The Maha Sangha remains the nation’s savior
Posted on October 25th, 2017
P. S. MAHAWATTE Colombo 5 Courtesy The Island
October 26, 2017, 12:58 pm
The Most Ven. Maha Nayaka Theras, Kotugoda Dhammavasa, Ittapane Dhammalankara, Thirukunamale Ananda and Prof. Bellanwila Wimalaratne, having gone through the Report of the Steering Committee of the Constitutional Assembly with fine tooth comb, has warned of the dangers of this Report as “it seems that not only the alteration of the meanings of the constitution is fraudulent, it is also an attempt to mislead the Sinhala masses.”
“Among the proposals put forward is the proposal to amalgamate the northern and eastern provinces with the objective of legalizing the false and fraudulent demand for a historical Tamil homeland pursued by Tamil separatists”.
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“We are constrained to point out that the advice given by the Maha Sangha on various occasions not to engage in such a distorted constitutional process has been ignored”.
These are only a few excerpts from the long Report of the Maha Sangha published in the Daily Mirror of 30th Sept.
Rev.Fr. Vimal Tirimanna, CSsR, in an analytical article in The Island of 11th October, 17 captioned “Yahapalanaya govt. has neither valid mandate nor credibility to draft a new constitution” concludes “The only way the government can have both a mandate and the necessary credibility to draft a new constitution is to call a general election and muster a clear-cut majority rather than hoodwinking the people with their fairy tale arguments, for postponing all elections. A new Constitution should not be a façade to achieve the egoistic agendas of its drafters irrespective of what the citizens really desire at this moment through such a Constitution”.
In The Island of 12th July, Mr.H.L.D. Mahindapala replying to Prof. L. Fernando’s letter “Sangha State behind the State” wrote “It is the Sangha that laid the foundation for this nation”.
In an article by NAN in The Sunday Island wrote “Buddhist Temples were ravaged, Sacred Books burnt and those of the Sangha whether Monks or nuns put to death, if they did not renounce their religion. This caused the demise of Nuns. Monks lived hiding in jungles or in disguise. Leadership of brave monks restored religion”.
It is a historical fact that all the invaders of our country committed so much atrocities to get rid of Buddhism, and if not for our Maha Sangha they may have even succeeded by resorting to the conversion of the Buddhists by all sorts of inducements to which only a few succumbed.
Seventy four percent of this country’s populace is Sinhalese and over 70 percent of them are Buddhists. And not the Tamils, not the Muslims, not the Hindus, not the Catholics, not the Christians ever asked for any change to Article 9 of the constitution. All knew that whatever decree on paper, Buddhism was deeply and indelibly written, etched in flesh and blood and transfused in every sinew, vein and artery of the majority’s Buddhist heart.
For what possible reason should any Sinhala Buddhist dominated government do that unless they had a death wish? Especially when no other religious leaders have ever called for it?
“Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo and Head of the Roman Catholic Church in Lanka, was even moved to publicly declare his opposition to any constitutional dilution of the foremost place granted to Buddhism in Article 9” says Don Manu captioned “Will Lanka’s constitutional scapegoat face sacrificial slaughter on the people’s alter?” in the Sunday Times of October 15th.
This yahapalana government cannot bring about any reconciliation by juggling with words in Article 9 of the Constitution, which clearly states “The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly, it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1) (e)”.
P. S. MAHAWATTE
Colombo 5
October 27th, 2017 at 10:35 am
Under the Proposed NEW TRAITORS CONSTITUTION of Sri Lanka, the National Government of Sri Lanka would not have the power to DISMISS a MERGED Northern and Eastern Provincial Government from DECLARING INDEPENDENCE UNILATERALLY, as the Central Government of Spain INTENDS TO DO under Spain’s Constitution to stop Catalonia from EXERCISING the independence it DECLARED UNILATERALY …. today!
Sri Lanka will not have the POWER to PROTECT ITSELF from DISINTEGRATION as Spain DOES under its Constitution! Are we PATRIOTS going to ALLOW the Yamapalanaya to ENACT this TREASON??
…………………………..
Catalonia declares independence from Spain, direct Madrid rule looms
By Sam Edwards and Angus MacSwan
Reuters•October 27, 2017
BARCELONA/MADRID (Reuters) – The Spanish government moved to impose direct rule over Catalonia on Friday, stripping the region of its autonomy less than an hour after its parliament declared independence in a stunning show of defiance to Madrid.
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Although the Catalan declaration appears to be a doomed gesture, both sides’ moves take Spain’s worst political crisis in four decades to a new and possibly dangerous level.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called for calm and said the rule of law would be restored in Catalonia, where secessionists have long cherished the dream of a separate nation.
A crowd of more than 2,000 independence supporters gathered in the Ciutadella Park outside the regional parliament in Barcelona, shouting “Liberty” in Catalan and singing traditional songs as the independence vote went through.
