Ada Derana

By Sena Thoradeniya

(Continued from 24, October, 2023)

Some Land Claims of Kandyan Chieftains

1. SABARAGAMUWA AND UVA

In 1875 a vast quantity of valuable forest land was claimed by Chiefs and Headmen what were known as British Grants” – conferred upon them soon after the Kandyan War of Independence in 1817-1818 for the services rendered to the British Crown in quelling the uprising. In many cases the extent of field held by virtue of the deed was far in excess of what was specified. This was the observation made by A.R. Dawson, Assistant Government Agent of Sabaragamuwa on land claimed by Kandyan chiefs. At this time Sabaragamuwa was a part of Western Province.

How Kandyan Chieftains claimed Crown” land, their extent and administrative work with regard to land claims and dilemmas faced by British Civil Servants are being discussed in this article that shows the unquenchable greed of Chieftains for land. It is evident that they abused their high office to claim more and more land. 

In 1895 Herbert Wace reported, at Vikiliya, Welange Banda Aratchi claimed a whole village and cut forests showing that he possessed a certificate of authority; but Wace found that Governor Brownrigg had authorised him only 1 amunu, 3 pelas and 5 kurunis and ordered that Welanga Banda had no right to cut forests. Wace gave the same order to the claim of Mahavalatenna for forest lands along the ridge from Detanagala towards the Dickoya ridge; Mahavalatenna held Medagama lands on a similar certificate and sold timber to planters in Bogawantalawa tea district. 

In 1895 H. White, Acting Government Agent of Uva Province had reported on several unsettled land claims; disputed Thaldena Sannasa, Rambukpotha Sannasa and Ketawela Nindagama claim, grants made to Katugaha by Edward Barnes and Thelenis Dias claim were few examples.

2. EKNELIGODA CLAIMS

A close friend of Ehelepola, Ekneligoda was the leader of the Sinhala troops who went to capture the last King.  He was amply rewarded by the British for his treachery with land and a post of Muhandiram. Later he was made a Disava.  He informed D’Oyly that some Bhikkhus headed by Ihagama Unnanse were conspiring to overthrow the English Government. During the 1817-18 freedom struggle he along with English troops was engaged in a mopping up operation devastating the entire Uva region in search of the so -called Pretender to the Throne. He was awarded land and a gold pendant. British took care of his son and a nephew to give them an English education converting them to Christianity.   

He was granted Muttettu fields of Hiramadagama, 4 amunus and 6 kurunis in the Meda Palatha of the Atakalan Korale in the Disavony of Saffragam by Governor Brownrigg, signed by George Lusignan, Secretary for Kandyan Provinces. Whereas the loyalty and good conduct of Eknelligoda Maheepawle (Mahipala) Akkrak Kooroppoo (Kuruppu) Wickrema Singhe Basnayake Moodiyanse (Mudiyanse) have entitled him to some mark of royal favour and munificence and it is our desire to mark the sense we entertain of the same by a permanent Grant of Lands which by enduring to his posterity shall be a proof for the future of the estimation in which their Ancestor was held …”

This was extended to his Heirs and Assigns forever in full right as Paraveny or heritable property, free of duty to Government”.

Later, one of his heirs claimed lands called Weerahinga Panguwa, Bawhinne Panguwa, Weerkuttige and Ranahinga Panguwa situated at Embilipitiya and Diyapotagam Panguwa and Pallebedda Gewathu Panguwa under a sittuwa. As the claim was for a large one it was referred to H. C. P. Bell, the Archeological Commissioner. This land has been treated as a Crown” land for a long time. The sittuwa has been examined in 1866 by one Muhandiram and was certified as genuine.

Government Agent was smart enough to declare it as fake. He said, calculations that the waning moon on the said month and year falls on a Friday and not on a Saturday and this discrepancy throws a great deal of doubt on the genuineness of the sittu.”

Bell stated in 1904 that it was virtually a royal sannas granting specified lands to Wijesundara Mudaliya of Pallededda in recognition of his military service granted in the year of 1636 by Samaradivakara Wickremasinghe Mudiyanse Ralahami Maha Adikaram of Mahanuwara who held the positions of Udunuwara Rata Atapattuwa and Gilimale, Bambarabotuwa and Sabaragamuwa Disava.

According to Mandaranpura Puwatha during this period Arave Samaradivakara was the Maha Adikaram.

The petition sent to Governor McCallum by Ekneligoda Molamure Kumarihami, daughter of Ekneligoda Disava and widow of the late J. C. Molamure, Police Magistrate, shows how servile even the females of these chieftains’ families were.

That Your Excellency’s memorialist is the only daughter of the Venerable Ekneligoda Disava of Saffragam whose claims government for preferment have begun since his ancestor was instrumental in the capture of Sri Wickrama Rajasinha the last Kandyan king for the British Government in A.D. 1815”.

Unashamedly the petitioner says that her ancestor was instrumental in capturing the last king.

She affirms that she was married to J. C. Molamure, the Police Magistrate of Sabaragamuwa at the time of his demise in A. D. 1902 and her son-in-law J. A. Rambukpotha the present Rate Mahattaya of Patha Hewaheta was also a descendent of Kandyan chiefs. She begs to appoint him as Rate Mahattaya of Kadawath and Meda Koralas rendered vacant by the retirement of Mahavalatenne.

In 1912 Mahavalatenna also sent a petition to the Governor mentioning that he will retire shortly pleading: That according to the usual privileges of Kandyan chiefs to appoint one of petitioner’s two sons-in-law to succeed him in office”.  His one son-in-law was A.O. Jayawardena, acting Muhandiram of Negombo married to his elder daughter in a binna marriage in 1905. He was made a Korala after marriage.

3. DULLEWA CLAIMS

In 1895 Dullewa Adigar claimed Welivita lands in Laggala Pallesiyapattuwa for himself and his brother which the Assistant Government Agent, took down in writing, just a few months before his retirement. Laggala Pallesiyapattuwa is the eastern division of Matale East, bounded by the Mahaveli Ganga on the east, far away from Dullewa’s village.

In 1899 he claimed for (i) Beligamuwa and Medabedda villages (ii) Wahakotte (iii) Kinigama (iv) Haduwa and (v) Kumbiyan Ela lands. Beligamuwa and Medabedda were claimed on Ehelepola Sannasa under the will of his adoptive mother (aunt by relationship), Ehelepola Tikiri Kumarihami and her late husband Golahela Rate Mahattaya. Wahakotte land was claimed as it was been the property of his family. Although he claimed for Kinigama paddy fields he was not sure which fields he owned. For Haduwa land his claim was the whole village, as an appurtenant to his paddy lands, the extent being 34 acres 3 roods and 32 perches. The extent of the village was 1100 acres and 0.22 perches. Kumbiyan Ela was claimed in 1885.  The then Assistant Government Agent Burrows reported that Dullewa had no legal claim whatsoever. This was reported to him by L. W. Booth, Special Officer. But of the Haduwa claim he was granted 355 acres, 3 roods and 3.36 perches.

Dullewa asked for permission to purchase 40 acres at Kinigama, from his original claim at an upset price of Rs.10/= or even Rs. 15/= per acre as he claimed that it was almost surrounded by his own land and as a consequent, he would be forced to buy it if it were put up for sale at whatever price it might raise for.

Dullewa claimed land at 15 more places such as Ehelepola, Polgolla, Dambogama, Galagama and Weliwita. 

Later the Assistant Government Agent S. M. Burrows wrote in his Diary that Dullewa behaved disingenuously about a large grant of land which was promised to him on certain conditions carefully explained to him by me. Instead of attempting to carry them out he slipped into kachcheri when my predecessor’s back was turned and got the Head Clerk to give him the CQP” (Certificate of Quiet Possession).

According to the documents we have perused Dullewa claimed 5 acres of Hapugahalanda lands also, which was also known as Hapugahalanda Aswedduma at Madawala in Matale South. 

Dullewa claimed land from Kandamulla Mukalana in North Western Province. The Surveyor General wrote in 1908 that the land that Dullewa claimed were scattered all over 280 square miles in Matale District and amply suffice for a 5-year programme! He had claimed villages of Akarahediya, Galgediula, Amunuwela and Welivita amounting to 9000 or 10000 acres. These cases were investigated even after his death. In 1917 one of his heirs who resided in Kandy revived this claim.

4. Katugaha Claims

Katugaha Mohottala who was appointed by Sylvester Douglas Wilson to administer King’s Gabadagam in Uva was an arch-enemy of Keppetipola, the Dissava of Uva. He was suspended by Keppetipola. After Uva was divided into several regions he was appointed by Lusignan as Dissava of Medakinda, Uva.

In 1903 J. G. Fraser, Land Settlement Officer recorded that T.B. Katugaha, Rate Mahattaya of Yatikinda, Uva, claimed for 8167 acres of land in Yatabowa and Randenigoda in Wellawaya. Earlier in 1822 two grants were made by Edward Barnes to this claimant’s grandfather.

5. Ratwatte Claims

In 1909, Ratwatta Dissava wrote to T. G. Tyrrell Assistant Government Agent Matale, seeking his approval to kill game claiming that Rambukkoluwa Nindagama in Laggala Udasiyapattu belongs to him. His father in 1821 had stated to the Judicial Commission that Rambukkoluwa lands were given to his father by his great – grandfather and he had a firelock as a Sannasa for the land.

6. Mahavalatenna Claims

Mahavalatenna Mohottala was appointed by Brownrigg as Chief of Gon Badda (cattle department). He was a chieftain who served loyally to British Government during the 1817-1818 freedom struggle. Ekneligoda and Mahavalatenna were sent to repel attacks in Sabaragamuwa. Simon Sawers had praised what was done by Ekneligoda in opposing Kandians”. Mahavalatenna boasted that he would not return until he had killed or captured all the enemy leaders (Sinhale freedom fighters). Sabaragamuwa was divided into three parts and Mahavalatenna was given Kolonna, Meda and Kadavathu Koralas. 

As he had provided information about a conspiracy in 1834, this S. D. Mahavalatenna Banda (Mahavalatenna Mudiyanse/ Mahavalatenna  Mohottala) was appointed as the Maha Adikaram in 1835, a case of a lower ranker, a Mohottala receiving the highest position as Adigar. In 1837 Governor Wilmot Horton gave around 7000 acres of land to Mahavalatenna, (confiscated Morahela Nindagama land belonged to Dissava of Wellassa and Batticaloa who joined the freedom struggle) on the birthday of King William IV together with a silver urn.

In 1912, Government Agent Sabaragamuwa, when Mahavalatenna Rate Mahattaya of Kadawathu and Meda Koralas was on leave prior to retirement, forwarded an application and recommended Mahavalatenna’s son-in-law Barnes Ratwatte (Clerk, Class IV, Grade II, employed at Kandy Kachcheri) as his successor. Appointment of one of the same family would be welcomed by the native population and by the planters” was GA’s opinion.  He further wished in recognition of Mahavalatenna’s long service and the services of his father and grandfather who was especially honoured by the Government with the work of Adigar and in view of the extensive interact which he possesses on landed property in the district, His Excellency may appoint him JP and UM for Meda and Kandukara Koralas”. Thus, Mahavalatenna was appointed as Justice of the Peace for the district of Ratnapura and Unofficial Police Magistrate. Barnes Ratwatte was appointed in August 1912.

A printed document compiled by Mahavalatenna Bandara in 1907, Memorandum on the No. of Kandyan Adigars in the Kandyan Government at one and the same time” sheds some light to that another  Mahavalatenna had pleaded to the English Government to appoint him as an Adigar. This was referred to H. W. Codrington, Assistant Government Agent of Kegalla District at the time. Codrington had made his observations to Colonial Secretary on this matter.  A third Adigar was appointed for the first time by the Government in 1832 in the person of Mullegama. After the abolition of a separate administration for the Kandyan Provinces Molligoda and Dullewa were dismissed for treason and Mahavalatenna Disava who had given information was made First Adigar”.

A book printed by The Colombo Apothecaries Co. Ltd. In 1913 titled, The Mahavalatenna Family of the Sabaragamuwa Province: Services and Ancestral Clans, compiled for the Exclusive Purpose of Submitting to the Government” is one of our most interesting finds. At the outset it gives the history of Mahavalatenna family during the last 500 years from 1410 A. D., records of John D’oyly, services rendered by the Mahavalatenna First Adigar during the Kandyan Wars. We quote: In 1835 Mahavalatenna was appointed First Adigar of Palle Gampaha for his services during the wars of 1815 and the rebellions of 1817 and 1834”. He was the first individual to awaken the vigilance of Government to the existence of any treasonable intention”.

Treachery to his own country was cited as heroic deeds to curry favour with the colonialists and gain more power and higher office. Their descendants who publish books in English for example, Four Kandyan Families from the Maha Disawani of Matale, Dumbara and Uva” (2005) have completely forgotten or hidden the sources or had not explored the available sources how their ancestors were elevated to higher positions by the British colonialists. The title of this publication itself is wrong as Dumbara was neither a Maha Disawani nor a Sulu Disawani in ancient provincial administration. It was a Rata.

7. Rambukpotha Claims

Rambukpota Mohottala surrendered to the British and gave valuable information about the freedom fighters. He said he was kidnapped and compelled to declare his allegiance to the Pretender”. Younger Rambukpota accompanied a party in search of the Pretender” scaling mountains of Mandaran Nuwara.

In 1903 a claim for the entirety of Rambukpotha village was made by the Rambukpotha family upon a sannas written in 1766 and a claim for the whole village of Dambavinna upon a copper sannas.

Rambukpotha Rate Mahattaya and his family when asked to produce evidence for their land claims mentioned that they claimed lands under Rambukpotha Sannasa. The Attorney General wanted to see a copy of it. It was sent to the Colonial Secretary by Acting Attorney General with an English translation. It was submitted to H. C. P. Bell, Archeological Commissioner for his opinion as to its genuineness.

Templer, the Crown Counsel reported that the sannasa should be rejected in his opinion. Archeological Commissioner had condemned it as there was no collateral evidence. 

The claimant was called upon to furnish any collateral evidence in August 1895 by Herbert White, Government Agent of Uva. But he failed to do so.

With all these problems the Surveyor General was asked to survey the land claimed. The extent was 4000 acres. Survey General reported in 1900 that it will take at least a year to do cadastral survey in the unhealthiest district in the Island.”

The sannasa on which Rambukpotha claim was based was written in 1767, gifting 158 amunams of land to Wasanahami Etana on faithful service in the Palle Maha Wasala.

Bell reported on 26, September, 1900 from Topawewa (as dispatches to him were sent to his work station), that this lady was probably a lady-in-waiting or she may have stood in closer communication with the King himself”.

Genuine sannas of this reign (Kirthi Sri Rajasinha) engraved on copper plates are not uncommon. In these King’s name is usually written in full. The present ola document is deficient in this respect, following the style common to sannas of a century earlier. It is neatly and correctly written and the form of Sinhalese characters is not too modern for the period.”

I am not prepared to condemn the document but it should not be accepted without the production of collateral evidence tendering to support its genuineness”.

English translation of the sannasa is inaccurate. It was translated by Charles Taldena Rate Mahattaya of Yatikinda in 1898. Its Sinhala version says that Wasanahami Etana was the daughter of Rambukpotha Seneviratne Mudaliya. Palle Wahalata sonda sithin duggena sitina nisa” means that she was a Dugganna Unnanse or a Yakada Doli of the King. Taldena may have thought that it was a disgrace to her present-day descendants presenting Wasanahami Etana as a concubine of the King. Palle Wahalata sonda sithin duggena sitina nisa” is not exactly on faithful service in the Palle Maha Wasala”. All parties if employed at the palace considered it as a faithful service”.

Wasanahami Etana’s name does not appear in Kapila Pathirana Wimaladharma’s (2003) Directory of Office Holders of the Kandyan Kingdom, Sri Lanka” (under Duggana Unnanses or Yakadadolis). Most of the Duggana Unnanses had hailed from nearby Ratas of Mahanuwara. The most famous being Alutgama Chandra Rekhava.

Rambukpotha was called upon to produce evidence by Government Agent of Uva G. A. Baumgartner. He wrote in 1910, this claim was based on a sannasa of 1776 A. D. conveys fields of several villages. As regards to Rambukpotha village 11 fields were granted aggregating 48 amunams in extent. Rambukpotha was asked by the Government Agent to give particulars of other land and proof of possession. But he replied that he could not do so because he does not have the sannasa. Government Agent writes: Mr. Rambukpotha has shown himself very obstructive when called upon to give proof of his possession of right of the land claimed”. Again (he) put forward the bold assertion that all land within the boundaries be named belonged to him”.

Now our modern theorists, if they read this essay can theorise that Rambukpotha challenged the colonial master!

The Government Agent wrote in 1899, that Rambukpotha in September 1898 has applied to the Local Board for payment for gravel taken from a quarry in one of his unsettled lots without mentioning that his claim was still awaiting enquiry and received payment: a worthless one that other members of his family did not join him.”.

Our modern theorists can theorise again that Rambukpotha defied the colonial authority!

8. Meedeniya Claims

 In 1920 the Survey General, Ingles reported that Meedeniye Adigar had made an application for 573 acres at Embilipitiya in Kolonna Korale. The survey was completed and plans sent in November last”.

9. Complaint Against Nugawela

Although not about a land claim, this is a very interesting and a rare tussle between a colonial administrator and a Kandyan chieftain.

Punchi Banda Nugawela was the Rate Mahattaya of Galaboda and Kinigoda Koralas of Kegalle. Assistant Government Agent of Kegalle, Bertram Hill in a confidential report complained against Nugawela that he was squeezing the villagers more than his predecessors did and owing to inexperience he had not treated Headmen as he should have been”.  

Hill urged his removal from Kegalle District at once suggesting he be appointed a Korala, a demotion, in some other district under a good and experienced Rate                      Mahattaya where he may in time retrieve his character”.  Hill says Nugawela was appointed only in August last and he was not Government Agent’s nominee.

Hill, I suppose was unaware that he was the son of Nugawela Disava, the then Rate Mahattaya of Harispattuwa. Disava’s brother was Rate Mahattaya of Udunuwara and Diyawadana Nilame of Dalada Maligawa who went to London to attend Diamond Jubilee Celebrations.  

Nugawela Loku Banda Dissava, who was presented a gold medal on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee 12 August 1903 prayed the government that his son may be eligible for an appointment under government. In consideration of the loyalty to the throne of the several members of the family who are holding positions of the trust and responsibility under government”.

This reveals that there were many other avenues to be appointed to high office, behind the back of the top administrator of the Province, the Government Agent. Nugawela was a very young Rate Mahattaya, appointed to high office when he was only 30. 

During Hill-Nugawela tussle, the Government Agent Wace, recommends that he (Nugawela) would be of no use if he was made a Korala” and it would be better in consideration of his family to ask him to resign or be dismissed finally”.

