28 March, 2024

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This Toxic Supremacist Triumphalism Harmful To The Quest For Pluralism In Sri Lanka!

By Mohamed Harees

Lukman Harees

‘Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it’ ~Mark Twain

It is starting to sound and smell like an oxymoron. Despite President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR) appearing to assume an ‘All peoples’ President’ personality, the emerging political culture is negating such an assumption. Sri Lanka is showing tell-tale signs of  fast becoming an autocratic democracy as well as a racist, ‘multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-lingual’ nation. The toxic wave of Sinhala Buddhist triumphalism both overt and covert continuing in the Post-election phase, gives credence to the fear that Sri Lanka has already left the station to once again become a classic case of a country, widely polarized and degenerating on the ethnic and political fronts where pluralism is deliberately eschewed. 

It is blatantly clear that this mission to create an unprecedented ‘Sinhala’ mandate for GR, was well-orchestrated through a classic Modi-style modus operandi engineered through a network of grassroot Sinhala Buddhist organizations including temples as well. Even the hate rhetoric articulated by the radical monks during the election campaign was uncannily similar to that mouthed by India’s proponents of Hindutva. Moving forward, Sri Lanka cannot travel in this toxic direction and therefore GR need to act as a national leader; a transformational leader, winning the hearts of all communities, without playing to the gallery. Time is running out to build this broken nation and heal its’ wounds.

Many hate groups which were formed with GR as their patron saint then, upon the heels of the war victory over the Tigers are now deciding to dismantle. In fact, what Ven Gnanasara said in the aftermath of GR victory gave in inkling about the purpose of  their mission: to install a Sinhala Buddhist theocratic state by subduing the minorities. He said ; ‘We built an ideology that the country needs a Sinhala leader who does not bend down in front of minorities. Now that ideology has won.”. This subtle mission to re-install Buddhist nationalism on the driving seat has been on the rise, and it received a renewed boost, after the Easter Sunday terrorist attack. Rajapaksas, often appearing alongside Buddhist monks, exploited this vulnerable situation to their advantage, by referring  to the attacks as another affront on Sinhala Buddhists by the minorities while campaigning and casting themselves as their champions, underlying the need to restore national security. It was then GR declared their candidature as well, which was the ultimate plan of this nationalist lobby. 

GR may well want to be a transformed leader (different to his previous public image). But history has proved time and again that such intentions however laudable may be nullified by those around such leaders and the toxic wave of nationalism which brings them to power. Scheming political forces and prominent Buddhist monks saw in Post-Easter Sunday the emerging need for national security and a great opportunity to realize their dreams of promoting their ultra-nationalistic agenda. They saw in GR their candidate for this mission – a future Dutugemunu and the revival of the Sinhala Buddhist heritage in the country as expected by the vision envisaged by Anagarika Dharmapala. The  Mahavamsa mind-set which lies at the core of Sinhala-Buddhist hard-line arguments that ‘this island is “theirs” and other religious and ethnic minorities are “guests”. It is thus a nationalism which sees no distinction between the Sinhala-Buddhist identity and the Sri Lankan identity. For them, other groups can exist in the country and expect to be treated with respect as long as they acknowledge the supremacy of Buddhism and the primacy of the Sinhala language and culture. As Tisaranee Gunasekara notes, “with a single story, the unscrupulously brilliant author of Mahavamsa created a nexus between war, race and religion and consecrated the task of protecting the faith as the raison d’être of kingship.” These forces even side-line Sinhala Christians too in their quest for super-ordination. In that respect. Sinhala Christians too form another minority among the majority. How the Sinhala Buddhist adversely nationalists reacted to Sinhala Christian vote base for Sajith in Negombo was a case in point. Even the glorification of violence has been used by Buddhist nationalists as a source of encouragement for conflict with non-Buddhists.

In the Alvin Toffler’s ‘wave’ language, GR’s victory may be cited as the ‘Third wave’ of victory for the ‘Sinhala Buddhist nation’ in Post-Independence history of Sri Lanka. More melody to these divisive forces came from the appointment of a (nearly) monolithic Sinhala cabinet- Ministers, State Ministers and Deputy Ministers. The first wave was in 1956, when the majoritarian lobby in the wake of SWRD’s victory was able to make inroads into the highest political seat of power to a certain extent. Although the political elites then knew full well that the monumental act of exclusion as a result of manipulating the language issue for political purposes, was bound to subvert democratic institutions and also likely to lead to “terror, they went ahead anyway. The second wave was the defeat of the (Tamil) Tigers in the hands of the (Sinhala) armed forces. During MR regime, radical right-wing Buddhist groups gained a firmer foothold in Sri Lanka’s political scene, receiving what many view as the tacit support of the Rajapaksa regime. Following the defeat of the ‘Tamil’ enemy, Muslims became “another Other”.

