asian anomaly – a Buddhist Kingdom in a largely Hindu belt across the Palk strait- the Vijaya legend reiterated that which differentiated the Sinhalese from their neighbors. The clear association of Vijaya with Buddhism, though he is not Buddhist himself, foreshadows the kingdom's conversion in Devanampiyatissa's time. Vijaya's relationship with Kuveni explains the presence of the Veddas, and his marriage to the Pandyan princess establishes a precedent for the often cordial relations between the Sinhalese and the various kingdoms of South India.
    Vijaya himself, however, is fascinating for being wayward, and on occasion even cruel and callous. Though he is consistently shown deference as leader of the embryonic Sinhalese polity, the Mahavamsa does not shy away from his more immoral acts. As such he is not held in the kind of awe and respect afforded to Devanampiyatissa, Dutugemunu, or Parakramabahu the Great.
    The Modern Sri Lankan Navy, for a considerable amount of time, consisted of only one battle ship, named the 'Vijaya'.
    [edit]Ancestors

    [show]Ancestors of Prince Vijaya
    [edit]S

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    Emerald,

    Thank you for your presentation of our history. All I could say is given the behaviour of both our voters and politicians……could be related to our ancestory to Vijaya, Kuveni and the rest. Full of betrayal, arrogance and beastiality. I also notice more features, lifestyle and behaviour between Sinhalese and Bangladesh People.

    But now we have a Sinhabahus gone crazy.

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