By Charles.S.Perera

The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- Christian fundamental preceptsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ the Cardinal had presented to the LLRC are not divine revelations. When the Buddha spoke of them in his discourses ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 2600 years ago ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ they were revolutionary thoughts ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to an ancientƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Indian societyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  following a strict Vedic and Hindu caste system, under a feared Monarchy.

a) (fidelity to ) the truth ( sacca)
b) respectful to the human dignity (karuna)
c) the equality of all human beings (metta)
d) well being and development of all segments of society (sabbe satta bhavantusukhitatta),
e) good Governance (dhammappasasana)

The Cradinals ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-fundamental preceptsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  were condensed by the Great Buddha into:

“By birth is not one an outcaste,
By birth is not one a brahmin.
By deeds is one an outcaste,
By deeds is one a brahmin “

In Sri Lanka these Buddhist principles were observed by the Sinhala Buddhists.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The observance of these principles called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-fundamental preceptsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ by the Cardinal, were neither charity nor maitriya as the Cardinal had ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ emphasised.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It was the part of the culture of the people. In a country where a majority was Sinhala and Buddhist, there was lot of tolerance towards foreign religions introduced by the Colonialists, respect to all beings irrespective of their , cast, colour religion, and respect to all living ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ creatures.

The Cardinal does not understand the culture of the Sinhala people, he is brain washed to believe in a God, to extend the GodƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s love only to the human beings.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Sinhala Buddhists are different , they needƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  not be told of maitriya-ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the love that comes from within them which they extend to all living beings.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Their love is human love and not an artificial love that Cardinal Malcolm R takes from a God and then extend onlyto the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ human beings, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  his GodƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  did not give a soul to other beings.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Cardinal MalcolmR., could have human loveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and look at human problems and understand them better if he could close the divine eye and refuse the love that comes from a God.

The Sinhala Buddhists even as much as Hindu Tamils have no lesson to take from Catholics, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Cardinals or non-Cardinals. Maithriya is a love that has to be cultivated, as human love is mixed with emotions such as anger, jealousy, and hatred.

But CardinalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-divine loveƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ should ordinarily be unblemished, therefore, it should not be extendedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  only to one group of people , but all groups of people. Prabhakaran ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a terrorist was also human and he also had love-a distorted sort of love, which was mixed up with hatred , jealousy and cruelty.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Prabhakaran ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ was ego centric, driven by an uncontrolled attachment (upadana), hatred (dosa), and delusion (moha).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That is why he wanted a separate Eelam State for Tamils in the North and in the East so that he could have been the Fascist Dictator.

If ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Cardinal Malcolm Ranjit wants the same political solution for the Tamils in the North and East as that of thalaivar Prabhakaran, thenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the CardinalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-divine loveƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is drawn from the Sun God-the thalaivar Prabhakaran, it does not come from his Catholic ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-God headƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

If the errors the Cardinal said committed by all stakeholders are divided into two groups as those committed by the minority communities and those committed by majority.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The errors committed against the majority community by the minority communitiesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  will tilt to show that the majority community has suffered and continue to suffer more from the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-errorsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ committed by the minority communities.

A political solution is what all local and foreign pundits ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Communal reconciliation have to propose for ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the so called ethnic problem, which they created.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The ethnic problem is a myth created in the minds of those who feel separated. The Sinhala people withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  nearly 75 percentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the population care less whether they are the majority or not.

It is in a way the fault of the Sinhala people. If the Sinhala Buddhists assert their majority-the so called supremacism, like the English in UK, French in France , Italians in Italy, Sri Lanka would be have been a much more developed nation in every respect, and a better place for every body, but saddled with the Tamil ethnic conscious community, on the one hand, and the Muslims Islamic conscious community on the other, Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  would for ever be poor and dependent, at each others throat, without a National Consciousness.

The Sinhala Buddhists, Cardinal Malcolm R, do not cry out about the fact of their being the majority from roof tops.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is not the ordinary Tamils but the Tamil politicians , separatists elements of the Expatriate Tamil Community, the Catholic Church and the International Community- the trouble shooters all over the world, that hoist the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ethnic problemƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and blame the Majority Community to which they attach the appellation ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- supremacistsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ as an insult, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the idea coming from their deranged minds.

