28 March, 2024

Blog

Whither Yahapālanaya?

By Harini Amarasuriya

Dr. Harini Amarasuriya

Dr. Harini Amarasuriya

Recently there has been a spurt of interest in defining what January 8 2015 truly meant for Sri Lanka. This discussion has emerged in a context where the government is being accused of betraying the mandate on which they were elected. This is supposed to be the ‘yahapalana’ government (a loose translation of the term ‘good governance’) but the question today for many people is ‘whither yahapalana?’

What exactly is the mandate of ‘yahapalana’? What brought that citizens’ movement together to deliver the election result of January 8th? The messiness of the broad alliance that forms this government as well as of its supporters makes this a difficult question to answer.

When considering the issues that the campaign mobilised around, it is hard to find a clear connection between them. Various groups mobilised around different issues: corruption, deterioration of democracy, abuse of power, the emergence of a particularly virulent form of Sinhala Buddhist nationalism, economic woes etc. The term ‘yahapalana’ was vague enough to accommodate all of these concerns. The issues were serious enough for individuals and groups to unite briefly, putting aside their differences. Despite the incoherencies of the yahapalana campaign and the might of the Rajapaksa regime that it was up against, yahapalana triumphed.

To understand the triumph of yahapalana, it might be useful to also consider it in the broader context of what is going on in the rest of the world. Who would have imagine Donald Trump as the Republican Presidential nominee? Not even the most optimistic of us could have predicted how close Bernie Sanders came to clinching the Democratic nomination. A few years, ago, none of us had heard of Jeremy Corbyn. In Spain, the radical left party Podemos is tipped to emerge second in the upcoming elections in Spain and to be a major player in forming a coalition partner in forming a new government. In Greece, Syriza came into power defeating established parties from both the left and the right. All this reflects a sense of frustration with the existing system, with establishment politics, with political parties and governments who are out of touch with people. This is the mood around the world – the disenfranchised, the marginalised, the excluded are speaking out and are searching for alternatives.

The mandate of January 8th has to be understood in this context – it was an expression of frustration with the system; a desire for change of the established way of doing things. It is for this reason that the energy for the January 8th campaign came not from established political parties or politicians but by a motley crew of civil society activists: artists, intellectuals, religious leaders; social activists. The inspirational figure was Reverend Maduluwawe Sobitha – a figure who had made it clear that he had no interest in any position in the government. It is good for both the President and the Prime Minister to remember this: January 8th did not happen because of them: it happened despite them. It is especially important for the Prime Minister to remember this: people did not think he could even be a figure head leader for the campaign – he was never seriously considered as the Common Candidate. Political leaders were simply the vehicles through which people worked out a change that they wanted. People were not inspired by their political leaders – they were simply a necessary evil to be used to bring about change.

The fact that the government seems to be forgetting this is rapidly increasing the sense of disillusionment with yahapalana. Recent events like luxury cars for Ministers; the deeply problematic appointment of the Central Bank Governor; the housing scheme in the North; the arrogant pronouncements and blatant abuse of power by various members of the government are proof of how readily politicians have forgotten the message of January 8th. Those in power believe that deals and manipulations are the means by which to govern. The most important message of January 8th, that people are sick of being manipulated and lied to by their elected leaders, has been forgotten.

However, what is equally disturbing is that the leaders of civil society (and I use the term leaders as well as civil society loosely to mean the public figures and groups who campaigned around the January 8th campaign) are in danger of forgetting this as well. This government is using multiple tactics to silence critics: one of its most effective has been through the promise of reform and the cooption of activists into the reform process. Whether it is constitutional reform, transitional justice, women’s rights, law reform, economic reform, education reform or whatever else that requires reform in this country, multiple commissions, committees and task forces have been set up. And the government is doing just about enough to raise expectations that these reform processes provide a much needed space for engagement for civil society to influence policies and processes. And so, civil society is forced to choose: do we keep quiet on x and y, because it’s really important to try and influence z? Also, because there seems to be even a semblance of a space to dissent, mobilise and influence, should we simply knuckle down and do what we can instead of worrying about what cannot happen? Because the alternative is a return to the pre January 8th situation which clearly most of us do not want. So we have knuckled down, at least in public. As one well known civil society actor quipped, it is ‘death by cooption’! As a result, those who led the campaign for change are as responsible for the current situation as our elected representatives. Perhaps, even more so, because people did not expect anything different from their elected representatives – the expectation was that the mandate of January 8th will be protected by civil society.

