THE ‘COMMUNALIST’ CONSTITUTION AND THE EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO THE SINHALA STATE:  WHAT MUST BE DONE
Posted on January 4th, 2016

DHARSHAN WEERASEKERA

The persons who are pushing the new Constitution and the forces behind them (i.e. the US, UK and India) have anticipated almost all contingencies.  Unless something drastic happens to derail their plans, here’s what I predict will happen:  On the 9th, the government will convert Parliament to a Constitutional Assembly, and over the next 6 months or so proceed to generate a new Constitution.

Meanwhile, an Opposition will grow to challenge the Constitution, and, just before the vote in Parliament, it will seem as if this Opposition will prevail.  At that point, the President will give one of his signature televised addresses to the nation, where he will solemnly promise that, whatever ramifications the new Constitution will have, he will never allow it to divide the nation.

The above will be enough as far as Parliament is concerned:  the Government will get its 2/3 majority and the draft will be approved.  It will then be submitted to the People at a referendum, and the following will happen:  the Tamils and Muslims will vote en masse in favour, the UNP vote-base, reportedly 30% of the national electorate, will follow suit; finally, a very small fraction of the Sinhala-Buddhists will also be cajoled, bribed or intimidated into voting ‘yes,’ to cross the 50% mark.

The new Constitution, dubbed a triumph of ‘consensus-politics’ by the ‘Free Press,’ will be enacted into law with congratulations pouring in from all over the world, including Barack Obama, Ban Ki Moon, Zeid Al Hussein the Human Rights High Commissioner, and others.  Champaign corks will pop in Toronto, London, New York and other Diaspora hubs, as throngs of sweaty Tamils dance in the streets.

The Sinhala-Buddhists, roughly 49% of whom will have had their franchise made a mockery of, will retire to their dens to lick their wounds, if not their pride.  But, it will be no consolation, because they will have lost their country.  A civilization that has lasted roughly 2500 years will come to an end.  Is there any way to prevent this debacle?

A MODEST PROPOSAL

In my view, the only way to prevent the said debacle is to form an Opposition based explicitly and brazenly on an assertion of Sinhala-Buddhist identity, and implemented through an Organization whose name contains the explicit words ‘Sinhala-Buddhist,’ for instance, ‘Sinhala-Buddhist Front,’ ‘Sinhala-Buddhist Alliance’ or some such thing.

Since the entire point is to unite the Sinhala-Buddhists in terms of their ethnic or civilizational identity, the Alliance will be ineffective if it doesn’t contain the words ‘Sinhala-Buddhist’ in its name.  Those two words are in effect its best recruiting-tool, or rather, they convey automatic membership on all Sinhala-Buddhists, and it is up to each individual member to only decide if they support the program of action of the Alliance and if so to what extent.

At present, though there is a growing Opposition, as far as I’m aware it is comprised of various groups with differing agendas and ideologies.  True, they share a commitment to the Sinhala-Buddhist civilization along with the territorial integrity of the country.  Nevertheless, in my view, the impetus that brings them together is logistical and political convenience than an animating principle deriving from the Sinhala-Buddhist identity.

Unfortunately, the enemies of the Sinhala State have figured out a way to undercut coalitions such as those mentioned above.  The tactic, to repeat, is to use the minority vote aggressively and systematically against the Sinhala-Buddhists, and to exploit political differences among the Sinhala-Buddhists to peel of a sufficient number of the latter to vote with the minorities:  in other words, to make communalism the be-all and end-all of Sri Lankan politics.

In a situation such as the above, coalitions of the Sinhala-Buddhists based on logistical or political convenience can’t compete against persons and/or forces that can command the minorities to vote en masse based on ethnic, linguistic or religious identity because the latter categories are more elemental, which makes the voting blocs more reliable.

The only way to counter the persons and/or forces manipulating the minority vote in this way is to beat them at their own game, which is to say, to form an alliance based on ethnic identity, and nothing else.  If the Sinhala-Buddhists coalesce according to their ethnic identity, they can’t be pulled apart as easily.  Given the fact that they are the numerical majority, in any contest with the minorities, even with a nominal Sinhalese element thrown in, the Sinhala-Buddhists will win hands down every time.

