Dr Sudath Gunasekara President Mahanuwara Sinhala Bauddha Jestha Puravesiyange Sanvidhanaya and retired Perm Sec to Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranayaka. 27. 4. 2017.
The President Sirisena should immediately take meaningful and effective steps on the following three disastrous and burning issues facing the country right now to liberate this land of the Sinhalese from minority terrorism and retain our Sri Lankan or Sinhala Identity of this Island nation.
I would like to deal with three very crucial and urgent issues the country is facing today in this note, as a proud heir to a 2500 year unique, Sinhala Buddhist heritage on behalf of the Sinhala Buddhist majority of this country who constitute 75 % of the total population as of today and who were the Autochthonous people who alone are responsible for the great Sinhala Buddhist Civilization (one of the greatest in the world) in this Island Nation from the 6th Century BC to date but whose present day leaders have miserably failed to restore the legitimate and due place to them even after 70 years of self-rule since the British colonial rulers left this country in1948.
In part 11 of this article to be followed I will deal with a wider range of demands.
The three issues are
1Agitation by Tamils and Muslims to withdraw military and other Armed forces from North and East and returning land armed forces are occupying in the North and the East and Mannar area.)
2 Agitation by Tamils and Muslims against the Government declaring certain forest areas as reservations and sanctuaries in the north and east and in Mannar District particularly by the Gazette Notification of 24 March 2017 declaring four forest areas north of the Wilpattu sanctuary as reserves
3 Vandalizing ancient Buddhist Monuments, Encroaching on Temple land donated to Buddhist temples by the ancient Kings in the yore for their sustenance and protesting against restoring and rehabilitation of ancient religious monuments in the Northern and Eastern Provinces jointly by Tamil and Muslim politicians and even media men and women and activists of the two ethnic groups like Sulochana Ramiah Mohan and Muslims vandalism against Buddhist places even in the interior of the country, (for example in Kuragala and Katarantenna in Mawanella area).
The Government of this country headed by President Sirisena should immediately take effective steps to arrest this invasion and colonization of this Sinhala Buddhist Land by Malabar slaves brought by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British from the late 17th century up to1948 to work initially on their Tobacco lands in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and later by the British to work as indentured labour on coffee and Tea plantations in the Central hill country that had been covered with primordial virgin forest from the time it’s physiography was formed billions of years ago providing the main source of all rivers on this Island and remained untouched by humans, jealously protected by Kings and the subjects alike until the British vandals completely destroyed it to give room for their plantations as a major component of colonial exploitation.
Also the President must act immediately against minority terrorism by Tamils and Muslims against the Native Sinhalese and take immediate steps to stop illicit immigrations, from south India and Maldives and some Arabian countries aided and abetted by Tamil and Muslim politicians, and restoring the original demographic situation in the country that was their using the 1981 Census as the base line as a first step. It is his bounded duty to protect the Sinhala Buddhist legacy as he is the President of not only 1.3 % m Tamils and Muslims who had voted him, about whom he often speak but also the President of 75 % of Sinhalese Buddhists (4.7 M UNP &5.8 M SLFP votes)
Referring to the right of the armed force to be there in the North and East, first of all it must be clearly stated that in the Sinhale Kingdom all land in the country belonged to the King. Today the King has been replaced by a Government headed by a President periodically elected by the people with all the authority to govern the country. Security of a country whether in the past or today is its main responsibility. It involve defense against foreign invasion and internal rebellion today more appropriately called terrorism and maintaining law and order to protect the State and people for which it need to maintain the armed forces. In the process the Government has the power to place them in any place in any form at any given time to suit the needs of the hour. No citizen has a right to question the State on this authority of the Government. Once the Government locates them at selected stations no man or woman has a right to question that. Public security and the security of the country, is paramount over personnel rights.
Since all land in the north and the East or any other place, in the country belongs to the State the Government as the instrument of the State has the full legal authority to station any contingent in any place it wants. As such it is the Government that decides the location and not the local people. Furthermore the Government also has the full authority to acquire any land or building situated anywhere in within its territory it wants at any time for security reasons or a public purpose.
So my question is as to why the Government cannot tell this to the mad communal Tamils and Muslim racist politicians like Wignesvaran and Sambandan who think no end of themselves and take action against trouble makers within its legitimate powers.
Second, it must also be said that the same argument holds good for the allegations made against land declared as wild life sanctuaries or reserved forests as well. The government can declare any forest or land within its territory for a public purpose and declare as strictly forbidden for people to enter or do any activity. It can also be for other objects as well for example protection of watersheds like in the Central hill country above a certain elevation like 5000 feet msl, and over 60 % slope to protect soil erosion, a given area to protect endangered flora and fauna as a wild life sanctuary, a coastal belt against sea erosion, any place or land for religious reason or security reasons etc. So no one has a right to question that either.