This matter had gone to the deliberations of the Executive Council, may be because of the influence Senior Nugawelas had. The Executive Council had decided to give the option of improving out of consideration for his father”, Government Agent reported.

What was the allegation levelled against Nugawela? In order to celebrate the receipt of Act of Appointment you invited all your headmen and many of the public to your walawwa at Manikkawa on July 27, 1901 and receive from your headmen and the public as presents sums of money ranging from Re. 1/= to Rs. 20/=”.   

In this instance also, the ignorant British administrator was not aware that it was the usual practice of the office holders. Hill examined 40 witnesses in different parts of the district and framed charges against Nugawela and reported that Nugawela was guilty of corruptly receiving presents and of other illegitimate dealing with the Headmen under him”. 

Nugawela sent a petition to Governor General making counter allegations against the Assistant Government Agent, that he had received presents such as fowl from him and was in the habit of buying provisions from the minor Headmen.

Nugawela, a shrewd customer, attached letters he received from the wife of Hill, Addie P. Hill, to substantiate his allegations. Many thanks for the turkey and other nice things you kindly sent me”. I am much obliged to you for the jaggery and fish. I am sending the former to England”.  

He sent a printed document in book form to Colonial Secretary.  Colonial Secretary asked for explanations from poor Hill. He was charged for misconduct!

Nugawela was re-instated and appointed Rate Mahattaya in Kandy district, a more important post carrying with it a higher salary than that he received in Kegalle prior to his dismissal. Colonial Secretary wrote the time has come for showing mercy”.

Now is the time for our pseudo- theorists to arise! Is this an example of defying, subverting, repudiating, opposing colonial authority, expressing resistance to British colonialism as they had theorised or something else? It was nothing more than Colonial administrators giving kid glove treatment to the progeny of those servile chieftains who were loyal to the throne at the expense of their own civil servants!

10. Summary and Conclusions

Our series of articles reveal more than enough that after the brutal suppression of freedom struggles in 1818 and 1848 respectively the native Chief Headmen acted as cronies of British Colonial Government, seeking higher ranks in the administrative hierarchy and above all else more and more land for themselves and their family members.

In the first part of this series we have discussed how Dullewa Dissava, later Adigar, made preparations for 48 days for the visit of His Imperial and Royal Highness the Arch Duke of Austria in 1893 which lasted only four and half hours and how Dullewa traversed for 13 days in the entire Matale district in search of a somana cloth fancied by the Duke.

At the outset we have explained that our analysis is not based on village gossip invented by the adversaries of these office holders or their families or family lore or anecdotes prevalent in the ancient villages or satire invented by victimised villagers or modern myth making or figments of our imagination or absurd theorising based on isolated fragmentary evidence such as looking at a floor tile in a manorial house. What we have discussed were well documented; our sources were generated by British colonial administrators themselves.

We have diagnosed the unholy alliance” that existed between Kandyan chieftains and British colonial administrators which include the Colonial Governors perpetuating colonial rule in Ceylon.

We debunked the myth invented by English media columnists that Kandyan chieftains showed to the peasantry that they followed an anti-colonial stance. They did not show any mercy to the peasantry following colonial Ordinances to the letter, prosecuting defaulters of Grain Tax and Poll Tax, illegal” chena cultivators, those who had not branded their cattle, those not adhering to rinderpest control measures, owners of unlicensed dogs, parents and guardians of children who failed to attend school. They prohibited peasants collecting forest produce, their ancient right. They made a tremendous effort to implement amendments to Kandyan Marriage Law. Dullewa as a member of the Provincial/District Committee appointed under Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance instituted legal action against Buddhist prelates.

Treachery to their own country was cited as heroic deeds to curry favour with the colonialists and gain more power and higher office. Unashamedly even their ladies in their petitions stated that their ancestors were instrumental in capturing the last king.

It was an irony of history that among the highest office holders under the British were the descendants of those who were tortured, imprisoned, executed, exiled and pauperised owing to land confiscation by the British, for taking part in freedom struggles.

The British colonialists also created a plethora of new offices providing opportunities” for the lesser known” who had not held office in palace, revenue, military and regional administration under Kandyan kings.

British colonialists granted special privileges to Kandyan chiefs; unusual and peculiar promotions what were unheard under Kandyan kings were given to them; sons and other close relatives succeeded office holders after their retirement or demise making the office hereditary. Promotions were given to junior officers; some were made honorary Dissavas unheard in the ancient provincial administrative structure. Promotions to higher ranks brought unchallenged power, monetary rewards and many other psychic rewards such as praise, recognition and status glorified with swords, medals and other insignia. A lower ranker, a Mohottala was promoted as First Adigar. Mahavalatenna was his name.  Land was granted to them in addition to high office.

They helped British planters to acquire land and native labour; actively participated in the propagation of cocoa cultivation and controlling cocoa stealing and facilitated hunting expeditions.

Chieftains including Maduwanwala organised elephant kraals for the pleasure and amusement of the visiting Royalty, Governors and Government Agents; organised peraheras and other celebrations to receive Royal dignitaries and Governors and presented them with Addresses; attended durbars/levees in full Kandyan dress; celebrated Empire Day, Ascension Day, Kings’ Coronation, Kings’ birthdays, Victory Day and Armistice.  Some of them were selected to represent Kandyan community at Coronation Celebrations and Diamond Jubilee Celebrations held in England. 

Resistance to British colonialism”, repudiating colonial authority” are just sloganeering of those pundits who do not understand Kandyan affairs and those who have a shallow knowledge of it merely gathered from theories put forward by Colombo-based NGO-Marxists and US- based anthropologists.

CONCLUDED

by. C. A. Chandraprema  Courtesy The Island

The manner in which Justice Priyantha Jayawardena’s dissenting judgement on the two fundamental rights cases numbered 195/2022 and 212/2022 was reported on by sections of the media would convey the impression that it was based entirely on the technical point that the petitioners had not come before the SC within the time frame specified by the Constitution. Justice Jayawardena’s dissenting judgement does state that: I hold that the parties have not invoked the jurisdiction of this court within one month of the alleged infringements as required by Article 126(2) of the Constitution”. However, that is not the only reason for him to dissent. His dissenting judgement also states, I am of the view that the petitioners have not established on a balance of probability that the respondents have infringed the Fundamental Rights of the petitioners.”

One of the ways in which the dissenting judgement shows that the petitioners had not approached the SC within the time frame stipulated in the Constitution can be summarised as follows:

*       The SC/FR Application No. 195/2022 was filed in the Supreme Court on the 3rd of June, 2022 and SC/FR Application No. 212/2022 was filed on the 17th of June, 2022.

*       The reduction in taxes was based on a Cabinet Paper dated 26 November, 2019.

*        According to the petitioners, the rating agencies downgraded Sri Lanka immediately after the tax cuts were announced. Hence, according to the petitioner’s own showing, the alleged infringement took place on the day that the Commissioner General of the Inland Revenue published the public notices informing the tax cuts in the years 2019 and 2020.

*        Furthermore, the tax reductions referred to in the two petitions were enacted into law in terms of the Inland Revenue Act of 2021, the Value Added Tax Act of 2021, the Economic Service Charge Act of 2021 and the Nation Building Tax Act of 2021, etc.

*        Some of these Bills relating to fiscal legislation were challenged in the Supreme Court.  However, the petitioners did not challenge any of the said legislation during the legislative process. Hence, they are now estopped from challenging the legislative process. In any event, anyone who sleeps over their rights is not entitled to challenge any decisions after the stipulated time period imposed by law.

*        The dates and events referred to above in this judgment show that the said events took place long before the two Fundamental Rights Applications were filed in court.

Quoting the Auditor General’s Report which had drawn attention to a presentation made by Prof. W D Lakshman on 06 January 2020, the judgement observed that the …tax relief measures are expected to stimulate the economy while actively contributing to improve business confidence …” A segment in the judgement titled Fiscal Policy elaborated as follows:

Tax cuts are expected to free up disposable income and the circulation of money in the economy and push positive growth values in the medium and long term. Furthermore, reducing taxes improves the economy by boosting spending. Moreover, a corporate income tax cut leads to a sustained increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and productivity. Tax cuts also increase funding available for businesses and may increase production and investment.  Moreover, high taxes discourage work and investment. Taxes create a wedge” between what the employer pays and what the employee receives, so some jobs are not created. High marginal tax rates also discourage people from working overtime or from making new investments. However, tax cuts reduce government revenue and lead to budget deficits or growth in government debt … In his first address to the Congress on the 28th of February, 2001, George W. Bush said, To create economic growth and opportunity, we must put money back into the hands of the people who buy goods and create jobs.”

Going to the IMF

With regard to the question of going to the IMF to seek a bailout package, the dissenting judgement observed that the decision not to go to the IMF had been communicated to the Parliament on the 10th of December, 2021 by the then finance minister and that the Cabinet of Ministers had decided on 3 January, 2022, not to get the assistance of the IMF and to have a homegrown solution to the fiscal and economic issues that were faced by the country at the time. A Cabinet Memorandum dated 2 January, 2022 had observed that It would not be incorrect to state that an IMF programme will require the country to accept conditions that will further disrupt the social fabric of the country. While it is acknowledged that an IMF programme will enable the country to access the capital markets with better ease, it is our experience that none of the IMF programmes since the late 60s, have resulted in any lasting reforms being implemented in the country.”

The dissenting judgement observed that The IMF assists member nations in different capacities. Its most important function is the ability to provide loans to member nations in need of bailouts. Further, if a country has a deficit in its balance of payments, the IMF can step in to fill the gap. However, borrowing governments must adhere to the conditions attached to these loans by the IMF, including prescribing economic and fiscal policies … Moreover, such conditions may cause severe hardships to the general public of the country that seeks assistance from the IMF. Hence, some countries are reluctant to seek the assistance of the IMF. Furthermore, there are instances where countries seek the assistance of the IMF as a last resort and may give up the IMF programmes without completing them due to their inability to comply with the stringent conditions imposed by the IMF. In fact, on several occasions, Sri Lanka has discontinued IMF programmes due to its inability to comply with the conditions laid down by the IMF….”

In the circumstances, I am of the view that the petitioners have not established that the policy decision of the government not to go to the IMF was grossly arbitrary or irrational. On the contrary, the Auditor General’s Report tendered to court, and the material filed by the respondents, particularly the aforementioned Cabinet Memoranda and the decisions of the Cabinet of Ministers, show that the government has considered the pros and cons of going to the IMF, the past experiences with the IMF, the effects of obtaining assistance from the IMF will have on the economy and the people, and thereafter taken the policy decision not to go to the IMF.”

Matters of govt. policy

The dissenting judgement has taken into account the report of the Auditor General, where the latter is quoted in Sinhala as having stated that the three issues on which the SC had ordered the Auditor General to report back on, pertained to policy decisions of the government and that different parties may give varying interpretations as to the favourable or unfavourable consequences of a policy decision. The Auditor General has also observed that any assessment of the consequences of those decisions will have to take into account the situation created by the Covid pandemic which affected not only Sri Lanka but the entire world. He has further stated that he is not in a position to determine the best way in which limited foreign reserves should be used in a given set of circumstances. The dissenting judgement further observed:

… the Auditor General … has evaluated the three issues on which he was directed to report to this court. In his report, he has stated that it is not possible to determine whether a loss had been caused to the Central Bank. Further, he has not specified any violations with regard to any of the matters that were referred to him by the court …. However, though the said report stated there are delays in taking decisions by the Monetary Board and the government, it does not set out any specific violations of the law by the respondents. Hence, I am of the view that there is no expert evidence before this court to decide on the economic and fiscal issues raised in the said two applications.”

The dissenting judgement observed that when it comes to policy matters, the court would leave policy matters for those who are qualified to address the issues, unless the policy or action is inconsistent with the Constitution and laws, grossly arbitrary or irrational … Furthermore, the courts cannot express their opinion as to whether, at a particular point in time or in a particular situation, any such policy should have been introduced or not, or repealed, particularly when a policy is accepted by Parliament either at reading of the budget or in any other instances. Hence, it should be left to the discretion of the government …”

Moreover, complex executive decisions in economic matters may be empirical or based on experimentation. Its validity cannot be tested on rigid principles or the application of any straitjacket formula. In such matters, even experts may seriously or doubtlessly differ. Courts cannot be expected to decide them, even with the aid of experts. Thus, the courts do not interfere with policy matters or economic decisions, as such matters are highly technical and even experts in that field hold different opinions on the same point.”

The debt trap

The dissenting judgement quotes a Cabinet Memorandum dated 2 January, 2022 under the heading Economy 2022 and the way forward” which stated the following:

In fact, it would be pertinent to note that the economic challenges of today are due to two key decisions of the Yahapalana government, which are;

The aggressive borrowing in the International Bond markets resulted in the country borrowing USD 12 billion dollars during 2015-2019 with USD 6.9 billion being borrowed during a 14 months period of April 2018 to May 2019. As a result, the country’s foreign currency debt stock reached almost 50% of the total debt stock at the end of 2019 with the stock of ISB’s at wound USD 15 billion. This has now reduced to USD 13 billion”.

Reduction in the price of Petrol and Diesel in 2015, without any thought to recouping the losses of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) or the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) or to the possibility of an increase in global oil prices”.

It is noted that of the USD 12 billion so raised only around USD 2 billion had been utilized to settle ISBs, while the bulk seems to have been utilized to finance the imports, especially cars and other passenger vehicles. In fact, consumption of fuel which had decreased by the end 2014 has increased surpassing the previous consumption volumes although economic growth saw a steady decline”.

Impact of the pandemic

The dissenting judgement also draws attention to the Auditor General’s Report furnished to court which had stated: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Sri Lanka on 25 February 2022. The press release No. 22/54 in this regard had been issued on 02 March 2022. Highlights of the press release are as follows.  Sri Lanka has been hit hard by COVID-19. On the eve of the pandemic, the country was highly vulnerable to external shocks owing to inadequate external buffers and high risks to public debt sustainability, exacerbated by the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in 2019 and major policy changes including large tax cuts at late 2019. Real GDP contracted by 3.6 percent in 2020, due to a loss of tourism receipts and necessary lockdown measures. Sri Lanka lost access to international sovereign bond market at the onset of the pandemic”.

The dissenting judgement further observed that: Moreover, it is pertinent to note that the effects of COVID-19 were similar or more adverse to the effects that were caused during the ‘Great Depression’ economic crisis in 1929. It adversely affected our export income, which brought forex to the country. Similarly, the said pandemic reduced foreign employment opportunities and thereby adversely affected one of Sri Lanka’s main foreign earnings”.

In fact, the effects of the Easter Sunday bombings and the adverse effects of COVID-19, particularly, the unexpectedly large expenditure incurred for island-wide vaccination programmes and quarantine centres, long periods of lockdowns, island-wide curfews, political uncertainty and rivalry, public protests against implementing the economic policies of the government, specifically with regard to privatisation, litigation challenging the privatisation of State entities and geopolitical issues, disturbed the implementation of the policies of the government. Further, such matters adversely affected the income from tourism and witnessed the withdrawal of overseas and local investors from Sri Lanka. Hence, all such unexpected intervening factors immensely contributed to the economic and financial collapse in Sri Lanka”.

The IMF country reports and the Cabinet Memorandums filed in court show that the fiscal and economic issues that arose in the year 2022 were partly as a result of accumulated debts that have taken place for several decades. Thus, it is not ‘just and equitable’ to hold the respondents responsible for violations of Fundamental Rights only by considering limited materials filed in court for the period commencing from 2019”.

ෂෙනාලි ඩී වඩුගේ

පුද්ගලික ඉඩම් අයිතිය පිළිබඳ සංකල්පය බටහිර න්‍යායවාදීන් විසින් යටත් විජිතකරණයෙන් පසුව නිර්මාණය කරන ලදී. කිසිවකුට අයත් නොවූ භුමිය, හදිසියේම තෝරාගත් පුද්ගලයන් අතළොස්සකට ලබා දුන් අතර යටත් විජිත වකවානුවෙන් පසුව තේරී පත් වූ රජයන් භූමියේ භාරකරුවන් බවට පත් විය. පැහැදිලිව තේරුම් ගත යුත්තේ – භුමියේ අයිතිය පුද්ගලයින්ට හෝ ආණ්ඩුවකට හෝ ජනාධිපතිට අයත් නැති බවයි. ආණ්ඩුවක් පත් කරන්නේ මහා ජනතාවයි. ආණ්ඩුව තාවකාලික භාරකරුය. ජනාධිපතිද තාවකාලික භාරකරුය. රටක භුමිය හා එහි සම්පත් සියල්ල කාටවත් අයිති නැත. භුමිය හා සම්පත් තාවකාලිකව ආණ්ඩුවටත්, ජනාධිපතිට මහා ජනතාව තාවකාලික භාර දී ඇත. එක පරම්පරාවකට භුමියේ අයිතිය හෝ සම්පත් විනාශ කිරීමේ අයිතිය දී නැත. මෙයින් පැහිදිලි වන්නේ පුද්ගලින්ට රජයේ ඉඩම් අයිති නැති බවත්, ආණ්ඩුවටවත් ජනාධිපතිටවත් රජයේ ඉඩම් සින්නක්කර ත්‍යාග දී නොහැකි බවත්ය.  

රජයකට ජාතියක භූමියේ ව්‍යවස්ථාපිත අයිතියක් නොමැති අතර, රජයකට, ජනාධිපතිවරයෙකුට හෝ දේශපාලකයෙකුට සම්පූර්ණ අයිතිය සහිතව ඉඩම් බෙදා දීමට සදාචාරාත්මක හෝ නීත්‍යානුකූල අයිතියක් නොමැත. භූමිය වත්මන් පරපුරට පමණක් නොව අනාගත පරපුරට ද භුක්ති විඳීමට ඉතිරි විය යුතු බැව තේරෙන්නේ කීදෙනාටද? නමුත් රජය විසින් බද්දට දුන් ඉඩම්වල ඔප්පු හිමිකම ගොවීන්ට ලබා ගැනීමේ උදාර ක්‍රියාවලිය ගැන රතිඤ්ඤා පවා පත්තු කරන්නේ, අනාගත ගැන කිසිම බැල්මකින් තොරව.
 
තවද අප තේරුම් ගත යුතු වැදගත් කරණක් ඇත. සාරවත් ඉඩම්, සම්පත් උදුරා ගැනීමේ සැලැස්මක් ඇත. එය බොහෝදුරට සාර්ථක වන්නේ ස්වදේශිකයන් ගෝලීය ආයතන අතලොස්සක වහල්භාවයක් බවට පත් කිරීමෙනි.

