Why all this fuss about the Constitution ?

The proposed amendments to the Constitution, have raised a political storm. Fortunately the directions from which the storms blow do not predict a danger to the envisaged proposals but may cause irreparable damage to those who started the storm.

JVP and its wind bags like the drowning men holding on to a straw, encumbered with the weight of Sarath Fonseka on their backs are likely to drown in the flood waters of political disapproval, even Lal Kantha the ego centric trade unionist will not be able to save it from its watery gave.

The leftist trio DEW Gunasekara, Tissa Vitharana and Wasudeva Nanayakkara as usual unable to take firm decisions, are preparing the funeral rights of the good old leftist movement, and it remains for them to jump into the funeral pyre as they will have no worth while existence with the end of the leftist movement. Even the President will not have any use of them as he is already assured of a two third majority in the Parliament.

UNP is in complete disarray. It is however heartening that at least a few young UNPers have had a sudden revelation that opposition to a government is not to blow it up, but to make it serve the people better.

When I was reading the President Barack Obama’s book the Audacity of Hope a passage struck me as relevant to Sri Lanka. In that passage he says, that in conversation with an old Washington hand who had served in the Capitol for over fifty years, he asked the difference of the atmosphere then and now, and he had answered that:

“……we might’ve fought like cats and dogs on issues. A lot of us came from different back grounds, different neighbourhoods, different political philosophies. But with the war we all had some thing in common. That shared experience developed a certain trust and respect. It helped to work through our differences and get things done.”

It is a pity that it did not happen that way in Sri Lanka. The senior politicians, and supposed to be people friendly Marxists did not make the war against terrorism the rallying point to combine forces with the government for the progressive development of Sri Lanka. They instead made it an opportunity to make personal benefits to realise their political ambitions, without caring a dime for the country and its people.

JVP is ridiculous in hanging on to Sarath Fonseka as their Leader. He was of course the Army Commander during the most difficult period of the recent history of Sri Lanka . He may have discussed strategies and prepared the army officers for their different assignments. But the war itself was conducted by officers under him.

We saw in video clips during the height of the military offensive against the terrorists, that the Army Officers like Shavendra Silva, Prasanna De Silva and others who in the midst of fighting giving instructions to their soldiers and asking them before they turn away to take care of themselves. They deserve lot of credit for the elimination of terrorists from Sri Lanka.

Sarath Fonseka as the Army Commander should not have used his position to help his family to set up business to sell arms to the army. He should have retired as an army Officer without seeking political power. In seeking political power he did not set an example to the Armed forces of Sri Lanka.

In this respect it is relevant to quote the statement made by Admiral Mike Mullen Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of USA at a press conference after the former Afghanistan Commander Stanley A. McChrystal gave his resignation, as it was reported in the International Herald Tribune of 25 June, 2010.

Speaking to the military he had said:

“….We do not have the right, nor should we ever assume the prerogative, to cast doubt upon the ability or mock the motives of our civilian leaders, elected or appointed. We are and must remain a neutral instrument of the state , accountable to and respectful of those leaders no matter which party holds sway or which person holds a given office.”

We may recognise Sarath Fonseka as a war hero, but he does not deserve our respect for what he did afterwards bringing discredit to our country, and the President Mahinda Rajapakse who united Sri Lanka under one flag after 30 years of untold suffering from ruthless terrorism.

The 18th Amendment to the Constitution is necessary as that is the least we can do to help a man like Mahinda Rajapakse who has a great vision for the progress and development of Sri Lanka to continue his good work to raise Sri Lanka above its status of a developing nation, if the people would want him and vote for him at the Presidential elections that follows the end of the term of his office.

The Tamils be they politicians, academics, intellectuals or ordinary civilians should not rake the past, call for equality and devolution of power which will only make the Sinhala community hate the Tamils, and who knows result in another spate of terrorism. An aspect of reconciliation is also to forget and forgive the errors of the past.

It was most annoying that Douglas Devananda decided to show his Tamilness by giving evidence in Tamil before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. He had made matters worse by stopped several times to dispute English translation by the interpreter. He could have as well given his evidence in English.

