Dr Sudath Gunasekara
22.10.2017
Looking at the way how our political parties in this country have ruined the country during the past 69 years that was the richest in South East Asia by 1948, and are continuing to do so alternatively even now. As for me, therefore I have no faith or trust in any of the existing political parties as none of them have a clear cut national policy, other than their own enrichment. They all are only parasitic bunches of self-centered power crazy set of men and women who have no concern for the country or the people.
Political parties in Sri Lanka can be classified in to two broad categories, national and communal. SLFP and UNP are the two National parties worthy of mentioning, though the UNP had been anti- Sinhala and anti- Buddhist trough out. Although JVP is pretending to be one, in my opinion it will never emerge as a National party in the foreseeable future for three reasons. Firstly it does not have any jatikatvayak as it is based on an imported concept of class struggle based on hatred and jealousy. Secondly it rejects the very foundation of the Sinhala Buddhist society. Thirdly it also rejects local values and its members live in a dream world of their own completely divorced from the native social milieu. The only common thing these three parties share is they are not communal. One can easily forget LSSP, CP, NLSSP and Hela Urumaya as they are, though they are registered as Parties with the Election Commissioner; they are only three or two wheelers that have no chance of forming a government at any time. In fact they are already dead entities.
All the rest, whether they are in the North, East, in the hill country or in Colombo, are either Tamil or Muslim communal parties that do not accept the historical reality of this nation that it was born as a Sinhala Buddhist nation in the 6th century BC and had been so for the past 2600 years. They all agitate for separate States and separate identities either within a Federal or a Quasi- Federal system looking for a distant dream of acquiring the whole Island as either EELAM by Tamils or Khalisthan by Muslims. Today there are at least 15 Tamil and 5 Muslim Parties in this country. They are a bunch extremist separatist ultra- communal parties alternately joining the national party that agrees to give their maximum demands exploiting the weaknesses of the major parties. Tamils and Muslims unlike the foolish Sinhalese behave as diehard communal groups and they look after only their own community even if they work as Ministers in any Government. It was the folly of the constitution makers in 1948 and all subsequent Governments to have failed to prohibit these Communal parties that have put the country in this unfortunate predicament.
Taken all political parties together they are only looking after politicians, keep them in power and make them rich without doing anything for the country or the people. That is why today we have become one of the poorest and most chaotic countries in the world. Therefore I am more than convinced that we as a nation, can never emerge in the present world, unless and until we find our own system of Government base d on our history, traditions and native values. That in my opinion necessarily has to be an entirely a new national movement discarding all what is there at present
In order to make this task easy and for you to decide as to how we should set about, I would like to give a brief sketch of the past history of the two main national political parties so that you are given the option of selecting one as an interim measure until we find our own form of Government.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)
The SLFP founded by SWRD in 1952 and nurtured by Mrs. B up to 1977 and jealously and tactfully protected by Mahinda Rajapaksa from 2005 to 2015 is the only patriotic political party that has understood the need to restore the lost rights of the Sinhala nation and consistently looked after their interests. The founders drew their inspiration from the Sinhala nationalism built up over the years and led by Anagarika Dharmapala in late 19th and early 20th centuries and the 1956 social revolution is nothing but the fruition of that national movement long awaited to be born.
The history of SLFP goes back to 1935 when Bandanayaka formed the Sinhala Mahasabha in response to the Tamil ethnic agitation of 50×50 by G.G. Ponnanbalam in early 1930s during the Donoughmore Reforms. Prior to that was the Ceylon Tamil League started in 1923 by Ponnambalam Arunachalam. Bandaranayaka the founder of the SLFP was the first Sinhala politician who understood the gross discrimination done to the Sinhala people by the colonial invaders and the need to rectify the historical injustices inflicted upon the native Sinhala majority and their 2600 year old birth rights which they have lost in 1815. There is no doubt that he was heavily influenced by the work of Angarika Dhahrmapala and other patriotic national leaders of the early 20th century. Ill-treatment’s by the ruling UNP leadership and his overflowing desire to emancipate the Sinhala people and their long and rich heritage that had been neglected for 125 years and the liberal ideological thrust that had been simmering in young Bandaranaika at Oxford to liberate the Sinhala nation also may have made him to think about restoring their language, religion and other cultural values. It is this background that has made him a Diyasena and Messiah in the 1956 social revolution in this country.
