Lanka Lead News

රටේ ජනතාව බෙහෙත් පෙත්තේ සිට ගන්නා ආහාර වේල දක්වා ආපදාවට ලක්වී, අසරණ වී සිටින මොහොතක එම ආපදාව ප්‍රයෝජනයට ගනිමින් රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ජනාධිපතිවරයා තමන්ගේ මාමා වූ ජේ.ආර්. ජයවර්ධනට කරගැනීමට නොහැකි වූ 13 සංශෝධනය හරහා රට බෙදීමේ ක්‍රියාවලිය සක්‍රීය කරමින් සිටින බව ජානිපෙ ජාතික සංවිධායක, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ජයන්ත සමරවීර මහතා පවසයි.

13 සම්පූර්ණයෙන් බලාත්මක කර, රට බෙදා ෆෙඩරල් රාජ්‍යයක් නිර්මාණය කිරීමේ ක්‍රියාවලියෙන් අඩියක් පස්සට තැබීමට ජනාධිපතිවරයාට අද සිදුව ඇත්තේ මෙරට ජාතික සංවිධාන, සිවිල් සංවිධාන විසින් ත්‍රෛනිකායික මහා සංඝරත්නය දැනුවත් කිරීමෙන් උන්වහන්සේලා මෙම ක්‍රියාවට එරෙහිව පියවර ගැනීම නිසා බවත්, එහෙත් ජනාධිපතිවරයා එම ක්‍රියාවෙන් තවමත් ඉවත්වී නොමැති බවත් ඒ මහතා පවසයි.

ජනාධිපතිවරයා ජාතිය අමතමින් කළ කතාවේදී ඒකීය රටක් තුළ උපරිම බලය බෙදීමක් ගැන කතා කළද 13 බලාත්මක කිරීම යනු එම ක්‍රියාදාමයම බවයි ජයන්ත සමරවීර මහතා පෙන්වා දෙන්නේ. මෙම 13 වැනි සංශෝධනයේ ඇති ව්‍යවස්ථා බාධක ඉවත්කිරීම හරහා රට බෙදීම සිදුවන බවද, එමගින් බෙදුම්වාදීන්ට අවශ්‍ය ෆෙඩරල් රාජ්‍ය නිර්මාණය වන බවද ඔහු පෙන්වා දෙයි.

ජනාධිපති රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහගේ පරම යුතුකම ඔහු විසින් ඉටුකිරීමට යාම පුදුම සහගත සිදුවීමක් නොවන බවත්, පුදුමයට කරුණ නම් ඉතිහාසයේ සිටම මෙයට එරෙහිව ජීවිත පරිත්‍යාගයෙන් කටයුතු කළ ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණ ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ මෙම මහා පාවදීම සැඟවීමට උත්සාහ දරමින් සිටීම බවද ඒ මහතා පවසයි.

වීඩියෝව පහළින්…

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=external&v=746202666671878

By Nishel Fernando Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Eyeing to welcome 250,000 Indian tourists this year, Sri Lanka is exploring the possibility of adopting India’s home-grown cross-border digital payment systems as part of the country’s strategy to lure in more Indian tourists by enabling a cashless travel experience.

In an interview with an Indian news agency last weekend, Sri Lanka High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda revealed that enabling payments using RuPay card and RuPay mechanism is being considered as a part of the country’s tourism strategy.
They are even looking at the possibility of using the RuPay card and RuPay mechanism. So, that tourists coming to Sri Lanka would find it easier, that is also part of our tourism strategy” he said.

Speaking to Mirror Business, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando noted that it would be up to the Central Bank to make a decision on accepting payments using RuPay cards and the payment mechanism.
A growing number of countries have adopted the RuPay card and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment system through partnerships. RuPay currently dominates India’s debit card market while competing with global payment card giants in the credit card sector.

Last year, India accounted for 17 percent of the tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka as the single largest source market. For this year, Fernando shared that SLTDA is expecting to 250,000 tourists from India, up from 123,004 arrivals recorded in 2022, as the country targets 1.55 million tourist arrivals for the year.
He noted that several roadshows and promotional activities have been planned to promote the destination among Indian travellers. In addition, the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) convention with a participation of 750 delegates is also scheduled to be held this year.

Commenting on the anticipated tourist arrivals for this year, Fernando was confident of exceeding the 1.55 million tourist arrivals target in particular with the re-opening of the Chinese market towards mid-March and the pick-up in tourist arrivals from Europe.
In January, tourist arrivals jumped by nearly 25 percent YoY to 102,000 almost reaching 105,000 arrival target set for the month.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Eastern Province Governor Anuradha Yahampath today expressed her displeasure over the implementation of the 13th Amendment because it could lead to separatism in the country.

Addressing an event today, she said that she was totally against separatism.

“The separatism will cause no peace in the island and leads to war. If separatism is implemented in any small island, it will create issues. Similar practice has created enough of issues everywhere in the world. There has been war wherever there is separatism, particularly in island nations. “There is no peace in those countries, but raging war,” she said.

Therefore, I’m very much against separatism, she added. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lankan YouTuber and political vlogger Dharshana Handungoda has been arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). 

He was reportedly arrested on Sunday (05) upon arriving in the country from Dubai. 

In May last year, Handungoda had been summed by the Criminal Investigation Department for questioning, however, he had declined to give a statement, claiming that the police never sent him an official notification calling him in for questioning. 

A journalist by profession, Handungoda operates a YouTube channel known for its biting political commentary.

Shenali D Waduge

The northern province has become a virtual Tamil only province by virtue of chasing out Sinhalese & Muslims who had been living prior to Independence. Implementing 13A in full would mean this Tamil Only Northern Province will get the Tamil Eelam State their politicians politically vied for & Tamil militants fought for which Sri Lanka’s soldiers prevented by sacrificing their lives to ensure the Island nation was not separated. Such a political betrayal cannot be allowed.

Those that take offence when Sinhalese say the island nation was built by Sinhale kings & make a fuss about the place of Buddhism, see no fault in creating a Tamil Only province, with Tamil as Official language, administered by Tamils, Tamil laws & police, land owned by only Tamils! The audacity is that while North is to remain only Tamil, in all other provinces Tamils must be given EQUAL RIGHTS as Sinhalese and Sinhalese & Buddhism cannot have any special place. The hypocrisy is unbelievable. Those that point out these hypocrisies are even called ‘racists’ & fundamentalists.

To claim a Tamil Homeland and a Tamil Eelam State, the Sinhalese & Muslims needed to be chased out of the North. LTTE began the ethnic cleansing of Sinhalese & Muslims from the North in the late 1980s/1990s. None of the human rights organizations or foreign governments have bothered to resettle these people to their original habitats. What about their lands & their land ownership? No one has the right to forcibly take them over.

This was how North Sri Lanka came to refer to the North as only Tamils and for only Tamils.

These Tamil politicians have the audacity to claim Sinhalese living in the North as ‘colonization’ while Tamils are coming in numbers to settle down in other parts of Sri Lanka, buying land, property, engaged in livelihoods and employment & educating their children too. Is this not colonization of Tamils in Sinhala areas?

No one is interested to resettle Sinhalese & Muslims chased out of the North. The handful that are living with difficulty are likely to be chased out subtly. The West finds it easier to manipulate Tamils as they have done historically. Caste discrimination is opportunity to increase flocks as those denied entry to kovils or marginalized by society are accepted with open arms to the Church. The scenario of appeasement is ideal for a satellite state. It will become an eventual showdown  for India & West when the balkanization of India begins.

If anyone questions why the Sinhalese oppose giving 13^thAmendment with land & police powers. The reasons are simple.

1. Tamil politicians have sought a separate Tamil state since formation of ITAK in 1949
2. Tamil politicians openly called for a separate sovereign socialist state of Tamil Eelam in 1976 with Vaddukoddai Resolution
3. Prabakaran renamed his Tamil New Tigers (set up in 1972) to LTTE in 1976 & hijacked the call for a Tamil State after being secretly trained by India in armed warfare. This internationalized the quest & sympathy for separate state.
4. Indian stooge Varatharaja Perumal was appointed Chief Minister of the merged North East Province in 1988. In March 1990 he declared unilateral declaration of independence after India had trained the Tamil National Army to replace LTTE. President Premadasa had to annul the Province & impose direct rule.
5. LTTE created TNA in 2001 as a political front when the War on Terror was declared following 9/11
6. ITAK & TNA leader Sambanthan endorsed Vaddukoddai separatist declaration in 2008 merging the quest into one single political objective. TNA manifestos endorse LTTE & LTTE had their own police, courts, lawyers, currency.
7. The separatist objective was further strengthened by replacing federal (shamashthi) with confederal (innaipachchi) in 2008. TNA leaders, Wigneswaran, LTTE fronts all use confederal terms when making demands & these are clues to their real objective. A federal state cannot separate from the Centre, a confederal state can. This is the catch.
8. TGTE began drafting the Constitution of Tamil Eelam in 2015.
9. Reference to Tamil speaking people” is a ruse to get Muslims on board while pro-separatist Muslims are happy to join to buy time to prepare their quest for a separate state in the East. This was mooted by Ashroff who was present at the Vadukoddai Resolution in 1976. The Oluvil Declaration gives a clue to the separatist bid in the East.

The bid to separate Sri Lanka was stopped twice. In 1990 after the unilateral declaration of independence by EPRLF leader & Chief Minister of merged NE Province Varatharaja Perumal who had an army” prepared to take over. The Centre had to intervene & impose direct rule.

The 2^nd bid to separate Sri Lanka was stopped after suffering 30 years of terror & after Presidential orders were given to militarily defeat the LTTE. This victory came after sacrificing close to 30,000 lives and a similar number injured for life.

Successive Presidents realized the dangers of giving land & police powers to the provinces when the players vying to lead the North have not given up their bid to separate Sri Lanka.

When the North is virtually a Tamil Only province, giving land & police powers means politically giving the Tamil Eelam state.

What is the purpose of this when Constitutionally, no land area can be mono-ethnic, no community can be given rights above the others, no one’s aspirations are more important than the others, Jaffna Tamils are not superior to other Tamils or other communities. When more Tamils live outside of the North, why should only the North have a province only for Tamils? These and more questions should be on everyone’s minds. People must demand answers from their political parties.

Political parties cannot simply claim to endorse giving land & police powers to gain votes without realizing the dangers & repercussions.

As for the majority Sinhalese, our stand is that the soldiers sacrificed their lives to bring the Island under one flag, politicians voted for a term of office cannot decide to separate the Island. The world is a global village, no community can live in segregation & therefore no community should be carved out land areas to call their own while also reserving the right to live in other areas & gain equal rights in those areas while they deny rights to other communities in the area they rule. This is the highest form of hypocrisy.

Shenali D Waduge

ආචාර්‍ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර.මහනුවර

Fist Posted on January 27th, 2023

1948.පෙබ 4 දා.අපට ලැබුණේ අධිරාජ්‍යවාදි යදම්වළින් බැඳි තවමත් බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය මහරජ අපගේද මහරජ වශයෙන් පිළිගන්නා ඔවුන් විසින්ම සකස්කරණලද ආණ්ඩු ක්‍රමව්‍යවස්තාවක් යටතේ පාලනයවන බ්‍රතාන්‍ය පොදුරාජ්‍ය මණ්ඩලය තුල ඩොමිනියන් තත්වයක් හා මේ රටේ මිනිසුන්ගේ චන්දයෙන් පත්කරගත් කලුසුද්දන්ගෙන් සැදුම්ලත් පාර්ලිමේන්ත්ව සහ උත්තර මන්ත්‍රී මණ්ඩලයක් සහිත සීමිත නිදහසක් පමණි. ඒ බව   1948 පෙබරවාරි 10 වනදා පැවති පළමු නිදහසේ නිළ උත්සවයේ ප්‍රධාන අමුත්තා වූ ග්ලොසෙටර්හි ආදිපාදවරයා විසින්ම  එදින  ඔහුගේ කතාව ‘ message From His Majesties king of Ceylon”  යනුවෙන් ප්‍රකාශකිරීමෙන්ම තවදුරටත් සනාත වෙයි.

එසේම සෝල්බරී ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 45 වන වගන්තිය අනුව1948න් පසුවද මේ රටේ විධායක බලය රැඳී තිබුණේ බ්‍රතාන්න්‍ය මහරජ අතය. ඔහු වෙනුවට එම බලය මෙහි ක්‍රියාත්මක කළේ ඔහු විසින්ම පත්කරණු ලැබූ අග්‍රආණ්ඩුකාරයෙකු විසිනි.

1948 ඉන්ග්‍රීසීන් විසින් ලන්කාවට ඊනියා නිදහස දීමේ පසු බිම

1948 පෙබරවාරි 4දාසිදුවුයේ1947දී ඉන්දියාව බ්‍රතාන්ය ග්‍රහනයෙන් ඉවත්වීමත් සමග කඩාවැටුණු ඉන්ග්‍රීසි බල අධිකාරීය ආරක්ෂාකර ගැනීමට ලන්කාව හෝ හොඳින් තබාගැනීම වාසිදායක බව සිතු බැවින් ඔවුන්ගේ ඔනෑ එපාකම් ඉටුකර ගතහැකි සුවච කීකරු ගෝලබාල පිරිසක් අතට මෙහි පාලන බලය දී තෝන් ලණුව තමන් අතේ ම තබාගෙන යාම සදහා අග්නිදිග ආසියාවේ සුදුසුම රට ලන්කාව බව බව ඔවුන් කල්පනාකල බැවිනි. ඒ ඉන්දියාව නැති උනත් අග්නිදිග ආසියාවේ තම අධිරාජ්‍යයේ අනාගත වැදගත් කටයුතු කරගැනීම සදහා ශ්‍රී ලන්කාව උපාය මාර්ගික වශයෙන් තබාගතයුතු බව ඔවුන් උපකල්පනය කළ බැවිනි.

ගෝලීය පිහිටීම අනුව වානිජමය සහ යුධමය වශයෙන් ඉන්දීය සාගරයේ හරි මැද පිහිටීම, මානසික වශයෙන් බුද්ධිශෝධනය කළ තමන්ට අවනත පාලක පැලැන්තියක් එහි සිටිම, ඔවුන් රටින් පිටවී ගියද ඔවුන්ගේ අවශ්‍යතා අනුව ක්‍රියාකරන පිරිසක් ඒ වනවිටත් ඔවුන් විසින් මෙහි නිර්මාණය කොට තිබීම නිසා. හමින් කලු වුවද සුද්දන්ටත් වඩා හොදින් තමන්ගේ කටයුතු ඔවුන් සිදු කරන බව දිවැසින් මෙන් දැක ඇත. අදටත් මේ රටේ ක්‍රියත්මකවෙන දේශපාලනය දෙස බලන ඕනෑම කෙනෙකුට ඒ බව මැනවින් පැහැදිළි වේ. 

සෝල්බරී ව්‍යවස්ථාව ජෙනින්ග්ස් සකස්කළේ ඊනියා නිදහසින් පසුව වුවද බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය අධිරාජ්‍යයේ අරමුණු ඉටුකර ගැනීමේ උපාය මාර්ගයක් වශයෙනි.ඒ බව මෙම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ එක් එක් වගන්තියක් පාසා ගැබ්ව ඇත.

සෝල්බරී ව්‍යවස්ථාව ජෙනින්ස් විසින් නිර්මාණය කළේ ඉහත සඳහන් වැඩපිලිවෙල ක්‍රියාත්මක කරගැනීමේ තෝන්ලණුව වශයෙන් මිස අපගේ රට දියුණු කිර්‍රිමට සකස්කළ නිති ලේඛ්යණක් වශයෙන් නොවේ. අපේ මෝඩ දේශපාලකයින් සෝල්බරි විවස්ථාව ධාතු කරඬුවක් මෙන් පිළි ගත් බව පෙනේ.  එහි අන්තර්ගතය දෙස විමසිල්ලෙන් බලන ඔනෑම කෙනෙකුට, කපටි සුද්දන්ගේ එම යටි අරමුණ පැහැදිළිවම දැකගත හැක. ඔවුන්ගේම වෙස්ට්මින්ස්ටර් පාර්ලිමේන්තු ක්‍රමය, නිලතල ධූරාවළිය, අභියාචන කෙලවර ප්‍රිවිකෞන්සලේ (සාමිමණ්ඩලයේ) තබාගත් අධිකරණ යාන්ත්‍රණය, රාජ්ය පාලනක්‍රමය, භාෂාව, ආණ්ඩුකාරයා පත්කිරීමේ බලය, නීති අණපනත් සම්මත කිරීමේ විධි විධාන, අපගේ ආරක්ෂාවට වඩා අදිරාජ්‍යයේ අරක්ෂාව රැකෙන ක්‍රම සහ විධිවලින් එය පිරී ඇත.

  ඒ අතරම ඔවුන්ගේ බෙදා පාලනය කිරීමේ උපායක් වශයෙන් 1948 වන විට මේ රට තුල ජාතීන් කීපයක් සිටින බව ව්‍යවස්ථාවෙන්ම ප්‍රකාශකොට 29 වන වගන්තියෙන් ලන්කා ඉතිහාසයේ පළමු වතාවට කිසිම දවසක මෙහි නොසිටි සුලුජාතීන් නම් අමුතුම ජාතියක් ඇතිකොට ඇත. ඒ අනුව 1832 මේ රට බෙදා පාලනය කිරීම සදහා ඔවුන් රට බෙදු පලාත් පදනම් කරගෙන සින්හල දෙමල හා මුස්ලිම් ආදී වශයෙන් ජනකොටස් බෙදා රට අවුල්කිරීම සහ සින්හලයින්ද සතුරු කන්ඩායම්වලට බෙදීමට පක්ෂ දේශපාලන ක්‍රමයද හන්දුන්වා දෙමින් සෝල්බරී විවස්ථාව නම්වූ මලතොණ්ඩුව අපේ ගෙලේ එල්ලා එය මාරුවෙන් මාරුවට තමන් විසින්ම වසර 133 ක් තිස්සේ හදා වඩා මනස් ශෝධනය කල කලුසුද්දන් පිරිසක් ලවා දක්කා මේ රට විනාශකිරිමට අවශය සියළු විධිවිධාන යොදා ජාතියක පන්සකූලය දීමට පමණක් ඉතිරිකොටය, ඔවුන් ගියේ.

මීට අමතරවව මේ රට සදාකාලිකව අස්ථාවර කිරීම සදහා ඔවුන්ගේ ව්‍යාපාර සහ වතු අධිරාජ්‍යයේ වහල් මෙහෙයට දකුනු ඉන්දියාවෙන් මෙහි ගෙන ආ ලක්ෂ 12 කට වැඩි බ්‍රතාන්‍යය පුරවැසියන් ද මෙහි අතරමන්කොට යාමෙන් මේ රටේ අනාගත දේශපාලන, ආර්ථික, සාමාජික හා සන්ස්කෘතික වශයෙන් මහා ගිනිකන්දක් නිර්මාණයකොට යාමටද සුද්දා අමතක කළේ නැත. 1948 පසුවී 75 වසරක් ගතව ඇතත් රටක් වශයෙන් ජාතියක් වශයෙන් අප තවමත් හිර වී සිටින්නේ ඒ අධිරා ජ්‍යවාදී මාරාන්තික මළපුඩුවේම නොවේද.

එපමණක් නොව 1948 සුද්දන් මේ රට්න් පිටවී ගියත් ජාත්‍යන්තර මට්ටමින් රිජුව කෙරෙන විවිධ බලපෑම් වලට අමතරව ඊනියා ජාත්‍යන්තර සන්විධාන හරහාද ඔවුන් විසින් කරණුලබන තර්ජන ගර්ජන දෙස බැලීමෙන්ද අප තවමත් ඔවුන්ගේ යටත් විජිතයක්ය යන මානසිකත්වයෙන් ඔවුන් කටයුතු කරන බව ඉතා පහැදිලිය. මේ රටේ නිදහස් දිනය පැවැත්වෙන දවස පවා ඔවුන් අපට නියමකොටදී ගොස් ඇත. පෙබරවාරි 4 දින 1948 ව්‍යවස්ථාව ලියූ ජෙනින්ස්ගේ බිරිඳගේ උපන්දිනය යයිද කියවේ.

මේ රටට තවමත් කිසිදු නිදහසක් ලැබී නැතිබව මා ප්‍රකාශ කරණුයේ මේ නිසාය.මෙසේ පිට රැටියෙකුගේ බිරිඳකගේ උපන්දින සැමරීමට වසර 2500 කටත් වැඩි අභිමානවත් ඉතිහාශයක් ඇති කිතුවසින් පෙර 543 සිට රජුන් රැජිනියන් 193 දෙනෙකු විසින් පාලනය කරනලද ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨ ඉතිහාසයක් හා සම්ප්‍රදායක් ඇති මෙ රටේ ලෝකයේමකයේම ප්‍රථම කාන්තා අගමැතිවරීය  වෂයෙන් නිදහසින් වසර 24කට පසු අගමැතිවරු 6 දෙනෙකුටබැරිවූ නිදහස් ජනරජය බවට ප්‍රකාශකල 1972 මැයි 22 නිදහස් දිනය වෂයෙන් මේ රටේ කුහක දේශපාලක්යින් නොසලකන්නේ ඇයි?

අප ලබා ඇති නිදහසේ නියම තත්වය එසේ වුවද වසරක් පාසා  පෙබරවාරි 4 දා නිදහස සැමරීමට යයි කියා ජාතික ධනය කෝටිගනනින් මෙන්ම  රටේ  සන්වර්ධනයට ඵලදායක අන්දමින් යෙදියයුතු වටිනා මිනිස් සම්පත් ද නාස්ති කරමින් 75 වන වරටත් අපේ රටේ දේශපාලකයින් මේ පවත්වන්ට කඩි මුඩියේ සූදානම් වන්නේ කාට ලැබුණු නිදහසක් අරභයාදැයි මම අසමි.

මගේ අදහසේ හැටිය 48 නිදහස ලැබුනායයි කියන්ට අපට ඉතිරිව ඇත්තේ නමෝ නමෝ මාතා සින්දුව පමණි. එයද 2015 සිට දෙමලෙන්ද ගයයි.

1815 දී ජාතියට අහිමිවූ අපේ ජාතික කොඩියද 1948 දී නැවත් නොඉසවූ නිසා අපට ජාතියක් වශයෙන් කොඩියක්ද නැත. ඒ වෙනුවට දැනට ඇත්තේ 1953 දී පටිදෙකක් ගසා දේශපාලකයින් හදාගත් අපබ්බ්‍රන්ශ නිර්මාණයකි. මේ අතර යාන්තමින් වසර 24 කට පසු හෝ 1972 දී සිරිමා බන්ඩාරනායක මැතිනිය මේ රට ජනරජයක් බවට පත්කොට, බ්‍රතාන්‍ය ප්‍රිවිකවුසලයේ අභියාචනා ග්‍රහණයෙන් අධිකරණයද නිදහස්කොට එක්තරා අන්දමක ස්වාධීන බවක් ඇතිකලාය. එතුමිය එදා එසේ නොකළානම් අදටත් අපේ ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේ අභියාචනා සියල්ල පසිඳලණු ලබන්නේ එන්ගලන්තයේ ප්‍රිවි කවුන්සලයේමය.

ඊනියා නිදහස ලබුණායයි කියන 1948 න් පසු

පළමු වරට1972 මැයි මස 22 දා පහත සඳහන් දෑ සිදුවිය,

1ශ්‍රි ලන්කාව  ස්වාධීන ජනරජයක් වශයෙන් ප්‍රකාශ කිරීම

2එතෙක් විධායකයේ ප්‍රධානියා වූ බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය රජ/රැජින   වෙනුවට අපේම  අග්‍රාණ්ඩුකාරයා  මේ රටේ මහජන චන්දයෙන් පත්වූ  රජයේ අගමැතිවරයා විසින් පත් කිරීම

3 ශ්‍රී ලන්කාපාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සම්මත වන අනපනත් බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය රැජිනගේ නමින් සම්මත කිරීම අහෝසිකොට ශ්‍රී ලන්කා පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසින් සම්මත කිරීම

4 රජයේ ප්‍රධානියා වන අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා මේ රටේ අග්‍රා ණ්ඩුකාරයා විසින් පත්රණු ලැබීම

5 1948 සිට බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය රජයට තිබුණු ආරක්ෂක බැඳීම් අහෝකිරීම.

6 1948 න් පසු පළමු වරට මේ රටේ වසර 2500 ක් පුරා පැවති සම්ප්‍රදාය අනුව බුද්ධාගමට ප්‍රමුඛස්ථානය දීම සහ බුද්ධ සාශසනය සුරක්ෂිත කිරීම සහ පෝෂනය කිරීම රජයේ වගකීම වශයෙන්ම  ව්‍යවස්ථාගතකොට නීතිගත කිරීම

7 ජනතාව විසින් පත්කොට ගත් නියෝජිතයින් විසින් විෂේශ ව්‍යවස්ථා ශභාවකින් නව ජනරජ ව්‍යවස්ථාවක් සම්මතකොට ගැනීම.

