{"id":98488,"date":"2020-01-31T15:28:40","date_gmt":"2020-01-31T22:28:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=98488"},"modified":"2020-01-31T15:28:40","modified_gmt":"2020-01-31T22:28:40","slug":"the-sinhala-people-and-the-national-sovereignty-of-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/01\/31\/the-sinhala-people-and-the-national-sovereignty-of-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"THE SINHALA PEOPLE AND THE NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY OF SRI LANKA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Sinhala is the ethnic group native to Sri Lanka,\nforming the mainstream or the dominant indigenous community of the island for\nmore than 2500 years. In fact, Sri Lanka is the only\nnational sovereign motherland of the Sinhala people. Their culture, way of life\nand their Sinhala language originated and developed in Sri Lanka. Therefore,\ninevitably, the sovereign national rights of Sri Lanka rests with the Sinhala\npeople who form the original dominant community of this country. Tamils,\nMuslims, and Malays are non-indigenous minority settler communities of Sri\nLanka who settled in the island at different times in the past, coming from\ntheir own homelands or motherlands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good part of the long history of the island, has\nbeen recorded or written by its own people in an unbroken continuous manner.\nThis written history goes back to over 2500 years and is described\nchronologically, in detail, in the ancient chronicles Deepavansa (3rd<\/sup>-4th<\/sup>\ncentury CE), Mahavamsa (6th<\/sup> century CE), Chulavamsa, besides the\nRajavaliya, Pujavaliya, Dhatuvamsaya, Elu-Attanagaluvamsaya, Elu-Bodhivamsaya,\nMaha Bodhivamsaya, Thupavamsaya, Daladavamsaya and Viharavamsaya. This written history is supported by archaeological evidence, and\nreports of foreign travelers of ancient times. Among archaeological evidence\nsubstantiating recorded historic information are rock inscriptions. The written history of Sri Lanka is regarded as the\nsecond-most remarkable recorded history in existence of an ancient and cultured\ncivilization. It is second only to the records maintained by the Shang dynasty\nof Chinese emperors. The historical chronicles narrate in detail the\nhistory of the country since the arrival of Buddhism in 237 BCE or 3rd century\nBCE or about 2246 years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These historic sources provide information on Sinhala Buddhist Kings who\nrescued the Sinhala race, the island and Buddhism from marauding Tamil armies\nof powerful South Indian Dravidian kingdoms. Also about its benevolent rulers\nwho performed deeds of piety, who made the country self-sufficient in rice by\nway of irrigation engineering, promoted Ayurveda medicine and medical practice,\nbuild Buddhist temples, stupas and reigned with efforts to follow Dasaraja\nDharma \u2013 the tenfold righteous path of a king. The accuracy of this historical\nrecord of ancient Sri Lanka is generally accepted by means of other numerous\nlocal and Indian edicts such as the  rock edicts of Indian Emperor Asoka\nand records of the Fa Hien the Chinese pilgrim monk, Roman historian Pliny and\nseveral others who have already been referred to. Also, by means of\ninscriptions, historical works, and literary works as well as by way of ruins,\nrenovated historical and Buddhist monuments, ancient yet sophisticated\nirrigation networks, which extend the lifeline to date. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri\nLanka is not the traditional name of the island. In\nancient times, the island was referred to in many names but all implied that it\nis the land of the Sinhala. It was called Sinhaladveepa, Sivuhelaya, Heladiva,\nHeladveepa, Helabima, Seylan, Taprobane (by Greeks for the ancient name\nTambapanni), Thunsinhale, Sinhale, Ceylon and Sri Lanka. Buddhist scholars of\nancient times referred to the island as Dhammadveepa or the island of\nBuddhism. Fa-Hien’s (400 CE) writings & those of\nXuan Zang and other ancient Chinese records refer to Sri Lanka as Simhala,\nSinhaladipa or land of the Sinhalas. Ptolemy (2nd<\/sup> century)\nalthough calls the island Taprobane, referred to inhabitants of the island as\n\u2018Salai\u2019. Sinhale (or Sinhalay) has been the legitimate historical name, for\nmany centuries in the past, until about the early 19th<\/sup> century when\nthe people of the island were subject to European colonialism.  It was at\nthis time that the name Sinhale was corrupted by the British as Ceylon. It was\n44 years after gaining political independence from the British, in 1972, that\nthe name Sri Lanka was imposed on the island.  