In the reconciliation and reconstruction process there should not be communal reference Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim etc. They should all be treated as Sri Lankans in that progressive movement of bringing all people together. This is where the Tamils should take a lesson from the American President Barrack Obama. His was a peaceful revolution.

Mr.Barrack Obama did not separate himself as an ethnic minority. He worked in harmony with the majority whites winning them over with his pragmatic method of campaigning. He made it possible for a man from a minority ethnic group to become the leader of the most powerful nation of the world. Why cannot the showy Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu cannot understand this and change his separatist attitude ?

Every body talks of the proposed 18th Amendment to the constitution as an affront to Democracy. Democracy is something that had been introduced by the West, expecting the developing countries of the third world to respect it, while they themselves act undemocratically. They have introduced” human rights” to out manoeuvre democratic principles, to interfere into internal affaires of the sovereign states of developing countries.

Democracy is good in principle to already developed countries. But a developing country should follow a “middle path” with out making democracy a sacrosanct political system. If China did not keep the west from interfering into its affairs, and adopted authoritative methods when necessary, it would have still remained as it was described by Pear S Buck in her book the Good Earth.

For a developing country to rise from low income economy , to a middle income economy and then to a fully developed economy takes time and disciplining of the population. It is necessary to use high handed methods at times in the interest of the country. That is not to say the methods adopted should be dictatorial, but sufficient to infuse understanding and necessity of sacrifice for the overall development.

Therefore, an executive President is necessary for Sri Lanka, which is now on the correct path to development. The fear of the other political parties about the introduction of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution is that they will not be able to have political power to make their political philosophies workable to hasten the development process.

But the democratic principle of changing Political parties at every parliamentary and Presidential election hampers development. When one political party has introduced a political process of development the results of which could be seen in a certain number of years, another political party coming into power before the end of that time period, will change the whole process to suit their political philosophy and the country as a result will fall from once process to another with out any development at all.

This has to stop, as we have seen that democracy has not helped us from 1948 until now to even come above the lower income economic classification. It is only now thanks to perspicacity of the President Mahinda Rajapakse we have reached the middle income economy status. The country is at peace, infrastructure development is proceeding well, and the foreign currency reserve shows efficient management. The country is socially, economically healthy. The defence and security of the country is assured by an efficient Defense Secretary.

What remains is the reconciliation and reconstruction, which at the way things are turning out will not be difficult if the present political system continues for some more time. Therefore the 18th Amendment is necessary for the present situation. The 17th Amendment as it is, is not workable, and it is best that it is scrapped and a more workable legislation is substituted.

An incumbent President’s right to contest for another term of office under the 18th Amendment does not mean that after the end of the term of office of the President he is automatically allowed to continue in his office. It only allows him to contest the Presidential elections along with other candidates. Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse will not have the guarantee that the people will vote for him. That would not be against any democratic principles

Therefore, why make a fuss about the 18th Amendment to the Constitution ?

The country definitely needs changes to its Constitution, to allow the President Mahinda Rajapakse, who has the correct perception to lead our country to a higher target of development. There had been errors and mistakes in certain ministerial responsibilities, but they are not irreparable, and it appears that the President has an eye every where to take stock of the situation and take corrective steps.

Now if everything goes well and the proposed amendments to the Constitution are adopted, it is left to the other political parties to rally round the President and his government and help them to make a success of reconciliation and reconstruction of post terrorist Sri Lanka. That way they will not be left out of the government’s development projects, and they can have their say on matters of importance.

It is important that the Government Servants do not embarrass the government calling for strikes for pay hikes. Every one has to make sacrifices and rally round the government to develop the country. It does not mean that the opposition parties, and the government servants should not be vigilant.

But recalcitrant Trade Unionists like Lal Kantha should not be allowed to manipulate workers, and University Students for political ends. If they continues their s activities which are detrimental to the country, democratic principles should be overlooked to punish them, or even arrest them.

The public servants should check, observe, report defects, deficiencies, corruptions, undue interferences, slack in work to the proper authorities so that every body overseers the other to enable the machine of administration to work efficiently for the common good of the country.

The Constitutional changes are essential and the Executive President should continue for some more time to come . Therefore the fuss about the proposed 18th Amendment to the Constitution is not necessary.

Bury the past, to begin a new way of life with a different way of thinking.