In my view, it is exceedingly important for civil society to consider which issues seem to have moved forward and which issues have not shifted at all. While there seems to be some movement on reconciliation, improving international relations and creating space for dissent, there are other areas where there has been little change. Corruption is one – not only have wrong doers not been brought to book, but it is ongoing. Certain Ministers and friends of those in power are racing to make up for lost time and to make the most of their time in power. Nothing is being done about that. Those in power, their families and friends continue to abuse power and to get away or to certainly try to get away with it. As the recent resignation of Dr Sumith Pilapitiya showed, there is no room for independence in public service. On issues to do with the economy – certainly there seems to be no space for influence, dissent or discussion. The upcoming reappointment of the Central Bank Governor, Arjuna Mahendran is a case in point. The question is not simply whether Mr Mahendran has done something wrong or not – it is also that he has lost credibility and his integrity has been questioned and that the government seems to be shielding him beyond all that is decent and necessary.

The Daily Mirror of the 18th of June 2015 reported the Prime Minister as stating that the government is going ahead with ECTA, the Port City Project and the Western Megapolis project – all highly controversial projects that have drawn lots of criticism. The Prime Minister reportedly dismissed all such criticism as emanating from ‘outdated theories’. What exactly does he mean by this? Any criticism that he does not agree with need not be taken seriously? This government needs to look around at what is happening around the world – what is ‘outdated’ are natural resources heavy, inequality generating, environmentally unfriendly ‘big’ development! Such statements do nothing to allay fears that the yahapalana government has failed to learn lessons from the past or that it is not paying attention to the changing mood of the citizens of this country. It suggests a degree of intellectual and political arrogance and disregard for people that is completely unworthy of this government: a government that came to power on the shoulders of citizen activism.

Civil society may feel it has to pick its battles – and therefore choose to be silent on some issues. But that is to think and act like politicians who are fighting to stay in power to maintain power and privilege. Civil society has a broader responsibility – that goes beyond competing for power, privilege and position. January 8th in Sri Lanka marked a turning point for Sri Lanka in many ways – not least because it provided people with some hope: hope that change is possible. And that change is possible not because we trust our politicians, but because we believe in our own power over politicians. Getting too cosy with those in power, even with the best of intentions, will only serve to dilute that power.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Latest comments

  • 9
    2

    In the list of items that blame Yahapalanaya you have missed an important recent event. This event is the “fire” in the army camp of Salawa where massive amounts of weapons were stored. It is in fact not an accident.[Edited out]

    • 10
      1

      Bravo Dr. Harini!

      Civil Society groups in Sri Lanka should set a world precedent and petition the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHRC) to to end impunity of corrupt Govt. officials on the basis of Economic and Social Rights and Justice for ALL the people of Sri Lanka, Tamil, Singhala, Muslim etc.

      The IMPUNITY and IMMUNITY for financial crimes enjoyed by Nivard Cabraal and Mahendran under Mahinda Jarapassa, Ranil Wickramasinghe and Sira Ayahapalanay govt. must end and those named in the Panama Papers should be investigated and their assets brought back to pay off the national debt. The IMF has legalised corruption in the global financial system and is distracting us with useless loans rather than tracking down the looted billions from counties that are in crisis. Sri lanka is headed to be another Greece today because of Mahendran’s corruption and Ranil-Sira’ govt.s failure to fire him long ago. Moodys has just down graded Sri Lanka’s rating and this is going to cause huge economic and social crisis – as in Greece in the near future.

      FUTURE Accountability of CB governors and their political masters must be ensured and hence Mahendan and Nivard Cabraal must be PROSECUTED for financial crimes or UNHRC must intervene and try them too with INDEPENDENT FOREIGN JUDGES just as the war criminals in Lanka should be tried..

      Civil society should ask for the assets of Mahendran and Nivard Cabraall to be frozen and Perpetual Treasuries investigated and all the others named in Panama Papers. It is not enough to simply ask that Mahendran’s contract has ended – and let him off to go and live the high life on his ill gotten gains in Singapore! A full investigation of Mahendran and Nivard Cabraal and their bond scams, insider trading and currency manipulations is necessary.

      • 6
        3

        Reserve bank of India head, with impeccable credentials and honesty is set to leave RBI soon.

        Dr. Raghuram Rajan should be asked if he would help out and invited as head of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka?!

