Is Dr. Sudharshan Seneviratne a suitable envoy to India under Narendra Modi?
Posted on April 10th, 2014
Shenali D. Waduge
The news of Dr. Sudarshan Seneviratne being nominated to represent Sri Lanka in India was reported in a Sunday newspaper http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140406/news/top-diplomatic-posts-to-be-filled-soon-91892.html . Superceding Dr. Seneviratne’s lack of diplomatic experience as envoy to India is the fact that his ‘multicultural’ mindset will not harmonize with the nationalist views of the future Narendra Modi’s Government. While India remains one of Sri Lanka’s key diplomatic destinations why has the Minister of External Affairs not realized what a fatal attraction an appointment of this nature would lead to when Sri Lanka and India need to strike a better chord diplomatically? This nomination rings greater alarm given the reality that India is to see major shifts in policy change with the Congress likely to lose and a strong nationalist Hindutva oriented leader in Narendra Modi emerging. Sri Lanka should not be experimenting at this stage. We need to appoint a person who can be in step with the nationalist thinking both in India and Sri Lanka and depart from eternally falling in trouble by appointing those who tow the Western NGO mindset and ideology that is being rejected emphatically by governments and people outside Europe.
Amalgamate Ministry of Defense and External Affairs
Linked to these reservations in appointments in the External Affairs Ministry compels us to draw attention to the need to seriously review the need to return to the era of Mr. N Q Dias, who was the Defense and External Affairs Secretary. With the present Defense Secretary Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapakse showing all signs of matching Pakistan’s Zamir Akram in terms of delivering speeches that passionately defends one’s nation as well as friends of their nation, he is the best suited candidate in a Ministry that has not shown fight or pluck over the years.
We cannot expect any miracles either for the Ministry is led by the very people who croaked that Sri Lanka was in an ‘unwinnable war’ situation and wanted to hand over large chunks of Sri Lanka’s territory to terrorists under a treacherous Ceasefire Agreement and to have these same people to lead Sri Lanka’s post-conflict era is a direct and tragic affront to the ranawiruwan’s who saved the nation. While the NGO promoters propagated compromise at every turn it was the nationalists and the ranawiruwan who not only sacrificed their lives but gave a blueprint on how Sri Lanka should proceed. Nevertheless, listening to advisors acting as agents of foreign powers led to numerous pacts and promises that have ended up continuously haunting Sri Lanka.
In the context of the proposed appointment what is of concern is that unless Sri Lanka nominates a candidate that can assuage the nationalist line of Narendra Modi, and carve out the diplomacy upon that line, Sri Lanka is unlikely to reap any benefits. The likelihood of relationship diminishing further as a result cannot be ruled out.
Moreover, Dr. Seneviratne’s own ideology is questionable and reviews by former diplomat Mr. Bandu de Silva shows how far the NGO mentality is embedded into the functioning of Dr. Seneviratne. His association with norms and concepts like conflict resolution hardly delivers the patriotic flavor that Sri Lanka looks for in carving out a niche for itself instead of running behind imperial rule systems and values.
Mr. Bandu de Silva says in an article published in a local newspaper as follows:
” In constructing the idea of `shared culture’ et al, Prof. Sudharshan Seneviratne has, like Dr.Indrapala, used what I quoted as `scraps’ of evidence, leaving out evidence of greater bearing. This type of imbalance in appreciation of cultural contributions of one group to the overwhelming advantage of others, though introduced in order to support the overall thesis of parity of contributions irrespective of the degree and volume of respective contributions with the further objective of subscribing to the idea of conflict resolution, is a distortion of historical reality.”
http://www.island.lk/2007/10/11/features5.html
The critique by Mr. Bandu de Silva was such that he had been requested through a University Professor not to engage in further critique on account of the author’s i.e. Professor Sudarshan Seneviratne’s ill health! Dr. Seneviratne’s academic qualifications are certainly not in question. It is the suitability of the appointment that is being questioned.
When Russia is investigating the role of NGOs and referring to them as foreign government agents while even under Congress, India is also investigating its NGOs, Sri Lanka’s leaders are indeed foolish to keep a bandwagon of NGO mindsets as consultants in key areas of governance knowing very well that they not only enjoy foreign funds but are paid to push an imperial agenda of de- stabilization and balkanization while pretending to be siding with the Government.
April 10th, 2014 at 12:28 pm
How do you see the appointment of Mr. Hulugalla to Australia? Why he has been appointed? The answer as reported, is: “The President sees him as a trouble to him”. So get him out of the country.
It was also reported that when the proposal was made by our Minister of External Affairs, most of the “Senior Members of the Cabinet” objected; yet we see him being appointed to be effective within a month. We know who this Hulugalla is? Leave aside his clandestine affairs with another man’s wife who has already been charged in courts for running an illegal “Casino”; he is a man who has been charged and found guilty and fined by the courts of Sri Lanka. Since his virtual “sacking” from the post of “Media Spokesman” of the Ministry of Defense and hospitalized after few attempts of suicide, he has been “honoured” with an appointment as the Deputy High Commissioner in Australia.
With this much publicized background of the man, how would the Australian Government and the Sri lankan community view this appointment? Is this the way we show our gratitude to Australia who stood by us during the Geneva drama? Also with this type of appointments, we can now see who is really in charge of making the appointments to overseas postings. Our Minister of External Affairs is only a “scapegoat” and I feel sorry for him. He is like a “cat on a hot tin roof”. In a sense good for him too, because he is paying dearly for his “Political Misadventures”.
