Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 cases count has soared to 718 as ten more persons tested positive for the virus, the Ministry of Health confirmed on Sunday (03).

In the meantime, twelve coronavirus patients were discharged from hospital after regaining health today. On that account, recoveries tally in the country has moved up to 184.

The Epidemiology Unit says, 527 active cases are currently under medical care at the IDH Hospital, Welikanda Base Hospital, Colombo East Base Hospital, Iranawila Hospital, Kattankudy Base Hospital, Navy Hospital and Homagama Base Hospital.

The death toll from COVID-19 in the country stands at 07.

Sri Lanka saw the highest daily surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases on April 27, with 65 new infections. The tally went up from 523 to 588 just within 24 hours.

Courtesy Adaderana

An individual linked to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror bombings has been arrested in Kalpitiya by the Police.

The suspect has been identified to be a trustee of an organization where Zahran Hashim, alleged ringleader behind the attacks, had conducted lectures.

https://youtu.be/cxdaMXC5HVA

Reportedly, the two sons of Mohamed Ibrahim had also conducted lectures at the organization.

The organization has been carried out in Asar Nagar in Madurankuliya.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will be taking action to raid the organization, said Police Spokesman SP Jaliya Senaratne.

Courtesy Adaderana

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa says that Opposition’s efforts of reconvening the Parliament are aimed at using Parliamentary majority to block government finances, thereby sabotaging the anti-coronavirus campaign in order to bring the government into disrepute before the election.

He points out that, in February, when there was no coronavirus threat, the opposition used their Parliamentary majority to block payments to government suppliers of medicine and fertilizer so as to bring the new government into disrepute by creating a shortage of fertilizer and medicine in the country.

Premier Rajapaksa mentioned this issuing statement titled ‘Politicking in the midst of the Coronavirus Crisis’, today (03).

The Prime Minister assures that the President has complete authority to allocate funds for any purpose for which funds had not been allocated by Parliament under Article 150(3) of the Constitution.

Pointing out that one of the allegations of the opposition is that without the supervision of the Parliament, the government would misuse foreign funds allocated towards the anti-Coronavirus campaign, Rajapaksa stated that there are procedures to be followed in spending such funding.

He further said that the opposition will be able to raise questions on government expenditure with regard to the particular time period, once the new parliament convenes.

The full statement issued by the Prime Minister:

The President, the government and the state apparatus have focused their entire attention on combating Covid-19. The way in which the people have benefited from this, is clearly apparent. Even in the midst of this national crisis and global disaster we see the unpleasant sight of the political opposition in this country vociferously demanding that the dissolved Parliament be reconvened and asserting that after the 30th of April, the President has no legal right to allocate funds for the maintenance of government services without the approval of the old parliament. They have even issued a threat to the effect that unless Parliament is reconvened, the President and all of us in the government run the risk of the loss of our civic rights and the confiscation of our property. 

Parliament was dissolved at the beginning of March when there were no Coronavirus patients in the country. After the first Coronavirus patient was found one and a half weeks later, the Elections Commission postponed the election till the 20th of June. The Elections Commission has already announced that the election could be postponed further depending on the advice of the medical authorities. The Elections Commission will hold the election at a suitable time in accordance with the powers vested in them. The opposition’s concern obviously is that if the election is held in a situation where the anti-Coronavirus campaign in Sri Lanka has shown much better results than in most other countries, they would be placed at a serious disadvantage. Hence we see that the opposition’s present efforts are aimed at getting the old Parliament reconvened and using their majority in Parliament to block government finances, thereby sabotaging the anti-Coronavirus campaign in order to bring the government into disrepute before the election. 

Back in February, when there was no Coronavirus threat in the country, the opposition used their majority in Parliament to block payments to government suppliers of medicine and fertilizer so as to bring the new government into disrepute by creating a shortage of fertilizer and medicine in the country. The opposition argues that Article 150(3) of the Constitution allows the President to allocate funds for the running of government services at a time when Parliament has been dissolved only if the previous Parliament had not passed an Appropriation Act. They claim that the previous government had passed a Vote on Account up to the 30th of April and that therefore, after this date, the President has no authority to allocate funds for any purpose. 

This is an absurd argument. Under Article 150(3) of the Constitution, the President has complete authority to allocate funds for any purpose for which funds had not been allocated by Parliament. It goes without saying that if Parliament has already allocated funds for a given purpose, there is no need for the President to intervene in the matter. The opposition also alleges that the President is not reconvening Parliament with the ulterior motive of misusing the funds coming in from abroad for the anti-Coronavirus campaign. They contend that Parliament should be reconvened to supervise how that money is spent. All funds received by the government go to the Treasury via the Central Bank system. There are procedures that have to be followed in spending this money. Funds in the Treasury cannot be spent in the manner that yahapalana ministers spent the money of the Central Cultural Fund.

After the new Parliament convenes, the opposition will have the opportunity to raise questions about how government money was spent between the time of the dissolution of the old Parliament and the convening of the new Parliament. Until then they should refrain from misleading the public with blatant lies. At this moment, we should set politics aside and concentrate on controlling the Coronavirus outbreak and restoring normalcy to the lives of the people. We all saw the magnitude of the Coronavirus cluster that had formed among Navy personnel due to their involvement in the anti-Coronavirus campaign. I wish them all a speedy recovery. This highlights the personal risks taken in the service of the people by our health sector workers, and Army, Navy, Air Force, and Police personnel at the forefront of the battle against the Coronavirus pandemic. I call upon all members of the public to extend their fullest cooperation to these heroic individuals to enable them to fulfill their duties effectively.”

Courtesy Adaderana

Several areas of Beruwala and Kandy, previously declared isolated areas over COVID-19, are reopened for the public from today (03).

Pannila and Cheenakotuwa in Beruwala and Akrurana in Kandy were marked as isolated areas due to the high risk of COVID-19 infection.

No persons were allowed to enter or leave the aforementioned areas.

However, the isolation imposed on the areas has been lifted and the areas are reopened for the public, said the Commander of the Army Shavendra Silva.

Janaki Chandraratna

This comment is in reference to the recent calls to end the Covid 19 lockdown in Sri Lanka. I was surprised at such demands made on the govt. when the country is still grappling with the unprecedented world pandemic. In particular, this request is in spite of the fact that lockdown is the only solution demonstrated all over the world, that could be used to contain the virus, in the absence of a vaccine.

To put it mildly, it reflects an under-estimation of the virus and a disregard to major religious and cultural beliefs where the sanctity of life supersedes material economic gains. Balancing economic growth and controlling the spread of the virus are two main concerns of any government that faces the current pandemic. Towards this end the Sri Lankan govt. needs to be commended for the timely staggered release of lockdown procedures and the assistance given to the deprived sectors of the community to cushion Covid 19 impact, despite the depressed economy.

It is significant that this malign call, which has the support of the opposition parties, can be seen as a sinister move to undermine the govt.’s effort to control the virus, with a view to forcing the govt. to recall the dissolved parliament. The call to end lockdowns are also seen in countries with neo-liberal economies like the United States and the United Kingdom where the priority is for economic growth against social justice and welfare. In fact, this is the reason why the USA and UK were late in imposing lockdowns and have become today’s epicenters of the virus. As of 28 April 2020, the USA had reported 988,419 confirmed cases with 56,201 deaths. Corresponding numbers for Britain were 57,149 and 21,092 respectively. In comparison, Sri Lankan figures are 588 confirmed cases and 7 deaths, thanks to the vision and dedication of the govt., armed forces, and health professionals. I am certain Sri Lankans would not want to get rid of lockdowns and embrace economic development endangering human lives.

One reason for the latest spike of 60 new contacts on 26 April is for not adhering to the rule of social distancing, which is an alien concept to Sri Lankan social values. It is time that we Sri Lankans learn to adopt the recommended behaviors and mannerisms accepted in the rest of the world to combat the virus for the safety of our nation.

It is also time to seek new procedures for the scheduled parliamentary elections, as the numbers of confirmed cases are so low and nowhere close to that of South Korea, where an election was held at the peak of the virus spread. The use of electronic media, postal services for the propagation of election manifestoes, staggered voting on district basis, pre-organized assistance for the aged and other physically challenged persons to election booths, physical distancing, and hygiene procedures could be measures we need to adopt from South Korean experience. In fact, the non-use of expensive vast political party meetings characterized by unrest and intimidations, at times with murders would be a blessing for the country. We need to get rid of the affiliations we have to blue, green, red, purple, etc. and cast our valuable votes based on the credibility of the candidates and election manifestoes that reflect the respective party policies, programs/projects that are supported with proper financial analyses and practical timelines. There is nothing ‘unfair’ about this type of electioneering and in fact, Australians have very successfully run heir elections on these procedures for many years, so much so that the electors hardly ever see their candidates in person or at large election meetings. It is hoped these procedures would continue to be the new norm for future Sri Lankan elections.

Janaki Chandraratna

Rear Admiral ( Dr.) Sarath Weerasekera

It is observed that in Canada, on the occasion of Sinhalese and Tamil new year, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, extended his exclusive good wishes to just the Tamils.

 There are more than three hundred thousand Sinhalese living in Canada and in contrast to his predecessors the Prime Minister deliberately ignored the Sinhalese and thought it fit to confine/focus his best wishes only to the Tamils.

The slighting of the Sinhalese by Trudeau is not an oversight because it is learnt that on previous occasions too he has in effect been advised to the contrary by the then Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Daniel Jean in this regard.

The Sinhalese in Canada have naturally learnt not to pay any heed to any type of “wishes” of Justin Trudeau mainly because they are aware that the majority of the Canadians do not approve of this type of discriminatory attitude of their Prime Minister .

Everyone knows why Justin Trudeau expresses his solidarity to Tamils in Canada. It is not due to a matter of any principal but simply because the Tamils have a strong voter base. The irony is that he has been apprised that the Tamils in Sri Lanka are fighting with the Sinhalese over the last few decades to realise their dream of  Tamil Homeland in the North of Sri Lanka. So he is very careful not to “antagonize” the Tamils in Canada by conveying his “wishes” to Sinhalese fearing that such an act would ultimately deprive him of Tamil votes in his next election. It explains his chronic allergy to the indigenous people in Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese.

 It is reiterated that the Sinhalese in Canada could not care less about any type of wishes extended or not by Trudeau. But being the Prime Minister of the country he should know that in actual fact the Tamils are not fighting with Sinhalese in Sri Lanka for a separate state.  Only the separatist elements, backed by terrorists, thrive for mono-ethnic, separate, racist Tamil State called Elam.

More than 50% of the Tamil population in Sri Lanka live peacefully amongst Sinhalese in the south. Decent and educated Tamils in any part of the world are not against Sinhalese.  Only the Tamils with separatist ideology hate the Sinhalese because for thousands of years they have fought and will fight even in future, to protect the unitary nature of their constitution.

Justin Trudeau should be aware that slighting the Sinhalese in Canada could only appease the separatist and not the decent Tamils in Canada.

As the  Head of a State, he should first study about Sri Lanka, the 2500 years of history of the Sinhalese, their rich heritage and culture and their advanced civilization reflected in some such as the unimaginably “modern” man-made tanks which are more like oceans.

When talking about reservoirs, it is prudent to mention that Canadian Engineers who built the Maduruoya Dam in Sri Lanka using the funds of the people of Canada (CIDA) in the 1980s had marvelled at the technology possessed by ancient Sinhalese because when they located the ideal site to build the sluice gate using the latest technology including laser equipment, a nearly 2000 old Bisokotuwa (sluice gate) had already been built there exactly at the same spot. So the people you are trying to sideline are descendants of them.

 The hospitality of Sinhalese is legendary.  Sinhalese are the only race in the world who greet people by clasping the hands together and with the greeting “Ayubowan”,  meaning “may you live long “. Incidentally everyone in the world, including Donald trump does that today, because of the very hygienic quality of this gesture, 

even though they may not yet be used to making the wish that the recipient “may live long”.

 As the leader of the country, Trudeau should take cognizance of all the national festivals of all ethnic groups living in his country. The Sinhalese and Tamil new year is not something of a fancy dress parade in which Trudeau delights, but everything to do with the movements of the planets and long-established traditions of which he seems to be fully ignorant.

The more Justin Trudeau cares to learn about the Sinhalese and their true nature, their culture and their civilization, I am sure, the more he would repent for slighting the Sinhalese in Canada over their main festival.

For sure, the lure of Canada is its beautiful quality and its immigration policy.  For sure, the lure of the Tamil vote is Trudeau’s bane.

 

Dr. Mervyn D. De Silva

Poverty, unemployment, youth disillusionment, social and Institutional degradation, and disintegration, and environmental despoliation continues relentlessly to haunt the world and our country. All this takes place in the backdrop of widening gaps between the super-rich and rich, rich and the middle class, and, the middle-class and the desperately poor, neglected, the lower class. Let’s not be ambiguous and blinkered; we do not live in a world that is economically and socially just and fair, information, knowledge, and ultra-modern technologies, notwithstanding.

Unsurprisingly, in the prevailing global socio-economic scenario where the dominating ethos is one of selfish arrogance, self-centeredness, and self-absorption, many countries still flirt about with a never-ending cycle of elections, of course, purported to register the voice of the people, the very authenticity of which is seriously questioned and doubted by the public expressing the substance in their hearts and minds.

When calls for honest, clean, and just and fair elections are made and, swell to reach a crescendo, violence gets unleashed. They, the people, get instantaneously transformed” and, are categorized as traitors”, anarchists”, conspirators” and terrorists”. They are then crushed and silenced by the elected” collectives using modern technological devices.

What boggles the minds of the minority of the few, is, the question how long will the vast majority of the people have to wait until the silent majority break the shackles that chain their minds and souls, and, step forward to organize themselves to clinically examine, with intellectual vigor and religious honesty, and, compassion, the current political systems and ruling political cultures. Is there any hopes of the silent majority raising their voices to demand radical changes, where necessary, as their sublime duty towards the vast majority of the poor, in fact, worldwide, who also have a god-given right to the fruits of the riches of this world; now, tightly controlled by the levers of power; political, financial, commercial, banking, and, even, ethnic and religious. Will they dare to salvage and re-enshrine authentic democracy and good governance, the most workable arrangement for ensuring economic and social justice to all human beings. To a minority of informed people, in these confusing times, it seems incomprehensible how a world endowed with such advanced connectivity in the 21st century, could remain so insensitive to the utter debasement of the political cultures through the criminalization of politics and, rapacious greed for wealth and money by those concerned.

The proclivity of the people in this, and, many other countries to elect as their representative celebrities, totally unsuited in a place where the country’s law is evolved, reminiscent of square pegs in round holes, and/or, persons of inferior educational and background qualities, results in poor standards of debate and deliberation in the so-called august assemblies.

This is the tip of the iceberg that has led to a rotten, non-functioning façade democracy, where the force of argument has given way to the argument of force. The sum total of the contributions the occupiers of positions in the political establishments and institutions, do not help in the advancement and evolution of economic and social development, and long term political and social stability.

Laws and regulations are no doubt passed without any incisive analysis and exchanges of differing points of view, while even the best contributions made by the opposition are, more often than not, rejected. The alpha and omega of a ruling caucus are how to use parliamentary majorities to further their own interests, of their extended families, friends, supporters, and, the money changers who help these representatives” to gain power and retain power. To add to this sad situation is, the astounding fact of the servility of professionals, bureaucrats, and public servants, towards those in power.

It is time, that the leaders of all political parties and, more importantly, the silent majority, self-anesthetized, wake-up and strive towards bringing about drastic changes and reforms to restore authentic democracy and, the integrity of all public institutions before tsunamis of descent emerge and leave waves of destruction.

There is much scope and, windows of opportunity, to use hackneyed terms, for sincere and genuine leaders, political, civil, and head of religious organizations, to perform some skillful surgery. There is an amorphous mass of paid politicians and their cohorts in all organs of the state in the exercise of governance, who are only dedicated to goals of enriching themselves. If this is done, those who have the strength of political purpose will find their names written in letters of gold.

What is the return the majority of poor citizens get from these costly political outfits? They are Human Beings trying to survive the ravages of past colonialism and, now, neo-colonialism, the hegemonies of globalization, and the unseen hands undermining the levels of production of our own economy, particularly, agriculture that is going-on on a daily basis. It was none other than Jawaharlal Nehru who once said: everything can wait but, not agriculture”. Sadly, we seem to fail to see reality– the fact, that democratic practices, law and order, and plain downright decency in conduct, have become hostages to the maneuvering of selfish political forces, national and international.

Finally, we may do good in pondering and taking to heart the words of wisdom of a great Indian leader, Rajendra Prasad who warned his country which was raging with economic, political, and social conflicts at a crucial time, much like our today.

Only a blend of honest political leadership and healthy public institutions will ensure the success of democracy in a cacophonic culture such as India.”

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Buddhism arrived in Sri Lanka during the time of the Buddha in the 6^th century BC. The Maha Sangha however, was established 300 years later, when by prior arrangement, Arhat Mahinda brought in the Upasampada to the island.