        Mahendran was a disgrace to Tamils, Dr. Rajan would set the record straight!

        • 2
          0

          He is not a good fit for Sri Lanka. This is a guy politicians cannot feed garbage to. This is one of the reason he doesn’t want to renew his contract.
          Indian politicians complain that he has gone beyond his mandate but to him he has not because every crap the politician pulls effects the economy and people. So do you think he will be allowed to do his job in Sri Lanka where the majority of politicians are corrupt and lack the education to understand the function of CB.

  • 5
    0

    The System is a FRAUD,
    the system, my friend is a fraud!

    You are right, Madam.

    Today it is the people versus the corrupt politicians all over the world. The politicians have evolved into a privileged elite caste, that is sucking blood and sweat of the working people.

    Corruption is cross party lines, bi-partisan in the US. Politicians who have captured the State using MONEY POLITICS, rule the people by dividing and distracting the masses from their corruption with Hate Speech and Racism.
    IMF and World Bank are part of the racket of off-shore banking and tax evasion, so rich get richer. They ‘structurally reform’ counties to benefit the rich and impoverish the poor and manufacture inequality and cycles of war and conflict.

    • 0
      0

      Good one Harini – keep them coming..

      MUthabaruka is dead right. Donald Trump and ISIL are mirror images and extreme manifestations of the global system which is set up to Divide, distract, Rule and rob the workers of the world by using RACISM AND HATE SPEECH, everywhere.

      Yes, Accountability for Financial Crimes and Economic and Social Rights and Justice is the way to unite the honest working majority of the people of the world against corrupt money politics and the corrupt global financial system that enables the rich to loot the global commons.
      DIVIDE, DISTRACT and RULE the world is the name of the game today played by IMF, WB, UN in collusion with global and local political elites and their business cronies who all bank in off-shore accounts today: that is why ISIL and Donald Trump are mirror images,of the hidden corrupt global criminal economy, and need each other to distract people from economic inequality and the corrupt global system of which IMF, WB and UN are in the same business – Global MONEY POLITICS.

      Please read Jeffry Sacks article on the Panama Papers:

      The lack of Economic and Social Rights and justice and the failure of UNHRC to work for Economic Rights is the main problem. Human Rights has been narrowly defined in UNHRC and Sri Lanka Civil society should make the link between lack of economic rights and racism to divide, distract and rule the global commons and the peoples of the world.

      • 0
        0

        The global 1 percent rules, while 63 people own over half of the wealth of the world..

        Why not petition UNHRC on this indeed? IMF’s Christine legard who wears a suit and plays footsie with the big boys should be hauled before the UNHRC for violating the Human Rights of the impoverished Greek People and all the other crises in financial crises after borrowing from the IMF!

  • 4
    1

    Harini,

    You said ” It suggests a degree of intellectual and political arrogance and disregard for people that is completely unworthy” etc. I personally don’t believe that any degree of intellectual capacity or deliberations are needed for politicking in Sri Lanka. And to be fair our politicos do not act with political arrogance – not needed. To the contrary they do have regard for the people, because the people are so easy to fool with smooth talk and impossible promises. Thus coming to power the Sri Lankan politician then immerse themselves only in two activities – taking every opportunity to enjoy the largesse power brings and to amass wealth. Pure and simple. All and everything a Sri Lankan politician including the Yahapalanaya bunch see is opportunity to make money and to enjoy power benefits. They do not need to remember anything else. The political maturity/immaturity of the majority of Sri Lankans will ensure only the smoothest talking roguish clan will be voted in no matter how they are ruled or how much corruption and nepotism the politicians practiced. We are a country of serendipitous simpletons. Why does a politician need intellect or arrogance.

  • 7
    6

    Well said! The part about the outdated theories is most apt to all proposed projects – ECTA, the Port City Project and the Western Megapolis project. They are so outdated, that I blush when Lankans say that we don’t want to Ape the West, and do exactly that! And the West smirks, knowing they are always one step ahead. When is Sri Lanka going to get decent leaders that can show us the most sincere and intelligent way forwards?

    Rajapaksa’s were above and beyond the country’s means. But at least they had a clear and clean sense of purpose towards country Sovereignty and Nationhood. Yahapalanaya on the other hand, is mean and twisted and working in all kinds of dubious ways for profits that look good on paper to satisfy the West, but will screw us out of our very identity and heritage!

    • 6
      3

      HA, HA, HA… Absolutely hilarious!