භූ දේශපාලනය තේරුම් ගැනීම, ජාතියේ ණය, දූෂණය සහ නායකයින්ගේ මෝඩකම ඔවුන්ගේ වාසියට උපයෝගී කර මහා ඉඩම් මංකොල්ලයක් අප රටේ පමණක් නොව සියලු තුන්වන ලෝකයේ රටවල් ගොදුරු වී ඇත.

ගොවීන්ගේ වෘත්තීය සමිති ගෝලීය ඉඩම් කොල්ලකරුවන්ගේ හෝ ජාත්‍යන්තර මූල්‍ය ආයතනවල හෝ දූෂිත දේශපාලකයන්ගේ සාක්කුවේ ඇත්ද සොයා බැලිය යුතුය. මෙම ය ගොවීන්ට වැරදි උපදෙස් දී ඉඩම් හා ගොවිතැන් අතහැර යාමේ සැලසුමක ඇත්ද කාටත් ප්‍රශ්නයි.
වත්මන් ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ මෙම ඔප්පු සින්නක්කර දීමේ අදහස කාලයක් තිස්සේ වැයම් කරන උත්සාහයකි – ඔහුට අවශ්‍ය වූයේ අපේ ගොවීන් ජීන්ස් ඇඳගෙන, බුලත් වෙනුවට චුයින්ගම් කමින්, සියලුම කෘෂිකාර්මික ඉඩම් ඉවත් කිරීමජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ සිහිනය විය. කුප්‍රකට යහපාලන පාලන සමයේදී ඔහුට කිරීමට නොහැකි වූ ඔප්පු අයිතිය පැවරීමත් ඔහු දැන් ක්‍රියාත්මක කරනු ඇත.

මෙම ප්‍රශ්නය දෙස කෝණ කිහිපයකින් බැලිය යුතුයි – ගොවියා, බැංකු සහ රජය සහ වඩාත් වැදගත් ලෙස රජය රාජ්‍ය බදු හිමිකරුවන්ට සම්පූර්ණ අයිතිය ලබා දීම පිටුපස ඇති සැබෑ අරමුණ කුමක්ද. මෙම උත්සාහය MCC ඉඩම් ගිවිසුමේ ප්‍රධාන අංගයක් වූ බව අපට අමතක කළ නොහැක.

දැනට බදු ඉඩම් හිමි ගොවීන්ගේ ගැටලු මොනවාද?

• රජය සහනාධාර නතර කර ඇත

• රජය පොහොර දීම නවතා ඇත
• රජය ජල සැපයුමට උදව් කරන්නේ නැත

• රජය ඔවුන්ගේ භෝග මිල දී ගන්නේ නැත
• නිෂ්පාදනයෙන් ලැබෙන ආදායම සහ පොලී ආපසු ගෙවීමේ හැකියාව මත රාජ්‍ය බැංකුවලින් ණය ලබා ගැනීමට රජය ඔවුන්ට සහාය නොදක්වයි.

ඉහත සදහන් ප්‍රශ්න ඔප්පු සහතිකයක් දීමෙන් විසදන්න පුලුවන්ද?
බැංකු – ඇපකරුවන් 2ක්, ආදායම් ආදිය ඉල්ලන්නේ නැතිව හිමිකාරිත්ව සහතිකයකින් පමණක් ණයක් ලබා දෙයිද?

හිමිකාරිත්වය මත පදනම්ව බැංකුව ණයක් ගොවියාට දීමට බැංකුව එකග අනුමානය කරමු – ගොවියාට පොලී ගෙවීමට නොහැකි නම්, බැංකුව කුමක් කරයිද? බැංකුව ඉඩම සතු කරයි.

ඉඩම අත්පත් කර ගැනීමෙන් පසු – බැංකුව කරන්නේ කුමක්ද? බැංකුව ඉඩම විකුණනු ඇත (වෙන්දේසි කරනු ඇත)
සිතා බලන්න ඉඩම් කීයක් විකිණීමට තිබේද?

මෙම ගොවි බිම් මිලදී ගන්නේ කවුද?
• කෘෂිකාර්මික ඉඩම් විකුණුවොත් — මේ ඉඩමට මොකද වෙන්නේ?
• කෘෂිකාර්මික ඉඩම් බැංකු විසින් Parate ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීමේ බලතල සහිතව විකුණන්නේ නම්, ගොවීන් වෙනුවෙන් අධිකරණයට මැදිහත් විය නොහැක.
• ගත් ණයට පොලිය ගෙවීමට නොහැකි වූ පසු සහ බැංකුව ඔහුගේ ඉඩම බැංකුසන්තක කළ පසු ගොවියාට කුමක් සිදුවේද?
• ගොවීන් සහ ඉඩම් හිමිකම් සහතික ලබා දීම සඳහා අත්පුඩි ගසන සියලු දෙනා මෙම විය හැකි තත්ත්වය ගැන සිතා තිබේද?

මෙය සිතා බැලිය යුතු සහ පිළිතුරු ඉල්ලා සිටිය යුතු තීරණාත්මක ප්‍රශ්නයක් නොවේද?

බැංකු දැනට ගොවීන්ට ණය දෙනවාද?
බැංකු ගොවීන්ට ණය නොදෙන බව ප්‍රසිද්ධ කරන කොටසක් ඇත. නමුත් බැංකු වෙබ් අඩවිවල බැංකු ණය සේවා ගැන ලියා ඇත. නමුත් රාජ්‍ය උකස් බැංකුව, කෘෂිකාර්මික කර්මාන්ත ණය සංස්ථාව හැදුවේ ගොවීන්ට ණය දෙන්න.
දැනට රාජ්‍ය බැංකු ගොවීන් සඳහා ණය යෝජනා ක්‍රම ඇති අතර එම නිර්ණායක දෙස බැලීය යුතුය.
එක් රාජ්‍ය බැංකුවක් ගොවියෙකුගෙන් 27% පොලියක් ගෙවීමට අපේක්ෂා කරයි – මෙය කෙතරම් සාධාරණද? ජනතාව පෝෂණය කරන ගොවියාට රජයක් පහසුකම් සපයන්නේ මෙහෙමද?

ගොවීන් බොහෝ දුෂ්කරතා මැද ආහාර වගා කරන ආකාරය අපි කවුරුත් දනිමු.
ඔවුන් ආහාර වවන්නේ තමන් පෝෂණය කිරීමට නොව ජාතිය පෝෂණය කිරීමට ය.
අපි ඔවුන්ගේ අවශ්‍යතාවලට වඩා මානුෂීය විය යුතු නොවේද?
නිදහසින් පසු ආණ්ඩු ඇත්ත වශයෙන්ම එම වර්ධනයේ කොටස්කරුවන් වී තිබේද?

කෘෂිකර්මයට ප්‍රමුඛත්වය දෙන ජාතීන් සහ ගොවි ප්‍රජාවන්ට දෙන දිරිගැන්වීම් දෙස බලන්න.
අපි පෙරදිග ධාන්‍යාගාරය කියා හැඳින්වූයේ නැද්ද – දැන් සාමාන්‍ය සිරිත වී ඇත්තේ ලංකාවේ කෘෂිකර්මාන්තය විනාශ කරන අතරම, කෘෂිකර්මාන්තයට ඉඩම භාවිතා නොකරන බවට සහතික වන අතරම, සෑම ආහාර ද්‍රව්‍යයක්ම ආනයනය කිරීමෙන් අතළොස්සක් කොමිස් ගසා ගැනීමයි.
පළිබෝධනාශක සහ වෙනත් රසායනික ද්‍රව්‍ය වසර ගණනාවක් තිස්සේ අපේ සාරවත් භූමිය විනාශ කර ඇත.
අපට ස්වභාවිකව ආශීර්වාද කර ඇති දේ ආරක්ෂා කර තබා ගැනීමට පවා අපට නොහැකිය.

රජයට ගොවීන්ට සේවය කිරීමට සහ ඔවුන්ට සහාය වීමට අවශ්‍ය නම්, ජනාධිපතිවරයාට සහ රජයට කළ හැකි හොඳම විකල්පය වන්නේ ඕනෑම නීතියක් වෙනස් කර රතු පටි සහ නිර්ණායක අඩු කිරීම, ගොවීන්ට ණය ලබා දීමේදී බැංකු විසින් ප්‍රකාශ කරන පොලී අනුපාත අඩු කිරීමයි.
ගොවීන් විශේෂ ජන වර්ගයක් ලෙස සැලකිය යුතුය.

ජනාධිපතිවරයා සහ පාර්ලිමේන්තුව ගොවීන්ට උපකාර කිරීම සඳහා බැංකු නීති වෙනස් කරයිද?

• ඔප්පුව පරීක්ෂා නොකර ණය ලබා දීම
• ආපසු ගෙවීමේ මූල්‍ය හැකියාව පරීක්ෂා නොකර ණය
ඇපකරුවන් නොමැතිව ණය ලබා දිය යුතුය

• පොලී රහිත ණය (ගොවීන්ට මුදල් නොමැති බැවින්)
ණය/පොළිය හිඟ නම්, ගොවියාගෙන් ඉඩම් අල්ලා නොගෙන සහ බැංකු මගින් පාර්ටේ ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීමෙන් ඉඩම් විකිණීමෙන් තොරව ණය ලබා දිය යුතුය.

සේ වුවද, රාජ්‍ය බද්දට ගත් ඉඩමකට (ආණ්ඩුවට/ජනාධිපතිට සදාචාරාත්මක අයිතියක් නැති) ඔප්පු අයිතිය ලබා දීමෙන්, ආණ්ඩුව/ජනාධිපති විසින් ගොවියා පෞද්ගලික ඉඩම් හිමියෙකු බවට පත් කර ඉඩමේ, කෘෂිකාර්මික ව්‍යාපෘතියේ, ගොවියාගේ සියලු වගකීම් සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම අත්හැර දමයි. ජාතියට ආහාර සපයන්නා – ආණ්ඩුව  උදව්වක් හෝ ආණ්ඩුවේ වගකීමක් නොමැතිව ගොවියා සහ ඔහුගේ පවුල ඔවුන්ට අවශ්‍ය පරිදි කිරීමට පාහේ අත්හැරීම.

එවිට ගොවියා කෙටි කලක් ඇතුළත පෞද්ගලික ඉඩම් හිමියෙකු ලෙස, ආණ්ඩුවේ සහනාධාර හෝ කිසිදු උපකාරයක් ඉල්ලා සිටිය නොහැකි බව දැන ගත් පසු, අවසානයේ ඔහු අසරණ වී ඔහුගේ ඉඩම විකිණීමට සිදුවේ. මෙය සැලැස්මේ කොටසක් බැව තේරුම්ගන්නේ ඉඩම අහිමු වූ පසුවය – ගොවියාට සිදුවෙන්නේ සුළු මුදලකට ඉඩම විකිණීම හෝ බැංකුව ඉඩම අත්පත් කිරීමයි. ගොවියාට සින්නක්කර ඉඩම් දීමෙන් පසු ඔහුට වගාව පුද්ගලිකව විකිණීමට නොහැකි වන පරිදි වැඩසටහන් මාලාවක් ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම සැලැස්මේ තව අප නොදන්නා කොටසකි.

පැහැදිලිව තේරුම් ගත යුතු කරුණ වන්නේ – රජයේ ඉඩම සින්නක්කර ඔප්පු දෙන්නේ ගොවියාට තියන ආදරයට නොව ගොවියාව පුද්ගලික ඉඩම් හිමිකරුවෙක් බවට පත් කොට, ණය ගෙවීමට නොහැකි කර, ඔහුම ලවා ඉඩම විකිණීමේ සැලැස්මයි.

එහි අවසාන ප්‍රතිඵලය වන්නේ රටේ කෘෂිකර්මාන්තය විනාශ කිරීමත් සමගම, රජයට ඉඩම් අහිමි කිරීමයි. ගොවීන්ට ජීවනෝපායක් නැති වේ. ගොවියාට සහ ඔහුගේ පවුලට ඉඩමක් නොමැති අතර අවසානයේ ඔහු තම පවුල සමඟ ඉඩමේ වහල් සේවකයෙකු බවට පත්විය හැකිය. ඔහුට රජය විසින් ලබා දී ඇති බදු ඉඩමේ රජු වීමේ සිට වහල් සේවකයෙකු බවට පත් වනු ඇත.

ගොවීන් මේ තත්ත්වය ගැන සිතුවාද?

ඉඩම් අයිතිය ලබාදීමේ ජනාධිපතිගේ අයවැය ප්‍රකාශයට අත්පුඩි ගසන මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් කල්පනා කලාද?
ඉඩම් නැති දහස් ගණන් ගොවීන් හා පවුල් මන්ත්‍රීවරුන්ගේ කාර්යාලට පැමිණි විලාප නඟද්දී ඔවුන් දෙන උත්තර මොනවාද?

රජයේ ඉඩම් සින්නක්කර ඔප්පු දීමට සහය දක්වන අනෙක් සියල්ලන්ම මෙය ප්‍රවර්ධනය කිරීමට දැඩි ලෙස අනුග්‍රහය දක්වන කුමන්ත්‍රණයේ කොටසක් වන අතර එය MCC වැඩසටහනේ කොටස්කරුන්ය. එහි අවසාන අරමුණ වූයේ MNC යටතේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ කෘෂිකාර්මික ඉඩම් දූෂිත දේශීය හවුල්කාරිත්වයන් සමඟ ජාත්‍යන්තර සමාගම් අත්පත් කිරීමයි. ඇමෙරිකාවේ ආණ්ඩුව හසුරන්නේ එම සමාගම්ය.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව වැනි භූ-දේශපාලනික වශයෙන් බැට කන රටකට තෑගි අශ්වයන් මුව දෙස බලා සිටිය යුතු බව සෑම දෙනාටම අවබෝධ විය යුතු කාලයයි!



ෂෙනාලි ඩී වඩුගේ

Shenali D Waduge

The Govt PR channels and clueless politicians are not surprisingly going to town about the magnanimous gesture about farmers getting deed ownership to lands that were given to them by the State as a lease. While a government has no constitutional ownership to the land of a nation, a Government, President or Politician has no moral or legal right to disburse of land with complete ownership. This is because the land of a nation must remain to be enjoyed not only by the present generation but by future generation. This much, everyone should be able to understand.

It may be too much to understand the geopolitics that constitute the efforts to grab fertile land, resources and turn natives into servitude of a handful of global entities using a nations debt, default, corruption and stupidity of leaders to their advantage to take over & control them. So, let’s just park this thought for a while.

How far the trade unions of these farmers are in the pockets of global land grabbers or international monetary entities or even corrupt politicians and are used to woo and brainwash the farmers is also a thought that should be kept in mind as we move forward.

Coming to the crux of the argument – the magnanimous gesture by the current president has had a long journey of effort – he wanted our farmers in jeans, eating chewing gum instead of betel leaves, he want to remove all agri lands and his dream is likely to get complete with the handover of deed ownership which he failed to do during the infamous yahapalana rule. Land issue was one of the reasons why he was sacked as PM, if we have not forgotten.

We need to look at the issue from several angles – the farmer, the banks & the govt & more importantly what is the real objective behind the government giving outright ownership to the state lease owners. We cannot forget that this effort was a key part of the MCC land agreement.

What are the problems of the farmers who currently own lease lands?

• Govt has stopped subsidies
• Govt has stopped fertilizers
• Govt is not helping with water supply
• Govt is not buying their crops
• Govt is not supporting them to get loans from state banks based on their income from product & ability to payback interest

Can giving an ownership certificate address the above?

Will banks give a loan with an ownership certificate without asking for 2 guarantors, income etc?

Presuming banks do give a loan based on the ownership only – if the farmer cannot pay the interest, what will the bank do? Bank will acquire the land

After acquiring the land – what will the bank do? The Bank will sell the land

Imagine how many lands will be up for sale?

Who will be buying this land?

If agricultural lands are sold — what will happen to this land?

If agricultural lands are sold by the Banks with Parate execution powers, the Court cannot intervene on behalf of the farmers.

What will happen to the farmer after he cannot pay the interest on the loan taken & the bank confiscates his land, leaving him & his family with no land, no livelihood and no place to live?

Have the farmers & all those clapping at the gesture to give land ownership certificates thought about this likely scenario?

Is this not a crucial question to think about and demand answers?

Are banks currently giving loans to farmers? 

The publicized claim is that banks are not giving loans to farmers. However the State Mortgage Bank, the Agricultural Industrial Credit Corporation were created to give loans to farmers. Currently the State Banks do have loan schemes for farmers & those who claim there are no such provision may like to look at the criteria for a loan. One state bank is expecting a farmer to pay 27% interest – how fair is this? Is this how a government facilitates the farmers that feed the people?

We all know how farmers toil with many hardships to grow food. They grow food not to feed themselves, but the nation. Should we not be more humane to their needs? Have Governments actually being a partner of that growth since independence?

Look at the nations that give prominence to agriculture and the incentives given to the farming communities. Were we not called the Granary of the East – now the norm is for a handful to make commissions out of importing every food item while killing the agriculture in Sri Lanka and ensuring the land is not used for agriculture. The pesticides and other chemicals have over the years destroyed our fertile land. We are one of the few nations that are blessed to eat a fruit & throw the seeds and more fruits emerge naturally. We cannot even protect & preserve what we have been naturally blessed with.

If the government wants to serve the farmers and assist them, the better option for the President & Government to do is to change any laws & reduce the red tape and criteria, adjust the interest rates declared by banks in giving loans to farmers.

They must be considered as a special category of people.

Will the Government/President agree to new bank laws passed by Parliament

• Loans to be given without checking deed
• Loans to be given without checking financial ability to pay back
• Loans to be given without guarantors
• Loans to be given without interest (as farmers have no money)
• Loans to be given without seizing land from farmer & selling land by Parate execution by banks if loans/interest are in arreas.

Nevertheless, by giving deed ownership to state leased land (which the Govt/President has no moral right to do), the Govt/President makes the farmer a private land owner & completely abandons all responsibility of the land, the agriculture project, the farmer who provides food for the nation – virtually leaving the farmer & his family on their own to do as they want with no state help or no state responsibility.

Then the farmer within a short time finds that as a private land owner he cannot demand subsidies or any help from the govt & eventually he is wooed to sell as the sharks are all prepared for the outcome (as this is part of the plan) – either the farmer sells to an outside party for tuppence or the banks cease the land. The eventual outcome is that the nation’s agriculture is destroyed. The farmers have no livelihood. The farmer & his family have no land & eventually he may become a slave worker on the land alongside his family. He would have turned from being the king of the leased land that has been given by the state, to a slave worker.

Have the farmers thought of this scenario?

Have the MPs clapping for the President’s budget declaration on giving land ownership thought about what they are going to do when thousands of farmers in their electorates come wailing to them for relief when they find out too late, that they have no land, no livelihood and no place to live?

