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by Malinda Seneviratne

Many years ago, a baby boy was born to a Sinhala Buddhist family in a small village named Lunuwatte in Uva-Paranagama. His father, an accountant, named him Pushpakumara Jayasekera. Young Pushpakumara was sent to Thurstan College, Colombo for his education by his fond parents. That was the last the people of Lunuwatte heard of him. When his father died five years ago, Pushpakumara did not or could not attend the funeral. It was then that the villagers, including the chief bikkhu of the temple who attended to the final rites of Jayasekera (Snr), knew that Pushpakumara was somewhere in Russia. It took five years for this man to emerge. By that time, he was no longer Pushpakumara, he was "Shanthi". Not just "Shanthi", but Reverend Shanthi!

There was another young man, an old boy of Isipathana College, Colombo, named Somaratne. Young Somaratne, after completing his studies, joined the Sasana as Rev. Gangodawila Soma Thero. There's probably no one in this island who has not heard of Rev. Gangodawila Soma Thero. The respective trajectories ordained by their karmic powers saw the two meet in Russia a few weeks ago. Today, for all intents and purposes, Pushpakumara Jayasekera is dead. In his latest avatar he is "Shanthi". We all know, also, that Ven. Gangodawila Soma Thero is no more. And yet, he still lives among us, in his words, his actions, example, and most of all his teachings, which include among other things a concerted effort to regain the Dharmadvipaya that was this island.

Ven. Soma Thero couldn't complete his mission, although the millions who thronged to pay their last respects to him stand witness to the fact that his word has taken root in the fertile earth of his people.

At his funeral, Rev. Ellawala Medananda Thero made some very pertinent observations. He made a strong case for a Presidential Commission to probe the circumstances of Ven. Soma Thero's demise. His concerns are not unfounded.

We all know that the judicial medical examiner's report has stated that death was "not due to unnatural causes". We were told, in lay terms, that it was a heart attack. But even a layman knows that a heart attack can be precipitated in a number of ways. For example, certain medicines taken in excessive doses or even a sudden exertion on a weak heart can cause a heart attack. Whether a heart attack had been "induced" or not, a person, technically, can be left without adequate treatment so that the natural course of events will result in death. Such circumstances cannot be ascertained from a post mortem alone. The exploration of circumstances goes beyond the ambit of a judicial medical examination. This is why there is a magisterial inquiry. This inquiry cannot be completed without a medical audit of the treatment given to Ven. Soma Thero in Russia. It is absolutely necessary that such documents be made available to a panel of medical experts to ascertain beyond reasonable doubt that Ven. Soma Thero had been a beneficiary of at least the standard treatment due to a patient of the said condition.

It is in this context that it is surprising that the Sri Lankan mission in Moscow had not bothered to obtained and send the relevant medical documents along with Ven. Soma Thero's mortal remains. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that the website advertising Ven. Soma Thero's so-called degree presentation is now out of bounds. Why? Those who have bothered to analyse the pictures that were advertised in the relevant webpages, have clearly stated that they have been doctored. Meaning, they were fakes. Why?

It is natural that all these gaps in knowledge and irreconcilable situations cast serious doubts even in the most unbiased mind. It is therefore justifiable for a "biased" person like Medananda Thero, who probably understands very little of western medical practices, to suspect foul play. Ven. Soma Thero is not an ordinary person, but a national figure. For this reason alone, it is incumbent on the government and the head of state to take the necessary steps to clear all doubts in the minds of the Buddhists in this country.

In any event, it is clear that very little attention has been paid to matters of security from predatory forces with respect to Ven. Soma Thero's life. In fact, it is probably true, that the entire Buddhist community is under serious threat. Ven. Soma Thero had clearly understood this. Almost as if he was inspired by a premonition of his own demise, three months ago, September 23 to be exact, speaking at the Annual Convention of the Jathika Sangha Sammelanaya, Ven. Soma Thero pointed out that legislative protection is absolutely and urgently necessary to protect Buddhists and the Buddha Sasana. He was specifically referring to the proselytization by deceitful means. Ironically, three months later, almost to the day, Ven. Soma Thero's remains were cremated.