      A Parangi married to a fishing caste Sinhala Buddhist and living/slaving in the white man’s west talking against the West that is feeding these slaves, this is nothing but comedy.

      There are many such SL hypocrites that live and slave in the West and someone should expose them.

      • 1
        0

        Are racial epithets the only argument you have?

        It good that some of us are here are in the West, other than the mountainous loads of you refugee scum who go hooting around and ruining it for all Lankans. We can at least speak up for our country’s honor.

        • 0
          1

          “Are racial epithets the only argument you have?”

          Who wants to argue with an imbecilic and nutty nitwit who hallucinates all the time and invent new stories (something new) from thin air and then believe and defend that as gospel?

          Anyways, we need some jokers for entertainment and fun. Please keep hallucinating and create new stories, we are enjoying the fun.

          The Sinhalese looted our wealth, burnt our people and our houses and properties to the ground, and overnight we were reduced to refugees and made to migrate to the West whereas the Sinhalese migrated to the West by winning visa lottery or disguised as Tamils. Usually most of the Parangi Burghers went to the Kangaroo land but many Fernandos went to the West disguised as Tamils, did you also do the same or did you win a visa lottery.

          Nobody bothers when Western slaves like you speak up for the Sinhala-Buddhists because they all know your ulterior motives.

          • 0
            0

            No most of us came on work or student visas, and were later welcomed as citizens. We came on our Sinhala Kurukulasuriya name.

            • 0
              1

              work or student visas???
              My foot!!…LOL!!!

          • 0
            0

            Besides it was your very own LTTE Tiger Terrorists who looted your wealth, burnt your people and your houses and properties to the ground, and overnight reduced you to refugees, and made to you migrate to the West after terrorizing the whole of Sri Lanka.

            • 0
              0

              In July83, it was a Sunday, full moon poya day, the Sinhala Buddhists were gathered at the Buddhist temples, they took pun sil, and while listening to the Bana, the racist Buddhist Priests in each temple were told about the attack on the 13 soldiers.
              Immediately the tune of the Bana changed to Dutugemunu’s war against the Tamils, the temples changed into anti Tamil war schools, the priests gave all the necessary instructions to the Sinhala Buddhists on how to attack and kill those innocent Tamils. It was past mid night, early Monday morning, the Sinhala Buddhists came out of the Buddhist temples charging like wild buffalos and killed the innocent Tamils, burning them alive, and looted all their belongings and made them refugees. However, I still cannot understand why a Parangi Burgher has turned into a Sinhala-Buddhist bootlicker.

              • 0
                0

                Long before of what you speak of, Tamils pushed over Sinhalese for their jobs, lands and their very livelihood, reducing them to beggary and despair. Then they screamed and hooted the most perverse of racial epithets at them. Even now, they prefer to flood the Western lands as refugees, than work honorably with the Sinhalese. I speak for the Sinhala Buddhists as I am part Sinhala Buddhist, and have understood and seen their suffering.

                • 0
                  0

                  “Tamils pushed over Sinhalese for their jobs, lands and their very livelihood, reducing them to beggary and despair.”

                  This is hallucination at its best. Are these stories coming to you head as voices? Your brain seems to be infected with Trojan.

                  All the prime ministers and presidents of Sri Lanka were Sinhalese. The majority in the country were Sinhalese. How can the Tamils push over Sinhalese for their jobs, lands and their very livelihood, reducing them to beggary and despair? Only a majority can do that to a minority and the majority Sinhalese were doing it to the Tamils right from independence.

                  During the British rule, it did not take much time for them to identify the Sinhalese as foolish and lazy people only good at eating Kavum. They did not say the same to Tamils or Muslims because the Tamils were clever, ready to learn, industrious, honest and hardworking (the Tamil work ethics – work is worship). The Muslims were also honest and very good at business and trade. On the other hand, the Sinhala race was very lazy, violent, racist, hateful, jealous and mean spirited. This is the reason why, when it came to white collar jobs in the Ceylon Civil Service the colonials gave preference to Ceylon Tamils of North and East. The Tamils were holding top positions in the government service whereas the Sinhalese were working as peons and drivers. Like what Soulbury says, the English were jealous of the Scots, the lazy Sinhalese were jealous of the hardworking Tamils and Muslims. In 1948, the British handed over the entire country to the Sinhalese with the second highest GNP per capita in Asia and where is Sri Lanka today?