In 1956 he gave new eyes and new ears to a birth of a new nation. He became the Father of this new national awakening and laid the foundation for the resurgence of a new nation to be born. Though reactionary forces were able to kill him within three years they could not kill the new national movement he started. In fact Banda was the midwife who delivered the child in 1956 who had been fathered by many a patriotic leaders spear headed by Anagarika Dharmapala the Greatest Patriotic visionary leader of modern Lanka. During the short period of three years SWRD restored the most of the lost rights of the people like their language, religion, their dress and customs and social values and left behind an indelible mark in the minds of the Sinhala Buddhist masses. The most important social dynamic he left behind was the new generation called the Panashaye daruvo as Nalin has named them
However it is now in complete disarray, curse be to Chandrika- Rajita – Sirisena coup in 2014. It has no future unless and until you get it relieved from the vicious clutches of these traitors. Looking back in retrospect the SLFP has done its duty by the people and the country with the following significant achievements
!956 -1959 Sept under SWRD
1 Forming a peoples Government for the first time since Independence and giving a new lease of life, hope and great expectations in 1956 since the country was ceded to the British in 1815
2 Making Sinhala the Official Language 1957
3 Restoring the lost rights of the Sinhala people by giving pride of place to their cultural values, customs, religion, education, Ayurveda
3Giving a new meaning to our Independence by taking back Katunayaka and Trincommallee Air bases
4 Nationalizing the Colombo Harbour, National Transport Service by setting up the CTB
5 Freeing the country from the clutches of Western Colonial control and opening Diplomatic relations with the Socialist block including Russia and China
6 Adopting a non-aligned Foreign Policy and uplifting the image of Sri Lanka as a Free, independent and Sovereign Nation in the world
7 Becoming a member of the UNO
8 Declaring May Day as a public holiday and thereby giving pride of place for the working class
9 Introduction of the Paddy land Act & setting up of the Agrarian services Department
10 Upgrading Vidyodaya and Vidyalankara Pirivenas to University status
11 Setting up a Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Departments of Ayurveda, Department of Official Languages and Shipping Corporation
1960 to 1977 under Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranayaka
1 Setting up of Ceylon Insurance Corporation, Salt corporation CWE, EPF, Nationalization of American Oil Companies Caltex and Mobil, Steel Corporation, Nationalization of Tea Plantations and enactment of the Sirima Shastri Pact on Estate Tamils
2 Promulgation of a new Republican Constitution and declaring Sri Lanka as an Independent Republic in 1972
3 Establishment of an Independent Judiciary with an apex Supreme Court as the highest appellate body, thereby doing away with the appellate function of the Privy council and colonial control
4 Creating a President under the new Constitution appointed by the Prime Minister instead of a Governor appointed by the Queen of England thus completing the Independence of this Island Nation .
5 Making Constitutional provision under Sec 9 of the Constitution to give Buddhism the foremost place and protecting and fostering Buddha Sasana
The UNP
The UNP founded by Governor Moor in 1947 was the political party set up by the British Colonial masters to run the affairs of this country the way they wanted even after that fake Independence. Isn’t it a tragedy the so-called Fathers of 1948 Independence did not have the brain to understand this colonial trick. The new Government remained nothing but an agency of Western oriented, unpatriotic, anti -Sinhala and anti- Buddhist pro minority political jumble of urban business elite and all anti Sinhala and anti -Buddhist elements with no love for the Sinhala Buddhist heritage of this country until it was sent home in 1956 by the emerging national forces.
1977-1994 under JR-Premadasa and Wijetunga
JR turned the table by promulgating a new Constitution in 1978 under the deceptive slogan ‘Dharmista Rajya” where in he brought in the Concept of Executive President elected by the people of the whole country as the main change. In his own word the only thing he could not do under that constitution was ‘to make man a woman and a woman a man”. But looking at what he did during his tenure things like the Rajiv/JR Accord, passing the 13th A under an Island wide curfew, setting up of Provincial councils, Making Tamil also an Official language, Granting citizenship to 500,000 estate Tamils on an affidavit on a one rupee stamp, increasing the number of Ministers in the Provinces in in addition to those in the centre to quote few examples one can see how he has served the country under his own constitution.
