Dewasiri , Amala and Sobhitha Theros and Professors want the pound of flesh, without consideration to Students and their Parents .
Posted on August 31st, 2012

By Charles.S.Perera

The Strikers carry placards ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- Stop Politicization of UniversitiesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, but they do not seem to realize that it is they who have made their strike ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a political platform for local politicians like ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Maduluwawe Sobhita thera, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dhambare Amala thera,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  JVP and a host of other politicians from the UNP.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The foreign media that had been silent for a while from bashing Sri Lanka GovernmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  has come out with enthusiasm. The Economist writes, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s universities Shuttered:Lecturers go on strike, and the government has a drastic response, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in the wake of the decision of the Striking University Professors to continue the strike despite the governments decision to accommodate their demands.

The mainƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  concern of FUTA is their salary increase, and every one knows thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  demand for the 6ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  % of GDP for education isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  just to mislead the public.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  There was commentator in another website defending the Professors saying that they are not after a salary increase, and he says he is not a professor in a university in Sri Lanka but abroad.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That means he too had left Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  for economic gain. They are all in the same boat.

What is surprising is that the Senior professors are still following DewasiriƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s personal strike against the Government, despite the fact that it has become obvious that the Strike is no more a purely a Trade Union action but a political manoeuvre to destabilize the government in its development projects.

Have these striking professors given a thought to the Students , who loose their precious time doing nothing instead of studying and the parents bearing the brunt of financial constrains caused to them by the unfair and unreasonable Strike of the FUTA. FUTAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s demands are unreasonable and unfair as they are already well paid, where as there are workers in other sectors who are not well compensated for the work they contribute to the development of Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  FUTA is only making the issue political perhaps because ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ they are paid for it by an outside political force.

FUTA never came out in defence of the country during the Geneva Human Rights Council sitting .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Nor did they defend our Armed Forces or the Officers of the Armed Forces when they were unduly accused for war crimes by the International Community.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They are merely looking after their own interest what ever becomes to the country.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Have these professors who ask so much from the country, asked themselves how much they have given to the country other than lecturing to the students ,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  which they do as a part of their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-jobƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ without sacrificing any thing for the sake of the students or the development ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the quality of the University Education in Sri Lanka.

During nearly two months of FUTA strike the University StudentsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  have lost their precious time of study and their young lives have been wasted.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Their parents have gone through mental suffering and financial loss. If the striking professors claim their salaries for the period of their strike, FUTA shouldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  appropriately compensate the Students and their parents for difficulties they had been put into and the financial loss they had suffered.

The robed defenders of the Strike do not understand the difficulties of parents or the sacrificesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the children had been forced to make because of the Striking Professors they have come forward to defend. As religious leaders they have a right to come to take the defence of the Students and their parents and not the striking members of FUTA who are disrupting social and economic development of Sri Lanka.

Dhambara Amala Thero who says that the cabinet decision with regard to the Universities is a fraud is no better than TamilNadu Karunanidhi, the TNA separatists and the terrorists rump.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They are after their own well being and should be shunned by the Sinhala Buddhists. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The Buddhist monks ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ are there to pacify people and settle conflicts in dialogue .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  When the Buddha had to settle a dispute between two clans ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ about sharing water of a river he did not take sides or fuel the confusion with irrelevancies, but settled differences peacefully.

These are political renegade Monks turning their back to the great teachings of the Buddha to create disturbance in a country which has just come out of a terrorist warƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  where a government with great difficulty is trying to solve the more important problems in the face of an antagonist international community which is determined to bar the progress of the motherland.

It is time that some drastic action is taken against them by the Maha Nayaka Theros. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They are not valuable elements to the Buddha Sasana,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  or the development of our country which has today emerged as a Middle Income Nation with a 8% economic growth.

These Monks are using FUTA along with JVP to bar the progress Sri Lanka has so far made in its development projects. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Neither the FUTA nor these blind monks have contributed an iota of service for what the country is to-day.

27 Responses to “Dewasiri , Amala and Sobhitha Theros and Professors want the pound of flesh, without consideration to Students and their Parents .”

  1. Lorenzo Says:

    Good.

    They are sadistic. They want people to remain poor and uneducated.

    Thank god we have SB as education minister.

  2. mjaya Says:

    As I always challenge,

    1. How many of those FUTA scoundrels have actually conducted a proper lecture??
    2. How many of them will get a good recommendation from their students??
    3. How many of them do not have any political affiliations?

    Thanks Charles for writing on behalf of the people who suffer from this strike.

    If these “academics” have an iota of intelligence they will see that they are being manipulated.

  3. mjaya Says:

    On the outside they are vocal opponents of private universities. But in secret most of them teach at private universities (in their own words “degree kada”). By keeping state universities closed and disrupted, they are the ones who are doing the service to private universities!!!