Third, here lies the heritage of a unique nation founded, fostered and protected against invasions from India and the western colonial powers. These places and cultural treasures have been preserved at very high cost paying a heavy toll where tens of thousands patriotic native people, all Sinhalese, have died in battle, some even brutally murdered by sword, bullet and fire and sometimes even using poison by the invaders like Portuguese in late17th century and by the British in 1818 and 1848.
Once these treasures are destroyed they are gone forever and the heritage is lost for humanity. You can never replace or rediscover. The imprint of the national identity of a great nation is lost due to the vandalism committed by a set of uncivilized ungrateful set of communal barbarians.
Here I must clearly say that no Government or present day politician will take a decision to stop this vandalism as long as they depend on the vote of these minority groups. Even the President, though he has got about 1.2m minority votes both Tamil and Muslim put together he should have polled at least 5 million Sinhala votes out of the 6.2m, he polled at the 2015 Jan. But he has openly and repeatedly declared several times that 90 % of Tamils and Muslims voted him and therefore he is under obligation and it is his avowed duty to fulfill the aspirations of the Tamils and Muslims conveniently forgetting the nearly 5 m Sinhalese who voted him. This clearly shows that he has betrayed the Sinhala voter. His feeling for the minorities easily understood as it was the minority which was the critical factor in his victory. But my question is how can, he make it an excuse to betray 10.8 m sons of the soil (UNP and JVP 5 m and 5.8 m SLFP). It is a tragedy that he never realizes this crime. Although the critical factor of his victory was the minority vote the stark fact is that in the final analysis it was the anti-Sinhala anti-Buddhist UNP block vote that brought victory for him.
Going by the history of UNP from its inception as a political party in1948 throughout it has betrayed the Sinhala nation and the country Sinhale, together with Buddhism. The very fact that the fathers of the UNP in 1948 accepted the presence of many nations in this country when they accepted the party name UNP which implies that there are many nations and their failure to restore the name of this country, that is Sinhale- that was handed over to the British in 1815 to start with clearly prove that they are not patriotic. They also changed the National flag handed down from the Kandyan Kingdom with two strips to accommodate Tamils and Muslims in 1952.
The case of the neglect of the Kandyan peasants and the special treatment given to Estate Tamils afterwards which continues to date is a classic example for this lack of any feeling for the Sinahala nation or the motherland on the part of the UNP. That may be why some people have appropriately named it as the ‘Un-Patriotic Party’.
1 It gave Citizenship to all Estate Tamils by the JR/Rajiv Accord of 1987
2 Made Tamil also an official Language of Sri Lanka
3 Gave Estate Land first at 10 perches to each Tamil labour family just before the 2015 General election
4 Now Ranil Wickramasinha has promised to give 2 Acres per family from the tea estates. This will be made 2 acrers for each Indian Estate Tamil at the end.
5 3 Cabinet Ministries and 3 Ministers for the Estate Tamils under this Government
6 Housing and Infrastructure facilities like roads, Hospitals, schools with Government funds, Indian aid, foreign aid and International NGOOs for them.
7 A special Authority set up for implementing a urgent 10 year (2105-2025) infra-Structure development programme for these people with foreign aid the government has to pay back that will fall on the heads of 75 % of the Sinhala people as well.
However no action has been taken at all to alleviate the problems of Kandyan Peasants in spite of the Kandyan Peasantry Commission Report of 1951 (Chaired by N.E Weerasooriya QC) recommending an Special Development Authority with special power and resources including a cess on the tea Industry and a tax on Industries carried out in those areas to be set up under the Prime minister to be headed by a Permanent Secretary up to date.
Even the toothless C grade sleeping Kandyan Peasantry Department set up 1958 was closed down on Jan 1914.
(Please read the attachment for further details on the plight of the Kandyan Peasants)
It also betrayed the country’s economic and strategic interests by giving 10 oil Tanks in from Trico and the oil distribution to IOC in 2002 and put the country to a very dangerous situation by handing over storing and distribution of fuel to our adversary India, thus pausing a severe threat to the security of the country.
This is why I address this note to President Sirisena, as he had cut his political teeth in the SLFP that is more patriotic and national minded than any other political party in this country, may be with the only exception of MEP, though I have my doubts as he has already got converted to be a better UNP man or at least a stooge and a puppet of the UNP under Ranil Wickramasinha carrying out his orders under the Indian imperialists and western dictates.
SLFP is more patriotic
Generally speaking since SLFP on the other hand is more patriotic the only hope people had was the SLFP. Whatever is said and done President Sirisena being a child of the SLFP has a bounden duty to keep to the political vision of the founders of this party if he has a soul and a thing called conscience. He also should not forget the fact that a substantial number of SLFP votes also have contributed towards his victory on Jan 2015. As such he cannot stay deaf, bling and dumb till the country and the nation is invaded by foreign interests and it is laid before the altar of Indian Empire by Ranil and UNP that has a permanent black record in history of betraying the Sinhalese and the Buddhist traditions and values of this country right through history as from 1948.