There is no single explanation for why Sri Lanka succumbed to ethnocentrism and majoritarianism and failed to embrace pluralism in its’ seven decades of Post-Independence history. Inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic dynamics in multi-ethnic and multi-religious societies are complicated, and Sri Lanka is no different. But, according to a social scientist and a writer on the subject Neil DeVotta, ‘a Buddhist revival in reaction to colonialism that allowed Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists to combine their community’s socio-economic grievances with ethnic and religious identities; the absence of minority guarantees in the Constitution, based on the Soulbury Commission the British set up prior to granting the island independence; political opportunism among especially Sinhalese, but also Tamil elites who manipulated ethno-nationalism when seeking power; and the sectarian violence that congealed and hardened attitudes over time all contributed to majoritarianism’. The bitter lessons learnt during the course of a bloody thirty year war did not sadly enable a more inclusive society that emphasizes common citizenship over divisive ethno-religious identities, in the light of the embedded majoritarian mind-set. The involvement of Buddhist monks in politics following independence in 1948, in effect, too transformed Buddhism into a highly politicised religion.

As Neil DeVotta further opines, ‘the British and Sri Lankan elites might have been more cognizant of the manner in which the one-person, one-vote democratic principle could lead to majoritarianism, and they could have designed institutional checks and balances to protect against this outcome’. Adding salt to injury, the policies and practices, both UNP and SLFP leaders and governments effectuated were also anything but gradual and judicious. Indeed, they were so divisive and destabilizing that Nigel Harris ((1990), National Liberation) aptly noted, “If the Gods had wished to destroy, the madness of Sri Lanka’s rulers gave them every opportunity; for “if the Tamils had not existed, Colombo would have had to invent them. And, in an important sense, it did. It was [Sinhalese elites in] Colombo that forced the inhabitants of the north to become different, to cease to be Sri Lankan and become exclusively Tamil’. 

How relevant this quote from Harris was to the present times too? The tribal mind-set of the (predominantly Sinhalese) rulers specially in the Post war context, enabled not just the  Tamils, but Muslims too to think in terms of their ethnicity. While political parties and leaders have alternated in power in post-independence Sri Lanka, Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism has consistently triumphed, and this at the expense of pluralism and democracy. Such is the majoritarianism governing the Sinhalese Buddhist cosmos in Sri Lanka, which is bound to attain a new level under GR’s stewardship if he chooses to don  the ‘Rajapakse racist mind-set’. The re-emergence of the ghosts of racism and majoritarianism, which saw the minorities and the political parties associated with them treated as traitors and anti-Sinhala Buddhist being a reality, GR and his majoritarian government are likely to fear the metaphorical bullet which targeted SWRD if they are seen to go soft. A Catch 22 situation indeed!

In respect of Muslims, who were repeatedly being demonised and marginalized in the Post war and Post Easter context, this fear psychosis created among the majority community in Sri Lanka poses a grave danger. In the eyes of many observers, Sinhala Buddhist nationalists consciously promote the (totally unfeasible) view that the relatively smaller Muslim community will impose their ‘rule’ on the Sinhalese if the former group becomes a majority in Sri Lanka. Thus, they say anti-Muslim measures are required today in order to prevent the emergence of a future Muslim-dominated Sri Lanka ,with the perception of inherent Muslim intolerance serving as a justification for anti-Muslim bigotry. These internationally influenced factors thus interact with existing local prejudices to produce a form of Islamophobia that is distinct to its context. In right-wing ethno-nationalist politics as in many other spheres, globalization alters the experience of locality.