COMPOSITION AND PURPOSE

The Alliance or Front I’m proposing will be comprised of three primary components:  first, Sinhala-Buddhist public intellectuals, professionals, artists and other specialists who will provide the intellectual stimulus as well as advice and guidance; second, the Sangha, which will provide the Alliance with the backbone and the moral authority; and finally, the Sinhala-Buddhist populous organized into manageable groups based on the principle of absolute democracy.

  1. B. Rambukwelle, one-time Principal of the Sri Lanka Law College, but also at different times in his life a practicing attorney, judge, among other things, and a life-long student of history, has observed that the three constants of Sinhala-Buddhist civilization until 1815 were the Monarchy, the Sangha and the village-collectivities (See, P. B. Rambukwelle, Commentary on Sinhala Kingship, 1993). Though I’m hardly an expert on Sri Lanka history, Rambukwelle’s observation seems to me reasonable.

The three components I have described as the main planks of the proposed Alliance are intended to reflect the historical categories identified by Rambukwelle.  The monarchy and the village collectivities no longer being viable, the public intellectuals, professionals etc, on the one hand, and the Sinhala-Buddhist populace on the other, will fill in for those missing elements, with the Sangha providing the unwavering constant.

The point is that the three components are intended to fit naturally into the civilizational structure of the Sinhala-Budhists, so that the Alliance is an organic outgrowth of such structure, rather than something artificial or contrived, imposed from outside.

Meanwhile, to the above three pillars will be added a fourth:  the vast population of expats around the world who, if I’m not mistaken, are seething with frustration and rage at what is happening to the Old Country.

This fourth pillar will provide logistical and financial support, advice and guidance, and also most crucially promote and defend the cause of their brethren in Sri Lanka before the governments and other influential circles in their home countries, much in the way the Tamil Diaspora is dong for their own ‘people.’

The Alliance will have two primary goals, that go far beyond resisting the Communalist Constitution.  Resistance to the Constitution is obviously the impetus for the creation of the Alliance, and will allow it to flex its muscles, but the two real goals are:  First, to establish Sinhala-Buddhist sovereignty over the entire Island, which in practical terms means re-populating the North and East, especially the North, with significant numbers of Sinhala-Buddhists, at least to the levels that existed circa 1980.

And second, to give a vital spark to the political, social and cultural life of the country, which in turn will lead to a renewal and resurgence, infused with creative energy, of all the components of civic life, including the law, letters, science, and the arts, and reflected objectively, as is always the case with civilizations in their youth and vibrancy, in an heightened and more refined aesthetic sensibility.

In short, the purpose of the Alliance is nothing less than bringing about a complete renewal and resurgence of the Sinhala-Buddhist civilization, in order to consolidate the victory of the armed forces in May 2009 in gaining physical control over the entire country, by incorporating the civilizational infrastructure that would ensure Sinhala-Buddhist predominance in the island for centuries to come.

OBJECTIONS

I anticipate that there will be three main objections to the proposal above:  one, it is racist and/or chauvinistic and will alienate the Christians, Muslims, and ‘Moderate Tamils’ who still remain friends with the Sinhalese; two, if successful the Movement will turn Sri Lanka into a Buddhist Theocracy; and finally, it is so contrary to the interests of the Indians and the Americans that they will do everything they can to destroy it, which entails plunging the country into another round of internecine war.

First, will setting up an Alliance that brazenly advertises itself as ‘Sinhala-Buddhist’ alienate Christians, Muslims and ‘Moderate Tamils’ still friendly to the Sinhalese thus depriving the latter of much-needed support at this crucial juncture?  In my view, the Sinhala-Buddhists are facing cultural and civilizational annihilation:  they have to think first and foremost about their own survival rather than the feelings of their friends.

In my view, the reality is that the bulk of the minorities are firmly in the enemy camp.  The Christians, Muslims and Tamils who remain the friends of the Sinhalese because they truly empathize with the plight of the Sinhalese, and also appreciate the danger to the minorities themselves in the long run if present trends continue, will remain friends through thick and thin.  Besides, once the Sinhala-Buddhists grab power, they can compensate their friends adequately, for hurt feelings, etc.

To repeat, the issue is not about alienating the minorities.  The minorities who have already been alienated are beyond redemption; those who remain with the Sinhala-Buddhists will go the distance.  In short, the Alliance will not suffer from brazenly and aggressively advertising itself as ‘Sinhala-Buddhist.’  In fact, it will be its greatest source of strength.  When the minorities, or anyone else, cries Racist!” Chauvinist!’ all that a member of the Alliance has to say is, ‘Proud of it.  See you at the Polls!’ End of story.

