Sudath Gunasekara 11.4.2017.

President says spiritual leaders are the real messengers who connect the hearts of the people and strengthen reconciliation as wished by every religious philosophy.

President noted that the guidance for reconciliation is witnessed in Thripitaka, Bible, Quran and Bhagavad-Gita.  He highlighted that Buddhist monks and all other priests belonging to Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity are expected to make use of the norms of the great teachings.

President Maithripala Sirisena was speaking at the cultural programme, Erabadu Vasantham”, dedicated to enhance ethnic and religious reconciliation. The event was held at Singakkuliya, Dankotuwa this afternoon (09). A programme was also organized to remember the service of late Rev. Fr. Marcelline Jayakody in line with the cultural event.

Speaking further, President stated that our country was built upon on peace and reconciliation among different communities from the ancient times. Sri Lankan nation should come together as a strong human wall while consolidating peace and harmony among different ethnic communities at the present context, President said.

President explained that though some elements would try to insult the term reconciliation”, Sri Lanka’s future will only be fruitful if the term would be given the true meaning and implement it in the society realistically.

President also commended the services of legendry artiste Rev. Fr. Marcelline Jayakody, who earned the hearts of people from all walks of the life in Sri Lanka.

The President presented a token of appreciation in the memory of Rev. Fr. Marcelline Jayakody to a senior member of his family Winifrida Jayakody. The Maha Sanga led by chief prelate most venerable Iththapane Dhammalankara thero, Christian and Catholic priest including former Archbishop Rt. Rev. Oswald Gomis, Hindu priests, Ministers Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Chief Minister of North-Western Province Dharmasiri Dasanayake, Deputy Minister Arundika Fernando, President of the Sarasavi Arts Association Ananda Karunarathna were also present at the event”.

My observations.

See the vote hunting ‘political animal’ in the Sinhala Buddhist President of this country.

The above quoted speech by him displays not only his ignorance of our history but also the real picture behind his future expectations. He is talking like a big pundit and a philosopher about Tripitaka, Bible, Quran and Bhagavad-Gita. That is to hit four birds with one stone, Buddhist Christians, Muslims and Hindus but I doubt whether he will realize his election dream. I do not want to contest his deep knowledge about these religious treaties. However I have my reservations on his comments on the potential of reconciliation these religions have as only Buddhism has this quality as a way of life that is clearly embodied in one line Mahakaruniko natho-Hhitaya sabba panino’  That is also the only religion where there is no coercive conversion or killing.

But I would also like all who voted him to ask him as to what positive role Bible, Quran and Bhagavad-Gita and Catholics, Hindu Tamils and Muslims have played either during the ancient or modern period in history towards reconciliation or cultural development in this country and at what period of history starting from 543 BC to date.?  As far as I know Sri Lankan civilization is at least 99% Sinhala Buddhist from 543 BC.

I cannot refrain from laughing my guts out when he says Speaking further, President stated that our country was built upon on peace and reconciliation among different communities from the ancient times. Any student of history will know how Tamils and Muslims have disrupted reconciliation, throughout history in this country.

It is a pity and disgust to note the Presidents ignorance of the history of this country. Even a tiny tot who has studied up to 5^th Std knows this country was known all over the world as Sinhale and Buddhism was the State religion of this country from 543 BC and 307 AD to 1815 Ad. (2358 yrs) as one Kingdom where the King had been always a Sinhala Buddhist, Although there had been South Indian Tamil usurpers  who invaded the Island had been occupying Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa areas for very short times like  (Elara 44 and Magha for14 yrs from 1214-1235). But never in its 2358 years the whole country had been occupied by any foreign power until finally British took over in 1815 in a major conspiracy by giving false promises to  Ehelepola Adigar of the Mahanuwara Kingdom which they called the Kandyan Kingdom meaning the Kingdom on the mountains.

Although there were few Tamil settlement in Jaffna (mostly introduced by the Dutch) and few Tamil settlements along the eastern littorals and few sporadic Muslims clusters (on Land given by the generosity of Sinhala Kings) in certain parts of the interior country the whole country was known as Sinhale up to March 2^nd 1815. British gave the name Ceylon also meaning Sinhale. Even the word EELAM means the land of the Sinhala people. The word EELAm has been in vogue in southern parts of India long before LTTE terrorist used it here to designate their dream Tamil homeland in Northern and Easernt parts of Sri Lanka.

The Kandyan Convention throughout used the word Sinhale to designate this country. But for some mysterious reason instead of that name the word Lanka came to be used until they changed it to read as Sri Lanka in 1972. But even today the English speaking countries call it Ceylon meaning the land of the Sinhala people. It was a pity and a tragedy too that our leaders in 1948 have failed even to restore the original name of the country that had been there for nearly 2500 yrs. Every time Tamils invaded they destroyed whatever within their hands. Always our great kings have restored what was destroyed after chasing the enemy out.