Although several moderate Buddhist monks and social activists in Sri Lanka have spoken out against extremist voices within their ranks, the echoes of the likes of Gnanasara ,Ratana and other nationalists prevailed, creating much fear about the rising dominance of the minorities, within the Sinhala Buddhist psyche. Opportunistic minority political leaders – Sambandans, Wigneswarans, Hakeems and Bathiurdeens were part of the problem. However, this line is toxic. A two thirds majority subscribing to this toxic majoritarian and supremacist mind-set in the next Parliament  will be suicidal to Sri Lanka; not just the minorities! It is the stooping to these Tamil/Muslim political opportunists which should be avoided. Genuine grievances of both Tamil/ Muslims in the Post-war period should be resolved and they should be made to feel as equal citizens. Even Tamils and Muslims have rejected these foxes in their midst.

On the other hand, the hard-line majoritarianism is related to the Sinhala Buddhist majority’s sense of powerlessness in a globalized context. Globalization exacerbates this fear by connecting relatively powerless internal minorities to powerful transnational forces –the Tamil diaspora, the Muslim ummah. Thus, Sinhala Buddhist nationalists understand themselves as a majority under siege from outside, threatened by collusion between ‘weak local enemies and strong foreign agents’. In the light of  this fear psychosis, GR’s election specially after Easter Sunday and Tamils and Muslims support to vote in the Yahapalana government in 2015, was a fait accompli. This fear needs to be effectively tackled.  

Religion is always bound up with society and politics –Buddhism in Sri Lanka is no different. For right-wing Sinhala Buddhist nationalists, religion is often more of a marker of majoritarian identity than a set of rules to live by. The growing disenchantment in the Sinhala-Buddhist community on many fronts, their economic and cultural insecurity in particular, at least in part has made it easier for nationalistic political posturing to re-capture its lost appeal. Yahapalana experiment to retain the confidence of the majority has failed  miserably.  Thus, the success of the quest for pluralism and reconciliation process will only be contingent upon the government’s ability to retain the confidence and support of the Sinhala community as much as all other communities. This is a priority too, in creating a pluralistic nation. 

It is imperative on the part of GR’s government to arrest the deteriorating trend of religious intolerance, and instead promote the ideal of multiculturalism in the country by formulating a wider national policy in the pursuit of steering the socio-economic development of the country. It is also of paramount importance that a formal space for inter-faith dialogue and negotiation between ethnic communities at the micro levels, in the best interests of ethno-religious harmony, initiated by civil society organizations with or without the support of the government. It is also imperative on the part of religious leaders to take some initiatives to foster inter-faith dialogues by creating a tolerant public sphere and enabling a religious space for all local communities in the present context.

Yes! As Sri Lankans, we possess the re-salience, courage, fortitude, vision and spirituality to resolve our differences and march into a new era of freedom from the shackles of bigotry and jealousy – and liberate the forces of unity and harmony in diversity. The ennobling spirituality bestowed by our religions should lift us beyond petty, man-made differences such as race, language and traditional practices into realms that seek out the nobility and goodness of man and his innate greatness. This however needs brave leadership and public activism. Therein lies our path to progress as a nation. 

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Latest comments

  • 16
    13

    The utterly radicalized Moslems of Lanka, who are by a vast majority aligned with Jihadi fanaticism and love ISIS, voted en masse against Gotaby. Their hatred against him was so great that is some districts they voted over 90% against him. The Sinhalese, wise to the terrible tragedy that was going to befall their land, voted for Gotaby and thankfully enough of them voted to secure him a win.

    Now the Moslem apologists and singing a song about toxicity of the Sinhalese and how very harmful it is for the country. Balderdash and Taqqia, deception and not anything else. I appeal to the Lankan Kaffirs to stand by their man Gotaby and wipe out the terrorists and their sympathizers. Show absolutely no remorse to these monster because they will kill you if you leave them and given them a chance.

    • 16
      6

      Spot on mate. Agree 100%. Every country, be it Sri Lanka, Sweden, Japan, UK, France, Russia or Italy has something called a ‘Parent Culture’. This encompasses race, religion, cultural heritage, values, language and the mores of ‘a’ people. Whenever that ‘Parent Culture’ is threatened, the people will push back. The Sri Lanka I grew up in the 1970s is not the same now. Parts of Colombo and Kandy look like the back streets of Karachi or Dhaka with women in Darth Veda black suits everywhere. And if one is unfortunate to get caught to the chaos outside a mosque after Friday prayers it is bloody scary. I used to wonder what on earth has happened to Sri Lanka. Where are we heading?