UNP was never a progressive party.

Progress came to Sri Lanka only after SWRD Bandaranayake broke away from UNP to set up a new political party of the people.


When UNP came to power once again under the leadership of JR Jayawardhana,


it was digression from the path of progress delineated by the MEP. JR is responsible for the present dilemma of Sri Lanka with the 13th and the 17th amendments. After him the R.Premadasa government attempted to trace a new path of progress, which was jagged with potholes, and led to his own destruction. .


It was a relief for the people when Chandrika Kumaratunga was elected into power. Much was expected of her, but she failed as she was perhaps immature in politics, headstrong and was later manipulated by the UNP.

When Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse came into power he inherited the errors that had been committed by the UNP, and uncertain political situation to which UNP had taken our country. Chandrika Kumaratunga had done nothing better other than adding to the confusion, initiated by UNP. Both had strengthened the terrorists to the extent they were on the verge of setting up a separate Tamil Eelam State.

The country was shrouded in fear where the terrorists had the upperhand terrorising the people, massacring the innocent, assassinating the Government Ministers, political leaders, military and police officers, attempting to assassinate the Army Commander and the Defence Secretary. Every day the sun rose in Sri Lanka bringing fear into the people not knowing where the next bomb will explode, which school, or which political leader or army and police officer will be targeted by a suicide bomber.

Mahinda Rajapakse who took over a sins of the previous governments was determined to change the situation and set up priorities. Having failed to meet the terrorist leader to come to a workable solution to end terrorism, he sought the aid of the Norwegian Mission who had been mediating between the Government and the terrorists to arrange negotiations for a peace settlement. The terrorists abandoned the negotiations and “gave notice” of their determination to settle the problem through terrorism, by blasting a claymore bomb killing a busload of people, and closing sluice gates of a tank depriving thousands of farmers of water for their farmlands.

That forced the President Mahinda Rajapakse, who wanted to avoid “a war “ against the terrorists, to resort to military operations. The international Community did not intervene then to speak to the terrorists and ask them to return to the negotiating table.

Therefore, though the International Community, with their followers the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the UN now seek to accuse the Government of Sri Lanka for war crimes, they were themselves responsible for the situation that arose, when the Government of Sri Lanka having no other alternative, resorted to a military solution to end terrorism.

Therefore the International Community and the UN are equally responsible for the what ever happened in Mulativu during the final phase of the military operations against the terrorists.

However, the terrorism was finally eliminated by the new President Mahinda Rajapakse to the great relief of the Tamil, Sinhala , Muslim and other Communities of Sri Lanka.

Now the terrorism in Sri Lanka is past history. It is time the several communities in Sri Lanka forget the past and begin to think differently to continue life after terrorism, without the past memories of hostilities.

All that terrorism and the thirty years we lost battling against all odds to divest ourselves of that ruthless terrorists were to end the suffering of all the people without distinction of their race, religion or culture. Those thirty years of suffering was the result of failure to understand ourselves as a people living in this Island home together. It was the result of one community trying to compete against another.

That competition was begun by a handful of Tamil politicians who wanted to divide this country, separating the Tamil Community from the rest. It was the result of the Tamil politicians demanding equal rights, along with the Majority Sinhala. It was also the result of the egoism of the Tamil politicians’ failure to understand that the Sinhala majority had been the target of all colonialists. For more than four hundred years the different colonial forces, killed and massacred the Sinhala villagers, burnt their homes killed their youth, destroyed all that was sacred to them .

The Buddhism of the Sinhala people was an eye sore for the colonialists. They ensnared the people away from the religion of their forefathers, forcing on them their own false religions. They built their Churches, bigger than The temples of the Sinhala people. It was like the Spanish Inquisition where the indigenous people who refused to accept the“True Faith” were massacred and their temples desecrated, and the “cross” forced upon them.

The Colonialists mutilated the culture of the Sinhala people. No other community in Sri Lanka suffered so much for so long in the hands of the colonialists. Therefore when the Independence was finally won the Sinhala people –the majority that suffered generation after generations wanted to recuperate what they lost to the Colonialists.

The Tamil politicians refused to accept that situation, but wanting to cash on it by ignoring the stolen rights of the Sinhala majority, asked for equal rights along with them.