ඒ අනුව ඇත්තවසයෙන්ම මේ රටට දේශපාලන නිදහස ලබාගත්තේත්  පූර්ණ  නිදහස ළැබුණේත් 1948 පෙබ් 4 නොව, 1972 මැයි මස 22 දායයි මම අවධාරණයෙන් ප්‍රකාශ කරමි.

එමනිසා මේ ර රටේ නිදහසේ මාතාව වසයෙන් උපහාර කළයුත්තේ බන්ඩාරනායක මැතිනියටයයි යයි මම සිතමි.

එහෙත් තවමත් බටහිර ගැති අපේ දේශපාලකයින්ගේ කුහක කමේ මහත කොපමණදැයි කිවහොත් අද දක්වාම රටේ සුදුසු තැනක ඇයගේ පිළිරුවක්වත් පිහිටුවා නැත. මා හිතන අන්දමට 1948 ලබා නොගත්, එසේම 48 දී නොලැඹුණු නිදහසක් සිහිකිරීම සදහා ගොඩනැගූ ඊනියා නිදහස් මන්දිරය දැන්වත්   ජනරජයක් බවට පත්වූ දිනය සිහිකිරීම සදහා ජනරජ මන්දිරය වශයෙන් නම්කල යුතුය. ඒ අනුව එම චතුරස්ශ්‍රය ජනරජ චතුරස්ශ්‍රය වශයෙන් නම්කල යුතුයයිද මම යෝජනා කරමි. මේ  රටේ නියම නිදහසේ මාතාවවූ  බන්ඩාරනායක මැතිනියගේ පිලිරුව සෑදිය යුත්තේද එහිමය. ඊට අමතරව  කටුනායක බන්ඩාරනයක ගුවන් තොටුපලේ ප්‍රධාන ඇතුල්වීම අබියසද මහනුවර නගරයේ මහමලුව වැනි ප්‍රසිද්ධ තැනකද රත්නපුර බලන්ගොඩ නගරයේ හෝ බලන්ගොඩ වලව්වට අතුල්වන තැන හෝ  පිහිටුවිය යුතුයයිද  මම යෝජනා කරමි. ඒ ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨ නායිකාව අප අතහරින් නික්මගොස් දැනට වසර 23කටම ආසන්නය.මේ රට කොල්ලක්කාපු එසේම දසදහස් ගණනින් මිනිසුන් මරාදාපු අධිරාජ්‍යවාදී සොල්දාදුවන්හ්ගේ මෙන්ම තුට්ටුදෙකේ දේශපාලඥ්යින්ගේද පිලිරූවලින් අඩුවක් නැති මේ රටේ මෙවැනි ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨ නායිකාවගේ පිළිරුවක් හෝ ඉදිකිරිමට අපොහොසත් වූ ශ්‍රී. ලන්කාකාරයින්ට දෑස් ඇරීම සඳහා හෝ ඇය වෙනුවෙන් ඊලඟ ජනරජ දිනයට් හෝ සුදුසු තැනක එක පිළිරුවක් හෝ ඉදිකර ඇයට ගරුකලයුතුයයි මම සිතමි.

නිදහසට පසුවදනක්

පුන්චි කාලයේ අපට කියා දී තිබුණේ ලන්කාවට නිදහස ලැබුණේ 1948 පෙබරවාරි 4 දා කියල. ඔහොම සුරන්ගනා කථා කියා අප රවටන්ට පුලුවන්කම ඒ කාලේ තිබුණා. නමුත් හය හතර තේරෙනකොට අපට තේරුනා 48 මේරටට හා ජනතාවට සැබෑ නිදහසක් නොලැබුණු බව. පාසැලේදීත් එහෙම එකක් 48 ලැබුනා කියා උගැන්ණුවා. ප්‍රජාචාර පොත්පත්වලත් තිබුණේත් එහෙමයි. වසරක් පාසා පත්තරවලත් මහත් උජාරුවට අතිරේක දැම්මා. වසරක් පාසා ඒ සදහා මහජන මුදල් කෝටිගණන් වැයකොට කලින්කළ බලයට ආපු දේශපාලකයින්ගේ පුහු උජාරුව පෙන්වීමට  ගෝල්පේස් එක පැත්තේ ත්‍රිවිධ හමුදා ආචාර, රථ පෙලපාලි. ගුවන් සන්දර්ශන, පාසැල් ලමුන් සියදහස් ගානක් කට්ට අව්වේ වේ ල වේලා පෙලපාලියේ ගෙන යමින් වසරක් පාසා අපේ රටේ දේශපාලකයින් කරන මේ නාඩගම ජාතික ධන විනාශයක් මෙන්ම හුදු සේතාම්බර පඨසලු සන්දර්ශනයක් බව තේරුනේ ලොකු මහත්වී රට තොට ගැන අවභෝධයක් ඇති උනාට පස්සෙ.

මම මේ ගැන පළමුවරට ලියන්ට පත්ටන්ගත්තේ 1997 දිවයිනේ නිදහස් දින අතිරේකයෙන්

එවකට දිවයින පුවත් පතේ ප්‍රධාන කතුවරයා වු මගේ මිත්‍ර උපාලී තෙන්නකෝන් මට ඇරයුමක් කලා ඒ වසරේ නිදහස් දින පුවත්පත් අතිරේකයට ලිපියක් ලියන්ට කියල. ඒ අනුව යැවූ ලිපියෙන් කරුණු දෙකක් මට කියන්ට ඔනෑකලා. පලමුකරුණ 1948 මේ රටට කිසිම නිදහසක් ලැබුනේ හෝ ලබාගත්තේ නැති බව.

මා පලමු වතාවට 1948 දී මේ රටට හෝ මහජන්තාවට කිසිදු නිදහසක් නොලැබුණු බව ප්‍රකාශකලේ එම ලිපියෙනි.  එදා සිට මේ දක්වා මට ලැබුණු හැම අවස්ථාවකදීම තවත් කරුණු ද එක් කොට මා මේ ගැන ලියා ඇත. විවිධ අවස්ථාවල රැස්වීම්වලදී කථාකොට ඇත. එහෙත් කිසිම රජයකට මා කියන පනිවිඩය තේරුම් ගැනීමට අද දක්වාම පුලුවන්වී නැත. අපේ රටේ ජාතිකත්වය හඳුනන, ඇත්ත තේරුම් ගන්ට හැකි එසේම ජනමතයට කන්දෙන දේශපාලකයින් නැතිබව එයින්ම පැහැදිළිවේ. 1948 වන විට ආසියාවේම ජපානයට පමණක් දෙවැනි වූ දියුනුම ආර්ථිකය තිබුණු මේ රට වර්තමානයේ ආර්ථික වශයෙන් ඇෆ්ගනිස්ථානයට පමණක් දෙවැනි වන තත්වයට වැටීම ගැන මේ අනුව අපි කිසිසේත්ම පුදුම විය යුතු නැත.

මෙවැනි අතිශයින්ම සෝචනීය තත්වයක් තිබියදී ලබන වසරේත් 75 වන වරටත් මේ ප්‍රෝඩාව සහ රජ විහිලු සන්ධර්ශනය පැවැත්වීමට යලිත් සුදානම් වීමෙන්ම දසක දෙකකුත් වසර තුනක්ම තිස්සේ මා කියන, ලියන මේ කථාව නායක දේශපාලන බීරි අලින්ගේ කන්වලට ඇසුණු බවක් නම් මට නොපෙනේ.

ලබන වසරේත් ඉනියා නිදහස් උත්සවය පැවැත්වීම්මට දැන් ලහි ලහියේ රජය කටයුතුකරන බව ඇසේ. මේ ලිපිය පලවන විට සමහරවිටත් ඒ සේතාම්බර පටසලු සන්ධර්ශනයට විශාල මුදලක් වැයකොට තිබිය හැක. එහෙත් මාගේ මේ තනි සටන කවදාහෝ දිනන බව මට ඉස්තිර වශයෙන්ම විස්වාශය. මන්ද මේ රට නිදහස් ජනරජයක් වූයේ 1972 මැයි මස 22 දා යන සත්‍ය කිසිවෙකුට කිසිදිනක ඉතිහාසයෙන් මැකිය නොහැකි බැවිනි.එබැවින් එය දිනන තුරු හෝ මා මැරෙනතුරු හෝ රට වෙනුවෙන්, ජාතිය වෙනුවෙන් සහ සාශනය වෙනුවෙන් මම මගේ මේ සටන දිගටම හුදකලාවම හෝ ඒකචාරි සින්කයකු මෙන් ගෙනයමි

මෙම ලිපිය අවසන් කිරීම සන්දහා අවසාන වශයෙන් මේ ඇස්නැති, කන් නැති, මොලයක් නැති එසේම රටට හා ජාතියට අබමල් රේණුවක ආදරයක් නැති දේශපාලකයින් සියලුදෙනාගෙන්ම පහත සදහන් ප්‍රශ්න කීපය මම අසමි.

1.විදේශ ආධිපත්‍යකින් කිසියම් රටකට නිදහස ලැබෙනවා කියන්නේ මොකක්ද.

1948 දී ලන්කාවට දුන්නායයි කියන කථාවෙන් පමණක් නිදහස්, නිවහල් නමුත් ක්‍රියාවෙන් අධිරාජ්‍ය වාදයේ යදම්වලින් දස අතට විළන්ගු දැමූ සෝල්බරී ව්‍යවස්ථාවෙන් අපට ලබා දුන්නායයි කියන  නිදහස කුමක් ද?

2.1948 දී ලැබුණායයි කියන නිදහස එසේම එදා සිට මෙදා දක්වා ජාතියේ අපමණ ධනස්කන්දයක් වැයකොට මහත් උජාරුවෙන් සමරණ ජාතික නිදහස තියෙන්නෙ කොහෙද, එය ලැබී ඇත්තේ කාටද.මාරුවෙන් මාරුවට දේශපාලනය කරන අයට පමණක් නොවේද

3.වසර 2500 කට වැඩි කාලයක් අපට උරුමව තිබී 1815 දී අපට අහිමිවූ 1815 දි සුද්දාට භාරදෙනකොට සින්හලේ රාජධානිය සතුව තිබුණු, මාර්තු 2 උඩරට ගිවිසුමෙන් සුද්දාට භාර දුන් මාලදිවයින් ඇතුලු සිහලේ රාජධානිය 1948 දී අපට ආපසු ලැබුණාද.

4.1815 පැවති රටේ නම වූ සින්හලේ කියන නමවත් (සුද්දා සින්හලයින්ගේ රට යන අරුතෙන් එය සිලොන් කී) ආපසු 1948 දී ලබාගත්තාද.

5.1815 මේ රටේ රාජ්‍ය භාෂාව වූ සින්හල භාෂාව අද වනතුරුත් මේ රටේ රාජ්‍ය භාෂාව, පාලන හා අධිකරන භාෂාව වෂයෙන් ස්ථාපිත වුනාද.

6.කිතු වසට පෙර 307 සිට මේ රටේ රාජ්‍ය ආගම වූ බුද්ධාගමට  නිසිතැන ලබුණාද

7.1815 සුද්දට භාරදුන් ලක් පොලවේ නිරවුල් හිස් භුක්තිය 48 දී ලබාගත්තද, අදවනතුරුත් නැති බව ඔබ දන්නවාද

8.1815 වනතුරු රටේ ජාතිය වශයෙන් හැදින්වූ සින්හල ජාතිය යන නමවත් 1948 දී ලබාගත්තද.

9.ඉතිහාසයේ වරින් වර පැමිණි සහ සුද්දන් ඔවුන්ගේ වතුවල සහ ව්‍යාපාරවල වැඩට ඉන්දියාවෙන් ගෙනා සුද්දන්ගේ වහල්ලු මේ රටෙන් සුද්ද්දන් යනවිට ආපසු ගෙනියන්ට කියා බලකොට සින්හලයාගේ ජන්ම භූමිය නිදහස් කරගත්තද.

10.සුද්දාගේ පාලනය සදාලිකවම තවදුරටත් මේ රටේ පවත්වාගෙන යාම සදහා අයිවෝ ජෙනින් විසින්, මේ රට බෙදා පාලනය කිරිම, දෙම ළ සහ මුසල්මානු සුළුජන කොටස් 29 වන වගන්තියෙන් බලවත්කොට සින්හල ජාතිය සහ සම්බුද්ධ සාශනය මේ රටින් තුරන් කිරීමේ මරඋගුල වයෙන් සකස්කල සෝල්බරී ව්‍යවස්ථාව අනුවම එන්ගලන්තයේ සුද්දන්ගේ නියෝජිතයින් වන කලු සුද්දන් විසින්ම තවදුරටත්  මේ රට පාලනය කරන බව ඔබ දන්නවාද.

11 ඒ මරඋගුලෙන් ගැලවී මේ රටේ පාලනයට පදනම වියයුතු රටට ගැලපෙන රටේ 2500 ශිෂ්ඨාචාරයේ පදනම මත ආණ්ඩුකරම විවස්ථාවක් හදාගත්තද. (ඉන්දියව තම විවස්ථාව හදන්ට පටන්ගත්තේ 1935. ඒක භාර කලේ ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨ භාරත පුත්‍රයෙක්වූ ඇම්බෙඩ්කාර්ට බව ඔබලා    දන්නවාද)

12.අපගේ දේශයට හා සන්ස්කෘතියට ආවේනික වු ශිෂ්ඨාරය මත පදනම්වූ නීති ක්‍රමයක හා පාලන ක්‍රමයක අවශ්‍යතාව ගැන ඔබ සිහිනෙන් හෝ සිතා තියෙනවාද

13.1948 ඊනියා නිදහස ලැබී වසර 75 ක් ගතවීත් 2500 පුරා මේ රටේ සිෂ්ඨාචාරය ගොඩනැගූ, ඉන්දීය සහ බටහිර ආක්‍රමනිකයින්ගෙන් සිය ජීවිත පුදා රට ජාතිය බේරාගත් උඩරට  සින්හල භූමිපුත්‍රයින්ගේ අහිමිවූ උරුමයන් හා අයිතිවාසිකම් ආපසු ලබා දුන්නාද.

14.ඊනියා නිදහසින් පසු 75 වසරක් ගතව ඇතත් ස්වාධීන, ස්වයිරී හා සැබෑ නිදහස් හා ආර්ථික වශයෙන් සමුර්ධිත රටක් ඔබලා මේ පොලව මත ස්ථාපිත කලාද

15.1948 දී නිදහසක් ලැබුනානම් 1961 දි රජයට විරුද්ධව ලියනගේ ඇතුලු කණ්ඩායම කළ කුමන්තරණය සහ 1971 දී J.වි. පී කැරැල්ලද රැජිනගේ ආණ්ඩුවට එරෙහිව කරනලද කුමන්ත්‍රණ වසයෙන් හැදින්වුයේ ඇයි?

16.1948 දී නිදහස ලබා තිබුනානම් 62 රාජ්‍ය විරෝධී කුමන්ත්‍රණයේ විත්තිකරුවන් බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය සාමිමණ්ඩලයට අභියායාචනයක් කලේ ඇයි

17.1947 දී ඉන්ග්‍රීසි පාලනයෙන් නිදහස ලබාගත් භාරතය. 1950 ජනාඅරි 26 දීන ජනරජයක් වසයෙන් ප්‍රකාශ කලානම් 1972 දී බන්ඩාරනායක මැතිනිය කරනතුරු  වසර 24 ක් තිස්සේ කිසිවෙකු එය නොකලේ ඇයි?.

තවද,

1848 මාතලේ නිදහස් සටනේදී රට ජාතිය බේරාගනීම සඳහා දිවි පිදූ වීර කඩහපොල හිමි  පුරන් අප්පු සහ ගොන්ගාලේ බන්ඩා ඇතුලු වීර සින්හලයින් දහස් ගණනින් මරාදමා ඇතැම් අවස්ථා වලදි මරදමනු ලැබූවන්ගේ මළමිණී  නගරවලට ඇතුල්වන සතර වාහල්කඩවල ගස්වල  දින තුනහතර එල්ලා තබමින් අති බිහිසුණු  ම්ලේච්ච ක්‍රියා කළ මිනිමරුවකුවූ ටොරින්ටන් ආණ්ඩුකාරයාගේ  නමින් තවමත් කොළඹ සහ මහනුවර චතුරශ්‍ර දෙකක් නම්කොට තිබීම සින්හල ජාතියටම නින්දාවකි.ටොරින්ටන් චතුරශ්‍රය දැන් නිදහස් චතුරශ්‍ර නමින් නම්කොට අති බැවින් ම්හනුවර ටොරින්ටන් චත්‍රශ්‍රය 1818 ප්‍රථම උඩරට නිදහස් සටනේ වීරයාවූ කැප්පෙටිපොල නිළමේ නමින් කැප්පෙටිපොල චතුරශ්‍රය නමින් දැන්වත් නම්කරන්මෙන් මම මහනුවර  මහනගර සභාවට යෝජනාකරමි.

By Dr Tilak S. Fernando

There was much controversy about a tablet that was supposed to mix with petrol which would give an extra percentage of consumption over ten times, on 92 and 95 grades. An advertising Agency or Manufacturing company became quite popular with this innovative tablet. Consequently, almost every motorist was compelled to use this Eco tablet since the fuel prices went up to rocket levels. However, The Minister of Power and Energy introduced a QR- code system to obtain petrol from all filling stations, which reduced the mile-long queues where people had to wait in lines,   sometimes overnight.

Finally, Petroleum Corporation investigated the eco tablet at Sapugaaskanda and Kolonnawa laboratories adopting their methods and concluded that there was no difference in the octane ratings. This was quite contrary to what the marketing or the manufacturing company maintained.                    

Initially, the advertising or manufacturing company became quite popular with this innovative tablet. Consequently, almost every motorist was compelled to use this Eco tablet as the fuel prices went up at rocket levels. However, the Petroleum Corporation investigated this eco-tablet at Sapugaaskanda and Kolonnawa laboratories. It concluded that there was no iota of difference in the octane values in petrol, contrary to what the marketing company or advertising agency claimed. The corporation said it was a completely misleading statement and advised the petrol consumers not to be gullible and believe in false propaganda.

History

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation’s history goes back over sixty years, and it is a part of the Sri Lanka government. It has faced several severe incidents in the past; Therefore, the Corporation is ready to face the current problematic situation.

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation further quoted that it had served the general public’s rights for over sixty years, and it, being a government corporation, had faced severe incidents in the past. Therefore, the Corporation urged petrol consumers not to get deceived by such false advertisements. Further, the Corporation said it would take legal action against the company or the advertising agency that introduced the eco-tablet to the public.

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation further announced that they would guarantee and take full responsibility for ensuring that petrol stocks are up to expected international standards. The Corporation denies any possibility of dispatching sub-standard petrol to consumers through filling stations. They would guarantee and take full responsibility for ensuring that petrol stocks are up to expected standards. 

The Corporation has sent to all Cepteco filling stations through their regional offices stating that it would be against the country’s law to deal with the eco-tablets or be seen as influenced by the advertising or manufacturing company or the advertising agency.                          

The Corporation further advised that investigators of the Corporation had informed other regional offices to be active daily to determine whether any Cepteco filling station entertains in such illegal activities. The Corporation demands to protect the consumers genuinely.

In the Corporation’s circular, it was mentioned that “our Cepteco filling stations are inspected through divisional sales offices’ to ensure that dispensing of fuel is identified precisely as 92 or 95 octane values. It is the Corporation’s responsibility to discharge petrol according to international standards [tf1] specified standards, they claim.

The two laboratories are making enormous efforts at Sapugaaskanda and Kolonnawa laboratories to develop an alternative to the ECO tablet to improve the Octane values in petrol.

tilakfernando@gmail.com

Media Release  Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi 

The Sinhala translation of renowned Indian author Jairam Ramesh’s book “The Light of Asia; the poem that defined the Buddha”, Budusiritha Lowata Genagiya Maha Kavyaya; Asiyawe Alokaya, published to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s Independence and the 75th anniversary of Sri Lanka- India diplomatic relations was presented to its author and the Maha Sangha at the Independence Day flag hoisting ceremony held at the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi today (4).

The Sinhala translation, published by the Pathfinder Foundation, was presented to the author of the original work, Rajya Sabha MP and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh and the Maha Sangha led by the General Secretary of the Mahabodhi Society of India Venerable Pelawatte Seewalee Nayaka Thero, by the translator Niluka Kadurugamuwa.

“The Light of Asia; the poem that defined the Buddha” is a work of deep scholarship based on extensive research and serves as a biography of both the epic poem The Light of Asia and its author Sir Edwin Arnold. The book describes how the poem The Light of Asia, which is based on the life of the Buddha, captivated and inspired many iconic personalities both in India and Sri Lanka. The book is also a testimony to the strong relations between Sri Lanka and India, reinforced by the pillar of Buddhism.  

The solemn event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Independence of Sri Lanka commenced with the hoisting of the National Flag by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda, followed by the rendering of the National Anthem. A special feature of the event was that the National Anthem of Sri Lanka was sung by staff members of the High Commission, including six Indian nationals.

High Commissioner Moragoda also garlanded the bronze bust of Sir Don Baron Jayatilaka, the first Representative of Sri Lanka to India, which was installed in the High Commission premises last November to mark the 80th anniversary of Sri Lanka sending her first diplomatic representative to India.

Multi religious observances, representing four major religions in Sri Lanka were conducted and Independence Day messages by the President, Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs were read in all three languages at the ceremony.

At the end of the ceremony, President of Indo-Sri Lanka International Buddhist Association in Sarnath, Varanasi Venerable Dr. K. Siri Sumedha Thero, on behalf of the Buddhist societies, temples, monasteries, and institutions situated in sacred Buddhist sites in India and the Sri Lankan Dharmadutamonks presented a memento to High Commissioner Moragoda marking the 75th anniversary of Independence.

By Engr. Kanthar Balanathan DipEE (UK), GradCert (RelEng-Monash), DipBus&Adm (Finance-Massey), C.Eng., MIEE, Former Director of Power Engineering Solutions Pty Ltd, Consulting Electrical Engineers

Since independence in 1948, the country has gone bankrupt although Sri Lanka generated foreign income through tourism, tea, rubber etc. As a President, you should be aware of the country’s economic and financial situation. During your regime in 2015, the Arjuna Mahendran Bond scam opened and has now been buried. We blame the Rajapaksas. How about the others?

The decline and problems started with the following sequence:

1. SWRD Bandaranaike                         -1956
2. JVP and LTTE commenced their destruction in 1971.
3. The Rajapaksas and the Natesan commenced their

destruction via bribery and corruption        -2004

Therefore, virtually these were the politicians who were supposed to build the nation and look after the people. Well, JRJ accepted the deal with Rajiv Gandhi and implemented amendment 13. However, at that time the politicians were patriotic. No one knew the economic situation, maybe, I think. I was not in politics; however, the governor of the CB should have notified the President of the situation. We cannot assume that Rajiv Gandhi should have known the economic situation. If people knew then they should have objected to the PCs, not on racial grounds but on economic grounds. Maybe all politicians were dumb at that time. PC governance is not racial but economic, whether the country can afford to have three levels of governance. GOSL, PC, Local Govt.

Indonesia’s rupee was dumped in 1995, and Argentina went bankrupt, now SL and Pakistan. Please look at the UK now. The British Empire Pound has gone down because of the people who crawled in by boats and illegally. The British culture is polluted. Tamils crawled into India, Thamizhaham and other European countries. Even a labourer who goes to other nations shouts for Thamil Eelam and missing persons. What can the government do about Missing persons”? I am aware that some missing persons send money to their wives, and they build houses in SL. The parents shout missing persons”. It has become a money-earning tactic by the Tamils. These are examples.

If you implement amendment 13 with Police and land power, you are NOT approving for the Tamils only. The entire nation: SL will be governed by three levels of governance.

This will be the biggest blunder on this planet. The people who are going to be in the PCs are bribery special crooks and culprits.

Tamils do not want to know about the economic situation of the country. In the name of Tamil Eelam and TCC people were collecting money and they are now rich owning supermarkets and shopping complexes and super houses and conference halls. Today there are several Tamil associations worldwide. Some of them have vanished, ex: Norway, Australia etc. Why do they have them? Why are there several radio stations in Australia? It’s the EGO and Selfishness.

You are not interested in all these. January 2023 itself, the CB sold several billions of Rs of Bonds, Bills and Notes. Why do you need them? Does it mean that SL will be run by Bond sales? OR are you indirectly planning to privatise some government assets?

People thought you will run the country effectively and efficiently. Do you always have a financial expert with you? I don’t think so. All power and wealthy people in SL are culprits and corrupt.

