Reenactment of King Soththisena and Chaththa Gahaka Janthu (434 AD) Episode
Posted on February 15th, 2015
Dilrook Kannangara
Those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat their mistakes. Signs are up on the horizon that history is about to repeat in eerie coincidence. Déjà vu! Following the death of King Mahanama of Anuradhapura, his son Soththisena became king in 434 AD. He was born of a lesser queen of South Indian origin and didn’t appreciate the delicate issues and sensitivities in the Sinhala nation. His ministers acted in abject disregard of local values and Buddhist interests. As a result, the Maha Sangha complained to the king and associates. The king took no notice of the request. Soththisena’s half-sister born to the chief queen of King Mahanama had Soththisena assassinated and she helped her husband Chaththagahaka Janthu to the throne.
What happens in Sri Lanka today is somewhat a repetition of this episode in history. President Sirisena’s cabinet members are on a vengeful mission against Buddhists. Road adjacent to the Dalada Maligawa was closed for the past 25 years for the safety of pilgrims and for the orderly movement of things. It has been reopened to traffic. Buddhist clergy protested it but to no avail. Some non-Buddhist ministers are on a mission to defame Buddhists. Cabinet member Ramanayaka and goons invaded a Buddhist meditation centre and maliciously claimed it was a luxury resort of sorts. The UNP Cabinet also has Mrs Senanayaka who once claimed that ‘Buddhism was the problem of Sri Lanka’! Yet another very senior minister Hakim called Buddhist monks ‘terrorists’. This is the make-up of the present Cabinet. In addition the top post overlooking the fiscal and monetary policy of the economy has been given to a person with no appreciation of Sri Lankan Buddhist values as well as the top post of the judiciary.
However unlike in the past, the Maha Sangha is not taking an active interest in protesting these dastardly moves. The leadership of Buddhists has been heavily politicized as they too identify themselves into the green and blue camps. It is the misfortune of the nation to have a Buddhist leadership that is silent when these malpractices take place. However, if action were to be taken against the Cabinet of President Sirisena as action was taken against errant king Soththisena, it will be Chandrika who may succeed him by way of her manifold gimmicks from her handbag! Should the nation stand idle when its core values are compromised?
It was reported that the anti-Buddhist sections of the government plans to further dilute the Buddhist vote by spinning out the JHU to contest alone at the forthcoming general elections. In doing so the nationalist vote will be divided between the new Mahinda camp and the JHU costing both parties votes and seats.
February 15th, 2015 at 6:13 am
Namaste: Repetition of 1951. Jai Hind
February 15th, 2015 at 8:15 am
මොකා මොනවා කලත් සමහර සිංහල බෞධ්ධයන්ගේ ඇස ඇරෙන්නේ නැහැ බටහිර මිෂනාරි අධ්යා පානයෙන් උන් වශීකෘත වෙලා .උන් දන්නේ නැහැ මේ රට හැදුවේ උන්ගේ මුතුමිත්තන් කියල වත් .දෙෂප්රෙමීනි අවදිවවූ
February 15th, 2015 at 9:42 am
Dilrook,
I agree. Learning from history must be extended to all periods including recent history. However, going little away from your subject matter, let me suggest following proposals that we must bring onto the bargaining table. Mahinda needs us, we need Mahinda, so we must come to a deal. However if he declares that he will abolish 13th and will adhere to national development policy based on the consensus of a national task force for a production oriented economy, then the UNP and the My3 faction will end up in the political wilderness. May the triple Gem bless Mahinda to be enlightened with this simple political wisdom.
අපි මේ වෙලාවේ 13 අහෝසි කිරීමේ කොන්දේසිය අනුලන්ගනීය කොන්දේසියක් විදියට දේසපාලන සාකච්චා මේසයට ගෙන්න ඕන. මහින්දට එක කරන්නද පුළුවන් බව මට විශ්වාසයි. එතුමාට සිද්ධ වෙච්ච සියලු දේවල් ගැන හිතනකොට එය ඉටු කිරීමට අවශ්‍ය සියලු සාධක ඉටුවෙලා තියෙන්නේ. මෛත්‍රීට එක කරන්න කොන්දක් නැහැ කියන එක අපි දන්නවා. රනිල් කරන්නෙත් නැහැ. සිරිපාල ගොයියා කරන්නෙත් නැහැ. මේක කරයි කියල හිතන්න පුළුවන් එකම කෙනා තමයි මහින්ද. ඒ හින්ද මහින්දව තමයි ඉස්සරහට ගෙන්න ඕන. හැබැයි, 13 ගැන පැහැදිලි ප්‍රකාශයක් ප්‍රතිපත්ති ප්‍රකාශනයට ඇතුල් කිරීමේ කොන්දේසියට යටත්ව.