Arhat Mahinda was directly linked to Arhat Upali who had presided over the first Buddhist Council. Mahinda’s Upasampada was therefore considered exceptional.  The Upasampada brought by him to Sri Lanka was therefore equally exceptional.

Arhat Mahinda introduced ordination to Sri Lanka. The first to receive ordination was Suman Samanera who had come from India with arhat Mahinda. The second was Ariththa, a relative of king Devanampiyatissa and also a minister of the king’s government. Later Queen Anula and her retinue also took robes. This ensured immediate acceptance and a high social standing for the new Sangha.   It was also in keeping with the Buddhist strategy of obtaining the support of the rich and successful first.

From this ordination came Sri Lanka’s first Nikaya, the Maha vihara nikaya.  This has remained the leading fraternity of the Anuradhapura period and thereafter too. No other nikaya ever took its place. Maha vihara was the sole royal monastery in Sinhala history, as far as I can see. 

Maha vihara owned extensive lands, both near and far away.  These monasteries were closely monitored by Maha vihara. They were subject to a weekly, monthly, annual financial audit which, RALH Gunawardene said, would have done credit to any modern accounting firm.

The 32 Bhikkhus who presided over the Maha vihara are listed in the Nikaya Sangrahaya, starting with the well known Iththiya and Uttiya.   (For the full list see TG Kulatunge’s Buddhist Nikayas in Sri Lanka p 8.) Several chief priests of Maha vihara are also mentioned in other literature. Ven. Mahasiva is mentioned in the Dighanikaya attakatha. When Samantapasadika was being written, the chief incumbent of Maha vihara was Ven. Sanghapala.  Kulatunge gives many other instances.

Two hundred years later, came the first separation from the Maha Vihara, the creation of the Abhayagiri nikaya. This is not as awful as it is made out to be. A second monastery would have been created in Anuradhapura   eventually. A single monastery could not have coped with all Buddhist activity.

However, the popular story is that King Vattagamani Abhaya   caused this division by building Abhayagiri vihara, despite the opposition of the Maha vihara. Kulatunge provides another explanation which is far more acceptable. He quotes Vansatthapakasini which says that King Vattagamani Abhaya built Abhayagiri and gave it to Ven.  Kupikkala Tissa, who had helped the king when he was in hiding. The king had also known Ven. Hambugallaka Tissa .

 Thereafter a disagreement arose in the Mahavihara, regarding the interpretation of the Khandaka Parivara of the Vinaya Pitaka. Ven. Hambugallaka Tissa broke away with five hundred bhikkhus and went to live at Abhayagiri.  Kulatunge noted that Maha vihara did not take any action against Hambugallaka Tissa.

Vansatthapakasini   observed that there were no big differences in Vinaya between the Mahavihara and Abhayagiri. The differences were on procedures such as higher ordination through messengers and small details, such as use of ivory handled fans.

Kulatunge noted that the information on Abhayagiri is one sided, it is all from Mahavihara sources. Abhayagiri did issue its own history, ‘Uttara vihara vamsa’ but this is no longer available. We know of its existence only because there are references to it in the literature.

The ‘Uttara vihara vamsa’ is seen by Christian analysts   as a rival vamsa to the Mahavamsa. It is nothing of the sort. It is simply an addition to the vamsa tradition of Buddhist historical writing.  Projection of hostility between Maha vihara and Abhayagiri is a Christian interpretation. The Buddhist attitude to disagreement is different.  The different schools of   Buddhism do not fight with each other.

Abhayagiri was a vast complex far exceeding the extent and buildings of the Mahavihara. Fa Hien who visited in 410-412 said that Mahavihara had 3000 monks while Abhayagiri had 5000 monks. That is because it was carrying out a bigger task. Abhayagiri was like a modern University, said Kulatunge, with four fraternities, Uttaramula, Kaparamula, Mahanetpamula, and Vahadumula. But it had only one chapter house, the Ratnapasada where they all assembled to perform Vinaya karma.

 Inscriptions show that Abhayagiri had monasteries all over the island.  Kantaroda in Jaffna and Ramba vihara in Hambantota were Abhayagiri monasteries. Abhayagiri temples were established at Nedunkerni and Ottimalai in Vanni, also at Badulla, Yapahuwa and Panduvasnuwara.

Excavations at Abhayagiri have shown much evidence of Mahayana. Several Avalokitesvara images were discovered. Abhayagiri started to teach Mahayana in the     4th century. The Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang who visited India in 7th century said that Abhayagiri taught both Mahayana and Theravada doctrines. Abhayagiri taught Sanskrit as well as Pali.  Abhayagiri was also a centre for Tantra.

There is  an Abhayagiri Vihara in Ratu Boko in Java ( Indonesia) .An inscription dated 792 AD says the complex was constructed for the Sinhala bhikkhus of Abhayagiri vihara of Sri Lanka .’  It is a huge complex, situated in a prominent location. There are magnificent doorways, meditation caves and a stupa which resembles those at Kantarodai. The southeastern part of the complex resembles the padhanaghara in Thapovana, Abhayagiri.

The third nikaya, the Jetavana Nikaya, of the Sagalikas, was a breakaway group from Abhayagiri. They left, according to Vamsattapakasini, due to disagreement with Abhayagiri on the interpretation of the Vinaya pitaka.  This Sagalika group moved to Jetavana which had been built in the premises of the Mahavihara itself, by King Mahasen, despite the objections of Mahavihara. They would have been a most unwelcome presence in the Mahavihara.

Vijayabahu I (1055-1110) found that Buddhism    had declined in Sri Lanka during the Chola occupation and the Upasampada was under question.  He got down the Upasampada from Ramanna (Lower Burma). This Upasampada was considered to be the Sinhala Upasampada, since it was from Sinhala bhikkhus who had migrated to Ramanna or their pupils. Therefore no separate nikaya was created. 

The next development was the disappearance of two of the three Nikayas. That was done by Parakrama bahu I (1153-86) under the guise of unifying the three Nikayas. The method used was quick and simple. There was a purification of the Sangha. The bhikkhus of each nikaya were examined. Then the corrupt monks were expelled and the pious monks sent to Mahavihara. In this way all were brought under the Mahavihara. Never again, says Kulatunge, were bhikkhus indentified as Abhayagiri and Jetavana.

 However, there had to be subdivisions in the Sangha, for the purpose of management at least. By this time, teacher-pupil lineages had emerged called Mula and the temples within a Mula were known as ayatanas. The Mula groups were now utilized for managing the   Maha Sangha. 

There were eight mulas in the Anuradhapura period.  Abhayagiri had Uttara mula, Mahanethpa mula, Kapara mula and Vahadu mula. Jetavana had Vilgam mula, Senevirat mula, Galaturu mula and Dhakkina mula.  Some historians say that Galaturu and Vilgam mula were in Mahavihara.  This is probably correct. It is absurd to say that Mahavihara had no Mula. The teacher-pupil lineage would have been very important for Maha vihara too.

The eight mulas developed in Anuradhapura were formalized by Parakrama bahu I. Mahavamsa says he build eight palaces for the eight mula institutions. (astayatana.)  Four out of the eight astayatana or astamula which became powerful after Parakrama bahu I came from Abhayagiri, noted analysts.

The literature of the time mentioned these mula. Vidagama said he belonged to Mahanethpa mula. Sri Rahula said he was Uttara Mula.  Vilgammula said he was Galaturu mula. Palkumbura sannasa refers to Senevirad mula.

A Pali sandesa titled Vuttamala, praised the chief monks of Galaturu, Senevirad, Mahanethpa and Vilgam.  Dathopatissa II had a grandson who became a monk and lived at Selantara mula in Rohana.  Analysts noted that after the Polonnaruwa period, there was no mention of Kapara mula or Vahadu mula.

During the Portuguese and Dutch occupation, Buddhism declined, bhikkhus became corrupt and the pure Upasampada disappeared.    Several Udarata kings got the Upasampada from abroad, but they did not last. Sri Lanka at last succeeded in getting a stable Upasampada during the time of king Kirti Sri Rajasinha (1782-98)

Kirti Sri Rajasinha sent a mission to   Ayuthya in present day Thailand, using Dutch ships. He sent   a mission consisting of Pattipola Atapattuwe Mohottala, Allepola Vedikkara Mohottala, Vilbagedera Naida, Iriyagama Muhandiram, and Ayittaliyadde Muhandiram to handle the negotiations. Another 62 persons from different castes and professions were also sent.  The delegation took with them two messages, from Ven. Saranankara of Malwatte and from Ven. Golahanwatte Dhammadassi of Asgiri. 

King Boromkot of Thailand received the mission. A delegation of Thai monks was dispatched to Sri Lanka in one of his own ships. The   Sinhala delegation return in the ship they came in.  They got home first.

The Thai delegation led by Ven. Upali arrived in Trincomalee in May 1753.   Vilbagedera, whose account is available, stated that the Thai mission consisted of 18 Upasampada bhikkhus and 7 samanera. The group also contained clerks, physicians, chefs, musicians, drummers, pages and servants.  Before they left, this group went on pilgrimage   to many places in the island.  This shows that Sri Lanka was still considered an important place of Buddhist worship, with Tooth Relic and Sri Maha Bodhi.

Ehelepola Adhikaram, Angammana Dissawa, Hulangamuwe dissava, Kodituvakku mohotti rala, Vedikkara mohotti rala, Ahelepola mohottala, Viyalla Mohottala, Harasgama Muhandiram and Mahantara Ralahamy were sent to meet the delegation. They met the visitors at Tambalagama at Kantale and then proceeded to Godapola near Matale where the visitors rested a few days. The chief monks of Malwatte and Asgiri came to Godapola to meet them.

Then they all arrived at Senkadagala. The king had erected a new building at Senkadagala called Dhammikaramaya for the Siamese monks to live in. This is today the Pusparama of Malwatta.

The Thai team then got down to the business of the Upasasampada. A sima was established and on 19 July 1753 a Thai samanera was ordained by Ven. Upali. That was to show the Sinhala monks how an Upasampada was done. Then Upali invited the Maha thera of Malwatte to perform the    Upasampada the next day. Six monks were ordained with Ven. Upali as preceptor.

But some ganninanses refused to accept the Upasampada. The king then repaired the Dharmasala built by Vimaladharmasuriya II and fixed stones outside its eight corners to make a badda seema. Each stone was checked by Ven. Upali and the monks were re-ordained there. 97 novices from Asgiri and Malwatte were   ordained.

Ven, Upali set up another   sima at Asgiri. He then set up sima at 25 other places, including Sat korale Rajamaha vihara and at Vanamandava, Maddepola, Medawala, Mahiyangana, Arattana, Gadaladeni,  Velagama, Devanagala,  Diyasunnata, Vattarama,  Ridigama, Kandulava, Varavala, Angangala, Badagamuwa, Hambalagala, Maddepola, Tissava, Mavatapola, Veragoda, Aluvihara, Valala, Hurikaduwa and   Karavliyadda. This prevented the Upasampada from collapsing as it had done before.

Texts on dharma were received from Siam between 1753 and 1756. A   second team of bhikkhus arrived from Thailand in 1756 to train the Sinhala bhikkhus. The monks were trained in bhikkhu practice, observing vas, uposatha, kathina ceremony, training in meditation, chanting pirit. Ven. Upali gave the nikaya a katikawata, a code of disciplinary rules. This was superseded by the katikavata   issued by Kirti Sri.

The king declared Ven. Saranankara as Sangharaja, supreme chief of the Sangha, Siddhartha Buddharakkhita of Tibbotuwawe  as chief prelate of Malwatte and Uruluwatte Dhammasiddi  as chief priest of Asgiri. Kirti Sri entrusted the Tooth Relic to Asgiri and Malwatte. They were to be its guardians. this gave Asgiri and Malwatte great standing.  The Raja Maha viharas were also placed under them. The Siam nikaya was established.

All authority for the Siyam Nikaya was held by Malwatte and Asgiri in Kandy. Kandy was the centre. Asgiri and Malwatte had existed as two separate bhikkhu traditions before the Siyam nikaya was established. Asgiri, originally vanavasi, was older than Malwatte. Asgiri traced its origin to Dimbulagala in the 13 century, from where they moved to Valasgala and then to Senkadagala. Malwatte had greater prestige since Saranankara was based there, and Ven. Upali had resided there.  Initially there was a tussle for power between the two. Then authority was divided between them and matters settled amicably.

The Siyam nikaya was set up in the Udarata kingdom   when the low country was under Dutch rule. The Dutch started by suppressing Buddhism, but when things got difficult, they decided to   drop this and permit new temples. This unleashed a force that gained momentum under the British who took over the country in 1815.

The Udarata Sangha, was very contemptuous of the low country monks and refused Upasampada to them. Upasampada should be given only to those in the Udarata and not low country, Malwatte said.

The low country monks discovered this when they went up one day, in the 1880s, for ordination. Low country monks led by  Dharmakirthi Mangala chief Sangha nayake of Colombo, Ven. Valane Sidartha, Bentara Athtadassi and Parakumbure Vipassi as preceptors,  had taken a set of samanera to Malwatte,  for ordination, They  went in procession, in  bullock carts  ,from  Galle,  to Bentota, Panadura, Colombo and up to Kandy.(Date not supplied),

 When they got there, Malwatte refused to ordain them. The low country Sangha entered the sima and started to ordain.   The Udarata monks, including the chief monks had rushed in fuming with anger. There was ‘aggressive jabber’. The samanera had started sobbing.  Malwatte said that they objected to ordaining monks from low country. The low country group departed home. They had ‘walked down the Kadugannawa precipice’ . 

they met to discuss the matter at Butgamu vihara and founded Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha sabha. This was probably the first breakaway sect of the Siyam Nikaya.

Kalyani Samagri erected a sima on a barge in Kalani River and did the ordination. They informed Malwatte that they had decided to cut themselves off from Malwatte.  The chief priest of Kelaniya Raja Maha vihara was not prepared to offer residential facilities there for future Upasampada. But a lay devotee, Mulhitiyawe Lekam had donated land by the river for the purpose. Nelligaswatte Kalyani Vamsikaramaya stands there today.

The low country monks thereafter assembled at Kotte Rajamaha vihara  and founded the Kotte Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha sabha (1855) as a separate entity, independent of Malwatte. The leaders were Bentara Aththadassi of Bentara vanavasi vihara, Maligaspe Dharmakirti of Kotte raja Maha vihara, Panadure Sumangala of Maha Arukgoda Indasararama. Papiliyane Silavamsa of Galgoda Sri Maha vihara, and  Valane Siddhartha of Ratmalane Parama Dhamma Cetiya Pirivena. The Upasampada was thereafter transferred to   Kotte Raja Maha vihara, A sima was set in 1894 and this sima operates to this day. 

Kulatunge noted that Bentara Aththadassi had considered a separate ordination, even before the Malwatte incident. he had earlier made inquiries from Ramanna in   Burma about higher Ordination. 

However the earlier   Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha sabha” did not disappear. it continued to function over the years. It consisted of   five groups, Ratmalana Mulleriyawa, Gampaha, Kakulandola and Rajarata. These were headed by Valane Sidartha, Pimbure Dhammananda, Avariwatte Jinaratana, Kalukondayawe Pannasekera, Halgastota Devananda,   and Batagama Pannananda.         

Later the names changed to Bentara Vihara group, Kotte vihara group , Arukgoda vihara group, Galgoda Vihara group , and Ratmanalana vihara group. Then Bentara created a second group, Daksina Vihara group to accommodate the  growing numbers.

In 2015 this Nikaya had 594 temples  in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa , Ampara, Trincomalee , Galle Matara, Hambantota,  Kalutara, Colombo, Gampaha Matale, Kandy Nuwara Eliya,  Badulla Monaragala , Kurunegala, Puttalam Kegalle and Ratnapura.  The Nikaya also has temples in America, Canada, India,  Japan Malaysia, Singapore and UK.

The Siyam nikaya in the  ‘low country’ had a long history of protests against Malwatte. From 1921 they had  been   saying that they did not recognize the degraded higher ordination of Malwatte.

 In 1942 Low country monks of Malwatte assembled at Jayamaha vihara pirivena in Kitulewela, Matara organized by Valivitiye  Sorata and Beddegama Piyaratna of Vidyodaya Pirivena . In 1954  low country Siyam nikaya monks decided to separate fully from  Malwatte and begin a separate higher ordination ceremony.

Siyamapali vanavasa nikaya had separated from Malwatte and performed their vinaya karma separately.  It has  its centre at Tibbotuvave vanavasaya at Vaturuvila, Elpitiya. it changed its name four times and was eventually registered in 1968.

In 1981, Ven Kamburupitiye Vanaratana called the heads of the second and third ranked  temples  in the area and founded the Matara district Pradesiya  Sangha sabha” of the  Siyam nikaya.

The formidable Sri Rohana Samgha Sabha  of the Siyam nikaya was formed in 1984. It had its own constitution and katikavata. Malwatte did  not object  to Sri Rohana carrying out its own Upasampada and the Sabha was registered for  Upasampada. Two ordinations were carried out in 1987, at Tihagoda, Tissamaharama and Randupata Raja Maha Vihara in Kotuwegoda, Matara.