What we need is for people to live happily. If things do not turn normal, and if you implement amendment 13, then you can be sure that you will never ever return to politics ever again and UNP will be sunk in the Ocean.

Maybe JVP is the patriotic and effective political party to run the country.

Implementation of 13 will drive India also to poverty. Already Pakistan and Adani have gone down. Next will be India. SL will be driven to poverty and start begging again. Don’t we have some self-esteem?

As I recommended, think of empowering the Municipal Councils and think of posting some Police to the MCs to operate functionally, however, administratively they should report to the DIGs. Land need not be given to the MCs. They already have that little power.

As of now, all politicians in the North and South seem to have the Rajapaksa culture which will drive Sri Lanka to poverty soon and make citizens commit suicide.

Please check the CB also occasionally.

Hope you will not make a mistake on the 8^th of February 2023 by declaring the PCs.

Thank you, Sir.

3^rd February 2023

Sangadasa Akurugoda

As per the media reports, President Wickremesinghe reiterated his intention to fully implement the controversial 13^th Amendment to the Constitution at the Thai Pongal celebrations, in Jaffna, on January 15 and again during the party leaders’ meeting at the Presidential Secretariat. According to above reports, the Cabinet is in favor of the full implementation of the 13th amendment. He further said that as the President of the country, he is bound to implement the laws of the land and the 13th Amendment is a part of the Constitution.

The current President’s statement is not surprising at all when we thought about his past performance and records, as the UNP leader and PM of the country on the subjects of agreements, his powers, devolutions, ethnic issues etc. We remember how he blindly signed a memorandum of understanding (the so-called CFA) with the terrorist leader arranged by the Norwegians, demarcated ‘LTTE controlled areas,’ and virtually provided every facility to please the terrorists. We also remember how he believed that the that the government would have to give up the area it seized by the LTTE to facilitate the so-called peace process and how he made wild declarations openly, in the past, accepting a federal solution without even having the decency to consult or to get the consensus of the other political parties before making such a declaration.

Those who promote its implementation, including the President Wickramasinghe argue that the Amendment already exists and what is needed is implementation. Although, President JRJ had to ‘surrender’ to India’s demands and sign the Indian document endorsed by the Separatist groups including LTTE, he avoided the full implementation of the 13th A , probably, knowing its disastrous consequences that could be expected by devolving power on ethnic lines.

Cost of Maintaining Provincial Councils (PCs)

Let us examine the amount of expenditure that the government of Sri Lanka had spent to maintain the PCs established under the 13th A and also it would be interesting to find out whether there is any benefit to the general public on spending such a large sum of funds, and how many millions of rupees have been saved from the public funds for not activating the PCs during the last four years.

Sri Lanka’s PCs expenditure was reported at 286,031.000 LKR million in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 276,147.000 LKR million for 2016. The expenditure averaged 103,769.000 LKR million from Dec 1996 to 2017. The data reached an all-time high of 286,031,000 LKR million in 2017 and a record low of 22,128,000 LKR million in 1996. (https://www.ceicdata.com/en/sri-lanka/provincial-councils-revenue-and-expenditure/provincial-councils-expenditure)

As per the media reports, Northern PC under the Chief Minister Wigneshwaran passed more than 100 resolutions (including one seeking an UN inquiry to investigate the genocide of the Tamil people) inciting racial tension, and several others which are harmful to the country as a whole. During the establishment of Eastern Provincial Council, we witnessed how elections were manipulated by the political parties formed and named on communal basis, and how the positions were claimed purely on a communal basis by the very same groups. Thus segregating people according to communal lines under the name of devolution, reconciliation etc could only strengthen the hands of separatist movements still alive in various parts of the country.

Background of the 13th Amendment

All parties appear to have forgotten the background against which the 13th Amendment to the Constitution came into being and most of them may not be aware of what really is in the 13th Amendment since the Indo-Lanka pact was signed over three decades ago.

Indo-Lanka relations deteriorated as never before after 1977, mainly due to the short-sighted policies adopted by the UNP government. The book ‘Assignment Colombo’ written by J. N. Dixit, the former Indian High commissioner to Sri Lanka (1985-1989), outlining his version of the story, tells us how and why the Indian government went all out to coerce Sri Lanka into submission.

Indian cargo planes invaded Sri Lanka’s air space challenging the sovereignty of our country, and almost forced former president JR Jayawardena (JR) to ‘invite’ Rajiv Gandhi to Sri Lanka to sign the agreement and to accept the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). JRJ had no alternative but to ‘surrender’ to India’s demands and sign a hurriedly prepared document endorsed by the Tamil separatist groups including the LTTE.

The JR-Rajiv pact was not transparent like the CFA signed by Ranil and Prabhakaran and the main Opposition political parties were not consulted or briefed on the contents of agreement at any stage. The JR-Rajiv Pact was signed amidst curfew and the function was boycotted by the Prime Minister R. Premadasa and Cabinet ministers including Lalith Athulathmudali, who was in-charge of National Security. Political parties such as SLFP, JVP, MEP, including a section of the UNP, were against the agreement and the extent of the opposition to the treacherous agreement was notable when a sailor attacked the Indian PM while the latter was receiving the guard of honor. An estimated 65,000 lives, mainly Sinhala youth, were lost as a result of subsequent uprising.

Those UNP parliamentarians who opposed the Indo-Lanka Accord, which paved the way for the 13th Amendment had no alternative but to vote for it since JR had already taken them ‘political hostage’ by keeping undated resignation letters signed by MPs in his pocket.

The only gentleman parliamentarian who had the backbone to resign in protest and leave politics completely was the late Mr. Gamini Jayasuriya.

The SLFP under the leadership of Mrs. Sirima Bandaranaike was totally against the India-Sri Lanka Accord and the Provincial Councils and that party, in fact, boycotted the first the Provincial Council elections.

What is in it?

The goal of the 13th Amendment was to make provisions for setting up of a Provincial Council for each Province; establishment of a High Court for each Province; and making Tamil an official language and English the link language.

The 37 subjects devolved to Provincial Councils are given in the List I (and also in the List III – Concurrent List) of the Ninth Schedule. These include all the subjects other than those retained by the government (the List II or the Reserved List).

The subjects retained under the Centre include National Policy on Security, Foreign Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, Broadcasting, Television, Justice in so far as it relates to the judiciary and the courts structure, Finance in relation to national revenue, monetary policy and external resources; Customs, Foreign Trade, Inter Province Trade and Commerce, Ports and Aviation, National Transport, Minerals and Mines, Immigration and Emigration and Citizenship, Immigration and Emigration and Citizenship, Elections, Census and Statistics, National Archives, Archaeological Activities and Sites and Antiquities declared by or under any law made by Parliament to be of National Importance, Rivers and Waterways, Shipping and Navigation, Maritime zones including Historical Waters, Territorial Waters, Exclusive Economic zone and Continental Shelf and Internal Waters, State Lands and Foreshore except to the extent specified in Item 18 of List I.

It would be easier to write down the powers remaining in the Centre (as above) since the powers devolved (are to be devolved) are enormous. Powers yet to be handed over include police and Land and Judiciary.

A brief comparison with Indian Constitution

India has been called as a Union of States. In spite of having a federal structure, there is a strong bias towards making the Central government more powerful. This is called a Centralized Federation’ or a Quasi – Federal Government, that is partly federal and partly unitary.

There is clear division of powers stated under the three lists – Union list, State list and Concurrent list. Also, there is an independent and impartial judiciary to solve conflicts between the Central and State governments.

The Parliament has vast legislative powers. It can legislate on 97 subjects of the union list, 47 subjects of the concurrent list and in times of national and state emergency; it can also make laws on the 66 subjects of the state list. If there is a conflict between a union law and a state law over a subject present in the Concurrent list, the law made by the Parliament will prevail over the law made by the state legislatures!

The President of India has vast emergency powers. He can declare national, state and financial emergency. The Governor of a state acts as an agent of the President. He is appointed by the President and can be recalled by him. The Governor can advise the President to impose emergency in the state. During an emergency, the Governor carries out the administration on behalf of the President. He can also refer some bills to the President.

The state governments are dependent upon the Central government for funds and grants. These are allocated by the Planning Commission and the Finance Commission which are central bodies.

The members of the All-Indian Services are appointed by the Union Public Service Commission, which is a central body. Although the officers are posted in the states, they continue to owe their loyalty to the government.

As can be seen, there is hardly any difference between the Quasi-Federal Indian government and the form of government forced on us by the Indian constitutional draftsmen.

Failure of 13th Amendment and India’s commitments

Prior to the signing of the 13th Amendment, there had been a belief that the ‘Official language policy” of 1956 was the root cause of the conflict. The 13th Amendment made Tamil an official language overnight as a solution but the charges against discrimination and demand for self-determination continue to be made based on those lines. If official language is the root cause, the conflict would have resolved itself with the implementation of the 13th Amendment language policy.

Although the Indian government undertook to disarm the terrorists’ group in return of implementing the constitutional amendment imposed on the Sri Lanka government, India has failed miserably to fulfill its obligation as per the agreement. On the other hand, Sri Lankan people had to bear the huge cost of war against terror and the cost of implementing the constitution amendment, thus imposed under the failed agreement, in addition to the loss of lives since 1987. Since it is the Sri Lankan Security forces who ultimately disarm the terrorists, the moral rights of the Indian government to ask the government of Sri Lanka to implement 13th amendment is highly questionable.

Conclusion

There is, no doubt, that the Indian Civil servants who drafted the Indo-Lanka pact have been influenced by the Indian Quasi-Federal system.

In fact, some argue that the Indian Constitution has vested more powers with the Centre than those made under the 13th amendment in this country and when implemented in full Sri Lanka’s system will surpass the Indian’s quasi-federal system.

Thus, the unitary nature of our Constitution was shattered with the establishment of Provincial Councils. The powers once devolved, especially along ethnic lines, though the Centre has the power to dissolve any provincial council, will be irreversible and, if an attempt is made to reverse them, the consequence would be disastrous. Segregating people according to communal lines under the name of devolution could only strengthen the hands of separatist movements still alive.

Thus the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, forced on us by India, is certainly imported and not of our own. Further, the Amendment is not acceptable to all sections of the people. The Amendment as ill-conceived and hurriedly pieced together by picking bits and pieces of the Indian Constitution in keeping with the Indo-Lanka Accord and hence was not practicable.

Further UNP leader who was rejected by the people of the country during the last Parliamentary Election, re-entered Parliament through the National List, nearly a year after that and became President through the Parliament purely as a result of an economic  problem facing the country today.  Instead of solving the economic issues, President’s commitments to address the controversial Constitutional Amendment in a hurry are highly questionable.

Sangadasa Akurugoda

Dr Sudath Gunasekara Mahanuwara

Indian Foreign Minister and his government should stop meddling with Sri Lankan internal affairs and mind their own business.

An open letter to Foreign Minister Jaishankar’s latest attempt to interfere with Sri Lankan internal affairs, violating all accepted diplomatic and international etiquettes and principles.

I quote here the gist of a news report that refers to the Indian stand as stated in the press release by Foreign Minister Jaishankar of India.

1.India considers the full implementation of the 13th Amendment in Sri Lanka “critical” for achieving reconciliation with the minority Tamil community, EAM S Jaishankar said.

2.early conduct of provincial elections is critical” for both the political and economic stability of the debt-ridden island nation.

3.”Durable efforts towards reconciliation are in the interests of all sections in Sri Lanka.

4 I also spoke of the need to pay special attention to the requirements of the Indian-origin Tamil community,” he said.

The above statements (1,2. 3 & 4) clearly display the main purpose of the Indian F/Ministers visit last week. What he has stated I believe are the views of the Indian Government as well. This is nothing but a mere parroting and continuation of the peculiar Indian Foreign policy that it had been following towards Sri Lanka since 1948 and more particularly after Rajiv Gandhi’s times.

Reading through this statement he looks more an agitated representative of the crazy Tamil politicians in this country rather than a minister of a foreign country visiting this country on a diplomatic mission. I am hundred percent convinced he was just parroting the requests of the TNA politicians whom he met the previous evening in Colombo before he left for India. Isn’t it a shame and a disgrace too for such a highly rated IOS man to utter rubbish like this. It may be that he will be adored by the communal Tamils in Sri Lanka and those in Tamilnadu as a hero. But he must at least now realize that he has only tarnished his international image as well as that of India and downgraded it to very low levels by performing a cheap peacock dance.

I am more than convinced that he is also following the footsteps of Dixit who made the same blunder in 1987 behaving like an Indian viceroy in front of our President JR.

Before we proceed on the broader intervention let us look at what the Indian Ambassador Dixit said in 1987 before they singed the JR/Rajiv Accord. that Sri Lanka should give assurances to India on the following points:” (Dixit) as if they had already conquered Sri Lanka.

1. Reduction and phasing out of foreign military and intelligence personnel in Sri Lanka from the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Israel, South Africa and so on.

2. Sri Lanka should reorganize its foreign and defense policies and reduce its involvement with USA, Pakistan, China, Israel and South Africa.

3. Sri Lanka should give some assurances to India that its seaports and airports would not be utilized by foreign powers which were antagonistic towards India or which affected India’s security interest negatively.

4. Sri Lanka should fulfil the assurances which it gave in 1985 that India would be given an opportunity to maintain the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farms and that Sri Lanka would prevent foreign broadcasting stations like the Voice of America from being utilized for military purposes by countries like the United States, West Germany, etc. said’

 To me it looks a commandment by a medieval colonial power to one of its colonies

Jaishankar’s press release I mentioned at the opening of this letter is brief but compared with Dixit’s dictation, it also reaffirms, confirms and displays the same expansionist Indian mentality that prevailed during Rajiv Ghandhi’s time, when the Rajiv/JR Accord of July 29th 1987 was singed. This arrogant Indian stand and the police man’s role with regard to Sri Lanka has now come to stay as a regular threat and fashion too. The most notable point I see here is, that Sri Lanka is the only country in respect of which India makes such stupid and arrogant statements. It does not issue such humiliating statements in respect of any other country or force any other government either in Asia or Africa, where the British had also settled millions of Indians during the18th and 19th centuries and left them behind high and dry, creating enormous political, economic and cultural problems to those countries as well when they left the colonies in the 20th century. It may be that we don’t have leaders with a backbone to react and put the Indian minister in his place.

As for me as a patriotic citizen of my country I strongly condemn and protest against this vituperative and reproachful statement made by him and demand that he should tender an open apology to the people of Sri Lanka on behalf of the Indian people at least before his next visit.

Talking about the Rajiv/JR Accord July 29th 1987 that killed the Independence and the territorial integrity of this country, I describe it as the biggest and the most treacherous act ever in the historical or even in the prehistoric times. Everybody knows that this accord was forced on this country by India under duress using even military force by invading the Islands Airspace as well as the maritime space violating all accepted diplomatic norms. It had been singed under emergency law declared Island wide and also Island wide curfew, even against the wishes of some prominent Cabinet Ministers like Lalith Athulathmudali and the Prime Minister Premadasa and the wishes of the whole country. The content of the Accord was privy to everybody at Home and even to Rajiv Gandhi’s own Cabinet until it was released after signing. Even the 13th Amendment consequent to the Accord was illegally, immorally an unethically passed in Parliament by JR using all his cunningness using his dictatorial powers for his own political survival after using his 3/5 the majority he had. I have no doubt that minister Jaishankar also knew this very well.

First of all, minister Jaishankar or his government who were guilty of this crime committed against Sri Lanka has no right to ask the Sri Lanka Government in the form of a threat to consider the full implementation of the 13th Amendment or even parts of it either.  He also has no business to issue statements like the full implementation of the 13th Amendment in Sri Lanka is “critical” for achieving reconciliation with the minority Tamil community”, Because they are entirely domestic matters that no Indian Minister or the Indian Government or any other government has a right to comment or dictate terms to another independent and sovereign State. He also has no right to say early conduct of provincial elections is critical” Whether early or never Provincial Council election again is entirely our business, because it is again purely a domestic concern, a mad riddle planted by JR due to pressure from India to set up a provincial council for the North and the East, that ruined this country like a veritable curse from Satan.  HE should also know that he was making this threat to the Sri Lankan government at a time when the whole country wants both the Rajive /JR accord and the 13th abolished immediately before they ruin this country completely.

The Indian Foreign Minister also must not forget that the 13A was implemented in November 1987 after the signing of the Indo-Lanka Accord in July 1987.Therefore it was treacherous act on the part of India against this country and its people.  Both were forcibly pushed down Sri Lanka’s throat by India & constitute acts of clear aggression and invasion as well. As I see it, the Rajiv/JR accord was the biggest invasion India ever did on Sri Lanka, not only in history but even in prehistoric times. It has no parallel in history or even legendary times. The Rajiv/JR accord together with what followed as the 13th Amendment are fatal cancers in the body politics of this country introduced by India to ruin this country and the Sinhala nation. Therefore, they have to be removed by a surgical operation as early as possible if mother Lanka is to be saved. We can understand an inexperienced young Rajiv making that mistake on wrong advice. But we cannot believe a man of your calibre behaving like this playing to cheap and low Indian politics. But I am surprised to see a man like Jaishankar also committing this type of crimes against a neighboring country. 

 For your information Rajiv had to pay with his life on 21 May 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu for what he did to this country. Had he listened to my advice sent in March the same year under the signature of Paliipana Chandananda the Most Venerable Mahaahnaayaka Thera of Asgiriya Chapter warning him that he might have to pay with his own life if he does not stop assisting the LTTE. This is a good lesson to everyone who try to harm this land of the Buddha, thrice offered to him and blessed by him as the Land where his dispensation will last for 5000 years ignoring his own motherland Jambudveepa. I believe you being an expert in foreign affairs should know better than anyone else as to how you should deal with another sovereign state.

Again, for him to say “Durable efforts towards reconciliation are in the interests of all sections in Sri Lanka is a biased statement made without knowing the wider ramifications of this problem in the Sri Lankan context and also as to who has created this problem and how it had been made intractable by whom. ’Mr. Foreign Minister, do you think that it is legitimate, ethical and moral for you to make such irresponsible statements with no knowledge of the real issue. Therefore, you should not have made such comments regarding the governance of this country which is a free and independent sovereign country, unless you think that Sri Lanka is already a colony of yours. You also have highlighted the need to pay special attention to the requirements of the Indian-origin Tamil community. That again is uncalled for, for a politician of another country to dictate. For your information I must clearly tell you that country our primary concerned our own people, that is the Sinhalese who were the people who found and developed the civilization in this country. It is high time that you Indians must understand that as a nation our primary duty is to look after the welfare of the natives before we attend to the problems of those foreign people who have migrated here as traders, illicit immigrants or coolies to work and earn their living on colonial enterprises such as plantations, tobacco farms and public work.

Dear Mr. Jaishankar, have you forgotten that you are only the Foreign Minister of India who had come to discuss few diplomatic issues of mutual interest.  Therefore, you have no right to dictate terms on local politics that are irrelevant to a diplomatic visit to another independent neighboring country. You being a former veteran of the IOS, I am sure know Sri Lanka is not yet a part of India as you think. Please remember that Sri Lanka is a fully independent, sovereign and free Republic since 1972 as much as you think, India is. Mr Minister, I have to remind you that this our country and it is not yours. Governance in this country is our job. You have no right to pass remarks on that subject.

I pause the question to you, if any one of our Ministers come to India and make a foolish statement regarding governance in India like what you have done here, how would you have felt it? How would you have reacted? Will you ever tolerate it.  And how the Indian press and the public would have responded. Please ponder for a while. Indian politicians and mandarins with their great civilization and heritage must behave in a more dignified manner, I think. As much as you have your self-respect and dignity, we too have ours at the same level if not higher, though we are a small country compared with yours in size. It is not the size which matters but the status and the dignity of a people as a fully independent and sovereign nation that really matters.

 Mr. Minister. you must be happy that there was not a single politician with a spine here in Sri Lanka either in the government or in the opposition among whom you met and had discussion with, to say this to your face. Maybe we don’t have politicians and mandarins of your quality who love this country due to excessive brain washing done by the colonial invaders for 518 years that has completely obliterated all what is called patriotism in them. I admire your ‘Made in India” mentality very much. But please get rid of this view and mentality that Sri Lanka is only an appendage of India. True, we share a lot with India. But we are two different entities with distinctive cultures from time immemorial except for the fact that we have been one landmass in the geological past as geologists say. But please remember we are not your door step or the dustbin either. Neither you Indian politicians nor mandarins have a right to talk about the 13th Amendment to the Constitution as it was veritable political canker forcibly imposed by your government on us consequent to  the Rajiv /Jr Accord which introduced the idea of a Provincial Council to the North and the east which Rajiv got declared as the historical Homeland of Tamils in Sri Lanka tantamount to naked invasion of a neighbor country. We thought you knew that the only traditional Homeland of Tamils in the world is found in southern India. The implementation of the13th A in full or in parts or non-implementation is entirely the discretion of Sri Lanka. As far as I know provincial councils for the other 7 provinces were a homemade idea conceived in the brain of JR Jayawardhana.  I remember his saying once that he will give a Cabinet rank minister to each district making the total 25. And he did it through the District Ministry system long before the Rajiv/JR Accord was even conceived.  With the invention of PCC the number got reduced to 9 but the cumulative damage is much greater.

As you are aware the Accord was signed on 29th July 1987 and the 13th A was passed in Nov 1987 only.

India wanted to have a Provincial council only for the North and East to satisfy Prabhakaran, with the explicit conditions included there in the Accord. Through this accord India has laid the permanent foundation for the future EELAM in Sri Lanka, comprising 2/3 the area of the county it was declared the historical and traditional home land of the Tamil people. Tamil was also made an official language in the whole country and making Tamil the language of administration in the North and East thereby introducing asymmetrical devolution a reality, confining Sinhala to 7 provinces under the 16th Amendment to the 1987 Constitution. That was the first step towards declaring it a Tamil State enabling them to unilaterally declare the EELAM in future. Who knows whether Rajiv has promised Prabhakaran that he will, not only get it declFared as the traditional homeland of Sri Lanka Tamils (a criminal travesty of history of this Island someone should have contested in courts) but also, he will set the boundaries of the future EELAM permanently on ground, the way Prabha wanted. Probably he must have said so when he gifted his bullet proof jacket to Prabha.

Between July 1987.and Nov 1987 lot of thinking has gone in to it. According to what I have gathered from informal sources, the Provincial councils for the other 7 Provinces was JR’s brainchild to control the NE. The whole country was against it. 3 people died in protests at Petta that was organized under Mrs Bandaranayaka’s leadership where many of the prominent living leaders were also there.

The provisions of the Accord were a complete travesty of the 2500-year-old history of this country. What is more is the political and administrative changes that have followed the JR/Rajiv Accord have completely destroyed the age old efficient administrative machinery that was there for centuries. The extra expenditure, wastage and pilferage involved in the Provincial Councils and the Pradeshiya Sabha has made the country bankrupt. As such if anyone intends to rivers this situation and bring back the country to normalcy, both these curses, that is the Rajiv/JR Accord and the Provincial councils have to be reversed. The whole country claim that they should be abolished immediately.  I am certain one fine day when a true patriotic Sinhala leader comes, he will definitely abolish both these curses.

world of difference between the present-day Indian diplomacy and the ancient.

I would also like to note a world of difference between the present-day Indian diplomacy and the ancient. When we recall the graceful Dharmasokian diplomacy of the yore and the stupidity and the quality displayed by the present-day rulers towards Sri Lanka, I really get disgusted and shocked. King Dharmaskoka introduced two eternal legacies to this country, First, the Dharmasokian model of statecraft through his erstwhile friend King Devanam piyatissa (from 247 BC to 207 BC) and second, the introduction of Buddhism by sending his own son and the Sacred Bo tree through his daughter Sangamitta and laid the foundation to the great Sinhala Buddhist civilization what we cherish so much today on this Island. King Dharmasoka never asked for ay condition as you perhaps know, even our own historical ancestor Prince Vijaya and his party came from north Bharat in 543 BC. To that extent we are also people of Indian origin. Therefore, I am asking you as to why you people adopt two different policies, one for those who have come from the North and the other from the South of India.

So in this backdrop why don’t you, people of the preset day generation  understand that although we are geographically and politically two separate countries  in fact we all belong to a single family from time immemorial and as such why do you Indian politicians discriminate between the native Sinhalese and Tamils and why do you insist for special treatment to Tamils who were brought by the Western colonial invaders in the post 1505 period to work on their projects and plantations and left astray behind when the invaders left in 1948. My conviction is it is nothing but Delhi’s political dependence on the Tamilnadu votes.

A short glimpse of some historical events in the chequered Indo Sri Lanka relations from the 2nd century BC. up to the 12thCentru AD. It is on record that starting from Sena Guttika in the 2nd century BC from Northern Bharath there had been nearly 18 invasions by the South Indian Cholas, Pandiyans and finally Magas in the 12th century all of whom devastated one of the greatest civilizations in the world, that was inhala Buddhist and plundered all our national treasure in the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa civilizations.