      • 18
        7

        What a bloody moron you are. After 7decades of independence, what has this parent culture done to Sri Lanka? Unless we develop a Sri Lankan culture and a Sri Lankan Ness, we cannot move forward
        Buddhism has nothing to do with sinhala Buddhism. The latter and mahawansa mentality has brought immense harm to Sri Lanka. Read what Jayadeva uyangoda has written about this

        • 9
          7

          Maha jathiya@ baluwela…
          You are dead Right. Lanken BUDDHAGAMA is not buddhism, it has become a life style form. Kelaniya incumbent priest, made a big lie being servile to Rajaakshe clans, but he has not made an apology yet today. He with that relics saga, made him an utter fool, though the guy is said to be a Professor. If the Kind of low lives to be professors in that part of the world, let s say, abasaranayi to us.

      • 9
        6

        Jeba

        “I used to wonder what on earth has happened to Sri Lanka.”

        Me too.
        Then of course the public racist Anagarika Homeless Dharmapala concocted a new race, the Sinhala/Buddhists and a new religion Sinhala/Buddhism.

        And later Sinhala/Buddhism slowly ivolved into Sinhala/Buddhist Fascism.

        What is supposed to be the “Parent Culture’ of this island?

        Incest, bestiality and parricide should form the basis of your ‘Parent Culture’.

    • 7
      0

      All People; president is just ” public statments” to mislead the Nation again. But we perfectly know one time, Multi crime doers would not be able to turn out to be Saints. Saddly, this is not fed into the gullible mind set of the People. That the authorities just ignored or underestimated.
      Today, Wimal buruwanse seems to have Audacity to come Forward and make Statements that No such swiss embassy employee abduction was heard and it was just hoaxed by former govt (unpers for no reason etc). Can you imagine ? Media ring that they trained over the 5 years, do it in favour of them. So People as is the WW11 period, stay thinking what GOTLER et al has been doing is Always Right. People are absolultely misled by the media mafia risen during the last few years: Derana man should be put in jail for ever also not forgetting, Hiru and SIRASA thugs that have Always been planting the untruth as it Comes for their News.

    • 11
      6

      Jay Chambo, They say, “The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on”. Keep barking please.

    • 1
      2

      there seemed to have been a conspiracy of Muslim drug lords to take over the country by destroying our culture, sapping our morale, breaking our will, before an all out insurrection would take place to carve out a Muslim space in the country. that sinister plan was checkmated but there is no reason why they would not try again.beware of Taqqia.

  • 7
    12

    The scalped skulls need to take it in that this has been a Sinhala Buddhist state fo 3000 years aginst South Indian and European invasions.
    /
    November 19 victory was against the sneaky Moor invasions of the 10th century, and there is no need for triumphalism or any other ‘ism’,.
    /
    turkey and Egypt becon those who are seeking supremacy here!

    • 7
      3

      Are you suggesting that SL has been a Sinhala Buddhist country long before the birth of Lord Buddha, oh man be sensible! Why not make it 5000 years, cos any number would do as long as it is sufficiently large to make it look like an updated version of Mahavamsa!

  • 15
    4

    Timely article. GR s past is far from good. But he can be a strong leader now, if only he is careful about the racist lobby around him. He cannot make another mistake.
    Minorities are equal citizens on this country. Sri Lanka being a sinhala state is a myth

    • 4
      2

      The terms such as majority and minority came into being with the introduction of ‘universal’ democratic franchise, which has been exploited to the hilt by bankrupt politicians and those yellow robed monks since independence! The survival of both these groups depended entirely on the benevolence of the masses and this ‘them’ and ‘us’ used by the British came in handy. Except this time they used the ‘them’ to label non Sinhalese, it seems to have worked wonders with the gullible, of which there are millions in this isle!
      Oops, your last factual sentence must certainly have offended those blind and dumb followers of Mahavamsa! Exercise caution in what you say!!

  • 14
    7

    Sinhala Buddhist supremacism has been a cancer in Sri Lankan politics since independence. We need to avoid making this country go along the same route again.
    Sri Lanka is a multi ethnic nation. It is only the way forward. Modi style approaches will be suicidal for Sri Lanka. I am not sure what Modi discussed with Gota in his meeting. We should avoid supremacist politics. Are we not learning lessons from history?

    • 8
      6

      Dignity for Sri Lankans in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qtar, Singapore, UK, US Canada and Australia also will be a good thing.
      But They are much worse in these countries than the treatment our thambys are enjoying in this country.
      Canada is so bad in their treatment of ‘Brown Niggers’, some marginal Sri Lankans have chosen to come back and run empty B&Bs here in their final years, rather than suffering discrimination there.