  4. Dham Says:

    Charles,

    These are not MONKS. These are PRIESTS. Those who preach , do not practice. You seems to call monks “priests” and priest “monks”. You must correct this. This is due to your poor understanding of Buddhism.

  5. Leela Says:

    If I remember right, both Maduluwawe Sobhita and Dhambare Amala theros have been voicing their opposition to Bikkus taking up to politics (JHU type). But they had never been apolitical figures. Throughout their youth and adulthood, these two monks had devoted their life to propagate political ideals more than Buddha damma. Perhaps Maduluwawe Sobhita thero wanted to justify his acts when he said at a recent interview that he has been struggling with the opposition throughout his life and his aim has always been to seek social justice to the mass. Whether to oppose the government and be in opposition throughout and moreover back the donkeys he once opposed is a way to progress, I wonder. Ven. Amila’s case is clearer; it is not “social justice” to mass but personal gains and fulfil aims of a small section of the community/political party with an ulterior motive.

    Anyway, does not the added up demands by FUTA, (6% of GNP for education) a political slogan. To have the right to demand a fix percentage of GNP be allocated to their field, should not these university dons convince us the contributions they have made at least so far as to the increase in the GNP in different fields in recent years. Otherwise what is it not to say that some other union and a monk may demand health expenditure be increased to 7% and so on and on.

    On what basis these so-called intellectuals think a quarter of all government expenditure should be spent on an education that so far had been producing many many unemployables that were forced to be underemployed in government officers costing a fortune to tax payers like us. Worst, the way that the TNA, and the so-called IC had been demanding to reduce defence spending, soon NGOs, Evangelists and Padres could also jump in to the same bandwagon and get their percentages on everything the way they want. In that case, we need not elect a government to office. Jokers can fix not just the percentages but present the budget as well. Leela

  6. nandimitra Says:

    Education and free health are the holy grills of a comapssionate free society.FUTA what ever the motives have exposed the policies of a government that has reduced the expenditure dramaticaly from 5% in 2005 to 1.9%. This is both immoral and regressive especialy when the govt spends billions on the safety of politicians and feeds corruption to enhance the wealth of a minority. Daily people are fleeing the country as they have no hope-Tamils , sinhalese and muslims. The opposition is a disgrace. They have no solutions to the ongoing sale of Sri Lanka. If appointed it will be more of the same. NO WONDER THE YOUTH AND FAMILIES ARE FLEEING SRI LANKA AS IT GIVES THEM NO HOPE, DEFENDING THE POLITICIANS AT THIS MOMENT IS TREACHERY

  7. Charles Says:

    Dham,

    I do not profess to know much about Buddhism, but yet I think words like, Priest, Reverend, Lord are Christian. Therefore I prefer the word Monk though I some times use the word Priest, Venerable and Buddha without the prefix Lord ( Lord Buddha).

    Thanks for pointing out.

  8. dhane Says:

    1. How many of those FUTA have actually done any research work in their respective field other than teaching what in text books like any other school teacher?
    2. How many of those FUTA have actually witten books or publication in international recognized institutions?
    3. In most foreign universities lectures have to get recommendation from their students. Why not Higher Education Mister introduced this system in SL??

  9. Leela Says:

    I live in a village in Sri Lanka since mid 1990s. That was when a loaf of bread was offered at Rs 3.50 by Chandrika as a carrot to get the gullible to vote her to power. She had no common sense to think 3.50 bread would have made many a paddy fields barren. Talking about the war, her strategy had been to wage half-hearted wars with LTTE while Man-gala and NGO sharks rode peace thawalams throughout her eleven year rule. Apart from lies, slander and fraud, she had no development projects that is worth of opposing or supporting. Halfway through her rule livelihood for ordinary souls got so bad; she wouldn’t have pulled through her second term if LTTE hadn’t taken one of her eyes off. Even so, she just couldn’t retain her government in power and the UNP was soon voted to office I would say, by default.

    Had RanilW made education or health sector any better when he was elected? No. UNP schemed to share power with LTTE, accepted 4.5 billion loans from IC, followed the IMF prescription to cut government expenses to born and planned to ride out of Chandrika’s economic mess. Only the stupid and Eelamists would have thought such a path would have taken us to an era of a compassionate society with 6 of GNP for education that nandimitra was talking about as Holy Grail.

    Had MR not been elected in 2005, Pirapakaran would still be ruling the North and East RanilW the South. And the Vikings would be busy arbitrating. And the JVP would have probably taken us through a third insurgency. Now that Pirapakaran is no more, the TNA has stepped in to his role in all but name. I always thought TNA and the JVP would join even with the devil to get to their goal. As for RanilW, his displays of egalitarian qualities at his own party apparatus are enough to understand his aim and trait even right now. I am pretty sure that all of them are lurking in the shade for the right opportunity to have a piggyback ride to power through ruins of peace we have achieved so hard. I think, Dons are no doubt playing their part. We’ve seen them playing Russian roulette at the last Presidential elections.