In spite of all those unpardonable crimes I would recall, for your information how the Sinhala Buddhist nation of this country consecrated and accepted Sri Vijaya Rajasinha in 1739,  the son of Veeraparakarama Narendasinha (the last King of the Sinhala lineage) whose mother was a south Indian Nayakkaara Princess, which  the British called the  Kandyan Kingdom in English for their convenience but remained as the Sinhale kingdom  up to date.  The Kandyan Convention of 2nd March was  a treaty between the United Kingdom and the Sinhale Kingdom.

As such it is a foregone conclusion that it was the Sinhale Kingdom that got political freedom and independence from Briton in 1948. The transfer of political power in 1815 was the result of a big coup and a master intrigue by the British. The last king of Sinhale Sri Wickram Rajasinha again whose mother was  a South Indian  princes was actually liked by the subjects of the Kingdom. But the shrewd John Doily by intrigue and conspiracy got the last King demonized  calling him a cruel Tamil as more fully described under sec 2 and 3 of the Kandyan Convention, where it is  said the tyranny and the cruelties of the Tamil  King were abolished and extinguished and all male persons being or pretending to be relations of the Royal Sri Wickrama Rajasinha, either by affinity or blood and inheritors in the ascending descending or collateral line are hereby declared enemies to the Government of the Kandyan Provo vices and are a prohibited from entering those provinces …etc

Thus, it was the British who planted the first germ of ethnic animosity between Sinhalese and Tamils and it was the British who first labeled the Indian Tamils as the enemies of the Sinhala people in pursuance of their divide and rule policy. Second came those so-called high-class Jaffna Tamils elevated tactfully by the British first providing better opportunities for education and second government jobs. Thus accordingly in fact, it was also the British who first drew a cleavage between south Indian and native Sinhala rulers and planted the seeds of divide and rule policy in this country. Third, the Tamil political elite, who having joined the Federal bandwagon of a Christian Chelvanaayagam came from Malaysia at the age of 11 years and supported by the Church up to date who fueled communal and ethnic  differences. Fourth, the church took over this vicious mission supported by colonial west and NGOO supported by these elements.  The last factor that fueled ethnic tension  in promoting this Sinhala Tamil division was the Tamil  communal political parties  such as Ilankai Tamil Arusu kachhci, Tamil congress and Federal Party. All politicians of the day  failed to curb this disaster right in 1948 when the Solebury Constitution included the 29th section on minorities. The Sinhala leaders who took over the country in 1948 should have told the British that when we handed over this country in 1815 to you there was only one nation and the name of the country handed over was Sinhale” (which British called Ceylon) as given in the Convention.  There was only one nation at that time. That was    Sinhala and further there was no mention about any minority although both communities Tamil and Muslim were there living in peace and harmony within the Sinhala nation,

Therefore, they should have said you should give Freedom to the country and the nation who had handed it over to you in 1815 and not to any other party. The fact that it was the Sinhale that was handed over by that convention gives legitimacy to that argument. Unfortunately, there was neither a Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim leader with vision to and political maturity to for see the future dangers mother Lanka will face.

Going back to no 3.”Durable efforts towards reconciliation are in the interests of all sections in Sri Lanka you have said as minister Jaishankar noted.

The only way to ethnic reconciliation is to go back to the status quo that was there in 1815.

There was perfect ethnic reconciliation at the time of handing over the country in 1815.The only way to ethnic reconciliation is to go back to the status quo that was there in 1815. Any deviation from that position is unconstitutional, illegal, immoral and unethical in the Sri Lankan context.  In 1815 the county was known as Sinhale. It was then one nation and one country; and the nation was Sinhala. Both Tamil and Muslim minority groups who lived within were also citizens of Sinhale. If this status quo had been restored in 1948 at the time of transfer of power from Briton to this country this problem would not have been there today.

The Sinhala people who found this nation and who built up the civilization on this Island are not prepared to allow either external forces or internal forces created by the colonial invaders to break up their motherland by public auction to satisfy the anti-national elements created by the colonial forces. The motherland of the Sinhala people was artificially divided in to ethnic groups. It is  a  creation of the post 1832 by the  colonial invaders in the long history of this land done, in pursuance of their divide and rule policy. As such the only way for ethnic reconciliation  is to go back to the pre1815 status and accept one nation that was there in 1815 with each ethnic group practicing their own cultural practices while accepting that this land is the land of the Sinhala nation as they are the people who have found this country and who have built up the civilization on this land from the dawn of history. To that extend the western argument that this country is a multiethnic, multireligious and multilingual is nonsense. Once all people accept that this is the Land of the Sinhala Buddhist the riddle of reconciliation will be over for good.

Anyone who does not accept that concept, ipso-facto, should not be qualified to be a citizen of this land. Therefore no one who is not prepared to abide by that condition should be given the citizenship of this land.

This is the kind of advice a person of Jaishankar should give to all minorities in Sri Lanka if he is a true friend of this country. Therefore. I deeply regret to note how he is trying to fish in troubled waters. Mr. Jaishankar please do not try to light your cigar when both our beards and the head are caught up with fire.

Once we assert our independence and sovereignty within this legal framework the so-called newly invented reconciliation concept will disappear. Thereafter Minister Jayashankar also need not bother to agitate for reconciliation of Indian Tamils of Indian origin here thereafter. If you are so concerned about Tamils  Sri Lanka then why don’t you take all of them back to India.

4. Finally his reference on the need to pay special attention to the requirements of the Indian-origin Tamil community, I must say is absurd and highly irreverent to his diplomatic mission and uncalled for the decorum of a foreign minister of another country. I can understand an ordinary uneducated politician uttering that kind of rubbish. But what I can’t imagine is a person of your calibre and reputation making such a nasty statement to the press utterly irrelevant to your mandate. If you are so concerned about them, why don’t you ask your Prime Minister to take them back and without adding fuel to the fire by creating more problems to us.

Mr. Minister, please leave the Tamils citizens of this country alone. They are now our full citizens and not yours any more. if you or your PM are concerned about their welfare, then please ask them, in the first place, to think and behave as the sons of this soil and ask them to get integrated with the native Sinhalese without arousing them against the government by trying to make them to think and behave as Indians while subsisting on this land. Isn’t it dam political bullshit. We are looking after them better than how you people are treating the Tamils in South India.  The tragedy is you still consider them as Indian without realizing that they are the citizens of another country and have ceased to be Indians any more. If they also want to think and behave like Indians then they too have to get back to India as soon as possible.

Mr Jaishankar we are not against any humanitarian support given to them by you because they are our citizens. But you should channel them through the Government of this country and stop discrimination as you do at present by dealing directly with them through your Ambassador, stationed here. There is a government in this country.

If you don’t want them to be our citizens you are welcome to take them back to India at any time.

People like you and your government should not instigate them to think and behave like Indians any more. Tell these Tamils in Sri Lanka, whether they are in the north, east or in the hill country that they are now Sri Lankan citizens and no more Indians and as such they should address their problems to the government of this country and no to India as they do it now. On the other hand, if you don’t want to do that and still want them to be referred as people of Indian origin and want them to think as Indians, please invite them to India and you can settle them anywhere in India.

4 Lastly, in your comments you have said that not enough power had been devolved to the provincial councils to make them meaningful. What you mean by making meaningful is left unexplained. Do you mean a federal state or eelam. If you are really serious on this matter, I strongly suggest you scrap the 1963 Act, the Government of India led by Jawaharlal Nehru, that declared secessionism as an illegal and act and take your beloved Tamils of Indian origin in this country also to their original home land making them to feel that they are back in heaven. I can assure you then before long Tamandu will declare independence unilaterally as the first step in balkanizing India.

The present President of Sri Lanka or the interim government has a mandate to discuss these issues raised by you.

I must also remind you that neither the present President of Sri Lanka or the interim government has a mandate to discuss these issues raised by you as their job is only to implement the mandate given to Gotabhaya by the people in 2019 and 2020, as he had to leave the country under mysterious circumstances and resign from abroad. For them to deal with what you have raised the President and the government in particular has to get a fresh mandate from the people. Any action taken outside this mandate is unconstitutional, illegal ,unethical and immoral and therefor the could be tried in a court of law.

Mr, Jaishankar I must also tell you that the ideas expressed here embodies the prevailing general consensus of the majority in this country. They are not confined to my personal ideas. 

Once again, I demand you to make an open apology from the people of Sri Lanka for the undiplomatic statement you made before you left the Island

Dilrook Kannangara

There is a silly trend of glorifying and romanticizing the pre-Independence era. Those who do so have no idea how things were then. Although Sri Lanka is in a dire economic and political situation today, some matters are better than then. Yes; there are things that are worse today. Sri Lankans are utterly frustrated about how things are and for valid reasons. However, an imbalanced one-sided view is silly. We must move forward, not backward.

A very small percentage of people lived a comfortable life during British rule but the vast majority of people of all ethnic groups lived under trying circumstances.

People Lived No More Than 50 Years on Average (Today Over 70)

By the time Ceylon gained independence, the average life expectancy was around 50. Extremely few people had access to electricity and lived in brick houses than today. Though this was comparable to other nations, Ceylon, just like others, advanced in this regard through good healthcare (not perfect though), good education (once again not perfect), improvements in nutrition (though relatively Sri Lanka went backwards in this regard) and lagged but positive technological advancement.

The life span is an average and everyone is different. However, the average indicates what happens across the nation. If we need a nation for a few happy souls, we have it today too!

Just imagine those who glorify British era dying at 50; living in dark mud houses? Is that what they want? Some part British colonies are still at this stage in Africa and parts of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

By 1946 Most Tamils Were Displaced Indians for Slavery

A large number of Tamils were brought into the island for slavery. Due to a petty agreement amongst European colonialists, slaves were not labelled slaves! Instead, they were told in no uncertain terms to place their thumb print on a piece of paper and were shipped to slave colonies.

From 1911 (when Tamil ethnicity appeared for the first time in a Ceylon census) to 1948 (Citizenship Act), Indian Tamils” were defined as Tamils born in India. Tamils born in Ceylon were Ceylon Tamils” (despite the fact their parents many have been born in India).

By 1946 (the last census of the British rule) most Tamils in the island were Indian Tamils”. The number of Ceylon born Tamils was smaller.

They did not leave their homeland in India for a round trip! They were enslaved by the British and displaced from their native land. Not just Ceylon, Malaya, Burma and Africa also received a large influx of Tamils from India. They worked in sanitary works, hard labour at port, tobacco plantations and tea plantations and were abused in every possible ways including sexual abuse. Little England” has not just British-styled houses but also the offspring of British planters.

Scores have been written in Dutch and British historical annals about Malabar Slaves.

Going back to pre-Independence times includes recreating this situation. How many Tamils would like to be rebranded as they were in 1946? Certainly not many.

Less Than a Tenth of Muslims Schooled

Even by the end of the British era, less than a tenth of Muslims (males and females combined) attended school. Almost all Muslim girls were not sent to school (other than Malays who were a much smaller percentage) and only a small number of Muslim boys attended school. British rulers completely disregarded Muslim education in the island and unlike Buddhists, Hindus and Christians, Muslims did not have foreign educationalists interested in their education either.

Since then, the number of Muslim schools has grown massively increasing by more than a thousand-fold.

Are Muslims willing to go back to 1947? Unlikely!

Ceylon Was Dragged into Wars

Ceylon was a British colony and as a result it was dragged into wars it had no intent of joining. These included mainly WW1 and WW2. Though local casualties remained low, things could have turned much worse had the battles raged differently. If Ceylon remained part of Britain after 1948 it would have been included in other wars including the Cold War, Korean War, Vietnam War, Falklands War, etc. with nasty impacts affecting locals. Ceylon could have ended up like Diego Garcia islands.

What’s more interesting is the fact that Independent India aligned itself with the Soviet Union and in 1947 (before Independence) Ceylon entered into an anti-Soviet and anti-Indian defence pact with the US and the UK (Anglo Ceylon Defence Partnership Agreement). It didn’t achieve much due to Ceylon gaining Independence in 1948 and eventually annulled in 1955. Due to this Agreement, Ceylon’s entry into the UN was vetoed by the Soviet Union until 1955.

Had it continued, Ceylon would have been a staging platform of British and American anti-Soviet and anti-Indian attacks resulting in counter attacks and massive devastation. The combined impact of internal wars the island nation endured would be just a spec in comparison.

Further, British rulers mercilessly robbed most grain reserves in the island (and India) during World Wars to feed their people and soldiers. Locals survived on unattractive food sources to the British (jackfruit, etc.) and even on what is considered a weed plant which is locally called Bajari”. Such deprivation did not happen post-independence no matter how dire the situation was.

Are people willing to go back to those good old times?

Internal Ethno-Religious Situation Was Tense

Contrary to what some like to portray, the inter-community harmony was not great. In fact, violent. There were regular violent riots between castes in Jaffna over allowing lower caste” children to schools, laundry caste” persons washing other caste people’s clothes and other petty tribal matters. Buddhists and Christians clashed in Kotahena in 1883. Buddhist and Muslim clashed in 1915 which started in Kandy but soon affected the entire island. Tamils and Sinhalese clashed in Nawalapitiya in 1939. Political and non-political civil groups were divided by religion and ethnicity!

By 1947 (before Independence) the largest political parties were the Sinhala Maha Sabha (aligned with the UNP) and All Ceylon Tamil Congress. Ethno-political divisions existed long before that.

British rulers were particularly harsh on Muslims in 1915 as British troops suffered their bloodiest war defeat to Turkish Muslims in WW1. Bringing in a Sikh army to quell the riot and the aftermath of the violence was a well calculated move against Muslims knowing very well the animosity between the two groups.

The very few instances of unity did not last long. These temporary unions were made either to discriminate against another group or to gain more clout in bargaining with the British. None of these lasted. Ceylon National Congress collapsed along ethnic lines in 1921, long before the first limited election.

Almost all national heroes were ethno-centric. They did well for their tribe but nothing for the others. Clashes and disagreements arose when they tried to discriminate against other groups. A few who pretended to be friendly died as tribalists.

Lucrative Foreign Currency Reserves and Free Education

One aspect of British Ceylon was that it had no foreign loans and endowed with lucrative foreign reserves. Sadly, this is where post-independence Sri Lanka miserably failed. However, there is a lengthy tale beyond the numbers. British Ceylon built such a lucrative forex reserve through slavery!

A large number of Tamil and Malabar Coast slaves were brought into the island. They were working and living in absolutely appalling conditions. Malabar people were deployed to work in the port and in sanitary works. A large percentage of other Tamils in the island were put into tobacco and tea plantations and to road construction. They had very limited welfare, no holidays, no medical facilities and no dignity.

This was how the British earned super-profits. Most part of it was taken to Britain and a small part was allowed for Ceylon.

British rulers were against wide-spread free education and were unwilling to finance it. A fund was created for free education from profit reserves of tea plantation companies. This money could have been used to uplift the horrible living conditions of Tamils working in those plantations but was instead taken for free education! As a result those toiling in plantations fell from the pan to the fire. The good part of it was, free education was not a burned on the government.

However, years after 1948, minimum working conditions were introduced. Slavery based industries became unprofitable. On the other hand, those who the British treated as slaves had tremendous improvements in their quality of life. Plantation companies and the government now pays not just them but also their politicians, temples, barbers, etc. each time they earn a salary! It came at a cost – no foreign reserves as their industries now have higher cost making them unprofitable and free education became a burden on the government. There are no free lunches! Someone must pay. If everyone becomes cowboys, there won’t be Indians to shoot!

Foreign Bank Accounts

Yes; there were foreign bank accounts during British times. The whole purpose of capturing India, Ceylon, etc. was to earn enough money from colonies to repay massive debts to France. After repaying all, British rulers still held on to their colonies as it was immensely profitable. Most earnings of Ceylon were taken away to Britain.

It is therefore not correct to say foreign bank accounts is a new thing for Sri Lanka. It existed far bigger during the British time than now. This too is corruption.

In fact, the foundation of bribery and corruption in Sri Lanka today was laid during the British time. People had to bribe government officers with chicken, beef, calves, pork, vegetables, fruits and even women to get things done. Only 3.1% of islanders were sufficiently proficient in the language the government conducted affairs. The rest had to stoop low and venerate the regime even for simple tasks. It was not an excellent administrative service as some with scant knowledge boast. It was a lucrative trade for those working in it but not for others. Today both sides have collapsed.

Transportation Network

Yes; the British built an excellent railway network and a good road network. This they did without creating a debt trap. Even better. However, it was far from perfect. Trains and buses were unreachable to most as they did not serve a wide network as today. Malabar slaves and other south Indian slaves were used in their construction. The nine-arches-bridge which is a tourist attraction costed hundreds (if not thousands) of lives of slaves.

Those who glorify the excellent British transport network are also glorifying slavery and the killings of workers from exposure, torture, neglect and at times execution. If independent Ceylon indulged in these, the network would have been much better today (though there are decent modern ways to build them today which unfortunately costs more money than Sri Lanka can afford).

Singapore’s LKY Looked at Independent Ceylon in 1965, Not British Ceylon

Singapore’s LKY launched a separatist campaign against Malaya and he succeeded in 1965 in creating a Chinese-majority nation, carved out of Malay-majority Malaysia. One of his rallying calls was to make the city-state into another Colombo (capital of Ceylon). This was in 1965. Yes; after the events of 1956 and 1958. That’s what LKY modelled his nation on; not pre-1848 Ceylon. Surely Sri Lanka was doing something right by 1965 for one of the best transformative world leaders ever to emulate its structures.

Sri Lanka has many problems today and frustration is justified. However, wishing for slavery is not wise. Before romanticizing and glorifying the British era consider the fun of having all that today! Not many would like to live in such a country. This was why Ceylon gained Independence though it lost its way since.

N.A.de S. Amaratunga

The new wealth produced by the world since 2020 has been USD 42 trillion. Two thirds of this huge amount of wealth has gone into the pockets of 1% of  the world population which comprises the billionares of the world. The whole of the rest of the world population, ie 99%, will have to do with one third of this wealth, which was largely produced by them. Apart from the gross unfairness of this world order the fact that its indefinite continuation may not be possible without huge social upheaval and irreperable environmental damage should be obvious to the discerning mind.

There are leading economists who think that one of the driving forces of the present global economy is international debt. The 2008 recession was overcome by the granting of huge amounts of debt. By 2018 the global debt volume had risen to USD 250 trillion which is three times the annual global output. The developing countries’ share of this debt had risen from 7% in 2007 to 26% in 2017. Several leading economists who have studied the impact of debt  on economic growth have reported that increasing public debt has a negative effect on economic growth (Reinhart & Rogoff  2010). A 1% increase in public debt could result in a 0.012% slowing down of growth. The reasons for this could be 1) discouragement of private investment as government borrowing competes for funds in country’s capital markets, 2) higher long term interest rates caused by an excess supply of government debt, 3) higher taxes to fund rising debt repayments and 4) increase in the rate of inflation.  While the recepient of debt end up with negative growth the the system ensures that the flow of wealth is from the poor to the rich. This is how two thirds of the wealth created by the poor finds its way into the pockets of the billionares.

Fault is not only with the imperialist rich but the ruling elite of the poor countries too. They take huge loans and spend it on unproductive projects aimed at boosting their own image and their bank accounts.  A foreign loan should be taken only if it is possible to pay it back with the foreign exchange generated from the project that is funded by the loan. Seldom is this maxim observed when governments of developing countries take loans. Moreover the total loan repayments should never exceed the total export earnings. The increases in government debt levels have positive growth effects when debt levels are low, but these effects become negative when debt levels increase beyond a certain threshold level (Reinhart & Rogoff 2010).

Sri Lanka’s total public debt in 2018 was USD 52 billion, an increase of 5% from 2017. Was this increase justified? Hardly, because the export earnings in 2018 increased only by 2%.  And what happened to the money? It was not used for any foreign exchange generating project but to stabilize the foreign reserves. Subsequently these foreign reserves were used up to pay for import of fuel etc.

Just as much as international debt enables rich countries to exploit the poor countries the large corporate establishments within countries use debt to grow richer at the expense of labour. They take loans for new investment even when they have sufficient funds and thereby evade tax which the government may badly need for its public expenditure and welfarism.

Thus its a rich man’s world, rich countries get richer at the expense of poor countries and rich people get richer at the expense of poor people both in the rich as well as the poor countries. Capital development, at the expense of labour and environment, has reached its zenith in the developed countries. The richest cannot accumulate more without causing abject poverty in their own countries, and worse, destroying the world. World Inequality Report, based on a worldwide study by 100 researchers, presented in Paris (Andrea Barolini 28 Jun 2018), reveals how the rich get richer at the expense of the poor. During 1993 to 2013, in Italy, the poorest 90% lost 15% of their wealth which was pocketed by the top 10% . In the developed countries, the richest 1% are twice as wealthy as the poorest 50%. In China, the top 10% own 41% of the wealth, in Russia 46%, in the US 47%. This increase in inequalities more or less parallels the decrease of public wealth, compared to private wealth. These facts and figures show how diligently these countries have followed neo-liberalist policies.

Isn’t it time to stop this madness? There is no need to develop the developed. They have reached the zenith of development that is possible in this planet. Other countries would never be able to reach their standard, simply because there isn’t sufficient resources in this planet. If the rich develops any further it will have to be at the expense of the poor in their own countries and the other poor countries. This has been happening at a faster pace since the IMF and the World Bank were restructured to serve neo-liberalism.

International debt plays a critical role in this unfair global economic system.

Obviously this cannot go on indefinitely without causing abject poverty as is happening in some developing countries in Africa and in Asia. Poverty rate has increased in Africa, causing lowering of household income and rampant malnutrition. Even in India, which records a high GDP, 30 million people have gone below the poverty line, mainly in the east and northeast states in the last six years. Sri Lanka is bankrupt.

What is the alternative to debt dependency for poor countries? Could they manage without foreign debt which endanger and compromise their sovereignty, independence and national assets ? If Sri Lanka could produce the essential food it needs, the import expenditure could be reduced by 50%. If import of non-essential goods is stopped another 25% could be saved. Then our export earnings could easily pay for the essential needs of fuel etc. Moreover if the goal of 70% of renewal energy could be reached, which should not be difficult in a country perenially bathed by sunlight, we could save enough of the export earnings for development work. All developing countries must strive for self-sufficiency and move away from export oriented, debt dependent economy. This would be a good thing for the poor as well as the rich and would save the world from destruction.

But do we have the freedom and the political courage and leadership to breakaway from the shackies of the present global economic system ? Sooner or later all third world countries will have to do that for existential reasons. Very soon it will be a question of survival not just for the poor but for the rich as well.

N.A.de S. Amaratunga

චානක බණ්ඩාරගේ

2004දී මහා පරිමානයේ  සුනාමි සොරකමක් වූ බව දැන දැනත්, 1994 පටන් ඒ අයගේ කැරැට්ටුව දැන දැනත්, ඒ අයට දිගටම බලය ලබා දුන්නේ අපයි.

මෙයින් පෙන්වන්නේ අපේ නොසැලකිල්ලයි. රටට නියම ආදරේ නැති කමයි. අප දිගු කාලීනව අනාගතය දෙස නොබලන බවයි.

දියුණු රටවල ජනතාව නම්  සොරුන් බව දැනගත් පසු කිසිදා එවැනි අය පලමුවරට හෝ නැවත නැවතත් බලයට පත් නොකරයි. කෙසේ හෝ සොරුන්ට උපරිම දඬුවම් ලබා දෙයි.

පාර්ලිමේන්තුව යනු අප සමාජයේ කැඩපතකි. ඒ නිසා, දැන් පසුගිය වංචා දුෂණ තදබල ලෙස විවේචනය කරන අප එනම් – සාමාන්‍ය ජනයා, චන්ද වලින් බලයට පැමිණියහොත් කරනුයේද  2005, 2010, 2015, 2019/2020 බලයට පත් වූ අය කල දේම නොවේද? 

මේ නිසා, දැන් පාර්ලිමෙන්තුවේ සිටිනා අය ඉවත් කර වෙන අය ගෙනාවත් වැඩි වෙනසක් සිදු නොවනු ඇත. මීළඟට එනු ලබන්නේද එවැනිම ‘සෙට්’ එකකි.

‘ඔක්කොම බොරුකාර, හොරු මල්ලි’.

අද දවසේ දේශපාලනඥයන් සහ රජයේ උසස් නිලධාරීන් විසින් කරනු ලබන වංචා දුෂණ ගැන අපේ සමාජ මාධ්‍ය ක්‍රියාකාරීන්, විශේෂයෙන්ම යු ටියුබ් මාධ්‍ය වේදීන්, නිරන්තරයෙන් හෙළිදරව් කිරීම් කරති. සමහර ඒවා මහා පරිමාණ දුෂණය. මේ මාධ්‍යවේදීන් මේවා කරන්නේ බොහෝ විට තමන්ගේ ජීවිත ද පරදුවට තබාය. ඔවුනට ජාතියේ ප්‍රණාමය හිමි විය යුතුය.

