FUTURE OF SRI LANKA
Posted on August 3rd, 2015
JANAKI CHANDRARATNA – PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Sri Lanka is once again at ‘crossroads’ that can have an impact on its future. Unlike in previous instances, the path that can be taken is seriously muddied by the political and social dynamics of the present environment. Although the stage is set for another election, the electorate is confused with the plethora of information and misinformation generated by competing political parties and contestants. The media is equally guilty of questionable ethical conduct having to withdraw published news items due to lack of due diligence. Social media has gone wild with slanders and insults in unspeakable language, which indeed is not a good example for the younger generation. ‘Freedom of speech’ is liberally used for slandering political opponents and it was heartening to note that some legal action is being taken, although a bit too late in the scheme of things, by some victims against unsubstantiated claims and assertions.
In addition to the above it is disappointing to note that the Buddhist monks had entered the fray in the most un-Buddhist manner. One monk had even denigrated the Sri Lankan flag and appears to have escaped punitive measures that are appropriate to such criminal violations. In historical times Buddhist monks were venerated as custodians of the Dhamma and often ruling kings sought their advice on political and administrative matters. Today many monks in the Sasana are too politicized and do not exactly promote the safety of the nation. The mixed messages of the politicized monks have added an extra dimension to the perplexed nation.
Although Sri Lankans boast of being a literate nation the confronting issues at hand are too complex and beyond comprehension of many. The Sri Lankan education structure is too focused and streamlined, when compared to the West, that the graduates of specialist courses have some difficulty in understanding the intricacies of issues at hand such as the Treasury Bonds, international relations, terrorism, Sovereignty, etc. These issues in most cases are dismissed as hearsay, propaganda and not likely to happen to Sri Lanka. In addition, our younger generation lacks knowledge on Sri Lankan identity and heritage as they had grown up in an era where history was not a subject taught in schools. They are disinclined to be involved in the issues at hand and yet happy to fill in Facebook pages for any political party that rewards them for the services.
Also, unlike in developed democracies, there is an expectation among Sri Lankans, that party supporters will be rewarded in terms of employment and other monetary favors. In fact, for some, it is the only way to find employment in particular, in the public sector. As a result the society is deeply divided on party lines and party policies are not a concern for their allegiance.
Unfortunately, the current set up is very conducive to unscrupulous politicians. The ruling party boasts that 75 political parties and civil societies have signed up as supporters of the UNP for the forthcoming election. The UNP is contesting as a single party within a United National Front of diverse parties with opposing political views. It is unfortunate that people are not privy to the respective alliance conditions.
The Ex-President has fronted up from UPFA on popular request. The UPFA meetings are well attended and show dissatisfaction, with the 100-day rule of good governance. The 100-day rule in fact fell well short of expectations. The most important questions, however, at hand, are the security and sovereignty of the nation. Sri Lanka was able to engage in an era of peace and unprecedented development since 2010 after the defeat of the 30-year terrorist war under the leadership of the Ex-President, Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa. The UNP manifesto is mysteriously silent on the question of sovereignty except to note that the ethnic question will be resolved in discussion with Tamil parties. The stance of UPFA is very clear in that the resolution of the ethnic issue will be within a unified State.
The majority of the Sinhalese fear a division of the country on ethnic lines. TNA, a UNP support party, is not agreeable to any compromise less than a separate State and the alleged war crimes are tried in the international court. This fear is endorsed by the TNA manifesto, display of LTTE flags, Elam maps and the assurances given by the TNA candidates at election meetings. Also the PM who is strictly a WOG (Western Oriented Gentleman) in Australian parlance is bound to abide by the plans set out by the West for the division of the country. There is the perception that the PM would only ask how soon, rather than any ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’.
Currently, the election campaign is in full swing. The UNP, as the caretaker government has govt. resources at hand to be used for the election. The media is totally controlled in favor of the UNP under the guise of ‘self censorship’. The mega fraud of the century in Treasury Bonds in banking circles in the world, is covered up by court injunctions, Sri Lankan drug dealers resident overseas are alleged to have been invited to engage in election campaigns. There is also a move to release and compensate all LTTE prisoners awaiting charges. Already there has been a murder of an innocent bystander by one of the invited drug dealers at an election meeting and there is an expectation that there can be many more deaths by accident or design before and after the election.