Today, says Kulatunge,  Sri Rohana  has 555 viharas under it. they are in Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Monaragala, Ratnapura, Ampara Nuwara Eliya, Puttalam Gampaha, Polonnaruwa, Matale Kalutara, Anuradhapura , Colombo, Kandy, Kegalle and Kurunegala.

The Siyam nikaya did not continue as a monolithic Nikaya in the Udarata either.In the Udarata itself, it broke up into other nikayas, which  also went as Siyam.

Syam vamsika nikaya of Uva was started in 1939 at Kalabulu Landa vihara in Welimada. Since it was difficult for samanera to travel to Kandy for ordination, higher ordination was provided at Palugama and Kalabulu vihara which were considered ancient viharas.  This nikaya is still in existence. its viharas are mainly in Badulla and Moneragala districts with a few in Central, Saparagamu and Western provinces.

The best known Udarata Siyam nikaya sect today is Rangiri Dambulu samgha sabha. This was established in 1979 with Rangiri Dambulu vihara as its centre. Higher ordination was given for the first time in 1985 at a sima built on Kandalama wewa. The nikaya was registered in 1991 on a court order. ( continued)

Dr. Niroshana Wickramarathna, Ph.D., M.Sc., M.Ent., B.Sc.
Senior Lecturer Kandy, Sri Lanka

Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has already put our lives in jeopardy and exhibited potential to reshape the norms of our society. A mounting number of deaths being reported due to Covid-19 and pending economic recession have chilled us to the bone, social disruptions caused by locked-downs, indefinite curfews enforced, running out of food and essential supplies have triggered enormous anxiety in societies across the globe. On the other hand, the wild animals whose natural freedom suppressed by activities of human beings have been set free (not sure if this holds true for animals caged in zoos who have unfairly been imprisoned for the mere sake of human pleasure), the air polluted with greenhouse gases has suddenly become much cleaner, hustling and bustling cities characterized by unbearable noises have gone pinfall silence, and more importantly, in a slower pace of lives, innovative and out-of-the-box ideas have emerged. Simultaneously, we all impatiently wait for an end of lock-downs and curfews so that normality in all facets of our lives could be restored. Would that normality be again characterized by the free-market economy, political corruption or anarchism, rampant ecological destruction, relentless pursuit of profit and economic growth, ever-widening social inequalities (the world’s twenty-six richest people own as much wealth as half the entire world’s population) that were key detrimental features of neoliberalism?

In a year or two, the current situation would have eased out with a discovery of a proper vaccine or people becoming more immune to the virus. For some, it would mark the defeat of the pandemic and signal the light at the end of the tunnel. Because, we often cling on to identify an enemy of a given calamity instead of figuring out enmity within us, thus, we do not give a priority for deciphering the message encoded in the particular situation. In other words, we prefer to answer the effect instead of digging deep into the root causes which have resulted in this dire condition across the world. Yet, it is strongly believed that the scale of devastations has been so much that the world order would not fall back to the status quo prevailed in the pre-Covid era. If it does, that would really be a tremendous missed opportunity as Covid-19 has presented us with a harbinger of making a new world order which should mark a paradigm shift in our socio-economic landscapes.

At this juncture, two possible directions could be envisaged concerning the trajectory of our civilization, a) continuing with the globalized open economic approach that has already run havoc in many ways, b) making solid changes in our socio-economic system by transforming a globalized economic model to a localized economic approach, and by transforming an individualistic based society to a more of a community based (co-existing) living characterized by loving-kindness, compassion, empathy, equanimity (four sublime attitudes). Various developments that are currently underway, do not seem to furnish any conclusive shreds of evidence for the final trajectory along which the world would be heading during the post-Covid era. Although the aim of this article is to look at how Covid-19 pandemic may influence two of these possible trajectories that our civilization is likely to propel, at first, it is worth understanding western hegemony in socio-economic, political, and scientific landscapes.

End of the road to Western hegemony?

In the wake of Covid-19, powerful nations that have portrayed themselves as the world’s superpowers, who also stranglehold smaller nations and should largely be held accountable for instigating anthropogenic destructions to this world, have run like cockroaches in a flash of light. Covid-19 made them look very small. One of the world’s prestigious research centers, NASA, which usually engaged in initiating space travels to the moon, searching for lives in other planets, was forced to shut down, a Navy captain in one of the biggest nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the US Navy who feared of its crew members over Covid-19 was sacked for raising health concerns. In a confrontation with an invisible virus, the might of ammunition power searched for hiding grounds. At some corners even in the West, leaders appeared to push for radical changes in the world order, for instance, Italian PM recently told a newspaper that “after the coronavirus, nothing will be as before, we will have to sit down and rewrite the rules of trade and the free market”. Developments being unfolded and voices of people battered by a thing of a few microns suggest that there must be a shift in the human civilization trajectory that has propelled along an axis of evil in pursuit of wealth. Changes should be unique for a given state, because, the world is currently stewing in its own juice as the dependency of socio-economic parameters on cultural diversity had been ignored for too long. Institutions established by coalitions in the post-war era played a major role in manipulating and normalizing cultures of smaller nations according to desires of veto powered nations. It is very clear throughout various eras in history, the objective has been to dominate smaller nations, though the controlling mechanism had been different. In the colonial era, cheating natives with treaties and forceful persuasion were adapted, whereas institutions under United Nations established the control mechanism in the post-war era, and in the most recent decades in neo-liberal era, a globalized free-market economy and human rights have been instrumental in achieving their control over poorer states. This western hegemony is well summed up in one of the native American poems.

The whites were always trying to make Indians give up their life and
live like white men—go to farming, work hard, and do as they did—and
the Indians did not know how to do that and did not want to.
If the Indians had tried to make the whites live like them,
the whites would have resisted.

Changes that might be introduced, should depend on the cultural basis of a given state and decouple any mechanisms that foster western hegemony to prosper. According to one of the prominent figures of western scientific philosophy, Paul Feyerabend (author of Against Method), new theories came to be accepted not because of their accord with the scientific method, but because their supporters made use of any trick – rational, rhetorical or ribald – in order to advance their cause. He also came up with a famous phrase, “anything goes”, which underlines that any knowledge carried forward traditionally could not be ruled out as superstitious or non-scientific. As this challenged Karl Popper’s theory of falsification that was meant to demarcate other systems of knowledge (according to the West, non-scientific) from western scientific knowledge, Feyerabend is widely regarded as science’s worst enemy. Thus, it is appropriate to use native methods that have been bequeathed upon us by our ancestors and proven successful for thousands of years rather than attempting to find a western scientific basis/pieces of evidence in support of our methods. In other words, we do not have to validate our methods by using Western sciences because our methods have historically been proven correct and they do not need the support of western sciences to prop up as they can withstand on their own.

Keep the ball rolling

Many leaders in former superpowers before Covid-19 have already expressed their urgency to prematurely open locked-down countries or states for business. These countries or leaders may step up the industrial production in an endeavour to compensate for the losses during locked-downs and to beef up their economies. As a result of increased consumerism, enhanced inequality, intensified pollution, loss of justice, democracy, and privacy, the exacerbation of the status of the earth prevailed in the pre-Covid era will surely expedite.

For instance, US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) took measures to suspend enforcement of its laws so that industry can pollute the environment without limits as long as it can be proved that their business is somehow connected to the pandemic. Following the same approach, China expects to beef up its production by relaxing its environmental laws. In observing other recent developments, it has already given signs that in the post-Covid era, justice and democratic values could be at stake, for instance, the Hungarian parliament passed a bill that allows its PM to govern by decree, furthermore, anyone could receive a five-year jail term if s/he is proven to be responsible for disseminating false information. The Department of Justice in the US filed a request to craft legislation allowing chief judges to indefinitely hold people without trial and suspend other constitutionally protected rights during the coronavirus. Israeli’s PM has managed to partially shut down the country’s courts. Following China, Taiwan, and South Korea, Israel has passed an emergency decree to use cellphone data to retrace the movements of individuals who test positive for the virus.

Covid-19 has also pushed constitutions of certain countries to their limits, particularly in the West, thus, the political bubble they have been entrenched in to is about to rupture. In the US, the president argued that the power of lifting the lock-down lies with him while governors and legal experts of certain states claimed that the president does not have the authority according to the federal constitution. In addition, the fear of uncertain future and mistrust has engulfed many places such as in the US, people purchased record-breaking numbers of guns amid coronavirus. Even the dormant racism in the West has resurfaced as two French doctors suggested a potential vaccine for coronavirus should first be tested on people in Africa.

Blow away the cobwebs

Covid-19 should not, however, send a signal to be introverted as nations but to localize. The word, glocalization may be perceived as a process that integrates local concerns with the global needs or adaptation of global trends to match the local concerns. Since the colonial period, Sri Lanka as a country has failed to make this transformation. Also, with the embankment of neo-liberalism in the country, lifestyles rapidly veered towards self-centered compartmentalization from a co-existing environment in which human beings were considered to be a part of the entire ecosystem. So, we will soon have to make a reverse transformation from individualism to co-existence. Some drastic changes in our perceptions and practices are required to instigate in our socio-economic system, some of which are discussed in the following.

Native knowledge. Whether it be the history (local or global), sciences, medicine, or anything else, we have been taught to rely on western sciences and norms, and often disregard our own knowledge as myths. In other words, western sciences have become more of a religion than its original motive. Many recent disclosures have fueled the claim that scientific facts are suspect and that science is in crisis. Scientists appear to engage in facing interests instead of revealing interesting facts. It was ridiculous to observe that the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) in Sri Lanka, could not adopt recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO) to match local requirements. When WHO initially declared that the severity of the pandemic did not reach a level where the face masks could be used, GMOA requested the public to abstain from using face masks. But, countries like the Czech Republic did not heed to WHO’s recommendations, and they became one of few countries in Europe that well managed the spread of the disease. When WHO soon changed its position and recommended to use face masks, GMOA also switched its position. The point is that the West has had no clue of this disease, even if their physical sciences can at least provide some workable solutions, much of their medical technology largely relied on conclusions made by medical researchers is reported to be misleading, exaggerated, or flat-out wrong. And, even though the publication of medical research considers to be the cornerstone for the propagation and dissemination of medical knowledge, instances of individuals and institutions subverting the ethos of honesty and integrity have become significant. At the moment, some people in the West have significantly rejected to entrench in delusions of medical technology, thus, in countries like Germany, almost 40% of people use complementary and alternative medicine.

We need to urgently enhance the trust of our own methods that have survived more stringer testing times in history. In the historic tragedy of the island of Ceylon, written by a Portuguese Captain, Joa Ribeiro in 1685, wrote that “they are great herbalists, and in case of wounds, tumors, broken arms/legs, they affect a cure in a few days with great ease. As for cancer, which is a loathsome and incurable disease among us, they can cure it in eight days, and I have seen a large number of soldiers and Captains cured during my residence in the country, and ease with which this was done was marvelous”. The author further describes Portuguese being responsible for spreading sexually transmitted diseases such as Syphilis among natives, and how natives dealt with common fever to smallpox. Not only the knowledge on medical science and technology, but we have also had a system of knowledge on various fields (metallurgy, irrigation, farming), which are uniquely sustainable and lead to enhance co-existence than conquering one another. Where has this system of knowledge gone? It is worth reviving our knowledge if it has already been buried in time.

Value based-education. The institutionalized education that has been taught does not produce individuals with values. Let alone the values, they are not yet good enough to compete with global challenges even though the entire education system aims at producing a globalized citizen. It is easier to imitate but it is almost impossible to emulate someone else’s trade. Perhaps, it is nothing to do with capabilities but they certainly lack the confidence to win challenges locally. Starting from primary schools, pupils are bombarded with various curriculum, it is very rare that they are being demonstrated of any behavioral habits. Thus, the approach to education requires a major overhaul that transforms a vision with a mere global orientation to a mission that satisfies local requirements.

Unfortunately, we have failed to evolve a value-based education system, a significant portion of the global crises could be attributed to our failure in evolving a value-oriented education system. The intellectual movement dawned in Europe (characterized by the values of reasoning, creativity, and entrepreneurship) transformed dark-aged medieval Europe into a civilized, the scientifically sound, commercially progressive union called, the West.- that assumed the global leadership and dictated the entire course of the human history for the past five centuries. The Western civilization was nurtured by the unwholesome elements of greed, hatred, and perverse understanding corrosive to the humanitarian values and environmental degradation. These elements induced lustful Colonial motives, thus the scientific and technological education directed to promote totalitarianism, imperialism, genocides, and now heralding the anthropogenic era announcing the extinction of the human & animal lives from the planet. In Eleven years in Ceylon, Major Forbes wrote a detailed account on elephant shooting for recreation, he quoted an incident published in a newspaper, “we had excellent sport, having “bagged” one hundred and six elephants among four of us in three days.” Even though having conducted such barbaric acts through imperialism and supremacy, western civilization has been biasedly described in the euro-centric world view as rational, educated, and civilized.

Values and ethics had been the bedrock of civilization in the East. For instance, the Chinese had invented the steam engine before James Watt and made voyages around the world by the manufacturing of ships. However, the Chinese did not want to conquer and colonize other nations, because their education would have linked with Confucianism or Taoism that put more emphasis on benevolent inner values. In contrast to the shape of western civilization, and education should evoke wholesome values in a journey for wisdom. For this, the current institutionalized education needs to be replaced by the Buddha’s Arya scientific inquiry underlying the value-oriented vision for education.

Governance. The country desperately needs to restructure the present governing system. During the locked-down period of Covid-19, a lot of aspects in political administration went relatively smoothly and swiftly in comparison to having 225 individuals calling the shots in the parliament. Of course, there may have been mishaps occurred at such an unprecedented time but it was surely better than 225 people who could not prevent the Easter attack even after receiving contact details of the attackers. The handling of Covid-19 proved that country can move forward with a much smaller team as political administrators. This should be in line with Raja-Andu-Kramaya (refer to the West debunked Raja-Andu-Kramaya would have easily surpassed democratic myth). More liberal and democratic states (as the West & its slaves prefer to claim) have unfortunately got more losses of lives due to Covid-19 than countries run by authoritarians or dictators (as labeled by the West). It is pathetic how the head of the world’s superpower reacted to the pandemic, he wanted to keep the country open for business when the lives of millions of people were at risk. It took hundreds and thousands of lives before he changed his position. Is this the democracy (profits over lives) that our educated pundits have been boasting that has prevailed in the West?

As a starting point, it is high time that we push for abolishing at least one from a chain of hierarchical governing bodies such as urban, district, provincial, and parliament. The most appropriate initiative would be to abolish the 13th amendment of our constitution which was forcefully imposed on us. As racist politicians in northern and eastern Sri Lanka longing for separatism, granting land, police, and judiciary powers to each province and at the same time removing executive powers of the president could easily pave the way for the balkanization of the country. Covid-19 also questions the appropriateness of the 19th amendment of our constitution, it was extremely lucky that the corrupted parliament had already dissolved by the time Covid-19 affected the country. 19th amendment must also be abolished as the executive president elected by the majority of people in the country should possess the power to dissolve a parliament before a period of 4.5 years, if it is deemed that it is detrimental to the country in some ways (national security, economy, etc.).

Glocalized development model. During the Cold War, the US and its European allies were recognized as the first world, the former USSR, China, and their allies were named as the second world, and the countries which remained non-aligned neither with these two blocks were defined as the third world. The political and economic states were instrumental in making these divisions. After the collapse of the former USSR, the word third world has been replaced by developing countries. So, the development of a state is determined by its political alignment and economic prosperity measured by certain norms that were defined by so-called the first world.

Throughout our civilization, people in this country had interlinked with nature, farming and agriculture have been the profession of many. After the profit maniac neo-liberalism and globalization came into the scene, agricultural trade clandestinely turned to commercial business. People started to think of global markets and make profits in foreign currencies instead of pursuing a trade that caters to the demand of the local community. An individual gained material wealth, a country with a high Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and satisfying some other parameters were led to label as a rich individual and a developed nation respectively.

A capitalist society is inevitably linked with a higher degree of consumerism, and the production needs to beef up in order to soothe the enhanced demand for consumption. With limited resource availability for production, it is not possible to keep entertaining our sensual faculties that understand no limits in consumption. We will have to revisit and redefine the term development whether it is something to do with acquiring material wealth and consumption. As a holistic approach to development, instead of GDP, Gross National Happiness (GNP), has been used in a few countries, which values collective happiness as the goal of governance by emphasizing harmony with nature and traditional values. Thus, the government should come up with a development model that ensures the well-being and happiness of the population. The pursuit of material wealth derived by ignorance and driven by greed, hatred could not guarantee any of these. Features such as simplicity instead of wealth, happiness instead of pleasure, and charm instead of gaudiness, may be borne with wisdom and be driven by getting rid of unwholesome thoughts, could assure a state of well-being not only in the society but also in the total environment.