නමුත්, රටේ ජනතාවට මේවා ගැන වගේ වගක් නැත (ඔවුන් මේ වැඩසටහන් වලට නම් සවන් දෙති).

ප්‍රධාන මුද්‍රණ මාධ්‍ය, රුපවාහිනි සහ  ගුවන් විදුලි නාලිකා දේශපාලන දුෂණ  ගණන් නොගනී. නැත්නම්, මතුපිටින් පමණක් ඒවා සඳහන් කර අමතක කර දමති.

අප රටේ සහ දියුණු රටවල ඇති ප්‍රධානතම වෙනසකි එය.

අපේ රටේ තට්ටු මාලිගා වල ජීවත්වන, නැව් වැනි වාහන වල ගමන් බිමන් යන,  මාස දෙක තුනකට  වරක් බටහිර විදේශ රටවල නිවාඩු සඳහා  සංචාරය කරන අයට අපි ඉමහත් සේ ගරු ගරු කරන්නෙමු. ඒ, අය ඒ දේවල් කරන නිසාය. සමහරෙක් ඒ මුදල් හොයා ගනු ලබනුයේ දුෂණ, වංචා සිදු කර, පරිසරය විනාශ කර නේද යන කාරණය අප ගණන් නොගන්නෙමු. අපට එය වැඩක් නැත. අහිංසක, දහඩිය මහන්සියෙන් සාධාරණ ලෙස එදා වේල සොයා ගන්නා මිනිසෙකුට ‘සර්’ නොකියන අප මේ හොරුන්ට ඔවුන්ට ඇති මුදල් සහ බලය නිසා කටපුරා ‘සර්’ යයි කියමු.

දියුණු රටවල වංචා, දුෂණයක් හෙළි වුවහොත් එම දේශපාලනඥයෝ/උසස් නිලධාරීන් බොහෝ විට නතර වන්නේ සිර ගෙයිනි. අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම ඔවුන්ගේ රැකියා සියළු වරප්‍රසාදත් සමඟ අහිමි වේ. වැඩට අදක්ෂ අයවද මාධ්‍ය මඟින් නිරාවරණය කරනු ලැබේ.

ඒ රටවල සියළු මාධ්‍ය, එක්ව හොරුන්ට දඬුවම් දෙන තුරු සටන් අත් නොහරිති. මාධ්‍ය විසින් දිගට  හරහට විශාල පරිමාණයෙන් ප්‍රශ්ණගත දුෂණ චෝදනා හාරා අවුස්සති, විමසීම් කරති.  දවසේ ප්‍රධානතම මාධ්‍ය පුවත වනුයේ (රුපවාහිනි, ගුවන් විදුලි, මුද්‍රිත – සියල්ල) දඬුවම් නොලැබ, සැඟවී සිටීමට වළිකන දේශපාලකයා හෝ හොර රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරියායි, සහ ඔහුගේ/ඇයගේ හොරකමයි නැත්නම් නොහැකියාවයි. අපේ රටේ එවැන්නක් සිදු වන්නේ නැත.

මෙහෙ මෙන් නොව එම දියුණු රටවල  නිතීපති නඩු ගොනු නොකර සිටියහොත් නිතීපතිව, රටේ නායකයාව, අධිකරණ ඇමතිව මාධ්‍ය විසින් දිගින් දිගටම ප්‍රශ්ණ කරත්.

රටේ නායකයාව සතියකට වරක් වත් මාධ්‍ය නාලිකාවක් විසින් දීර්ඝ ලෙස ප්‍රශ්ණ කරනු ලබන සම්මුඛ සාකච්චාවක් පැවැත්වේ. එතැනදී ඔහුට/ඇයට කිසිදු ගැලවීමක් නොමැත. අසනු ලබන්නේ ඉතාම දැඩි ප්‍රශ්නයි. මේ වැඩසටහන් මුළු රටම බලත්.

අපේ රටේ මෙවැනි තත්වයක් නිර්මාණය වී නැත.

රටවල් දෙකේ මාධ්‍ය සංස්කෘතීන් හි ඇති ප්‍රධානතම වෙනසකි මෙය.

‘ඔක්කොම බොරුකාර, හොරු මල්ලි’.

අඩු දඬුවම් දුන්නේ යයි ඇතැම් ගරු විනිශ්යකාරවරුන් ද මාධ්‍යන් විසින් ප්‍රසිද්ධියේ විවේචනය කර ඇත. ජනතාවද ‘ටෝක් බෑක් ෂෝස්’, Comments හරහා තමන්ගේ විරෝධය ප්‍රකාශ කරති. සිඩ්නි නුවර තරුණියක් සමුහ දුෂණයට ලක් කල විත්තිකරුවනට දුන් සිර දඬුවම් මදිය කියා (අවුරුදු 20ක් පමණ) එහි කාන්තා සංගම් නඩු තීන්දුව ප්‍රකාශ කල ගරු අධිකරණය ඉදිරිපිට බෝඩ් අල්ලා විරෝධය පළ කර සිටියහ. මාධ්‍ය විසින් එයට දැඩි ආවරණයක් දෙනු ලැබීය. නිතීපති ‘ඇපීල්’ කළේය.  මේවා සියල්ල මෙහෙ කරන්න කියනවා නොවේ.

අපේ අධිකරණ කටයුතු සඳහා ඇත්තේ වෙනම, වූ සුවිශේෂ උසස් නිතී ක්‍රියාමාර්ගයකි. එයට අප සියල්ලෝම  ගරු කරමු, ඉදිරියටද ගරු කල යුතුය.

කෙසේ නමුත්, අප රට තවමත් ඉතාම දුප්පත්ව සිටීමට ප්‍රධානතම හේතුව හොරුන්ට දඬුවම් නොකිරීමයි. දඬුවම් නොකරන නිසා හොරු තව තවත් හොරකම් කරති. අපේ නිතිපතීට ස්වාධීනව වැඩ කරන්න නොදෙන්නේ දේශපාලනඥයෝයි.

පැනමා පේපර්ස්, පැන්ඩෝරා පේපර්ස් හොරු කවුද කියා මුළු රටම දනී. මේ හොරුන්ට නිදැල්ලේ සිටීමට අවකාශ ලැබී තිබේ. සුඛෝපභෝගී නිවාසවල, අධි සැප යාන වාහන තබාගෙන ඒ අය ඉතා  යහතින් සිටිත්. හිතු හිතු වෙලේ රට සවාරි යත්. මේ සියල්ල සොරා කන ලද මහජන මුදල්ය.  පකිස්ථානයේ පවා මේ ලැයිස්තුවල සිටින්නන්න්ට විරුද්ධව නඩු දමා දඬුවම් කරන ලදී.

පැන්ඩෝරා පේපර්ස්හි සිටින එක් ශ්‍රී ලාංකික කාන්තාවක් (ඇගේ සැමියා හා එක්ව) සොරකම් කරා යයි චෝදනා ලබන මුදල ඇමරිකන් ඩොලර් කෝටි 185කි. මෙය අති විශාල ධන ස්කන්ධයකි. මුළු රටේම පාසැල් සිසුනට වසරක් දිවා ආහාරය හොඳින් ලබාදී, වසර කිහිපයකට පාසැල් නිල ඇඳුම් ලබා දිය හැකි මුදලකි. මේ අයට විරුද්ධව වංචා සහ දුෂණ කාර්යංශය නඩු පවරන්නේ නම් එසේ කිරීමට දැන් කාලය හරිය. නැත්නම්, මේ ලිපි ගොනුවද සෙසු බොහෝ ෆයිල් මෙයින්  යට ගොස්ද?  

‘ඔක්කොම බොරුකාර, හොරු මල්ලි’.

වංචා දුෂණ වලට එරෙහිව වැඩ කරනවා යයි කියන එක් ප්‍රධාන වාමාංශික පක්ෂයක් මෑතක සිට ෆයිල් මිටියක් (150ක්?) ගොඩ ගසා ගෙන ඒවායේ ඇත්තේ වංචා දුෂණ ගැන විස්තර යයි කියමින් දිනපතාම වාගේ රැස්වීම් පවත්වමින් යත්. ඔවුන් කරන්නේ කුමක්දැයි ඔවුන්වත් දනීද?

මේ ෆයිල් වල අන්තර්ගතය මේ අයට ඔවුනගේ වෙබ් අඩවියේ පලකල හැක. නැත්නම් මේ ෆයිල් ‘මදය නොමැති අත් ඔරලෝසුද’?

වසර 25ක් තිස්සේම මේ අය කලේ මේ හා සමාන දේයි.

ඔවුනට හොඳට කථා කිරීමට පුළුවන. නමුත්, එකම හොරෙකුටවත් විරුද්ධව නඩු පැවරීම සඳහා ක්‍රියා කර,  කිසියම් ප්‍රතිලාභයක්/ප්‍රතිපලයක් රටට පෙන්වා දීමට මේ අය සමත් වී නැත. 

හොරකම් කර අසුවී, නීතියෙන් දඬුවම් ලබා සිරේ ගිය දේශපාලනඥයන් නොමැති එකම රට ශ්‍රී ලංකාව නොවේද?

හෙට දිනයේදී මේ සහෝදරයන් තවත් මහා හොරකමක් එළි දක්වනු ඇත. සති ගණනක් එය බදා ගෙන ‘කනු’ ඇත, ඉන් පසු නිහඬ වනු ඇත. නැවත හොරකමක් අහුවුනා කියා මහ ශබ්ධයක් නගා තම චන්ද ගොඩ තවත් වැඩි කර ගනු ඇත.  අදාළ හොර දේශපාලකයන් සිනහසෙමින් ඔවුන් සමඟ දියවන්නාවේ සභා ගැබෙන් පිටතදී අතට අත දෙනු ඇත, වැළඳ ගනු ඇත. 

පාර්ලිමේන්තු සභා ගර්භයෙන් පිටත, දියවන්නාවේදී, 225ම එකය.   භෝජනාගාරයේදී ඔවුන් එකට ආහාර ගනිති. සැඳා සාදවලදී එකට මධු විත තොල ගා, ගී ගයා, නටති. සති අන්තයේ දී පිට්ටනියේ එකට ක්‍රිකට් ගසති. පාර්ලි‌‌මේන්තුවේ අඳුරු කොරිඩෝ වල හොර ඩීල් කථා කරති. වෙනත් බොහෝ වැරදි දේ එකට කරති.

නාගනන්ද මහතාට අනුව මේ සෑම කෙනෙක්ම වාහන පර්මිට් විකුණන ලද අයය.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ පාර්ලිමේන්තු සංස්කෘතිය ඒ තරමටම පහත් නිසා,  225ටම ජනතාව බනින නිසා, තමන් ‘එක රෑනේ කුරුල්ලන්’ මෙන් සිටිය යුතු බව 225 දනී.

ඩීල් වලට අති ප්‍රසිද්ධ යහපාලන රජයේ ප්‍රධාන ඇමතිවරයෙක්ව මේ ප්‍රධාන වාමාංශික පක්ෂයේ උසස් දෙදෙනෙක් (වංචා දුෂණවලට එරෙහිව කථා කරන ප්‍රමුඛයන් 2ක්) ගොස්  හමු වීය යන චෝදනාවක් විය. මෙය ඇත්තද? එසේ නම්, එදා හොර රහසේ කථා කලේ මොනවාද?

ඔවුන් (මේ වාමාංශික සහෝදරයන්) කරාවි කියා බලා සිටින නිසා කරන්න පුළුවන් අයද යමක් නොකරයි.  හොරු යහතින්, නිදැල්ලේ තව තවත් හොරකම්  කරති. රජයන් ඉතා අදුරදර්ශී ලෙස රට පාලනය කරත්.

ඔවුන් (මේ වාමාංශික සහෝදරයන්) වංචා දුෂණ වලින් බැහැර බව රටේ යම් පිළිගැනීමක් ඇත. එය සත්‍ය නම් (ඔවුන් 100% අවංක නම්), එය ඉතා හොඳය. ශ්‍රී ලංකාව වැනි රටක එය අති විශිෂ්ට ගති ලක්ෂණයකි.

හොරකම් නොකලත්, ඇතුලේ හොරුන් කවුද කියා ඉතාම හොඳින් දන්නා නිසා, ඔවුන් ඇල්ලීමට සහ  දඬුවම් ලබාදීමට කල හැකි උපරිම සිදු නොකර, කට මැත පමණක් දොඩවන්නේ නම්, එය හොරුන් රැකීමකි.

 ‘ඔක්කොම බොරුකාර, හොරු මල්ලි’.

දැනට විද්‍යාමාන ලක්ෂණ අනුව මේ සහෝදරයන් නිසැකවම මීලග ආණ්ඩුව බිහි කරනු ඇත. මේ ලිපියෙන් එක් මුළීක, අවංක  බලාපොරොත්තුවන්නේ ඔවුනගේ අඩු පාඩු පෙන්වා දී, ඔවුන් 100% හරි මාර්ගයේ යැවීමය.

මේ සහෝදරයන් අති දක්ෂ විය යුතුයි; රට ගෙන යන අයුර ගැන පැහැදිලි දැක්මක් තිබිය යුතුය (කෙටි කාලින සහ දිගු කාලින). මෙය තව මදිය; ඔප මට්ටම් කර ගත යුතුය.

ඔවුනට ජාත්‍යාන්තරයෙන් ඩොලර් රැගෙන ආ හැකිද? …..

ශ්‍රී ලාංකික රටවිරුවන් එවන ඩොලර් ගැන පමණක් ඔවුන් විශ්වාසය තබා ඇති බවයි පෙනෙන්නට තිබෙන්නේ. මේ ප්‍රමාණය අප රට ගොඩ නැගීමට මදිය.

කඩා වැටීගෙන යන බව පෙනෙන බැංකු පද්ධතිය ආරක්ෂා කර ගැනීමට තරම් වූ එඩිතර, දක්ෂ නායකත්වයක් ඔවුන් අත තිබේද? ……

තමන් බලයට පැමිණියහොත් අද තම පක්ෂය මෙහෙයවනවා මෙන් දේශපාලන මණ්ඩලයක් මඟින් එදාට රට මෙහෙයවන බව ඔවුහු කියත්. නමුත් අපේ ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යාවස්ථාව අනුව බලය ඇත්තේ විධායක ජනාධිපතිටය. හරි හමන් ලී ක්වාන් යු කෙනෙක් පැමිණියහොත් ඔහුට හොඳට රට සෑදිය හැක.

තනි පුද්ගල, අතිශය බලගතු බලයක් ජනාධිපතිට තිබෙන කල්හි, තමන් බලයට පැමිණිය හොත් එය භාවිතා කර මැනවින් රට පාලනය කරනු වෙනුවට  ‘මණ්ඩල’ මඟින් රට පාලනය කරනවා යයි කියන්නේ තීරණ ගැනීමට බිය, දුර්වල නායකත්ව ලක්ෂණ ඇති අයයි.  මේ අයට රට බාර දීමට ජනතාව තුල යම්  බියක් ඇත්තේ මෙවැනි හේතුන් නිසාය.

2019 දී (මෝඩ) ජනතාව ජනාධිපතිවරයෙක් පත් කර ගත්තේ ඉමහත් නව බලාපොරොත්තු සහිතවය. ඒ සියල්ල කෙටි කලකින් පුස්සක් බවට පත්  විය.

ඒ දෙයමද නැවත සිදුවන්න යන්නේ?

බොහෝ විට එසේ විය හැකියි.

එකී බිය නැති කිරීම මේ වාමංශිකයන්ගේ මුලිකතම වගකීමකි.

එදා සයිටම් එපා කිවූ අය කිසි තර්කානුකූලත්වයක් නොමැතිව අද එය හොඳ යයි කියන්නේ නම් හෝ ඒ අය බලයට පැමිණි විට පුද්ගලික විශ්ව විද්‍යාල වලට අවසර දෙන බව කියන්නේ නම් ඒ අයගේ ප්‍රතිපත්තිමය භාවය ගැන බලවත් කුකුසක්  පැණ නැංගේ.

සයිටම් තිබුනා නම් රටේ වෛද්‍ය හිඟයට මේ වන විට හොඳ පිළිතුරක් ලැබිය හැකිව තිබුණි; විශේෂයෙන්ම කොරෝනා කාලයේ. රටේ දැවැන්ත වෛද්‍යවරු හිඟයක් අද ඇත.

සයිටම්, MCC, සාෆි, වැඳ කොත්තු, ‘ඇමරිකාව කෙසේ හෝ මේ රට අල්ලා ගනු ඇත’ වැනි බොරු බිල්ලන්; කැලණියේ නයි, හොර කොරෝනා පැණි ආදිය විවිධ අය විසින් මවන තාක් කල් මේ රට සෑදිය නොහැක.

අප රට දරුණු ණය උගුලකට හිර කලේ කිනම් රටක් විසින්ද යන ප්‍රශ්නයේදී මේ සහෝදරවරු ලිස්සා යති. ඔවුනට පුද්ගලික ලාභ උපකාර ඒ අයගෙන් ලැබෙත්ද?

වැදගත්, වගකිවයුතු දේශපාලන පක්ෂයකට එසේ (ලිස්සා යාම) කල නොහැක.

තමන් බලයට පැමිණියහොත් සෑම ඇමතිවරයෙකුටම මහාචාර්ය, ආචාර්ය සහ වෙනත් උසස් සුදුසුකම් වලින් යුත් විශේෂඥ මඩුල්ලක් (5 – 6 දෙනෙක්ගෙන් සමන්විත), නොහොත් උපදේශක මණ්ඩලයක්, පත් කරන බව ඔවුහු පවසත්.

එසේ නම් අමාත්‍යාංශ ස්ථිර ලේකම් වරුන්, අතිරේක, සහකාර ලේකම්වරුන්,  කුමකටද? සෑම අමාත්‍යාංශයකටම අනුයුක්ත දෙපාර්තමේන්තු, අධීකාරි, මණ්ඩල, සංස්ථා, කොමිෂන් සභා ආදි නානා ප්‍රකාර ආයතන ඇත; මේවායේ සේවය කරන්නේද විශේෂඥයෝය. ඉදින්, අදාළ ප්‍රතිපත්ති (policy) මේ අයට සෑදීය නොහැකිද? 

බලයට පැමිණි පසු පත් කිරීමට නියමිත මේ ඊනියා  මහාචාර්ය, ආචාර්ය වරුන්ටද පඩි නඩි, යාන වාහන, නිල සේවකයන්, ගමන් දීමනා, බටා සැපයිමට සිදුවන්නේ වටිනා මහජන මුදලින් නොවේද? මේ අයත් තවත් සුදු අලි ගොන්නක් නොවන බව ඔවුන් පවසන්නේ කෙසේද?

කි(වි)යත් මඟ මතක් වේ.

ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවෙන් පවසන්නේ ජනාධිපති වරයා (සභාපති ලෙස) තම ඇමති මණ්ඩලය (cabinet) සමඟ රට පාලනය කල යුතු බවයි. මේ අය මහජන නියෝජිතයෝය. ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදය යනු මෙයයි. නමුත්, අද බොහෝ විට තිබෙන්නේ චන්දයකින් නොපැමණි  උපදේශකයන්, කාර්ය සාධක බලකායන්  මඟින් (මේ අයට ඇමැතිවරුනට වඩා වැඩි බලයක් තිබෙන බව පෙනේ) ජනාධිපතිවරුන් විසින් රට පාලනය කිරීමකි.

වාමාංශික සහෝදරයන්ද බලයට පැමිණිය හොත් කරන්න යන්නේද මේ දේම නොවේද?

 මෙය ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවටද  පටහැනිය .

‘ඔක්කොම බොරුකාර, හොරු මල්ලි’.

පූර්ණ ඉඩම් සහ පොලිස් බලතල ලබාදීමට එකඟ බව මේ අය දැන් කියති. 1987 – 1989 දක්වා මේ අය දැවැන්ත කැරැල්ලක් ඇති කලේ, ඒ නිසා ලක්ෂයකට ආසන්න සිංහල ජනතාවක්, විශේෂයෙන් වාමාංශික තරුණයන්/පොලිස්, හමුදා භටයන්, මියගියේත් (එකී පක්ෂයේ නායකයා ඇතුළු), 13 අහෝසි කල යුතුයයි යන දැඩි මතයේ සිටී නිසාය.

දැන්, 2023 (වසර 36ක ඇවෑමෙන්), පූර්ණ13 හෝ 13+ දී – ඒ මඟින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව දෙකට කඩන TNA මර උගුලට තමන්ද ඍජුවම සම්මාදම් වන බව ප්‍රකාශ කිරීමෙන් මේ අය තම දේශපාලන ප්‍රතිපත්ති අංශක 180කින් වෙනස් කරගෙන ඇති බව පෙනේ.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ස්වෛය්රීභාවය, භෞමික අඛණ්ඩතාවය ගැන මහ හඬින් දේශප්‍රේමී කථා පැවැත්වුවේද මේ සහෝදරවරුන්ම නොවේද?

අනාගත ජනාධිපතිවරණයකදී ද්‍රවිඩ චන්ද, විශේෂයෙන්ම TNA, තම ගොඩට දමා ගත හොත් තම ජය නියතයයි සෑම ප්‍රධානම සිංහල දේශපාලන පක්ෂයක්ම සිතයි. ඒ නිසයි අද සැවොම ඉඩම්, පොලිස් බලතල උතුරු නැගෙනහිරට ලබා දිය යුතු යයි කියා අත ඔසවන්නේ. සිංහලයා ඉතා දුර්වල නිසා කිසි බියක් නැතිව ඔවුහු මේ දේ කරති.

නමුත්, මෙය මිත්‍යා විශ්වාසයකි. 2019 සිදුවූ දේ බලන්න – එදා නව ජනාධිපතිවරයා බලයට පැමිණියේ සිංහල චන්ද වලිනි. 

ඔවුනගේ පාවාදීම ඔවුනටම පාරා වළල්ලක් වී එනු ඇත.

මෙවැනි මතවාද තිබීම ඉතා ආත්මාර්ථකාමීය. ඒවා රටට ඉතා භයානයකය.

‘රට පාවාදී මා දිනන්නෙමි’ යනු ධර්මපාල රජුගේ (දොන් ජුවන් ධර්මපාල,  1551 – 1597) ප්‍රතිපත්තිය විය. ඒ නිසා, ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට සහ බුදු සසුනට ඔහු නිසා සිදු වූ හානිය කියා නිම කල නොහැකි තරම්ය.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ වාමාංශික පක්ෂ නම් සැමදා මෙන් බුදු දහමට ලැදී නොවීය.

ප්‍රතිපත්ති මත  කටයුතු කිරීම දේශපාලන පක්ෂයක ප්‍රධානතම කර්තව්‍යයි. ඇත්තේ වැනෙන සුළු, දියාරු ප්‍රතිපත්ති නම්, එයින් ප්‍රදර්ශනය කරනුයේ තමන් කරන්නේ කුමක්ද කියා තමන් වත් නොදන්නා බවයි.

ඉඩම් සහ පොලිස් බලතල ලබාදීමට විරුද්ධව අතිගරු මහා නායක හිමි වරුන් දක්වන ලද විරෝධය සුළු පටු එකක් නොවේ. මෙය උන්වහන්සේලා එඩිතරව නැඟූ සිංහ නාදයකි.

රට වැනසෙන්න යන සැම විටම පැමිණ එය බේරා ගත්තේ අතිගරු මහා සංඝරත්නයය. දේශපාලානය පසෙකලා, උන්වහන්සේලා මේ අවස්ථාවේ නැවත රට බේරා ගැනීමට ඉදිරිපත් වනු දැකීම ඉමහත් සැනසීමට කරුණකි. අතිගරු කාදීනල් තුමාද මේ සටනට සහාය දක්වනු ඇතැයි බලාපොරොත්තු වෙමු.

අපේ ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවෙන් අවංක, යහපත්,  දූරදර්ශී, කාර්යක්‍ෂම, බුද්ධිමත්  නායකයෙකුට පැමිණ (visionary leader) රට ගොඩ නැඟිය හැකි වාතාවරණය සලසා ඇත.

1978 සිට අවාසනාවට එවැන්නෙක් බිහි වුයේ නැත; එන බවට පෙනෙන සේයාවක් නැත.

ප්‍රේමදාස මහතා පමණක් යම් පමණකින් දක්ෂ නායකත්වයක් දැක්වීය, 1989 – 1993.

පුද්ගලයනට වෙනස් විය හැක. දැන් සිටින නායකයනට පවා (ආණ්ඩුවේ (UNP) හෝ විපක්ෂයේ (SJB, JVP)  අවශ්‍ය නම්, රටට අවංකවම ආදරේ නම්, රට ගැන කැක්කුමක් ඇත්නම්  හොඳ අතට වෙනස් විය හැක.  මෙය ඉක්මනින් කර ගත හැකි දෙයකි.