    I see building infrastructure and setting a suitable environment for business is the key for development. Without any visible contribution from University Dons it is obvious that the government has achieved enough development all around Sri Lanka right now. Hence in my opinion, contributors for development are no less important than University Dons. I think I am better off with MR than the unholy company.
    Leela

  10. Dham Says:

    Charles,
    You are correct. We are borrowing these words. Even “monk” is English, Christian but since monks don’t marry it suits better.
    However, there was sliglty deeper message. Monks should follow monkd dicipline (vinaya). Those don’t follow cannot be called monks. may be we should call them priests.
    I remember you have been using the word “priest” in your earlier writings.

  11. aloy Says:

    Leela,
    You are absolutely correct. Starting from RP leaders like Chandrika and Ranil thought the war is unwinnable; they thought of accomodating the tigers. MR had to fight it and he got a team that could do it. That was a perfect team work. For that his name should be written in gold in our history.
    However development is another thing. Just like the war, they should get the right people to do it. I have daily 3hr power cut. Do you have it in your village?.

  12. AnuD Says:

    Charles:

    Even the word monk is Christian and do not explain who really Sangha are . The word Sangha is completely a different meaning. A Gatha – ujipatipanno, nyayapatipanno, saamichipatipanno, eadidan chatthari, purisha yugani…etc., etc., explains who sangha are.

  13. AnuD Says:

    Damma pada gathas explain how Sanghas should be.

    These people are cheevaradhari – humanitarians. But they don’t look like cheevaradharins amassing material wealth.

  14. M.S.MUDALI Says:

    I worked many years in the department of education. Political interfearence is high and worse in the department. A driver of a rulling party politician have the power to transfer a teacher from a school.

    A grade seven educated Muslim is eligible to become a teacher in Muslim schools.

    Free education was the gift of then Minister of Education Hon.C.W.W. Kannangara who brought the FREE education to benefit all the people of Sri Lanka amid wealthy politicos opposed in 1945.

    Now the education system is fully politicalized beyond repair. Free education was aimed to help, particlarly under privilaged, children. Now the money is the ruling power. People already forgot the ethics of learning and become greedy to make money in any way. A politician has the power to make an ordinary teacher as a principal or a professor.

    In the developed countries University education is not FREE. Planning of university education must be based on the needs of the country and not based on the passing students or manufacturing graduates. Look at the difference between Civil and mechanical engineering faculties in the developed nations.

    Sri lanka needs more educated people in the agrarian and fishing sector. How many universities of ours produce any graduates to help these sectors?

    As the biggest employer of Sri Lanka, the government must decide the need of the graduate production with the help and advice of the learned people in the respected fields. At least, our graduates must know fishing is better than smuggling or how to make a non-rusting steel spoon.

    Many of the faculties with useless subjects must be closed down. A graduate is not needed to be a clerk in an office. Many of the subjects in the arts faculties are useless and not needed economically. Salary increases are the by products of the inflation and econmy which are at the hands of politicians.

    In my view Monks or any religious people must be barred from educational system forever. Universitie are established mainly to increase the economical production and not the spritual or religious philosophies which never feed the people.

  15. Kit Athul Says:

    M.S. MUDALI, You wrote “I worked many years in the department of education” So all the readres MUST belive this?! Some how you wake up for articles written by Charles. I will change your name to M.S. MUD-ALI, why because you throw mud at people. Tell the truth, are you a relative or the son of MUDGUARD? (SETHUCAVALAN TAMIL Translation) One will know who sethucavaln is; only if he studied at Royal College. Instead of throwing MUD, you can ask the readers whether does any one know the SALARY SCALES of The professors? Then compare them to average SL worker.

  16. Dham Says:

    M.S.MUD-ALI is definitely not from Royal College but from DALIT MAHA VIDLAYAM in Chennai.

    Actually, he had some good point in the above comment, but how do we take this terrorist seriosly ?
    It is the same with the big ZIONIST , Loren(Z)o – the Lanka king of Zion.

    M.S.MUD-ALI could be a person useful to this forum. But he must explain

    1. Why did you supported Prabhakaran like a mad dog beofre conclusion of the Gota’s WAR ?
    2. Why did you started attacking Catholics and Christians in general without any distiction or facts after the war ?
    3. Why did you went hiding for 1 year before coming back recently.
    4. Why do you always call people Modya and Sinhalaya Modaya rather than going though the arguments ?
    5. With a charatcer like above do you think you have the thinnest brain of all to assume readers will seriously agree with you or even disagree ?

    Come clean, apologise to all learned reders first. Then we will see how to respond to you.

