By : A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA                      

Maithripala Sirisena has a chronic disease of telling flagrant lies, shamelessly denying anything and everything, conveniently pretending that he was not aware of certain things and has a forked tongue to speak differently to the people of the North and to the people of the Soouth. On 15^th November, 2015 standing before the mortal remains of the venerable monk Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero, minutes before they were consigned to the flames, and shedding crocodile tears the double tongued Sirisena swore to abolish the executive presidency. He said: I pledge that I will, to the best of my ability, take steps to abolish the executive presidency in order to create a just governance, to establish a democratic and just society and to usher in a just social system, in the manner the venerable Sobitha envisaged.”

The Maha Nayaka Theros of the Thri Nikayas issued a statement on 5^th July decreeing that there is no need for a new constitution and it is also not necessary to make any amendments to the existing constitution and wanted the government to abandon the constitution formulating process. The Maha Sangha guiding the rulers to take the right path and restrain them from venturing into or undertaking measures abominable to the people and the country was a hisroric tradition and the rulers of the past strictly adhered to this age old practice.  Buddhist history claims even Lord Buddha was involved in social matters and offered saner advice to the rulers whenever crisis situations occurred.

The present Constitution accords the “foremost place for Buddhism” and states that it is the “duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana”. There are over 30,000 Buddhist monks in the country and they are ordained by these three Nikayas and they represent 14 million Buddhists in the country. Under these circumstances the State is bound to oblige to the decree of the Maha Nayakas as Buddhists form 72% of the population of this country. It is sad to note that certain NGO vultures, particularly fellows like the illiterate and idiotic Male Nurse Saman Ratnapriya who is a bootlicker of Viyangoda and who some months ago was alleged to have received from a powerful Minister a property worth Rs. 212 Million from the Nugegoda area have scoffed the decree of the Maha Nayake theroes saying that the Maha Nayaka Theroes belong to an insignificant minority compared to the population in the countey and their opinions should be shunned.

On 6^th July Maithripala Sirisena on a visit to Kamdy met the Maha Nayaka Theros of the Thri Nikayas at the Kamdy Presidential house and said that there is no draft constitution and vowed that if a new Constitution is to be drafted it would be done only in consultation with the Maha Sanga and other stakeholders. The outcome of this discussion between the Maha Sangha and the President was disclosed to the media by the Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Nayake Thera.

The double tongued Sirisena has breached this vow already and the Parliament is to discuss on the Steering Committee proposals for three days starting end of this month and then start drafting the so-called Federal and Secular constitution and adopt it in the Parliament in January completely ignoring the Maha Sangha.

In the meantime Sirisena has started saying many things about the proposed new constitution.  He has stated that the devolution of power should occur within the country not to benefit politicians, but to empower the people. Speaking to a gathering in Vavuniya, he has stated that the devolution of power will occur to ensure that each and every citizen reaps the benefits of financial progress and have the opportunity to better their lives.

 Speaking in Ampara on 29^th September he has said that the Government is paying its prime attention to provide solutions for the problems faced by the people in the North and the East, ensuring sustainable peace in the country, building reconciliation among all the communities in a way which will prevent the recurrence of war.  Completely forgetting his July 6^th vow to the Mahanayake Theros, he has made a request to the Mahanayaka Theros and all the religious leaders including Hindu, Islamic and Christian religious leaders to discuss, sitting at the same table, on ways and means to be adopteed for building reconciliation among all the communities.

Sirisena seems to be very much obliged to please the Tamil people and provide them whatever they need and whatever they aspire.TNA Parliamentarian Sumanthiran has told in an interview given to the London based website Tamil Guardan on 1^st December, 2016 that Sirisena asked the TNA to come out with proposals for development, even if it’s a plan for the entie North-East and has promised that he will implement them without any hesitation.  He has added that Sirisena is working on developing a mechanism under which the MPs and provincial councillors of the region will look after the development in the North-East.

The double tongued Sirisena while spuriously boasting in the South that he is the son of a farmer has told a meeting in Kilinochchi that it is in the North that the best farmers of Sri Lanka are found.  He has said that in the past farmers in the North shed their sweat with determination to make our country a self sufficient country and a special programme should be implemented to save them from their debt burden and raise them once again as a strong farming community. He has further stated that he would discuss with officials of the State and Private Banks on the means to help the Northern farmers.  It seems that when he goes to North he feels that it is his genuine country.

Sirisena’s this claim of Northern farmers making this country self sufficient goes against the history of this country and the Tank and Temple (Vaewai Daagaebai) concept and was it to have as swimming pools that large tanks such as Parakrama Samudray, Minneriya wewa (in his own district Polonnaruwa), Kantale wewa, Tisawewa, Tissawewa, Nuwarawewa etc, were built by Sri Lanka’s ancient kings?

Minneriya Wewa

Reports said that prior to addressing the Kilinochchi meeting Sirisena held a special meeting with a group of people who claim that their family members are missing.  Sirisena has requested them to come and meet him at his office and promised them to do whatever it is possible to help them.

While telling to the people of the South there is no constitution being drafted, he has asked that if the people of the South oppose devolution of powers what is the alternative they have to propose? He has pointed out that power should be devolved not for the benefit of the politicians but for the benefit of the people.  He has made these comments at Vavuniya on the 21^st of September.  Ranil Wickremasinghe has also attended this function.