April 10th, 2014 at 1:50 pm
Amalgamate Ministry of Defense and External Affairs
I ALWAYS supported these acts as long as GR is the head.
Ministry of defence has its legs in
UDA
drug authority
NPC
EPC
diplomatic missions (ACTIVE military officers are diplomats)
police
Ministry of external affairs UNDER MOD will be GREAT. Those lousy DIP-LOW-MATS will start working then ACCORDING TO A PLAN.
MORE and MORE governance bodies should come under MOD.
April 10th, 2014 at 1:53 pm
MODI is ANTI-SL.
Don’t expect otherwise. He is a HINDU racist. Hindus have been enemy #1 of SL. Tiger in the LTTE flag is a HINDU with 3 lines of HINDU HOLY ASH on its forehead created by HINDUSTAN!!
Many fotos are there LTTE leader worshipping HINDU gods and doing HINDU rituals himself with fire.
April 10th, 2014 at 1:57 pm
I don’t know about this bugger, but “Seneviratne” rings some alarm bells.
April 10th, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Modi was married but left his wife 45 years ago!! Until now he LIED that he was NOT married!! Modi is from a LOW CASTE!! He likes LONELINESS!! All markings of a deranged psychopath like (S)Hitler.
“Narendra Modi, currently the favorite to be India’s next prime minister, had to make an unusual admission on Thursday. The 63-year-old Modi, long famous for being a bachelor without any family, was in fact married.
In fact, he was forced to acknowledge, he gave his vows almost 50 years ago.
The admission came out when Modi filed his nomination for the Vadodara electoral seat, according to the Indian Express. The paper reported that the prime ministerial candidate was forced to declare the assets and liabilities of a spouse under the Representation of the Peoples Act 1951. While Modi acknowledged he had a wife (and reported his own income at Rs. 454,095 or approximately $7,552), he was forced to leave the columns declaring his wife’s assets and liabilities blank.
This wife may come as a surprise to some: Modi has repeatedly said that his lack of family makes him an ideal politician. “I am single, who will I be corrupt for?” he told a campaign rally in February. He had previously told his own biographer that he enjoyed “loneliness.”
To those who’ve been following Modi’s campaign, however, this isn’t so much of a shock. Rumors about Modi’s marriage have been around for a long time: As far back as 2009, journalists were trying to interview Jashodaben Chimanlal Modi, a retired school teacher who was said to be Modi’s wife. Earlier this year, when it became clear that Modi was likely to be India’s next leader, Jashodaben gave an interview to the Indian Express where she said explained that she bore no grudge against her husband for keeping her secret, explaining that it was part of his “destiny.”
What explains a secret wife? According to Jashodaben’s accounting, she and Modi were married when they were 17 and 18 due to an arrangement between their parents. They lived together for three years before separating, with Modi reportedly going to travel the Himalayas, and never coming back.
What led Modi away, it seems, was the teachings of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a strict Hindu organization that is reported to require a vow of celibacy. Modi’s time with the RSS eventually led to his leadership of India’s second largest political party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and his Hindu nationalism is seen as one key aspect of his popularity, though it’s also a key sticking point for his opponents, who accuse him of failing to prevent the 2002 massacre of nearly 2,000 Muslims.
Narendra Modi’s older brother, Sombhai Modi, has issued a statement acknowledging the marriage but arguing that it was forced on his brother due the traditions of the low Ghanchi caste in Vadnagar and was never consummated.
To Modi’s critics, however, his refusal to acknowledge his wife of almost 50 years is a sign of his lack of respect for women. According to various media reports, Jashodaben lives in a one bedroom house and reportedly received a government salary of Rs 14,000 ($233) before she retired. She says she has never remarried after her first experience.
“If a man can’t take care of his wife, how can he take care of the country?” Congress Party national spokesman Rashid Alvi reportedly said.
Updated: A reference to Modi’s caste has been added for context.”
– washingtonpost
April 11th, 2014 at 2:29 am
MODI is ANTI-SL. !!!HINDU racist. Hindus have been enemy #1 of SL ! Hindus against for Sinhalese ? No
Hindus against Bhuddism ? or put the question other way Bhuddist against Hindhus (or any other faith )? We both Sankkiliar & Modayas know the answer for last 2,500 years in our day to day life in mother Lanka .
KARMAM !!! KARMA ! We both believe !!!
(NB/ To get my comment to approve ,I do not want explain more like giving current example BBS etc… )
Anpudan ..
Hela Demilaya !!!
April 11th, 2014 at 6:17 am
Nanda
Also DR & Sudharsha(n?) – rings some alarm bells !.
April 11th, 2014 at 6:38 am
Mr Modi has promised India 100 Smart Cities and this will surely modernize India and help subdue ancient Caste/poverty issues. In fact, I saw in the news that Kohler bath wear fillings (USA) have already signed contracts with India ! With a peaceful India concentrating on economic activity, Sri Lanka stands to gain peace dividends through these moves.
Mr Modi has also openly stated that he is not for Eelam in Sri Lanka.
April 12th, 2014 at 7:35 am
In the end they all are F*****g endinans. Who trusts them?