මෙවර මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා දේශපාලනයට ආයුත්තේ selfless ජන නායකයෙකු මිස තවත් එක කුට දේශපාලකයෙකු ලෙස නොවේ. ඔහු ආයුත්තේ ඉතිහාසය වෙනස් කිරීමේ අභිලාෂයෙනි. එනම් ජනතා ශක්තිය හා ඔවුන්ගෙන් ඔහුට ලැබෙන ආරක්ෂාව පිලිබඳ විශ්වාසයෙනි. ඔහු 13 වෙනස් කරන බවට ප්‍රතිඥා දී, ජාතික ආර්ථික ප්‍රතිපත්තියක් අනුගමනය කරන බවට සහතිකයක් ජනතාවට ලභා දෙන්නේ නම්, ලක්ෂ ගණන් ජනතාව ඔහුගේ නිවස අසල කඳවුරු බැඳගෙන ඔහු ආරක්ෂා කරනු ඇත. එවිට යුධ අපරාධ බිල්ලන්ට ඔහු රැගෙන යාමට සිදුවන්නේ මහා ජන ඝාතනයක් සිදු කිරීමෙන් අනතුරුවය. ඔහු ජන නායකයෙකි. අහක ඉන්න පෙන්දන්ගෙන් ආරක්ෂාව ඉල්ලා බැගපත් වීම ඔහුට තරම් නොවේ. ඔහු සැබෑ ජන නායකයෙකු ලෙස කැප්පෙටිපොළ කෙනෙකු මෙන් මරණය පිළිබඳව තුට්ටුවකට වත් මායිම් කල යුතු නොවේ. හැකිනම් තමාව යුධ අපරාධ වලට අල්ලා දෙනලෙස වත්මන් රජයට අභියෝග කිරීමේ හැකියාවක් ඔහුට තිබිය යුතුය. මංගලලා මෛත්‍රී ලා ඉන්දියාව සහ බටහිර සමග දැන් තමාව කොටු කිරීමේ කුමන්ත්‍රණයක නියලී සිටිනී නම් ඒ බව ජනතාවට ප්‍රසිද්ධියේ කීමට ඔහුට හැකි විය යුතුය.
ඉන්දියාවත්, බටහිරත් ඔහුට පිටුපසින් පිහියෙන් අනින ලද බව ඔහු දැන් දන්නෙහිය. එය දන්නා නිසා ඔවුන් සතුටු කිරීමේ වගකීමෙන් ඔහු නිදහස්ය. උතුරු නැගෙනහිර ද්‍රවිඩ චන්ද දායකයා ඔහුව කරපොත්තෙකු මෙන් පාගා දමා තිබේ. ඔහු අනවශ්‍ය තරමට ඇත පත ගෑ කොළඹ ආත්මයක් නැති තුප්පහියන් රැල ඔහුට වස දී ඇති බව ඔහු මැනවින් දනී. දැන් ඔහු නිදහස් මිනිසෙකි. මේ පරාජය ජාතියේ අනාගත මාවත වෙනස් කරන ආශිර්වාදයක් වියහැකි සිදුවීමක් බවට පෙරලීමට ඔහුට හැකි විය යුතුය. පරාජය ඔහු අත තිබෙන දෙවියන් විසින් ඔහුවෙත ලභා දෙන ලද වරයක් සේ සලකන්න.
මා මේ කී දෑ ඔහු සැලකිල්ලට ගන්නේ නම්, ප්‍රථමයෙන්ම ඔහු ඔවුන්ගේ නිවසේ නම වෙනස් කරනු ඇත. කාල්ටන් Carlton වෙනුවට සිංහල නමක් නිවසට යෙදුවොත්, ඔහු selfless ජන නායකයෙකු ලෙස දේශපාලනයට අවතීර්ණ වීමට බලාපොරොත්තු වන බවට අපට දෙන ලද සංඥාවක් සේ එය පිළිගැනීමට අප බලාපොරොත්තු වෙමු.