නමුත් එය අව්‍යාජ, අවංක වෙනස් වීමක් විය යුතුය. හොර අදහස්, හොර හිත්, මුදල් සොරකම් කරන්නේය, හොරුන් රකින්නේය, රට කෙසේ වෙතත් ‘මාගේ ගොඩ’ කෙසේ හෝ වැඩි කරගන්නේය, ‘හොර, අදක්ෂයාට තැන දෙන්නෙමි’  වැනි යටි, කූට අදහස් තබා ගෙන මේ දේ කල නොහැක.

පැරණි වැරදි තමන් විසින්ම සිහිපත් කර, බුද්ධිමත්ව, රට වෙනුවෙන් 100% මින් ඉදිරියට කැපවී වැඩ කරනවාය යන ස්ථිර අධිෂ්ටානයේ පිහිටා ඉදිරි වැඩ කිරීමට  ඇරභීමයි අවශ්‍ය වනුයේ.

අද වැනි පෙබරවාරි 4 දිනයක් එවන් අධිෂ්ටානයක් ඇති කර ගැනීමට ඉතාම කාලෝචිත දිනයකි.

ඉන්පසුව, ඒ අනුව කටයුතු කල යුතුය.

සොරුන්, බොරු කාරයන්ගෙන් නොව අවංක, රටට ආදරය කරන, බුද්ධිමතුන්ගෙන් නායකයන් අවවාද, අනුශාසනා ලබා ගත යුතුය.

කම්මැලි නොමැතිව පාන්දර 4ට ඇහැරී (අභාවප්‍රාප්ත ප්‍රේමදාස මහතා මෙන්) වැඩ කිරීමට සුදානම් බුද්ධිමත් රාජ්‍ය පාලකයෙක් විය යුතුයි. වැඩබිම් වලට කඩා පැනිය යුතුයි (RMV, ආර්ථික මධ්‍යස්ථානයට පැන්නා මෙන් නොවේ). නගර ලස්සන කිරීම ගැන නිරන්තරයෙන් සිතිය යුතුයි – මේ සඳහා සෑම නගරයක් ගැනම හොඳ දැනුමක් තිබිය යුතුය.

රටේ නායකයා බොහෝ ඇසු පිරු ඇත්තෙක් විය යුතුයි.

ජනතාවට, රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරීන්ට නිවැරදි නායකත්වයක් දිය හැකි දක්ෂ නායකයෙක් විය යුතුයි. ඔහු/ඇය දිනපතාම වාගේ තම රට වැසියන් සමඟ සංවාදයේ යෙදිය යුතුයි. ඔවුනට තම දැක්ම පැහැදිලි කර දිය යුතුයි. රටේ සියළුම  දරුවනට ඉමහත් සේ ආදරය කල යුතුයි.

රටේ සෑම ප්‍රශ්නයකටම නිවැරදි පිළිතුරු ඔහු/ඇය සතු විය යුතුයි. අනුන්ගේ උපදෙස් මත නොයැපිය යුතුයි.

Every problem is a human problem; therefore, they have a human solution.

අප සාමාන්‍ය ජනතාවද වෙනස් විය යුතුයි.

දරුවා ප්‍රාථමික පන්තියේ සිටින අවධියේ සිටම ඔවුනගේ මොළ සෑදිය යුතුයි. ඒ සඳහා ධනාත්මකව වැඩ කිරීමට දෙමව්පියන්, ගුරුවරුන් සැදී පැහැදී සිටිය යුතුයි. ලී ක්වාන් යු සිංගප්පුරුව සෑදුවේ එලෙසය.

By Garvin Karunaratne

Perhaps what I wrote a year ago, if followed tells us the only way ahead. 

Sri Lanka’s economy finds itself in a situation where one wonders whether the government has allowed it to drift. Perhaps, studying how countries have suffered and faced similar crises in the past may offer us some ideas. In 1997 the economies of Asian giants Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea crashed. In 1995, the World Bank said that Thailand was the world’s fastest growing economy.

Of Thailand, Phongpaichit and Baker says, in 1996, export growth slumped from over 29% to zero. The stock market lost two thirds of its value. The country was battered by speculators into a sharp depreciation – the biggest finance company collapsed. Two thirds of all finance firms were suspended. The IMF was called in to arrange the largest ever bail out”. (Thailand’s Boom and Bust. [1998] Phongpaichit and Baker).

Of all countries whose economies crashed, Malaysia stands out as the one country that emerged victorious. Other countries had to beg for assistance from the World Bank and the IMF. Indonesia was bailed out with a loan of $ 43 billion, South Korea with a bail out of $ 56 billion, and Thailand with a loan package of $ 17 billion. They were all loans that enabled the countries to survive for the moment and pay later. As a result, their foreign debt increased exponentially.

The financial upheaval in Indonesia saw the fall of its leader Suharto. Nicholas Kristof, Jakarta correspondent for The New York Times, wrote of what happened to Suharto, the President of Indonesia: What overthrew Suharto was not a guerrilla insurgency, but a conspiracy of far more subversives – capitalism, markets and globalisation; Suharto’s sleuths never figured how to handcuff them “(Herald International Tribune).

It has to be understood that Sri Lanka today has been held hostage by international capitalism working through its agent, the International Monetary Fund. There was one country that did not go begging for aid—Malaysia. Mahatir Muhammed, the legendary Prime Minister, took charge of the economy, collected all the dollars from all banks. As I have said previously, Mahatir Muhammed declared war with the IMF by doing the exact opposite of the IMF advice. He did not go on bended knees to the IMF. Instead he effectively controlled the economy of his own country. He imposed strict controls on the use of foreign exchange. He did not allow anyone to spend the money on the import of unnecessary goods. He clamped severe restrictions on the use of foreign exchange. This even went to the extreme of stopping foreign exchange for Malaysians studying abroad. There was mayhem in student circles in the UK. Some students took leave of study and went back. Others were compelled to work as waiters and kitchen hands and pay themselves” (How the IMF Ruined Sri Lanka & Alternative Programmes of Success [2006]. Pg 238).

In 1958 Mahatir even stopped foreign investors from taking away money.

In Mahatir Muhammed’s own opinion, Any country at all which says it cannot control its banks and its banking system – they are not fit to be governments and they should either resign or be overthrown” (Daily News. February 1, 1999).

Malaysia was the one and only country to get out of the East Asian Foreign Currency Crisis. Even today the Sri Lankan Government does not collect the dollars that come in. The bulk of the dollars are collected by private and foreign banks and private money changers, who are allowed to fix their own buying and selling rates. The private dealers collect dollars or rupees within minutes, while it takes at least half an hour of form filling and passport checking at State banks. That is how the government went bankrupt. State banks collect only a fraction of the dollars that come into the country.

A funny thing happened on 2 January, 2001, two decades ago. Our two State banks, Bank of Ceylon and People’s Bank, did not have enough dollars to pay a large oil bill, and they went hat in hand to foreign banks in Colombo. Those that had collected dollars raised the price to Rs 106, when the rate had been Rs 85, and the two State Banks were forced to buy at the higher price. The rupee was devalued overnight.

The Central Bank, when questioned, said that it had control over only the domestic rupee (The Island of 17 February 2001).

In other words, the private banks collect dollars that come in, and sell them as they like, even today the banks and private dealers fix their own rates. What all this indicates is that even today our government does not control the foreign exchange that comes in. Naturally, today we are facing the music of not having dollars to pay for essential imports.

Are we yet collecting all the dollars that come in? No. We allow private and foreign banks, and private dealers to collect, fix rates and sell as they like. This, they have done for decades from November 1977, and at least now we have to collect all dollars that come in like what was done before we embraced neoliberalism in 1977. Are we yet being fooled by foreign investors who trade in the local rupee, calculate profits in rupees, but take away profits in US dollars?

Are we not yet being fooled by foreign travel agencies that book hotel stay, get the hotel to collect in local rupees, but get paid by invoices in dollars going out of our reserves? Hotel bookings by foreigners have to be made in dollars.

Before President Jayewardene foolishly submitted to neoliberalism and started living on loans, we had a closed economy. Then, we had two budgets: a local rupee budget that attended to all development work. We had a separate foreign budget with the dollars we collected from imports. Then we spent the dollars we had, first on essentials, and if we had anything left, we gave small allocations to import cars and electrical items. We never dispensed funds for foreign travel unless it was necessary for our country. Nor did we allocate any foreign funds for students to study abroad and for people to go on foreign holidays. Should we not revert to that system?

How we managed our finances from Independence till President Jayewardene started licking the boots of the IMF is of importance. The fundamental fact is that at the end of 1977 Sri Lanka did not have foreign debt.

As much as we have had to restrict imports, let us have a programme to produce locally all what we import. Not long ago we had the Divisional Development Councils Programme (DDCP) of 1970-1977, when we made seafaring fishing boats (at Matara), done within three months, Crayons equal to the Crayola of today (at Matara) also done within three months- all done under my direction as the GA at Matara, The Divisional Sec at Kotmale made  paper  out of waste Paper (at Nuwara-Eliya – Kotmale)- we can do that again in months. We also had  , agricultural farms (in every District) training our youths and also bringing in production and many more, all done with local rupees, all carried out by local staff. We can easily do it again in months. That will also provide incomes and employment to the unemployed. Why are we not yet doing such a programme to create employment and incomes for the people and also make what our country needs.

Perhaps, a rethinking of priorities and a firm resolve to go ahead is what is required today. 

Garvin Karunaratne,former GA Matara

3 rd February 2023

උපුටා ගැන්ම  අරුණ පුවත්

මහජන උපයෝගිතා කොමිසමේ සභාපති ජනක රත්නායකට එරෙහිව කරුණු දහහතරකින් යුක්ත චෝදනා පත්‍රයක් ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමට විදුලිබල හා බලශක්ති අමාත්‍යාංශය සූදානම් වෙයි.

එම චෝදනා පත්‍රය නීති කෙටුම්පත් දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවට පසුගිය සිකුරාදා (03 වැනිදා) යොමු කර තිබුණි.

නීති කෙටුම්පත් දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව චෝදනා පත්‍රය නීතියට අනුව සකස් කර ලබාදීමෙන් පසු විදුලිබල හා බලශක්ති ඇමැති කංචන විජේසේකර එය ලබන අටවැනිදායින් පසු පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමට නියමිතය.

මහජන උපයෝගිතා කොමිෂන් සභාවේ සභාපතිවරයාට අයත් යැයි සැලකෙන ආයතනයක් මගින් විදුලිය තොග වශයෙන් ලබාගෙන පාරිභෝගිකයන්ට අලෙවි කිරිමේ බලපත්‍රයක් ලබාගැනිම ඇතුළු චෝදනා දාහතරක් ඊට ඇතුළත් කර තිබේ.

සභාපතිවරයාට එරෙහිව චෝදනා පත්‍රයක් ඉදිරිපත් කරන බව ඇමැති කංචන විජේසේකර පසුගියදා මාධ්‍ය හමුවක් පවත්වමින් ප්‍රකාශ කළේය. චෝදනා පත්‍රය ලැබෙන තුරු බලා සිටින බව සභාපතිවරයාද ප්‍රකාශ කළ අතර ඔහුගේ ක්‍රියාකලාපය ජනාධිපතිවරයාද පර්ලිමේන්තුවේ දී වී වේචනයට ලක් කළේය.

මේ අතර මහජන උපයෝගිතා කොමිෂන් සභාවේ සාමාජිකයන් ලෙස කටයුතු කළ මොහාන් සමරනායක සහ උදේනි වික්‍රමසිංහද එම තනතුරුවලින් පසුගිය සිකුරාදා (03 වැනිදා) ඉල්ලා අස් වූහ. සිය ඉල්ලා අස්වීමේ ලිපි මුදල් ඇමැතිවරයා වෙත යොමු කර තිබුණි.

මහජන උපයෝගිතා කොමිෂන් සභාව සාමාජිකයින් පස් දෙනකුගෙන් යුත් ආයතනයකි.

මේ අතර මහජන උපයෝගිතා කොමිෂන් සභාවේ සභාපතිවරයාට අයත් යැයි සැලකෙන ​හෝටල් සංකීර්ණයක විදුලි බිල්පත් නොගෙවීමද තවත් චෝදනාවකි.

ඒ අනුව ගෙවිය යුතු සම්පූර්ණ විදුලි බිල රුපියල් 14,76,651කි.

සභාපතිවරයා මෙම මුදලද නොගෙවමින් එම මුදල අඩුකර ගැනීමට ලංකා විදුලි බල මණ්ඩලය සමග සාකච්ඡාවක්ද පවත්වා තිබේ.

– Aruna

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said regardless of the obstacles the anarchist political forces seek to create, he will continue the new reform program with the majority of people who love this country.

“We can become a developed country by 2048 if we work and move forward in a united and planned manner envisioning peace and reconciliation. There is the potential to become a developed country which is not begging from any other nation in the world. True freedom can be achieved and it is possible,” he said addressing the nation.

“There are those who want to keep perpetuating this wound forever, though I don‟t wish. Let’s seek to heal this wound though it’s difficult and painful. If we endure the suffering and pain for a short period of time, we can get the wound healed completely. We have no way out of this crisis with short cuts as that some political parties are pointing out,” he said.

The Full Statement:

Most Venerable Maha Sangha and the clergy, my fellow citizens, all Sri Lankans abroad, dear children,

Today, I will not be delivering a traditional Independence Day statement. I am not going to dwell on the freedom we gained. While honouring those who were dedicated and worked hard for the country‟s freedom, including the late Mr. D.S. Senanayake, I will focus on regaining the freedom that we have lost today.

Around 75 years ago, the esteemed “London Times‟ newspaper carried an editorial stating that “It is our desire to see Sri Lanka become a Switzerland in the East, very soon.”

They had not expressed a similar vision for any other country in the East. However, what has happened to us today? Today, we are facing an unprecedented economic crisis, hitherto never experienced. Why have we to face such a situation? Who is responsible for such? Let’s be truthful.

All of us are more or less responsible for this situation. None of us can point fingers and blame each other. We made mistakes from the beginning. Efforts were made to rectify those mistakes, though it was not possible to correct them completely.

The policy followed by the late Mr. D.S. Senanayake in securing the country‟s freedom was to unite all Sri Lankans. He believed that everyone, be it Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim or Burgher, should forge ahead as Sri Lankans.

However, after independence we divided in terms of race, religion and region. We were divided to a point of developing suspicion and animosity against each other.

Various groups exploited this division to gain power and created further rifts among the people. Instead of rejecting such groups, we accorded power to these very same groups. In politics, lies were spread instead of the truth.

Politicians who spoke the truth were rejected by the people. Those who pointed out the real situation of the country and sought related remedies were hardly given a place. Yet, those who satisfied people with their lies gained greater acceptance.

We got trapped in a consensual political culture. Our characteristic was to be depended on borrowed resources and we borrowed even more. We adopted the notion that, The government is a spring of resources”.

Many were of the view that the duty of the rulers was to distribute the various resources obtained from that spring, among the people. Accordingly, job opportunities were provided and various goods and equipment were also distributed. Cash was also made available. In most instances, we did not vote on behalf of the country. Instead we voted for a candidate in order to receive a job, to gain admission to a school for our children and to have a tender passed etc.

We worked for political candidates expecting personal favours in return. Most of us contested not for the country, but for personal power, for greater perks and to earn a little more. We were trapped in promises and endured slogans which finally resulted in the gradual collapse of the country‟s economy.

We borrowed increasingly to fulfil election pledges and proved the slogans shouted at the protests were correct. We borrowed more for consumption rather than for investment. However, according to the Buddhist Philosophy one should take loans for investment purposes and not consumption. While we are talking of Buddhism, our action is not in keeping with the Buddha‟s teachings. Lee Kuan Yew, who visited Sri Lanka to study and formulate a strategy to rebuild Singapore, said after many years, that .

“This situation has arisen in Sri Lanka due to unnecessarily prioritising politics. If Sri Lanka was followed as a role model, even Singapore by today would have perished. In fact, we have reached the point of destruction. There are those who want to keep perpetuating this wound forever, though I don‟t wish.

Let’s seek to heal this wound though it’s difficult and painful. If we endure the suffering and pain for a short period of time, we can get the wound healed completely.

We have no way out of this crisis with short cuts as that some political parties are pointing out. We have only one way to get rid of this situation, if we want to overcome this crisis and achieve real economic and social freedom. Remember, if we miss this path due to misplaced political agendas, we would neither have a future nor a country.

On several occasions, I pointed out the seriousness and danger of the looming economic crisis we are facing today. I have already said that the first six months of this year will be extremely difficult. We have to face this difficult situation in our stride, although unwillingly, for the sake of the country.

Although a large number of people in this country got out of poverty with the free education and expanded the middle class, today the country has turned into a land where it is impossible to fulfil their aspirations. I see the youth who should be working hard in different fields in this country are creating long queues to obtain passports.

We need to change this situation too. To achieve this end we should modernize the economy and open it to the world. The corrupt political factionalism that deceives the people making them dependants and poor for ever should also be changed.

This is the “system change” that the youth of this country have been demanding for over a long period of time. My government therefore has embarked on new path of reform to fulfil the needs of the youth.

Even though those decisions that have to be taken for it are painful, it has to be done in order to overcome. We have to move away from narrow politics in order to be rid of this crisis situation. We must face this challenge together as children of one mother and make our fullest contribution to strengthen the path towards the successful development of this country.

We must all move forward as Sri Lankan nationals leaving aside all differences. Hence the basis and foundation for a strong new economy has already been formulated. We are successfully completing the difficult stage required to get support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

We expect to get their consent without delay. We cannot be satisfied just by strengthening the economy. The entire system needs to be changed.

All areas of this political system, the legislature, parliament, Executive, state machinery, etc. should be modified to suit the modern era. The nation, and we should benefit from this change. More space should be created in the new system, for representation and opinions of young people and women in particular.

For this system modification, we are proposing a number of orders to the Parliament.

Additionally, immediate action needs to be taken in relation to the unique issues that the people in the North and East face. A cabinet subcommittee for this purpose has already been established.

All political parties are informed of its decisions and their implementation dates. Thereby those tasks are carried forward. We have given priority to activities such as release of land and prisoners.

Furthermore, measures are being taken for the maximum division of power in a unitary state. However, we’ll never consent to the division of this nation. I’m not attempting to treat the superficial condition with painkillers. But to treat the root cause of the malaise. It is challenging and difficult, but it’s our only option.

I know that many of the decisions I have been compelled to take since assuming the presidency have been unpopular. However, because of those decisions, today no citizen of this country will die of dehydration in oil queues. You won’t starve without gas. Not curse without fertilizer. Therefore, regardless of the obstacles the anarchist political forces seek to create, I will continue this new reform program with the majority of people who love this country. We can become a developed country by 2048 if we work and move forward in a united and planned manner envisioning peace and reconciliation. There is the potential to become a developed country which is not begging from any other nation in the world. True freedom can be achieved and it is possible It is our collective responsibility to build a new country in which our children can compete with the rest of the world.

Therefore, I urge all parties to come together to overcome this difficult period. Let’s unite! Let’s join hands! With joined hands let‟s embark on a united journey over the next 25 years, as we have planned.

Let’s further nurture those plans in accordance with the views of all parties. Let’s get stronger. Let’s make them more systematic and streamlined. Not only should all of us who live in Sri Lanka join this effort. But the Sri Lankans living in the different countries around the world should also shoulder this journey.

Everyone should be united. Everyone should contribute to the achievement of these goals as much as possible. Let us devote ourselves, unite as children of one mother. Let us make our country one of the most developed in the world by 2048, when we will celebrate 100 years of independence

Courtesy Adaderana

President Rani Wickremesinghe addressed the nation this evening (04 Feb.), in view of Sri Lanka’s 75th Independence Anniversary.

In his speech, the Head of State discussed Sri Lanka’s looming economic crisis, stating that the only way out of it was by making difficult and unpopular decisions. 

Sugarcoated stories by politicians will not resolve this crisis”, Wickremesinghe said, adding that he will continue to move forward with reforms such as those implemented thus far, albeit being severely unpopular and criticized.

Moreover, he noted that under his Government, the ‘system change’ that was demanded by the youth of Sri Lanka over a prolonged period of time will be implemented, with changes being made in all areas of the country’s political system in a manner fitting for a modern era.

Below is the full speech delivered by the President;

Most Venerable Maha Sangha and the clergy, my fellow citizens, all Sri Lankans abroad, dear children,

Today, I will not be delivering a traditional Independence Day statement. I am not going to dwell on the freedom we gained while honouring those who were dedicated and worked hard for the country’s freedom, including the late D. S. Senanayake.

I will focus on regaining the freedom that we have lost today.

Around 75 years ago, the esteemed ‘London Times’ newspaper carried an editorial stating that ‘it is our desire to see SL become a Switzerland in the East very soon’. They had not expressed a similar vision for any other country in the East.

However, what has happened to us today?

Today we are facing an unprecedented economic crisis, hitherto never experienced.

Why have we to face such a situation? Who is responsible for this? Let’s be honest, all of us are more or less responsible for this situation. None of us can point fingers and blame each other.

We made mistakes from the beginning, though efforts were made to rectify those mistakes, it was not possible to rectify them completely.
 
The policy followed by the late D S. Senanayake in securing the country’s freedom was to unite all Sri Lankans.  He believed that everyone, be it Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim or Burgher, should forge ahead as Sri Lankans.

However, after independence, we divided in terms of race, religion and region. We were divided to a point of developing suspicion and animosity against each other. Various groups exploited this division to gain power and created further rifts among the people. 

Instead of rejecting such people, we accorded the power to these very same groups. In politics, lies were spread instead of the truth, and politicians who spoke the truth were rejected by the people. Those who pointed out the real situation of the country and sought related remedies were hardly given a place, yet those who satisfied people with their lies gained greater acceptance. 

We got trapped in a political culture based on promises. We depended on resources that did not belong to us, those which were received on loan facilities, and we borrowed even more loans.

We adapted to the notion that the Government is a ‘spring of resources ‘, after which many were of the view that the duty of the rulers was to distribute the various resource obtained from that ‘spring’, amongst the people of the country. 
Accordingly, job opportunities were provided, various goods and equipment were distributed, cash was also distributed.

In most instances, we did not vote on behalf of the country, instead, we voted for a candidate in order to receive a job, gain admission to a school for our children, and have a tender passed, etc. We worked for political candidates expecting personal favours in return. Most of us contested not for the country, but for personal power, for greater benefits, and to earn a little more. 

We were trapped in promises and endured slogans which finally resulted in the gradual collapse of the country’s economy. 

We borrowed extensively to fulfill the election pledges and to prove that the slogans shouted at the protests were correct, we borrowed more for consumption than for investment.

However, according to Buddhist philosophy, one should take loans for investment purposes and not for consumption. Although we preach about Buddhism, our actions are not in line with the Buddha’s teachings.

Lee Kuan Yew, who visited Sri Lanka after many years to study and formulate a strategy to rebuild Singapore, said that This situation has arisen in your country due to unnecessarily prioritizing politics. If Sri Lanka was taken as an example, Singapore too would have perished by now”. 

In fact, we have now reached a point of destruction. There are those who want to keep prolonging this wound forever, however, I do not like that. Although it may be difficult and painful to do so, let’s aim to heal this wound, because if we endure this pain and suffering for a short while, it is possible for us to heal this wound completely.

There is no shortcut to getting out of this crisis, despite claims made by certain political parties.

We have only way to get rid of this situation if we want to overcome this crisis and achieve real economic and social freedom, there is only one ladder to get out of this ditch. 

Keep in mind that if we place this ladder aside to satisfy political agendas, we have no country, and we have no tomorrow.

On several previous occasions, I pointed out the seriousness and danger of the looming economic crisis we are currently facing, and I have already said that the first six months of this year will be extremely difficult. We have to face this difficult situation, even if we do not like it, for the sake of the country.

Sugarcoated stories by politicians will not resolve this crisis.

Although a large number of people in this country moved away from poverty with free education and expanded the middle class, today the country has turned into a land where it is impossible to fulfill their aspirations.

I see the youth who should be working hard in different fields in this country creating long queues to obtain passports instead, we need to change this.
To achieve this, we should modernize the economy and open it to the world.

The corrupt political factionalism that deceives people, pushing them further into poverty and making them further dependent should also be changed.

This is the ‘system change’ that the youth of this country have been demanding for a long period of time. 

Thus, my government has embarked on a new path of reform to fulfill the needs of the youth.

Even though those decisions that have to be taken for it are unpopular, it has to be done in order to overcome this crisis. We have to move away from narrow politics if we are to get rid of this crisis.

We must face this challenge together as children of one mother, and make our fullest contribution to strengthening the path toward the successful development of this country. We must all move forwards as Sri Lankan nationals leaving aside all differences.