All the others supporting this are part of the plot, heavily sponsored to promote this & it is a carry forward of this quest from the MCC program where the ultimate aim was to secure Sri Lanka’s agri-lands under MNCs with corrupt local partnerships.

Time for everyone to realize that a geopolitically sensitive nation like Sri Lanka, gift horses must be looked in the mouth for sure!

Shenali D Waduge

Shenali D Waduge

Mahaveerar Naal is a LTTE mourning event – it does not mourn Tamils & certainly not Tamils killed by LTTE. Mahaveerar Naal is an event annually organized by LTTE supporters to commemorate all LTTE who died for terrorist cause. Other Tamil militant groups are not allowed to commemorate their dead on this day – 27 November. It is only dedicated to LTTE dead. All those gathered for Mahaveerar Naal commemorations are LTTE only. The LTTE families mourning LTTE dead are known as Maaveerar Kudumbangal.

Why 27^th November becomes Maaveerar Naal Day? 

It is the day the first LTTE died fighting the Sri Lanka Army. He was Sathiyanathan or Shankar. He died on 27 November 1982. Shankar’s sister is married to Sea Tiger Soosai.

Therefore it commemorates the first terrorist to be killed.

What is the background to 27 November Mahaveerar Naal commemoration!

Shankar was a friend of Prabakaran. Shankar visited Nithiyanandan’s residences in Jaffna to warn him & his wife Nirmala that the army was looking for those sympathetic to LTTE. Nithiyanandan was a lecturer at the Jaffna University & Nirmala was a teacher at a leading girls school. The army arrived while Shankar was inside & tried to shoot his way out but was shot. Nithiyanandans were arrested. Sivakumar (Anton Master) took Shankar by boat to Tamil Nadu for urgent treatment & left him in a safe house provided by Nedumaran (Member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly). Sivakumar went to Madurai where Prabakaran & others were staying following court order after the shoot out with PLOTE leader Uma Maheshwaran at Pondi Bazaar in Chennai. Shankar died in Madurai on 27 November 1982.

Then, 7 years after Shankars death in 1989 – Prabakaran and around 600 LTTE gathered in the jungles of Nithikaikulam, Mullaitivu to declare the Great Heroes Day or Mahaveerar Naal day.

When was the 1^st Mahaveerar Naal commemoration?

27 November 1989 in Mullaitivu (7 years after Shankars death)

Subsequently from 1991 it was turned into a week-long commemoration (Great Heroes Week) from 21-27 November. It was turned into a week to cover Prabakaran’s birthday which fell on 26 November (day before Shankar died)

There have been 34 Mahaveerar Naal (Great Heroes Day) since 1989

There have been 32 Mahaveerar Vaaram (Great Heroes Week)  since 1991

• 1989 – https://tamilnation.org/tamileelam/maveerar/1989.htm
• 1990 – https://thaikural.com/podcast/3/national-remembrance-day-speech/episode/4
• 1991 – https://tamilnation.org/ltte/vp/mahaveerar/vp91.htm
• 1992 – https://maaveerarnaal.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/maaveerar-naal-address-1992/
• 1993 – https://tamilnation.org/ltte/vp/mahaveerar/vp93.htm
• 1994 – https://tamilnation.org/ltte/vp/mahaveerar/vp94.htm
• 1995 – https://tamilnation.org/ltte/vp/mahaveerar/vp95.htm
• 1996 – https://tamilnation.org/ltte/vp/mahaveerar/vp96.htm
• 1997 – https://tamilnation.org/ltte/vp/mahaveerar/vp97.htm
• 1998 – https://tamilnation.org/tamileelam/maveerar/1998.htm
• 1999 – https://tamilnation.org/ltte/vp/mahaveerar/vp99.htm
• 2000 – https://tamilnation.org/ltte/vp/mahaveerar/vp00
• 2001 – https://tamilnation.org/tamileelam/maveerar/2001.htm
• 2002 – https://tamilnation.org/tamileelam/maveerar/2000.htm /https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=7880 / https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=7885 – 2002
• TNA National List MP Thurairetnasingham participated in the 2002 event in Trincomalee. TNA Leader R Sampanthan declared that LTTE had proved its military might to the Sri Lankan govts in power by defeating the State Armed Forces in several bttles in NE
• 2003 – https://tamilnation.org/tamileelam/maveerar/2003.htm
• 2004 – https://tamilnation.org/tamileelam/maveerar/2004.htm
• 2005 – https://tamilnation.org/tamileelam/maveerar/2005.htm
• 2006 – https://tamilnation.org/tamileelam/maveerar/2006.htm
• 2007 – https://tamilnation.org/tamileelam/maveerar/2007.htm
• 2008 – Mahaveerar Naal was held in London https://tamilnation.org/tamileelam/maveerar/2008/london.htm
• 2009 – 1^st Mahaveerar Naal without Prabakaran https://sangam.org/2009/11/Mavareer_Naal.php?uid=3744#:~:text=27%20November%202009%20marks%20the,Tamil%20resistance%20to%20alien%20rule.
• 2010 – https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11846369
• 2011 – Toronto, Canada https://www.ninaivukal.com/Portfolio/Tamileelam/Maveerar-Naal-2011-Toronto/i-6JqbM9h/
• 2012 – https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=35799 – UK & Australia
• 2013 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjd4EyQFNhA
• 2014 – https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/british-tamils-commemorate-maveerar-naal UK
• 2015- https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/maaveerar-naal-2015
• 2016 – https://www.dailymirror.lk/article/-Great-Heroes-Day-Maaveerar-Naal-is-an-LTTE-event-not-a-Tamil-National-Day-of-Mourning-120153.html
• 2017 – https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/tamils-mark-maaveerar-naal-2017-worldwide
• 2018 – https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/maaveerar-naal-mourning-human-right – what about the human rights of non-LTTE Tamils to mourn too!
• 2019 – https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/thousands-british-tamils-mark-maaveerar-naal-across-uk
• 2020 – a British MP commemorating LTTE dead https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=309095456845750
• 2022 – https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/tamil-nation-marks-maaveerar-naal-2022

Mahaveerar Naal – evidence that establish it is a LTTE event

• Is always inaugurated by LTTE military commanders
• Tamil Eelam flag is hoisted
• Flame of sacrifice is lighted
• Homage is paid to LTTE dead members by constructing several cemeteries with tombs & names engraved of the dead LTTE called Maaveerar Thuyilum Illangai” (abode where great heroes sleep)
• LTTE marked this event as it motivated other youths to join LTTE
• LTTE families – Maaveerar Kudumbangal gather to mourn their dead sons & daughters (families of other Tamil militant groups are not allowed to openly mourn their dead)
• Great Heroes Day address by Prabakaran on 27 November (his birthday) – this was a policy statement written by Anton Balasingham & read out by Prabakaran. Prabakaran’s address stars at 0605p.m. (the time Shankar died)
• The speech was relayed by LTTE’s Voice of Tiger radio station – Puligalin Kural
• LTTE TV – Nitharsanam also telecast to the world from Vanni.
• LTTE colors – red & yellow flags were always used at Mahaveerar Naal commemorations.
• LTTE flag & emblems were a key highlight.
• In 2003 LTTE declared Senkaanthal flower as Kaarthigai Poo (flower of Tamil Eelam) – it is known as the Gloriosa Lily & this flower also takes a prominence place at Mahaveer Naal commemorations since 2003.
• Prabakaran garlanded the picture of Shankar the 1^st great hero thereafter flowers & lamps are placed before other martyrs by others. Nowadays, we even see foreign MPs placing lamps & flowers in front of dead LTTE in western shores! If only there was a garland for stupidity.

Not only is Mahaveerar Naal a LTTE event that mourns LTTE dead, it is a dad that does not commemorate or mourn the dead of other Tamil militant groups.

Mahaveerar Naal does not regard dead of other Tamil groups as heroes.

Mahaveerar Naal only regards LTTE dead as martyrs not members of EROS, PLOTE, EPRLF etc… parents of these dead are not allowed to mourn their dead.

These parents can only mourn their dead children in private. They are not included into the Mahaveerar Naal commemorations.

Mahaveerar Naal excludes other Tamil militant dead

Mahaveerar Naal excludes mothers & fathers of other militant groups to mourn their sons & daughters.

Parents of other Tamil militant groups have to mourn their dead children in private.

Mahaveerar Naal (Great Heroes Day), Mahaveerar Vaaram (Great Heroes Week) are only for LTTE dead ending on LTTE leaders birthday after a weeklong comemoration of LTTE dead.

When TNA goes to commemorate Mahaveerar Naal – they are commemorating/mourning dead LTTE & considering them as martyrs.

LTTE is banned & as such everything associated with LTTE should also be banned (LTTE flag, flowers, emblems) etc.

Clearly, Mahaveerar Naal is not only a LTTE commemoration it is only for LTTE Tamils. Non-LTTE Tamils are excluded. Therefore, this cannot be allowed at all.

It is not an event that is relevant to ALL TAMILS and only a segment of Tamils aspiring to separate Sri Lanka by hook or by crook.

No Government should allow commemorations of this nature.

For a mother or father – it is irrelevant whether their son or daughter is a terrorist or a patriot. However, no mother or father can demand that they must mourn their dead child surrounded by terrorist paraphernalia. No parents mourning can become greater with the presence of LTTE flags, flowers or emblems! No parent is forbidden to mourn their dead LTTE in private – why do they need to make a tamasha out of it with foreign media, foreign press releases, foreign MPs, political speeches etc? This shows a political agenda behind the move.

Moreover, these LTTE parents should have some empathy to the other parents of Tamil militant groups who have died but who are not allowed to commemorate their dead. If the parents of EROS, PLOTE, EPRLF etc mourn their sons & daughters in private, why can’t LTTE parents?  https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2021/11/22/if-maaveerar-naal-hails-ltte-dead-what-do-we-call-event-to-commemorate-tamils-killed-by-ltte/

“Commemorating Maaveerar Naal is Tamil people’s right – Wigneswaran” – then who is going to commemorate Tamils killed by LTTE

Why should only LTTE be given exclusivity or exceptionalism among Tamils? Moreover, Prabakaran & LTTE’s Tamil Eelam is ONLY for LTTE Tamils and not for other Tamils…. How many Tamils are ready to accept this reality?

Shenali D Waduge

KAMALIKA PIERIS

The Tamil Separatist Movement has tried to use the law courts to try and stop the revival work on Kurundi. They have used the Mullaitivu police and the Mullaitivu Magistrate court for the purpose.

On 4. September 2018. Santhabodhi accompanied by Department of Archaeology officers from Vavuniya and Colombo set off for Kurundi,  to make arrangements to set up a guard house at Kurundi. They were not allowed to proceed to Kurundi. 

 The police stopped them halfway and told them that they did not have permission to erect any new structures. There was a police post at the Norochcholai tank and a Tamil police officer had come and questioned them. He was also was in conversation with someone by phone, in Tamil recalled Santhabodhi.

They   turned back to go to Sapumalgaskada. On the way, a group of   Tamil demonstrators on scooters blocked the vehicle, scolded in strong language   and    tried to pull Santhabodhi out. They assaulted the driver and ordered him to turn the van round and follow the demonstrators. They were taken to the tank bund where a waiting media team filmed them. Also waiting were about 100 Tamils on scooters. Santhabodhi and his group were taken before their leaders, who Santhabodhi thought were Tamil MPs and Tamil separatists.

The Archaeology Department staff   informed the police and army. After several hours trapped with this group, Oddusuddan police came and took us to the police station for a statement.  Archaeology   officers showed documents and said they came on legitimate business. We returned to Sapumalgaskada about 7 pm. 

On 2018.09.05 Oddusuddan police filed a case at Mullaitivu Magistrate court (AR-673/18) against Santhabodhi on the charge of disturbing the peace  .  Peace was broken by the Tamil Separatist Movement but they were not charged,   observed Santhabodhi . The event was presented as a clash between two parties.

 It appears that there was also a second complaint made by a group of Kurundi residents asking that that the excavation be stopped.  The complainants were N Ruchikka,   T Radhika, A Nirojini,   Subha Viduran, and K. Ganeshwaran.

The case was called on September 27, 2018 at Mullaitivu Magistrate court. Ven. Bengamuwe Nalaka   accompanied Santhabodhi. ACBC had sent lawyer Samith Kalhara.  A husband and wife team of lawyers   Nuwan Ballantudawe and his wife Piyumi also appeared for him

 Case was called again on October 1.2018. Both sides state their cases. The Tamil side said that, the Police, Army, Archaeology Department and a Buddhist monk are trying to build a Buddhist temple at Kurundi. They say that they have got permission to set up a guard house, but no such bulling has come up.

Kurundi was in a majority Tamil area .There are no Buddhists in the area. There is a small kovil there where the Hindus worshipped. Buddhists are trying to erect a Buddhist temple here. This will obstruct the worship at the Hindu kovil. This was an attempt to erase the Hindu tradition and impose Buddhism here. This is a violation of the rights of the Hindus. The ruins at Kurundi are Hindu ruins. We agree that the ruins should be protected that there should be no new temple. That could create ethnic disharmony, concluded the Tamil lawyers. 

Magistrate ordered Department of Archaeology, Vavuniya to make a report within 3 weeks, as to what exactly they were doing at Kurundi.  By October 16th a three month archaeology plan for Kurundi was ready. The Vavuniya office worked round the clock with much dedication to complete this. They treated it not as a religious smatter but as a national matter, said Santhabodhi.

In September  we  built the guardhouse with the assistance of 25th Singha Regiment, based at Alampil, Mullaitivu, continued Santhabodhi . The day before, Tamil Separatist Movement had gone to courts as they knew that the work on the guard house was starting the next day. Department of Archaeology told court that they were following a court order. Magistrate threw out the case. Thanks to the generosity of patrons, the  guard house and   well  were  built and  generator  installed.

The case AR-673/18  was next heard on 22October 2018. Ven. Panamura Tilakavansa of Tammankaduwa, who had set up Arisimale vihara attended. A delegation from ACBC led by its Vice President Wakista also attended the hearing. Afterwards  ACBC group went to see Kurundi.

The police  told court that the guard house had been built and there was no need to      continue with the case, also that the construction was legal. Order was given to proceed with the work at Kurundi on the basis of the plan submitted by the   Department of archaeology .

The Tamil lawyers then raised an objection. They said the plan was in Sinhala and wanted a Tamil or English translation. Magistrate agreed and  we  agreed to provide our report in English. The case was postponed but permission was given for Department of Archaeology to proceed.   An English translation was prepared by ACBC  subsequently and sent to courts. 

 The hearing ended with Court ordering  Department of Archaeology to proceed with the plan they  had  provided to court  but they must   inform the relevant local authorities. Also they must not create  an ethnic disturbance  or disturb the peace.

The order did not make any reference to the Santhabodhi group or to what they had said, observed Santhabodhi. And  all the documents we received were in Tamil including the court orders, he said. 

However, the Department of Archaeology was now free to  carry on with its work.  Santhabodhi asked Department of Archaeology to resume work and informed Secretary, Buddha Sasana Ministry as well.

On  February 2^nd 2021. Tamil Separatist Movement said that they intend to go to courts re Kurundi.

The Tamil Separatist Movement tried again July 2021. The Magistrate was told that a new stupa was coming up over the ruins. Without making proper inquiries’,  Magistrate gave a special order on 7 July 2021.   He said that  police must remove all new additions to the stupa. The Director, Archaeology  promptly ordered that  all work at Kurundi be stopped.  

The Magistrate’s ruling was publicized in the media . The media reported  that  courts had ordered  that the Kurundi stupa be broken down. There was an immediate   howl  from the public. Many contacted Santhabodhi.

Police told the Magistrate that this order could not be obeyed.  There would be a huge public   protest.  In the meantime,  Director of Archaeology  and the Solicitor General  met   the Chief Justice in Colombo.  On an  order from Chief Justice, the  case was recalled on July 19 at Mullaitivu. 

The Magistrate then went to Kurundi personally to  see for himself. He was met by Director of archaeology ,  Aruna Manatunga. Additional Solicitor General was also present on order of  chief justice . This inspection was shown on https://youtu.be/V2IrcOEzD-4 where  the  Magistrate could be heard speaking in fluent Sinhala.  On 2022.7.19    the Magistrate revoked his earlier order  and  told the Archaeology Department  that they could proceed with their work in Kurundi.  

M. A. Sumanthiran MP  filed a petition in the Supreme Court  in August 2021 against the commencement of excavations at the Kurundi  naming Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Minister of State Vidura Wickramanayake and Commissioner General of Archeology Prof. Anura Manatunga as respondents.. Buddha Sasana Minister Vidura Wickramanayake  stated  that their activities at Kurundi was governed by the Antiquities Ordinance.  

Case no AR-673/18 came up again in October 22, 2022. This case which had started as disturbing the peace now  became   an archaeology issue, observed Santhabodhi . I contacted lawyers and three including Nuwan agreed to come. They wanted transport and dayaka were ready to provide this, recalled Santhabodhi . Ven. Kiribbanwewa Upaneetha and Matugama Seneviruwan came  to support Santhabodhi . 

The Kurundi  lawyers took the position  that a Magistrates court cannot question a    decision of the Director of Archaeology. Court seems to have accepted this.

 The Kurundi lawyers said that they wished to speak in Sinhala and English. The Tamil lawyers objected. They wanted the discussion in Tamil only. The lawyers protested that they had the right to speak in  all three languages. But Magistrate upheld the objection of the Tamil lawyers. Since there were no translators present,  he ended the hearing . Work on Kurundi vihara was  stopped again.

The final order was given on 24.11.2022. The Order  said that Department of Archaeology was to continue with the order given  earlier on  19.7.2022.This meant  that conservation work on Kurundi could continue.  This was a victory for Kurundi and a defeat for the Tamil Separatist Movement .

But the legal  harassment is not over. Tamil protestors stormed a pinkama at Kurundi on 18.8.2023 and wanted to conduct a pongal there. They were turned away after one  pongal. Media then reported that  Mullaitivu politicians  had filed a case saying  this was a violation of Human rights and an obstruction of religious freedom.  Hindu devotees had been informed that a pongal festival was  being held at  this kovil.

on  22.8.23  Mullaitivu magistrate  ordered police to  submit  a report giving reasons for police and   officers of the Archaeology Department  turning away residents who had gone to attend the pongal festival at the Hindu  kovil located at  Kurundi. Case was to be taken up for hearing.  ( Continued)

MOD  Media Centre

Defence Secretary, General Kamal Gunaratne graced the 52^nd Bangladesh Armed Forces Day ceremony as the Chief Guest at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo last evening (Nov. 21).

The host, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Sri Lanka HE Tareq Md Ariful Islam received the Defence Secretary on his arrival at the venue.

Addressing the distinguished gathering the Defence Secretary praised the existing bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and also stressed the importance of maintaining the longstanding relations.

