By Charles.S.Perera

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ After elimination of terrorism the Government wants to go to war against the underworld.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  But the paradox of it is that around the President basking in his glory are a set unsavoury elements who pays no attention to even the President. They also happen to be the elected representatives of the people, who despite that pays no respect to the voice of the people who had elected them to office. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore, before taking action to wipe out the underworld the President should first put his house in orderƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  by at least admonishing ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ those around him to act with more dignity and decorum.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It was on the 25 July,2009 that two elephant suklings were wrenched away from their motherƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to be handed over toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Diyawadane Nilame of the Dalandamaligawa.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  When the people of Sri Lanka who wereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  shocked to hear of this most inhuman act came out with all their force to denounce the offence, the Mahanayake Theros came forward toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  defend the offenders who committed the heinous act. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ According to the teachings of the Buddha allƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  humans and animals are put into one category as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ beingsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sabbe satta Bhavantu sukhitatta.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ThereforeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  loving kindness and compassion are extended to all beings without discrimination, which include the Pinnawala elephants.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Christians do not believe that animals have souls, but the Buddhists who do not believe in a soul , are taught that the working of Kamma is such that a human being after death may even be born as an animal- an elephant for instance.

Even the West despite the Christian belief that animals have no soul,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  hasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  accepted ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ animals also have rights equal to those of human beings. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Animal rights, also referred to as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings. Advocates approach the issue from different philosophical positions but agree that animals should be viewed as legal persons and members of the moral community, not property, and that they should not be used as food, clothing, research subjects, or entertainment.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

This modern concept of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-animal rightsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is not new to Sri Lanka?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  We had our ancient Kings who had shown their kindness to animals. The ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Great Kind Buddhadasa was very kind and human. He himself ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ healedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  not only human beings but also animals.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He is said to have built hospitals to take care of animals.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In a country where we had such beings how can weƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  explainƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the situation now.

Normally a democratically elected ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ representative of the people , a Minister of the President Mahinda RajapakseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Cabinet should haveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  respected theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  demand of the people to return the two baby sucklingsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  forcefully removed by the Minister to its mother elephant.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ButƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the stubborn MinsterƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  swollen with the power he wields asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a Cabinet Minster , has ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ neither the human ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ kindness nor the dignity to accede to the demand of the people and correct his unpardonable, act by returning the two elephant suklings to Pinnawala.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is in this un-Buddhist, inhuman situation that the President Mahinda Rajapakse turning a deaf ear to the anguished call of the people presented the two baby elephants by a sannasa to the Mahanayake Theros. We respectfully question the propriety of the President Mahinda RajapakseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s act in offering ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-childrenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of another to the Maha Sangha.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If it were to accumulate kusala kamma, emulating ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the good King Vessantara, it has to be reminded to the President that King Vessantara did not offer some one elseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-childrenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ as an act of paramita- perfection for Buddha hood, but he offered his own children Jaliya and Krishanajina to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Jujaka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Looking back now even that generous offer of King Vessantara ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Bodhisatta was wrong, because he had not the right to offer his children without the consent of their mother Maithree Devi who finding that her children had been given away in her absence went wailing and lamenting in search ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Jaliya and Krishnajina..

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore , it seems appropriateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to ask what right had the President Mahinda Rajapakse to offer the two innocent elephant suklings still depending on their mother , to the Mahanayakas Theros ?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ofcourse in defence of the President one could argued that the PresidentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  having offered theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  two elephant sucklings symbolically by handing over a sannasa,to each of the Maha Nayakas, hadƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ordered that the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ two baby elephants be returnedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ their mother elephant until they are of age to be removed to theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ethgala of Mahanayake Theros.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Even the Buddha did that mistake of taking a child away from a mother without asking her permission.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  When Mahamaya Devi sent ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Prince Rahula ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to the Buddha asking ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ him to claim his inheritance, the Buddha let Rahuala follow him, and onƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  arriving at the Monastery he asked Venerable Sariputta to ordain Rahula as a samanera.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The King Suddhodana saddened on hearing of this, came to the Buddha and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ requested himƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  not to ordain a minor without the permission of the parents or the guardian.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Buddha agreed and made a Vinaya ruleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to that effect.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Mahanayake Theros had perhaps forgotten that Vinaya precept, which couldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  rightly be applied to taking away an unweaned baby suckling from its mother to be kept with them.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is well over three weeks and the elephants sucklingsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  have not been returned toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Pinnawala, and the recalcitrant Minster Lokuge adding insult to injury has said he has no intention of returning the baby elephants to its mother but will bring the mother to the baby elephants. What a crass attitude ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And this is despite the PresidentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s order that the baby elephants be sent to Pinnawala.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ people undoubtedly has a right to question whether the Minister Gamini Lokuge has the power to overrule a decision of the President ?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If it was Kusala Kamma that the President was seeking with the offer,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  it is best that the President be remindedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that he had offered ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- two childrenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ snatched away from a wailing mother in PinnawelaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  whose animal right has not beenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  redressed as yet, and thereby he has not accumulated any kusala kamma by the offer of the animal to the aging Mahanayake theros, but he has accumulated instead a Maha Papakamma ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which he will share along with all those whoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  had a hand committing the offence of taking away theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  baby elephants from their mother in Pinnawala.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ May the better judgement prevail.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