SRILANKAN AMBIVALENT PATRIOTS, NATIONALISTS & IDEOLOGISTS?
Posted on March 1st, 2015

Kanthar Balanathan, Australia  Retired Director & Power Systems Specialist Engineer

General

Politics, Democracy, Political Ideology, freedom, patriotism, smart patriotism, nationalism, and real freedom correlates to humans in a democratic environment.

After 67 years of independence, do SriLankans practice and experience ideal democracy. In the context of ideal democracy do SriLankan politicians, genuinely, are patriotic, not to mention smart patriotism. How many of the parliamentarians have GCE (O) Level qualifications? The only job that does not specify a job specification, and does not have, ethical code of conduct, is the politician”. We could see significant number of illiterates, lawbreakers, ruffians, enter into politics in the third world. What could this be ascribed to, in the context of democracy? It is the shortfall in the intelligence, knowledge, perception, practical wisdom, of the citizens who elect the parliamentarians. What do people vote for in the third world? It is a good question SriLankan literates and intellectuals should ask themselves and take corrective actions, rather whinging, nit-picking, and criticizing in the media, and running to the UNHCR and US.

Recently, Mangala Samaraweera (Mang.S), the foreign Minister of SriLanka (SL) made trips to the UK, US, India, and now to China. John Kerry (US) made a meaningless statement, which illustrates the absence of political wisdom (historical) of SriLankan affairs. It is shocking that Mang.S did not even correct the statement made by JK, but digested it. The statement gave a wrong idea which may have inflicted character of tyranny on the part of SriLankan government over the last 30 years.

What SL politicians and voters mental capacity is coexistence of opposing standpoints toward persons, or ideas, and indecision as to which direction to pursue?

This is where competency of politicians play an important role. Discussion on elements of human characteristics and capability is appended below.

Intelligence

Intelligence is an important ingredient in the appreciation of the theoretical and practical training, and the application of such elements in the framework of governance. A government is a prescribed group endowed with authority to make decisions in a political structure. In governing process, the players involved in motivating the decision-making process revolve around the relevant governing group”.

Intelligence is concomitant with general cognitive problem-solving skills. It is the mental capability in reasoning, perceiving parallels and relationships. One could explain Intelligence as understanding with pure reasoning. Professor Howard Gardner of Harvard University, maintained that it is comprised of seven components: musical, bodily-kinaesthetic, logical-mathematical, linguistic, spatial, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.

(Ref: http://www.niu.edu/facdev/resources/guide/learning/howard_gardner_theory_multiple_intelligences.pdf)

General acknowledgement is that intelligence is inherited or hereditarily transmitted, however, the main focus is on environment.

A score above 130 is very gifted, between 121-130 is gifted, between 111-120 is above average intelligence, between 90-110 is average intelligence, between 80-89 is below average intelligence, and less than 79 is cognitively impaired. (Ref: https://www.123test.com/interpretation-of-an-iq-score/)

Neurons and the nervous system forms the structure to function as an intelligent human. The action potential changes between -70 millivolts (resting) to +30 millivolts in just a few milliseconds. Visit: http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/301notes2.htm). Neurons are dependent on a number of mechanisms to perform their vital jobs of (i) receiving information, (ii) information processing, (iii) signal propagation, and (iv) signal transmission.

Readers should familiarise themselves with the human neural system, to enhance their knowledge in The Mind”, norms, behaviour, intelligence, sensory systems etc.

Perception

It is defined as the act of apprehending by means of the senses of the human body, or mind cognition. For humans to perform intelligently, humans should have the ability of apprehending with the senses. A person with shortfall in perception, cannot grasp and understand events or environmental conditions. Again perception depends on the environment in which the person grew up.

Knowledge

Knowledge is understanding of something, such as truths, information, explanations, or competencies, which is acquired through experience or learning by perceiving. Knowledge can refer to theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. In this context, practical understanding can be presumed to be the result of the application of the practical wisdom.

