{"id":150605,"date":"2025-07-08T17:40:51","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T00:40:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=150605"},"modified":"2025-07-08T17:40:51","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T00:40:51","slug":"no-mou-can-divide-the-buddha-sasana-resisting-indias-2030-strategic-takeover-of-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2025\/07\/08\/no-mou-can-divide-the-buddha-sasana-resisting-indias-2030-strategic-takeover-of-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"No MoU can divide the Buddha Sasana: Resisting India\u2019s 2030 Strategic takeover of Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>Shenali D Waduge<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"727\" height=\"415\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shenali090725R.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-150607\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shenali090725R.jpg 727w, https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shenali090725R-300x171.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 727px) 100vw, 727px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We never thought a pen could undo what our war heroes achieved in May 2009. Yet, since December 2024, secret MoUs signed between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have begun dismantling Sri Lanka\u2019s territorial and constitutional sovereignty\u2014not with tanks, but through contracts. These agreements encroach upon lands and institutions constitutionally mandated to protect the Buddha Sasana \u2014 the island\u2019s spiritual existence for over 2,300 years. The Buddha Sasana has been the foundation of peace, non-violence, and unity among communities. To weaken it is to weaken Sri Lanka itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Buddhist Jurisprudence remains an ancient System of Governance that cannot be replaced or erased.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Buddhist jurisprudence is not merely religious law\u201d but&nbsp;civilizational law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Vinaya<\/em>\u00a0guides monks, and\u00a0<em>Dasa Raja Dharma<\/em>\u00a0(Ten Duties of a Righteous King) guided rulers\u2014this ethical framework long predates modern constitutions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Historically, the Sasana managed land, education, health, and local disputes through a decentralized, moral system.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Buddha Sasana governed justly through kings, colonialism, and into the modern state\u2014it must remain the oldest law of the land.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Global Buddhist Solidarity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Article 9 of the Sri Lankan Constitution is not exclusivist; under Buddhist kings, Hindus, Christians, and Muslims lived peacefully\u2014without forced conversions or religious wars\u2014because Buddhist principles foster compassion and tolerance, protecting everyone\u2019s religious rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Defending Buddhist heritage means defending freedom from foreign control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lanka, the oldest unbroken Buddhist nation, faces a critical test: if it falls to strategic colonization, the future of Buddhist heritage worldwide is also at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Constitutional Protections<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Article 9 states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana.\u201d<\/em><br>This is a binding obligation, not symbolic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Supreme Court, in rulings on the Thirteenth Amendment and Provincial Councils Bill (1987), upheld that the state\u2019s unitary character and Buddhism\u2019s foremost place cannot be diluted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Temple Lands Ordinance (1931) and Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance (1931) protect temple lands under Article 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even colonial rulers respected the spiritual independence of the Sasana. No President today can override that authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>State actions\u2014including secret or unratified executive agreements\u2014must not violate constitutional protections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet secret deals handing over infrastructure, data, ports, religious sites, mineral resources, and coastal areas to foreign powers without public scrutiny violate Article 3\u2019s principle that&nbsp;<em>sovereignty is in the people and is inalienable.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>India\u2019s encroachment: Signed, Sealed, and Dangerous<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As detailed in the recent article&nbsp;<em>SOLD: How AKD\u2019s India Deals are Dismantling Sri Lanka\u2019s Sovereignty \u2013 Countdown to a 2030 Takeover\u201d<\/em>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shenaliwaduge.com\/sold-how-akds-india-deals-are-dismantling-sri-lankas-sovereignty-countdown-to-a-2030-takeover\">https:\/\/www.shenaliwaduge.com\/sold-how-akds-india-deals-are-dismantling-sri-lankas-sovereignty-countdown-to-a-2030-takeover<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lanka is being systematically bridged to Indian strategic, economic, and digital interests while granting India immunity from prosecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you doubted such an eventuality unfolding \u2013 piece these dots together:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Defence and Foreign Policy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A\u00a05-year secret MoU on defence\u00a0with India, whose contents remain undisclosed, but reportedly restrict Sri Lanka\u2019s ability to engage militarily with other nations, especially China.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sri Lanka joins the\u00a0Colombo Security Conclave, aligning its maritime surveillance and naval strategy with India \u2014 effectively subordinating its neutrality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Energy &amp; Resources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A\u00a0Trincomalee Energy Hub\u00a0is being developed with Indian and UAE partnership, transferring critical energy infrastructure to foreign hands. This recalls the landmark Supreme Court ruling when a US-Japanese company attempted to take off with Sri Lanka\u2019s phosphate &amp; Justice Amarasinghe clearly stated the Govt\u2019s role is only that of a temporary custodian &amp; that resources of Sri Lanka belong not only to this generation but future generations as well.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Justice Mark Fernando in\u00a0<em>Environmental Foundation Ltd. v. Mahaweli Authority<\/em>(1993) reaffirmed that natural resources are held in trust by the State for the people, and cannot be alienated arbitrarily. This reinforces the public trustee principle \u2014 government is a caretaker, not an owner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India gains access to\u00a0offshore wind, solar, and mineral extraction, bypassing Parliament \u2014 including phosphate and ilmenite vital to future-tech manufacturing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Culture and Regional Fragmentation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Indian-backed\u00a0Ramayana Trails, temple restorations, kovil funding, and scholarships disproportionately target the North, East, and Central Provinces \u2014 subtly eroding national cohesion &amp; usurping the Buddhist ethos while a systematic effort to chase away Buddhist theroes from these areas &amp; destroy historic Buddhist archaeological sites is taking place.