While mentioning the cooperation and camaraderie that have defined the relationship between the militaries of both nations he recalled the efforts to combat terrorism, piracy, other transnational threats that endanger collective security, collaboration in disaster relief operations, humanitarian assistance, bilateral knowledge exchange and fostering a culture of mutual learning and growth.

Defence Advisor at the Bangladesh HC Commodore M Moniruzzaman made the welcome address.

The Bangladesh High Commissioner presented a memento to the Defence Secretary during the occasion.

Members of the diplomatic corps including High Commissioners of India and Nepal, chargé d’affaires of Maldives, Navy Chief of Staff, Military Liaison Officer of the Ministry of Defence and many distinguished guests were present at the event

Sugath Kulatunga

The controversy on the activities of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLBDC) has gone viral. It is one issue which has involved all three pillars of the government, the executive, legislature and the judiciary. It has brought the warring political parties on common cause of saving the game of cricket. However, one aspect of this issue which is the role of the ICC is not revealed. It entails essential principles national sovereignty and good governance.

Although the ICC was London based the ICC memo And Articles were registered in the British Virgin Islands. Now the ICC headquarters are based in Dubai. The rationale for the location of organizations in Tax Havens does not need no amplification.

ICC deals only with a “National Governing Body” that is recognised by the ICC as the governing body responsible for the administration, management and development of Cricket in a Cricket Playing Country.

1. Among the Obligations of Members is to manage its affairs autonomously and ensure that there is no government (or other public or quasi-public body) interference in its governance, regulation and/or administration of Cricket in its Cricket Playing Country (including in operational matters, in the selection and management of teams, and in the appointment of coaches or support personnel); and
2. Adopt, implement and enforce within its Cricket Playing Country a set of regulations (including anti-doping and anti-corruption regulations) that are consistent with the Memorandum of Association, these Articles of Association, each Members’ Resolution that is passed, and the Regulations.

The consequences of any breach of these obligations are severe and if in the opinion of the Board of Directors of the ICC the membership of a member likely to be suspended with immediate effect where, in the opinion of the Board of Directors (in its absolute discretion), the Member is in serious breach of any of its obligations as a Member.

1.  Any suspension of a Member by the Board of Directors in accordance with Article 2.10(A) shall be subject to such terms and conditions as the Board of Directors may determine, including terms and conditions that the Member must satisfy (in accordance with a deadline specified by the Board of Directors) in order to have its suspension lifted (‘Reinstatement Conditions’). (It is noted that in the FIFA, which is a much bigger organization A suspension of a member association by the Congress requires a three-quarter (3/4) majority of the member associations present and eligible to vote).
2. Any Member that has its membership suspended under this Article 2.10 shall, unless the Board of Directors decides otherwise in its absolute discretion, and for the period of such suspension, be deprived of all of its rights as a Member (whether set out in these Articles of Association or otherwise), including its right to receive distributions of surplus ICC revenues, its right to participate in Events sanctioned by the ICC and its right to attend and vote at Meetings. The Register of Members will be amended to record the suspension. Any contractual or other obligations owed by that Member to the ICC which have accrued prior to suspension or under clause 11 of the Memorandum of Association shall continue to remain legally valid, binding and in full force and effect.
3. During the period of such suspension, the Board of Directors may make such arrangements for the governance, regulation and administration of Cricket in the relevant Member’s Cricket Playing Country as it sees fit, including (without limitation) exercising (or delegating to another to exercise) the rights previously exercised by the suspended Member to sanction (or not sanction) Cricket events staged in that Cricket Playing Country.
4.  If the suspended Member does not meet the Reinstatement Conditions in full by the specified deadline, and/or where the Board of Directors otherwise deems it appropriate, the Board of Directors may pursue termination of the suspended Member’s membership in accordance with Article 2.11.

The obligation of a member to ensure the prevention of government interference is a tall order. It infringes on the sovereign authority of a national government. In Sri Lanka Sports are regulated under the Sports Law of the country which is administered by the Minister responsible for the subject. Lawful directions given by the Minister are valid and cannot be considered as interference. The present predicament arose with the Minister appointing of an Interim Committee on cricket headed by Arjuna Ranatunga was appointment. The SLBDC has challenged it before the courts and allegedly canvassing the ICC to suspend the SLBDC by resorting to misinformation on the action of the Minister.

On the appointment of Interim Committees to replace National Boards of Control of cricket it must be noted that in 2013 Pakistan’s Prime Minister appointed an interim management committee (IMC) to supersede the Pakistan Cricket Board in order to reorganise the country’s cricket structure.

in 2020 in the midst of administrative and governance failures by Cricket South Africa an Interim Board was mandated by the Minister of Sport to reform CSA’s governance structure, while providing the usual oversight function over CSA’s operations.

In 2017, the Supreme Court of India held the powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India to account and appointed a special Board to overhaul the Constitution of the BCI and debarred the BCI amending its constitution without the permission of the SC of India.

In these radical interventions the ICI has not attempted to prevent the interventions by the government and the judiciary.

The ICI seem to operate like a secret organization where confidentiality is given high priority and members are prohibited to give out information on its proceedings. Even meeting papers, the agenda and minutes of meetings have to be kept confidential by all members. There is no such confidentiality provision in the FIFA rules.

The ICI is committed to uphold, respect and advance the unique culture, ethic and spirit of Cricket. But it has failed to even to ensure that the SLBDC fulfil the obligation to adopt, implement and enforce a set of regulations (including anti-doping and anti-corruption regulations) that are consistent with the ICC Memorandum of Association, these Articles of Association, each Members’ Resolution that is passed, and the Regulations. Instead, ICI has closed its eyes on the corruption, mismanagement and waste exposed by the Auditor General and the report of the committee chaired by a retired judge of the supreme court.

It seems that the SLBDC has been playing Pandu.

by Arundathie Abeysinghe Courtesy PIME Asia News

Sri Lanka is increasingly tying its fragile economy to China. After the debt agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China, Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe said he was ready to expand the direct corridor with China bypassing India. Xi Jinping’s special envoy, State Counsellor Shen Yiqin, used her visit to the island to “lay out” China’s cards.

Colombo (AsiaNews) – Sri Lanka is set to launch Phase 2 of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with China, starting with the existing China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), to include the island.

Sri Lanka’s economic policy aims to have a direct route to China, bypassing current trade links involving Bangladesh, China, India, and Myanmar (BCIM), which are currently stalled due to political tensions between China and India.

In Colombo Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special envoy, State Counsellor Shen Yiqin, met with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday to lay out” China’s cards.

Shen’s visit follows the recent tête-à-tête between Wickremesinghe and Xi in Beijing, aimed at consolidating bilateral relations.

Analysts believe that this visit is of utmost importance for the country’s economic future.

On 12 October, Sri Lanka reached an agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China to cover about US$ 4.2 billion of the country’s outstanding debt.

Sri Lanka is currently trying to finalise a plan with its creditors to secure additional aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to pursue its economic recovery.

Although China has decided to remain an observer during debt restructuring talks, it will be one of the crucial players for the future of the country’s economy.

During his meeting with Shen, President Wickremesinghe expressed Sri Lanka’s aspiration to increase cooperation with China in other fields, like tourism, agriculture, and sports, stressing that the Hambantota international port – under a 99-year lease to China – and Colombo Port are currently ready to expand business between the two countries.

For its part, China is prioritising” the extension of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) to Sri Lanka. Indeed, Mr Wickremesinghe noted that his country is prepared to embark on the second phase of the initiative, which is expected to make a more substantial economic contribution.”

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena also met with State Councillor Shen, highlighting the vast potential to expand China-Sri Lanka economic cooperation. He also noted that Sri Lanka values China’s investments in agriculture, renewable energy, education, and infrastructure.

During the meeting, the president stressed the need to maintain the Indian Ocean as a freely navigable and peaceful region, free from global geopolitical rivalries,” political analysts Sachintha Tennakoon and Medhavi Attygalle told AsiaNews. Yet, the development of the BRI points instead to China’s intention to strengthen its influence in South Asia.”

By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, yesterday said that Parliament like other institutions should bear responsibility for the unprecedented economic crisis caused during President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s administration.

Minister Sabry said so when The Island sought his response as regards the responsibility of Parliament for the developing situation against the backdrop of the country being bankrupted mainly due to overall mismanagement of the economy.

At the time of the eruption of public protests in early 2022, Minister Sabry served as the Foreign Minister of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government.

Addressing the media at the President’s Media Centre (PMC), the SLPP National List MP dealt with the 2024 Budget presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister.

Having compared the period leading to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ouster with the significant improvements made under incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s resolute leadership, the top lawyer explained how successive governments ruined the economy by resorting to utterly irresponsible strategies.

The first time entrant to Parliament, following the last general election held in Aug. 2020, Minister Sabry emphasized how flawed tax strategies over the years caused the economic ruination. The Minister questioned the rationale in 80:20 ratio in indirect and direct taxes when the acceptable radio was 60:40 world over. The Minister went on to highlight the circumstances that led to the drop in revenue to just over 8 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 23% to 25% ahead of 2019/2020 crash.

Asked whether he had been present in the parliamentary chamber when a section of the ruling SLPP went berserk over a statement made by SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in respect of the landmark Supreme Court judgment on economic crisis and what was his response to such unruly behaviour, the Minister said that he was there.

The SC on Nov 14 in a 4 to 1 verdict declared that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former Finance Ministers Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa, ex-Governors of the Central Bank Prof. W.D. Lakshman and Ajith Nivad Cabraal, ex-Finance Secretary S.R. Attygalle, Presidential Secretary Dr. P.B.J. Jayasundera and the then Monetary Board were responsible for the economic collapse.

They were directed to pay Rs 150,000 each to those who filed fundamental rights applications.

The Minister emphasized that he never condoned such conduct and he never behaved that way or intended to do so in the future. That was one side of the issue. We see various interested parties interpret the SC ruling the way they want. I read this judgment entirely. The ruling doesn’t say there had been fraud and money robbed. Funds had been sent overseas and measures should put in place to recover the money. It doesn’t say so. The SC found fault with the respondents for their failure to take timely action to avert the crisis. One specific issue artificial measures to control Rupees. I have pointed this out even last year. The other issue was the tax cut. They were policy decisions. The third issue was the timing of the IMF intervention. The fallout of those decisions should be political.”

The Minister said that there was no harm in prosecuting if there were fraud and robbery. But the Rajapaksas had already taken responsibility for those decisions, Minister Sabry said, pointing out that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who won a five-year term, had to quit, and the Prime Minister, too, had to go. The entire government had to be handed over. They have to face the people, the Minister said.

We genuinely believed the government should have sought the IMF intervention at that time, the depreciation of the Rupee should have been allowed to some extent. Perhaps those who decide on policy may have felt they were right,” Minister Sabry, said reminding that Sri Lanka sought IMF interventions on 16 previous occasions.

Minister Sabry insisted that no one would come into politics if those who had been found fault for lapses on their part in respect of policy decisions were dealt with in terms of criminal liability. Reiterating that the fallout should be solely political, the Foreign Minister said, adding that in case someone engaged in fraud, corruption and crime he should bear criminal responsibility.

BY YOHAN PERERA AND AJITH SIRIWARDANA Courtesy The Daily Mirror

PARLIAMENT (Daily Mirror)- A special parliamentary Caucus will be appointed to revive cricket in Sri Lanka, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced today.

He told Parliament that it will be appointed following a request by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.

BY YOHAN PERERA AND AJITH SIRIWARDANA Courtesy The Daily Mirror

PARLIAMENT (Daily Mirror)- A sum of USD 50,000 donated by Asian Cricket Council chief Jay Shah and USD 5,000 given by Indian cricket star Siraj for the ground staff of Pallekele and R. Premadasa stadiums have not been paid yet, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament today.

https://youtu.be/aO18ZE-h5Z4

“The ground staff have not been paid to date. What has become of this money,” he asked.

BY AJITH SIRIWARDANA AND YOHAN PERERA Courtesy The Daily Mirror

PARLIAMENT (Daily Mirror)- President Ranil Wickremesinghe said today that he will look into the three letters that were sent by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The President requested Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa to send him the three letters and assured to look into them.

https://youtu.be/pURIzEHs3jg

He said this in response to a statement by the Opposition Leader that the SLC had sent three letters dated November 6, 7 and 9 to the ICC requesting it to suspend the SLC, alleging that there was undue interference in the activities of the SLC.

Premadasa said he had tabled the three letters in Parliament.

“Send me the three letters. I will follow up on them,” the President told Premadasa.

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera

Claiming that he was saddened by the verbal attack on Ariya Rekawa and his son in Parliament, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said Rekawa was a UNP stalwart since 1970.

He told Parliament that Ariya Rekawa and his son were good people and that he never think that Rekawa’s son would be involved in any bad practices even though he was connected to the SLC.

“Who is Rekawa? He has worked with us in the UNP since the 1970s. Ranasinghe Premadasa requested him to contest the election and he was elected to Parliament. Why should we attack him? He is someone who has won the faith of me and Ranasinghe Premadasa. I even appointed him as the Ambassador to Vietnam,” he said.

https://youtu.be/7Gzwth7ynf4

Referring to a photograph shown by Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe in the House showing that Ariya Rekawa and Bandula Karunaratne were there, the President said it was he who was there in the middle of that photograph.

“It is not a secret. It is I who was there in the middle of that photograph, asked Rekawa to come to President’s House when Bandula Karunaratne came to take oath as the President of the Appeal Court,” he said.

The President said criticizing the order given by the Court of Appeal staying the Interim Committee of the SLC was wrong and that Bandula Karunaratne was criticized as he was handling MP Diana Gamage’s case as well.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

KATUNAYAKA (Daily Mirror) – Darshani, a Sri Lankan maid who returned from Saudi Arabia said she was forced to swallow screw nails with water by her employer which resulted in her being hospitalized.

Making an emotional statement at the Katunayake airport upon her arrival, the housemaid said she was continuously abused and assaulted by her employer. The victim, a resident of Mathugama is a mother of three children.

https://youtu.be/0WXDfaBLrCA

Coming to her rescue, Marimuthu Nilantha Kumara, the husband of the victim, who earns a living as a coconut plucker in the vicinity, came to Katunayake airport to receive Darshani. 

The housemaid also said that when she had complained to the recruitment agency in Sri Lanka, the agency had verbally abused her.

I slipped and fell after stepping on shampoo in a bathroom, causing injury to my back and head. Then, the woman of the house physically assaulted me and locked me in a room,” she said.

Furthermore, the victim revealed that she was forcibly taken to a washing machine room where she was confined and subjected to further abuse.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

COLOMBO (Daily Mirror) – More than Rs. 8.6 million in revenue has been earned as expressway toll by 3 p.m. today after the tri-forces were deployed for operations at ticket counters since the launch of a strike by the Expressway Worker’s Union.

The All-Island Expressway Workers’ Union initiated the strike today, citing various demands, including concerns about the privatization of the highway network.

In response to the 24-hour token strike, tri-force personnel were deployed to manage ticket counters and provide security on the expressways.

Accordingly, the Sri Lanka Army which had been deployed for the Southern Expressway operations collected  Rs. 1,635,940 while Sri Lanka Air Force personnel on the Katunayake Expressway collected Rs.  5,951,090 and the Sri Lanka Navy on the Central Expressway (Kurunegala) collected Rs. 1,022 900 despite the challenges such as the union membere taking away the ticket issuing machines and not handing over cards.

By YOHAN PERERA Courtesy The Daily Mirror 

PARLIAMENT (Daily Mirror) – Referring to the recent judgment given by the Supreme Court where former Presidents Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mahinda Rajapaksa former Minister Basil Rajapaksa and others were held responsible for the economic crisis, President Ranil Wickremesinghe today said one has to look into whether others are also responsible for the economic debacle and have engaged in a breach of public trust.  

One must note that even the opposition has engaged in a breach of trust. It is the duty of the main opposition to take over the government once those in the existing government resign. However, the current leader of the opposition and the main opposition had engaged in a breach of public trust by failing to form a new government in 2022. We can also probe these matters,” he said.

He also referred to an error in the court case number in the question submitted by Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa. The number of cases  which the Opposition Leader referred to a case in Trinomalee,” he said in a lighter vein.

Mr. Premadasa said error in the case number was not a major issue and accused the President of dodging his question.

SLPP MP Gevindu Kumaratunga who spoke later said the President should not have taken a question with regard to the economic crisis in a lighter vein. ‘ President should not have come up with dirty jokes,” he said.

 By CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA Courtesy The Daily Mirror

COLOMBO (Daily Mirror) – Using antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription could cause the death of necessary bacteria that are needed for the survival of the body, and the diseases caused by the creation of resistant bacteria in the body spreading throughout society could cause death for everyone within about 50 years, Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Deepal Perera said.

Commenting on the ‘World Antibiotic Awareness Week’ from November 18 to 24, he further said that the world’s antimicrobial experts have discovered this through research.

Dr. Perera points out that antibiotics weaken and kill bacteria, and in excess, beneficial bacteria too are killed.

He requested parents not to give antibiotics to children unnecessarily other than in the most required situation. Giving antibiotics unnecessarily to children will create resistance to antibiotics in their bodies.

Antibiotics should be used only if necessary in cases of bacterial infections. Doctors recommend this while taking into consideration many factors, including the age and weight of the person concerned.

“Antibiotics are not necessary for viral fevers and diarrhea. For coughs, colds, and minor injuries, antibiotics should be taken only on a doctor’s prescription,” Dr. Perera said.

It is necessary to take the prescribed dose of antibiotic during the particular period.

He further mentioned that due to the high cost of antibiotics, research on antibiotics worldwide is minimal.

If we are unable to find new antibiotics in the future, everyone will die due to bacterial infections, he added.

Courtesy Adaderana

President Ranil Wickremesinghe says that the Presidential Election and the Parliamentary Election will both be held next year and that neither of the elections will be postponed.

He stated this while delivering a special statement in the Parliament today (22) regarding several matters including the existing cricket crisis. 

We have established democracy in this country. So, now how can you say that we are afraid of an election? We will hold the elections. The Presidential Election and the Parliamentary Election will both be held next year. None of them will be postponed.” 

The year after that, we can hold the Provincial Council and Local Government elections all that. There is no problem,” he said.

Meanwhile the State Minister for Plantations, Enterprise Reforms and Finance, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, had announced that a dedicated allocation of Rs. 10 billion has been reserved for potential future elections. 

This provision, while not explicitly outlined in the budget proposals, has been included in the estimates, he said during a press briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) on Tuesday (21).

Courtesy Adaderana

Minister of Foreign Affairs President’s Counsel Ali Sabry has emphasised the imperative need for a comprehensive, long-term targeted program as the primary solution to address the economic crisis facing the country.

Minister Ali Sabry underscored the complexity of the economic challenges and stressed that short-term fixes would not suffice, highlighting the necessity for strategic planning and sustained efforts to achieve economic stability.