Co-existence through enhanced values. Neo-liberalism originated with individualism as the foundation, thus, an individual was decoupled from the total environment as well as from other individuals in the society. A former British PM, Margret Thatcher once mentioned that there is no such thing as a society, there are only men and women, and families. Such opinions have made detrimental effects to a co-existing society in which human beings are only a part of the environment. The origin of this individualistic perspective could be perceived as a culmination of the scientific revolution, as Francis Bacon stated that the man should be above nature (i.e. a nature in which man is not a part of), and even went on to an extent of describing torturing nature to reveal her secrets”. In general, the basis of the ever-progressive scientific world view encourages meddling with the virgin nature for the benefit of humans or in other words, conquering nature. The further context into this can be found in “From immoral conquest of nature to moral coexistence taught in Buddhism: A timely transformation.”

Neo-liberalism went a step further by separating individuals or families from society. Hence, we would need to go two steps back, thinking as communities instead of individuals, considering human beings/communities as a part of our ecological environment instead of conquering and dominating nature for mere human benefits. Thus, if we want to get out of this failed trajectory, we will have to make choices of our social or economic aspects in such a way that human values are enhanced and kept intact. The communities around the world attempt to help those in need almost surpassing the speed of pandemic outbreak, which signals that the world has suddenly become a place with loving-kindness and compassion.

In brief, Covid-19 proved that interconnectedness created by a globalized free-market economy has come to a sticky end, the supremacy of the West through industrial and scientific revolutions, dissemination of knowledge and culture has been pegged back (“knowledge is power” may not be valid anymore), rampant consumerism by catering to ever replenishing desires of our sensual faculties has been interrogated. So, through Covid-19, once again nature decided to severely chastise wrong-doers and showed big brothers of the earth the way forward. Let us hope that it will not be like flogging a dead horse.

A Worried Citizen

I think Sri Lanka has handled the Coronavirus issue brilliantly well compared to many of the developed countries. Please look at the numbers below from the BBC.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52491210

As you can see Belgium has the highest number of deaths per 100,000 people. I believe the reason for this is that Belgium is a small country with a high population density. Their population is 11.59 million and the land area is 11,849 Sq.miles. 

The population density is 978 people/Sq.Mile. Sri Lanka has a population of 21.67 million and the land area is 25,332 Sq.Miles. Therefore the population density is 855 people/Sq.Mile. We have to also remember that ¾ of the population lives in the Southwest quarter of the island which is very dense in terms of population. The real density is closer to 2556 people/Sq.Mile.

Belgium has had 19.3 deaths per 100,000 people whereas Sri Lanka has had 0.03 deaths per 100,000 people (based on 7 deaths we had up to date). 

Yet some of our lying politicians in the opposition have started their usual lying all over again now that the elections are drawing near. I would suggest that the government should challenge all these false statements unlike in 2015 and take them to courts for libel if any statements are false. Please do not remain silent like in 2015. I hope the people will not be fooled by the lies put out by the JVP, TNA, and SJP  and vote correctly to save the country. 

My heartfelt gratitude to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa along with their team of doctors, and service personnel who have saved us from a fate too fearful to even imagine. 

By A. Abdul Aziz.

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace be on him, Promised Messiah and Imam-al-Mahdi and Holy Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam, in 1905, he warned the world in the following words:

 Remember, God has informed me of many earthquakes. Rest assured, therefore, that as earthquakes have shaken America and Europe, so will they shake Asia. Some of them will resemble the Day of Doom. So many people shall die that rivulets of blood shall flow. Even the bird and the beasts will not be immune to this death. Havoc shall sweep the surface of the earth which shall be the greatest since the birth of man. Habitations shall be demolished as if no one had ever lived in them. This will be accompanied by many other terrible calamities which the earth and the heavens will send forth, till their extraordinary nature will become evident to every reasonable man. All the literature on science and philosophy shall fail to show their like. Then mankind shall be sorely distressed and wonder what is going to happen. Many shall escape and many perish. The days are near, in fact, I can see them close at hand when the world shall witness a terrible sight; not only earthquakes, but also many fearsome calamities shall overtake man, some from the skies, and some from the earth. This will happen because mankind has stopped worshipping their true God and have become lost in their affairs of the world with all their heart and their effort and their intent. If I had not come these afflictions would perhaps have been delayed a little. But with my coming the secret purposes of an affronted God which were hidden so far, became manifest.

Says God: ‘We never punish until We send a Messenger’.       

Those who repent shall find security and those who fear before calamity overtakes them shall be shown mercy. Do you think you will be immune to these calamities?

Or can you save yourselves through artifice or design? Indeed not. That day all human schemes shall fail. Think not that earthquakes visited America and other continents but that your own country shall remain secure. Indeed, you may experience severe hardship.

O Europe, You are not safe, and O Asia, you are not immune. I see Cities fall,  and settlements laid waste. The One and the Only God kept silent for long. Heinous deeds were done before His eyes. He said nothing. But now he shall reveal His face Majesty and Awe.

Let him who has ears hear that the time is not far. I have done my best to bring all under the protection of God, but it was destined that what was written should come to pass

Truly do I say that the turn of this land, too, is approaching fast. The time of Noah shall reappear before your eyes, and your own eyes will be witnesses to the calamity that overtook the cities of Lot. But God is slow in his Wrath. Repent that you may be shown mercy! He who does not fear Him is dead, not alive.” (Haqiqathul Wahi – pp: 256, 257).     

Note: The time of Noah refers to the people who rejected Prophet Noah – and had become lost in the affairs of the world, punished by God with mighty floods. Similarly Prophet Lot – the people who rejected him and extremely had the foul practice of sodomy – because, they were punished by God through devastating earthquakes.

Dr. Sarath Oveysekera 

We are fighting Corona, which is a virus supposedly originated from animals.

We are also supposed to be descendants of monkeys, and we are ruining the environment and forests in the name of development. Animals may be trying to eradicate their harmful descendants of their own by introducing these dreadful viruses. Elephants including peacocks often ruin crops trying to chase the human species away. Lately, urban monkeys around the cities in our country  in large numbers are ruining our crops .i myself planted plantains, avocado, mangoes, Kadju, Rambutan, etc and I could not consume a single variable because  the monkeys keep eating them

Planted manioc is often eaten by porcupines and large mice

A large number of parrots destroy long bean plants 

The government wants the people to grow vegetables but the animals keep attacking the crops 

One of these days crows and monkeys may bring another decease and we will be helpless 

As Buddhism preaches, we may have to meditate and convince ourselves and to live with the idea of ending the Sansara and end of reincarnation and leave the world to the original owners of this planet 

Dr. Sarath Obeysekera
CEO Walkers Colombo Shipyard
Colombo
Sri Lanka

සමස්ත ලංකා වතු කම්කරු සංගමය

ගරු ජනාධිපතිතුමා
,කොරෝනා මර්ධන ජනාධිපති කාර්ය සාධක බලකාය,
ජනාධිපති ලේකම් කාර්යාලය,
ගාලූුු මුවදොර,
කොළඹ-01
ගරු ජනාධිපති තුමණි
වතු කම්කරු ජනතාවට රු 5000/= දීමනාව ලබා දීමට කඩිනමි අවදානය යොමුකරන ලෙස ඉල්ලීම
කොරෝනා වෛරස් උවදුරේ බලපෑම හේතුවෙන් සියලූම ශ‍්‍රී ලාංකිකයින් මුහුණදී සිටින්නේ බලවත් අසීරුතාවයකටය. ඔවුන්ට තම තමන් නියැලූණ ආර්ථික කටයුතු වලින් ඉවත් වන්නට සිදුවී ඇත. එහි ප‍්‍රථිපලයක් ලෙස ඒ සියළුදෙනාම ජීවත්වීමේ අර්බුදයකට මුහුණපා සිටී. එම අර්බුදයට මුහුණ දීමට නොහැකිව සිටි ජනතාවට යම් අස්වැසිල්ලක් වූයේ රජය විසින් ලබාදුන් රු 5000 දීමනාවයි.
තම ආදායම් තත්වය ඉතාමත් පහත් මට්ටමක වන වතු කම්කරුවන්ද මේ වනවිට ජීවත්වීමේ අර්බුදයකට මුහුණ දී සිටී. මාසයේ දින 25 ම වැඩ කළත් ඔවුන්ට උපයා ගත හැකි වන්නේ රු 19,000 කට අඩු මුදලකි. පසුගිය කාලයේ පැවති අයහපත් කාලගුණ තත්වය නිසාත් මාර්තු මස 20 වන දිනෙන් පසු ඇඳිරිනීතිය ක‍්‍රියාත්මක වීම නිසාත් වතු කම්කරුවන් හට අඛණ්ඩව වැඩ කිරීමට නොහැකි විය. කොරෝනා වෛරසය නිසා තම ආර්ථිකය කඩා වැටුන අනෙකුත් ජනතාවට මෙන් තම ගෙවත්තේ පොල්, කොස් වැනි බෝග වලින් ලැබෙන අතිරේක ආදායම් මාර්ග කිසිවක් නොවීමද කොළඹ වැනි දුරබැහැර නාගරික ප‍්‍රදේශවලට ගොස් කුලී වැඩක් කිරීමෙන් තම පවුලේ සාමාජිකයින් හරහා ලැබුන ආදායමද මේ මොහොත වනවිට ඇහිරිගොස් ඇත. එවැනි හේතු කාරණා නිසා ගෙවෙමින් තිබෙන කාලපරිච්ෙඡ්දය ඔවුන්ට දරාගත නොහැකි පීඩනයකින් ජීවත්වීමට සිදුව ඇත. එබැවින් ලක්‍ෂ එකහමාරක් පමණ වන වතු කම්කරු ප‍්‍රජාවට රු 5000/= සහන දීමනාව කඩිනමින් ලබාදෙන ලෙස ගෞරවයෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටිමි.
ස්තුතියි
මෙයට,
කේ. සෙල්වරාජ් ජේ.එම්.ඒ. පේ‍්‍රමරත්න
සභාපති ලේකම්

සමස්ත ලංකා හෙද සංගමය.

භද්‍රාණී ජයවර්ධණ මහත්මිය
ලේකම්,
සෞඛ්‍ය හා දේශීය වෛද්‍ය අමාත්‍යංශය,
සුවසිරිපාය,
අංක 385, පුජ්‍ය බද්දේගම විමලවංශ හිමි මාවත
කොළඹ 10.

මහත්මියනි,

#කොවිඩ්– 19 #Coved- 19 වසංගතය හමුවේ සේවා සපයන හෙද කාර්ය මණ්ඩලයේ අමතර සේවා, ප‍්‍රසිද්ධ නිවාඩු දින හා කාර්ය වියුක්ත නිවාඩු දින සේවය සදහා මුදල් ගෙවීම

#කොවිඩ්- 19 #Coved- 19 වසංගතය මැඩලීම හමුවේ අසීරු ලෙස සේවා සැපයූ සෞඛ්‍ය කාර්ය මණ්ඩල සේවයේ යෙදවීමේ දී මතුවී තිබු ගැටළු විසදාගැනීමටත්, සෞඛ්‍ය කාර්ය මණ්ඩල සාමාජිකයින් ආරක්ෂා කර ගනිමින්, ඔවුන් අනතුරු දායක ලෙස #කොවිඩ් ආසාදිත රෝගීන්ට නිරාවරනය වීම වලකා රෝහල් පද්ධතියට ප‍්‍රසස්ත සේවාවක් ලබා ගැනීම අරමුණු කර ඔබ විසින් අවස්ථා කීපයකදී නිකුත් කරන ලද උපදෙස් ලිපි පිළිබද අවධානය යොමු කරවමු.

ඔබගේ එම උපදෙස්වලට අනුකූලව රෝහල්වල සේවා සැකසුම් කර ගැනීමට යෑමේදී සමහර රෝහල් ප‍්‍රධානීන් සමග දැඩි අරගලයක් කිරීමට සිදුවූ බවත් කණගාටුවෙන් වූවද සදහන් කරමු. එසේම අද වන විට හෙද කාර්ය මණ්ඩලයේ මාර්තු සහ අප‍්‍රියෙල් මාසවල සිදුකරන ලද රාජකාරීන්ට අදාලව යොමුකර ඇති අමතර සේවා ඉල්ලූම්පත් වල ගෙවීම් අනුමත කිරීමේදී බොහෝ ආයතන වල ප‍්‍රධානීන්/ විශේෂ ශ්‍රේණියේ හෙද නිලධාරීන් ඔබගේ උපදෙස් නොසලකා තම තමන්ට රුචි ආකාරයට හෙද නිලධාරීන්ගේ #කොවිඩ් වසංගතයට අදාලව ඉටු කල රාජකාරීවලට ගෙවීම් කිරීමට උපදෙස් ලබා දෙන අතර එම උපදෙස් බොහෝ විට හෙද කාර්ය මණ්ඩලයට දැඩි ආර්ථික අවාසි ගෙන දෙන බැවින් හෙද නිලධාරීන් දැඩි කනස්සල්ලට හා අසරණභාවයට පත්ව සිටී.

01. 2020. 04. 12 දිනැතිව ඔබතුමිය සියළු රෝහල් ප‍්‍රධානීන් වෙත යොමුකර තිබෙන උපදෙස් ලිපියට අනුව වසංගතයට මුහුණ දීම සදහා රජය විසින් සකසන ලද විශේෂ සේවා මුර වැඩපිළිවෙලට අනුව හෙද හෙදියන් සක‍්‍රිය සේවයේ නොයෙදුනද ඔවුන් රාජකාරියේ යෙදුනා යැයි සලකා කටයුතු කරන ලෙසට උපදෙස් ලබාදී ඇත. ඒ අනුව අදාල කාලපරිච්ඡෙදය තුල රාජකාරී කල හෙද නිලධාරීන් ඔවුන්ට හිමි කාර්ය වියුක්ත දින සහ ප‍්‍රසිද්ධ නිවාඩු දිනයන්ද (Day Off & PH) ඉහත උපදෙස්වලින් දක්වා ඇති පරිදි සේවය කර තිබේ. එසේ වූවද ඔවුන්ට එම රාජකාරී ඉටු කිරීම වෙනුවෙන් ගෙවිය යුතු දීමනා කප්පාදු කිරීමට රෝහල් බලධාරීන් කටයුතු කරමින් තිබෙන බැවින් එය වැලැක්වීම සදහා ඔබගේ 2020. 04. 12 ලිපියේ අංක 02 ජේදයේ සදහන් පරිදි සක‍්‍රීය සේවයේ යෙදුනේ හෝ නොයෙදුනේ වූවද අදාල මාසය සදහා වන කාර්ය වියුක්ත නිවාඩු දින සහ ප‍්‍රසිද්ධ නිවාඩු දින සියළුල වෙනුවෙන් හිමි දීමනා සියල්ල ගෙවීමට කටයුතු කරන ලෙස ආයතන ප‍්‍රධානීන්ට උපදෙස් නිකුත් කරන ලෙස කාරුණිකව ඉල්ලමු.

02. #කොවිඩ්- 19 #Coved- 19 වසංගතය පාලනය සදහා 2020. 03. 20 දින ඇදිරි නීතිය ක්‍රියාතමක කල මොහොතේ පටන් අද වනතුරුත් සාමාන්‍ය මගී ප‍්‍රවාහන සේවා නිසි පරිදි ක‍්‍රියාත්මක නොවන තත්වයක් තුලද බොහෝ හෙද නිලධාරීන් තම පුද්ගලීක වාහනවලින් හෝ කුලී රියකින් සේවයට වාර්තා කිරීමට වගකීමෙන් යුතුව කටයුතු කලහ. සෞඛ්‍ය කාර්ය මණ්ඩල සදහා ප‍්‍රවාහන සේවා පසුකාලීනව ආරම්භ කලද ඒවා ප‍්‍රමාණවත් නොවන අතර බස් රථ ප‍්‍රධාන මාර්ගවල පමනක් ධාවනය විය. එබැවින් සෑම හෙද නිලධාරියෙකුටම රාජකාරියට වාර්තා කිරීම සදහා අමතර පිරිවැයක් දැරීමට සිදුවිය.

එසේම තමාගේ සහ නිවැසියන්ගේ ආරක්ෂාව පිළිබදව කටයුතු කල යුතු හෙයින් තම නිල ඇදුම් හා අනෙකුත් ඇදුම් පැලදුම් සියල්ල දිනපතා සෝදා ගැනීමටත්, විශේෂයෙන් කොරෝනා ආසාදිත හා සැක කටයුතු රෝගීන්ගේ සාත්තුවේදී PPE ඇගලා සේවය කිරීමේදී එක් සේවා මුරයකදී දෙවතාවක් නිල ඇදුම් මාරු කිරීමටත් (දහදියෙන් තෙත්ව යන නිසා) සිදුවන බැවින් ඒ සදහා අමතර පිරිවැයක් දරන්නට සිදුවේ. එමෙන්ම සේවා නිමවී පැමිණි පසු තම අසල්වැසියන් මෙන්ම තමාගේ නිවැසියන්ද කිසියම් දුරස් බවකින් හැසිරිම තුල දැඩි ච්ත්ත පීඩාවකටද ඔවුන් ලක්ව ඇත.

