C. Wijeyawickrema

One would expect Wimal Weerawansa (WW), the minister, to be different from chracters such as Mangala Samaraweera, SB Dissanayaka, Vasudeva or Amunugama when it comes to Sinhala Buddhist affairs.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If he is not acting as a reasonable person then one would wonder whether his brain is in his head or his rearend.

He has done so many good things such as supporting MahindaR in 2005 and thereafter, but he has also done so many foolish things. Going to Egypt in August wearing a three-piece suite can be fulfillment of a childhood desire not knowing how hot the summer in Egypt. Attacking America without sorting out facts is like what Norieaga did in Panama or Sadam Hussein did in Iraq and got killed at the end. We know in present days ministers are so dum and stupid. For WW to come out of this category he must first study an issue before he make public utterances.

I refer to what he said about the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) and his silly answer to when he was promptly challenged by BBS. WW said that Norway was using BBS to make attacks on the Muslim community in Sri Lanka. His answer when confronted was that it was all in the AsianTribune website.

Asian Tribune website did not say BBS is an agent of Norway or BBS got money from Norway. It was true that those who later formed BBS went to Norway and met LTTE agents just like BBS leaders met Tamils in America when they visited USA recently. WW must be a fool to think such acts by Buddhist monks are anti-Sri Lankan acts.

WW must understand that BBS never attacked Muslims. WW must understand that BBS pointed out Taliban and Wahabi behavior in Sri Lanka aimed at bringing Sharia law to Sri Lanka and force it upon non-Muslims. WWƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s government has failed to take action on such acts due to its greed to keep some Muslim leaders happy and BBS happened to come to know Halal game by accident. BBS is not formed to work on halal-haram matters. BBS is formed to fight for Buddhist rights ignored by WWƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s government.

BBS is based on the Lichchavi principle of Buddhist India. Just like Buddhism says ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Come and examineƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (not come and believe), Buddhists say come and discuss. This is what BBS is doing.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  WW should have met with BBS and discuss his concerns so that he will not become a public joke at least in the minds of reasonable thinking people in Sri Lanka.

May be WW does not know that Norway was funding hundreds of Buddhist temples. Does he think NorwayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Erick Solheim is doing that to seek Niravana?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  WW is jealous of the sudden upsurge of BBS in the Sri Lankan political climate, taking WW and his government to the task. Only Gotabhaya Rajapakse realized the gravity of BBS power. For WW some Muslim votes in Colombo may be a life and death issue but BBS world is a different world. WW should peruse the BBS website and avoid making a foolish confrontation with BBS as BBS is reasonable and WW is not.

Cwije7@gmail.com