Ref: Barry Schwartz states that Practical Wisdom can help; – “Practical wisdom” is the essential human quality that combines the fruits of our individual experiences with our empathy and intellect-an aim that Aristotle identified millennia ago. It’s learning “the right way to do the right thing in a particular circumstance, with a particular person, at a particular time.” But we have forgotten how to do this. In Practical Wisdom, Barry Schwartz and Kenneth Sharpe illuminate how to get back in touch with our wisdom: how to identify it, cultivate it, and enact it, and how to make ourselves healthier, wealthier, and wiser.

Politicians

politician, is a person who is involved in influencing public policy, and decision making. The government of a country solely depend on its politicians. Politician is the solitary profession that does not embrace a job specification. I.e. does not require an educational qualification or required number of years of experience. In the western world, uneducated, half-baked illiterates avoid entering politics. The reason is comprehended, that they have passable intelligence to understand with pure reasoning, that they cannot perform the function and duties of a politician. An illiterate is a person who has had some schooling but does not meet a minimum standard of literacy. Reference Merriam-Webster.

The economic, social, political and technological standing of a country, heavily depends on the performance of politicians. Underdeveloped countries may have abundant of natural resources, however, their economy and the growth may be hanging on the cliff due to underperformance of their politicians, and hence the government. One could illustrate hundreds of thousands of examples of countries where either the countries underperformance could have led to biological downfall, economical downfall, war, or politicians become rich and flee the country. History proves that the intelligent world, either militarily reigning those countries, or may have been the driver for the downfall. Vietnam is one example. The day Vietnam got freed from external dominance, her effective, efficient hard working people, and the patriotic, nationalistic government struggled, and got out from its misery, and today Vietnam has become a technologically advancing and a tourist spot.

Patriotism

Patriotism is, in general, devotion and love to one’s country. In what is still the sole book-length philosophical study of the subject, Stephen Nathanson (1993, 34–35) defines patriotism as involving?

  1. Special affection for one’s own country
  2. A sense of personal identification with the country
  3. Special concern for the well-being of the country
  4. Willingness to sacrifice to promote the country’s good

The concepts of patriotism is closely related to nationalism”.

Smart is another synonym for intelligence. Smart patriotism can be swapped with intelligent patriotism. The structure for intelligence has to be elucidated. Intelligent Patriots” are quite devoted to their country and the people.

Asinine patriots, may only cling on to the people who govern one’s country, irrespective of what they do or have done. The absence of practical wisdom in one’s mind, abrogates the ability to understand what smart and patriotism means.

Ambivalence Patriotism

The word ambivalence means ambiguity or vacillation triggered due to inability to make a choice or do two opposite things.

In the psychological context, Thomas  R. Hersh states: I use the word ambivalence for all sorts of psychological conflicts that involve conflicting factors (or opposites). This word (according to the article in Wikipedia, was introduced into psychology in 1911 by the Swiss psychiatrist, Paul Eugen Bleuler (1857-1939). Sigmund Freud reserved the word for conflicts involving love and hate. Carl Jung used the word to apply to images as well as to instincts, and his concept of ambivalence dovetails cleanly with his ideas of complexes and of compensation. (Ref: http://www.psychological-observations.com/key-concepts/ambivalence)

Ideology

In government, Politics and Diplomacy, the word ideology means a class of ideas that cogitates the principles, views, dogmas of a nation’s political system and motivates a political act.

SriLanka its Patriots/Nationalists and Democracy

Democracy in the western world, resembling, Australia, United Kingdom, can be classified as Ideal democracy”.  Democracy is defined as a set of principles and practices that protect human freedom. It is defined as the institutionalization of freedom. It is also said as to rest upon fundamental principles, not uniform practices. It is also known that Democratic societies are committed to the values of tolerance, cooperation, and compromise.

Democracy in SriLanka is imprudently believed as numerical superiority by the people. Politicians and governing party think they have the right to execute anything and everything, without understanding the concept of democracy. A 50.1% against 49.9% is also considered democracy. Most countries continue to practice the same old electoral system that was taught by the British, however, included petty words such as, Majority Rule, Minority Rights”. The design of the democratic system needs to be readdressed in the 21st century. For example, a Presidential system of government has to have an arduous, complex electoral system to choose a President. The pre-requisite for a presidential system has to be carefully analysed prior to choosing the governing system.