It should be noted that in\nthe Sinhala version of the Udarata Givisuma\u201d or the so-called Kandyan\nConvention of 1815, by which the country fell into the hands of the British,\nthe island is referred to as Sinhale. Excluding the roughly 150 years of British\ncolonial rule, when the island was under colonial rule, Sri Lanka has existed\nas an independent sovereign nation for about 2500 years. In fact, it is, one of the oldest countries in the world within its present borders. The\nboundaries of most countries have changed in the past.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oldest\nBuddhist Country in The World <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As much as 70% of the\ntotal population of Sri Lanka are Buddhists. Sri Lanka is the oldest Buddhist country in the world, where Buddhism was the dominant\nreligion since 237 BCE or for more than 2250 years. It is noteworthy that until\nabout the 16th<\/sup> century, about 99% of the population of the island\nwere Buddhists. In other words, for some 1800 years, Sri Lanka was an\nexclusively Buddhist country with almost the entire population being Buddhist. In terms of area and\nBuddhist population, Sri Lanka, is among the smallest of the 30 traditionally\nBuddhist countries in the world, which consist of substantial Buddhist\npopulations. Also, it is the smallest among the six Theravada Buddhist\ncountries, namely – Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and India.\nAlthough small in area and population, Sri Lanka is by no means \u2018small\u2019 in\nterms of its global significance as a Buddhist country. It has been the country where Buddhist teachings have been preserved in\nits original form or the Theravada tradition, for over 2200 years. Buddhists\nacross the world respect Sri Lanka as the country where pure Buddhism prevails.\nIt is the traditional Sri Lanka Buddhist flag that has become the acknowledged\nglobal Buddhist flag in recent years. It was the recent initiative of Sri Lanka\nthat led the United Nations, to celebrate Vesak as an important global event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhist way of life is based fundamentally on\nnon-violence and peaceful co-existence with others irrespective of ethnic,\nreligious, and other differences. For some 2500 years, the Sinhala people were\norganized in terms of their royalty, nobility, spiritual hierarchy, their\nKingdoms and Royal Capitals, and their irrigation-based farming system.  Buddhist values are geared at developing a social ethic which, would\ncontribute to co-existence, mutual understanding, co-operation, and total\nharmony. To strengthen impartiality, people are advised not to succumb to\nbiases and prejudices not to give in to attachment, hatred, fear, confusion,\nbut to rise above them and do what is righteous. This concept of righteousness,\nwhich is designated by the term \u2018Dhamma\u2019 in fact, provides the firm foundation\nfor the whole of Buddhist culture. The general admonition is to do what is\nrighteous (Dhamma) and avoid what is unrighteous (adhamma). On this basis, all\nthat is beneficial to oneself and others is considered meritorious (Punna) and\nwholesome (Kusala) and their opposites as demeritorious (Papa) and unwholesome\n(akusala). As the Dhammapada (Stanza No.183) says: Not to do any evil, to\ncultivate good, to purify one\u2019s mind \u2013 this is the Teaching of the Buddha. It\nis on this basic teaching that Buddhist values are developed, lives are molded,\nand social relations are cultivated. This explains why Buddhist culture\nattempts to nurture in the people a feeling for others, to mutually share with\nothers moments of happiness and joy, to show respect to elders, to care for\nparents to attend on the sick and destitute, to honour and respect those who\nare deserving, to treat guests and visitors with friendliness and affection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinhala\nBuddhist National Culture  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka\u2019s identity as a nation is based on\nthe Sinhala Buddhist culture and the Sinhala language which is the defining\nelement of Sinhala culture. Buddhist norms and\nprinciples form\nthe corner stones of this unique culture. With the arrival and spread of Buddhism in the island, there came an era\nof unsurpassed attainments and achievements in the country.The island’s\ncivilization has achieved an individuality and identity of its own that\ndistinguishes it from its neighbors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All\nsalient aspects of our national culture \u2013 tangible and intangible, either grew\nor evolved within the borders of our country. Sinhala language and literature\noriginated in Sri Lanka. Sinhala language in fact is the most important\ndefining element of our nation\u2019s culture and heritage, from historic times. The\nSinhala language grew out of Indo-Aryan dialects and\nexists only in Sri Lanka and has its own distinguished literary tradition.