The Minister also noted the imperative of trapping tax evaders in the tax net to ensure the country’s continued status as a welfare state. In this regard, a program is slated for implementation this year to enhance tax compliance.

The Minister made these remarks during a press briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) today (22 Nov.), under the theme ‘One Way to a Stable Country’.

Minister Ali Sabry provided an overview of positive economic progress. Notable achievements include a substantial reduction in inflation from 70% to -2.5% and a 100% increase in tourist arrivals. These indicators, according to the Minister, affirm that the country is moving in the right direction economically.

The Minister stressed that as politicians, they have the authority to make diverse decisions. Nonetheless, it is the citizens of this country who must shoulder the resulting burdens. To propel the nation beyond its current challenges, it must attract new investments and foster job creation. It is imperative to integrate the creative youth community into the job market. It is noteworthy that this year’s budget has been formulated with these objectives in mind, particularly with a forward-looking perspective. Furthermore, the 2024 budget is designed to set the country on a course toward a new economic paradigm.

Additionally, Minister Ali Sabry highlighted substantial funds have been allocated for digitization, the modernization of agriculture, and education. In the execution of these initiatives, it is imperative to steer clear of bureaucratic obstacles and promote collaborative efforts. Key decisions include granting rights to individuals in flats and rented houses, as well as providing land rights to farmers.

Emphasizing fiscal responsibility, Minister Ali Sabry noted that 70% of this year’s budget has been earmarked for loan instalments and interest payments. He drew attention to Sri Lanka’s position as the 8th country with the lowest taxes globally, emphasizing the need to focus on bringing tax evaders into the system. Among the countries above us are Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, Iran, Venezuela and Nigeria.

To address this, the focus should be on identifying and apprehending those attempting to evade taxes, with an emphasis on restoring transparency. The implementation of a dedicated program for this purpose is planned to commence this year. These measures are essential not only to ensure free education, healthcare and other facilities at an elevated standard but also to alleviate the burdens on the people.

It is crucial to recognize that there are no quick fixes for the economic crisis in the country. A viable way forward involves the implementation of a comprehensive, long-term targeted program.

Courtesy Adaderana

Minister of Transport and Highways Bandula Gunawardena has slammed the token strike launched by the expressway employees this morning (Nov.22) as a deliberate attempt at incurring a loss to the government.

This is not a trade union action, but a subversive move,” the lawmaker said addressing the parliamentary session earlier today.

The All-Island Expressway Workers’ Union resorted to a token strike at 7 a.m. today by calling in sick.

The trade union action is based on 3 key issues: the alleged attempts by the Finance Ministry and Road Development Authority (RDA) to privatize the country’s expressway network, delayed payments for unused sick leave for the year 2022 and the delayed approval for the System for Optimized Recruitment (SOR) which deferred the grade-to-grade promotions of all employees.

Gunawardena claimed that employees on strike have taken the ticketing machines with them, in a bid to disrupt the expressway operations.

Resorting to such moves against the backdrop of an economic crisis is a ‘serious crime’, he said, while commending the efforts of the security forces to keep expressway operation uninterrupted amidst the trade union action.

Soon after the expressway employees launched their token strike, tri-forces and police personnel were dispatched to ensure the security and issue tickets.

Dilrook Kannangara

Facts are stranger than fiction! Can Sri Lankans handle the truth?

Team Sri Lanka won the ICC Cricket World Cup Final in 1996, were Finalists in 2007 and 2011 and Semi-Finalists in 2003.

A careful look at the scorecards of all the above Final and one Semi-Final (2003) matches reveals that Murali and Arnold took just one wicket in total (that is Shane Warne who is not a dangerous batsman). Absolutely no catches and no runouts by them. Just 3 runs scored by them in total.

Emphasis is only the Final (1996, 2007 and 2011) and 2003 Semi-Final matches only. They did perform better in matches to the lead up to these matches. However, in the most crucial matches SL played in all these World Cups, they were not useful.

I don’t infer that they deliberately underperformed. They didn’t. I only say replacing them for all these crucial matches would have yielded better results.

They could have been replaced in the 1996, 2007 and 2011 Finals and in the 2003 Semi-Final (and the Final after winning that). Instead of them, Sri Lanka had other spinners and batsmen who could have taken their place in these crucial matches with potentially better outcomes.

In 1996 Final Sri Lanka could have played Upul Chandana who’s also a spinner and a much better bat than Murali. Since Murali took just one wicket in the Final with unremarkable bowling, Upul could have easily bettered him.

For the 2003 Semi Final Sri Lanka could have played Avishka Gunawardane and Jehan Mubarak or Rangana Herath (not in the squad) instead of Arnold and Murali.

For the 2007 Final Sri Lanka could have played Upul Chandana or Rangana Herath (not included in the squad) and Mohommad Maharoof instead of Murali and Arnold. In fact, Arjuna did say he was surprised for the selection of Arnold instead of Upul.

As for the 2011 Final Sri Lanka could have won it had it replaced Murali with Rangana Herath.

Playing for so many curial matches and ending up with just 1 unremarkable wicket, no catches, no runouts and just 3 runs is telling.

Cricketing fortunes are cyclical. No one can expect a national team to perform well across years. There was a time when India could be easily beaten by Sri Lanka, West Indies was a feared team, New Zealand was a beatable team for Sri Lanka and Bangladesh was a guaranteed win for Sri Lanka. Things have changed and will change again. The important thing is to grab opportunities when they come and win it. The difference between the winner and the other finalist is not just the gap in runs or wickets. There is a world of difference.

Scorecards of those crucial matches can be found in the following links.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/wills-world-cup-1995-96-60981/australia-vs-sri-lanka-final-65192/full-scorecard

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/icc-world-cup-2002-03-61124/australia-vs-sri-lanka-1st-semi-final-65284/full-scorecard

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/icc-world-cup-2006-07-125929/australia-vs-sri-lanka-final-247507/full-scorecard

IND vs SL, ICC Cricket World Cup 2010/11, Final at Mumbai, April 02, 2011 – Full Scorecard

IND vs SL, ICC Cricket World Cup 2010/11, Final at Mumbai, April 02, 201… Get cricket scorecard of Final, IND vs SL, ICC Cricket World Cup 2010/11 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai dated Apri…

Chanaka Bandarage, International Lawyer

There is much debate in the country about our cricket.

There is no doubt that the Cricket Board and the Selection Committee should bear major responsibility for the debacle.

But, what about the recent and current Cricketers? The writer states they too must bear responsibility.

It is the players who play on the field, not the officials.

The players have shown a very bad attitude in representing the country.

They may be talented cricketers, but their lack of discipline has brought forth not only their own downfall but also of the country.

Our players do not realise the importance of team play. They do not think they are playing for the country. For many, they play for themselves.

For them, it is their own performance that matters. That is one reason why the country has suffered so badly (the selfish attitude of some, especially key players).

It is in such instances that the Cricket Board must intervene. But, it has not done so. Rather than reprimanding bad cricketers, they went on their own jaunts.

We have a number of expensive foreign coaches; do they teach our players good traits? Unlikely.

Why employ foreign coaches at such extraordinarily high cost? We have lots of our own excellent local coaches. Mahela Jayewardene, Duleep Mendis, Hashan Thilakarathne, Sanath Jayasuriya come to mind. There may be excellent hidden coaches at club and school levels.  

Employing few foreigners as Specialists in areas such as PT, physiotherapy, batting/bowling/fielding is ok. The importance is that we must have our own head coach. They have patriotism that the foreign coaches lack.

Patriotism is important to bring-in victory for the mother country.

In Australia and New Zealand if one does not show team work and tries to play selfishly, they will receive  the immediate sack.

We should not be surprised about this as our entire nation is like this – utterly selfish.

In effect, the cricket team reflects the society that we live in.

This has not been the case before. Say prior to 1977, Sri Lanka has been a pious society.

We have politicians who have done deals even with the LTTE.

In 2022 we became a failed state; officially we became Bankrupt. There were long queues for petrol, diesel and kerosene. They are now gone. Not a single  vehicle has been imported to this country for over 3+ years. Our best talent is leaving the country in droves. Never have we seen a brain drain of this magnitude. Families are struggling to keep the home fires burning.

In the olden age children were taught about patriotism at school. This is not happening now.

Some patriotic songs like ‘මේ සිංහල අපගේ රටයි’, ‘පිට දීප දේශ ජයගත්තා’ are banned in the SLBC and රූපවාහිනී? The situation in local FM radios/private TV channels is worse. Rather than preserving our traditional values, good ethics most of them promote (intentionally or un-intentionally) Thamilnadu and Western cultures.

In the developed countries, school children are taught patriotism daily like a Mantra (directly/indirectly). It is a very important aspect of their school curricula.

ANZAC Day is an Australian National Holiday.  It is an occasion to commemorate the thousands of Australian soldiers who died in WW1. Many people, especially children, actively take part in events held throughout the country on that day.

Even the Captains of our test cricket and T20 teams have demonstrated alleged bad behavior. They have been accused of drunk driving, even a hit and run accident.

National players should be role models for the younger generation. Unfortunately, our players of late have not been so.

Even when overseas, players have behaved badly. When the team was in England, some leading players were accused of breaching the team’s Corona Virus rules. While on tour a cricketer faced criminal charges for sexual misconduct (he was later acquitted). The fact that he may have focused on online dating than playing cricket does not go to his good credit. One player was caught playing video games when the World Cup was on.

Glen Maxwell recently played a magnificent innings. This shows how players play for their country. It was his sheer determination/patriotism that brought victory for Australia against Afghanistan.

Why cannot our players learn from the likes of Maxwell, Travis Head, Kholi, Warner, De Kock, Azmatullah, Zampa and Coetzee?

We too used to have players of that calibre, unfortunately, not now. Sanath Jayasuriya, Thilkarathne Dilshan, Aravinda De Silva, Arjuna Ranathunga, Hashan Thilakarathne, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Mahela Jayewardene come to mind. They gave 100% for the country.

Madhushanka is a great player.

We definitely have some good players in our team with talent. But some are useless.  There are some players that should not be in our national team, they should have been sacked long time ago.

There are players that are bad in both playing and discipline. Some are simply un-talented. There may be schoolboy cricketers that are better than some of the current players.

Some players are in the team solely due to their strong connection with the cricket board officials and selection committee members. Some time ago it was reported that some players had paid a portion of their match fee to a certain selection committee member, to remain in the team.

It is well known that those who practice the Born-Again religion have a good chance of playing for the national team, be they good or bad. This may be the secret why so many Born Again players  have been in the team. The COPE committee must have the guts to investigate this.

Due to favouritsm some senior players think they can stay in the team ‘forever’. They know they have the constant backing of the Cricket Board officials.

A higher order batsman who also has bad discipline  is well known for scoring zeros repeatedly. But, because he occasionally scores a 50 or a 100 (that is also mostly against weak teams), he continues to keep his place in the team.

It is a crafty thing by recent captains to become the team’s wicket keeper. They know that even if they fail in bat their place is secured. They know only  a very few in the team that can do wicket keeping.

Some players like Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Janith Perera have been very badly treated with. The former is our ‘Ricky Ponting’. If he played for Australia or New Zealand he would still be playing for them. Why was he removed from the National World Cup team, the selection committee must provide answers to the nation.

The moment that Kusal Janith Perera fails to score he gets dropped. He does not get the benefit that the Board gives to their favourite players.

At least now, Dinesh Chandimal should be brought back to both teams – the test and T 20, preferably as the Captain.

Recently a veteran cricketer took too much time to commence his innings on the pitch. When the opposing team appealed, he was adjudged out.

It was clearly his fault.

But he started playing antics on the field.

Rather than obeying the umpire’s verdict, he argued with the umpires. He even spoke to the opposing team’s Captain that appealed for his dismissal! This is something unheard of in cricket.

The player’s behavior was  totally un-gentlemanly in the gentlemen’s game.

The other team had every right to appeal for his dismissal.  What they did was in accordance with the rules book.

After the match (which Sri Lank lost) this player vigorously attacked the entire opposition team using international media.  What right did he have? He was just a player.

The manner he spoke could have caused a serious diplomatic row between the two very friendly countries.

Some players are arrogant because they know they have the blessing of the Cricket Board, no matter what gimmick they have been up to.

In countries like England, Australia and New Zealand players are picked solely on merit. That is why they do comparatively well than other countries (true England performed miserably this time, this is due to their lack of cricketing talent. In England, young men prefer to play Soccer than Cricket).

In Australia it is only the Captain that makes on-field decisions. He changes bowlers and sets the field.  But in our team? There are about 4 or 5 senior players doing the Captain’s work.  The saying – too many cooks spoil the soup.

චන්ද්‍රසිරි විජයවික්‍රම, LL.B., Ph.D 

(784) නීතීඥ වටගල හා ලාල්කාන්තගේ පුතාලා ගැන සමන් කියූ කතාව-සෞඛ්‍ය\ගුරු ප්‍රශ්න දකින විදිහ – YouTube

හෘද ශාක්ෂිය හා අධ්‍යාත්මය අතර වෙනසක් තිබේද?

අනුර කුමාර මහතා විසින් නොබෝදා කල <JVP එක විසින් ජාතික ජන බලවේගයට (NPP) <අධ්‍යාත්මය>  සපයනවා [පිඹිනවා],> යන  ගාම්භීර ප්‍රකාශය නිසා මෙම කෙටි සටහනට මා විසින් කලින් යොදාගන්නට සිතූ, <JVP නායකයින්ගේ හෘදය ශක්ෂිය > යන මාතෘකාව ඉවත් කිරීමට තීරණය කළෙමි.  මෙම හෘද ශාක්ෂි කතාව රට තුල පුන පුනා කියන්නේ නාගානන්ද කොඩිතුවක්කු මහතාය. මුන් 225 ම එපා, අවුරුදු 75 ක්ම මුන් රට කෑවා, යන පද වෙනුවට, <අනුර කුමාරලා, සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාසලා හෘදය ශාක්ෂියක් නැති මිනිසුන්> යයි කීමෙන්, ශ්‍රී සද්ධර්මය ආශ්‍රිත සංකල්පයක් හරහා ඔහු පොදුවේ මේ රටේ දේශපාලන පංචස්කන්ධවලට අභියෝගයක් එල්ල කරයි.  අනුර කුමාරගේ  අධ්‍යාත්ම කතාව මෙම අභියෝගයට දෙන්නට හැදූ පිළිතුරක් වැනිය. මෙම පිළිතුර කෙතරම් දුරට පිලිගත හැකිද?

ගමේ ගොඩේ භාෂාවෙන් හෘදය ශාක්ෂියක් නැති මිනිසුන් යයි කියන්නේ ඩබල් ගේම් කාරයින්ටය. රට ජාතියේ අභිවෘධිය වෙනුවට පුද්ගලික වාසිය සඳහා ක්‍රියාකරණ දේශපාලක පංචස්කන්ධ ඩබල්ගේම් කාරයින්ය. මේ අනුව සිතන විට D.S. සේනානායකගේ සිට රටේ අගමැති-ජනාධිපතිවූ හැමදෙනාම මෙවැනි ඩබල්-ට්‍රෙබල් ගේම් මාස්ටර්ලා බව පෙන්වන්නට ශාක්ෂි බුසල් ගණනින් තිබේ. එසේ නොවු කෙනෙක් වශයෙන් මේ මොහොතේ මට මතක් වෙන්නේ  CWW කන්නන්ගර අධ්‍යාපන  ඇමති පමණය. තමන්ගේ මිනිබිරිය විශාඛා විද්‍යාලයට දාගන්නට පාරේ පෝලිමේ සිටීමට සිදුවූ ඔහු, අවසාන කාලයේදී තමන්ට බෙහෙත් ගන්නට ආධාර මුදලක් ඉල්ලා කතානායකට ලියුමක් ලිව්වේය.

හිතක්-පපුවක්, තෙතමනයක් (හෘදයශාක්ෂියක්) නැති මිනිහෙක් යයි කියනවාට වඩා දාර්ශණික අර්ථයක් අධ්‍යාත්මය යන වචනයෙන් ද්වනිතවේ. මෙය සජිත් විසින් වරක් සිය < ශ්‍රී මුඛය> ගැන කිව් කතාවට සමාන නැත. මේ නිසා මෙම සටහනේ අරමුණ මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් JVP නායකයින්ට කාරණා පහදා දීමය. ඊට හේතුව ඔවුන් කියන දෙය හා කරණ දෙය අතර තිබෙන ඔවුන්ට නොපෙනෙන පරස්පරය (walk the talk) අවංකවම විසඳාගත්තොත්  ජනාධිපති තරඟය කෙසේ වෙතත් පාර්ලිමේන්තු ආසන 50 ක් වත් ලේසියෙන්ම දිනාගන්නට ඔවුන්ට මෙවර ඉඩක් පෑදී ඇති නිසාය.

සාදුකින් පෙලෙනවුන්

යම් රටක, සමාජයක නිතැතින් පවතින එහි කොටසකගේ දුගීකම ලෝකයේ මාක්ස්වාදීන්ගේ පැවැත්ම සඳහා ලැබී ඇති ආර්ථික-දේශපාලන අල්ලසය. එය ශ්‍රමය සූරාකෑමේ හා පන්ති සටන ලෙස හැඳින්වේ. මෙම න්‍යායධර්මය ජේසුතුමා විසින් සිය අවසාන භෝජන අවස්ථාවේදීත්, බුදු දහමේදී <බඩගින්න>  වශයෙනුත් පෙන්වාදී ඇත. සාදුකින් පෙලෙනවුන් දැන් ඉතින් නැඟිටියව් යනුවෙන් 1930 ගණන්වල සිට ප්‍රචලිතවූ පාඨයෙන් උපරිම ලෙස ප්‍රයෝජන ගන්නට, ලංකාවේ දැන් ඇති දුෂ්ට, විෂම පාලනක්‍රමය මඟින් JVP ට අවස්ථාවක් ලබාදී ඇත. 2024 අයවැය යෝජනා මේ සඳහා පාරක්ද කපාදී තිබේ. මේ නිසා මාක්ස්වාදයෙන් නොව, බෞද්ධ සමාජ ආර්ථික විද්‍යාවෙන් (Buddhist Economics) ක්‍රියාකලොත් 1930 ගණන්වල සිටම අසාර්ථකවු වාමාංශික දේශපාලනයට පාලන බලය ලබා ගැනීමට ඉඩක් පෑදී ඇත. ඒ සඳහා අවශ්‍යවන්නේ ඩබල්ගේම් නොගැසීමය. බෞද්ධ මධ්‍යම ප්‍රතිපදාව අමතක කර ලබාගත හැකි <අධ්‍යාත්මයක්> නැත.