Political Solution to the ethnic problem.

The Political solution over which much had been said and written is no solutionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  for Sri Lanka at least after the end of terrorism.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  We should learn to think differently because things are different now.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith should have given more time to think how political solution could solve ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the root causes of violent insurrection, ethnic disharmony and suspicion and mistrust between various communities living in this countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. The reasons he gives shows a blurred intelligence in the perception of the situation.

In short, political solution to devolve political power to the Tamil people in the North and East is firstly a separation of the communities in the North and East, from those in the South.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Is it such a segregation we want ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦. in order to heal the wounds of a painful conflict which traumatized our homeland for over thirty years, and to lay the foundation for a solid sense of peace and harmony in the futureƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If it is such a segregation the Cardinal proposes, it is a strange way of laying a foundationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  for a solid sense of peace and harmony.

If the Cardinal Malcolm R couldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  turn his divine torch of love in the correct direction he will see with his ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-divine eyeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ that for a solid sense of peace and harmony we should bury our ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ethnicƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ differences to mix the communities without barriers of caste, class, communal belonging, and political differences to share with each other the cultural and human riches of the motherland.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Cardinal Malcolm RanjithƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s use of words in his submission to LLRC,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  shows no ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-divine desireƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to unite the communities . He has gone up to the LLRC to place before it proposals ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to separate the nation, putting the Sinhala and the Tamils apart, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ not toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Unite them into a Nationhood.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

His proposals willƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  only fester the ancient wounds of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-a painful conflict ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦..causingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  further disharmony in the future.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  His choice of words through out ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ his presentation had been with this view to separate the two Communities rather than to unite them.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The words like Sinhala dominance, mono-culturalism, majoritarian democracy, used by the Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith are ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-poisonousƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ when the need of the day areƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  pious words of reconciliation for unity, peace and harmony.

To analyse the Cardinal Malcolm RƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s whole presentation to the LLRC and to point out where he was wrong will take a pretty long article, thereforeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  much has to be left out.

The Sinhala only policy of 1956 should be seen in its correct perspective , not withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the jaundiced mind of a virulent separatist.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It was Chelvanayagama, GG Ponnambalam and others who put the poison into the minds ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Tamil people ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ against the Sinhala people and then the Government of SWRD Bandaranaiake, which the Cardinal seems to beƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  continuing to do against the present government of the President Mahinda Rajapakse.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Mr.BandaranaikeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s intention was to change the political situation after 8 years of UNP rule toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  make the Independence from Colonialism more meaningful to the people.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He wanted to make Sri Lanka an Independent Nation, with one language, one flag one National Anthem, and an official Religion.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That is how it is with every nation in the world, even India followed that principle to accede to Nationhood.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In many Western Countries competence in the language of the country is a requirement to obtain citizenship. Jason Kenny the Minister of Citizenship in Canada ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦told reporters that immigration needs an overhaul and a key effort must be to ensure that immigrants and those who want to become new Canadians speak a competent level of French or EnglishƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ “All I can say is if someone can’t conduct an immigration interview in English or French they don’t have basic competencesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/03/20/immigration-language-kenney.html#ixzz15BEvwACF_

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Therefore Cardinal Malcolm RanjithƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s statement that, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦… Sinhala Only policy of 1956 which disregarded the multicultural and pluralistic nature of Sri Lankan society and paved the way for Sinhala dominance and the trend towards mono-culturalismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, is giving voice to dead ChelvanagamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s and GG PonnambalamƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Tamil racism.

Malcolm RanjithƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Statement:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ Since independence, the gradual entrenchment of majoritarian democracy, where the language and religion of the majority community have been given priority, has increased ethnic tensions and undermined the concept of a truly multi-ethnic, multi-religious, plural society. The Official Languages Act, the introduction of the first Republican Constitution of 1972 and as well as the Constitution of 1978 where the Sinhala Language and Buddhism were given an exalted place in the constitution, were a landmark in the slide towards divisive tendencies in this country.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

This statement by the Cardinal Malcolm R, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ makes his call , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-to lay the foundation for a solid sense of peace and harmony in the future ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-, a big joke.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He appears to be the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Diyasena ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- of divisive politics in Sri Lanka.