Speaking further at this function Sirisena has said that on the January 8^th Presidential Election 77% of the people of Vavuniya voted for him and he will give priority for the development of Vavuniya area which remains backward.  He has said that newspapers whch claims as national newspapers publish distorted and spiteful false news most of the time to mislead the people of the South and to create disharmony and communal divisions among the people misusing the freedom of expression that has been bestowed to them.  He has further stated that all those who speak against devolution of power should visit the Northern and Eastern provinces and see for themselves whether these provinces have the development as the developments that had been achieved by the Western province or even the Sabaragamuwa province. He has said that we have similar people throughout the country and all should have equal benefits and equal facilities without any form of discrimination and shortages.

Reports said that the parents of the slain Jaffna student Vidya met Sirisena at this function and he visited their house in Vavuniya at the end of the function.  The reports further stated that during this visit Sirisena promised to help Vidya’s brother for his educational activities and to provide all possible assistance to Vidya’s family. It is strange that he remains completely aloof on speaking about mayhem and destruction caused by the LTTE in the Northern and Eastern provinces, let alone the other parts of the country including Dalada Maligawa and Sri Maha Bodhiya, Anuradhapura.

Under these circumstances it is pertinent to ask Sirisena what is that it is lacking for the people of the North and East despite their receiving many concessions and special favours.  Since the end of war they had been receiving special concessions in almost all the fields including financial assistance. There are countries which had been at war and still the people in the war torn areas living in misery and as destitutes many years after ending the wars in those countries.  For example people in Iraq, newly created states of former Yugoslavia, Afghaanistan etc.

In Sri Lanka Tamils in the North discriminates the Sinhalese and Muslims nott allowing them to buy lands due to the despicable ‘Desavalamai’ Law. Why a separate Land Law for Tamils and the general Law for others? This is what that should be eliminated if all should be treated on an equal basis as Sirisena professes.  In the recently announced Grade V scholarship examination results it was shown that the cutoff marks for the Tamil medium students were much lower than the Sinhala medium students. My neighbour’s son got 159 marks and did not become qualified because the cutoff mark for Matara was 164.  If he wrote the exam in Tamil medium he would have become qualified. Were these discriminations or special favours?  Why Sinhala medium students get discriminated in this manner?

It was the so-called high class Wellala Tamils such as Sambandan Sumanthiran and their ilk who discriminated and still discriminates against the non-Wellala Tamils saying that they are low caste people, inhuman like animals and dogs and animals cannot be allowed to enter their Temples.  Sirisena can go to Nallur, Koneswaram and other Temples but not the Tamils branded as Low Caste Tamils.  Where is Sirisena’s much professed equality when Tamils get married? Can an upcountry or Eastern Province Tamil girl (even if she is highly qualified) can get married to a Tamil boy of Jaffnaa.  It was the late Prime Minister Mr. S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike who enacted laws in 1957 to eliminate discriminations and ill treatment of Tamils by Tamils. It was the Wellala Tamil former Minister of the D.S.Senanayake government Vavuniya MP Mr. C.Sunderalingam who slept across the Nallur Kovil gate obstructing low class Tamils from entering the Temple.   Karuna Amman has said that even in the LTTE Tamils of the Eastern province were ill treated and they were sent as front line soldiers in critical battles. These are the discriinatons and what Sirisena should think of eliminating without lecturing to the people of the South to build reconciliation with the Tamils.

During the unfortunate politically inspired riots in the South many Sinhalese saved the Tamils sheltered and fed them in their houses amd later personally took them to refugee camps.  Has any example of Tamils doing such things but there were reports (authencity not confirmed) that during the anti ‘Shri’ campagn in the North the Tamil ‘Shri’ symbol was painted on the breasts of Sinhala women with Tar.

What Sirisena is going to do for the Sinhala people who owned bakeries, groceries and restaurants (Matara Bath Kades), and who were engaged in fishing with their own boats who were chased out from the North by LTTE barbarians and had to languish in Southern areas having become paupers overnight? I have a cousin sister whose family was among those who were chased out from Jaffna in this manner.  Will Sirisena compensate them and facilitate them to return to their original habitats under Sirisena’s equal treatment policy?  Before returning the lands allegedly being held by the security forces return the lands and properties that belonged to these people.

Passing through Wellawatte, Bambalapitiya, Pamankada and many other areas of Colombo one can see high rise muulti storied housing and shopping complexes belonging to Tamils.  Will Sinhalese or Muslims be allowed to build housing and shopping complexes like this in Jaffna or Kilinochchi?

It also seems that Sirisena has become a spokesman of the Tamils.  Participating in a meeting in a meeting in Colombo on Monday 23^rd October he has said that Tamils claim that they have been discriminate for a prolonged period and because of that their faces look pale without signs of a drop of blood. He has said that hence something should be done to make them happy and lively.

Sirisena should read the marvellous speeches made by Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa and Mrs. Anuraadha Yahampath at the 36^th UNHRC sessions to find out how the Sinhalese and non-Tamils were discriminated prior to 1956 and details of high posts held by Tamils and still being occupied by Tamils and then he would realize the folly of his Tamil slavish attitude and the extent of treason he is committing against this country. Will this Aappa Drohyya have an iota of patriotism to realize it?

(To be continued)