As it is now the Tamils created the ethnic problem separating themselves from the Sinhala majority. The problem is not with the Tamil people, but with the Tamil politicians , Tamil academics and the Tamil intellectual.

These Tamil politicians, and the Tamil intelligentsia are still the trouble shooters, who defy the peoples’ desire to unite without the distinction of a minority and a majority community. This is seen in the Jaffna civil society meeting the visiting Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms. Nirupama Rao,


as reported in the Hindustan Times of 2.9.2010:
“…… In Jaffna, Rao had an interactive meet with members of the civil society where Tamil academics and intellectuals shared their complaints, apprehensions and expectations about India's role in Sri Lanka with her.
According to reports, Rao was told that the people of Jaffna expect India to play an active role in extracting a political settlement on the ethnic issue from Colombo. But at the same time, doubts were expressed whether India, which sided with the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime in its fight against the Tamil Tigers, would indeed help the Lankan Tamils to get that. Mere resettlement of war-displaced Tamils in small pockets of the northern districts will not achieve anything, she was told……”
These Tamil “civil society” is again trying to create trouble in Sri Lanka, affirming their difference, their distrust of the rest of the people of Sri Lanka, with a show of “allegiance” to India.

Why should we allow India to settle our problems ? The problems of the Tamil people is the problem of Sri Lanka.. Therefore the Tamils should interact with the Sinhala people forgetting their communal difference.

Tamils as a part of the Sri Lanka nation should separate themselves physically and mentally from subservience to India. We should be a nation independent of India. For that the Tamils and Sinhala should work together to build up the lost trust and confidence and mingle as friends settling our problems in dialogue.

India in turn “subservient” to TamilNadu through fear of their breaking away from the central government interferes in to the affairs of Sri Lanka. In trying to help develop the North and East , forgetting the existence of the South, India is only perpetuating the Sinhala, Tamil communal difference. We in Sri Lanka on the other hand want to forget our communal differences and work together as one people.

In the Tamil terrorism in the North and East, the South too suffered. The Sinhala people always come forward to defend the nation whether or not the other communities fall in line with them.


That is not to show that the Sinhala are superior to Tamils. But that is what the Sinhala had always been, whether it was against terrorism or colonialism.

For that matter the Sinhala do not ask for any different treatment from the rest of the communities. The Sinhala people had always extended their hand of friendship. The unfortunate incidents of 1983 was initiated by the Tamil terrorists, instigated by RAW of India. India is continuing its expansionists ambitions unabated now trying to win over the Sri Lanka Tamils on to the Indian sphere of influence..

Not only is India trying to seal the communal difference of the Sinhala and Tamils, but also introducing a new element to differentiate the Tamil community itself by bringing in the question of Indian Tamils pointed out by the Indian Foreign Secretary, as it is seen by the report in the Hindustan Times of 2.9.2010.
“….They are basically IDPs of Indian origin who had been resettled in Vavuniya area after 1977 riots. They had been cultivating their lands there and now after the war they had been shifted to the Menik farm IDP camp,” the foreign secretary said.
There are today two groups of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The first are the Sri Lankan Tamils, who either descend from the Tamils of the old Jaffna kingdom or who migrated to the East coast…….” (note the words “old Jaffna Kingdom)

The Government of Sri Lanka is naïve to allow India to assert its rights over North and East Sri Lanka, with their hypocritical aid to construct houses and make demands for the benefit of the Tamil people separating them from the other communities.

The President Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse will we believe soon set up a viable reconciliation process to bring together the different communities in Sri Lanka. The reconciliation is not devolution of power. It is not the ordinary Tamils who want devolution of power.

For the ordinary people of Sri Lanka, whether they are Tamil, Sinhala , Muslim or any other, what is necessary is first a peaceful existence, thereafter an improved living standard, employment, shelter, health facilities, and education opportunities. Devolution of power is a demand of the Tamil politicians, Tamil academics, and the Tamil Intelligentsia.

There is already an ongoing reconciliation process at school level, where the children of different communities meet in recreation, cultural events and sport. It is this that has to be encouraged and expanded. This is where the Tamil politicians, Tamil academics and the intelligentsia could help, instead of leaning on India to get political rights for themselves from Colombo.