All Western Nations from whom the Cardinal Malcolm R., takes his Christian cultural inspiration are ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-multi-ethnic, multi-religious, plural societies ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- and they still have one Official Language, one Official religion, one flag and one National Anthem.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Does any one complain ?

What really is Cardinal Malcom RanjithƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s problem, and for whom is he batting ?

Buddhism, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  was introduced to Sri Lanka long before the birth of Christ, in the 2^nd Centure before theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Christian Era during the time of the Sinhala King Devanampiyatissa. Today Buddhism is the religion of more than 70 percent of the population in Sri Lanka, where as the Catholics are only a 7 percent of the population..ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The first Catholic Missionaries had come in the 16^th Century with the Portuguese invaders.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The Portuguese who conquered Sri Lanka had two objectives in Sri Lanka,(i) to trade, and (ii) to convert the indigenes to Catholic Church, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ they came with a gun in one hand and the bible in the other as it had been repeated by historians.

Fortunately it was not the Catholic Inquisitions- A former tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church (1232-1820) created to discover and suppress heresy, Where the nonbelievers were burnt at stake- an instrument of execution consisting of a vertical post that a victim is tied to for burning(alive).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The history of Inquisition itself puts the Catholic Church to shame.

However, in Sri Lanka, the Portuguese were followed by the Dutch and the English, they all came with their Christian Missionaries to conquer the country and civilise the people by converting ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the indigenes to Catholicism or broadly Christianity.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the ancestral religion and cultureƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of your great ancestors were stolen by these vagabonds who came from far and gave them in return their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-faithƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of the invisible God, and in the name of their God they promised you the kingdom of God.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They relegated the religion of our people- Buddhism to the back ground, they corrupted our culture, they builtƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  their schoolsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to educate the converts in their language , teaching them their history, about their civilization.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

I need not repeat the humiliations, massacres of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ our Buddhist religious leadersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and ignominies they had to sufferƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  under these savages , posing as civilised angels of the God come to save the heretics from damnation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Our culture and the religion were corrupted and people were divided into classes . Those who were educated in Missionary Schools found employment in the Colonial establishments.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

It was only in the 19^th century that a Buddhist revival took place , a movement bugun byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the American Buddhist Henry Steel Olcott, after the great Panadura Debate in 1873 between the Christian Priests and the Buddhist Monks lead by Migettuwatte Gunanada Thero.

When we got our Independence in 1948, our country had changed radically.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Sinhala Buddhist suffered the most as the Colonial rulers always feared the majority in the conquered country as they would be the first to take to an armed rebellion against the conquerors.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Therefore they divided the majority by placing the minority or foreigners in important positions in the Colonial government, they humiliated the religion of the Sinhala people.

The Sinhala Buddhists when Sri Lanka got its Independence were in a helpless state.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Independence without giving back to the peopleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  what they cherished most , their religion and their dignity, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ would not have been a justifiable Independence .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It was that justice that Mr.SWRD Bandranayake ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  hoping to give back to the people by making Sri Lanka a meaningfulƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Independent Nation..

Even, then the Catholic Church was very active behind the scene thwarting the Sinhala Buddhists from their effort to make tangible changes to revive their cultural values. This would have gone on and Catholic Action would have succeeded, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ if not for Mr.H.L.Mettananda ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ who organised the Bauddha Jatika Balavegaya toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  expose the Catholic Action.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-A significant development during the 1960’s was the emergence of the outspoken Mr. L.H. Mettananda and his Bauddha Jatika Balavagaya ( BJB ) which was instrumental in exposing the work of Catholic Action and its control over Sri Lanka’s mass media. The seeds for the current Buddhist Revival campaign were laid by Mr. Mettananda who played a singular role in writing the Buddhist Commission Report in 1956. This report had strong impact on political developments in the country at that time.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

(http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items04/220304-5.html)

To be continued ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