February 15th, 2015 at 12:07 pm
The advantage of the declaration of repealing 13 is far reaching. Many UNP supporters and other party supporters will vote for the candidate (hopefully Rajapaksa) who pledges to repeal 13 is a definite result. That will even happen among the JHU supporters. By this way, president Mahinda Rajapaksa can make his defeat a boomerang to India and the west. The entire conspiracy will be backfired. Let them all eat their shit load.
February 15th, 2015 at 12:48 pm
Is it really so?
We should STOP and THINK before jumping to conclusions.
NO ONE is going to DIVIDE SL. Certainly NOT My3. Executive presidency will REMAIN. Only some powers will be reduced.
Lets wait and see shall we?
February 15th, 2015 at 1:05 pm
Yes it is really so.
And in the event of declaring the repeal of 13th by Rajapaksa, not only the ship ‘my3’ will sink, but also the entire army of rats in it.
February 15th, 2015 at 2:29 pm
“However unlike in the past, the Maha Sangha is not taking an active interest in protesting these dastardly moves. The leadership of Buddhists has been heavily politicized as they too identify themselves into the green and blue camps. It is the misfortune of the nation to have a Buddhist leadership that is silent when these malpractices take place.”
Malwatte Kapurala kapuwath Eksath Kristiyani Pakshayatai (UNP). Asgiriye Kapurala made’ hitawapu innak! Thallu karana athata vanenawa!
Sinhala Buauddhayinnta Jesu Pihitai!
February 15th, 2015 at 2:37 pm
GEETH !! YES IT IS REALLY SO. Well said. Huh, ALL THE RATS IN MY3s SHIP WILL SINK. Positively.
HOW DOES RATS GET ON BOARD A SHIP ? THEY GO ON THE ROPE THAT IS MOORED TO THE JETTY, AT NIGHT.
That is how two legged rats too get on board. The sneaky way to get on board
February 15th, 2015 at 4:02 pm
Ado Yakko “Facebook” Lorenzo! You say
“We should STOP and THINK before jumping to conclusions.
NO ONE is going to DIVIDE SL. Certainly NOT My3. Executive presidency will REMAIN. Only some powers will be reduced.
Lets wait and see shall we?”
Is that WHY you danced a KOLAM at LankaWeb to UNDERMINE and OUST MR with ALL of your AVATARS in TOW … to STOP the Patriots and THINK for them TOO?
Aiyooo Sirisena is a WEAK DROHIYA and a HELPLESS CAPTIVE of the Anti-National Forces who Engineered an Electroral Coup-de-Etat to seat him as a PUPPET in the Presiddency of Sri Lanka.
His ASININE 100 DAY PROGRAM is in TATTERS and FAR BEHIND SCHEDULE; HIS MAJOR PROMISES BROKEN and the Nation’s DEFENSES being FAST DISMANTLED, and TRAITORS being APPOINTED to the MOST CRITICAl PLACES!
Pray tell me … WHAT IS THERE TO WAIT FURTHER & SEE for Patriots??
Ah, I KNOW … you don’t want ANY OPPOSITION TO BUILD UP & SCUTTLE your BEST LAID PLANS for an EELAM? That WILL HAPPEN …. SOON … DEPEND ON IT!
BEGONE …. BUGGER OFF …. HYPOCRITICAL EELAMIST SNAKE!
February 15th, 2015 at 4:19 pm
Ado Yakko “Facebook” Lorenzo!
You have DONE your very best to CAUSE ENOUGH DAMAGE as it is! You WILL NOT BE GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE to REPEAT the PERFORMANCE in the Upcoming General Election!
PATRIOTS … DO NOT TRUST this DROHIYA and become HIS TOOL! REJECT all of his LAMENTATIONS & his OFFERS of HELP … He PURPOSE is TO DECEIVE and DRIVE the PATRIOTS off the CLIFF into the Ocean below in the UPCOMING ELECTION!
He DESPERATELY SEEKS TO PRESERVE the DISASTER he HELPED to ENGINEER in the Presidential Election!
NEVER TRUST A MAN who has BETRAYED you; ONCE is ENOUGH!
HE DISPLAYS & PROVES his DEVIOUS & MACHIAVELLIAN NATURE in EVERY WORD he SPOUTS and EVERY PROPOSAL he MAKES! WOULD YOU TRUST SUCH A MAN even as FAR AS YOU CAN THROW A GRAND PIANO??