එබැවින් මෙම කරුණු සැළකිල්ලට ගෙන හෙද නිලධාරීන්ගේ සේවා කැපකිරීම ඇගයීමටත්, ඔවුන්ගේ චිත්ත ධෛර්යය වර්ධනය පිණිසත් සක‍්‍රිය සේවයේ යෙදුන සෑම දිනක් වෙනුවෙන්ම භේදයකින් තොරව මූලික වැටුපෙන් 1/20 ක දීමනාවක් සියළු හෙද හෙදියන්ට ගෙවීමට කටයුතු කරන ලෙස වැඩිමනක් වශයෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටිමු. ඊට අමතර වශයෙන් විශේෂිත කොරෝනා ප‍්‍රතිකාර මධ්‍යස්ථානවල සේවයේ නියුතු කාර්ය මණ්ඩල වෙත අමතර දිරි දීමනාවක් ලබාදීමටත් කටයුතු කරන ලෙස ඉල්ලා සිටිමු.

ස්තුතියි.

මෙයට,
හෙද නිලධාරී එස්. බී. මැදිවත්ත
ප‍්‍රධාන ලේකම්

සමස්ත ලංකා හෙද සංගමය.

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

But the government has laid down some conditions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus

Colombo, May 1 (newsin.asia): Even as a curfew will be in force in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Puttalam, civilian life and state and private sector activities will be resumed from Monday, May 11, the Sri Lankan Presidential Media Division said in a press release on Friday.

In order to ensure return to normalcy in civilian life and to revive the economy including continuous provision of essential services in these districts, both public and private sector entities should resume their work from Monday, 11th May, the release said.

Heads of institutes are advised to make necessary arrangements taking into consideration of the required number of employees to run their organizations. Head of each entity should ensure strict adherence to the guidelines issued by the Director General of Health Services and other health authorities to control the spread of COVID – 19 virus while carrying out their operations.

The responsibility to decide who should come to office work and their number lies with head of the each state organization including Departments, Corporations and Boards. The private sector entities are requested to open for work at 10.00am daily.

As a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus the public must refrain from unnecessarily coming to roads and gathering at various other places. Buses belonging to Sri Lanka Transport Board and railway carriages can only transport employees who are reporting for work.

Civilians, except those who are essentially required to report to work, are requested to remain in their homes. People are allowed to leave their homes only to purchase essential items such as food and medicines. Corona prevention health recommendations should strictly be followed at each instance. Curfew passes issued by the Police authorities are valid only if the driver and passengers wear facemasks.

Curfew in other districts of the island except in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Puttalam will only be effective from 8.00 pm to 5.00am everyday till Wednesday, the 06th of May.

The curfew which will be imposed at 8.00pm on Wednesday, the 06th of May will continue till 5.00am on May 11th.

by C. A. Chandraprema Courtesy The Island

Some members of the SLPP have expressed the fear that if the Parliament is reconvened as demanded by the opposition, the latter which has the majority in Parliament could present an impeachment motion against the President. Going by the behavior of the opposition, such fears may not be unfounded and it could be that the opposition does harbor hopes of being able to present an impeachment motion against the President if Parliament is reconvened. The requirements to carry through to a successful conclusion an impeachment motion against a President are heavy. So much so that there is absolutely no chance of such an attempt succeeding. However, there may be some in the opposition who think that by presenting an impeachment motion against the President, the dissolution of the reconvened Parliament can be blocked at least for a while.

Before the 19th Amendment, our Constitution had Article 70(1)(c) which stated that the President shall not dissolve Parliament after the Speaker has entertained a resolution to impeach the President. However, Article 70(1)(c) no longer exists in the Constitution after the 19th Amendment. Hence the President can dissolve Parliament even after an impeachment motion has been entertained by the Speaker in the reconvened Parliament – if such a reconvening takes palce.

According to Article 38(2)(a) of the Constitution, any Member of Parliament may, by a writing addressed to the Speaker, give notice of a resolution alleging that the President is permanently incapable of discharging the functions of his office by reason of mental or physical infirmity or that the President has been guilty of – (i)   intentional violation of the Constitution, (ii) treason, (iii) bribery, (iv) misconduct or corruption involving the abuse of the powers of his office, or (v) any offence under any law, involving moral turpitude and setting out full particulars of the allegation or allegations made and seeking an inquiry and report thereon by the Supreme Court.

Article 38(2)(b) states that no notice of such resolution shall be entertained by the Speaker or placed on the Order Paper of Parliament unless (i) such notice of resolution is signed by not less than two-thirds of the whole number of Members of Parliament ; or (ii)  such notice of resolution is signed by not less than one-half of the whole number of Members of Parliament and the Speaker is satisfied that the allegations made merit inquiry and report by the Supreme Court.

The opposition does have more than one half of the MPs in Parliament and the Speaker is with them, so they can in fact start an impeachment process under Article 38(b)(ii) if they wish to. Had the old Article 70(1)(c) still existed, this would then have prevented the President from dissolving Parliament again for a while until the impeachment motion either succeeded or fizzled out. If one half of the MPs in Parliament and the Speaker act in concert, the impeachment motion can be taken only as far as being ‘entertained’ by the Speaker.

For it to be taken to the next level where it is referred to the Supreme Court under article 38(2)(c), a resolution has to be passed by Parliament by a two thirds majority of the whole number of Members of Parliament including those not present. Even if the Supreme Court deems the President to be at fault as alleged in the impeachment, the latter cannot be removed from office without yet another vote by a two thirds majority of the whole number of Members of Parliament. So even if an impeachment motion gets to the point where it is entertained by the Speaker, it cannot be taken to the next level by the yahapalana political parties. But then again, all that they would want from an impeachment motion at this stage is simply to buy them some time by preventing the President from dissolving Parliament again after reconvening it.

However, as we pointed out earlier, the absence of the old Article 70(1)(c) in the Constitution means that the President can dissolve Parliament even after an impeachment motion against him has been entertained by the Speaker. The reason why Article 70(1)(c) was dropped, may have been because the 19th Amendment created a Parliament that cannot be dissolved for any reason whatsoever before the lapse of four and a half years of its term. The formulators of the 19th Amendment may also have considered the fact that it was very unlikely that any Parliament would want to impeach the President in the last six months of its tenure.

So perhaps as far as the 19th Amendment was concerned, there was no need to have a special provision preventing the President from dissolving Parliament in the event an impeachment motion against the President is entertained by the Speaker. After that four and a half year period however, the President is completely free to dissolve Parliament, even in the event where an impeachment motion against him has been entertained by the Speaker. The old Article 70(1)(c) was quite a comprehensive provision which prevented the dissolution of Parliament until the impeachment motion against the President either succeeded or failed. The absence of this provision means that if an impeachment motion is in mid-process at the time that Parliament reaches that four and a half year cut off point in the 19th Amendment, the President can simply dissolve Parliament and make short shrift of the proceedings against him!  

Argument about

government funding

At this present moment, the opposition’s main argument for demanding the reconvening of Parliament is the claim that the President does not have the authority to authorize government spending after the 30th of April. The contention being that under Article 150(3) of the Constitution, the President may allocate money to keep government services running after Parliament has been dissolved only if Parliament has not previously made provision for such matters. They contend that the yahapalana government had passed a Vote on Account that would last until 30 April and therefore, after that date, the President has no power to allocate money for the maintenance of government services.

However, it’s quite clear that what Article 150(3) of the Constitution says is firstly, that there is no need for the President to make allocations for a given purpose if Parliament has already done so – which is self-evident. Secondly, if Parliament has not made allocations for some need that arises after Parliament has been dissolved, the President has the power to make the required financial allocation, and thirdly that the President will retain this power to allocate money for the purposes of government until the lapse of three months after the date set for the first meeting of the new Parliament – a provision obviously designed to cover the days or weeks required by a new government to get its act together and to formulate a budget.

Parliamentary democracy itself would not be possible without such a provision. Similar provisions giving the head of state temporary control over government finances when Parliament has been dissolved for an election to be held has been in every Constitution we have had since independence. Viz the following:

Ceylon Constitution Order

in Council 1946

Article 67(3) – Where the Governor-General dissolves Parliament before the Appropriation Bill for the financial year has received the Royal Assent, he may, unless Parliament shall have already made provision, authorize the issue from the Consolidated Fund and the expenditure of such sums as he may consider necessary for the public services until the expiry of a period of three months from the date on which the new House of Representatives is summoned to meet.

First Republican Constitution 1972

Article 86(3) – Where the President dissolves the National State Assembly before the Appropriation Bill for the financial year has passed into law, he may, unless the National State Assembly shall have already made provision, authorize the issue from the Consolidated Fund and the expenditure of such sums as he may consider necessary for the public services until the expiry of a period of three months from the date on which the new National State Assembly is summoned to meet.

The 1978 Constitution  

Article 150(3) – Where the President dissolves Parliament before the Appropriation Bill for the financial year has passed into law, he may, unless Parliament shall have already made provision, authorize the issue from the Consolidated Fund and the expenditure of such sums as he may consider necessary for the public services until the expiry of a period of three months from the date on which the new Parliament is summoned to meet.

It will be noticed that through seven decades and three different constitutions, little has changed in this particular provision. Parliamentary democracy would not have lasted till this day if not for this provision. The most important thing to notice is that in the 1948 and 1972 Constitutions, even the nominal head of state exercised the same powers as the present elected executive President in this regard. The reason why the 1948 and 1972 Constitutions allowed the nominal head of state who was not elected, not the head of the Government and not the head of the Cabinet to exercise such powers is obviously because some suitable state functionary has to exercise the power to make financial allocations to keep government services going in situations where Parliament is no longer able to do so.

In all three constitutions, the head of state steps in to wield financial powers only if an allocation has not already been made by Parliament for the purpose at hand. Going by this standard provision which has changed so little from one constitution to the next, if the previous government had passed a Vote on Account till 30 April, well the President should carry on from where that allocation stops. Indeed the wording of this provision clearly indicates that even if the Vote on Account was still operative, but there was some need for which Parliament had not provided for in that Vote on Account, the President can step in and allocate the funds needed for that purpose.

The whole idea in having this provision is for the President to be able to do what is needed to keep things going until the new Parliament meets. It’s the height of absurdity to claim that Parliament has to be recalled to pass funds when the whole purpose of Article 150(3) is to facilitate the running of the country between the dissolution of one Parliament and the election and commencement of another Parliament. 

Courtesy Hiru News

Twelve (12) more persons have tested positive for Covid-19 (new coronavirus) infection.

The country total has increased to 702 according to the latest information by the Epidemiology unit of the Ministry of Health.

The daily numbers of the PCR tests performed have been released and the updates have captured the PCR tests conducted for the last ten days along with the patients reported.

Courtesy Hiru News

Assistant Director of the National Intelligence Service, Parakrama Silva says that all Covid-19 infected persons in the country are under their control.

He made this statement while participating in a TV talk show today

By Rohana R. Wasala

The online Asian Tribune of February 21, 2020, carried a profusely illustrated article under the title A Historical Leadership Program Launched by Professor Nandana Wijesinghe”. The event was reported to have been conducted on the weekend -14th -16th February 2020 at the Ridee Viharaya Conference Centre, Ridi(ya)gama, Kurunegala, organized by this professor who, according to the news report, heads the Department of Sociology, University of Peradeniya. Having read the Asian Tribune article, I wanted to find out something more about the university don involved, for his name was new to me. So I did a google search, and what I incidentally came across was an extremely unpleasant surprise to me as a patriotic journalist.

I am not a professional journalist in the sense of a person who is earning a living by their journalism. It is not a vocation for me, but an avocation, a hobby. I don’t write articles and have them published for any material reward or gain, financial or otherwise. My broad journalistic focus is threefold: education, culture, and current affairs; the last has dominated my attention over the last ten years out of more than two decades of freelance journalism. The overriding objective of my journalistic exertions is, apart from desired self-fulfilment, national service in the form of trying to project to a global readership, through the medium of English, a correct view of Sri Lanka’s domestic political landscape that is characterised at the grassroots level by benign and inclusive Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism. An apparent documentation error committed by Nandana Wijesinghe has betrayed or misrepresented me to the members of his specific global academic community that is relevant to my aforementioned journalistic objective as a friend of the long entrenched local and international anti-Sinhalese Buddhist propaganda brigade whose diabolical distortions have done and are still doing near irreparable damage to Sri Lanka.  Following is my story in this connection:    

Asian Tribune editor K.T. Rajasingham published an article in his online paper on September 19, 2010, that, he claimed, consisted of a part of the evidence that he had allegedly given before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (May 2010 – November 2011). When I read this article I thought that KTR was guilty of grossly misrepresenting the facts relating to the so-called Sinhalese-Muslim Riots of 1915. So I immediately replied to him in an article under the title The Truth about the 1915 Riots” published in The Island of September 21, 2010 (http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=7150). My reply article began thus, following it with a few paragraphs quoted from KTR’s: 

QUOTE Mr K.T. Rajasingham, editor of The Asian Tribune, carried a part of his evidence given before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission in his online daily news publication on September 19, 2010. It contained the following patently erroneous references to the so-called Sinhalese –Muslim Riots of 1915. END OF QUOTE 

The paragraphs that I quoted from KTR at the beginning of my reply article were as follows:

QUOTE After the Kandyan Rebellion of 1817-18 to overthrow British rule, the British, by a proclamation dated November 21, 1818, greatly reduced the privileges granted to Sinhalese chiefs and changed the guarantees on religion given in the Kandyan Convention. Consequently, it was absurd that the Sinhalese wanted to celebrate a clause in a convention that was no longer in force.

Also, the government agents of Kandy had informed the trustees of the Gampola Buddhist temple that in taking their annual Perahera (procession) in Kandy they would not be allowed to beat drums or play any musical instruments within 100 yards of a new mosque in Castle Hill Street.

The trustees turned to the courts, arguing that a perahera of the old Kandyan kingdom was permitted in terms of the Kandyan Convention of 1815. The District Court of Kandy decided in their favor, but on an appeal by the government the Supreme Court reversed the judgment. The trustees then appealed to the Privy Council in England.

In the meantime, Buddhist preachers went about the country urging Buddhists to demonstrate against Muslims. Incidentally, the anniversary of the birth of The Lord Buddha fell on May 28, 1915, and a procession began that night. The celebrations were marred by an incident near the mosque, where some 25 men were arrested on charges of housebreaking and rioting.

Sinhalese attacks on Muslims continued, spreading from the central province to the western and northwestern provinces until June 6, 1915. Muslims sustained heavy losses. According to available records, losses sustained included 86 damaged mosques, more than 4,075 looted boutiques and shops, 35 Muslims killed, 198 injured and four women raped. Seventeen Christian churches were burnt down…….END OF QUOTE

Professor Nandana Wijesinghe (NW) erroneously attributes to me these paragraphs from KTR’s Asia Tribune article quoted in my The Island article titled The truth about the 1915 riots” above mentioned. NW does so in a paper published in the Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Universities (JIABU, Vol. VII, 2016) titled ‘Buddhist-Muslim Collision in Sri Lanka: A Partial History’, where the first footnote reference is to me (Rohana R. Wasala) as a source of information (He gives the WEB link to my Island article). Thus, Nandana Wijesinghe, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, wrongly attributes to me KTR’s deliberate misrepresentation of the 1915 incidents. Wijesinghe doesn’t seem to have read my article at all. He must have run his eyes through the first six short paragraphs of my article (which were actually paragraphs quoted from KTR as copied above) and come to the conclusion that I was merely propagating the long prevalent anti- Sinhala Buddhist version of the 1915 unrest. This sort of crass negligence is not worthy of an academic researcher of Nandana Wijesinghe’s stature. It is regrettable that the lecturer had not read my article at all apart from taking a hurried glance at the first few paragraphs or had not read it carefully enough to properly understand it. One reason why he apparently misread the very beginning of my article was that the quotation marks duly inserted in the original text had been inadvertently omitted in a typographical mishandling committed during the digital transference/printing process at the newspaper office (which was beyond my control). But the text of my article makes it very clear that the five paragraphs after the opening (copied above) are extracts from KTR’s problematic article. That is, the opening paragraph is mine, at the end of which there is a colon (:), which  indicates a ‘list’ of the ‘erroneous references’ previously mentioned. Paragraphs 2 to 6 are reproduced from KTR’s Asian Tribune article, which contain those references. My article holds KTR’s distortion of the factual history of the 1915 clashes to derision and offers an authoritative historical account of the fateful events of that year as reflected in the famous cause célèbre known as the Gampola Perahera Case. 

The fact that I totally rejected KTR’s narrative about the 1915 Sinhala-Muslim conflict was the very reason I wrote that reply; it was just a newspaper article, though; there was nothing academic about it, but it was based on some authentic literature I had read relevant to the subject. The more important reason for Wijesinghe’s mixup was probably that he was anxious to quote something that confirmed his own prejudices.  In his paper, Wijesinghe betrays a decidedly anti-Sinhala Buddhist frame of mind. The subtitle ‘A Partial History’ could be an attempt to salve his conscience.