                  The Sinhalese made the Tamils beggars overnight and drove them out of the country as refugees, but they could not do one thing, that is to remove the indomitable spirits and work ethics (work is worship) of the Tamils. Within a matter of thirty years they have become one of the most powerful Diaspora in the world. The Tamil Diaspora will do anything and everything in the West to make money and establish themselves. Today there are more than a million Sri Lankan Tamils (Diaspora) around the Western World from North America to Australia/New Zealand doing extremely well. All their children are attending the top class universities in the World. The Tamil children have achieved what they could have never achieved in Sri Lanka. You made them beggars and refugees but it only took them a very short time to bounce back and excel in their host land. Today, with their money and vote bank they are able to influence and lobby the western politics/politicians. Just like the rich Jews controlling the American politics the rich Tamil (Diaspora) are now capable of financing election campaigns in the West. Today, unfortunately the Sri Lankan government has to deal with Uncle Sam and the powerful west in order to solve the country’s national problem which was once an internal domestic issue.

                  • 0
                    0

                    Well,…..you Tamils certainly have some heightened opinion of yourselves. Jews have a long history with the White man, and most poignantly, the Christian faith with Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and the manger. White people will always have that soft spot for the Jews, even if they holocaust them every once in a while.

                    What exactly do the White people have in common with you Tamils? They will probably use ugly looking Raj Rajatranam to skew monetary systems so things will go in their favor. But then, their inner Christian based beliefs will kick in, and they’d be terribly apologetic about it.

                    Isn’t it time you Tamils become decent, instead of hobbling around the globe screaming racial epithets, and using any intelligence you possess in the most twisted of ways?

                    • 0
                      0

                      Ha, ha, ha…

                      The Jews have nothing to do with the Christian faith and they never accepted or believed in Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and the manger. Jews only believe in Mosses and not Jesus. Try to learn some basic general knowledge. The White Christian people killed millions of Jews, they put them in gas chambers and the rest were driven out of their homeland.

                      When the Jews were thrown out from their land and humiliated and killed in tens of thousands, they migrated to the West as refugees leaving only a very few (less than 10% of the population back). Today the Jewish Diaspora is not only one of the richest nation all over the world but they are also manipulating and controlling the Western politics and the World politics.

                      The World Tamil Diaspora (created by the Tamil think tank Dr. Anton Balasingham taking the Jews as the best example) is following exactly what the Jews did. They are determined to achieve their goal. They converted the internal domestic SL issue into a global issue. They have globalized/internationalized the issue where Uncle Sam and the Western powers are influenced by the Tamil Diaspora to interfere. That is why just after the war ended, America gave enough hard time to the Rajapakshe government at Geneva and finally made sure that they lose the election.

                      “ugly looking Raj Rajatranam”

                      Beauty/ugliness is only skin deep, haven’t you looked at yourself in the mirror before commenting on others look?

                      “Isn’t it time you Tamils become decent, instead of hobbling around the globe screaming racial epithets”

                      Have a good look at this video how your own ‘Egalitarian’ Sinhala Buddhist clergy, your own teachers/preachers, how decently they are behaving without screaming racial epithets, this is just one of them:
                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2kkZfb5uM0

                      When your own is stinking so badly you are looking at others.

                    • 1
                      0

                      Hi, Ramona therese & Celeo

                      Your dialogue of hate is completely irrelevant to this article in CT.

                      How old are you two ?

                      Stop acting like children.

                      Grow up be mature introspect will solve many problems of our forefathers.

                      Have a nice day….

                    • 0
                      0

                      Not me TRN. I speak up when I am attacked with racial slurs. It’s a pity that another has to reply to my comments in such derogatory ways. But I would hope that a person like you would reply to my first comment, and not cowardly use a final trump card of smugness in the absence of intellegent reasoning and good argument.

                    • 0
                      0

                      “How old are you two?”

                      Ramona is 65 with the brain of an 8 years old kid (you can see very clearly from her reasoning and arguments). I am 39 going to be 40.

                    • 0
                      0

                      As I am not cowardly, and use my real name, my age is very verifiable…..and I am so much younger……

  • 1
    1

    Dr Amarasuriya

    Interesting article, but the question threw me.

    Did you really mean WITHER, or did you mean WHITHER?

    • 0
      0

      Spring Koha – Maybe it was wishful thinking???!!!

      Another way would have been to ask, “Quo vadis Yahapalanaya?”