ONCE a Drohiya; ALWAYS a Drohiya!
Ado Yakko “Facebook” Lorenzo …. BEGONE … BUGGER OFF …. DEVIOUS EELAMIST SNAKE!
February 15th, 2015 at 4:36 pm
Lorenzo “no one is going to divide SL……….”.
How can divide an already divided nation????
February 15th, 2015 at 5:31 pm
Dear Geeth
I fully agree with you. In fact I wrote to a prominent nationalist on this recently, exactly your plan.
However, opposition to this comes not from the LTTE/TNA, UNP or JVP but from within the ranks of people who want to see Mahinda back. They argue that we should not make any demands from Mahinda but support him unconditionally. They argue winning the war is sufficient to support him unconditionally. Unfortunately that is not working with the voters as we saw just a month ago. Voters need new hope. Abrogating 13A is a vote winner and possibly an election winner too.
I’m in complete agreement with your reasoning. However, as I mentioned, this plan will not find traction and there is little hope of Mahinda or his brothers regaining power unless they follow what you propose – a selfless leader not bound by India and the west and who has a plan that sells. Removing 13A is such a great plan that can rout his adversaries everywhere.
First of all you need to win support from patriots to your plan. It is not a blank cheque. It is a contract. Mahinda to abrogate 13A and voters to vote him in for that purpose. However, as long as there are people who demand we should support Mahinda unconditionally they remain divorced from the voters. More Sri Lankans are futuristic than grateful for past good. Ability to appreciate this fact is the key to success at elections.
February 15th, 2015 at 5:33 pm
This POWER TRANSMISSION PROJECT should NOT GO AHEAD!
It will
1. UNDERMINE the DRIVE to DEVELOP Sri Lanka’s own national power generation projects and assist India to FURTHER INCREASE its NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS in Tamil Nadu for sale of that power to Sri Lanka!
2. It will DISCOURAGE EMERGING INVESTMENTS in INDIGENOUS Renewable Power Generation within Sri Lanka, gutting the rapidly increasing demand for solar and wind energy, and the LOCAL HIGH PAYING JOBS they create,
3. It will EXACERBATE Sri Lanka’s BALANCE OF PAYMENTS. Why IMPORT energy when we can generate it from RENEWABLE sources like Solar and Wind in PERPETUITY?
4. It will GIVE India ANOTHER HOLD on Sri Lanka’s ECONOMY and the ABILITY TO HOLD ELECTRICAL POWER AVAILABILITY to RANSOM should Sri Lanka oppose India’s other policies such as support for DEVOLUTION of Power to Eelamists!
Bad IDEA, advanced NO DOUBT by Eelamists seeking to INCREASE India’s FOOTPRINT in Sri Lanka for FUTURE LEVERAGE!
Aiyoooo Sirisenaaaa …. What an ABSOLUTE MUTT you are, not SEEING the FUTURE beyond the tip of your NOSE!
…………………..
Power, Transmission projects to get a push during Modi-Sirisena meet
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Feb 15 (BS) NTPC’s 500 MW coal based power project at Sampur, Trincomalee and PowerGrid Corporation’s over and under-sea transmission line project connecting India and Sri Lanka are expected to get a much needed push during meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.
The power project, which NTPC had proposed in June 2005, entails an investment of Rs 2,000 crore has yet to get various clearances from the Sri Lankan government agencies.
Similarly, the transmission project proposed in 2007-08 to transfer 1,000 MW of power from India to Sri Lanka needs an investment of Rs 3,000 crore. However, both the governments and PowerGrid Corporation and Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) have yet to settle various technical and non technical issues before reaching at a formal agreement in this regard.
NTPC spokes person told Business Standard, ”The coal based project is a joint venture between the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and NTPC. Currently, the company has initiated process to get environment clearance from the Sri Lankan government. The public hearing will be held in a months time.” Already NTPC’s team is stationed in Sri Lanka and pursuing the project development.
According to the spokes person, governments of Sri Lanka and India entered into an Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in October 2013 to develop a coal power plant in Trincomalee as a joint venture between CEB and NTPC. The initial plant capacity will be 500 MW which can be extended up to 1000 MW. Further, power from the Sampur plant could be exported to India, as part of an interconnected grid.