  17. Dham Says:

    Anu D,
    You put it very well. The gatha for respecting Sangha ( atta purisa puggala) will give us how a Buddhist monk should be. A beautiful meaning.
    Charles like those chivaradharis who do politics. He was using the term “priest” first which was OK for them.

    No matter how, there is no help to Buddhism is a cheevaradhari does politics. There is much more service by staying in a jungle and coming out only to beg Dana to the near by village. Those are the real buddhist monks 9 if we use western english words). To undestand this important fact, one needs to get it deep enough, for life. Charles is a great person who is capable of getting it if he choses to.

    Unfortunately a lot of readers getting stuck in LORENZO type ZIONIST thinking.

  18. aloy Says:

    “Unfortunately a lot of readers getting stuck in LORENZO type ZIONIST thinking.”
    Americans lament that ZIONISTS are controlling their country. They are in that position because they understand the world. They helped us in the tiger war because they could foresee the outcome, not because they loved us. Yesterday my brother was accompanying a jewish agricultural expert from Colombo to Wennappuwa for a certain project. It appears that from the questions he asked on the way he correctly guaged the situation in the places he had seen. He found Wennappuwa to be a hive of economic activity.
    Understanding the world and planning accordingly is the key to success. Just imagine an agricultural expert from a desert country to advice us.
    We need strategic planners and thinkers who undertand the world ( and our own people) to design systems to take us forward with a sigle sense of purpose. If they mix up different objectives that will lead us to disaster. I think that is what happened in hedging deal and Norachalai.
    GOSL should untangle the JVP politics from universities first if we are to improve our eduction system.

  19. Lorenzo Says:

    DAMN FOOL has gone mad with some Zionist nonsense!

    ROFL!

    This is really fun.

  20. Lorenzo Says:

    “I worked many years in the department of education.”

    In what capacity?

    Some things he say make sense. Universities are politicised and we can see SOME local university products are just plain stupid. This has to change.

  21. Dham Says:

    Alloy,
    Just because one jewish agricultural expert from Colombo to Wennappuwa for a certain project guaged the situation correctly” made you to decide “ZIONISTS are in that position because they understand the world”.
    All jews are not Zionist.
    All Isralist are not Zionist.
    Lorenzo is Zionist because he supoort killing innocent people for an out come which he thinks good for him.
    People become Zzionist not by birth but by action.

  22. aloy Says:

    Dham,
    Although we are deviating from the main topic of this thread, I think I need to answer your above comment. It is not the trip of that agricultural expert to Wennappuwa that prompted me say that Jews understand the world. I have worked with them on many projects in Africa. They generally are good people, very patriotic and intelligent. Though politically devided their main aim is, unlike us, to safeguard their country. To me Jews, Israelis and Zionists are the same. It is like the impression most westerers have about Sri Lankans. I think we need to burrow a leaf from them.

    Now about the professors. We cannot generalize and discard all them as useless. Many have joined the strike as their life would become miserable if they do not. I know of a few who are dedicated and hard working. Whenever they join foreing universities they keep our flag flying high. The GOSL should have a system whereby, the hard working once with lot of useful reseach work are rewarded.

  23. Lorenzo Says:

    As you may know the petition against TNA terrorists is due in a few days.

    My Jayantha Liyanage will have additional expenses for printing, consulting, travel, administration work, etc. We have to help him out.

    So please contribute.

    Sinhala Jathika Peramuna
    Account No.1001 6013 1772
    SAMPATH BANK
    Bank Code: 7278
    Swift Code: BSAMLKLX

  24. M.S.MUDALI Says:

    I dont know who and who are ‘respectable” people in this forum!

    Dham! You are really a “dumb”. Do you think you are qualified enough to pass judgements? Further you better check my posts in the Lanka Web. Then you make corrections to your idiotic comments!

  25. Dham Says:

    Mu dalit,
    No. I passed 3rd grade only. Went to Canada in a boat and asked for asylem there and got it.
    Started schooling there but failed all exams. Now started writing comments against other idiots who came in the next boat but without clothes on.

  26. Dham Says:

    LorenZion,
    How much did you contribute ?

  27. Charles Says:

    Dham

    Please make your comments relevant to the issue in question. Matters such as whether another commentator is a Zionist, American , Tamil or Muslim is not the issue. These are to distract one from the main issue.

    Neither is how a Buddhist religious person who has donned yellow robes is called, a Priest, or Monk is discussing the main issue. However a Buddhist religious person in robes could also be called Thero, Bhante, Bikkhu, Samana, Sangha etc., but the need of a word when writing in English naturally confines one to either Priest or Monk.

    The article raised the question of two Bikkhus rallying round striking university professors without concerning themselves about the children and their parents who have been put into great financial difficulties. The Bikkhus should intervene to settle the matter in the interest of the Students and their parents, who more often do not earn as much as the professors whose children are perhaps studying abroad

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