by Bodhi Dhanapala, Quebec, Canada

A number of people, e.g., Chandrasiri Wijewickrema, has written a number of articles based on the premise that Dayn Jayatilleke was recalled because he made statements favoring the 13th amendment. However, this is pure surmise for which no supporting evidence has been presented by Wijewickrema. The discussion in a recent article in the Lankaweb about “Kevattaya and Mahvusadha” etc., are once again devoid of fact and just full of word-smithing innuendo.

Similarly, Wijewickrema’s claim that Dayn Jayatilleke was of mixed ethnic parentage, and that his parents were not even nominally Buddhist, proved to be wrong. Continuing with such crucial errors, and coming forward as an anti-13th amendment activist do not help us who are working against the 13th amendment The objective of this note is to point out that it is NOT in our interest to go on harping on the 13th amendment and on Mr. Jayatilleke, using claims which turn out to be false. Those of us who are opposed to the 13th amendment as stated in the Indo-Lanka agreements of the Rajeev era would prefer that no more is said of the 13th amendment.

Attacks on Dayan Jayatilleke on the basis of the 13th amendment do not help to derogate the 13th amendment. As for Mr. Jayatilleke, his support of the 13th amendment was useful and properly deployed at the time when the western propaganda machine was attacking Sri Lanka. By asserting that Sri Lanka’s policy of constitutional reform was consistent with, and based on the Indo-Lanka proposals of the 1980s, the President succeeded in bringing the Indians onto our side. Just recently, Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa had firmly reiterated his decision to implement the 13th amendment as soon as possible. So, as Dayan Jayatilleke has also pointed out in his defense, he has NOT deviated from the public policy of the government. Indeed, if the government is bent on dismissing those who call for the 13th amendment, then it would have to sack Douglas Devananda as well as Minister Vitharana of the ARPC and many others without further ado. Nothing of the sort is in the books, and hence Wijeyawckrema’s conclusions about the reasons for the recall of Dayan Jayatilleke are essentially misleading and obtuse.

Following the discussions about Dyan Jayatilleke that appeared under the names of Milinda Seneviratne, Carlo Fonseka and others, as well as the comments to those articles that appeared in the Sri Lanka Guardian and other news portals, one concludes that the reasons for Dayan’s recall are far more complex than the one-parameter explanation that Wijewickrema is stridently and incessantly putting forward.

His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa knows his men and their capabilities very well. He used Dayan for the right purpose at the right time. He has been recalled for several reasons. Foreign ministry sources tell me that a very sober reason is because what is now needed is an ambassador who can mend fences with the west. H. E. Mr. Rajapaksa is a man who knows to build consensus and mend fences as needed.

As for the 13th amendment, from what I hear, H. E. Mr. Rajapaksa would soon come out with an absolutely brilliant solution which will implement the “13th amendment Plus”, but WITHOUT any loss of control from the center. Of course, some people will then claim that it is the 13th amendment “only in name”. However, please do not rock the boat by making empty noises based on unfounded beliefs about the “13th amendment” and how it is going to be implemented. The 13th amendment has more than thirteen different ways of looking at it. “Poorna Ghatam nakarrothi shabdam”.