Hence the first steps towards the development of a strong new economy have already been taken.

We are in the final stages of securing certain difficult elements required for the IMF bailout, and we are expecting their approval in this regard soon. We cannot be satisfied just by strengthening the economy, the entire system needs to be changed.

All areas of the political system, the legislature, Parliament, Executive, and State Institutions should be changed in a manner suitable to the modern era. Both the nation and us should benefit from this change.

More space should be created in this new system for the representation and opinions of young people and women in particular.

We are in the process of presenting several proposals to the Parliament in this regard.

Furthermore, immediate action needs to be taken in relation to the specific issues faced by those in the North and East. A cabinet sub-committee has already been appointed for this purpose.

All political parties are informed of the committee’s decisions and the dates these decisions are due to be implemented, after which these tasks are carried forwards based on their ideas.

We have also prioritized certain tasks such as the release of lands and prisoners.

Measures are also underway to create the maximum devolution of powers possible within the premise of a unitary state, however, we will never consent to the division of this nation.

I am not attempting to treat a superficial illness with painkillers, but instead to treat the root cause of this illness – it is challenging, and it is difficult, but this is our only way forward.

I know that many of the decisions I have been compelled to take since assuming the Presidency have been unpopular, however, because of these decisions, today, no citizen of this country is forced to die of dehydration or starve without gas. They do not have shout out curses due to the lack of fertilizer.

Therefore, regardless of the obstacles the anarchist political forces try to create, I will continue these new reforms with the majority of those who love this country. 

We can become a developed country by 2048 if we work and move forward in a united and planned manner envisioning peace and reconciliation. 

We have the potential to become a developed country that need not beg from any other nation in the world, true freedom can be achieved.
It is our collective responsibility to build a new country in which our children can compete with the rest of the world.

Therefore, I urge all parties to come together to overcome this crisis.
Let’s unite! Let’s join hands!

With these joined hands, let’s embark on the journey that we have planned for the next 25 years, together!

Let’s further nurture those plans in accordance with the views of all parties, let’s make them stronger, more systematic and streamlined.

Not only those of us who live in Sri Lanka should make a joint effort towards this, but those Sri Lankans living abroad, across the globe, must also shoulder this journey.

Everyone should contribute to the achievement of these goals to their fullest capacity.

Let us devote ourselves and unite as children of one mother, let us make our country one of the most developed in the world by 2048, when we will celebrate 100 years of independence!

Thank you all

Courtesy Adaderana

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has reinstated the fact that Sri Lanka is not alone in the crisis it is currently facing.

Speaking at the Inaugural Lecture for Geopolitical Cartographers yesterday 903 Feb.), Scotland said, I know that Sri Lanka continues to feel the weight of political and economic pressure. The pressure can be hard to bear. It can be destabilizing, isolating, and frightening, and I am here because I want every Sri Lankan to know that you are not alone. You are part of this special precious Commonwealth family”.

The Geopolitical Cartographer was held on the theme of The role of the Commonwealth in an Era of ‘Polycrisis’ under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, yesterday at the Colombo City Centre.

Speaking further, the Secretary-General emphasised that as a family we have responsibility for one another. A duty to each other, a shared love and a shared journey and you are not alone like the challenges you face”, assuring that Sri Lanka wasn’t the only country amidst a crisis right now.

She noted that currently, countries across the globe are facing the social, political and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

You may feel that you are living in a country under pressure, but the reality is that we are all living in a world under pressure. All of us are tightly bound by a tangled knot of crisis-spanning global systems. A world living with the social political and economic consequences of COVID-19,” she said.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who also spoke at the session, explained that Scotland was the first to be invited to commemorate Sri Lanka’s 75th Independence Anniversary not only due to her fruitful ties with Sri Lanka and the Asian and African continents as whole, but also because Sri Lanka was first admitted to the Commonwealth upon the gaining of their independence.

You were there when we got independence and you all are here now. So it is to mark that occasion as she was invited here by the government to take part in the 75th Anniversary of our Independence”, the Head of State said.

Below is the President’s full speech at the event;

It gives me great pleasure to be present here today with Patricia Scotland, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth for the inaugural lecture of the geopolitical cartographer. 

The geopolitical cartography is the outcome of a discussion or firstly, increasing the number of think tanks and research institutes in the country. Secondly, to focus on international affairs, thirdly, not merely to cover the whole range of international affairs, but to focus on the area which was of concern to us where we are located in the Indian Ocean, its geopolitical aspects. Its geo-economic aspects, its environmental aspects fall into either geopolitical or geo-economics.

And it was called the geopolitical cartographer because now the maps are drawn and boundaries are drawn not according to geography, but according to geopolitics. For a long time, we belonged to a region known as the Indian Ocean, and all of a sudden it became the Indo-Pacific. So that is geopolitical cartography. In the same way, Europe has a problem now with where to draw the boundaries between Russia and Ukraine. It keeps changing throughout the world.

Various claims are made, but we have to learn now that cartography depends completely on geopolitics and nothing else. So we called the name geopolitical cartographer but was to discuss how geopolitics and geo-economics were changing the Indian Ocean, the most vital ocean in the world till about the 18th century. This was also the richest.

In time to come, before the end of the century again, you will find first the development of South Asia of Indonesia and Southeast Asia of the Middle East. And finally, the big development explosion in Africa, that’s why the focus is completely on this new emerging region. And the first person to come here and to be invited here is none other than the Secretary General of the Commonwealth. She’s been a good friend of Sri Lanka. She’s been a good friend of Asia and Africa and she represents our thinking. But there’s also another reason for her to be here on behalf of the Commonwealth. 

When we gained independence, we were admitted to the Commonwealth. Our entry to the UN was blocked because the US had blocked some of the Soviet countries and in return, the Soviet Union blocked Sri Lanka. It was only in 1955 that we became a member of the United Nations. But from the beginning, we have been with the Commonwealth.

It was only correct that the Secretary General of the Commonwealth should be here on our 75th Anniversary of Independence. You were there when we got independence and you all are here now. So it is to mark that occasion as she was invited here by the government to take part in the 75th Anniversary of our Independence.

But today you’re not here to listen to me speak. You’ll be here to see and listen to what Patricia has to say. So I would like to invite her to address all of you and the numerous crises that she is going to now explain and layout.

Courtesy Ada Derana

The Supreme Court today (Feb. 03) rejected a request made by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) to issue an interim order preventing the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) from imposing power cuts during the ongoing 2022 G.C.E. Advanced Level examination.

A petition filed by the human rights group against the CEB and several other parties was taken up for consideration before Supreme Court’s three-judge bench consisting of Gamini Amarasekara, Kumudini Wickramasinghe and Shiran Gunaratne.

During the court proceedings, President’s Counsel Upul Jayasuriya, who appeared on behalf of the HRCSL, requested that the undertaking given by the CEB before the judge bench on Thursday (Feb. 02) that power cuts would not be imposed until today be extended.

However, attorney representing the CEB, President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva raised objections to the said request.

In response to the HRCSL’s request, Justice Gamini Amarasekara noted that the undertaking given by the CEB before the Supreme Court was only effective until the conclusion of the consideration of the petition today.

Accordingly, the request made by the HRCSL for an interim order preventing power cuts during the Advanced Level examination was rejected by the judge bench.

Subsequently, the petition was fixed for further consideration on February 07.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said today that the Export-Import Bank of China will provide an extension on the debt service to Sri Lanka due in 2022 and 2023, which means Sri Lanka will not have to repay the principal and interest due on the Bank’s loans during the above-mentioned period, so as to help relieve Sri Lanka’s short-term debt repayment pressure.

Meanwhile, she said the Bank would like to have friendly consultations with Sri Lanka regarding medium- and long-term debt treatment in this window period and the Bank will make best efforts to contribute to the debt sustainability of Sri Lanka. 

The Bank also noted that it will support Sri Lanka in its loan application to the IMF. In the meantime, the Bank will continuously call on commercial creditors (including the International Sovereign Bondholders) to provide debt treatment in an equally comparable manner, and encourage multilateral creditors to do their utmost to make corresponding contributions, she said at a regular Press conference.

“As we have said several times, as a friendly neighbor and true friend, China has been providing assistance for Sri Lanka’s economic and social development to the best of our capabilities. The financing support document is aimed at combining an immediate contingency measure” and medium- and long-term debt treatment” to rapidly, effectively and truly resolve Sri Lanka’s debt issue. As far as I have learned, China is the first official bilateral creditor to have taken the initiative to announce debt extension to Sri Lanka. This speaks to China’s sincerity and action to support Sri Lanka’s effort to achieve debt sustainability,’ she said.

Ning further said that China calls on all other creditors of Sri Lanka, especially multilateral creditors, to take synchronized, similar steps and give effective, strong support to Sri Lanka to help the country emerge from its default status at an early date and eventually work out an arrangement for Sri Lanka to achieve medium- and long-term debt sustainability. China also calls on the IMF to take into full consideration the urgency of the situation in Sri Lanka and provide loan support as soon as possible to relieve the country’s liquidity strain.

“Going forward, China will continue to support relevant financial institutions in actively working out the debt treatment. We will work with relevant countries and international financial institutions to jointly play a positive role in helping Sri Lanka navigate the situation, ease its debt burden and achieve sustainable development,” the Spokesperson said.

When asked if there is any communication with the IMF wherein the IMF has confirmed that Chinese assurances to Sri Lanka are credible, sufficient and enough, she said that China hoped the IMF will take into full consideration the situation on the ground in Sri Lanka and provide loan support as soon as possible so as to relieve the country’s liquidity strain.(Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)

Courtesy Ada Derana

A total of 150 motorcycles, 74 vehicles and 115 pieces of search equipment have been handed over to the Sri Lanka Police by Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Takei Syunsuke.

The automobiles and equipment were handed over under a grant by the Japanese Government at a ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat a short while ago.

The ceremony was held under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported. 

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Two members of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka have handed over their letters of resignation to the Finance Ministry Secretary.

It was reported that Mohan Samaranayake and Udeni Wickremasinghe handed over their resignation letters.

Courtesy Ada Derana

China has hit back at the remarks made by US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland that the terms extended by China to Sri Lanka to unlock IMF debt relief remain insufficient.

In response to a question raised at a regular press conference on Thursday (Feb. 02), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the US Under Secretary’s comments do not reflect the truth.

During her recent official visit to Sri Lanka, Nuland told reporters in Colombo that China’s offer on their financial assurances for Sri Lanka is not enough, adding that the IMF needs to see credible and specific assurance that matches the global lender’s standard on debt restructuring prior to moving forward with an agreement.

Sri Lanka is currently awaiting board approval from the IMF pertaining to the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of USD 2.9 billion.

Speaking further during the press conference, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson went on to note that the Export-Import Bank of China has already provided Sri Lanka with a letter to express support for its debt sustainability. Sri Lanka has responded positively and thanked China for that.”

She called on the United States to show some sincerity and actually do something to help Sri Lanka weather through the current difficulties” rather than jabbing fingers at China’s close cooperation with Sri Lanka.”

As a friendly neighbour and true friend, China has been closely following the difficulties and challenges facing Sri Lanka and providing assistance for the island’s economic and social development to the best of China’s capabilities, Mao continued.

In response to a question on any ongoing conversation or talk between China and the IMF where the global lender has confirmed that China’s assurances are credible and enough for the Fund to disburse the debt relief financial support, the spokesperson said China supports it financial institutions in having consultations with Sri Lanka to seek a proper settlement to its China-related debt issue.

We also stand ready to work with relevant countries and international financial institutions to play a positive role in easing Sri Lanka’s debt burden.”

Shenali D Waduge

13A is not about police or land powers, it is only about power. The question is, power for whom & under what conditions. 13A came subsequent to the signing of the Indo-Lanka Accord in 1987. Both were acts of aggression. India was pro-Russian & a closed economy while Sri Lanka had tilted towards West embracing an open-market economy. It is curious to ascertain whether the West coerced Indira Gandhi into training Tamil youth, tapping her personal anger against Sri Lanka’s JR Jayawardena. In short, did that Indian initial training have an element of indirect foreign involvement, needs to be established. If LTTE & Prabakaran opposed the Accord & 13A – there is no reason for LTTE agents to be promoting it unless it is for other reasons & other persons!

Was India’s training of Tamil militancy part of a western ploy is something that people in India & Sri Lanka should answer. This is important as the LTTE international office was set up in London far before LTTE offices were set up in Chennai (Madras). The involvement of Christian/Catholic priests with LTTE was visible from the outset. Let’s not forget that the Dravida Nadu concept was birthed by Bishop Cadwell. Therefore, when there is a call to establish a separate Cardinal for the North & East, it exposes the bigger plan.

https://lankasara.com/si/පුවත්/උතුරු-නැගෙනහිරට-වෙනම-කාද/

http://slguardian.org/vatican-urges-to-have-separate-cardinal-for-north-east-of-sri-lanka/

Why does only the North need land & police powers to carry out their devolved powers? Doesn’t this look strange when only 1 province out of 9 provinces in Sri Lanka keep on demanding land & police powers without attending to the 36 devolved powers given to them out of the 37 powers devolved to the provinces?

The call exposes the intent & it should dawn upon India that the 13^thamendment if enforced giving land & police powers to the North & East, means the West is targeting a missionary influenced Western satellite autonomous state no different to what was set up in Kosovo & South Sudan. For the natives, it was the opposite of what they expected but there was no going back & they had to suffer the consequences of ignoring advice about West’s real intentions. Tamils are likely to be in for worse times thinking they will not suffer what Okinawians go through on a daily basis from US troop presence. There is little point in warning those that ignore warnings.

It is good for India to wonder if being roped into Quad was also part of a bigger western plan to enable the US greater access to Asia & South Asia via India, using ‘India is our friend’ mantra. Was it all a charade?

Now that inroads have been made & the necessary links have been established, is India no longer needed? Is this why the sudden anti-Modi wave appearing in the West? Did it have to do with India refusing to break ties with Russia or was India a friend” only so long as India could be used for the West to penetrate into Asia & Asian systems.

An analysis of the LTTE terror in Sri Lanka would confirm that it is the Church that has been heavily involved in promoting terror over the years. Count the number of fathers that are direct spokesmen for LTTE & LTTE fronts, then & now. Look at the NGOs, civil society organizations that either directly or indirectly promote objectives of the LTTE & separatist quest using different tactics & nomenclatures but with the same goal. Notice the speakers local & foreign, majority of whom are non-Hindus. Look at the editorials, journalists & other soothsayers promoting reconciliation” but their goal being something else. That something else is politically aligned & for the advantage of the nations that these entities are operating from. Even Tamil Nadu – has the Indian diplomatic establishment looked at the growing influence of the Church on Tamil politicians across Tamil Nadu & how far these players are influencing people in Sri Lanka as well as the Indian Central Govt?

Take the LTTE fronts & LTTE Diaspora – how many of them are operating from India against those that operate from US-Canada-UK-Europe. Western governments claim to ban LTTE but majority of these fronts, established immediately after the demise of Prabakaran are happily holding events promoting separatism & none of the Western governments care to do anything about them. So we must ask, if separatism in Sri Lanka is tied to the geopolitical goals of the West. This was seen immediately after a surprise Easter Sunday suicide bombing that popped the MCC $480m also attempting to grab Sri Lanka’s land by privatizing State land through the World Bank imposed bim saviya” and US-run electronic-land database.

With a surge in evangelical movements in Sri Lanka, penetrating to influence cricket, artists, NGOs, civil society, youth & even politicians – India too knows the inroads it is making in India with entire villages caught to their spell that taps poverty & penetrates the minds of people via handouts, position, money & creating a cult system. These are the footsoldiers that are given the task of penetrating State & Private sector & making the administrative changes to fulfill western agendas. It is not difficult to understand how they are now creating the narrative as per their agenda. Only a handful in Sri Lanka & India understands the manoeverings taking place.

Notice how Western funds are pouring to create gay communities & use them to advance western agenda that includes depopulation, creating physically & mentally traumatized people who are hooked to medicines for life & completely ruining their lives after the honeymoon of enjoyment is over. Then there are the youth, the newest pawns, who are tapped with scholarships, laptops & high tea with envoys. Their complexes and desires are tapped & manipulated to use their inherent rebellious nature for geopolitical designs as was evident in the manner they were manoevered during the aragalaya where the galle face green became a centerpiece for western-indoctrinated creativity that set to tarnish Buddhism & Buddha as Catholic nuns and fathers looked on providing them protection. The legal fraternity too has become a pawn with west even establishing offices inside their own compound & the I know the law” bandwagon do not seem to see any conflict of interest in these actions.

Taken together – India must seriously wonder, where the 13^thamendment with land & police powers given to the provinces will end up for India’s security interest.

India has bullied Sri Lanka beyond measure using the india’s security interest’ mantra but it is no one but India who has invited the enemy to Asian shores, allowed them to spread their tentacles in all directions and watched them as they have even penetrated into the armed forces via training & scholarships as well as green cards.

India’s pet pawn Perumal against India’s wishes declared independence in 1990 March, fast forward, its February 2023 and India’s pet pawns have found other surrogates. Look closer at the players that are demanding police & land powers & their religious allegiance to foretell who is behind these demands. When Perumal declared UDI, thankfully President Premadasa had the pluck to quickly change legislation & impose direct rule. India just watched knowing that Sri Lanka had averted a catastrophe. At that time too, India may have sent IPKF and India’s intel may have thought it was running the show, but in reality Tamil militants were advised and maneuvered from elsewhere.

We now return to that 1990 scenario where land & police powers means a declaration of UDI eventually & this is not to either Sri Lanka’s advantage or to India’s benefit. India must never forget that the balkanization of India is on the cards, it is being openly advocated & it will be launched from Sri Lanka’s North & East & it is precisely for this reason that India should use its powers to prevent police & land powers being implemented.

All of Sri Lanka’s Presidents understood the dangers & opted not to give police & land powers, there is no reason why a President who has no electoral mandate & is only a sitting interim president should especially when the demand is tagged to another Western ploy – the IMF loan conditions.

The sequence of demands against the main & ultimate objective is now quite clear! India cannot sit silent & watch land & police powers fall into West/Church control!

Shenali D Waduge

Prof. Hudson McLean

There is no other way out. We are a country with 22 million people. We have to find markets outside.”

BBC Article Confirms What I Have Said Many Times!

Can Sri Lanka trade its way back to prosperity?

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64464220

Can Sri Lanka trade its way back to prosperity? Ben Chu, Newsnight’s economic editor, takes a closer look at the country’s economic woes.

The Survival Of Sri Lanka Depends on Foreign Trade!  Period!!!

Furthermore, based on IMAGINATION. The Spirit of Albert Einstein!

“Legally, Countries cannot become bankrupt whether they pay off their debts or not.”

Walter Wriston, the former CEO of City Bank, believes that sovereigns will always have the ability to meet their debt obligations. He argues that ‘countries don’t go bankrupt since their assets always exceed their liabilities, which is the technical reason for bankruptcy’.

Colombo, Sri LankaCNN — 

Sri Lanka is bankrupt,” Prime Minister, now President Ranil Wickremesinghe said Tuesday, as the country suffers its worst financial crisis in decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine and fuel.

As the leader of Sri Lanka, the President is destroying the Credibility of the Island.

Ranil Wickremasingha  was a serial Loser to become the President of Sri Lanka several times.  Just by sheer accident he became the President, but not by popular vote!

Long time ago, I met the honourable late father of Ranil Wickremesinghe, Esmond Wickremesingha in his elegant home study in Colombo. During the conversation over a a large Black Label, he was concerned about the intelligence of his son as a politician!

The reason for financial negativity is due to mismanagement of Sri Lanka by the politicians of the governing operational political parties since the independence.

Question: How many politicians who were ordinary citizens made their illegal millions, overseas properties, mansions, luxury vehicles during their political adventures?

It is Pay Back Time Now!

The Politicians & the Public MUST Swallow Their Pride and Place Their Emphasis on the English Language as a Vital Medium of Education.

With Credit to Dhammika Perera, he may decide to Promote English as an Important Medium for the Immediate Primary Exportable Opportunities-;

1: Medical & Healthcare Personnel

EU-USA-UK has tremendous immediate opportunities which will flow Billions of dollars inward through employment.

2: IT / ITC  Personnel

India has set an example in this sector and has made India a Global Powerhouse. 

Sri Lankan leaders  have been, and are asleep! 

Sri Lankans have very similar IQ compared to that of Indians. Let the leader unshackle this latent asset!

3: Sri Lanka Diplomatic Community

The entire Block of Sri Lanka Diplomats should “Earn their Keep” by seeking Revenue Generating Export Products and Proving their Worth annually, with results, to the public.

4: Tourism with a difference

This is a High-Value Product.

Due to Covid-19 Global Tourism suffered. But now the doors are opened.  The Diplomats should have Sales Events to Highlight the High Value Benefits of Sri Lanka to select countries.

Apart from Sun-Sea, there are Cultural Benefits as well as Aryurveda, that may be promoted to specific markets in Germany-Sweden-Finland-USA-UK-China.

There are many Sri Lankan skills which are attractive to the rich pensioners of the West. They have accumulative wealth and time if the Tourist industry exert a little bit more Imagination, to promote.

Sri Lanka grows some of the most important local products which are very important to Diabetics, persons with Heart problems, High Blood pressure. The Sri Lanka Aryurveda specialists could offer both advice and medical products, with the potential applications, under medical supervision.

Local produce such as Pomergranite, Ceylon Cinnamon, Saffron, Turmeric, Ginger, etc may bring benefits as exports, promoted to tourists, while they are in the Island.

Sri Lanka is Not Bankrupt.

The Island is alive but not well taken care of by the governing bodies.

If the Head of State, has no Trust and Belief in the country, how do you expect Doors and potential clients to offer solutions of recovery?

This is Not the End of Story but the Beginning!

Express Your Opinion – Read What Others Say!
The Independent Interactive Voice of Sri Lanka on the Internet.

Please visit -: http://www.lankaweb.com/

By Rohana R. Wasala

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesman and Jaffna District MP M.A. Sumanthiran says that his party has decided to boycott the independence day celebrations this year, as reported in The Island of January 31, 2023. Instead, they will declare it a Black Day and commence a movement towards achieving what they call true freedom. According to him, Immediately after independence, it was transformed into a majority system under the guise of democracy. That’s why other people living in this country did not get freedom”. What he implies is that the ‘independence’ given was only for the majority Sinhalese, and not for the others (presumably, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, etc., the minority communities). Sumanthiran thinks that even though the  majority Sinhala Buddhist people had been under the impression that they got freedom for many years, they also now feel that they didn’t get any freedom either. So, when the 75th independence day is celebrated, the TNA will declare it a black day and start a campaign for the country to get its freedom properly”.   

Meanwhile, the Indian news website The Federal reported that the 74th Indian Republic Day was celebrated at the Indian Consulate in Jaffna with a function attended by a large gathering of people including Indians, and  some local Sri Lankans, mainly Tamils, on January 26, 2023. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police took part in the celebration. Consul General, Madurai-born Raakesh Nataraj, mingled with the guests and exchanged greetings. According to The Federal, both Indian Republic Day and Independence day had been regularly observed in Jaffna until the outbreak of the ethnic conflict.

I wondered why our leaders (apparently) never thought of declaring a Sri Lankan Republic Day after the 1972 republican constitution was enacted on May 22nd that year, and the island nation became a republic independent of any links with the British monarchy . 

The truth is that Sumanthiran here, tongue in cheek,is  only hinting at a fresh (a last, hopefully successful, as he probably fancies) attempt at eventually realizing the idea of establishing a separate sovereign state for Tamils (but strategically camouflaged asTamil speaking people to co-opt Muslims into the project) in the (soon to be re-merged?) north and east provinces where respectively Tamils and Muslims form the majority, and the Sinhalese  are now in a thin minority due to ethnic cleansing by the LTTE. Late Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi (1980-84) also talked about solving ‘the problem of the Tamil speaking people’ in these provinces in Sri Lanka, lumping Hindus and Muslims together as Tamil speaking people, in the interest of India’s own traditional expansionist ambitions against its smaller, weaker neighbours.

Sumanthiran is thinking exclusively about freedom for the Tamil minority, whereas the nationalists – the majority Sinhalese and the sensible majority of the Tamil, Muslim and other minority communities – are concerned about freedom for all who make Sri Lanka their home, that is, the Sri Lankan people or nation; they don’t talk about nations based on ethno-cultural identities.  Deliberate disinformation by Eelam lobbyists and parasitic NGOs has turned nationalists into racists, chauvinists, xenophobes, right-wing nationalists, and whatnot in the eyes of the global media. 