      • 7
        2

        So you buffoon. we are discussing about the need to build a common identity in our motherland without one community showing the red card to other communities. You are comparing with other countries. Havnt we suffered for 70 long years with this so called majoritiarian policies and have not moved an inch as a country. I think your brain is in your buri button. This article in my view talks sense in that respect. We are backwards like this because of peanuts brains like you . Even Sinhalese have not beneffitted; let alone Muslims and Tamils.

        • 1
          0

          The horse part is right. Don’t know about sense!
          /
          Could be the pale skinned horse and land thief.thief.

      • 11
        2

        Buri Button – When Sri Lankans, be it Sinhalese, Muslims or Tamils go to work in Saudi Arabia they don’t become Saudis, they are given just a temporary visa till their work contract ends.

        How Saudis or other middle eastern countries treat Sri Lankans, Indians or Britishers, is purely based on reputation of respective countries. For Arabs, they don’t differentiate between a ‘Thambi’ from SL minority or ‘Aiya’ from SL majority; for them both are Sri Lankans. But they definitely differentiate and discriminate between a guy from SL and a guy from UK that doesn’t send maids & cleaners to work there as slaves. But what you idiots don’t understand is more we fight, more we destroy the development of our country, so we stay slaves in front of them. Of course, we will continue to send more maids & cleaners to work as slaves to those countries, if this racist mentality continues. Religion has no role here.

        • 3
          3

          Then explain why you can goto mecca or medina and i can’t go there ? Definitely religion has a huge role here, and sri lanka’s standard of minorities are way good than other countries in south asia like pakistan, afghanistan, bangladesh where discrimination is sky high.

      • 3
        3

        Yes but why? You need to understand, the treatment of a majority of Sri Lankans working in those mentioned countries are employees, working as laborers, housemaids, drivers and security guards, and they all are salaried employees. They are not citizens of those countries, nor bosses to enjoy special privilege. In fact, they must all do their bosses bidding or get deported to face harsh realities of home country. You cant compare them to your ‘thambys’ living here as equal citizens for close to thousand years, earning, employing others, and paying taxes just like everyone else. The truth remains, you couldn’t have even won the Ealam war without their support, both in the air power, and on the ground with intelligence gathering. Ungrateful idiots.

      • 0
        1

        parts of Toronto are dominated by Tamils- are they really coming back?

  • 10
    6

    Just to be the Devil’s Advocate here, what if we rephrase the headline as follows: “This Toxic Supremacist Triumphalism (is) Harmful To The Quest For Pluralism In Malaysia. Or how about Indonesia, Pakistan, Dubai, Saudi Arabia or Kuwait” Now we have a problem don’t we? These are Islamic states were non-Muslims are considered infidels. (ie should be flogged to death) I mentioned Malaysia because its the least oppressive Muslim country where a politician named Khairy Jamaluddin once said the Muslim Malays will flood the streets of KL with the blood non-Muslims. BTW, Malays comprise barely 60% of Malaysia’s population.

    • 5
      2

      Jeba
      Don’t take Muslim writers seriously.

      Soma

  • 8
    5

    I don’t know how many of you have heard of Neerawady Pillar temple where BBS Gnanasara Thero and other thugs forcefully against the judiciary decision cremated a buddhist monks body inside the temple. Now Buddhist monks also built a Buddhist statue against the court decision after Gota and Mahinda took power. This is what they planned for future Srilanka.

    • 2
      0

      Gurukanda raja maha vihara is a centuries old buddhist temple, actually both rajamaha vihara and neerawady pillayar kovil can exit same time if we solve this problem correctly. There are plenty of buddhist and hindu religious places co-exit in same place in this country elsewhere even in far south place like matara.

  • 6
    2

    The Muslims in SL in Sri Lanka voted UNP as a whole only for one reason. They feared under Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Muslim personal law would be scrapped. It is their need to maintain that sexist tribal arabic law that degrades women as part of their religious freedom that made them vote UNP. They know UNP has no guts to solve this issue.

  • 5
    0

    Reading Through most of the Articles and Comments on Colombo Telegraph, any one can see that the best Comments are made by People who have had an English Language Based Education!
    The comments are mistakenly construed by Sinhala Buddhists, as Religion and Language based!
    It is up to the Mainly, Sinhala/Buddhist Politicians, who are themselves at a disadvantage, to correct this anomaly and Improve the Standard of English among the Majority!