It is regrettable that their intelligence do not make them realise that it is working with the government of Sri Lanka without harbouring hatred towards the Sinhala and other communities that they can become a part of the larger Sri Lankan Nation.

Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse has taken Sri Lanka on a progressive path. He is honest and sincere. We have to place our trust on him. We have gone through thirty years of suffering. It is not too much for us to give the President a few more years to take us out of the separatist mindset, to reconcile the communities and build a united nation of Sri Lankans, not separated as Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim or any other.

It is necessary that Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse continues to be the executive President of Sri Lanka for an extended period of time .

The LSSP remnants Tissa Vitharana and Wasudeva Nanayakkara still hanging onto the Government as a sad reminder to a great political party that dominated the then political arena of Sri Lanka, had said that they oppose the Executive Presidency.

Marxism opposes parliamentary system of government ….” In explaining the class nature of bourgeois civilization, bourgeois democracy and the bourgeois parliamentary system, all Socialists have expressed the idea formulated with the greatest scientific precision by Marx and Engels (Engels Introduction to the The Civil War in France), namely, that the most democratic bourgeois republic is no more than a machine for the suppression of the working class by the bourgeoisie, for the suppression of the working people by a handful of capitalists…….”

In that context it is strange that Tissa Vitharana while opposing the Executive Presidency had said, that “All the powers should be handed to Parliament so that the person who can get the consent of the majority could be appointed as the prime-minister.”. Wasudeva Nanayakkara confirms the same idea by stating that “Sri Lanka doesn't need executive presidency powers. No extension of its tenure is necessary. A tenure which is responsible to Parliament is necessary to our country."

But if they oppose Executive Presidency to keep in line with Marxist theories, they cannot then accept the Parliamentary system as well which is opposed to Marxism.

These are two “ petit bourgeois” , parliamentarians, a shade of the former LSSP who have still not learnt lessons from the mistakes of their past leaders.

When SWRD Bandaranaike invited the LSSP to join the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna , the LSSP Central Committee decided against it. That was the greatest mistake of the LSSP under Dr.N.M.Perera. He tried to repair later by joining the government of Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike , which turned out to be a mistake, with Felix Bandaranaike an all powerful Minister in Mrs. Bandaranaike’s cabinet , trying to overshadow Dr.N.M.Perera.

Having accepted the Parliamentary System, the LSSP should cooperate with a socialist government without standing by their Marxist principles. They should accept the reality of the situation that necessitates change in the interest of the country.

By opposing the executive Presidency they are trying to deprive the country of a Socialist President with whom the LSSP and the Communist Parties could work together. The LSSP cannot form an alternative government and therefore it is in their interest to support the President who is doing a good job of work.

The LSSP failed as a political party from the beginning, because they were unable to feel the “pulse” of the country and move accordingly. They were putting all their cards organising the workers, when the real power was in the hands of the peasants, teachers, the monks and the “vedamahattayas”. SWRD Bandaranaike capitalised on that.

To-day the people are with the President and there is no doubt about it. The LSSP and DEW Gunasekara of the Communist Party opposing the executive Presidency and constitutional amendments are going against the people.

The people are not interested in the Constitution, but they are interested in continuing to have Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse as their President for some more time. Instead of walking forward with the people, the LSSP and the CP are walking backwards against the people.

The Executive Presidency could be used in the interest of the country or against it in the interest of the President, and to the detriment of the people. The President Mahinda Rajapakse had used his executive powers from the very beginning of his term of office in the interest of the country, and there is no reason to believe that he will not continue to do so in the future.

He had shown statesmanly characteristics and taken the country in the correct path to progress and development. His executive powers had given him the power and the drive to lead the country during its most difficult period, very ably leaving the responsibility of the war against terrorism in the hands of his trusted Defence Secretary, taking over on himself the task of facing the international community, and critics without allowing them to interfere with the more important aspect of the elimination of terrorism by the Armed Forces.

He used the executive Presidency, in the interest of the country and the people. He fortunately had a number of brothers on whom he could depend on to take over different branches of governance , giving him a free hand to look after the overall development projects for the country.