The second objection is that an Alliance of the type I’m proposing, with the Sangha at the very center of it, will inevitably end in turning Sri Lanka into a Buddhist Theocracy, a fate not much more palatable than a tyranny of the minorities, or of foreign interventionists.  I admit that there is a danger of this happening.

Personally, the end result that I hope for if the Alliance is a success is a stable democracy where individual rights are sacrosanct, where every citizen, irrespective of whether they are Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, or anything else, can live in peace and pursue whatever avenues of happiness and prosperity they wish to pursue.

What I oppose are attempts by the minorities to claim special treatment because of the fact that they are minorities, i.e. the claim that they have ‘grievances’ or some such things endemic to them by virtue of their ethnic, linguistic or religious status, and the related claim that they have special historical and moral rights to particular areas of this country, rights not shared by the Sinhalese.

But, I recognize that a Movement based on ethnic identity, with its elemental undercurrents, can morph into a repressive and intolerant orthodoxy.  I am hopeful that the more reasonable and sensible among the Sinhala-Buddhists, including the Sangha, will prevent such a thing happening.

Indeed, the history of the Sinhala-Buddhists offers an exemplary record of toleration and amity. I am reminded that the origins of the Muslims in the Eastern Province is that the Sinhala King invited them to settle in those areas when they were being persecuted by the Portuguese and driven out of their homes in the areas around Colombo.

Similarly, when the Dutch took over control of the coastal areas from the Portuguese, and began to persecute the Catholics in those areas, the Sinhala King invited them to settle in the Matale district, the very heart of his kingdom, and I am informed that the descendants of those Catholics live in those areas to this day.

It is difficult to suppose that a people with the above type of history, a people whose religion has as one of its central tenets the doctrine of Karma (i.e. ‘What goes around comes around’) along with a commitment to the Middle Path (i.e. a shunning of extremes) will as a rule allow themselves to degenerate into a repressive and intolerant society.

In any event, my point is that, the immediate need is for the Sinhala-Buddhists to survive as a civilization, and this must take precedence over any danger that may lurk in the future, as a result of forces unleashed to meet the present need.

The final objection is that the foreigners, i.e. the Indians and the Americans, will not like the Sinhala-Buddhists coming to power in the island, and will trigger a second internecine war in order to prevent such a thing happening.  I’ll deal with the Indians first.  I admit that the Indians will probably repeat the tactic they used in the 80’s if they feel that their interests are sufficiently threatened.

As I indicated earlier, however, the Sinhala-Buddhists are at present facing an existential crisis, which is to say, they are facing annihilation as a culture and a civilization.  What the objection says is that the Sinhalese are finished if, in trying to survive, they take steps that clash with Indian interests.  In other words, the Sinhalese are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

Under the circumstances, it makes no sense to give in passively to the Indians out of fear for what they might do.  The imperative is to survive first.  If the Indians decide to set up terrorist camps or whatever else to disrupt the State, so be it:  the Sinhala-Buddhists will have to cross that bridge when they come to it.

On the other hand, the Indians themselves are not invulnerable:  Indian politics is in constant flux; it has been shown for instance that Modi is no longer invincible.  A solid Sinhala-Buddhist power-base in Sri Lanka will be able to influence these trends.

In short, it may not be so easy for India to meddle in the affairs of this country if the Sinhala-Buddhists consolidate power.

I’ll now turn to the Americans, who I think are the ones really driving events in Sri Lanka, even more than the Indians.  What would the Americans do in the face of a Sinhala-Buddhist Alliance of the type I’m suggesting?  In my view, this is where things get interesting.  I lived for quite some time in the United States, and flatter myself that I understand something of how Americans think.

The urgency with which the new Constitution is being pushed by the present regime, coupled with the fact that top-level American emissaries have been visiting the island almost every month, indicates to me that the Americans have realized the local puppets they’ve put in place are far more incompetent, venal and vacillating than they imagined, and the window of opportunity to hook Sri Lanka permanently into America’s ‘Informal Empire’ is fast shrinking.

One must combine the above with a well-known fact about the way the Americans run the said Informal Empire.’  Generally speaking, it is run by putting in place, in the countries that are brought within the ambit of the ‘Empire’ a local strongman or junta, backed by an Army specifically trained and equipped to be used continually and relentless against the local population, to keep the latter in check and allow US interests to have their way in the country.