මට හිතෙන හැටියට, කිසිවෙක් ඉදිරි ජනාධිපති තරඟයෙන් සියේට 30 කට වඩා ගන්නේ නැත. ඔමල්පේ සෝභිත හිමියන් කුමන්ත්‍රණ අරගලයේ පින්ඩපාතේ යමින්, <මින් පසු රටේ සිංහල බෞද්ධ බලවේගය  විනාශයි> කියා  කිව්වත්, සිංහල බෞද්ධ චන්ද නැතිව සියේට 51 ක් ගන්නට නොහැකිය. මෑත ලෝක ඉතිහාසය අනුව කල්පනාකරණ විට ලංකාවේ කලබගෑනියක් ඇතිකර UNO සාම හමුදා (ඉන්දියන්/ඇමෙරිකන්) ගොඩබස්සවා  ගැනීම  රනිල් මහතාගේ/ජූලි චං මැතිණියගේ උපාය වීමටද ඉඩක් ඇත. අනුර කුමාරව ඇමෙරිකාවට යැවීම, ගෝඨාභය ඉදිරියේ දෙවියන්ට යාඥා කිරීම වැනි දිරච්ච ලණුවක් විය නොහැකිද?

මීට පෙර කාලයක රංජන් රාමනායක හාමුදුරුවරුන්ට අපහාසකලේ ඇමෙරිකන් තානාපති කාර්යාලයේ නිලධාරියෙකුගේ බිස්නස්කාඩ් එකක් තම පර්ස් එකෙන් ගෙන පෙන්වමින්ය. පානදුරේ ලාල් විසින් අනුර කුමාරලාට ජූලි චං කල ආරාධනය වාර්තාකලේ JVP එකට ලැබුණ ගෞරවයක්, පිළිගැනීමක් ලෙසය. වෙන අයට එසේ ආරාධනා කරනවාද කියා ඔහු ඔච්චම් කරයි! මෙවැනි ලණු ගැන ඔහුට දැනුමක් නැත. අනුර ජනාධිපති වුනත් ඇමෙරිකාව ඔහුව පාලනය කරණ බව, පකිස්ථානයේ හමුදාව තුල ඇති ඩොලර් අල්ලස් බලය ගැන නොදන්නා ලාල්ට වැටහීමක් නැත.

චේතනාව හා අධ්‍යාත්මය

දේශපාලකයින් විසින් බුද්ධාගමේ වචන  හා සූත්‍ර ගැන  දැන් දැන් වැඩි වැඩියෙන් දියවන්නා හෝටලයේදී මෙන්ම ඉන් පිටත්  කතා කිරීම තරඟයක් වැනිය. 2024 අයවැය කතාව පවා ආරම්භවන්නේ ත්‍රිපිටකයේ සූත්‍රයකිනි. චේතනාව හා අධ්‍යාත්මය යනු එකම කාසියේ දෙපැත්ත වැනිය. මාක්ස්වාදය අත් නොහළ පිරිසක් වශයෙන් JVP විසින් තමන් සිංහල බෞද්ධයයි කීම (NM පෙරේරලා, කොල්වින්ලා, ඩියු ගුණසේකරලා නම් කවදාවත් එසේ කිව්වේ නැත) බැරෑරුම් වගකීමකි. හඳුන්නෙත්ති විසින් බෞද්ධ රාජ්‍ය පාලන ක්‍රමයක් ගැන කතා කලේය.  විජිත හේරත් ගමේ විහාරයක කොත් පැළඳවීමේ උත්සවයකට ගොස් එය කඩා වැටී අනූනමයෙන් බේරුණේය. මේ අස්සේ JVP ට නිලනොලත් ලෙස කඩේ යන සේපාල් අමරසිංහ නිරාගමික ආගම අබිං මතයක් ඉස්සරහට දමමින් සිටී. 20,000 ක් පමණ නිරා බලකායක් JVP වෙනුවෙන් ෆේස්බුක්, යු ටියුබ් අල්ලාගෙන පිනුම් ගසමින් (යකා නටමින්) සිටිනවා යයි අසන්නට ලැබේ. සේපාල් සමඟ බොදු බල සේනාවේ ඥානසාර හිමියන්ගේ පිරිත් නූල ගැනත්, ඩලස් අලහප්පෙරුමලා සමඟ පැවති සාකච්චාව ගැනත් ලාල්කාන්ත කල ප්‍රකාශ බලය ලබා ගැනීම සඳහා ඕනෑම කෙනෙක් භාවිතා කරණවා යන හිට්ලර්ගේ ගිවිසුම් ක්‍රමයට සමානය. මෙවැනි ක්‍රියා බුදු දහමේ අධ්‍යාත්මයට පටහැණිය.

නිරාගමික සේපාල් JVP පක්ෂයට කරණ හානිය

උමංදාවේ හාමුදුරුවන් හා අම්පිටියේ සුමනරතන හිමියන් රටට කරණ සේවය අනුව සිතන විට සේපාල් නිකම්ම් පඹයෙක් පමණය (සේපාල් විසින් යම් සුළු සේවයක්වත් නොකරණවා යයි මම නොකියමි). එහෙත් ඔහුගේ දාර්ශනික තර්ක ඔස්සේ ඔහුද ඩබල්ගේම්කාරයෙක් හෙවත් තමන් තමන්වම රවටා ගන්නා අවලංගු පංචස්කන්ධයක් නොවේද කියා ඔහුට නොපෙනේ. වාරණ ආනන්ද ජයකොඩි නම් මහතා සමඟ ඔහු කරණ කතා අනුව  1971/88-89 JVP යනු ශාන්ත දාන්ත තීන්ත කූඩුය. පන්ති සටන යනු මැයි දින පෙලපාලි වලදී යූනියන් ප්ලේස් සාප්පුවල වීදුරුවලට ගල් ගසනවාට වඩා වැඩි දෙයකි. වාරණ-සේපාල් සංවාද අනුව JVP ඝාතන, සතුරා විසින් කල ඝාතනවලට දැක්වූ ප්‍රතිචාරය. JR මරමු යයි තාප්පවල ලිව්වේ JVP අය නොව රාජිත සේනාරත්න වැනි JVP එකේ සතුරන් විසින්ය! මෙය ගැලපෙන්නේ කොණ්ඩේ වවාගෙන පෙලපාලි යන අන්තරේ  කහසිවුරු පොරවාගත් තරුණයින්ටය. ගමේ පන්සලක හාමුදුරුවරු JR පන්නමු, එලවා දමමු, යන්නට වැඩි දෙයක් එදත් අදත් කියන්නේ නැත.

1969-70 කාලයේදී පානදුරේ තරුණයින්, රෑට රෑට හරියට දොර අඟුල්වත් නැති දුගී ගෙවල්වල කුස්සිවලට රිංගා බත් මුට්ටි හොරකම් කලේ සටන් පුහුණුවේ කොටසක් වශයෙනි (මීට සම්බන්ධව සිටි JVP තරුණයින්ගේ නම් දෙකක් මා විසින් සේපාල්ට ඊමේල් කර යවන ලදී). මේ නිසා අධ්‍යාත්ම කතාවක් කීමට පන්ති සටනක් දියත් කරණ අයට නොහැකිය.  JVP නායකයින් දැන් 2023 නොවැම්බර් මාසේ මැදදීත් කියන්නේ පාරේ අරගලයකින් බලය අල්ලා ගන්නා බවය. ඉදිරි එවැනි උත්සාහයකදී හමුදාවට හා පොලීසියට ඔවුන්ගේ පැත්තට එන ලෙස ඔවුන් දන්වා සිටී. විශ්‍රාම ගිය හමුදාකාරයින් විශාල වශයෙන් NPP සමඟ බද්ධවී ඇති බවද අනුර කුමාරලා මහත් උජාරුවෙන් කියාපායි.

අවි ගත්තෝ අවියෙන්ම නසී යනු බෞද්ධ කියමනක් නොවේ. නමුත් 1930 ස් ගණන් වලදී මාක්ස්වාදීන් ධර්මපාලතුමාගේ අදහස් සළකා බැලුවා නම්, සමහර හාමුදුරුවරු ඔවුන්ට පෙන්වා දීමට සැදූ බෞද්ධ මාර්ගය අනුගමනය කලා නම් දැන් 2023 දී හඳුන්නෙත්තිට අළුතෙන් බෞද්ධ රාජ්‍ය ප්‍රතිපත්ති ගැන කතාකරන්නට අවශ්‍යවන්නේ නැත. මැලේරියා ගම්වලට ලොරිවලින් බඩු ගෙනගිය සූරියමල් මාක්ස්වාදීන් 1940 දශකයේදී කළුකොඳයාවේ ප්‍රඥාශෙඛර නාහිමියන් විසින් දියත්කල අපරාධ මර්දන හා ග්‍රාම ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ දීපව්‍යාප්ත ව්‍යාපාරයට හවුල්වුනා නම් ඔවුන් ලංකාවේ හෝචිමිංලා වෙන්නේය (එයට D.B ජයතිලක, D.S සේනානායක හා SWRD බණ්ඩාරනායක යන ඩොනමෝර් ඇමතිවරු සහාය නොදීම තේරුම් ගත හැකිය. ඔවුන්ට ධර්මපාලතුමාගේ ආර්ථික දර්ශණයද අරහං විය). පුදුමයට කරුණ නම් හඳුන්නෙත්තිලා, අනුර කුමාරලා මෙසේ නිකමටවත් <බෞද්ධ කතා> කරද්දී, JVP ට බලෙන්ම කඩේ යන සේපාල් බෞද්ධයින්ට කරණ පහරදීමය. නිදසුණක් වශයෙන් ගුණදාස අමරසේකර උපන්දින සැමරුවේදි නලින් ද සිල්වා විසින් ලංකාව සිංහල බෞද්ධ රාජ්‍යයක් වියයුතු කුමක් නිසාදැයි පෙන්වා දුන්නත්, සේපාල් විසින් එය බඩගෝස්තරයින්ගේ සමුළුවක් ලෙස ඔහුගේ යූටියුබ් සහචරයින්ට වාර්තා කලේය.

1994 දී චන්ද්‍රිකාව ලන්ඩන් වලින් කොළඹට උස්සාගෙන ඒමට ක්‍රියාකලේ වික්ටර් අයිවන්, රාජිත සේනාරත්න, පානදුරේ රෙජිනෝල්ඩ් කුරේ යනාදි පිරිසක් බවත් ඇගේ 1995 රටකඩන පැකේජ්ඩීල් එක ඔවුන්ගේ අරමුණවූ බවත් නලින් පෙන්වා දුන්නේය. මීට විරුද්ධව බෙංගමුවේ නාලක හා ඔමාරේ කස්සප යන හාමුදුරුවරු කළුතර බෝධිය ලඟ සිට කතරගම දක්වා පා ගමනක් ගියේය. 2000 දී මේ පැකේජ්ඩීල් එක පැරදුනේ අනූනමයෙනි. සේපාල් වැනි සිංහල බෞද්ධ විරෝධීන්ට මේවා වැදගත් නැත. නලින්ට අනුව මුනිදාස කුමාරණතුංග රට ජාතියේ ඓතිහාසික වීරයෙකි. සේපාල්ට අනුව සීයා අනුව යන ඔහුගේ මුණුපුරා බඩජහරියෙකි (සේපාල් ගෙවිඳුගේ කෑම පිඟානද ඔහුගේ වීඩියෝවේ පෙන්වයි).

LankaWeb – සජිත්-රනිල්-චන්ද්‍රිකාගේ රට කැබලිකිරීමේ ප්ලෑන  ( 2019/11/05)

හෘදය ශාක්ෂිය

(A). පුද්ගලික වාසිය සඳහා සමාජයට හානියක් නොවන ආකාරයේ ඩබල්ගේම් ගැසීමට උදාහරණයක් වශයෙන් ඉහතින් ඇති වීඩියෝව බලන්න. ඒ අනුව වටගල කොතලාවල ආරක්ෂක විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය පිහිටුවනවාට විරුද්ධව පෙලපාලි සංවිධානය කල JVP කාරයෙකි. නමුත් ඔහුගේ පුතා පසුව ඒ ආයතනයෙන් උපාධියක් ලබාගත්තේය. JVP නායාචාරියෙක් වන ලාල් කාන්තගේ පුතා පුද්ගලික ආයතනයකින් උපාධියක් ලබාගත්තේය. මෙය ප්‍රභාකරන් තම දරුවන් පිටරට ඉගෙනගන්නට යවා යාපනේ වෙල්ලාල නොවන දුගී දරුවන් යුද්ධයට හොරකම් කරගත්තාට වඩා වෙනස්ද? මෙවැනි නිදසුන් තවත් බොහෝ ඇතිබව නිසැකය. ලුමුම්බා සරසවියට විජේවීර ශිෂ්‍යා ගියේද කොමියුනිස්ට් පක්ෂයේ නම් ලැයිස්තුව  (ඔහුගේ පියා) නිසාය!

(B). දේශපාලන වාසිය තකා වංක ලෙස ක්‍රියාකරණවා යයි JVP ට (අනුර කුමාරට) නාගානන්ද කොඩිතුවක්කු විසින් කරණ චෝදනා, දේශපාලන පක්ෂයක් වශයෙන් ඔවුන් රටේ දේශපාලන ක්‍රමයට කල ද්‍රෝහී ක්‍රියා ලෙස හුවා දැක්වේ.

(C). අනුර කුමාර විසින් ඇමෙරිකාවේ සංචාරය කරමින් කල ප්‍රකාශණ දෙකකින් මතුවූයේ ඔවුන්ගේ සිංහල බෞද්ධකම පිළිඹද අර්බුදයකි. අධ්‍යත්මික ප්‍රශ්ණයකි. මේ ප්‍රකාශණ දෙක රටේ සිංහල බෞද්ධ ජනයාගේ චන්ද ඔහුට නොලැබීමට හේතුවනවා නිසැකය. තම මත සාධාරණ කිරීමට ඔහු ගේනා තර්ක පදනම් රහිතය. රෝහණ විජේවීරගේ මෙන්ම ඔහුගේ පුත් උවිඳුගේ අදහස් වලටද පටහැනිය. මෙය සුළු ජන වර්ගවල චන්ද ලබාගැනීමට සෙසු දේශපාලකයින් කරණ මගඩියට  සමානය. විමල් වීරවංශ මෙන්ම සෝමවංශ අමරසිංහද පක්ෂය හැරදා ගියේ මේ නිසාය.

*1. ඇමෙරිකාවේ සුදු ජනයාගේ අයිතිය පිළිගනිමින් ලංකාවේ හා අනිකුත් රටවල ජනවර්ග සිය නිදහස භුක්තිවිඳිමින් සිටියත්, ලංකාවේදී සිංහල මහජාතියට උතුරු නැඟෙනහිර ජීවත්වන්නට ඉඩක් නැත්තේ ඇයිදැයි ඇසු ප්‍රශ්ණයකට අනුර කුමාර දුන්නේ වික්ෂිප්ත පිළිතුරකි. <…මිහිඳු හාමුදුරුවන්ගේ ආගමනයත් සමඟ ඇතිවූ සිංහල බෞද්ධ ශිෂ්ටාචාරය අතීතයේ සිට ලංකාව  ගොඩනැඟුවේය. ඒ වුනත් මේ වනවිට රටේ ඇත්තේ බහු ජාතික සමාජයක් නිසා ලංකාව සිංහල බෞද්ධ රටක් යයි හැඳින්විය නොහැකියයි අනුර කියා සිටියේය.> මෙය මංගල සමරවීර-විජේදාස රාජපක්ෂ-ඩලස්-ඩිලාන්- SB දිසානායක-GL පීරිස්-රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ-සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස වැන්නන්ගේ හා මාක්ස්වාදීන්ගේ අරටු බැසගත් පොදු මතයය.

සිංහල බෞද්ධ රාජ්‍යයක් තුල දෙමළ හා මුස්ලිම් ජනයා සහජීවනයෙන් ජීවත්වු අතර එය කඩා බිඳ දැම්මේ සුද්දා විසින්ය. බෞද්ධයින් ආගමික යුද්ධ කර නැත. අද වනවිට ගැටුම් ඇතිවී තිබෙන්නේ සිංහලයින් විසින් ඔවුන්ට අහිමිකල අයිතීන් ආපසු ලබා දෙන ලෙස කල ඉල්ලීම නිසා පමණක් නොවේ. (1). 1917 දී මැඩ්‍රාස් ප්‍රාන්තයේ බිහිවූ ද්‍රවිඩස්ථාන් ව්‍යාපාරයේ අභාෂයෙන්, 1923 සිට අරුණාචලම් ආරම්භකල දමිළ ජාතිවාදය හා 1949 සිට චෙල්වනායගම් ගෙනා කොසොවෝ ඊළම්වාදය, (2) ආසියාව ක්‍රිස්තියානි කිරීමේ වතිකානුවේ හා ක්‍රිස්තියානි මූලධර්මවාදී අයථා අන්‍යාගමීකරණ ඩොලර් ව්‍යාපාරය (3) ශාරියා-වහාබි මුස්ලිම් ව්‍යාප්තවාදය හා (4) රට තුලින්ම සේපාල්ලා, රංජන් රාමනායකලා වැන්නන් විසින් උල්පන්දම් දෙන බුද්ධාගමට පහරදීමේ  NGO ශූක්ෂම ඩොලර් කුමන්ත්‍රණ යන දේශීය හා විදේශීය බලවේග  අනුර කුමාර විසින් අමතක කර ඇත.

මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් නොයෙක් ශාස්ත්‍රීය ලිපි ලංකා වෙබ් වෙබ් අඩවියේ එමටය. 1551 න් පසු 2016 (?) මැල්කම් රංජිත් කාදිනල්තුමා විසින් ප්‍රථම වරට මෙම කාරණය පැහැදිලි කර දෙනලදී. ලංකාවේ සෙසු ජාතීන් හා ලබ්ධීන් සිංහල බෞද්ධ වෘක්ෂයෙ සෙවනැල්ල යටතේ පෝෂණය වූ බව එතුමා පැවසුවේය. යුද හමුදාපතිව සිටියදී සරත් ෆොන්සේකා කියා සිටියේද <සෙසු ජනවර්ග වලට සමාන අයිතිවාසිකම් සහිතව සිංහල මහසමාජය තුල සාමයෙන්, සතුටින් ජීවත් විය හැකි බවත්, එහෙත් ඔවුන් විසින් අසාධාරණ ඉල්ලීම් ඉදිරිපත් නොකල යුතු බවත්ය>.