The culture, knowledge, literacy, and behavioural pattern of people, politicians, inflict upon leadership qualities. In the third world people who enter politics are sometimes rough in nature and, their main focus is to make money. We can also justify that it is no fault of theirs because voters expect some gratitude from the candidates. In some western countries, some minor parties practice cheap politics to get votes. Wherever minority votes may determine one’s victory, the party will sacrifice democratic principles, truth, justice, patriotism and nationalism at the expense of votes.

Tamils in London and Toronto hold the party candidates to ransom, and the party may give in to their demands irrespective of fairness, truth and justice. In this context, we could discuss how the patriotism revolves around the neural system.

An example in SL: Sajin Vass de Gunawardhane, former Minister, was attached to the following committees, and held various positions.

(Ref: http://www.parliament.lk/en/component/members/viewMember/3169?Itemid=206)

What could be propagated as, Sajin’s qualifications, education and practical wisdom? Could such people be considered as politicians or even patriots? How about Mervin de Silva? Is he a patriot? What are the qualities that will justify the two as patriots and or nationalists?

Multi-Party Government and Democracy

In SriLanka, there are significant number of parties in the South, and among the Tamils. Considering the Tamil ethnic group as an example: An ethnic group which practice the same culture and customs, what could make the difference for them to form parties based on different ideologies? The theme could be, Capitalism, Communism, and Socialism. However, every ideology which finishes with ISM”, should have humanism built into it. Lack of understanding, perception, intelligence and, knowledge, drives the Tamils to word the parties with an Eelam” built into it. However, Tamils now propagate that they want to live within a unitary SriLanka, and at the same time demand full powers to govern the North & East (N&E).

One could express that the Tamils lack in intelligence, perception and knowledge of governance. SriLanka is a small Nation-State, with minimum natural resources. The North and East have nil natural resources, and water has run out already. The social, interactive pattern is quite poor. The caste system dominates quite strongly in Tamil’s mind. The Tamils in the N&E do not constitute an ethnic group but a race from India, Malaysia and Indonesia. The settled Portuguese, Dutch, and a few British, assimilated with the so called Tamils and have given to a new Tamil race.

(Ref: http://nrnmind.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/race-and-ethnicity-reference-to.html)

The difference in the ethnicity and race among Tamils have given birth to different political parties. The name Eelam”, and Tamil” are assembled into the name of the party to cheat the common mass, and gain popularity for votes. The different political parties have merged and formed a new Tamil National Alliance.

LTTE, driven by the west, was formed to seek separation, however, within one year 25 or more groups were formed by different people, and politicians were the chauffeurs behind such formation.

Late last year the UNP conspiracy, tiptoed into UFPA and drained off Maithripala Sirisena (MS), the current president, to form a union of alliance to challenge the incumbent Mahinda Rajapakse (MR). The plot behind is that none from the UNP, could defeat the incumbent MR, so that they manage to split the UFPA. The ideology of MS and his associates are totally different to that of the UNP.  How do we illustrate the dissimilarity of the political parties with respect to Patriotism, Nationalism and ideology?  Here Patriotism or Nationalism does not portray imperative, however, the avidity for power has played the key dogma. The main focus is that MR was disliked by the west, and the west wanted a puppet to be planted to govern SL, and found a suitable puppet, which is MS. However, the conspiracy does not end here.

With change in the presidential system, the west wants Ranil Wickramasinghe (RW) to split SLFP/UFPA, and indirectly force Mahinda Rajapakse to contest on a different party, so that eventually with UNP gaining marginal victory, could join hands with MS’s SLFP and continue to govern in the name of National Government”.

Admittance of TNA may be dictated by more powers to NPC, leading to secession in the future, which may also be the master plan of the west. The key figures who are controlling Tamils future lies with TGTE in the US, Norway, and Tamil Nadu, who have close ties with the US government.