    • 0
      0

      Both would work.

  • 2
    0

    Q) What brought that citizens’ movement together to deliver the election result of January 8th?

    A) The citizens wanted MR, his corruption and rule of Families and Thugs be ousted from the seat of power. (Any secondary objective paled in comparison, as far as the Sinhalese who ushered in the new government was concerned.)

    However, what the minorities -Muslims of East, Tamils of North & East- was concerned, it was somewhat more complex, than that of those Sinhalese who voted MS in.
    They wanted relief, individually and collectively; politically and socially.

    Now, to the ideas shared in this article.

    * The success of Trump was a likelihood, from day one. There are some undercurrents in US politics that led to it. Trump, shrewd and savvy, read them all flawlessly.

    * Sanders’ show is more complex to explain. The disdain many democrats had for Hillary spilled over as gains for Sanders. He managed, I should say, to portray that a new ‘kind’ of socialism, – impossible and stupid, in my opinion – is possible in USA.

    RECONCILIATION:

    This is a ‘pain in the butt’ irritant to Tamils. I am somewhat dismayed that the writer would add without any hesitation that there seems to be some movement on reconciliation. Am I missing something? What am I missing?

    It seems to me that creating space for dissent is being well managed to improve international relations. Understand, Without sincerity!

    The MS government has the same philosophy as that of MR government (in both men and methods) except, MS is more tactful in not wanting to be seen as another wayward MR.

  • 2
    0

    Will Sri Lanka end up like Egypt?

  • 1
    1

    Are these MPP and Ministers not aware of the simmering frustration of the People? Most probably,they are not bothered.
    Duty free car permits,Contracts and Commissions and other forms of sleaze are the items on the agenda for most of them!

    As reader Muthabaruka has commented above,the system is a fraud.That sums it all!

  • 1
    1

    Civil society should start making a list of politicians to vote for in 2020. Give a rating based on honesty and competence. Candidates from all parties. Let’s see of political parties then have the courage to get their backdoor national list candidates in.

    • 1
      1

      From where is the Civil society going to make that list … .?

      Don’t ask for the moon from the Civil society. You must be really hating them!

    • 0
      0

      Vanguard

      “Civil society should start making a list of politicians to vote for in 2020”

      Apparently good idea; but don’t you know this is Sri Lanka

      Like political parties, civil societies will mushroom so people will have the task of selecting a civil society before selecting candidates.

      We have to cope with over enthusiastic Sri Lankan people

      My humble prescription; make least possible opportunities in politics.

      Maximum 100 parliamentary MPs no provincial councils but strongly functional local government bodies.

      Discouraged culprits will leave politics for ever.

      • 0
        0

        Well the existing Civil Society of the January 2015 revolution no doubt. News First, and some of the TV channels seem to have a good grip on this.

        Ideally, a FB page with “Parliament 2020”. Or better still full page ads with the list of 100 parlimentarians that we want.

        “From where is the Civil society going to make that list … .? “

        Manthri dot lk is a good start?

  • 3
    0

    An excellent exposition of our current state, Harini!

    You ask “What exactly is the mandate of ‘yahapalana’? What brought that citizens’ movement together to deliver the election result of January 8th?”

    I would venture to answer that the mandate was for the promised Yahapalanaya to be the antithesis of what the Rajapakses inflicted on this country.

    This was their promise, wasn’t it? And what you describe and what we are seeing is ‘anything but’!

    Oh well, I guess we should be thankful for small mercies, although “it suggests a degree of intellectual and political arrogance and disregard for people that is completely unworthy of this government: a government that came to power on the shoulders of citizen activism”.

  • 4
    0

    Harini is right. We didn’t vote because of sirisena. We voted to get the Rajapaksas out. And now there’s nothing yahapath in yahapalanaya either. What’s the alternative? I’m worried that people will stop using their vote altogether. Almost everyone I know who voted this government in is feeling so disillusioned and downright depressed.

  • 2
    2

    Well written, but one must always keep in mingd that this Island has been run by SINHALESE since Independence. What does one expect? Or what can one expect? Only SHIT.

    • 1
      1

      On the contrary it has been run by the Sinhalese with the Tamils and Muslims as kingmakers. The Sinhalese have always been so divided that the T & Ms call the shots. Look at the record of VEKR Thondaman, switching from one party to another to get the best for his people. I don’t blame him. I’m just pointing out that the T&Ms have been in every cabinet and have filled their ministries with their own since independence. Look at Mrs B allowing Muslims to study in English but denying Tamils and Sinhalese that chance. The West are used to majorities holding the whiphand, that is what they have always done. They find it incredible that minoritoes can have so much power over a majority. In fact they don’t believe that they do.
      Tamil Veddah your insane comments please.