To digress a moment, Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman in their classic study, The Washington Connection and Third World Fascism (South End Press, Boston, 1979) make a distinction between what they call ‘constructive terror’ and ‘benign terror.’  ‘Constructive terror’ is state-sponsored violence by regimes directly subsidized or supported by the US, for purposes of furthering the US’s interests.

‘Benign terror’ is violence by various fringe groups and/or regimes about which the US is indifferent, either because the victims are not of sufficient interest to Americans, or the regimes though not directly subsidized by the US nevertheless do business with the latter, and therefore policy considerations entail that no feathers be ruffled.

Chomsky’s and Herman’s conclusion is that the number of persons killed and brutalized by constructive terror’ is exponentially greater than the number killed and brutalized by ‘benign terror.’  My point is this:  what the US is in the process of doing in Sri Lanka is making this country a directly subsidized and supported client State, which means that the next step one can expect is the said ‘constructive terror.’

Unfortunately for the US, the Sri Lanka Army, a war-winning army, which in its very ethos exists as an institution of national defence, is in its present form incapable of being used on a mass scale against the local population, and it’ll take years of ‘reform’ to turn it into a tool that can be used for that purpose.  (It is reported that the said process of ‘reform’ has begun, with help from Britain, one of the US’s customary agents when it comes to these operations, but still it’ll take years to complete.)

To make a long story short, if the Sinhala-Buddhists were to grab power in Sri Lanka, the US in my view will be helpless to do anything about it.  They’ll have to go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan to topple the new government, which will not be easy, because the Sinhala-Buddhists will hopefully have learned from their first experience.

More important, the US itself is increasingly distracted by more pressing concerns, including on the one hand domestic calamities, and on the other, the imperative to contend with the rising power of China and Russia in regions where the US had for years enjoyed unquestioned hegemony.  In short, the present may be the best time, perhaps the only time, for the Sinhala-Buddhists to assert themselves and retake their country.

Dharshan Weerasekera is an Attorney-at-Law.  He is the author of two books:  The UN’s Relentless Pursuit of Sri Lanka (2013), and, The UN’s Subversion of International Law:  The Sri Lanka Story (2015)

 

11 Responses to “THE ‘COMMUNALIST’ CONSTITUTION AND THE EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO THE SINHALA STATE:  WHAT MUST BE DONE”

  1. Dilrook Says:

    A very well thought after article and I agree with the logic. The time to think of all inclusive Sri Lanka of minorities included has long passed. Now Sinhalese must survive on their own. This is the reality. I’m very happy Dharshan has come to this realisation. I’m also happy you kept out politicians and focus on an ideology instead. In fact, I have my very serious doubts about some politicians admired in these columns to defend Sinhala Buddhist interests. They can support a campaign but the campaign should not give them the driving seat as the ideology must be supreme, not persons.

    However, I disagree on a Sinhala-Buddhist alliance for 3 main reasons.

    Unlike Tamils and Muslims who follow ethno-centric politics (SLMC, ACMC, TNA, TULF, ITAK, AIADMK, MDMK), Sinhalese totally reject any form of ethnic exclusivity as a political force. No matter how desperate the situation is, Sinhalese simply will not resort to this. I don’t know if it is wise or unwise, compassionate or foolish, but this is how they are. Therefore, a broader alliance is needed that goes beyond Sinhala-Buddhist identity. I propose a unitary Sri Lanka campaign (where anyone can live anywhere irrespective of ethnicity). It will be powered by Sinhala Buddhists mainly as Tamils and Muslims will totally reject it. Most Christians will reject it too. However, it has better access to ordinary Sinhalese.

    Numbers don’t support a Sinhala-Buddhist exclusive force. We are talking about 70% of the population which includes traditional UNPers, communist/socialist supporters as well. In order to obtain 50% on a Sinhala-Buddhist only platform, 71.5% of their vote is needed. This is impossible. Even in 2010 presidential election, only 69% of Sinhala Buddhists voted for Mahinda with heavy use of state resources for the election. With all state resources heavily backing Sirisena, it is impossible to get even 65% of Sinhala-Buddhist vote which will end up being 46%.