1 The first act of his Government after the election in 1977 was to pass Act No 1 on Pensions to MPP after five years violating the basic spirit of the Pension Minute
2 He introduced the District Ministry system and appointed 25 new Ministers to be in charge of the Districts called District Ministers and thus set the trend for increasing the lotus eating Ministers in this country an additional burden on the tax payers.
3 He politicized the entire public service with the famous chit system where all employment in Government sector was given on chits issued by MPP
4 Among other thing he removed the civil rights of Mrs B for 7 years on a flimsy issue just to keep her out of politics to ensure that there is no formidable opposition to his Government.
5 The first amendment to this constitution was brought in in November the same year and thereafter it was followed by another11 Amendment within one year ending in May 1987, all Amendments made to consolidate his dictatorial power
6 On July 29th 1987 the JR/Rajiv Accord was forced on old JR with a series of virtual invasion that culminated in
a ) JR accepting the Northern and the Eastern Provinces as Traditional Homeland of so-called Ceylon Tamils invented by Arunachalan Ramanadan in 1911 to give a new name to the decedents of Vellala slaves brought to this country by Portuguese, Dutch and British to work on their projects
- b) Accepting Tamil also as an Official Language of Sri Lanka
- c) Granting citizenship to all Indian Tamils on the Plantation sector again brought as South Indian slaves to work on newly opened up Coffee and Tea plantations merely on an affidavit signed by a JP on Rs 1 stamp denigrating the status of Sri Lankan citizenship.
- d) JR agreeing to set up one Provincial Council for the North and the Eastern Provinces with the right to amalgamate two or more PCC perhaps with an Indian eye on the Central, Sabaragamuva and Uva Provinces where there is considerable Tamil population as the third Province to be added in future. These Councils were given more power even exceeding those of the India States
(This was the first salvo on the 1987 Constitution which made it subordinate to the provisions in the JR/Rajiv Accord)
7 Arising from the above Accord then came the famous or rather infamous 13th Amendment in Nov 1987 imposed by India under duress at gun point to set up Provincial Councils with one Provincial Council for the North and the East to appease the separatist Tamils and the LTTE and India.
8 This made Sri Lanka a quasi-federal State paving the way for future separation and having a mono Tamil State in the North and East comprising 1/3 the Island total are with 2/3 the coastal belt plus 2/3 the marine territory with all its resources to the Tamils, with Trinco as the capital and the Port of EELAM. Meanwhile JR decided to give Provincial Councils to all the 9 Provinces, though it was not there in the 13th Amendment, may be to have more political institutions to strengthen his grip over the whole Island. I do not know whether he had any intention of using the other Provincial Councils as a controlling device against the North and the East.
9 With this Amendment JR’S 1978 Constitution which was already reduced to a weekly by that time became a mere collection of papers as we ended up with nine semi- autonomous political institutions a burden and a curse on the country’s coffers and a virtual white elephant draining the national resource for no work done to the country or the people other than adding thousands of politicians and officials who enjoyed enormous privileges at public expense and duplicated and destabilized the once perfect district Administration. These Provincial councils laid the foundation for dividing the country in to 9 separate autonomous states in future.
10 The fact that the Act No 1 of his Parliament was Pension alone proves what type of politician he was. Then it was he who set the ball rolling for the enhanced salaries and enormous privileges the politicians enjoy today.
11 He was also the father of the present open economy
12 He once said that Sinhalese are a nation who will disappear in 25 years like Greeks and Romans. His prophecy is today being realized as the Sinhala nation is on the verge of extinction under Ranil, the inconsistent his worthy nephew.