Since 1948, all Sinhalese leaders have acted on the basis of the concept of one nation or one country, where the majority Sinhalese, who are the true autochthonous inhabitants of the island, along with the veddahs, were joined by other numerically small groups in the course of history in various contexts, such as trade, war, invasion, travel, and so on. The first prime minister of independent Ceylon D.S. Senanayake, when asked by the Soulbury Commissioners at the end of the 1947 parliamentary elections how many Tamils he wanted in his cabinet, said he didn’t mind even if all the cabinet members were Tamil provided they acted as Ceylonese. No Sinhalese parliamentarian has deviated from this line of thinking. 

On the other hand, Tamil leaders like All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) leader and later founder of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) lawyer G.G. Ponnambalam were different. They adopted an anti-Sinhala racist attitude. They focused on perpetuating the special privileges that the Tamil elite enjoyed under the British. They felt threatened by a system of parliamentary democracy, because they feared that the Sinhalese majority would put an end to their privileged status. It was Ponnambalam who, for years before independence, had been making the absurd 50-50 demand (clamouring for the allocation of 50% of the seats in the  parliament yet to be introduced  for the Sinhalese who were the overwhelming majority of the population, and 50% for all the minority groups). The Soulbury Commissioners rejected that demand with contempt. Another Tamil lawyer who came from Malaysia, S.J.V. Chelvanayagam, founded the Tamil Arasu Kachchi (Tamil State Party/euphemistically in English the Federal Party) in 1949 and the rest is history. Sumanthiran seems to be basically among the latest in this tradition.

 While preparations are being earnestly made by the government for marking an independence that was not granted (a long retired civil servant likens it to a birthday party for a baby that was never born), the 25th anniversary of the devastating LTTE suicide-truck-bomb attack on the Sri Dalada Maligawa (the Temple of the Tooth Relic) in Kandy fell on January 25, without anyone remembering it. It looks as if the government let it pass without any commemorative observances unlike in previous years. Why? (My sincere apologies to everybody concerned, if I am mistaken in this assumption) Was it in the name of so-called ‘reconciliation’, which has been a not so seriously meant, hollow slogan right from the beginning? Or was it in order to avoid spoiling the national mood for ‘consecrating’ some ostensibly momentous event that is going to coincide with the 75th independence day ceremony? The epoch-making event that Ranil Wickremasinghe wants to celebrate thus, as everybody knows now, is the purported settlement of the alleged Tamil ethnic problem through the full implementation of the controversial 13A (forcibly imposed on Sri Lanka by India, without doubt, in the latter’s exclusive national interest, in 1987). Grown-up Sri Lankans remember how thousands of our patriotic youngsters died in opposing Indian intervention in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs, in the second JVP uprising, which occurred in the years 1986-89 during UNP rule. A thirty year civil conflict claimed the lives of thousands of Sri Lanka’s defence forces personnel,  Tamil rebel cadres, and civilians caught in terrorist bomb blasts; the conflict left many more injured. All this was in trying to prevent the certain Balkanization of the country through the 13A. Seven executive presidents from JR Jayawardane to Gotabaya Rajapaksa back-burnered it for a legitimate reason. What are the benefits of a fully implemented 13A that justify such sacrifices of the country’s youth of the previous generation?

Be that as it may, does Ranil Wickremasinghe want to invest this servile surrender to foreign pressure with a sacred quality by having a special Sacred Tooth Relic exposition? It can’t be that he is mocking Sinhalese Buddhist sentiments. True, he was totally rejected by the mainly Buddhist Lankan electorate as a prospective candidate for executive presidency. It could also  be a similar passive-aggressive attack on his part on the pohottuwa alliance (the Sri Lanka Podu Peramuna, the SLPP). He must have been waiting for a chance to take his revenge on the SLPP, which turned itself into his nemesis in the last parliamentary election. But the principal partners of the SLPP, the treacherous Rajapaksas, as it has now become so clear to the betrayed public, were able to do this otherwise commendable thing, by pretending to espouse the popular nationalist cause, merely to hoodwink the masses to win votes. Ranil and the Rajapaksas are partners now. They are not strange bedfellows; they are natural allies. Whatever they are making common cause in achieving, turning the country’s hallowed Sinhala Buddhist cultural heritage into a political football between rival factions of conflicting persuasions is something worse than the Maligawa bombing itself. It does not augur well for the future of our Motherland. It is the last thing that fair-minded patriotic citizens belonging to all communities are likely to take lying down. 

The only thing that people expect Ranil Wicktremasinghe to do at this moment is to focus on rescuing the country from the economic crisis that it is engulfed in, and leave it to the present day youth of the country from all the diverse communities to lawfully, democratically and peacefully usher in the new corruption free Sri Lanka that they want to build. 

When three LTTE suicide cadres drove an explosives laden truck to the Maligawa early on the morning of January 25, 1998, and set it off, it caused massive damage to the building, while killing seventeen innocent worshippers including two two-year old infants and the three suicide bombers. The attack was universally condemned across the civilized world in the sternest terms. It was reported that three times more money was donated by the ordinary people than was necessary for restoring the destroyed parts of the Maligawa, which was completed within two years of the heinous crime. Ranil Wickremasinghe was the leader of the opposition then. Condemning the bombing he said, Not even in the darkest moments of Sri Lanka’s 2000 year history has such an act of destruction been perpetrated against the very symbol of our civilization and history.” He should know (I am sure he does, for he is a very well-read knowledgeable person) that the Tooth Relic has been a symbol of sovereignty over the island since the 4th century CE when it was brought to Anuradhapura from Dantapuri (modern Puri, Odisha) in India. If he insists on having the Mahanayakes agree to hold a Tooth Relic exposition to give some sort of legitimacy to his controversial move, and if his request is granted by them, then he will appear to mock the sanity of Sri Lankans and the sanctity of this national symbol. 

To my shock, however, I hear that the relic exhibition that Ranil Wickremasinghe proposed, is scheduled to start on March 4, a month after the day of disputed independence. If this incredible piece of information is true, then it means that the two Mahanayakes, the guardians of the Maligawa, (no one is above them in this matter) have agreed to bless the ultimate victory of those who wanted to destroy ‘the symbol of our civilization and history’!

Of course, Ranil Wickremasinghe alone cannot be held responsible for what is now almost a certainty. All the leaders (or most of them) and their mostly inarticulate juniors in parliament  reportedly support the president’s decision. They should share responsibility, too, for what is going to happen. Constitutionally, of course, there appears to be no barrier to the full implementation of 13A. But that is only a technical point, beyond morality. The three pillars of parliamentary democracy are said to be the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The country’s moral values reign over all three. The ethical conduct of the humans who embody the legislative, executive, and judicial powers is imperative for the proper functioning of the democratic system. That is my idea. 

Civil social activist and Vinivida Foundation convener, lawyer Nagananda Kodituwakku argues in a recent video that president Wickremasinghe has no moral right to take that decision, but that it is in accordance with an agreement reached between the Tamil  National Alliance (TNA), the UNP, and the JVP (represented by Anura Dissanayake, now National People’s Power leader) on September 20, 2017. Recently, Anura Dissanayake even appeared on a TNA stage in the north, according to him.

The NPP leaders say that their goal is to bring in a good government that is free from corruption and theft, and that  establishes the rule of law. But that is the main platform on which even UNP’s J.R. Jayawardane fought the 1977 general election, pledging to bring in a Righteous Society (that has to date failed to materialise). The Island newspaper reported (February 2, 2023) that NPP MP Dr Harini Amarasuriya, asked about her party’s stand on Ranil Wickremasinghe’s decision to implement the 13A fully, said she didn’t believe he would do that, because he didn’t do it when he could do it. The NPP also believes that it should be fully implemented, though there was still a debate about this within the party. She told The Island: 

It has been presented as a solution to the national problem. It is already there in the Constitution and we believe that it should be implemented, but we have a debate whether it could be a tenable solution for the national problem. Our standpoint is that a government with genuine intention of addressing the issues of Tamil people must bring about solutions to the national problem, and we have no faith in other parties, but only the NPP could do that.”

It is not clear how the NPP is going to deal with the 13A issue. But if it is hoping to wangle the support of the Sinhala Buddhist masses while horse-trading with the federalists, Anura’s chances of becoming president will evaporate soon. As he has already apparently indicated that his prime minister will be Sumanthiran (I am not sure of this piece of gossip) in case he becomes president, the voters in the south will be even more sceptical about voting for him. Sumanthiran is the exact opposite of Lakshman Kadirgamar, that the Sinhalese universally loved, and honoured above all other politicians.

To return to Nagananda, he blames former elections commissioner Mahinda Desapriya for conniving at the TNA’s treacherous intentions revealed in its constitution. Desapriya had been given only the Tamil version of the TNA’s constitutional proposals, which he apparently couldn’t read and understand. He hadn’t asked for or they hadn’t given him the English version of the document (which means, according to Nagananda, they didn’t want its contents to be accessible to the Sinhala majority). Nagananda claims that he had some significant parts rendered into English: According to him, the TNA constitution (includes) …… the right to self determination, the policy of founding an autochthonous Tamil State, Tamil Aru, and an autochthonous Muslim State, Muslim Aru, and thereby seeing the liberation of the political and economic aspects of the Tamil speaking people…….

Note: An absolute guarantee will be given to the right of religion and language of the minority national races that live in the autochthonous Tamil State that will be set up in the Tamil Motherland……..”.

(Incidentally, I do not agree with Nagananda’s explanation of the concept of the independence of the judiciary in this context.)

Now these autochthonous claims for Tamils and Muslims in Sri Lanka are ludicrous inventions. Authoritative historians (including Professors Karthigesu Indrapala and Kingsley de Silva) have shown that before the 13th century invasion by Magha of Kalinga, there was no Tamil kingdom in the north of Sri Lanka nor a settled Tamil population there. Tamils are the autochthonous inhabitants of Tamil Nadu in the mainland India. As for Muslims in the eastern province, they were settled there by king Senerath of Kandy (1604-1635 CE) as fugitives from Portuguese persecution in the coastal areas that they were occupying. Muslims and Portuguese were rival traders. The Sinhalese king also settled some of these Muslims in the central highlands. Still later the occupying Dutch and British brought Javanese and Malaysian Muslims, thereby adding to the growing Muslim population in Sri Lanka in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Implications of Nagananda’s revelations for the country need not be elaborated. He emphatically says that the ordinary Tamil people he met in Jaffna do not ask for a separate state. They only want to live in one Sri Lanka peaceably with the other communities.

Nagananda believes that the local government elections that are going to be held will not be of any value and that the Anura Dissanayake-led NPP is unlikely to win such a significant victory at imminent local government election. I personally think that the NPP appears to be the front runner, judging by the size of the crowds that attend its rallies (as reported on online media). But do these people know what the party leaders are really committed to, I wonder? There is no stamp of conviction on most faces, though. Most look sceptical of the leaders

We need statesmen/women, not mere politicians. People are fed up with the latter. Anura is not likely to turn out to be a real statesman, even if he gets the chance to do so one day, if he pursues his proven hypocrisy. However, compared to the leading buffoons of the two traditional parties (the UNP and the SLFP/or their ghostly modern reincarnations), Anura Dissanayake would be someone that the people can look towards as an alternative leader, provided he does not forfeit the trust of the majority Sinhala Buddhists in his attempt to win the loyalty of the traditional minority leaders, who will never ever change their spots, though they may change their hunting grounds.

Ranil Wickremasinghe has got his last chance to prove his statesmanship and retrieve his lost popularity and honour. He should not, as default president, abuse his executive powers to implement the long disputed 13A for the time being, but do whatever he can do to address the economic woes of our suffering masses before the current presidency ends. It is hoped that he will use his constitutional powers to achieve that end. Then let him call presidential elections and fight it himself or get his nominee to fight it on the single issue of the all important 13th Amendment, perhaps against a principal rival like Anura Dissanayake. Whoever it is, the next president must have the support of the active, truly educated youth of the country, not the half-wits now in the limelight.

BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS

President, Ranil Wickremasinghe recently expressed that the proposed 13^th amendment to the constitution should be fully implemented, and the purpose of the amendment would be a supportive action to the reconciliation process. The speech of the president, in fact, was to mislead people during independent celebration time or genuinely implement the constitutional reforms is a question to analysts and many Sri Lankans consider the speech has become a significant question. According to my understanding 90% of population of the country have no understanding of the contents of the 13^th amendment and few groups of Sri Lanka attempt to protest against the amendment which is not clear to people. India and some Sri Lankans expressed that without complete implementation of the 13^th amendment the reconciliation process could not be implemented in the country.

Since beginning of the reconciliation process it was a failure and it has been a talking point to provoke certain people of the country and neither Sinhala nor Tamil nor Muslim or any other people of the country consider that it is an essential requirement for unity between races and the reconciliation does exist in the country and current talks about it just for politics than genuine reconciliation. This situation could be seen in other countries too.

As long as there is a situation that express needs a reconciliation it would be subject to politics and firing to such issue spraying energy further misleading people for politics. As we observe in the country people have already reconciled and no need specific effort to it.

Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel, former Ambassador to UAE and Israel, President of Ambassadors’ Forum, Solicitor in England and Wales

Life is uncertain – yet care is needed before death

Life is uncertain compared to a drop of water on the grass. But the desire of every living being is to live at least a few minutes more before death. The desire of the loved ones around his death bed is to make him alive even for a few minutes. Caregivers are those who have the strength, capacity, and desire, to look after their loved ones called caterers as caregivers are now established profession professional standards and substantial remunerations available worldwide. Caregivers may be voluntary, partially or fully paid by the state or on a personal basis depending on the capacity of the person cared for and loved ones who bear expenses. This profession/practice is well established in the west and on par with the nurses who are differently trained at institutions and universities when caregivers have a different path to qualify which is available in Sri Lanka in private institutions one can locate from the net. Today caregiving is a lucrative profession with a substantial income which is a profession in demand provided they are trained and proficient in languages and manners with proper training. Animals including humans need love and care, cared by those who are competent and desire to help another or rather each other in need of assistance. Puppies are cared for by the mother dog who will provide care until they are able to be independent.  In the human kingdom, caregiving is organized according to a system and based on professional standards in different jurisdictions, unfortunately not in Sri Lanka to the expected standards. Great religions prevalent in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom moot and encourage caregiving and helping the sick and disabled that need assistance, which is well rooted and recognized the world over. Caregiving is voluntary and/or spontaneous that needs professional experience and kindness. But in the present, busy fast, and committed society even the second generation finds it difficult to find time and facilities to care for their loved parents and the system has thought of modem techniques that are prevalent in the west which is now found in Sri Lanka as professional caregiving establishments, managed by the state as well as private individuals and companies. There are full-time and daycare centers in the west with plans to set up in Sri Lanka too to assist and look after loved ones. It is advisable to plan out the future when you are fit and the duty of the loved ones is to make professional and legal arrangements to proceed to take especially steps nearing death which is an emotional and difficult job. The state has a duty if not at least managing such care homes at least to supervise and monitor the proper functioning of such organizations which unfortunately not happening.   Power of attorney, advanced statements, wills, advanced decisions, and difficult decisions taken by the patient and the loved ones as precautionary measures at or near death that will reach one day by anybody. The monitoring process should be functioned by the ministries of health and social services in Sri Lanka, which do not have a good reputation as efficient unlike the ministries in the UK where these systems are effectively efficient and properly supervised. National Health  Service (NHS) in the UK is one of the most vibrant and successful medical systems in the world with the use of a ‘’ MEGA COMPUTER’’ covering the entire country (UK) and providing a General Physician to every citizen free of charge including treatments medicines and hospital facilities. NHS supervises the private medical system as well as the caregiving sector which is an ideal model for us to follow as other areas we have been imported from the UK. Sri Lankans are unable to follow the system due to a lack of funds to run such a system.

Dementia

 We have chosen dementia as a main topic today when it is spreading fast in UK and Europe despite lot of studies research, precautions, and preventive measures, taken universally applicable including Sri Lanka. Dementia is spreading worldwide fast with not many forms of treatments available. Life to death from the time of the Alzheimer’s is only 4 to 8 years and it is the duty of the caregiver and loved ones to give maximum comfort and happiness to the patients during the sickness. Therefore it is good to organize a proper aftercare system and to organize a proper caring regime at all levels. In Sri Lanka, there are some organized caregiving training centers, and training is not properly organized and monitored. The elderly and retired entitle to a better evening of life and a pleasant life before death they are entitled to the sacrifice made to the community and their dependents. Now that we are now an advanced society with high standards of education and computer literacy (110%) mobile penetration in Sri Lanka in hand and nearly 60% IT literacy which is credible indeed. There is a network of private nursing homes and caregiving centers which are not very cheap to the common man yet those who are covered with insurance and a substantial penton can have access to few such institutions. Readers of this article are advised to browse the net to identify the caregiving institutions and training centers to find caregiving centers and training opportunities for you to be trained as caregivers which is going to be a very lucrative profession abroad if properly trained with language skills. The life span of dementia patients is limited which is prevalent worldwide among rich and poor limiting the life span and expectancy. In Japan, it is 84.3, in Switzerland 84, in South Korea 83.13 Singapore 82and Spain 83.2 whereas in Sri Lanka it is 73.31, yet the number of dementia patients is substantial in developed countries as well. It is Slovenia, Solomon’s Islands, South Arica South Korea, Spain, and Sri Lanka in order of the chart. It is a difficult disease to cure with no proper medication that worries the loved ones looking after the patients.

 Living with dementia

Human life and body are complicated and lives with millions of sickness and conditions. Dementia is one of the conditions the human body is confronted with based on certain conditions unknowingly beyond its control only physicians can diagnose Over 8,50,000  people in the UK currently with dementia. Most are over 65, but it Is also becoming more communing those aged 50 or over. The Alzheimer’s Society estimates that the number of sufferers will rise to over a million by 2025, with one person developing the disease every three minutes. United Kingdom has the most advanced and professional National Health Service offered to every citizen free with a separate GP (general physician) to every citizen giving thought to you the conditions in other parts of the world which indeed is worrying. If one is careful and leads a happy and comfortable life he can conveniently extend the life span. Living happily and music reading and engaging himself is good for the patient to send satisfactory messages to the brain.

What is dementia?

Dementia is a disorder of mental processes caused by brain disease or injury. It is a persistent and progressive condition meaning that it gets worst over time and eventually affects every aspect of a person’s life. The word dementia describes several different conditions affecting the brain including ‘ Alzhemar’s ‘disease ‘frontotemporal’ dementia and vascular dementia. While it is important to remember that everyone’s experience of dementia is different what they have in common are a number of recognized similarities and symptoms followed. It is a disease that cannot be cured yet if the patient is kept happy and friendly he may live the short stay happy. There are drugs on the market but not for a permanent cure.

We have discussed only dementia as it is one of the main diseases at the forefront, especially in the west gradually spreading the world over. It is necessary and appropriate for the Health and Social services ministers and ministries to intervene in regularizing this field that needs regulations and monitoring as in other countries. There are few quality caregiving institutions and mostly mushrooms in Sri Lanka the state has to be careful about. The state must explore the avenues of tanning caregivers for Sri Lanka and abroad that has a growing demand with the availability of the Sri Lankan working population awaiting for foreign employment.

Death

Is one of the most difficult subjects to discuss, but establishing an open and honest dialogue is one of the best ways to help people to come to terms with the impending death of the loved one. Talking about death or a death of a loved one can be painful However with the people we trust it can help enormously. Both practically well as emotionally. It is a relief for the patient to settle the loved ones with his wealth and possessions and power of attorney and a last will be an appropriate proposition. Documentation should be legal and binding for the peace of the patient and the loved ones to make all happy for a happy ending and to be realistic that this is the plight of anybody one day. But when one is conscious that he will die one day anyway is easy for all parties to bear the sorrow, of parting with loved ones.

Carer Caregiving and caregivers /concept and avenues to explore for Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans

This is an excellent concept and an opportunity for Sri Lankan who are educated and willing to explore foreign employment with their knowledge of IT and other skills and it is time for the government to intervene and interfere in this matter to train and find opportunities with the private sector currently awaiting for new ventures and avenues. It is ideal to identify the leaders in the private sector on caregiving and set up joint operations and also to give a bit more life and rejuvenate the employment bureaux not a popular institution modern efficient and honest. The report we receive on the employment bureaux and the political interferences is worrying and it is time to clean it up and modernize the golden hen without allowing natural death.

ALI SUKHANVER

When Burma was ruled by a monarchy in the pre-colonial era, its Army was given the name of ‘Tatmadaw’. In the Burmese language Tatmadaw means Royal Armed Forces. Today the Tatmadaw has lost all its popularity and public support because of its action of deposing the elected government on 1st February 2021. One could understand the public reaction against the Tatmadaw by going through an article of Desmond published in the ‘Irrawaddy’ on 25th May 2022. The writer is of the opinion that the name Tatmadaw must not be used for the present day Myanmar Military because it is not ‘Royal’. The word is too good for Min Aung Hlaing’s army, which is just a group of armed men killing their own people. There is nothing ‘royal’ about the actions of the present-day Myanmar military. Instead of the term ‘Myanmar Military, the most suitable term would be ‘murderous military’, which captures the true nature of Min Aung Hlaing’s army.” According to the Wikipedia, ‘ Min Aung Hlaing is a Burmese politician and army general who has ruled Myanmar as the chairman of the State Administration Council since seizing power in the February 2021 coup d’état. He took the nominally civilian role of prime minister of Myanmar in August 2021 upon the formation of the Provisional Government.’

On 2nd February 2022, the BBC said in a report on Myanmar Army, Since it overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government in a coup one year ago, Myanmar’s military – known as the Tatmadaw – has gone on to shock the world by killing hundreds of its own civilians, including dozens of children, in a brutal crackdown on protesters.” The report further narrated, For Myanmar’s citizens, it has been a year of indiscriminate street killings and bloody village raids. In December 2021, a BBC investigation report discovered the Tatmadaw carried out a series of attacks that involved the torture and mass murder of opponents. More than 1,500 people have been killed by security forces since the coup in February 2021.”

Myanmar’s Nobel Peace laureate, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi had been the civilian leader of Myanmar since her party won election in 2015 but during all that period the Tatmadaw always remained more powerful and authoritative than the civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. It retained control over the armed forces by appointing key cabinet ministers and its own commander in-chief. Moreover after the National League for Democracy’s landslide in November 2020, Tatmadaw generals refused to accept the outcome, arguing that the results were fraudulent. This stubborn attitude of the Tatmadaw was widely condemned and criticized internationally. Unfortunately, keeping aside all international disliking and criticism, India the ‘biggest democracy’ in the region, gave a warm welcome to the anti-democratic forces in Myanmar.

Between India and the current Myanmar regime, the warm relationship started soon after the coup in February 2021. While the regime was being internationally condemned for its coup, India was careful not to make any direct reference to the military takeover or to condemn it in its statements. Since coup there have been multiple engagements between India and Myanmar Military rulers. At the time when world was distancing itself from Military Junta of Myanmar, India extended invitation to Commander-In-Chief (Navy) Admiral Moe Aung of Myanmar to attend the third edition of Goa Maritime Conclave 2021 in Goa from 7th to 9th November. The Goa Maritime Conclave is hosted by Indian Navy once after every two years. During the visit the Commander-in-Chief had separate one to one meetings with India’s National Security Advisor, Defence Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of the Naval Staff. The Commander-in-Chief participated in discussions on topics like active cooperation between Indian Navy and Tatmadaw maritime security and non-traditional security threats in Indian Ocean. On 22ndDecember 2021, India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla paid a two-day official visit to Myanmar. That was country’s first official outreach to the military Junta that seized power in February 2021. Ignoring all its claims of being caretaker of basic human rights, India has been trying its best not to antagonize the Junta which has killed more than 2,000 people for rejecting military rule. Despite international condemnation on the regime, India has been openly cooperating with the military Junta, extending diplomatic support and even assistance in organizing a general election that Min Aung Hlaing plans to hold this year. When world talks about isolating Myanmar military regime, discussion of its few allies tends to focus on Russia and China’s engagement with the Junta and support for it on UN Security Council. One country that has been strangely absent from this conversation, however, is India.

India’s support to the Military rule in Myanmar is in fact an effort of giving tough time to Chinese interests in Myanmar. The Aljazeera pointed out in an analysis that the growing conflict in Myanmar is undermining the investment environment for China. According to an analysis paper by the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar, Chinese investments are facing growing risks as the anti-coup conflicts escalate across the country. Of more than 7,800 clashes recorded nationwide since the coup in February 2021, at least 300 have taken place in areas where major Chinese projects are located or near potential project sites for Chinese investments.” says Aljazeera. By providing support to Myanmar’s military rulers, India is simply discouraging China’s presence in the country. In spite of the fact that India is the major supporter of Myanmar Military regime, the international media remains silent on this pro-dictatorship approach of India. Myanmar is no doubt facing worst situation of human rights violation leading to a very agonizing political chaos. Certainly this is the worst phase of Myanmar’s history, and this all is happening particularly in an era when so-called super powers ever seem determined to discourage all anti-democracy movements. But in case of Myanmar, the world’s self-claimed ‘biggest democracy’ is patronizing the human rights exploiters.