Nandana Wijesinghe announces his prejudices in his opening paragraphs:

QUOTE Sri Lanka is no stranger to eruptions of communal violence.  The most glaring testimony to this stands in the form of the notorious thirty year civil war that was a result of conflicting Sinhala and Tamil political ambitions.  Obviously, these expressions of violence do not emerge overnight but rather progress around a number of events spanning extended lengths of time, finally escalating into their terrible forms.  The recent controversy springing out of the Buddhist-Muslim clash clearly shows the dangerous potential of communal rifts to disintegrate societies and dissolve them in rivalry and hatred.  A look into the historical underpinnings of Buddhist-Muslim exchanges provides valuable insights into the contemporary dynamics of this relationship. END OF QUOTE

He accepts the notorious myth that the thirty-year civil war was a communal conflict, not an armed conflict between a democratic sovereign state and a treacherous terrorist organization assisted by foreign vested interests, bringing misery to all peaceful Sri Lankans. Then, what does he mean by ‘Buddhist -Muslim exchanges’? Verbal exchanges/negotiations or armed confrontations/clashes? Imprecise vocabulary is not a mark of academic writing.

Describing the background to the breakout of violence between the two communities in 1915, Wijesinghe writes:

 QUOTE Tensions between the two communities were running high with the Buddhists complaining about the increasing number of mosques springing up in the area, and the Muslims retaliating by objecting to a Buddhist procession conducted in the vicinity of a mosque.  On 29 May 1915, a Buddhist mob torched a mosque and began to attack Muslim homes and businesses.  Soon the violence spread to Central, North Western, Western, Southern and Sabaragamuwa Provinces. END OF QUOTE

This is the section (consisting entirely of fabricated information) for which he incorrectly mentions my name in a footnote as the source. To anyone who cares to read my ‘The Truth about the Sinhala-Muslim Riots of 1915’, it will be clear  that these blatant lies are not found there; not even in the extracts from KTR given at the beginning of that article, i.e., paragraphs 2 to 6. Wijesinghe must have borrowed them from some other faulty source/s, unless he has himself manufactured those fictions, which, however, is not conceivably possible.

Lankaweb online forum (November 06, 2014) carried an updated version of my Island article. I deleted the introductory part that referred to KTR, including the above mentioned extracts from his Asian Tribune article. This is the preamble to the updated article which I renamed What happened in 1915?” (https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2014/11/06/what-happened-in-1915/)

QUOTE The following is an updated version of an article of mine entitled The Truth about the 1915 Riots” published in The Island on September 20, 2010. It has been specially prepared here for Lankaweb News and Forum readers. The real cause of the disturbances traditionally described as the Sinhala-Muslim Riots of 1915” has sometimes been deliberately obscured by opponents of Sinhala Buddhists as merely something to do with the native (Sinhalese) capitalist class, just emerging under the auspices of the British, exploiting communalism to advance their interests. The truth about what actually led to the ‘riots’ was otherwise as revealed at the court case instituted in 1913 by the aggrieved authorities of a historic Devale/temple near Gampola important to Buddhists challenging the government’s subjection, at the behest of some members of an extremist Muslim group, the issue of a permit for holding an age-old perahera to the fulfillment of an unjust demand insisted on by the latter.

 The principal source of information about the famous Gampola Perahera Case was the book Studies of Some Famous Cases of Ceylon” by Walter Thalgodapitiya (Formerly of the Ceylon Judicial Service and Commissioner of Assizes), M.D. Gunasena & Co. Ltd, Colombo, 1963. The late Justice Thalgodapitiya had an unblemished reputation as an incorruptible legal functionary and a great human being of impeccable honesty. His analysis of the case is unlikely to be disputed by anyone, in my opinion. END OF QUOTE

(The Lankaweb article is available at https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2014/11/06/what-happened-in-1915/)

 To return to Wijesinghe’s JIABU paper/article, among the conclusions he draws are the following:

QUOTE Especially in light of the current upheaval in the international community regarding the Human Rights situation in Sri Lanka, it is imperative that the island strengthens its existing cordialities with friendly nations, most of whom are Muslim countries.  If domestic conditions turn unfavorable to the Muslim community in Sri Lanka, it would be logical to assume that these countries would be less inclined than they are now to show their solidarity with the island nation. END OF QUOTE

This is very shallow reasoning. It amounts to advocating an undignified offer of mea culpa to uncommitted human rights violations out of mere servility; but it was in accordance with the treacherous Yahapalana thinking. 

The concluding paragraph quoted below summarizes the anti-Sinhala Buddhist mentality of the sociological researcher, Nandana Wijesinghe.

QUOTE Buddhist-Muslim clashes in Sri Lanka, as this essay shows, are not a recent phenomenon.  However, they did become more pronounced in the recent past with the renewed interest of BBS, among others, in the Muslim community and the threat they pose to the Sinhala-Buddhist community.  Since Buddhist monks comprise a very potent tool that shapes public opinion, it is extremely important that they deliberate on their views and stances before involving the public in certain issues because though their actions are fundamentally oriented towards the preservation of Buddhism and the Sinhalese, if their actions themselves serve to warrant international interference in Sri Lanka to probe the Human Rights condition of the country, the very entities that they strive to preserve will be the first to be compromised. END OF QUOTE

It is strange that this academic was not informed enough about the existing local realities (not exclusively those uncovered with evidence by the BBS – Bodu Bala Sena) relating to the problem of the menace posed to Sri Lankans of all races and religions and worldviews, especially to Sinhala Buddhists and Tamil Hindus who together form over 80% of the population,  from Abrahamic religious fundamentalists (not from the mainstream adherents of those religions), when he wrote to that international journal. These monks do ‘deliberate on their views and stances before involving the public…’; there is nothing wrong with their actions, but whatever can they do if they are misreported to the world by indifferent media, and immature ill-informed academics? (A personal opinion)

Prof. Chandana Jayalath, University of Vocational Technology

Building-product imports from China account for nearly 70 percent of all Sri Lankan building supplies, making China the largest supplier of items such as machinery and equipment, iron and steel, drywall, and other components. Because many raw materials used and consumed in the local site assembly originate from China, the construction market quickly felt the impacts of COVID-19 on trade as well as resultant disruptions to supply chains. Going forward, disruptions will almost certainly impact the prices of construction products and materials. Simply put, we can expect significant delays and disruptions throughout all sectors of the construction industry. They are also a result of shortages of vital personal protective safety equipment—such as respirators—for workers. Furthermore, there are delays stemming from a shortage of craftspeople due to shelter-in-place restrictions and delays occasioned by shortages of government workers available to perform inspections, issue permits, and conduct other actions. A number of contractors report jobsites shutting down daily because they feel bad in case someone on the jobsite the day before has tested positive for the virus, requiring shutdown and extensive cleaning. Meanwhile, there will be an unprecedented loss of productivity among workers because of distancing requirements, new safety protective gear requirements, and safety procedures—all in addition to the sick and quarantined workers who are absent.

Construction projects are not yet being declared critical infrastructure” to allow operations to continue. These lobbying efforts in time to come may result in partial success. The implications of the suspension with no date to resume declared will otherwise undoubtedly mean laborers will be unemployed. The construction industry employs over 1 million people of whom the majority is labourers and semi-skilled workers. Mostly, they belong to the lower echelon in society and are the sole wage earners of the family. As Architect Jayantha Perera rightly said, the companies require a stimulus package as a short term measure to ensure wages to employees for the months of April, May and June.  Additionally, there are reports that with stock market losses, projects in the private sector may slow as investors seek more secure funds. As the impacts of the pandemic are being felt, parties are racing to read what they may have bargained for in the contracts. Legally speaking, force majeure and/or comparable excusable delay, suspension of work, change in law, material escalation, safety/health requirements, protection of work, and notice requirements are a couple of defensive means available to contractors to establish their eligibility for time extension and prolongation costs. Also, the loss may lie where it fell.

COVID-19 is not, broadly speaking, rendering projects altogether impossible to complete. But it is slowing them down, causing delay and disruption, even if only because supply chains have been severally disrupted. Many projects have even stopped, usually with the intention to resume work at a later date. In Sri Lanka, the Construction industry has generally not been the subject of ‘ordered’ shut down. However, sites are implementing the social distancing requirements. In a few countries, there have even been specific orders requiring construction sites to close, or entitling contractors to suspend works and extensions of time until the end of the state of emergency period, especially in public works. Despite, certain activities (e.g., design activities) can be continued, while others cannot. The requirement that the consequences of force majeure cannot be overcome is also potentially significant, because a contractor may be able to take measures to allow the works to continue, although at a reduced rate. Placing restrictions on the movement of people or goods between or within countries, and requiring that certain people be ‘locked down’, usually represents a change of the law, which has an impact – perhaps an impact even greater on a contractor’s ability to progress works than the pandemic itself. For instance, in certain jurisdictions, the hardship may allow parties to seek relief on the basis of an exceptional and unpredictable change of circumstances that affects the businesses. Under many laws, parties must continue to exhaust all reasonably available means to continue performing their obligations, notwithstanding the existence of a force majeure event. For example, mitigation is of high significance. Computer servers, electronic items, manufacturing tools, testing equipment, and documents idle in offices, sites and workshops would be damaged or destroyed due to non-maintenance. Also, there can be damages to important data due to overheating, rats and termite attacks. We all must understand that fact that working from home is not possible unless computer facilities, software, essential hard copies, soft files etc. are provided to the employees. Hence, it is high time the professionals and industry regulators together revisit the circumstances and work out a strategy to work in harmony with Covid 19 for a less interrupted construction move thought-out the Island.

Dr sarath obeysekera 

People stop eating McDonald’s, Kentucky, Pizza, Stirfry, P&S short eats, and yet people are surviving, because our bodies get adapted to such conditions .where people may not get what they really like to have.

Even to bane a nice Malu Pan we cannot buy  yeast 

There will be a shortage of coconuts very soon because people make homemade toddy with Kurumba water.

Even though Corvus can be eradicated fully or partly    people should be ready to sacrifice luxuries and help the needy by sharing 

People who can afford to PCR test privately should pay the double or triple amount so that two poorer people can be tested 

First of all, the TV should stop advertising Prima kitty noodles Domino Pizza to suppress the habit pattern among children 

Dr. Sarath Obeysekera
CEO Walkers Colombo Shipyard
Colombo
Sri Lanka

by Mrs. M. Weeraratna

Note 

This article was written by Mrs. Muriel Weeraratna in 2017 under the title ‘Buddhists must become vegetarians in the month of Vesak’ . She passed away on October 21, 2019 at the age 98 years (40 days days short of her 99th birthday anniversary). The views expressed in the article based on a high planetary sense have become increasingly relevant in the current epoch of the Coronavirus which had its beginning in the Wet Markets of Wuhan, China where rare wild animals are killed in full view of the public and smaller animals are some times even eaten alive. The world is paying a heavy price for abuse of animals. Is the Coronavirus pandemic a form of Karmic Retribution for slaughter of animals? Time to draw the appropriate lessons from this tragic crisis and move forward on a footing of compassion and loving kindness to all living beings as the Buddha taught continuously during his lifetime.

The practice of religion requires effort. It calls for personal sacrifice, self – restraint and discipline. Above all such practice must be over arched by compassion and kindness based on a clear moral footing. Then the practice becomes noble in character.

When we look around our society we see Muslims conduct an annual fast during the month of Ramadan. Not even a drop of water is taken during the time of fasting. The purpose is to simulate the pain and suffering and develop an insight into the plight of the poor who do not have enough food to eat and drink and therefore are forced to go hungry and thirsty regularly. Fasting helps one to better equip himself / herself morally and generate empathy for the disadvantaged.

The celebration of Vesak is not meant to make one indulgent. Vesak is the day that commemorates the themagula – Birth, Enlightenment and Parinirvana of the Buddha. It is a day for observance of Sil (meditation and quiet reflection on a disciplined footing). If Islam can promote empathy for the poor through fasting, likewise Buddhists can show compassion and loving kindness for all those beautiful innocent animals who are slaughtered, by becoming vegetarian at least for the month of May.

The consumption of flesh food invariably results in the slaughter of innocent animals. Buddhists can lessen the number of animals killed by not partaking flesh food at least during the month of Vesak i.e. May. There is enough Vegetarian and Vegan related food in the market today. No can go hungry by not eating meat.

The First Precept – Reverence for life including that of non – human sentient beings must be inculcated in every child in school. Life is dear to all (Dhammapada). Peace and Reconciliation should not be confined to only one (human) species.

Mrs. M. Weeraratna
Colombo 05

Courtesy Adaderana

Restoration of normalcy in the civilian life and institutions in Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Puttalam districts will commence on Monday (May 11) while curfew is in force, says the President’s Media Division.

Issuing a release, the PMD said the public and private institutions must resume functions from Monday onwards, in order to restore the civilian life and economy, including maintenance of essential services, in these districts.

The Heads of institutions will be instructed to make necessary arrangements in this regard, taking into account the service requirements, the release read further.

Accordingly, they must ensure that the staff members at work are strictly adhering to the health guidelines imposed by the authorities with the aim of eliminating the threat of coronavirus.

The number of staff members who should come to the office can be decided at the discretion of Heads of departments, corporations and statutory boards that are under the purview of the government.

Private sector is instructed to open offices at 10.00 am, the release continued.

Unnecessary public movement on roads must be brought to a stop in order to contain the spread of the virus, the PMD noted.

Public transport services will be limited to only those who leave for and return from work.

The PMD has appealed to the general public, except for those who are required to report to work, to stay home.

Public is allowed to leave their homes only to purchase medicine and other essential items, however, they must make sure that health guidelines to mitigate coronavirus are adhered to.

The curfew passes issued by the police will only be valid if the driver and the passengers are wearing face masks.

In the meantime, curfew in other 21 districts will be in force from 8.00 pm to 5.00 am until May 6, the PMD added.

In these districts, the curfew will be re-imposed at 8.00 pm on May 6 and will be in effect until 5.00 am on May 11.

Courtesy Adaderana

Sixteen more individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in Sri Lanka as the total cases count soared to 690.

The country has confirmed 25 positive cases of coronavirus as of 9.00 pm today (01).

In the meantime, the Ministry of Health stated that five more COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospital after recovering completely. On that account, the recoveries tally has moved up to 162.

According to the Epidemiology Unit, 521 active cases are currently under medical care at selected hospitals in the country.

The death toll from COVID-19 in the country stands at 07.

Sri Lanka saw the highest daily surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases on April 27, with 65 new infections. The tally went up from 523 to 588 just within 24 hours.

Courtesy Adaderana

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, through his Secretary, responded yesterday (30) to the letter sent to him by former Member of Parliament Mangala Samaraweera on April 28.

This response that was sent with Secretary to the President P. B. Jayasundera’s signature noted that the letter of Mr. Samaraweera has been compiled based on a number of misinformation. The President noted that it is a matter of great regret to receive such a letter. 

Mr. Samaraweera’s letter to the President was titled, Request for the re-summoning of Parliament to conditionally resolve crises and to approve public expenditure”. 

In his reply, Mr. Jayasundera pointed out that if the Appropriation Bill was not passed at the time of the dissolution of Parliament, then under Article 150(3) of the Constitution, President is empowered to meet the expenses via a Vote on Account bill for up to 03 months of convening the new Parliament. 

The Secretary further noted that the President regrets the unwillingness of the former Finance Minister, an ardent believer in the neo-liberal socio-economic model, to allow people to assert their democratic right through elections. 

The complete letter sent under the President’s directive to former MP Mangala Samaraweera is as follows:

30 April, 2020

Hon. Mangala Samaraweera 
Former Member of Parliament 
Hon. Mangala Samaraweera,

Request for the re-summoning of Parliament to conditionally resolve crises and to approve public expenditure

This is regarding the letter sent by you to His Excellency the President on 28.04.2020.

I have been instructed by His Excellency the President to convey that it has been observed that this letter is comprised of many factual inaccuracies and it is a matter of deep regret to receive such a letter from a former Finance Minister. When studying the contents of this letter, the following observations were made.

1. The failure to note that the Government that came to power in 2015 was able to present a budget only within 21 days because the Appropriation Bill and the relevant budget estimates for year the 2015 were already passed in October 2014. 

2. From 2015 to 2019, both you and the Finance Minister before you, had presented a number of supplementary estimates each year whilst failing to ensure the legality of relevant legislations related to budget proposals, in Parliament.

3. The failure to note that despite the Appropriation Bill and the budget estimate for 2019, that arrears of Rs. 182 billion, which included unpaid bills for fertilizer, medicines, relief for elders and material and services for construction projects, were allowed to remain. 

4. Obtaining foreign loans to the amount of Rs. 211 billion but failing to include these in the public accounts even after spending it without any approved allocations. 