The rebels in the UNP who have a genuine feeling for the Sinhala nation and their motherland like Maitri Gunaranta have broken away. Many more will follow, after Ranil appears before the CB scam Commission and get exposed that he is the real architect of this mega CB scam, the biggest bank robbery in Sri Lanka, perhaps one of the biggest in the world. It may also be noted that Ranil descending from a catholic family that blocked Sir D.B. Jyatilake, a top nationalist and patriot from becoming the first Prime minister of Independent Sri Lanka does not fit in to the Sinhala Buddhist traditions of this country that form the heart and soul of this nation. He can never fit in to the UNP mold of Senanayayakas or even Premadasa to be the Leader of this country where throughout history the King (leader) has always been one with the religion (Buddhism ) and the people (Buddhists).
The present political situation in the country
SLFP was brutally murdered by Chandrika using Maitripala Sirisena as a cat’s paw to take revenge from MR. It was a three year conspiracy hatched by Chandrika to remove MR. The conspiracy was finalized after a two hour discussion between Chandrika and Rajitha Senaratna at her place in Independence Avenue Colombo 7 in the night of 20th Nov 2014 that ended at 3.30 Am deciding to declare Maitripala as the Common Candidate next day. Maitri swallowed the poisonous pill and agreed. So now you see who is really responsible for splitting the SLFP and it present predicament.
Poor, but vengeful, Maitree swallowed the bait and he fell in to trouble. The predicament in to which he has got entangled reminds me the famous adage on the Pambagale petalunu Nariya. The tragedy is unfortunately he does not realize it. Every step he takes get him further entangled in a new tangle. Politically, he is more Tamil and Muslim than any Tamil or a Muslim. Though he says on the stage that he is a Sinhala Buddhist no one believes that he is, the way he behaves and acts. By now he has proved it beyond any doubt. He has completely forgotten that he was the man who destroyed the SLFP as a political Party by betraying the SLFP and MR trend, first, by joining the reactionary UNP which SWRD left discarding it in 1952 and second by inducing nearly 40 SLFP members to cross over and even appointing some defeated candidates like SB Dissanayala, Mahinda Samarasinha, Dilan Perera, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and Vijitahamuni Soyza this making Parliamentary democracy a big joke and a fraud. So now you see who destroyed the SLFP, the only political party that looked after the interests of the Sinhala Buddhists.
Had he not come out as the Common candidate Ranil would have definitely got defeated for the 30th time and created world history? In short today there is no SLFP as an organized formidable political party in the country. It is better to take it for grant as dead and buried not six feet under as MS use to repeat but miles below the surface. It is a tragedy that the masses who had been with the SLFP since 1956 at the grass root level especially in the villages today are left high and dry as there is no leader to follow or look up to. This is the lacuna the MR Camp can fill, if it plays its cards intelligently.
Although some defector MPP have joined Sirisena after winning the election from the Bulathkole for Ministerial position, power and money, I don’t think the grassroots level SLFPers have changed. People are waiting for an election to chase out these ungrateful pole jumpers at the first chance they get. President Sirisena thinks and behaves like the poor animal in the story The Prince and the Donkey” where the donkey misunderstood the way subjects respected the Prince to be respect towards it. He will realize his folly after the next elections. His currant behavior could only be compared with the proverbial bull in the china shop. Although he and his mentor Chandrika say MR has destroyed the SLFP all sensible people know who has actually done so. Looking at the organizers he has selected, like a man who has made a female teacher to kneel before him and many others to replace popular people, I can guarantee that he will not get even 5 seats from the whole country at a future general election if the MR camp play the card well and elections are held before the President’s term expires. It is a pity that he does not realize that he was never elected by the SLFP.
Nevertheless at any election certainly the voters will get split and as a result of a substantial number of votes going to MS nominees, the chances of MR Camp, getting a clear majority to form a Government is at stake. Unless a miracle takes place, the way Ranil is running the show, UNP getting a clear majority is also doubtful. Even if it ends up in a white wash like in 1956 one needs not surprised. But even if MR Camp gets a higher number JO might not be able to from a Government as Tamil, Muslim and the JVP are unlikely to support it. Maitri playing his usual game as he did last time might appoint Ranil again as PM. The final result will be therefore again a jumble called Unity Government under Ranil as PM and Sirisena as the President, until 2020, where Ranil will run the show.