I would like all historians and patriotic people of this country to ask President Sirisena as to from what source of history in this country he learned this. His speech clearly shows that he does not know our history.  His ignorance of our long history Checkered by many a battles due to regular Indian invasions and devastations is displayed by this speech. Apparently as usual he is playing to the gallery hoping two things I think. First, second and last dream he has in mind is minority votes. Collection of the Christian votes was the other dream he has in his head at the next Local elections to his new Sri Lanka Party when he made this speech at this particular place. I am just waiting to see how many Sinhalese will vote his new three wheeler party. Second he must be hoping to become the President for a second term, as has already got his acolyte S.B. Disanayaka  to  crack the whip that ‘he has not said he is not coming for the next Presidential election’.

The name of the event at which he spoke is called’ Erabadu Vasantham”, Using one Sinhala and the other Tamil word he must be thinking that is the way for much spoken reconciliation between Sinhalese and Tamils. That again displays his virtuosity. Probably he must be dreaming that now he has already allowed the National Anthem to be sung in Tamil this is the way to hook the Tamil votes  en-masse like last time.

This event was also said to have been organized to remember the service of late Rev. Fr. Marcelline Jayakody in line with the cultural event. That was a very good thing I am quoting a Sinhala verse here composed by the most Rev Fr Jayakody so that the President could see the perception of Sri Lanka’s history of this Great Christian son of Sri Lanka. Should the President be ashamed to see this great Sinhala patriot Father who was not even a Buddhist loved his nation,

As for me I see Fr. Jayakody as a greater and a better Buddhist than most born Buddhists. As the following four lines depict he appears to have known the role of the Monk  in Sri Lankan society than any present day politician and even perhaps than most monks.

‘Aettak eti setiyen kiva                   yutte

Sivurai panadi  rata reka                 gatte

Sivurei helaye anupana                    ette

Adath nasinne me rata                 matte”

President also stated that our country was built upon on peace and reconciliation among different communities from the ancient times”

This is a revelation, the latest interpretation of Sri Lanka history after Sirisena.  Every Sinhala man who is not a converted Marxist, a westernized Sinhala tuppahiya or a Tamil or Muslim Communalist knows who made the civilization in this country.  The Innumerable extant archaeological, Epigraphic evidence found from Kadurugoda in the north to Devundara in the South and Madakalapuwa in the East to Halawatha in the West and the wealth of literary evidence and Mahavamsa will tell you who made the civilization in this country and how it was achieved by our forefathers sacrificing millions of their lives in battles against the Indian invaders in ancient times from the second Century BC  to save the Motherland to posterity including what Anagarika Dharmapala did to restore the devastation the Portuguese, Dutch and British did from 1505 to 1948 through the Church and with the gun.

I hope President Sirisena will revisit and revise his understanding of Sri Lanka history and culture before he makes his next political speech.

Mr President there is only one way to bring back permanent peace and prosperity among all the people in this country that is first for the Sinhalese to assert their ownership of this country. Then the leaders and if they don’t as not done for the past 70 years after Independence, then, the Sinhala people will have to tell the Tamils and Muslims to accept that non-negotiable. Thereafter Tamils and Muslims have to concede that they are only either decedents of left outs of invaders, settlers accommodated from time to time by the Sinhala Kings on their hospitality or illicit immigrants.  Please at least now tell your Tamil and Muslim buddies to concede to this reality and learn to live amicably without asking for parity and separate Kingdoms within this land of the Sinhalese just as all immigrants in past history have integrated with the native Sinhalese. This how reconciliation was achieved for the past 2500 years, at least in this country Everybody know it was the Tamils and Muslims who have always created problems and caused problems and never the Sinhalese Thereafter all people have to set aside their UNP.SLFP, JVP .TNA, Muslim Congress etc and think as one party and one nation then only sustainable reconciliation will come..

That is the only way Mr President any one can bring about reconciliation in this country and not by fighting for Federalism, self-determination and asking for privileges not enjoyed by the Bhumiputras or some rights and privileges not enjoyed by them on the part of Tamils and Muslims or this type of false speeches made by politicians like your PM and yourself to get minority votes. By doing so you are betraying your own Nation and the Motherland. Furthermore you are adding more fuel to the burning fire and thereby make the situation even worse and intractable.

We know most of you also know this hard fact. But no one wants to come out with that bitter truth fearing they will lose minority votes. This is the stark truth about politics in this country ever since Independence.

Unless and until we change this attitude your asking the Sinhalese to sacrifice will never bring in what you are dreaming.  They will never part with their 2500 year old civilization and Motherland at any cost. The adjustments have to come from visitors and not from the natives.