    • 5
      5

      Mr Hamlet
      Suggest you correct your “best Comments are made by People who have had an English Language Based Education!” to read as “best anti Sinhala Buddhist Comments are made by People who have had an English Language Based Education!”

      Soma

  • 4
    6

    Mohamed Harees analysis is both objective and dispassionate. Its unfortunate that Sri Lanka is a demotic State (demos=people in terms of majoritarian head counts) and not a Democratic State . Democracy is based on political majority not mere numerical majority. Terms like Buddhocracy or Buddhist theocracy (though Buddhists don’t believe in God) will be more apt to describe the Sri Lankan Constitution where only a Sinhala Buddhist can hold the office Prime Minister or President.
    Gullible men like Archbishop Oswald Gomis and the present incumbent sold their souls to Mahinda Rajapakshe and betrayed the entire Christian community in that island. It was predicted already in year 2009 that the slow assimilation of Sinhalese Christians into Buddhism is a matter of time.
    Dr. P.J. Fernando

    • 3
      1

      Dr. P.J. Fernando
      Whether democracy is based on numerical majority or not is decided by the numerical majority.

      Soma

      • 3
        2

        somass

        “Whether democracy is based on numerical majority or not is decided by the numerical majority.”

        You forgot to let Mahinda knows abut this little Mantra when Mahinda launched his coup on 28 October 2018.
        Were you drunk the previous night?

        Its been almost two weeks, tell us how many passports does Windbag Weerawansa possess now?

    • 2
      2

      It’s not the buddhists who were attacked churches on second most holiest day of christian calendar and killed 300 people.

      • 0
        0

        A good point: it is Muslim suicide bombers who attacked the churches and killed 250 Sinhalese, Tamil and a few Burgher Catholics and protestants. that is the reality.

  • 4
    2

    “Yahapalana experiment to retain the confidence of the majority has failed miserably”. The writer got it absolutely wrong. Yahapalana architects never had such a policy or a strategy. Their publicly stated strategy was to win about 35% of the majority. Nothing more because they knew they had the blind bloc vote of the minorities that would be delivered to them by Sambandans, Sumanthirans, Badurdeens and Hakeems. Theierin lies the greatest failure of the so called experiment.

    “Thus, the success of the quest for pluralism and reconciliation process will only be contingent upon the government’s ability to retain the confidence and support of the Sinhala community as much as all other communities” as the writer correctly asserts subsequently. Are the minorities ready to win the confidence and support of the Sinhala community? If yes, they will have to reject the mono ethnic racist politics of Sambandans, Wigneswarans, Badurdeens and Hakkems.

    • 2
      2

      mono-ethnic racist politics started with Sinhala only. Don’t forget!

      • 2
        0

        No mmda pre-dated in 1951

  • 3
    2

    19th amendment will be history after the general election in april 2020. Muslim MPP, some UNP parliament members will vote with the govt do away with 19th amendment. You can easily buy a member of Parliament for about Rs 25 million.People are wasting their time voting for these jokers.

  • 3
    2

    Dr. P.J. Fernando
    Whether democracy is based on numerical majority or not is decided by the numerical majority.

    Soma

  • 2
    3

    No. Trump won the same way. High time people who live in Canada, Australia, France, Germany, UK etc who write to this paper admit they are minorities. They have the same legal rights as the English. You cannot write and function in Tamil no? you learn the mother official language of the nation no? and oh by the way, for the Muslims here, did you know Malaysia is onlt 60% Muslim Malays and they have an official religion. I never saw any of you Farouk to Hilmy to you ever saying that is wrong. Sri LAnka does NOT have an official religion, but that dumb-assed 1972 constitution says pride of place to be given to Buddhism. Sinhalese and Hindus do not have a problem with this at all because both visit both places of worship. It is the Muslim minority and the born again types who howl. Fact is all you Muslims will say it is ok for Malaysia but you have a different set of standards for Ceylon. Also did you know in Maldives NOT even a Shia muslim can become President. Their constitution says only a SUNNI muslim can be president. F**kall !.. Oh by the way, if those terrible singalams and hindoos were so bad, how come the Born Again candidate with a prince complex and bragging about his great Dynamo(but childless and wife being serviced elsewhere by his cabinet colleagues) and speaking in third person on stage get 5.5MILLION VOTES? I repeat a born again got those votes and gave a good fight to the Gotabayam Rajapakslingam

  • 2
    1

    Well well well ! A Rajapaksa can’t roll over in bed while asleep, there will be a raucous cry from the likes of Harees that they are coming to trample on and may be kill all those who are in the way !!! It’s beyond ridiculous the hatred that gives way to pouring venom on Rajapaksas by these sad inividuals over non-existent speculative harm that could happen if a Raja gets into power. Hilarious, but pathetic !