5. Failing to clearly state reasons for the decline in the growth of the national income from 5 percent to 2.5 percent annually and the widening gap in State loans and the budget deficit. 

6. Failing to note that the foreign loans were defaulted even after selling off national assets like the Hambantota Port and not accommodating the depositors with any relief when financial institutions such as ETI collapsed. 

7. If the Appropriation Bill was not passed at the time of the dissolution of Parliament, then under Article 150(3) of the Constitution, President is empowered to meet the expenses via a Vote on Account bill for up to 03 months of convening the new Parliament. This procedure has been followed in all previous instances when the Parliament was dissolved before passing the Appropriation Bill and is well within the legal frame. Yet, having held the position of the Finance Minister, you have failed to indicate that you are aware of this process. 

His Excellency the President has directed me to bring to your attention the regrettable fact that the proposal to settle arrears of Rs.. 182 billion and Rs. 211 billion foreign loaned project funds incurred when you were the Finance Minister, was rejected when presented in Parliament. This was rejected despite been presented by the Prime Minister with the approval of the new Cabinet of Ministers of the Government appointed after the Presidential Elections and that of the Attorney General. Through this action, the President was prevented from fulfilling the mandate given to him by the majority of the people. This is in complete contrast to the support extended by the then Opposition to the minority government of 2015. 

Above all, His Excellency the President has directed me to communicate to you that he is perplexed as to the possible reasons for an educated, intelligent and an ardent believer in neo-liberal socio-economic model and a senior politician who had managed the economy such as yourself to desist from allowing people to exercise their democratic right through the participation in elections. 

Yours sincerely 

P. B.  Jayasundera 

Secretary to the President

උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්

අවශ්‍යතාවක් මතුවුවහොත් දිනකට සිදුකරන පී සී ආර් පරීක්ෂණ 3000 දක්වා වැඩි කිරීමට හැකියාව පවතින බව සෞඛ්‍ය සේවා අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජෙනරාල් විශේෂඥ වෛද්‍ය අනිල් ජාසිංහ පවසනවා.

විශ්ව විද්‍යාල පද්ධතිය ද මෙම පරීක්ෂණ සිදු කිරීම හේතුවෙන් දිනකට සිදුකරන පරීක්ෂණ ප්‍රමාණය ඉහළ නැංවීමට හැකියාව ලැබී ඇති බවයි ඔහු පෙන්වා දෙන්නේ.

චීනයෙන් පරිත්‍යාග ලෙස ලැබුනු පරීක්ෂණ කට්ටල මෙන්ම භාවිත කරන කුමන පී සී ආර් පරීක්ෂණ කට්ටලයක් වුව ද එහි නිරවද්‍යතාව පිළිබඳ නිරන්තරයෙන් පරීක්ෂා කෙරෙන අතර එබැවින් පරීක්ෂණවල ප්‍රතිඵල සම්බන්ධයෙන් තමන් සෑහීමකට පත්වන බව ද සෞඛ්‍ය සේවා අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජෙනරාල්වරයා කියාසිටියා.

කෙසේවෙතත් වෛරසය පාලනය වෙනුවෙන් බලපාන ප්‍රධාන සාධකයක් වන්නේ මහජනතාව විසින් තවදුරටත් සෞඛ්‍ය උපදෙස් නිසි ලෙසට පිළිපැදීම බවයි අනිල් ජාසිංහ මහතා සඳහන් කළේ.

ඊයේ දිනයේ පමණක් පී සී ආර් පරීක්ෂණ 1397ක් සිදු කර තිබෙනවා.

කෙසේවෙතත් පරීක්ෂණවලට සාපේක්ෂව වෛරස් ආසාදිතයන් හමුවන්නේ සුළු වශයෙන් බව ද සෞඛ්‍ය සේවා අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජෙනරාල්වරයා පෙන්වා දෙනවා.

මේවන විට බස්නාහිර පළාතේ විශාල වශයෙන් පරීක්ෂණ සිදු කරන අතර විවිධ අවදානම් කණ්ඩායම් තෝරා ගනිමින් පී සී ආර් පරීක්ෂණ සිදු කරමින් පවතින බව ද ඔහු සඳහන් කළා.

බස්නාහිර පළාතේ කොරෝනා තත්වය පාලනයකට යටත් කර තිබුන ද තවමත් 100%ක් පාලනය කර ඇතැයි පැවසිය නොහැකි බවයි අනිල් ජාසිංහ මහතා කියාසිටියේ.

පාලනය අප අතින් ගිලිහී නොමැති අතර පාලනය අප අතට ගෙන ඇති බව වගකීමෙන් ප්‍රකාශ කළ හැකි බව සෞඛ්‍ය සේවා අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජෙනරාල්වරයා වැඩිදුරටත් කියාසිටියා.

උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්

පවතින කොවිඩ් 19 ව්‍යසනය හමුවේ රජය විසින් අඩු අදායම්ලාභීන්ට ලබාදෙන රුපියල් පන්දහසේ දීමනාව දෙවන වටයක් තුලදීත් ලබාදීමට ජනාධිපතිවරයා වෙත තමන් ඉල්ලීමක් කළ බව අමාත්‍ය මහින්ද අමරවීර පවසනවා.

මධ්‍ය වෙත අදහස දක්වමින් අමාත්‍යවරයා මේ බව සඳහන් කළා.

The country is facing a situation it has never before had to face. Plucking Articles from the Constitution and crying to the Supreme Court without helping deal with the situation, shows how bankrupt the politicians making a furor are. It is they who are violating the spirit of democracy. This is no time to be holding the law books. This is a time for understanding. Certainly elections must be held. A country has to have a government. But, this situation calls for looking at the scenario without political bias or political agendas. With the likelihood of COVID-19 continuing for some years, given that Sri Lanka has only 7 deaths, no ICU patients and no serious casualties, the best option would be a staggered election over 4 days. How that is to be done is the job of the Election Commission. However, Election Commission should not try to do the job of the President, the Health Service or the Armed Forces. It is the President who can decide date for an island-wide election, not the Election Commission, The EC can only change the polling date of a district ‘due to an unforeseen situation’ (24/3 Parliamentary Elections Act)

The People (via Article 4) is Supreme. The Executive, Legislative & Judiciary are only functioning under delegated powers given by the People.

The President dissolved Parliament by Gazette Extra Ordinary No. 2165/8 dated 2 March 2020 & declared elections for 25^th April and convening of New Parliament on 14^th May.

Can the President dissolve Parliament – Yes, under Article 33(2)(c) / Article 70 (1), 70(2), 70(5)(a), 70(5)(c), 70(7) as Head of State.

Article 70(6) allows a 4month window for new Parliament to convene.

On 21^st March – Upholding President’s proclamation, the EC published Gazette Extraordinary No 2167/19 quoting 24 (1) (a) and (c) of Parliamentary Elections Act fixing polls for 25^th April.

On 20^th April – EC published Gazette Extraordinary No 2172/3 issuing 20^th June as the new date for an island-wide election.

Does the Election Commission have a mandate to declare island-wide polls or does he have mandate to only cancel vote for a district and reschedule date for that district alone?

The Election Commissioner by mandate 24/3 of Parliamentary Elections Act can only change date of a district – NOT ALL DISTRICTS. Therefore, the EC has no mandate to declare island-wide elections on 20 June. Technically, he was bound to have held island-wide elections on 25 April as he did not declare on 19 March which district poll he was cancelling and having that district only go for vote on 20 June. But using 24/3, he can conduct a staggered election over 4 days dividing the districts.  

Can a Parliament that has been dissolved reconvene on its own? NO, only the Executive President can summon it. Attempting to reconvene without the authority of the President is committing a violation of attempting to usurp powers of the President.

Can Speaker of the Old Parliament reconvene a Parliament that has been dissolved? NO, the Speaker of the Old Parliament has no role as Speaker once Parliament is dissolved. He has no powers to reconvene Parliament (Article 42(2)

Can the President need Parliament to approve funding? NO

Articles 150 and 151 allows the President to use Consolidated Fund and Contingencies Fund to meet Public Finance for which the present Minister of Finance will have to be accountable to the new Parliament.  

Does the Opposition have a case to demand reconvening of Old Parliament? NO

We all know the debacles committed under the Old Parliament – scores of Bills based without debate/lack of majority/denying people to file FR/and allegations that what was finalized at Committee Stage was not what was passed. Some Bills were passed based on SOUND. Former Speaker has much to answer for. The Old Parliament failed to provide compensation for all Salawa victims, all Meethotamulla victims or all Easter Sunday victims. The people have no confidence that reconvening Old Parliament in the face of COVID-19 pandemic will provide any relief to the people given their record of incompetence and lack of ability to serve the People. 97 foreign intel warnings, even giving names of venues and details of suicide bombers resulted in no action to prevent Easter Sunday mass murder. This sums up the level of incompetence of the Old Parliament. Everyone simply passed blame to the other.

What is the real objective in Opposition demanding reconvening Old Parliament?

Is it to cancel nominations of 12^th March which concluded on 19^th March where UNP and SJB filed separate nominations. Do they now wish to have nominations cancelled in order to contest as only UNP? This is likely the main reason for the tamasha over reconvening Old Parliament.

Can a FR be filed against the President’s Proclamation of 2^nd March? Yes, already Maithri Gunaratne (contesting from Sajiths’ SJB) son has filed FR

Can the Supreme Court demand the Old Parliament to be reconvened? NO, the Supreme Court cannot force the Executive President to summon a dissolved Parliament. The Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction to force the President to summon the Old Parliament.

The Supreme Court knows it has no jurisdiction to demand the President to reconvene the Old Parliament.

The Supreme Court also know the President has powers to dissolve Parliament again & set another date for island-wide elections

Therefore, will the Supreme Court wish to be party to a political drama in the midst of a global pandemic?

Is this the time to be plucking Article 70(5) (a) accusing the President of violating it claiming he has to reconvene Old Parliament if he dissolved Parliament on 2^nd March in view of time lapse?

Those making the allegations completely ignore that Sri Lanka’s 1^st covid-19 case was discovered only on 11^th March and 1^st death was on 28^th March.

The Election Commissioner cancelled the President’s declared island-wide election date on 19 March using provision 24/3 of the Parliamentary Elections Act No. 1 of 1981 – but the question is CAN HE CANCEL ISLAND-WIDE election date?

Isn’t he by this very provision able to ONLY CANCEL VOTING in a POLLING DISTRICT?

Does the Election Commission realize their faux pas made on 19^th March?

Is this the time to be quoting Article 10(2) (b) (1) of the Parliamentary Election Act against the President claiming he has violated it because in accepting Election Commissioners 20^th June date as Island-wide date, Parliamentary Election Act requires polling date to be not less than 5 weeks and not more than 7 weeks from closing date of nominations (19^th March)

Is it really fair for the Opposition to be this unsupportive at such a critical juncture? They are well aware that in any normal circumstances, all constitutional provisions have been followed to the word. It is because of this precarious situation the country and the world is in, that everyone has to think of alternate measures. Let us remind the Opposition, that with no terrorism, no country calamity, it delayed local government elections for almost 3 years and even went so far as to amend Acts to suit its advantage. This Government has not done any of the questionable acts that the Opposition as Govt committed during its rule in the Old Parliament.

If the ruckus by the Opposition is simply to cancel nominations so that Sajith will have to say cherio to SJB contesting alone and contest as a UNF alliance with UNP-TNA-SLMC-ACMC-JVP (usual culprits) so be it.

5 years of failures since 2015 and inability to stop mass murder via gun inspite of warnings is more than enough for people to fear yahapalana handling of a virus.

But, with Supreme Court petitioned, hopefully we will not see foreign envoys seated to influence the judges as in Oct2018 and there is little chances of foreign trips on offer too.

However, without allowing another court case debacle, the best option now is for the President to use Article 33 (d) of the Constitution and consult the health services re impact of people going to vote, cancel 2^nd March proclamation and 20^th June election date and issue a fresh proclamation with new Island-wide election date and ask Election Commission to conduct elections over 4 days. There is no requirement to reconvene the Old Parliament and only a fresh island-wide date is being issued with a new date to convene the New Parliament.

The Opposition may feel jubilant that its objective in cancelling the 9^th March nominations has been successful; little do they realize whatever bandwagon they contest under this team are dreaming if they think that people have faith to place their lives in the hands of UNP-TNA-SLMC-ACMC and JVP again.

The people will only lose more faith in the Opposition the moment it starts filing FR against the dissolution and demanding the reconvening of Parliament. Leaving all law books, Articles aside, the People were fed up with the Yahapalana Govt and it is high time they woke up to this reality.

By making a political nuisance of themselves, they will only be reducing their vote base further. Of course the bloc vote will not change but with the manner the current President, together with the Public Sector, Health Services, Armed Forces & Police are handling the COVID-19 situation despite immeasurable difficulties, the voters know that if yahaplana govt and its alliances were in power Sri Lanka would be holding the record for the highest COVID19 deaths in South Asia.

The success of Sri Lanka’s covid-19 has been repeatedly attributed to the magnanimous efforts put by the intelligence services, all of whom were hounded and imprisoned under yahapalana rule and if yahapalana was in power during COVID19 – people will not need to imagine the situation in Sri Lanka they will be experiencing it first-hand.

Shenali D Waduge

JVP stands guilty of ruining the lives of university adults and functioning as political prostitute depending on the deals inked by their handlers with the likely political party coming to power. Each time JVP has played a key role in either bringing a political party/alliance to power or defeating a political party/alliance. Is it a surprise that JVP is the richest party in Sri Lanka? Such a status cannot come holding tin cans at bus stops & preaching Marxism! What really is the role JVP is assigned to play passing allegiance from one party to the next depending on the political environment conducive to its handlers. What is the role tasked to the JVP in ruining the lives of youth? What have political parties, the youth or Sri Lanka gained by JVP? The damage JVP is doing politically and to the youth of the country cannot continue.

Evolution of the JVP – Who came to Adopt JVP – How JVP came to prostitute itself

http://www.dailynews.lk/2017/04/04/political/112424/jvp-richest-political-party

To trace why JVP remains in politics even with a relevance of 3% it is important to go back in time to how it started. This takes us back to 1960s where a pro-Christian military coup attempted to oust Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranayake as a result of her ending the monopoly of Christian denomination schools which has a knack for breeding ant-national, pro-West/UNP individuals. The failure of the coup meant rank & file that was enjoyed by the imperial Christians began to change and revenge came via covert operation against the State.

Poetic-justice was such that JVP was launched 2 months after UNP returned to power in March 1965 on Vesak day 14 May 1965 the symbolism to deceptively draw Sinhala Buddhist youth. So were the handlers of the UNP and JVP the same?

JVP has either aligned, partnered or supported directly or indirectly all of the governments that have come to power – Sirimavo, JR, Chandrika, MR, Ranil & ironically went against them too.

Before the insurrection of 1971 members of the JVP supported the government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike to come to power. But less than a year later it attempted to capture the State. Was JVP handled to support the party to power & then handled to attempt to overthrow it?

JVP attacked 74 police stations in 24hrs, captured 92 police stations, killed 53 military & 37 police and even 41 civilians while its leader Wijeweera was locked up in Jaffna prison. The damage JVP caused was Rs.400m.

1st insurrection claimed around 5000 Sinhala lives and the 2nd insurrection claimed some 60,000 Sinhalese lives. Within a span of 20 years some 65,000 Sinhalese were killed by arming Sinhalese. Where were the human rights activists for the Sinhalese? Or was this part of the bigger plan in arming Sinhalese to kill Sinhalese cream of youth & future of Sri Lanka?

Whether for right or wrong reasons, those that come forward for a cause are people who can take a stand and shine among others who opt to take an appeasing or drawn back role. Those that come forward for a cause are generally the one’s that can easily be galvanized into defending the nation too. Is it to cull them that 2 insurrections were orchestrated?

The JVP were all Sinhalese youth. The victims were mostly Sinhalese. The JVP were also killed by Sinhalese. According to Dharman Wickremaratne’s book on the JVP insurgency – number of persons killed and missing was 41,813 of which 6661 were killed by JVP, 1222 killed by PRRA which operated 13 vigilante groups (others place figure at 60,000)

The Sirimavo Govt appointed a Criminal Justice Commission adopted a strategy to present Wijeweera as a fraud & succeeded in diluting his popularity resulting in just 5% continuing to support him. The CJC was repealed by JRJ in 1977.

It is also good to explore whether the same handlers that created the JVP in 1965 following defeat of Mrs B against her nationalization policies, went on to create Prabakaran’s Tamil New Tigers (TNT) in 1972 when she introduced the country’s first Republican Constitution. Did they also encourage the 1971 JVP insurrection> Did the same handlers also step up their brawn by encouraging the Vaddukoddai Resolution in 1976 teaming it with armed movement after rechristening TNT as LTTE?

We will be surprised how all these extremist elements are all linked.

JVP has registered itself as a political prostitute.

JVP & JR

In the 1977 election UNP won a majority of 140 seats with the SLFP winning only 8 seats. JR Jayawardena released all the 1971 JVP prisoners including Rohana Wijeweera.