\nSinhala is one of the world\u2019s oldest living languages.  There have been a\nwide range of languages in the world, particularly in Asia which lived and died\nwithout leaving evidence of their existence, because they were never written\ndown. This is not the case with the Sinhala language. All other languages used\nin Sri Lanka originated in other countries.  It is significant to note\nthat the overwhelming majority of people of Sri Lanka are distinguished by\ntheir language \u2013 Sinhala, which even today has a strong unifying effect in our\nmotherland helping to reinforce the solidarity of our people as a unique\ncultural entity in the world. Almost all place names of the country from\nhistoric times, are in the Sinhala language \u2013 in the North, South, East, West\nand Central regions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural\nheritage encompasses material culture, in the form of objects, structures,\nsites, architecture, sculpture, paintings, and other forms of fine arts, as\nwell as living (or expressive) culture in the form of language, literature,\ncustoms, traditions, rituals, ceremonies, and festivals, performing arts, music\nand so on. These unique forms of cultural expression provide this country with\nits distinct national identity. They are the living evidence of the outstanding\ncultural heritage of this nation. It was Buddhism\nthat fashioned lifestyles, fostered the arts, and inspired the nation\u2019s\narchitecture, sculpture, paintings, and other fine arts. It led to the creation\nof stupes (pagodas), temples, monasteries, statues, and a fascinating diversity\nof aesthetically pleasing artistic ventures and cultural activities.  It\nis important to note that all salient aspects of the national culture \u2013\ntangible and intangible, either grew or evolved within the borders of Sri\nLanka. This includes the Sinhala language and literature which originated in\nthe island.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exceptionally rich heritage of visual arts of the Sinhala Buddhist\npeople of Sri Lanka, extends to a period that exceeds 2300 years, from the 3rd\ncentury BCE to the 21st CE.  The Sinhala\nBuddhist culture is one of the World\u2019s oldest, continuous, unchanged cultures\nin existence.  It is one of world\u2019s important and exemplary cultures in existence.\nIt is a civilization unique to Sri Lanka alone.  The simple and\nuncomplicated lifestyle promoted by Buddhist culture, is based on the five\nbasic precepts of Buddhism. Non-violence, compassion, tolerance, morality, and\npeaceful coexistence with others and with nature are the cornerstones of\nBuddhist culture.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                     \n                                                                                                               Despite\nforeign invasions, threats and various forms of challenges and atrocities,\nBuddhist culture has remained intact in the island, unlike the case with many\nancient cultures in most other countries in the world.  Throughout most of its history, Sinhala kings and\nBuddhist institution of monks, played a major role in the development and\nmaintenance of Buddhist culture and institutions in the island. The\nworld recognition of the greatness of this unique Sinhala Buddhist culture is\nreflected by the UNESCO designating ancient sites, including the ancient royal\ncapitals of the Sinhala people such – Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Mahanuwara\n(Kandy), Sigiriya and Dambulla as World Heritage Sites. Ancient irrigation\nsystem developed by the Sinhala kings is still operational and is considered as\n– Engineering marvels. The earthen and stone dams and reservoirs systems the\ncanal network and related water control and management structures and\ntechniques show the skills of the ancient Sinhala people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is only one nation in this island of Sri Lanka or Sinhale. A\n\u2018Nation\u2019 is a self-identifying group of people who share a common history, a\ncommon language, a common culture and most importantly a homeland. In other\nwords, a nation is the most persistent alliance or organization of three main\nsocial components -people-culture- territory. Culture can be defined as the\nsystem of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that the\nmembers of society use to cope with their world and with one another, and that\nare transmitted from generation to generation through learning.  In a\nbroader sense, a subculture is any group within a larger complex culture who\nhas interests that vary from those of the mainstream culture. In a more\nspecific sense, it is a group with a distinct style and identity. Even though\nit is obvious that there are large number of subcultures within any given\nnational culture, People live and think in ways that form finite patterns that\ncan be mutually constructed through a constant process of social interaction.