  • 3
    2

    We have to believe in the Buddhist theory of Karma. If it is true, then, the Sinhalaya, doomed already by Kuveni’s curse, will feel soon the results of the innocents they have killed in the past. We have to wait and see what will happen.

  • 1
    1

    This writer is either a dreamer or a racist.

  • 3
    1

    Harees is annoyed because the majority of Sinhalese voted for GR. this included most Sinhalese Christians. What is your problem about our people being united. It is not about us being racist, it is about us loving each other and agreeing with each other. Don’t try to divide us: I hope that divisions between Sinhalese will be a thing of the past.

  • 0
    1

    Burgher Aussie
    You are in total ignorance. All Federal, Provincial and even Municipal offices in Canada , Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland have their offices sending their important communique in Tamil.
    though in each of these countries Tamil population ranges only from 70,000 to 400,000.
    One can correspond in Tamil and get a response in Tamil. Huge funding is made available for Tamil Institutions/ Cultural and Educational Associations to promote their language and culture, literature, business, cuisine and arts. It is for this reason that there are more Tamil students at the Universities in these countries than all Sri Lanka University students (Sinhalaese and Tamil) put together. These countries provide simultaneous phone translations by phone or in person in all public and private corporations like hospitals, Banks, Transport Sector, Post offices etc. Sri Lanka has to learn much from these countries because Tamils came here hardly half a century ago but they are native nationality in Sri Lanka from Pre-Christian times. The quality of service is much higher than in countries where Tamil is supposed to be an official language.

    • 1
      0

      I also heard that Trudeau and Macron communicated in Tamil during the last NATO Summit. Boris Johnson is negotiating Brexit in the Tamil language . Recently trump has started sending tweets in Tamil.

  • 1
    0

    Oh Kabaragoya ! Is it only the Sinhalese who have killed ? THe Tamils killed Sinhalese first and drew the wrath of the Sinhalese. That was how the war started. Started by whom? The Tamils. So don’t you put the blame on the Sinhalese forgetting all the innocent sleeping people of the villages that were killed by you and the young Tamil children who were forced to the Villains brigade and given cyanide laced capsules to wear around their necks. You now pretend to be the “GOOD” while the Sinhalese are branded “killers”.
    Give up your quest for a separate country within the island and you will see how well the Sinhalese will treat you. The majority of you Tamils live among the Sinhalese in the South and elsewhere with no problems or victimization and promoting Tamil and Muslim businesses by being their customers.
    If you want a separate state why do you buy so much property in Colombo and suburbs and set up business. with no objections by the people in the South? We all know that you want to live in the South and also have a separate country in the North. Isn’t that the Tamil politicians really want?

  • 0
    0

    Guys & Girls,
    I can not seem to figure out in which way the Tamils or the Muslim’s are discriminated in Sri Lanka.

    There are Tamils & Muslims living in most parts of Sri Lanka and they own businesses, houses and get about their daily chores day to day amongst Sinhalese without being harassed. But then there is Jaffna where their are not many Sinhalese or Muslims live and has been like that for years. The western countries are making a big issue about the struggle of the minorities because they like to interfere with small countries like Sri Lanka especially if they have a president or prime minister who has no balls to tell them to Mind their own business. I don’t think the majority Sinhalese are as bad as the rest of the world makes it out to be. If the Sinhalese were so bad they would have killed innocent Tamils every time the LTTE detonated a suicide bomb in Colombo. and if they were so bad they would have killed a few Muslims after the Easter bombing.

    Yes there are a uneducated people who make racist comments and behave badly not only in Sri Lanka but most parts of the world. It seems that from the time GR won the election the west wants do what ever it takes to make the RAJAPAKSE’s fail. That is not going to happen.GR will be around for a long time and he will do great things for the country.

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