    A broader alliance is needed that includes Christians and Muslims who support unitary Sri Lanka. This is over 3% of the national vote. Very small but cannot be ignored. Muslims in the east who resist Tamil control can be obtained as well. This will be another 2% nationally. Protest vote for not getting what they want in the constitution making process is another vital vote. Some extreme Tamils will even vote against the constitution for not giving them the entire pound of flesh. That vote must be grabbed without rejecting it.

    I fully understand the need to eliminate last minute defectors. In fact, USA, India and the UNP have cleverly planted last minute defectors in the genuine opposition already. Ummagga Jataka tactics. A unitary campaign as opposed to a Sinhala-Buddhist campaign can still eliminate these. Such a strong uncompromising unitary campaign will kick out Dayan, Vasudeva, DEW, Rajeewa and the like who cannot be trusted at all to protect unitary Sri Lanka.

    Lastly, we need the support of China and Russia – two nations strongly opposed to Buddhist values – to defend the island nation from various vile initiatives to shut the opposition and intervene. A Sinhala-Buddhist alliance will never get their support. In fact Russia is Christian ruled today as much as Germany. China fears Theravada Buddhism as a threat to its ruthless dictatorship. However, their support is essential to ward off diplomatic and military interventions from India, Japan and the West. Whenever Sinhala-Buddhists rose to power (1956 and 2005-09), local leaders relied on these countries even when the battle was domestic.

    India, USA, Japan or the EU will definitely intervene when they sense their plans are disturbed. They will go to any length to get it done even if it means violence, riots, assassinations and invasion. It is naïve to think otherwise. A plan to contain or counter them is needed locally as well. Disruption of the parliament and/or the referendum means the present constitution will continue. Boycotting the referendum or disruptions in the “no” camp is unwise as it will give the enemies a walkover.

  2. Nanda Says:

    Starting with the very important comment to me “I have my very serious doubts about some politicians admired in these columns to defend Sinhala Buddhist interests”, I fully agree with Dilrook this time.
    If we hang on to the ADMIRED that is the END of us, even worse than UNP and RANIL. I that is my honest guaranteed guess and ALL my guesses have come true, I am afraid. I don’t need to take so much effort to tell lies against my basic life long principles.
    Let me point out one important question on which people can research and answer themselves.
    That is, after defeat of Ranil last time, which way did the government go ?
    Did the government go against Ranil’s right away or in the same way even worst ?

  3. nilwala Says:

    DharshanW is absolutely right in his analysis and has presented the REALITIES of the current situation which amounts to an EXISTENTIAL RISK for the SINHALA BUDDHISTS of Sri Lanka. It is the ingrained and perhaps genetically hard wired TOLERANCE in attitudes and mind set of the Sinhala Buddhist community that has brought the country to the brink of annihilation of its cultural and civilisational history as the island where Buddhism was preserved for near 3000 years.
    There is no more time to resort to the usual…. with the 9th of January upon us the die will be cast. Those Buddhists among us who have attitudes of accommodation have to understand the crucial situation and come together with a single-mindedness that has eluded the Sinhala Buddhists thus far in Post-independence history, and force them to coalesce and form a mass movement like the other religious communities have done in this country.

    If the Constitutional Council stretch the Debates as long and as far as the timing of a Referendum on the New Constitution in 6mo. time, and discussions and public protests lead nowhere, and the machinations and ploys of MS and RW /CBK and cohorts who are the worst traitors modern Sri Lanka has produced, are put into play towards conning and confusing the People, the Sinhala Buddhists will all just have to vote “NO” to the Constitution….WITH ONE VOICE.
    This message has to be propagated far and wide in the country.

  4. Chancy Says:

    “In any event, my point is that, the immediate need is for the Sinhala-Buddhists to survive as a civilization, and this must take precedence over any danger that may lurk in the future, as a result of forces unleashed to meet the present need.”

    THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH FROM DHARSHAN’S ARTICLE SAYS IT ALL. UNLESS WE ACT NOW AND GET ORGANIZED TO STRENGTHEN THE CORE, WE WILL BE IN GREAT DANGER OF LOSING OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY. THE SINHALA LANGUAGE IS A MINORITY LANGUAGE IN THE WORLD WHILE APPROXIMATELY, 50 MILLION SPEAK TAMIL. VERY SOON, THE SINHALA LANGUAGE WILL DISAPPEAR.