\nThe country’s predominant culture is Sinhala Buddhist. Over the centuries, both\nHindus and Buddhists have co-existed well despite occasional politically\nmotivated power struggles. One should not be confusing the issue of citizens’\nrights with that of a nation’s identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were Tamils or Dravidians in Sri Lanka for several centuries in\nthe past, most of them assimilated and appreciated the Sinhala Buddhist culture\nuntil the Europeans arrived and took control of our nation. Although we let\nthem into our land and offered them hospitality, in return they acted to\nundermine our country, the Buddhist religion, and tried to destroy our culture\nand thereby break the harmony in our society. With the adoption of a policy of\n\u2018divide and rule\u2019 by the British, it has been a continuing saga against Sinhala\npeople, especially the Buddhists. To serve their serf interests, the British\nwere largely responsible for germinating mistrust among the various ethnic\ngroups and among our own people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamils cannot have a “right of self-determination” in Sri\nLanka because the homeland of the Tamil nation is Tamil Nadu, and not Sri Lanka\nor \u2018Sinhale’ as the island was known in early times. Only the Sinhala nation\nhas the right to self-determination in Sinhale’. The real objective behind all\nthis talk of a “Tamil Nation and Tamils’ Right to Self-Determination”\n(which even the Indian Constitution does not recognize) is to make way for the\nracist Tamil LTTE dream of creating a Greater Tamil Eelam linking Sri Lanka’s\nNorth and East with Tamil Nadu. The Tamils came from their motherland, the\nTamilnadu where their culture and language originated. The Tamil nation of\nTamilnadu is seven times bigger than Sri Lanka, where one needs to be a pure\nTamil to hold any high official position. Tamils have their national heritage\nand aspirations protected within Tamilnadu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Violation of National\nInterests   <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hela nationals will not tolerate any community or person who whilst\nliving in the Hela Nation and considering it their home, deliberately misusing\nsuch privilege by scheming and adopting violent and extreme actions or\ncontributing to such actions violating the sovereignty, dignity, and\nterritorial integrity of the Sinhala Nation. This includes the ridiculously\nfalse and unfounded claims made by Tamil and Muslim leaders in pursuit of carving\nout ethnic or religious enclaves within the Sinhala Nation, merely because some\nof them had lived in some specific places in the country for extended periods\nof time. Persons with such self-serving objectives and attitudes are traitors\nof the Nation and should be tolerated under any circumstances. There is no\nplace in the Hela Nation for such traitors, double crossers, renegades,\nturncoats, collaborators of enemies, criminals and terrorists, conspirators,\nconnivers, schemers and emissaries, spies, secret agents, undercover agents,\nand double agents of the enemies of the Sinhala Nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maintaining the foremost place for Buddhism and\nprotecting and fostering the Buddha Sasana should be essential components of\nany Constitution of Sri Lanka. The unitary character of the country and the\nsupremacy of the Parliament should always be maintained thereby preventing any\nform of separatism including federalism or administrative units based on Race,\nReligion or Language. Police should operate within the entire territory of Sri\nLanka under the direction and control of Inspector General of Police who is the\nhead of Sri Lanka Police Force. State land must always be vested with the\nRepublic of Sri Lanka. The Parliament should have full control over public\nFinance and no institution should be permitted to receive funds from any\nforeign source, without the approval of the President or the Cabinet of\nMinisters.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Sri Lanka, the granting of excessive rights to\nminorities in the form of alien-national rights of language and culture, land\nrights and police powers and so on, and thereby eventually enabling them to\nform separate ethnic enclaves in different parts of the island should not be permitted\nunder any circumstances.  