The fight between Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maitripala Sirisena for SLFP votes is utterly foolish and disastrous from a national point of view. In this contest MR will definitely win and Maitree will be far behind in the contest for SLFP votes. He may not get even five seats. But the fact remains that a substantial number of SLFP votes in each electorate will go waste as they vote the candidates representing the Maitree camp. That will definitely give an edge to the UNP candidates and the final result could be an unexpected windfall to Ranil. Under this situation even if Ranil does not get an overall majority yet he will succeed in capturing the power at all levels. If that happens, with that episode the curtain will fall on the Sinhala nation, their mother land and the Buddha Sasana in this country.
In this instance, I recall a story of a Lion, a Kaludeva and a cunning Fox we learned in grade two in school. One day when a Kaludeva (a bear like animal) was about to enjoy a deer killed by it there came a Lion on the scene. The Lion interrupted and said it was he who killed it and therefore the carcass belongs to him. A fight ensued between the two. Hearing the brawl between them, a fox passing by, appeared on the scene. It thought for a while, got a brilliant idea, and applauded and encouraged both of them to fight until both of them got fatally wounded and died. There after the cunning fox consumed the deer along with its family until the whole carcass was over.
This is exactly what will happen at the end of this three corner fight. In this case MR is the lion. Sirisena the Kaludeva and Ranil the cunning fox and the Tamils, Muslims, Tamil Diaspora, NGOO and the International Community, the family. The unfortunate deer is this country, Sinhala nation and the Buddha Sasana. All these enemies will get together and install a new Constitution, parcel out the country, give 13 plus including land, police and even judicial powers to the Provinces and all what they are asking for like the power to get direct foreign aid to the Provincial Councils and self- determination etc and make this beautiful motherland of ours a land of eternal ethnic strife and a cursed battle ground of international power struggles.
It is only the patriotic citizens like you who love this country and its heritage who can save the country from this tragic end. Of cause the SLFP voters the country over, in villages and towns, factories and offices will have to take the lead in this most crucial and decisive battle to save the motherland and the Sinhala nation. So I call upon all SLFPers to first realize the afore said imminent national catastrophe and then understand who represent the real SLFP, and then reject all those who have gone with Sirisena, to ruin the SLFP founded by that great man SWRD in 1952 and put all of them permanently to the dustbin of history and Save your Motherland and the glorious Sinahala Nation as our ancestors have done it in the yore for us.
This is why I call upon all patriotic people in this country to despise all political parties, especially the most Unreliable Never Patriotic Party and put the country before the party and strive hard to save Mother Lanka for posterity as our ancestors had done for 2600 years for you and me by sacrificing their lives in millions.
Never in its 2.5 millennia history of this country, have we come across the type of unpatriotic, treacherous, traitorous, naïve and stupid leaders as we have today. Such stupid traitors were unheard, unseen and unrecorded in its entire 2600 year period. Remember the great sons of Mother Lanka like Dutugemunu, Maha Parakramabahu, Gajaba and Rajasinha the 11 and generals like Nandimitra, Lankanatha, Lnkapura, Lankanatha in ancient days and Weera Keppetipola in more recent times and heroic Buddhaputras such as Theraputthabhaya, Kadahapola and Wariyapola Sumangala who fought and shed their blood and often paid with their lives to protect this Jaya Bhumi and the Sambuddha Sasana for you and me.
Therefore it is the bounden duty of all patriotic Sinhala people in this country to rise above petty considerations like blind party politics and rally round a patriotic national movement led by a Patriotic Sinhala Buddhist leader who can rescue this country from the present abysmal political, economic and social depth in to which this Ranil-Sirisena-Chandrika Trio has put.
Rally round the village Temple or the Church; get the whole nation organized under the robe and the Lion Flag. Make a clarion call to the whole nation to discard blind party sentiments; put the country before everything else under the sun; sing one country, one Government, one flag, one law and one nation and beat your war drums until a righteous ruler is installed in power and good governance, law and order and peace and prosperity and sanity are once again restored on this Paradise Island.