ලංකාවේ සිංහල බෞද්ධ පදනම බිඳ දැමිය යුතුයයි මිසිස් චන්ද්‍රිකා හා රෝසි සේනානායක යුවල කරණ ප්‍රකාශය අනුර කුමාරගේ ප්‍රකාශයේ අක්කාය. ලංකාව සිංහල බෞද්ධයින්ගේ රට යයි කියන්නට දැනුමක්, අවභෝධයක් නැති, ඒ සඳහා ලැජ්ජාවෙන හෝ ආත්ම ශක්තියක් නැති අයෙකුට ලංකාවේ ජනාධිපතිවීමට අයිතියක් නැත.

*2. මේ හා බැඳුණ ඊලඟ ප්‍රකාශය වන්නේ 13-A සම්බන්ධයෙන් ඔහු දුන්  වහෙන් ඔරෝ උත්තරයය. බිම්මට්ටමේ යථාර්ථයට පටහැනි, හැමෝටම සක්සුදක්සේ පැහැදිලි වන සංසිද්ධියක් ඔහුට නොවැටෙන්නේ කෙසේද? <..පලාත් සභා දැන් දෙමළ ජනයාගේ අයිතීන් බවට පත්වී ඇති නිසා ඒවා අහෝසිකල නොහැකියයි ඔහු කියා සිටියේය.> මෙහිදී ඔහු දෙන්නේ ඔහු රනිල්ගේ මල්ලී යයි සිතා දෙන පිලිතුරකි. මෝඩි, රාසමානික්කම්, සුමන්තිරන්, විග්නේශ්වරන් හා පොන්නම්බලම් හැරෙන විට යාපනේ දෙමළ ජනයාට පලාත් සභා අමතකය. මේ දෙමළ කොටින්ගේ යාපනේ චන්ද පදනම සෝදා පාලුවකට අසුවී ඇති බව අනුර කුමාර නොදනීද? මෙය සෙසු දකුණේ දේශපාලකයින් මෙන් දෙමළ චන්ද පෙරේතකමට කරණ ආත්ම වංචාවක් නොවේද? යාපනේ චේ ගුවේරා වන අරුන් සිද්ධාර්ථ් ගැන  අනුර අසා නැද්ද?

ලෝකයේ කිසිම රටක යම් ජන කොටසකට වෙන අයෙක් විසින් බලෙන් පැටවූ <අයිතීන්> තිබිය නොහැක. පලාත් සභා යනු ප්‍රභාකරන්ගේ සිට ලංකාවේ හැම දෙනාම ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කල ඉන්දියන් මගඩියකි. යාපනේ වසන 60% ක් වන වෙල්ලාල නොවන ජනයාට අනුව පලාත් සභාව යනු වෙල්ලාල කොටින් විසින් ඔවුන්ව තවදුරටත් අර්ධ වහල් භාවයේ තබා ගැනීමේ උප්පරවැට්ටියකි. කුරුන්දි විහාර සිද්ධියේදී හා අම්පිටියේ සුමනරතන හිමියන් විසින් අවුරුදු 30 ක් පුරා රටට පෙන්වා දුන් යථාර්ථය නම් නැඟනහිර පලාත් සභාව, එහි නිලධාරීන් හා උසාවි ක්‍රමය එහි සිටින සිංහල ජනයා එලවා දැමීමේ කුමණ්ත්‍රනයක් කරගෙන යන බවය. යාපනේ තිස්ස රජමහා විහාරය, මුලතිව් විහාරය ට විරුද්ධව පෙලපාලි මෙහෙයවන්නේ ක්‍රිස්තියානි පාස්ටර්ලා මිස හින්දු ජනයා නොවේ. හින්දු-බෞද්ධ මිත්‍රත්වය හා යුද හමුදා-දමිළ ජන මිත්‍රත්වය ඉහළ තලයකින් පවතී.

එක රටක්-එක නීතියක් වාර්තාව (2022)

යාපනේ ඇති ඉන්දියන් තානාපති (ඉන්දියන් රෝ ඔත්තු සේවය( කාර්යාලයෙන් අරුන් ඉල්ලා සිටින්නේ යාපනේ ජනයාට හින්දි භාෂාව උගන්වන  පන්ති වෙනුවට, ඔවුන්ට (හා යුද හමුදාවට හා පොලිසියට) සිංහල හා දෙමළ උගන්වන්නට උදව් කරණ ලෙසය. එපමණක් නොව යාපනේ වෙල්ලාලයින්ගේ තේසවලම් නීතියෙන් පීඩා විඳින කුලහීන යයි සැළකෙන දෙමළ ජනතාව  බොදු බල සේනාවේ ඥානසාර හිමියන් මූලිකවූ  එක රටක්-එක නීතියක් වාර්තාව (One country-One law report) ක්‍රියාත්මක කරණු ඇතැයි  බලාගෙන සිටී. 1956 චන්දයෙන් පසු බණ්ඩාරනායක ආණ්ඩුව විසින් පැනවූ උතුරේ දෙමළ ජනයාට සිදුවන සමාජ අසාධරණකම් වැලැක්වීමේ නීතිය (Prevention of Social Disabilities Act, No. 21 of 1957) අකර්මණ්‍යවූ නීතියක් බවද මෙහිදී සඳහන් කල යුතුය. JVP විසින් උතුරේ කුලහීන යයි සළකණ ජනයාගේ ප්‍රශ්ණ අමතක කරන්නේ කුමක් නිසාදැයි සැකයක් මතුවන්නේ එහි නැඟී එන නායකයා වන අරුණ් බෞද්ධයෙක් නිසාද?

ජන සභා සංකල්පය: ලංකාවේ/ලෝකයේ අර්බුදවලට මුහුණදීම

දූෂණයෙන්, වංචාවෙන්, හොරකමින් මුළු රටම පීඩා විඳිමින් සිටින බව මුව හමට තලනවා මෙන් නැවත නැවත රැස්වීම් වලට එන ජනයා කුල්මත් කිරීමට අමතරව රට වලෙන් ගොඩ ගැනීමේලා පැහැදිලි සැලැස්මක් JVP-NPP මඟින් ඉදිරිපතකර තිබේද? සමස්ත සිස්ටම් සියල්ලම උඩු යටිකුරු කර ගම්මට්ටමින් ජනයාතුල විනයනුකූල හැසිරීමක් හා අයිතීන් හා වගකීම් (rights and duties) යන දෙකම ඔවුන්ට උගන්වා මිස ලංකා සමාජය ගොඩ ගැනීමට නොහැකිය. මේ සඳහා නිවැරදිම විසඳුම පක්ෂ දේශපාලනයෙන් තොර ජන සභා ක්‍රමයක් ක්‍රියත්මක කිරීමය.

එවැනි ක්‍රමයක් මිස JVP-NPP ක්‍රියාකාරීන්ට ගම් භාරදුන්නොත් සිදුවිය හැකිදේ පිළිඹඳව මහජනයාට අත්දැකීම් එමටය. දෑකැත්ත හා මිටිය සහිත බස් හොල්ට් එක මෙන් JVP බල ඇණි තරඟයට මෙන් ගම්වල යකා නටන්නට ඉඩ තිබේ. 1971 දී හා 1988/89 කාලවලදී නායකයින්ට පාලනය කරගත නොහැකිවූ වියවුල් තත්වයක් රටපුරා බිහිවුනේ නැද්ද? මහජන චන්දයෙන් ගම්වල ජන සභා පිහිටුවිය යුත්තේ ඒ නිසාය. මෙම විසඳුම මෙම සටහනේ දෙවන කොටසින් ඉදිරිපත් කරමි. මෙම සටහන අනුර කුමාර  මහතාට හා JVP පක්ෂ කාර්යාලයට ඊමේල් කර යවමි.

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අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය 

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතා සහ  චීන ජනාධිපති ෂී ජින් පිං මහතාගේ විශේෂ නියෝජිත, රාජ්‍ය මන්ත්‍රී ෂෙන් යිකින් (Shen Yiqin) මහත්මිය අතර හමුවක් අද (2023.11.20) අරලියගහ මන්දිරයේ දී පැවැත්විණි.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව වෙත චීනය ලබා දෙන අඛණ්ඩ සහයෝගය ඉතා ඉහළින් අගය කරන බවත්, චීනය සහ ශ්‍රී ලංකාව අතර ආර්ථික සහයෝගීතාව තවදුරටත් පුළුල් කර ගැනීමේ විශාල හැකියාවක් පවතින බවත්   මෑත කාලීන ණය අර්බුදයෙන් පසු ආර්ථිකය යථා තත්ත්වයට පත්කිරීම සඳහා ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට ලබා දුන් සහයට ස්තූතිවන්ත වන බවත් අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා මෙහිදී පැවසීය.

සෘජු පෞද්ගලික ආයෝජන මෙන්ම කෘෂිකාර්මික ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ ආයෝජන සහ  අපනයනය, පුනර්ජනනීය බලශක්තිය, තොරතුරු තාක්ෂණ, අධ්‍යාපනය ආදී ක්ෂේත්‍ර සඳහා ආයෝජන මෙන්ම, පවතින ආර්ථික ප්‍රශ්නවලට දිගුකාලීන විසඳුම් ලබාදීම වෙනුවෙන් යටිතල පහසුකම් සංවර්ධනයට චීනයෙන් ලැබෙන්නා වූ සහයෝගය ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සාදරයෙන් පිළිගන්නා බවද අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා සඳහන් කළේය. 

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට පමණක් නොව අනෙකුත් ණය දෙන රටවලට සහ ජාත්‍යන්තර නියෝජිත ආයතනවලට චීනයේ සහයෝගය ලැබීම ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ණය ප්‍රතිව්‍යුහගත කිරීමේ ක්‍රියාවලියට සහාය වීම සඳහා විශ්වාසයක් ලබා දී ඇති බවද අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා මෙහිදී පෙන්වා දුන්නේය.  

සමස්ත චීන කාන්තා සම්මේලනයේ සභාපතිනිය ද වන විශේෂ නියෝජිත ෂෙන් යිකින් මහත්මිය පැවසුවේ, ශ්‍රී ලංකාව චීනයේ සමීපතම මිතුරෙකු ලෙස සලකන බවත්, සහයෝගීතාව මෙන්ම නව ව්‍යාපෘති සඳහා ආයෝජනය කිරීමටත්, කොළඹ වරාය නගරය, හම්බන්තොට වරාය, දිළිඳුකම පිටුදැකීමේ වැඩසටහන්, අධ්‍යාපනය සහ කෘෂිකර්ම යන ක්ෂේත්‍ර පුළුල් කිරීමටත් බලාපොරොත්තු වන බවත්ය.

දුෂ්කරතා මඟහරවා ගැනීම සඳහා ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ලබා ඇති ප්‍රගතිය දැකීමෙන් චීනය සතුටට පත්වන බව පැවසූ චීන රාජ්‍ය මන්ත්‍රීවරිය ආර්ථික අභියෝගවලට මුහුණ දීමේ ප්‍රයත්නයන් සඳහා චීනයේ අඛණ්ඩ සහයෝගය සහතික කළාය.

ජාත්‍යන්තර සමුළුවලදී ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ස්වෛරීභාවයට සහය දැක්වීමේ චීන ස්ථාවරය පිළිබඳව අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා මෙහිදී විශේෂ සඳහනක් කළ අතර ඊට ප්‍රතිචාර දක්වමින් ෂෙන් යිකින් (Shen Yiqin) මහත්මිය සඳහන් කළේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ නිදහස සහ       ස්වාධීනත්වය, ස්වෛරීභාවය සහ භෞමික අඛණ්ඩතාව වෙනුවෙන් චීනය සැමවිටම පෙනී සිටින බවයි.

මෙම හමුවේදී දීර්ඝකාලීන සංස්කෘතික සබඳතා තවදුරටත් ශක්තිමත් කර ගැනීමේ වැදගත්කම අවධාරණය කළ චීන තානාපති කිව් ෂෙන් හොං (Qi Zhenhong) මහතා ආගමික බැඳීම්වල කල්පවත්නා සංකේතයක් ලෙස ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ විශාලතම බුද්ධ ප්‍රතිමාව ළඟදීම ඉදිකිරීමට චීනය යෝජනා කරන බව සඳහන් කළේය.

මෙම අවස්ථාවට චීන ජ්‍යෙෂ්ඨ නිලධාරීන්, රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යවරුන් වන ජානක වක්කුඹුර, අශෝක ප්‍රියන්ත, ගීතා කුමාරසිංහ, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් වන සුදර්ශන දෙණිපිටිය, යදාමිණි ගුණවර්ධන, රාජිකා වික්‍රමසිංහ, මුදිතා ද සොයිසා, මංජුලා දිසානායක, කෝකිලා ගුණවර්ධන, සහ අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය ලේකම් අනුර දිසානායක යන අය එක්ව සිටියහ.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය 

Courtesy PIME Asia News

On the occasion of the World Day celebrated by the UN on 19 November in Sri Lanka, the Public Health Inspectors Association released some data on the scarcity of these essential facilities for the protection of people’s health and dignity.

Colombo (AsiaNews) – Yesterday, 19 November, marked the “World Toilet Day” called for by the UN to focus on the issue of accessibility and availability of public toilets, an issue that is far from insignificant in Sri Lanka as pointed out by Public Health Inspectors Association member W. D. Roshan Kumara. Only one in 20 homes in the country has a ‘sanitary toilet’, explains a research conducted by the association.

The theme of this year’s World Sanitation Day is ‘Valuing Sanitation’, emphasising the intrinsic value of these facilities in improving health, ensuring dignity and also facilitating economic development. Despite the progress made around the world in recent years, according to the United Nations, some 4.2 billion people still lack access to safely managed sanitation, leading to the spread of disease and compromising overall well-being.

In Sri Lanka in recent years, the proposal to ‘reinstate the system of aid given to low-income people for the construction of toilets, and to intervene to guarantee this service in every school, had come back into vogue,’ explains Roshan Kumara.

He adds: ‘The people of Sri Lanka, whose need for sanitation has not been met, have an urgent need for it and attention to the issue is essential because we have found that only one in 20 homes in Sri Lanka has a sanitary facility and this leads to disease and pollution of the groundwater by sewage, especially in rural areas.

Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday 15 November, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha warned that 74 school buildings across the island were found to be ‘unsafe’ for students. The reasons include a lack of sanitation, as well as structural weaknesses, as in the case of a school in the Wellampitiya suburb of Colombo, where a 6-year-old girl was killed and several others were injured after a wall collapsed on Wednesday 15 November.

In spite of everything, the UN figures say that the situation in Sri Lanka is not among the worst in South Asia; in some areas, as much as 90 per cent of the population does not have access to these services.

Source: Xinhua

COLOMBO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) — Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe met here on Monday with visiting Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin, with both sides pledging to deepen cooperation and friendship between the two countries.

Wickremesinghe thanked China for its long-term valuable support and assistance to Sri Lanka, saying that Sri Lanka firmly supports the joint Belt and Road construction, and encourages Chinese enterprises to invest in the country to promote the construction of Port City Colombo and Hambantota International Port.

Sri Lanka strictly adheres to the one-China policy and hopes to deepen friendly exchanges and cooperation with China to promote Sri Lanka’s socio-economic development, the president added.

For her part, Shen said China attaches great importance to its relations with Sri Lanka, and is willing to work with the Sri Lankan side to earnestly implement the consensus reached between leaders of the two countries.

Both sides should support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests, jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road construction, and work together to push for new progress in developing the China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership based on sincere mutual assistance and ever-lasting friendship, she said.

Shen also met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, respectively, on Monday.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

COLOMBO (Daily Mirror) – The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) will initiate a probe into incidents in which stocks of coal imported for the Norochcholai thermal power plant have been under-invoiced for the evasion of due amount of Value Added Tax (VAT), an official said.

COPA Chairman Lasantha Alagiyawanna told Daily Mirror that the COPA examined the audit reports of Sri Lanka Customs for 2019, 2020 and 2021. He said the COPA ordered a further probe into this matter.

Coal imports have been under-invoiced to avoid VAT payment,” he said.

Asserting that there are numerous administrative shortcomings and irregularities in the process, he said

Meanwhile, a statement from the parliamentary media unit said as much as Rs.187 million has been undercharged in this manner.

COPA drew attention to the financial advantage provided to the concerned institution by presenting fake local information during the release of warehouses brought by a private institution for the water development project in the Eastern Province. Accordingly, during the release of the goods which the concerned private company had warehoused as USD 5,139,621, locally prepared forged documents were used to pave the way and obtain USD 1,210,743 in excess for the concerned company when the value shown was USD 6,350,364. Thus, COPA recommended that a report in this regard be given within a month. The status of the introduction of new technology by Customs was also discussed at the Committee meeting held. Accordingly, the officers who were present pointed out that currently a system called “ASYCUDA” is being used to maintain data, and it is connected to the Ramis system. Furthermore, a new technology system will be introduced in the future. Furthermore, attention was also directed to the measures taken regarding the amendment of the Customs Ordinance Act and the officials mentioned that the amendments in this regard will be submitted to Parliament in January 2024,” the statement said.

BY MEERA SRINIVASAN Courtesy The Hindu Businessline

Special envoy of the Chinese President Shen Yiqin with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo on Monday.

China is prioritising” the extension of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) to Sri Lanka, the country’s Special Envoy told President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday, in an indication that China is looking to scale up the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project in South Asia.  

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Paying a courtesy call on the Sri Lankan President, Special envoy of the Chinese President, State councillor Shen Yiqin, said China is prioritising the extension of the Corridor to the island nation, according to a press statement issued by Wickremesinghe’s office on Monday. Additionally, both parties agreed to expedite the implementation of the China-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement,” the statement said.   

The CMEC is the newest of the six land corridors under the BRI and has assumed prominence in place of the Bangladesh China India Myanmar (BCIM) corridor which has largely stalled. India and Bhutan are the only countries in South Asia that have stayed out of the BRI and China’s more recent Global Development Initiative, which Sri Lanka has also backed. Wickremesinghe noted that countries such as Sri Lanka, which are participants in the BRI, are prepared to embark on the second phase of the initiative, which is expected to make a more substantial economic contribution.” 

Joint statement

Shen is in Sri Lanka after participating in President Mohamed Muizzu’s inaugural ceremony in neighbouring Maldives on November 17. Her visit comes a month after President Wickremesinghe met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, on the sidelines of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. A joint statement issued by the two governments at the time said Sri Lanka reiterated it would continue to actively participate” in the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China.  

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In Monday’s meeting, President Wickremesinghe expressed gratitude for China’s support to Sri Lanka, notably acknowledging their assistance in the country’s debt restructuring programme,” his office said.  

Sri Lanka is attempting to finalise a debt treatment plan with its official creditors, so it can receive the second tranche of the International Monetary Fund’s nearly $3 billion package for economic recovery, following last year’s crisis. China has decided to stay out of the official creditors’ platform and remains an observer in deliberations with India and Paris Club members, including Japan, that have sought creditor parity. Last month, the IMF said that securing an agreement with official creditors is a critical next step” for Sri Lanka.