Such action as evident today, will be strongly\nresisted by the nation\u2019s patriotic forces, including Buddhist monks who have\nfrom historic times been in the forefront in promoting and protecting the\nSinhala Buddhist culture of the island. These patriotic forces will not\ntolerate any disintegration of the national sovereignty, the cultural\nintegrity, and the long-established territorial integrity of the country. There\nhas been serious deprivation of the legitimate rights of the Sinhala Buddhists,\nin recent times.  In Sri Lanka, many Bhikkhus have entered the political\narena to ensure the protection of Buddhist heritage, the Buddha Sasana and\nBuddhist values which undermined and subject to threats in recent times. Their main\nmotive is to safeguard the national heritage and culture and thereby to secure\nthe rights of the Sinhala Buddhists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those\nsettling down or have already settled down in host countries have a bounden\nduty to merge with the host nation into a single coherent nation of\nmembers.  It is basically, a state of mindset, not necessarily physical\ninteraction. Within these host countries, human rights and civic rights of the\nhost nation are what the settler minorities are entitled to and not the\nalien-national rights of the countries of their national origins they left\nbehind for pastures anew. Their alien-national rights will shift to the private\ndomain when in host countries and not to threaten the national sovereignty of\nthe host countries either. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka wants all non-indigenous minorities of our\nnation such as the Tamils, Muslims, Moors and others of whatever label, to be a\npart of our Nation, to join the country\u2019s mainstream, just the way how minority\ncommunities are expected to do in all countries of the world, especially in\nplaces like Canada, Australia, USA, UK, Norway and help to strengthen our\nnation founded on the noble principles of non-violence, tolerance, compassion,\nwhere peaceful co-habitation has been the cornerstone from historic times.\nForgiving and forgetting\u201d has been the attitude of our people, even to those\nwho have harmed us repeatedly from historic times, because our people know that\neventually justice and truth will prevail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinhala Buddhist Leadership\n  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Bhikkhus, the traditional leaders of the nation, should necessarily\nbe in the forefront in movements aimed at protecting and promoting the Buddha\nSasana and important national interests, especially when they are under\nthreat.  Many Bhikkhus have voluntarily made their choice to take an open\npublic stand on issues surrounding Buddhism and Buddhist culture which is the\ngreatest treasure that our country could offer to the world, to humanity. Our\nBhikkhus have become a thorn in the flesh of racists, religious extremists, the\nrecent breed of inter-faith dialogue facilitators, those in the ethnic and\nhuman rights businesses and above all those who are funded or backed by\nextremist foreign anti-Sinhala or anti-Buddhist elements.  Why should\nanyone feel uncomfortable when Bhikkhus, the traditional spiritual leaders of\nour country, <\/strong>take the initiative and provide necessary leadership to\nprotect the greatest wealth of this nation \u2013 our Buddhist cultural heritage.\nLike anyone else, under a democratic system, Bhikkhus are eligible to exercise\ntheir rights, including political rights. Those who object to the initiative\ntaken by our Bhikkhus appear to be those with ulterior motives, having their\nown self-interests and opposed to the strengthening and consolidation of Buddhist\nculture in this country. They in fact are resorting to devious unwholesome\nactivities that are contrary to Buddhist norms and principles which have been\npreserved and promoted for thousands of years in this country, by the large\nmajority of its inhabitants. These undesirable elements may be feeling\nuncomfortable about recent changes in the country, especially with the\nemergence of a political leadership that is representative of the aspirations\nof the mainstream Sinhala Buddhist community of the island. The recent election\nof Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the President of Sri Lanka, with the overwhelming\nsupport of the Sinhala, the dominant community of the island, can be considered\nas a definite positive development in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The forthcoming parliamentary election provides the opportunity for\npeople to elect such upright, capable and patriotic individuals to work for the\nwelfare of the country, and for the consolidation of the Sinhala Buddhist\ncultural legacy of the nation. Genuine and practicing Buddhists of our country,\nor in general, those who strictly follow the Five Precepts, should be more\nactively involved in politics either directly or indirectly. Most of the ills\nof our nation\u2019s