  5. nilwala Says:

    The “compassionate hearts” of the Sinhala people has been misinterpreted for decades as being due to their innate FOLLY AND LAZINESS. NOW, THE TIME HAS COME for the Sinhala People as a whole to stand together as the majority group in the island to protect its unique language and the civilisation that had withstood many historical onslaughts. The recent traps of traitors who have ganged up together have caught the country somewhat unawares as to the extent to which its People have been cheated with promises and honeyed words. We have but a few months in which to organize…..before the new Constitution is sprung on the Citizenry without clarifications or explanations, and with intent to hoodwink an unsuspecting people through sleight of hand.

  6. Lorenzo Says:

    DW is spot on.

    IF Singhala Buddhists wait for others to join that will NEVER happen!!
    Even if they join, they will only UNDERMINE it from within.

    So DW’s approach is the right way.

    What other PUNDITS can do is NOT to play SL hell on DW’s proposal but to SUPPORT it. IF Tamils can do it, Muslims can do it, Singhalese can.

    e.g. SWORD-B created the SINGHALA MAHAJANA SABHA. Then it became SLFP. And SLFP did the BEST nation saving trick in 1956.

    Don’t POLLUTE the organization with others. Organize a SINGHALA group for the Singhalese. ARMY personnel are important.

  7. Lorenzo Says:

    Well said Neville.

    Its time for the new SINGHALA MAHAJANA SABHA.

  8. Fran Diaz Says:

    Dharshan presents a negative future for the Sinhala Buddhist 50% plus in the country, i.e. Approximately over 10 MILLION people. Sinhala Buddhists are indeed an endangered group unless they act quickly to retain their language and religion, which aspects have survived many thousands of years, and worthy of intense and innovative efforts to retain and protect. It is time to stop vacillating. It is time for carefully thought out measures, without harming anyone.

    The entire Nation will have to either survive together for mutual benefit, or go down together, divided and annihilated by a possible foreign take over of Land and the Economy, through a Fascist type local GoSL. Yes, the ENTIRE Nation will suffer, even for Tamil folk, after a short term ‘hurrah’ by the Tamil leaders. We saw where Norway the Peacekeeper was headed. That, unfortunately, is the only sure expectation we can have, for such is the nature of events, historically speaking. Let our history be our Teacher here. Lanka will have to make lemonaide out of all the lemons handed to her.

    Here are some suggestions on how to survive together for mutual benefit :

    (1) Protection of a Unitary state through Language : Having the Tamil language as a National & Official language is the danger here. As I stated many times earlier, there are over 15 Million Tamils of Dalit origin who have suffered atrocities in Tamil Nadu for over 3,000 yrs. These Tamil people would prefer Sri Lanka as their homeland rather than stay on in Tamil Nadu.

    Lanka has had Tamil folk brought first as Indentured Labor for the tea & tobacco plantations mainly during the British & Dutch Colonial times. They numbered over one and a half Million, and made the ethnic proportions go out of balance.
    Since Colonisation ended in 1948, hundreds of thousands of Tamil Dalits have come into Lanka illegally for many reasons.

    * The chief of reason is to escape the Caste System of Tamil Nadu.
    * Jobs in the tea plantations mainly, plus free education allowing their children to be doctors, engineers, accountants etc. & free health care are added attractions.
    * There are no Caste lines on the birth certificates issued in Sri Lanka, unlike in Tamil Nadu, and this is a great advantage for Tamil people who enter Lanka illegally.

    * The Tamil language as a N&O language in Lanka is a greatest attraction to Tamil illegal migrants. It is mainly on the basis of LANGUAGE that division of Lanka is envisaged, as done in INDIA. All the sub-states of India are divided through language i.e. The sub-states adjoining Tamil Nadu viz Karnataka, Andrapradesh & Kerala, do not allow proliferation of the Tamil language, thus keeping out large influxes of Tamil folk into those areas. Sri Lanka will have to do the same to protect the people here.

    Removal of the Tamil language should be phased out. Tamil could be spoken or ordinary usages allowed, but not a Offcial and National language.

    English as a strong link language. A recent article in the Island shows that students even want entire courses in English.

    (2). Protection through the Constitution :
    *. Emphasize the UNITARY STATE OF LANKA.
    *. ACTIVATE THE 6-A.
    *. No special concessions allowed on ethnic base.
    *. Emphasis on PATRIOTISM SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN ALL SCHOOLS. The National Anthem to be sung with the right hand on the heart at least weekly in school halls.