This oppressive and insecure environment faced by the Maha Sangha and the Buddhist laity in general needs to be immediately addressed. This is why at Ven. Soma Thero's funeral, Most Ven. Weligama Gnanaratana Maha Nayaka Thero requested from the president and the prime minister an Act of Parliament to prohibit proselytization, echoing Ven. Soma Thero's sentiments expressed at the above Convention. The Ven. Thero further said that the compassionate and tolerant ways of the Buddhists have been exploited in this process. In fact the dangers to the Buddha Sasana by Christian invasions have been comprehensively dealt with in the Report of the Presidential Commission on the Buddha Sasana, published way back in 2002, a document which Ven. Soma Thero has extensively quoted. In this report, the Commission strongly advises the government to bring in legislation prohibiting proselytization and thereby ensuring religious harmony.

Neither the president nor the prime minister has so far uttered one word about this report. It is as though it was swept under the carpet, just as would be done to a prohibited or illegal document. The current Buddha Sasana Minister pretends to be ignorant of the report. If the government had taken steps to act on these recommendations, gross injustices caused to Sinhala Buddhist people would have been prevented. The strong sentiments expressed on the issue at the funeral and the unprecedented and untrammeled flow of sympathy and sorrow evidenced since news of Ven. Soma Thero's death trickled in, in fact constitutes a referendum on the injustices caused to the Buddha Sasana. The general tone of all those who spoke at the funeral was in fact the tone of a besieged people. All these are the signs of an agitated community. No leader who prays for peace and religious and ethnic harmony can afford to ignore this.

It is of course true that certain incidents took place during the past two weeks where certain places of Christian worship were damaged. Both camps of the government have quite correctly came out strong condemning these acts. Indeed they went to the extent of providing round-the-clock protection to Christian places of worship. This is indeed commendable.

All right thinking Buddhists would are however baffled about the unexplained stupor evidenced by both camps about the destruction of the Dalada Maligawa, the ethnic cleansing of Buddhists from the North and East, bulldozing of Buddhist places of worship and even the total destruction, foundation up, of all archaeological remains of the Buddhist heritage in the North and East. Even today there are hundreds of such places left in the wilds, totally insecure, without even a home guard to protect them against Balasingham's and Ashroff's vandals. Nothing. Even repeated requests to protect them have fallen on deaf ears. It is ironic that every policeman/woman wears a badge which carries the Dharmachakraya. They are guarding Christian places of worship while offering no protection whatsoever to Buddhists and Buddhism in accordance with Article 9 of the Constitution. All on orders!

Chandrika, in her condolence statement said, "The greatest respect we can bestow upon Ven. Gangodawila Soma Thera is to contribute to building a united Sri Lanka free from religious and racial conflict while nourishing the Sinhalese and Buddhism and at the same time safeguarding the rights of other religions." Here she seems to be speaking in the spirit of Article 9. Paradoxically, she is silent in her criticism of Balasingham's ISGA proposal on the matter of Article 5, namely calling for secularism in the North and East. Does not her silence imply that she is ready to accept the wiping out of Buddhism in the North and East legally? Is her reference to the nation in her tribute to Ven. Soma Thero non-inclusive of the North and East?

What all this implies is that Buddhism has been all but wiped out from the heartland of Sinhala Buddhist civilization, the North and East, while in the rest of the country the Buddhists are under siege. Who is to say until when Buddhists will continue to endure and suffer this insult and injury? If Chandrika is truly committed to religious harmony, then she should heed the advise of Most Ven. Weligama Gnanarathana Thero.

Ven. Ellawala Medananda clearly said, "in order to prevent a religious war, then immediate steps have to be taken by those in power to protect the Buddhists from predatory Christianization". Ven. Medananda is merely voicing the sentiments that speak of a smouldering volcano. The danger signs are written all over the place. As the head of state, the president should take serious note of these. Even a good decision taken belatedly, will not bring the desired results. This was amply proved in the case of the Athurugiriya safe houses. The whistle-blowers were ultimately proved to be the real conspirators and worse, traitors.

As the Buddha Sasana Commission Report points out, Malaysia which consists of 40% Muslims, has Islam as the State Religion. The Commission recommends consequently that Buddhism be made the state religion. While it is possible that this would be almost unthinkable for Chandrika to consider, if she's thinking about her political survival, she should look at the recently concluded state elections in India. The BJP won on the Hindu nationalistic ticket. Congress (I), the so-called secular alternative, was roundly defeated. What Hindu Nationalism did to Congress (I), politically, could well be what Buddhist Nationalism would eventually do to the PA. Or the UNF. Or both.

Instead of charging leading nationalistic bikkhus of fanning religious hatred, she should address in a meaningful manner their demand for the protection of Buddhists and the Buddha Sasana. Immediately. This is the singular and unequivocal demand expressed by the yellow flags fluttering from Uva-Paranagama to Independence Square and everything they symbolise.

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