The motion passed in the parliament after a passionate debate from advocates and opponents of independence said Catalonia constituted an independent, sovereign and social democratic state.
Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont left the chamber to shouts of “President!” and mayors who had come from outlying areas brandished their ceremonial batons and sang the Catalan anthem “Els Segadors” (The Reapers).
“Catalonia is and will be a land of freedom. In times of difficulty and in times of celebration. Now more than ever”, Puigdemont said on Twitter.
But immediately after news of the vote, which three opposition parties boycotted, Spanish shares and bonds were sold off, reflecting business concern over the turmoil in the wealthy region.
Within an hour, the upper house of Spain’s parliament in Madrid authorized Rajoy’s government to rule Catalonia directly — an unprecedented move in Spain since the return of democracy in the late 1970s.
In Brussels, the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said the independence vote changed nothing and the EU would only deal with the central government.
The United States, Britain, France and Germany also swiftly dismissed the declaration and expressed support for Rajoy’s efforts to keep Spain united.
FIRING THE GOVERNMENT?
Rajoy’s cabinet was meeting on Friday evening to adopt the first measures to govern Catalonia. This could include firing the Barcelona government and assuming direct supervision of Catalan police forces.
“Exceptional measures should only be adopted when no other remedy is possible,” Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said in an address to the Senate on Friday morning.
“In my opinion there is no alternative. The only thing that can be done and should be done is to accept and comply with the law,” said Rajoy, who has staked out an uncompromising position.
How direct rule would work on the ground – including the reaction of civil servants and the police – is uncertain. Some independence supporters have promised to mount a campaign of civil disobedience.
The main secessionist group, the Catalan National Assembly, called on civil servants not to follow orders from the Spanish government and urged them to follow “peaceful resistance”.
“Tensions are likely to rise significantly over the coming days,” Antonio Barroso of Teneo Intelligence said in a note.
“Demonstrators might try to prevent the police from removing Catalan ministers from their offices if the central government decides to do so. This increases the risk of violent clashes with the police.”
The crisis unfolded after Catalonia held an independence referendum on Oct. 1 which was declared illegal by Madrid. Although it endorsed independence, it drew only a 43 percent turnout as Catalans who oppose independence largely boycotted it.
The crisis has split Catalonia and caused deep resentment around Spain. National flags now hang from many balconies in the capital in an expression of unity.
Catalonia is one of Spain’s most prosperous regions and already has a high degree of autonomy. But it has a litany of historic grievances, exacerbated during the 1939-1975 Franco dictatorship, when its culture and politics were suppressed.
The chaos has also prompted a flight of business from region and alarmed European leaders who fear the crisis could fan separatist sentiment around the continent.
NOT EASY
“It is not going to be easy, it is not going to be free, it is not going to change in a day. But there is no alternative to a process towards the Catalan Republic,” lawmaker Marta Rovira of the Junts pel Si pro-independence alliance said in a debate leading to the vote.
After the debate, lawmakers from members of three main national parties — the People’s Party, the Socialists and Ciudadanos — walked out. Members of the pro-independence parties and the far-left Podemos then voted 70-10 in favor in a secret ballot aimed at hindering any attempt by Madrid to lay criminal charges on them.
Spain’s constitutional court said it was reviewing the vote. The state prosecutor and other parties have three days to open a case.
Montserrat Rectoret, a 61-year-old historian, was among the crowds in Barcelona.
“I am emotional because Catalonia has struggled for 40 years to be independent and finally I can see it,” she said.
(Additional reporting by Paul Day, Julien Toyer and Jesus Aguado, writing by Angus MacSwan, editing by John Stonestreet)
October 29th, 2017 at 12:29 pm
Should Sinhala Buddhists stage MASS DEMONSTRATIONS against the NEW TRAITORS CONSTITUTION, BEFORE it is DEBATED, or AFTER if it is APPROVED by a 2/3 VOTE in Parliament, the Yamapalanaya MAY NOT BE CONFIDENT of the support of the Police Force and the Armed Forces, largely manned by Sinhala Buddhists to ACT AGAINST Sinhala Buddhists!
In such an event, they would APPEAL to foreign countries for EMERGENCY MILITARY ASSISTANCE to QUELL public protests by Sinhaala Buddhists.
Is that why the US Naval Task Force is NOW offshore Colombo, and the Indian Navy has just concluded a joint Military Exercise with the Sri Lankan Navy, Maithripala Sirisena recently promoted and set-aside the Tamil head of the Navy, and appointed another Navy chief and MR went abroad to India to escape the potential violence?
Is it to PREPARE for the use Foreign Forces to PROTECT the Yamapalanaya against Sinhala Buddhist PROTESTERS? FOOD for THOUGHT! The next FEW DAYS will REVEAL the TRUTH!