Therefore he must take immediate action to stop Ranil and his gang of unpatriotic politicians like Rajita Senaratna, Ravi Karunanayka, Champika Ranawaka and Mangala Samaraweera from destroying this country by selling it to India and other countries and dancing according to the tune of the West.
If he does not do that I have no doubt Sinhala Buddhist masses led by Buddhist monks, as it was the tradition in this country in the past will soon surround his mansion and demand him go home and if he doesn’t he might be dragged out and put in the dust bin of history.
The whole country know the incurable avenging desire he has in him against MR. But as a true Buddhist as he says, he should have heard the celebrated Dhammapada verse ‘Nahiverena Verani Sammantida Kudachanam” Therefore he must be magnanimous enough at least now to forget the past in the name of the country and reconcile and get together with MR to save the country. I hope he will rise up to the occasion in the name of the country and the Sinhala nation before giving priority to all other petty considerations and rise up to the occasion as a Great Leader
I can vouch for certain, though I am not a soothsayer, going by my past experience, that his present the foolish programme of going round a spree of appointing third grade yes men by removing seasoned and popular local SLFP leaders who are with MR is not only digging his own grave but also the mass grave of his own mother party that has given him political life, fed and nursed him for nearly fifty years. I warn him to be in readiness to sing the swan song and the elegy of the SLF, if he is not prepared to reconcile with his former boss and go back to the old home. I must also warn him, whether he likes it or not that this is the end of his political carrier.
As first step in my view he should immediately recall all seasoned and popular leading SLFP organizers whom he has already sacked and stop appointing unknown raw men as District and electoral Organizers and immediately resign from the President ship of SLFP so that he can satisfy himself saying that he is the President of all Sri Lankans, whether they are UNP. SLFP or any other P. Thereafter he can call off the May day rally at Getambe in Mahanuwara to publicly announce this historic message to the nation in the name of the future of the country, the Sinhala Nation and the Samma Sambuddha Sasana .That is the only way available for him to avoid this great political catastrophe that is in the making in the country and to avoid his being thrown in to the Dustbin of History” He must also remember that whether he has his may day at Getambe or not it is not going to make any difference. If he go ahead with it in the first place it will be an utter flop as most of the SLFP voters will go to Gall face and not a single UNP man will come there and all Tamils and Muslims except the political lackeys will go Hyde park. The only official SLFP people he will get will be those Ministers who gnaw the bones falling from the Sirisena table. It will have only negative effects on all future elections. Perhaps he will see the true colours of his position as the SLFP leader in him. The way things are gathering momentum all over the country he might have to very soon witness the day when this Government comes to a total stand still.
I am of cause an insignificant human soul neither the past nor the incumbent President or any other big man will ever take seriously. But no one should forget that it was an unknown tiny naked tot by the roadside in the olden days who finally said the ‘King is naked’ when all his stupid purohitas, the whole lackeys and yes men in the Cabinet and even his chief Queen had said that the King was wearing the most expensive and beautiful clothe (Setambara patasaluwa) in the whole world, when he was actually riding the elephant fully naked’
“The Emperor’s New Clothes” is an old parable about two crafty weavers who promised a foolish Emperor a new suit of clothes that is the most beautiful in the whole world but say it is invisible to fools and who are unfit for their positions, stupid, or incompetent, deceived the Emperor for a tiny sum having got the foolish king to erect a huge hall to weave that cloth and keep them fed for a long time with lavish food and finally bolted away before the Emperors display procession started.
When the Emperor paraded the streets on a caparisoned elephant before his subjects in his new clothes”, every one blessed him Jayasri maharajaneni, pasvan dahasakata buduwenta Jayasri”. No one dared to say that they don’t see any suit of clothes on him for fear that they will be seen as fools “unfit for their positions, stupid, or incompetent”. Finally, a mall child by the roadside cried out, he isn’t wearing anything at all!” after which everybody started shouting and thereafter the Emperor having realized the truth returned to the palace in shame.
That foolish Emperor never understood the trick played by the weavers. This is why the celebrated epic Mahabharata has said that all Kings by nature are all ways deaf, dumb and blind’. I must say that it is a timeless universal truth.
This is an admonition that has to be given by the Mahasangha led by Mahanayaka Theras of this country to the President. That was the time honoured great tradition in this country. We all know that, that was how this country had been saved and ruled in its entire 2500 years of illustrious history.
But how can you expect that to happen when we have political Mahanayaka Theras as the chief prelate of Malwatta, supposed to be the Head Quarters of Buddha Sasana in this country and the Head Quarters of the Thervada Sect in the whole world, who always defend Ranil the traitor as the savior and modern Mosses of Sri Lanka.
That is why finally, knowing fully well the social and religious consequences of saying a thing like this, I decided to give this message to President Sirisena through the press in the name of my country, nation and the Sambuddha Sasana.