In this scenario, the August election is critical for the future of the country. It is time for all Sri Lankans to assess the big picture, irrespective of personal gains and make the right decision at the election, in the interest of the country.
August 2nd, 2015 at 8:19 am
Hi mate we are being lead by the Indian colonial parasites and Indian imperialists. At the rate Indians are colonizing OZ they and you will be in the same boat soon.
August 2nd, 2015 at 8:24 am
Janaki, you have to understand that Indian colonial parasites (majority of them are Tamils) in Ceylon vote as a block like in any other Indian colony. You look around and see how Indians vote in your PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA and Australia.
August 2nd, 2015 at 1:41 pm
The Sinhala Buddhist of Sri Lanka is the PROTECTIVE SHIELD under which the Sovereignty of Sri Lanka SAFELY rests.
If the Sinhala Buddhists are divided, that shield becomes TOO WEAK RESIST the sword thrusts of Sri Lanka’s enemies continually attempting the penetrate our DEFENSES.
On that DAY OF INFAMY, January 8, 2015, 200 years after that PREVIOUS DAY OF INFAMY on March 14, 1815 when Sri Lanka lost her CROWN, the Sinhala Buddhist GOT CONFUSED at to where HIS DUTY LAY; that day MUST NEVER BE REPEATED! NEVER AGAIN!
Today, Our Motherland’s enemies, both internal and external, are AGAIN ASSAULTING the electoral gates to deliver the COUP-DE-GRACE to our heroes who fell on that DAY OF INFAMY on January 8, 2015.
INSTEAD, let the EVER PATRIOTIC Sinhala Buddhists of Heladiva RISE AGAIN, asipatha held aloft, and cut off the HEADS of these Anti-National TRAITORS, RESTORING Mother Lanka’s CROWN to her hallowed head!
Untold GENERATIONS of our DESCENDENTS will ask us what we did on August 17, 2015 to PROTECT and DEFEND our Motherland for them, as our ancestors did for us.
CAST YOUR VOTE for President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the United Peoples Freedom Alliance on August 17, 2015, and REGAIN our LOST NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY!
STAND FAST with YOUR PEOPLE! NEVER YIELD! NEVER ABANDON THEM
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To the ALWAYS FAITHFUL Patriots,
A Heartfelt Tribute in Gratitude!
Semper Fidelis, Patriots of Lanka
By Ananda-USA
Our Motherland, resplendent Sri Lanka,
Hallowed be thy name!
Thy children flock today to vote,
To preserve thy immortal flame!
The Lion Flag flutters proudly aloft,
To remind us this freedom’s day!
Our duty to keep thee, safe and strong,
As our forefathers did yesterday!
A Mahinda Rajapaksa by deed and word,
Strode forth boldly to eternal fame!
To lead his people to a safer world,
When all others retreated in shame!
August 2nd, 2015 at 1:53 pm
Future is bleak for Sri Lanka unfortunately. Very very bleak. Only way to avoid this calamity is to get a new prime minister. We are advertising for the vacancy.
Vacancy
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Applicant must have the following experience
1 previous experience of signing accords with a terrorist group for division of Sri Lanka
2 at least 5000 billion siphoning off the central bank of Sri Lanka
3 experience of murdering youth at a camp (batlande or similar, Sinhalese youth preferred)
4 grassing intelligent officers to a terrorist group and kill them to jeopardise country’s security
5 signing a pact to divide the country to give separate states to tamils and mussies to win a forthcoming general election
6 have access to underworld gangs (can be useful to silence opposition)
7 dancing skills to dance to the tune of west, india and diasporats will be an added advantage
8 preference given to applicants with no love for the country
9 preference given to applicants whose religion isn’t Buddhism
10 have a gang with similar qualities to form a cabinet of traitors, thieves, murderers and thugs to plunder the resources
for 60 months starting from 18th August 2015, will be an added advantage
Suitable applicant (we have been reliably informed there is only one in the whole country), please apply before 17th August 2015. Please send completed applications form to His Excellency Maru Sira (ppt), Colombo, Sri Lanka
August 2nd, 2015 at 2:29 pm
Ancient Sinhalaya, you forgot some thing! Will Muslim OBAMA allow your applicant? If he does please submit my application. Let see whether the This disgraceful sub-human Election Commissioner, will he accept it?