According to EG Perera – Retired Superintendent of Prisons – Ronnie de Mel’s wife Mallika visited Rohana Wijeweera in Magazine prison and suggested Wijeweera work with them after his release!

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=106198

JR/UNP released JVP leader but removed the civic rights of Mrs. B (the world’s first female Prime Minister)

On 28 October 1982 Wijeweera contested the presidential election, with Prins Gunasekara as his legal advisor and agent. Prins had even brought a British human rights activist – Lord Avebury to tour South in 1970s & was given British asylum in 1989 and US embassy escorted him in an embassy vehicle to Bandaranayake airport! Do we smell some British/US involvement in JVP? South Asian Bureau of the US State Department was monitoring sending weekly ‘D and D’ (Death and Destruction) reports during 1980s. Why would the US embassy assign a senior Foreign Service Officer (FSO) to be present at the RAVAYA editorial office to protect Victor Ivan from Premadasa goons? http://www.asiantribune.com/node/92511

The JR/UNP that released Wijeweera in 1977, allowed him to contest for Presidency in 1982 next banned JVP/Wijeweera on 30 July 1983 (along with CP and NSSP) accusing them of causing 1983 July riots!

JVP took an anti-Indian stand threatening anyone wearing an Indian saree with death. The Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 had to be signed under emergency rule and curfew with even UNP MPs not aware of the documents contents. PM Premadasa boycotted the signing. JVP & Premadasa did not see eye to eye and Premadasa/UNP went on to murder Wijeweera in 1989, Somawansa Amerasinghe fled the country & others went underground. Premadasa was assassinated in 1993 by LTTE and UNP slid into unpopularity and UNP was defeated at elections in 1994.

CBK-JVP

JVP changed hands in 1994 supporting Chandrika Bandaranaike. JVP contested Presidential Elections in 1999 with candidate Nandana Gunatileke receiving just 4% and now a member of UNP. JVP went on to become a member of the UPFA at the 2004 Parliamentary Elections winning 105 out of 225 seats in Parliament and securing 39MPs to Parliament.

MR-JVP

JVP supported Mahinda Rajapakse to become President in 2005. It was during this period that 3 JVP members filed court that resulted in the successful de-merger of the North-East Provincial Council with much respect also due to the attorney’s H L de Silva, S L Gunasekera, Gomin Dayasri and Manouri Jinadasa and the five courageous judges including the Chief Justice Sarath N Silva.

It was thereafter that Wimal Weerawansa departed ways with JVP as did Piyasiri Wijenayake forming the JNP Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (14 May 2008 – the very day JVP was formed in 1965 & also the day LTTE killed 146 pilgrims in Anuradhapura Sri Maha Bodhiya in 1985). JNP joined the Rajapakse Government in 2008 to support end of LTTE.

In Nov2018 JVP handed a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Common Candidates (Fonseka & Maithripala Sirisena)-JVP

JVP next decided to campaign on behalf of common candidates – first Sarath Fonseka in 2010 and Maithripala Sirisena in 2015. That affinity seems to have today gone with the wind!

By virtue of JVP supporting the UNP backed common candidates, the indirect link to UNP is now sealed.

TNA-JVP

The JVP leader in 2018 said the ‘JVP & TNA must fight together’. JVP even held a joint May Day rally with the TNA in Jaffna in 2018. JVP & TNA continually have discussions. Connections & handlers are a lot clearer now.

UNP-JVP

JVP leaders know it can never win a Presidential Election. JVP leaders also know that it can never get votes beyond 3% of the total vote. Therefore, the strategic option has been to play prostitute to the highest bidder.

Once proudly referring to themselves as Bolsheviks, Marxists and what not, today JVP is the Trojan Horse of the capitalist neoliberal bandwagon. Best example for that was seen in the manner Vijitha Herath was darting from seat to the Speaker during the heated dissolution of Parliament or the manner the UNP leader beckons the JVP leader with his hands!

Everything that the UNP could not get done alone, JVP was tasked to do. Helping amend the Provincial Council Election Act sealed that role. Dashing to file FR against removal of Ranil as PM further reiterated the poodle part it was tasked to play. The most recent role came in demanding reconvening of the Old Parliament. Today JVP simply echoes what UNP says!

JVP has turned into a minion of the UNP since extending support to regime change in January 2015 and assisting UNP win general election in August 2015. Rewarded with title of Chief Govt Whip and being plugged into any and every commission appointed to witch hunt the opposition.

Though JVP fielded its leader at the 2019 Presidential Election, he could only secure just 3% of votes. Former Attorney General is on record to say JVP leader was in Temple Trees after 2015 advising on how to take action against Opposition! JVP leader was in the Executive Council during the yahapalana 100 day program. JVP even expressed confidence in favor of Ranil during the no confidence motion in 2018.

JVP & Youth

Leaving aside the damage done by keeping JVP as a political consort, the bigger damage as a result has been to allow JVP to infringe upon the education system of Sri Lanka and create a bunch of unproductive university graduates total misfits for society and harboring grudges against the society based on brainwashing and drilling unwarranted poisons into rural youth from poor homes who are made to feel they are the cats whiskers after entering campus. Political parties that have adopted JVP for political advantage need to rethink and restrategize instead of repeating the folly of embracing in a foreign handled party just for some votes and compromising the future of Sri Lanka.

What is clear though is that the JVP was tasked specifically to target the Sinhala Buddhist youth, the best of those that enter university as well as the rural one’s poverty stricken and without jobs. Keep them down, keep them diverted from their main objective of education & obtaining gainful employment and that delays rise of Sinhala Buddhists in society. The project has proved successful. Just look at the state of university education and the JVP-indoctrinated graduates passing out!

JVP inside universities – JVP SUFFER MENTAL DISORDER

Horrendous ragging, torture chambers even in outside locations, harassing and abusing new students most of whom sustain physical injuries and often decide to leave university education altogether. 2000 students who had gained university admission decided not to pursue university education due to fear of ragging in 2019. There have been deaths and suicides as a result of ragging too. Rupa Rathnaseela jumped off a university building in 1975 to prevent an object being inserted into a vagina. She committed suicide in 2002. Ovitigala Samantha who campaigned against ragging was killed in November 2002 by JVP mobs.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/news-features/University-ragging-intensifies-’Breaking-a-Slave’-to-Obey-the-System-/131-172516

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=1927667230702218&external_log_id=1de1829b90082aeb23d30da3fb38d5e6&q=jvp+ragging

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=1927667230702218&external_log_id=1de1829b90082aeb23d30da3fb38d5e6&q=jvp+ragging

JVP control the politicized student bodies that engage in psychological breakdown of individuals by forcing them to suffer sadistic humiliations. By removing their birth innocence, family values and cultural affinities, the student body creates a group of monsters ever ready to follow orders of their seniors. These de-humanized freshers eventually end up breaking ties and affinities with their parents, siblings and society. Having being made to undress, parade in the nude, come to university without panties – with time they feel of shame and embarrassment. GoSL MUST PERMANENTLY PUT AN END TO SADISTIC RAGGING BY JVP

If 30,000 enter annually – virtually the same number of JVP brainwashed youth come out into society! Where is the country heading with such? But political parties have simply manipulated youth problems instead of attempting to address & solve them. In so doing, JVP has every opportunity to continue to thrive & their handlers able to create more mischief.

JVP has a monopoly over youth. While other mainstream parties have youth wings when it comes to decision making and nominations little openings are given to youth. This is an area that mainstream parties need to draw immediate attention towards. In so doing, the mainstream parties may even be able to rope in disgruntled JVP youth by engaging them in meaningful political, economic & social upliftment programs at ground level with scope to advance.

With youth socio-economic issues unresolved since 1970s, the youth vote is often at JVP disposal and this is used to make political horse-deals. The issues end up political pillow passing for election campaigning and the problems/issues get unresolved (state of text books, reference materials, facilities etc) Can Govts & officials tasked with these portfolios be happy that they have looked at children & graduates as the keys and assets to the future and their role in giving them the knowledge, tools, mindset and discipline to nurture them for future leadership roles, encouraging their talents, funding research and assisting their invention capabilities?

Ill-attention to areas that matter turn out hornets’ nest and breeding ground for external elements to play mischief with the minds of youth. JVP-LTTE followers are certainly victims of a vicious social-economic system. Insurrection and terror has produced no results and that is also a harsh reality that former JVP and LTTE now have to deal with. What did they gain in the end? The political parties that manipulated them gained far more! Today TNA are in a better and superior position to the former LTTE combatants and you don’t see TNA showing any keenness in addressing key social-economic issues these former combatants & their families now face in a society that views them as failing the cause!

JVP, majority whom are Sinhalese killed hundreds and thousands of Sinhalese – victims were theros, academics, union leaders, popular artists, musicians and even parents and family members of the armed forces. Who was encouraging Sinhalese to kill Sinhalese? JVP did not kill a single LTTE terrorist. JVP devalued and degraded our university education system and ruined the mindset of youth/graduates and clipped opportunities for them. JVP continues to pretend to they represent the working class and youth just like LTTE.

Both JVP and LTTE found solace in appealing to a segment of society that the political apparatus seemingly had ignored. Claiming to represent neglected segments of society enabled them to justify their violent actions. No one challenged them to prove that they provided anything significantly better than what they claimed others were not giving. However, JVP needs to be put into the dustbin. Political parties must stop striking deals with JVP and instead work towards absorbing the 3% by offering solutions to them.

It is clear that JVP has gotten away with crimes against mainly Sinhalese as a result of the horse-deals it has struck with political parties making them turn their eye away from JVP’s crimes. This cannot go on and our youth – the assets of the future need to be saved and salvaged from JVP.

Shenali D Waduge

චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ

බලයට පත්වී මාස 5ක් නිමවා ඇත. සිදුවෙන ක්‍රියාවන් හා ඒවාට දක්වන ප්‍රතික්‍රියාවන් අපි දකිමින් සිටින්නෙමු. අප ජීවත්වුණා කාල පරිච්චේදය තුලදී රාජ්‍ය පාලකයෙකු මෙතරම් සංවිධානාත්මක බුද්ධිමත්ව රාජ්‍ය පාලනය සිදුකරන ආකාරයක් අපි දැක නැත්තෙමු. මෙම ක්‍රියාවලින් දකින අපි, ඇත්ත වශයෙන්ම ඉතිහාසයේ ජීවත්වෙන භාග්‍යමත්ම ජන කොට්ඨාශය වෙමු.

ජනාධිපතිතුමා, කිසිවෙකුටත් පහර ගසන්නෙත් නැත. ව්යාවස්තාව උල්ලංගනය කරන්නෙත් නැත. එතුමා සිදුකරමින් සිටින්නේ, මේ රටේ මුල් බැසගෙන ඇති ගැටළු නිරාකරණය කිරීමත්, අනාගත පරපුර යා යුතුමග සුදානම් කිරීමත්, ක්ෂණිකව මතුවෙන ගැටලු විසදීමේ කටයුතුවලට මුල් තැන දීමත් පමණි. එතුමා මේ සියලුම කාර්යයන් මෙරට සතුරන් විසින් ස්ථාපිත කොට ඇති උන්ගේ සතුරු බලකදවුරු වන ස්වාධින කොමිසන් සභා ද පවතින තත්වයක් තුලදීය. ඉතා නිහඬව සිදුකරමින් ඉදිරියට ගලා යන මේ තත්වය තුලදී කැපී පෙනෙන්නේ, කිසිදු පහරකෑමකට ලක්නොවෙන ප්‍රතිවාදීන් බුමිතෙල් වැදුන ගැරඩින්සේ කුලප්පුවී සිටිනු දක්නට ලැබීමයි.

මේ වනවිට එතුමා ඉටුකර ඇති, සෑම පියවරක්ම දෙස බලන විට මේ නිර්මාණය වෙමින් පවතින්නේ, මෙරට ජනතාව කිසිදා අපේක්ෂා නොකට ආකාරයේ මනරම්, සිතීමේ නිදහස ඇති ඇති සුන්දර දේශයක් බව අපි දකින්නෙමු. එතුමාට මේ සියලුම කාර්යයන් සිදුකරගෙන යාම සඳහා, මෙරට ජනතාවගේ මෙන්ම, අපට නොපෙනෙන සියලු බලවේගයන්ගේද නොමද සහය ලැබෙන බවද අපි දකිමින් සිටින්නෙමු.

එතුමා විසින් ගොඩනගන් මේ රාජ්‍යයේ තිබිය යුතු ඉතාම වැදගත් අංශයක් සම්බන්ධව සාකච්චා කිරීමේ අරමුණින් මේ ලිපිය ලිවිම ආරම්භ කලෙමි. මේ අපි යෝජනා කරන්නේ, කෙදිනක හෝ මේ ලෝකයේ සිදුවන සමාජ පරිවර්තනයක් දැන්ම අප රටතුලට ආදේශ කරගැනීම තුලින් අප රටට ලබාගත හැකි පල ප්‍රයෝජන රාශියක් සම්බන්ධව කතා කිරීමයි.

මේ ලෝකයේ මුදල් නෝට්ටු භාවිතාව සම්පුර්නයෙන්ම අවලන්ගුවී. ඒ වෙනුවට ඒ රාජ්‍යයේ මහා බැංකුව විසින් සාම පුරවැසියෙකුටම බැංකු ගිණුමක් හා ඉලෙක්ට්‍රොනික් මුදල් හුවමාරු කරන කාඩ්පතක් නිකුත්කිරීම අනිවාර්යෙන්ම සිදුවන ක්‍රියාවලියකි. මෙය සමහරු Electronic Financial  System ලෙස හදුන්වන අතර තවත් සමහරු Digital Financial System ලෙසද හදුන්වයි.

මේ වනවිට ලෝකයේ එම කාර්ය සිදුකිරීමට පහසුකම් ඇතත්, ලෝක මට්ටමින් එම කාර්යය සෘජුවම එරට මහා බැංකුව මගින් සිදුකරමින් මධ්‍යගත කළමනාකාරිත්වයකින් යුතුව සිදුකිරීම කිසිදු රටක ආරම්භ කර නැත. නමුත් මිට සමාන ආකාරයෙන් පෞද්ගලික බැංකු මගින් ඉතා දියුණු මට්ටමක් සිදුකරන බවක් අපි දැක ඇත්තෙමු.

අපි රජයට යෝජනා කරනුයේ, මුළු රටේම මුදල් සංසරණය නුතන තාක්ෂනය උපයෝගීකරගෙන මධ්‍යගත කරන ලෙසයි. මේ අනුව රටේ සියලුම වයස 15 ඉක්මවූ පුරවැසියෙකුටම ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහා බැංකුව හෝ ඒ හා සම්බන්ධිත මධ්‍යස්ථානයකින් බැංකු ගිණුමක් හා ඉලෙක්ත්රොනික් කාඩ්පතක් නිකුත්කළ යුතුය. මෙහි ගිණුම් අංකය ඒ ඒ පුද්ගලයාගේ, අංකය හා   වඩාත් හොදය.

1. දැන් මෙය නිකුත් කල වහාම රටේ මිනිසුන් තමන් සතු මුදල් නෝට්ටු හා කාසි බැංකුවට ගෙනත්දී, තම තමන්ගේ ගිණුමට බැරකර ගත යුතුය.

2. මේ ක්‍රියාවලියත් සමග මුළු රටේම සඟවා ඇති සියලුම මුදල් බැංකුව වෙත ගලාවිත් බැංකුව මුළු රටේම මුදල් ඇති pool එකක් බවට පත්වේ. මෙහි කළමනාකාරිත්වය ස්ර්ල් ලංකා මහා බැංකුව සතුව ඇති බැවින්, මුළු රටේම මුදල් ඇත්තන් හා නැත්තන් සම්බන්ධව මනා අවබෝධයක් රජයට ලැබේ.

3.මුදල් නැති ගිණුම් තිබේ නම් ඒවාට මුදල් දැමීමට රජයට හැකිය. පඩි මුදල් සෘජුවම මේ ගිණුම් වලට රාජ්‍ය අංශයට හා පෞද්ගලික අංශ වලටද දැමිය හැක.

4. මෙවර ජනතාවට රු.5000/= මුදල ලබාදීම කල වෙහෙසීම සිදු කිරීමට රජයට කොහෙත්ම සිදුවෙන්නේ නැත. සිදුකල යුත්තේ මහා බැංකුව විසින් ඉතා මුදල් අඩු ගිණුම් වලට එම මුදල තැන්පත් කිරීම පමණි.

කෙසේ නමුත් මෙම ක්‍රමය කවදාක හෝ මේ රටේ ක්‍රියාත්මක වෙන බව දන්නා බැවින් මෙය ඉදිරිපත් කලේ මෙවැන්නක් ගැන සිතා බැලීමට හෝ මනසක් ඇති ප්‍රබල රාජ්‍ය නායකයකු දැන් අපට ලැබී ඇති බැවිනි. මේ සම්බන්ධව සියලු දෙනාගේම අවධානය යොමුවේවා!යි පතමි.