    (3) Stop the Chunnel to Tamil Nadu before it kills Lanka through flooding of Lanka with Tamil Nadu Dalits and other Indians who are displaced and dishonored through Caste there.

    (4) Protect local businesses/industries through the Law before that too is killed by outside sources.

    (5) Government will have to be the chief Employer as private sector profit motivated employment is totally unreliable to provide high numbers on employment with pensions.

    I am sure there are many more ways to Protect the Nation.

  9. Nanda Says:

    Why people here behave deaf and dumb ? Be honest folks. Without being honest to oneself a Buddhist should not expect good results.

    For 5 1/2 years you could not even move an inch towards good governance , starting with a proper constitution for Sri Lanka. Your ( and mine, those days) best president (real Sun God for some) did not do it. Muslims have now created a Sinha-Lay to get support from ISIS, having destroyed our forests, having created MUSLIM ONLY colonies under the patronage of your best president. Tamils too WON a lot of benefits under him, not we Sinhala people are severely discriminated.
    Now some say we have a LTTE GOvernement.
    You think we can win a Sinhala Buddhist Land from LTTE government ?

    What we now need is to win EQUAL RIGHTS first.

  10. Fran Diaz Says:

    Dharshan,

    Thank you for this article.
    Your idea for a Sinhala-Buddhist Front is a good one. This Front ought to be for all times. Presently, this Front can be for the Constitutional Reforms.

    ———–

    Personally, I don’t trust the present arrangements by Yahap govt at all i.e. Turn the Parliament into a Consitutional Assembly, etc. This means that there is NO Parliament as such for other matters ?? !! What a farce !

    In such a case, proven anti-National Prince Ranil reigns supreme with a lame duck Prez, and a proven anti-National CBK ? What perfidy !
    If Yahap cannot manage the Economics and other matters in the country, then it is time for the “Depart” portion of “Learn or Depart” (Royal College motto and Yahap to resign, but selling off the country and the People is an admittance of utter failure and defeat.

  11. Cerberus Says:

    Mr. Weerasekera, Thank you for this excellent article. I agree with some of your comments. I think Dilrook is correct in that what we need is a united country without federal states where anyone can live anywhere in the country. MR was trying to do it but he needed more time. That is why he tried to have elections and get the mandate from the people.

    In January 8 last year My3 was elected by the people as the President. No one expected him to install Ranil W as Prime Minister when there was already a Prime Minister and a Cabinet. He contested as a UNP candidate and then installed RW as PM illegally. No one contested him. His only excuse was that the West and India wanted him to do so. RW went on to install a UNP cabinet and he brought the Finance Ministry directly under himself and put Arjun Mahendran as Governor of Central Bank. He promptly engaged in a massive insider trading on Bonds and I think used the funds to ensure various MPs were kept quiet and to win the Parliamentary elections in August for UNP. Much was written about all the illegal actions of My3 and RW and yet they are surviving. How come?When My3 realized that MR was going to win the election in August he ensured that MR lost by telling the nation that he will not make MR Prime Minister even if MR wins. He also put in people who had lost the election as Cabinet members instead of using the names of the people who were already in the gazetted list. Then he attended the UN meeting and co-sponsored a resolution very inimical to Sri Lanka. To me it appears that he is running everything according to a script from a think tank in either US or UK and he does not seem to care if he breaks up the country or it is taken over by a foreign power so long as he can remain as a puppet President. Right now it appears that there is no opposition to My3, RW and the Govt. As you have pointed out they will somehow pass the new constitution and that will be the end of Sinhalese. When the Parliament becomes a Constitutional Council how can they function as the Parliament? I guess RW will be fully in charge of the country during this period. He will do more of his dictatorial moves during this time with no Parliament to check him.

    In this connection please see an earlier article which was written on the need to invoke the R2P of the UN on behalf of the Sinhala Buddhists. This may not be feasible since UN works at the behest of USA and it is not in the interests of USA to protect the Sinhalese. They would be persuaded to protect the Sinhalese if the Sinhalese can get their act together and make it attractive to them.

    Please see the article: http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2015/12/24/it-is-the-sinhalese-who-need-protection-under-the-r2p-of-the-un-from-77-million-tamils-across-the-palk-straits/

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