August 2nd, 2015 at 6:36 pm
I agree with the article.
But PERSONAL GAINS are at the heart of voting. People see NO DIFFERENCE between UNP and UPFA when it comes to protecting SL and Singhalese. (TRUTH to be told. That is EXACTLY how MOST SLs think.)
So they look for PERSONAL GAINS to make a choice.
In my humble view, WIMAL WEERAWANSA should have been made the UPFA campaign leader.
He is the FATHER OF THE NUGEGODA CAMPAIGN which brought a reluctant MR to the fore. His NUGEGODA momentum has been broken now by all useless fellows joining MR after worshipping him on stage.
GR also has to play a BIGGER role to support pro-MR candidates. He has to travel to ALL DISTRICTS except Vanni, Batti and Jaffna.
August 2nd, 2015 at 9:05 pm
Ms. Chandraratna alerts the people of Sri Lanka to set aside differences and vote with the Nation’s integrity in mind. It is indeed the hope of many who watch the deteriorating situation with dismay…and the dreary Truth that emerges in the chaos of the current political struggle between those wanting to protect the nation, and others who have no kind feelings for the nation…that in these recurring cycles, the “lessons never seem to be learnt.”
“Sinhalaya’s” wit about the advertized vacancy for a PM fails to bring a chuckle in these times of anxiety…
Will the nation see its end or will it be a NEW BEGINNING…..?
August 3rd, 2015 at 2:02 am
The TULF wants a FEDERAL system based on AS WEAK A CENTRAL GOVERNMENT (aka the Indian Model) as they can GET NOW, so they can secede EASILY and JOIN Tamil Nadu LATER!
EQUAL RIGHTS don’t require a FEDERAL FORM of Government …. they have EQUAL RIGHTS now under our current UNITARY FORM of Government.
This DEMAND is a SIMPLY A DEVIOUS SUBTERFUGE to GET SPECIAL RIGHTS that other citizens don’t have in their proto-Eelam now, and set the STAGE for OUTRIGHT SECESSION later!
Look at the NAME of this TREASONOUS outfit! Tamil United LIBERATION Front!
LIBERATION from whom? From Sri Lanka of course!
They have DECLARED their AGENDA in the NAME of their PARTY, like Hitler DECLARED his Nazi AGENDA for the world and for non-Germans in the MEIN KAMPF he wrote in Spandau Prison after the failed beer hall Putsch in Munich in 1923!
DO WE NEED ANYMORE WARNING of what the TULF WANTS? Or are WE DEAF, DUMB and BLIND to BOOT?
NEVER, EVER, BUY INTO these DEVIOUS DEMANDS for FEDERALISM; it will SOUND THE DEATH KNELL for Sri Lanka as ONE UNDIVIDED SOVEREIGN Nation!
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TULF wants resolution on Indian model
Kelum Bandara
DailyMirror.lk
August 03, 2015
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), which is contesting the general election in the northern and eastern provinces except in the Digamadulla district, has advocated a political solution to the national question based on the Indian model of power devolution.
The TULF led by V. Anandasangari in its manifesto states states that all the ethnic groups should forget their differences and live in peace and harmony based on equal rights.
It states that a solution based on the Indian model has been welcomed by both the Government and the Opposition.
The TULF manifesto states that the political proposals of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga can be acclaimed as the best solution ever offered and welcomed by many.
“According to former Judge R. T. Vicknaraja this proposal was welcomed even by LTTE political advisor Anton Balasingam at the opening of the Kilinochchi Courts in 2002,” the TULF states.
Meanwhile it said it did not support South Africa being assigned the role of facilitator in the evolution of a political solution. Instead, it looks to India to play a meaningful role.
“From the time of Indira Gandhi up to the time of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian Government had intervened in efforts at resolving the Sri Lankan ethnic issue. It is the Indian Government which rushed helped Sri Lanka with medical teams and other assistance in the event of national disasters like Tsunami, etc. The TULF with all respects to South Africa will insist on India continuing its efforts to resolve the ethnic issue. If not India also will lose interest,” the manifesto states. (Kelum Bandara)