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ferry services\u00a0between Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai risk demographic manipulation through irregular migration and soft settlement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital Colonialism:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>National systems like\u00a0SL-UDI (being developed using MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform),\u00a0GovPay (reportedly being aligned with the architecture of India\u2019s UPI (Unified Payments Interface)., and\u00a0DigiLocker\u00a0are built on Indian digital infrastructure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India may gain access to Sri Lankans\u2019 biometric, financial, and personal data \u2014 an externalization of national identity \u2013 nowhere in the world has such a scenario happened.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Strategic Assets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In May 2025,\u00a0Colombo Dockyard\u00a0signed a naval manufacturing and repair MoU with India\u2019s Mazagon Dock Ltd \u2014 placing India inside Sri Lanka\u2019s western defence-industrial corridor. India is also running Colombo West Terminal &amp; is likely to align with John Keells Holdings to renew lease for SAGT while also controlling major transshipment arriving at the Jeya Container Terminal \u2013 taken together India can easily prevent inflow of goods if it so wishes as was done to Nepal during the economic embargo.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Other MoUs Violate the Buddha Sasana Doctrine<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lanka\u2019s sovereignty is threatened not only by India. MoUs with other nations also raise serious concerns:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>United States \u2013 MCC Compact:\u00a0Though politically paused, land digitization and parcel valuation projects began without public consent, violating the indivisibility of Sasana land.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Japan \u2013 Light Rail Transit MoU (Colombo):\u00a0The project threatens Buddhist temples and heritage sites, with planned relocations and disturbances made without religious consultation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>China \u2013 Hambantota Port Lease (2017):\u00a0While defensive in intent, the lease has created perceptions of foreign enclaves, raising fears about long-term sovereignty and access to nearby Buddhist heritage zones.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Singapore \u2013 Trade &amp; Education MoUs:\u00a0Full access to Sri Lanka\u2019s data and education policy reforms by foreign consultants undermine the Buddha Sasana\u2019s role in guiding ethical and cultural education.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Globally, courts have intervened to protect sovereignty in such cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In&nbsp;People\u2019s Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India (Aadhaar case), the Indian Supreme Court ruled that privacy and consent are intrinsic to dignity \u2014 a precedent relevant to Sri Lanka\u2019s concerns about data outsourcing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, the&nbsp;Singapore Court of Appeal&nbsp;in&nbsp;<em>Papua New Guinea Sustainable Development Program v. Independent State of Papua New Guinea<\/em>&nbsp;(2020) upheld protections against arbitrary expropriation, confirming the need to safeguard national assets even across borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ironically, India has itself resisted foreign encroachment on its digital and territorial sovereignty, banning Chinese apps in 2020 citing data sovereignty,\u201d and opposing OBOR over territorial integrity. If these principles apply to India, they must equally apply to Sri Lanka. Sovereignty is not selective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;ICJ\u2019s 2010 Advisory Opinion on Kosovo&nbsp;reaffirmed the right of peoples to maintain their cultural and historical integrity \u2014 a principle Sri Lanka must uphold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Article 9 states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a binding obligation, not symbolic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Supreme Court, in rulings on the Thirteenth Amendment and Provincial Councils Bill (1987), upheld that the state\u2019s unitary character and Buddhism\u2019s foremost place cannot be diluted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Temple Lands Ordinance (1931) and Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance (1931) protect temple lands under Article 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even colonial rulers respected the spiritual independence of the Sasana. No President today can override that authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>State actions\u2014including secret or unratified executive agreements\u2014must not violate constitutional protections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet secret deals handing over infrastructure, data, ports, religious sites, mineral resources, and coastal areas to foreign powers without public scrutiny violate Article 3\u2019s principle that&nbsp;<em>sovereignty is in the people and is inalienable.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lanka is at a historic crossroads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lanka is not only battling for territorial &amp; political sovereignty but the continuance of its civilizational spiritual heritage. How far custodians of the Nation cherish this &amp; how far they are compromising this heritage by signing MOUs &amp; secret deals cannot be ignored further. While we question the intentions of foreign players, our criticism must first be directed at the temporary custodians from those in the public sector to the higher echelons of leadership &amp; question their actions ceding the nation, its resources &amp; assets, its people &amp; its Buddha Sasana heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let this be our solemn vow: no MoU, no foreign power, no local custodians shall divide or diminish the Buddha Sasana. The spiritual heart of Sri Lanka will remain indivisible, inviolable, and eternally sovereign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shenali D Waduge<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shenali D Waduge We never thought a pen could undo what our war heroes achieved in May 2009. Yet, since December 2024, secret MoUs signed between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have begun dismantling Sri Lanka\u2019s territorial and constitutional sovereignty\u2014not with tanks, but through contracts. These agreements encroach upon lands [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-150605","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shenali-waduge"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150605","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150605"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150605\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}