  • 3
    4

    “Emergence of Sinhala Buddhist Nationalism”.

    Is this Lady serious !!!.

    Dhammaloka Thero goes to jail for the second time.All because of a Baby Elephant’

    As if the Thero took it to do a sacrifice in a Kalia Amma kovila..

    Basnayaka Nilames of Paththini Devalaya and Saman Devalaya can’t get their traditional Elephants to carry the Relics of Lord Buddha.

    Even Judges who care about Elephants welfare, are grilled by Batalanada’s UNP CID and issued with arrest warrants..

    Plans are underway to up root 600 Sinhala Buddhist Families from the North and ship them back to the South.

    Mosques are coming up on old Buddhist Vihara sites in the East.

    The last Buddhist Capital of Srilanka soon is going to have the tallest Mosque there.

    Batalanada Ranil is going to expunge Buddhism from his New Constitution.

    Where is this Emergence?…

  • 1
    1

    Let’s face the truth. Civil Society was and is a farce. America with their universally accepted honorary arm the UN (which people are made to believe is independent)and its ally EU are behind the so called Civil Society or the NGOs. Billions of dollars/Euros are poured into the propegation of these groups worldwide to ensure that the Super Powers (US,UK,EU)rule the roost economically and militarily. Even the usually politically silent Queen of England, Elizabeth II has openly praised NGOs and advised commonwealth countries to seek their help !!!

    The world is ruled by big businesses ably helped by these powerful nations along with the blessings of the English and the European Royal families. That is how they get richer and more powerful by the day while poor gullible people swallow ‘good governance’ and ‘democracy’ preached to them by their puppet leaders some of whom are themselves unaware of the hand that rotates the wheel. The world thus goes round and round and round ……..

    power

  • 0
    0

    “Wither Yahapālanaya?”
    We are playing Wolf Wolf.
    This time a group of shepherds cry “Yahapālanaya Yahapālanaya”. We all run to help. They laugh their guts out.

    One day Yahapālanaya may really come and savage the corrupt shepherds. Lanka will be a nation of “Enlightened”

    • 0
      0

      The Best Goverened Country is: Finland.

      But it has its problems

      “Then there’s the homelessness and crime (in 2009 the murder rate was 2.1 deaths per 100, 000 people, the joint highest in western Europe with Portugal and Scotland according to The Daily Telegraph). There’s a lot of domestic violence, especially towards women (40% in 2008, as reported in The Guardian). It might be related to alcoholism, which was the number one cause for death in 2006 and which costs society a lot of money. Add public mental health care to that – suicide rates are alarmingly high; in 2008 they were one of the fifth highest in the EU… I wouldn’t say that Finland is number one in the world when it comes to well-being!”

  • 0
    0

    You Yahapalanaya guys are living on another planet.
    Emanating from a Yama Palanaya regime , there contextual constraints.
    Be happy that you guys have got the Independent Commissions , the Rt to Info act and honorable people as CJ, IGP, Sec/ Def, and Ag , instead of the bloody pick pocketing pricks that the Yamaya Raja put there
    The erst will come have patience
    But keep bloody shouting – it helps!

  • 3
    0

    See Yahapalayanaya in Police. One sample: Piliyandala Police Station’s Environmental Section OIC is protecting all illegal garages, illegal constructions and Dengu breeding places in Piliyandala police area. He is the person behind all environmental disasters in this police area. Even court closed garages are operating in full blessing of this section OIC. This OIC has many three wheels and one illegal hotel. This illegal hotel he built without getting Central Environment Authority approval. Where he got so much money as a government officer? He is collecting monthly ransoms from all illegal garages (Piliyandala police division has highest number of illegal garages in Sri Lanka and they are the centers of crimes, health and environmental disasters for residents) and give full support to operate court closed garages in this area. This corruptive officer is working in this police station more than 10 years. This helped him to continue his all illegal activities.

Leave A Comment

Comments should not exceed 200 words. Embedding external links and writing in capital letters are discouraged. Commenting is automatically disabled after 5 days and approval may take up to 24 hours. Please read our Comments Policy for further details. Your email address will not be published.