political life could be attributed to the absence or withdrawal\nof genuine Buddhists from the nation\u2019s political arena and the domain of the\nmedia where they could be quite influential in bringing about necessary changes\nin public opinion of issues that are of national importance. Genuine Buddhists\nhave a duty by the nation, which is founded on Buddhist principles, to be fully\ninvolved and participating in organizations working for the welfare of the\nnation. This is particularly relevant today because our nation is severely\nthreatened at present by diverse negative forces both local and foreign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is the Buddhist perspective to public life and decision-making, that\nis most needed today, especially in the country\u2019s political domain and\nadministration. We need compassionate politicians and professionals with\nunselfish and mindful interest in the welfare of the country. This alone can\nbring about needed positive changes in public life which has been for decades,\ninfected with dishonesty, crime, and corruption. The impact and influence of\ngenuine, selfless patriotic Buddhist leaders, can make a big difference. They\ncan help to generate a wholesome political culture, that is characterized by\nBuddhist approaches and attitudes and a truly Buddhist atmosphere, conducive to\nthe development of a healthy political climate in our nation, so that all\nnationals will benefit irrespective of their diverse origins and\ncultural-religious inclinations.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Politics in fact is simply about deciding how to live together peaceably\nwhile bringing together the wide variety of perspectives available in the human\nrealm. It is something necessary and something creative.  Politics is part\nof our life. If we regard all life as sacred and politics is a part of life,\nthen politics must be sacred. Politics is not an inherently unclean and base\nactivity. It becomes dirty in the way that everything else becomes dirty. That\nis, through lack of attention, through lack of mindfulness, through ego, all of\nwhich resulting in greed, hatred, and delusion. The best kind of politics can\ntake the profound viewpoints and virtues of spiritual practice and apply them\nin the public realm. Buddhism can be of fundamental help in this regard. If we\ndo not bring spiritual virtues to the public arena, we are destined to both a\nselfish kind of spirituality and a selfish kind of government, devoid of vision\nand meaning. It is time that increasingly of our genuine and practicing Buddhists\nentered the political arena in various influential capacities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buddhism has always been engaged in various socio-political contexts. The idea of interdependence is widely associated with Buddhism. Buddhism is the religion of Human Ecology. Engaging in the lives of others through compassion, sacrifice and service is the worthy spiritual path that the contemporary world needs to observe.\u00a0 Buddhists need to expand our approach or shift somewhat away from those traditional customs that excessively promote monasticism and individual salvation. They should become more socially engaged and be more concerned about service to the community, the human habitat, and the environment in general. Buddhists need to broaden their spiritual practices to include both family and community and the social and environmental concerns of the broader world. We need to be better able to identify and understand social hardships, misery, and perils, and can do something tangible to relieve them.\u00a0 It is time that we as Buddhists involve ourselves in an organized manner, become socially engaged and apply Buddhism to matters of everyday life, individual work, family, politics, and the community.\u00a0 It needs to be a direct application of Buddhist principles and concepts to the overall development of our motherland, to the varied social, economic, and political issues that have implications for the short and long term welfare and development of our motherland, the only country of the Sinhala community.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane\u00a0 Sinhala is the ethnic group native to Sri Lanka, forming the mainstream or the dominant indigenous community of the island for more than 2500 years. In fact, Sri Lanka is the only national sovereign motherland of the Sinhala people. Their culture, way of life and their Sinhala language originated and developed in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-daya-hewapathirane"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98488","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=98488"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98488\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}