As far as PowerGrid Corporation’s transmission project is concerned, 300 km of overhead transmission line has been proposed between Anuradhapur in Sri Lanka and Madurai 300 km. This apart, there will be marine link of 1,700 km.
PowerGrid Corporation official said, ”Technical and financial issues are being discussed between PowerGrid Corporation and CEB. Besides, there are religious place at the connecting centres and the local community needs to be taken on board. Two high voltage, direct current (HVDC) terminal stations are to be set up at the two ends of the link, connected to Sri Lanka’s national power grid. ”
Meanwhile, Neelam Deo, former diplomat and director, Gateway House, a foreign policy think tank said traditionally, India and Sri Lanka have shared close relations.President Sirisena’s visit from 15-18 February will contribute positively to the bilateral and expand opportunities for economic engagement.
”India has investments worth over $1 billion in Sri Lanka, and trade between the two countries stands at $5 billion. India will need to strike a difficult and delicate balance between its economic interests and the need to emphasize the concerns of the Sri Lankan Tamils. India must advance pending projects with Sri Lanka, particularly the $270 million project to build housing units in the North and a 500-megawatt coal power plant in the Eastern province,” she noted.
February 15th, 2015 at 5:50 pm
Agree with Ananda. It is an attempt to make Sri Lanka depend on India for electricity which the Indians will use as a bargaining tool. Generating electricity by burning coal in Sri Lanka and then transmitting the generated electricity back to India is such a nasty deal.
It will also help Tamil Elam make a smooth transition to Independence. At the moment, the north and the east of Sri Lanka completely depend on CEB for electricity. India is planning to end this dependence. It must be reminded that Kosovo was connected to the Serbian electricity grid which made Kosovians reluctant to leave Serbia. On the other hand Serbia had a tool to control Kosovo – electricity. US companies helped Bosnia and Kosovo to become energy independent from Serbia.
What India is up to now is to link up ‘Tamil Elam’ and save it from possible Sri Lankan moves against seperation. However, CEB must find a way to end its unprofitable operation and control its unions. Mahinda’s 2015 budget totally cut down capital expenditure for the power and energy ministry which the current government continues.
February 15th, 2015 at 8:48 pm
Dilrook,
I agree with you. At the same time, if Mahinda to be different from others and for certain extent, to be pardoned from the Rajapaksha haters, he needs to have some highly attractive something to offer to the electorate. Because he will never receive minority votes. He has to depend solely on Sinhalese votes. So he needs to collect some UNP, JVP JHU and all floating votes into his bag. This is the only way to get them.
February 16th, 2015 at 5:04 am
Agree with you again Geeth.
I have made the very same points in a fresh article to appear tomorrow. SLFP is not sanctimonious. If the party under Sirisena is not going to stand up to national challenges, it must be split into two.
February 16th, 2015 at 7:39 am
L Perera Says:Lorenzo “no one is going to divide SL……….”.How can divide an already divided nation????
Thanks LP at least one modaya you understood now !
NP- is Saiva TE (Indian flag is flying in Jaffna)
EP- is Muslim TE .
UVA P- is Indian TE ( India building house for Tea workers).
Other 6P- Siha Lanka
We-Sakkiliyar Tamils or You Modaya Sinhala never learn any thing from last 2,600 years History.
February 16th, 2015 at 9:32 am
INDIA SMILES AS MAHA THREE PAALA SIRAA SENA ARRIVES. “”LOVE IS IN THE AIR ” **LOVE IS IN THE AIR ** LETS BABY MAKE. LETS BABY MAKE.
MOTHER INDIAS BABY NOW IS **BABY SRI LANKA** The mother INDIA’S umbilical Cord to BABY SRILANKA, is now known as the UNDER SEA TRANSMISSION LINE. WHO IS GOING TO CUT THIS UMBELICAL CORD AND ABORT THE BABY ? WE HAVE RUTHLESS ABORTIONISTS JVP AND JHU. THEY SHOULD NOW CUT THE UMBELICAL CORD AND ABORT THE BABY. THE BABY IS GOING TO BE STILL BORN,
TO ALL THOSE WHO LOVE SRI LANKA, MY PLEA:- PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THIS***UNDERS SEA TRANSMISSION LINE FROM INDIA TO SRI LANKA, TO TAKE EFFECT. DAMN IT IF WE DONT.
WE CAN HAVE OUR OWN SOLAR AND WIND POWER TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY, FOR THE WHOE COUNTRY.