This is the master plan of the west targeted towards UNP taking over power. The answer lies within the UNP and RW.

If Maithripala Sirisena is intelligent and has the practical wisdom, and the SLFP members have the intelligence & practical wisdom, with nil ambivalence mind constitution”, they should welcome Mahinda Rajapakse to contest on SLFP seat and make him the Prime Minister, on victory, forbidding, people like; Basil, Mervin, Vaas, Namal, Jayaratne etc.

Are UNP’s politicians, and those associated with Maithripala Sirisena, patriots, smart patriots or Nationalists who will defend and protect the national security and sovereignty of SriLanka? It is a big question people in SriLanka should ask.

Conclusion

Who are the patriots in SriLanka? Are Tamils patriots, if so to which country are they patriotic? Tamil Nadu, US or the fictitious Tamil Eelam? Are the SriLankan Sinhala diaspora patriotic, if so, to which country are they patriotic? Let all SriLankan Sinhala & Tamil Diaspora wake up and proliferate, constructive, positive, nationalistic, patriotic proceedings & performances, to defend and protect the national security and sovereignty of SriLanka.

 

4 Responses to “SRILANKAN AMBIVALENT PATRIOTS, NATIONALISTS & IDEOLOGISTS?”

  1. Christie Says:

    Namaste: This is not something alien to the island nation. If you live in a Anglo sphere and see locals from the former British-Indian Empire the Indian Empire now you will see how divided are the locals. Look at most of the organization of ethnics fro these countries who is dominating them. Some of the Indian imperialists are coming out as India asserts it self militarily. Jai Hind.

  2. Hiranthe Says:

    Good Article by Bala to open everyone’s eyes!!

    It is only MR who can unite the country. Who can bear the smell of sweat of poor farmers of all the communities.
    If MR can approach the Tamil population saved by the SL troops from the clutches of the killer Praba, they will definitely take his side. They know very well in their hearts, that our troupes saved them and risked their lives to save them.

    He can plant good and honest young guys who were rehabilitated LTTE operatives as the village organisers of his new party. They know that their lives were saved by the GOSL and our forces were not racists. Later they can be members of the Grama Sabha once 13A is scrapped. He has a more kind heart to poor Tamils than the Tamil leaders. He does not see a Tamil Villager and a Sinhalese Villager differently. He can speak Tamil so he can feel their heart beat… He should reach the smallest level in villages and make his power base from there. Tamil voters will get rid of TNA and other Colombo based rogue politicians. MR will solve two problems with this approach… 1 is his vote base and 2 is clearing the UN blame planted by the West.

    Similarly he should go to all corners of SL and meet small group of people from all communities and slowly make the power base from KKS to Matara and Bati to Colombo. All selections should be based on strict discipline of love towards Mother Lanka and honesty. No undercuts..

    Whether they abolish the EP or not, he should start now. Create the power base with smooth approach, but not aggressive political speeches by WW or any other. Remember no Namal or other “Horu” mentioned by the many political writers.
    MR can be the real Nugegoda Man!! Start fresh. Reach people. Make the power base and get rid of the white elephant 13A – Provincial Councils. Create Grama Sabha’s.

    Win the heart of grass root level people of all the communities. Promise to develop the whole Island… as you always do of course. Promise to get rid of all communal political parties. We are a one nation with

    Mother Lanka will be laughing!!

  3. Hiranthe Says:

    Sorry I missed out to type: “We are a one nation with” Buddhist heritage. Everyone should pledge to protect it and every religion will be tolerated. Because of that Buddhist heritage we can tolerate and love our Tamil brothers and Sisters. Therefore all should respect it.

  4. Christie Says:

    Namaste: “of the killer Praba, they will definitely take his side”, how sad to read statements like this. Parabakaran is only a puppet of India. Mahinda thought he will at least get a third of Indian colonial parasite votes and you saw the large part of them at Mahinda’s rallies in their electorates. See the voting pattern after the vote. Jai Hind

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