He carried out the different aspects of governance effectively and efficiently, despite political opposition, personal and political critics, international interference, aggressive local and international media, UN, Human Rights activists, European Union and Amnesty International. He was accused of corruption, malpractices, governing the country as a family affair, interfering into justice and police investigations, and also possible connivance in abductions and disappearances of media personnel.

He took all that in his stride without talking back, using his executive power to lock up the critics in State Prisons, being vindictive, resorting to strong arm tactics to stop his critics, or accusers. He was not perturbed, distracted, angered or ungracious. He met his friends and critics with the same polite smile and courtesy.

He has so far done considerable service to the country and his people. He has a peculiar ability to work as a “team leader”. That is why in the short time since he had been elected President he had been able to carry out so many development projects some of which the previous political leaders had dared not attempt. The Hambantota Harbour Project is one such ambitious undertaking.

He has lot of projects in view and he has already taken Sri Lanka way up in development. If he is not allowed to continue his work plans now the losers will be the people of this country.

His greater tasks are yet to be handled. He has eliminated fear of terrorism, every mother and father knows what a relief it is to send their children to school and expect them back in the evening. There was a time that a short walk to the market was a perilous journey, not knowing what to expect on the way. That itself is a great credit to the President Mahinda Rajapakse.

He has yet to undertake the serious task of reconciliation of the communities. There is no doubt that he will be able to do it, as well as the elimination of terrorism. Though lot of people criticise him for having all his family in the government, the people understand, that with them he has a trusted team to work with.

With the members of the family in charge, he would have none to undercut him, as it was with Sarath Fonseka. Sarath Fonseka was the only bad choice he made in the distribution of responsibilities. If he had a brother or an uncle to be the Commander of the Armed Forces then, instead of Sarath Fonseka, it would have been another family member , but yet some one he could have really trusted.

It is rarely that a man like Mahinda Rajapakse is born to a country. There was a time that people spoke of Diyasena, when SWRD Bandaranaike became the President. There is no doubt that SWRD Bandaranayake was a great political leader who made the independence from colonialism more real to the people. Mahinda Rajapakse follows that great leader but with a greater vision to take our country to so far unknown heights.

The President Mahinda Rajapakse has also the ability to select the best man for a job, not necessarily a kinsman. He was criticised when he appointed Mr.Nivard Cabraal as the Governor of the Central Bank, but Mr. Cabraal too has taken his responsibility seriously doing enormously well as the Governor of the Central Bank. It has been reported that the Sri Lankan economic growth is ahead of all countries in South Asia-except Malaysia.

The President Mahinda Rajapakse has taken Sri Lanka away from the diplomatic isolation remaining far too long with the Western Nations, who had not always been friendly towards him and Sri Lanka. The Western Countries gave us repayable financial aid always under conditions. They even held us to ransom withholding GSP+ for instance, on issues that do not concern the grant of the concession.

But thanks to our President Mahinda Rajapakse we have enlarged our diplomatic standing and now there are friendly countries ready to help us unconditionally. There are thus many friendly Nations for us to fall back on.

We cannot change the President now to hand the Presidency to some one else who will take back Sri Lanka to what it had been a few years back.

There is still lot more work to be done to heave Sri Lanka on to the pedestal development. Therefore, it is important that we make necessary constitutional amendments to keep Mahinda Rajapaksa as the President of Sri Lanka for a few more terms.

No for international universities- reform and reorganise existing Universities in Sri Lanka, with a separate University exclusively for Buddhist monks

If “Foreign Unis will stop JVP hanky-panky”(news head line in Lakbima), is the reason why the Minister of Higher Education Mr. S.B.Dissanayake wants to set up International Universities in Sri Lanka, it has to be emphasised that it is not at all a wise decision .

The boycotting of lectures, going on strikes, and factional fist fights announce a sad depreciation of the system of university education in Sri Lanka.

From an interview the Minister of Higher Education Mr.S.B.Dissanayake gave to the Lakbima, one gathers very little about his idea of foreign universities he intends to establish in Sri Lanka . He himself seems to be confused on the issue.

He says that he does not like the term private universities, and speaks of 78 private universities that have already been opened, which are profit making concerns. Without speaking of what he intends to do with the 78 private universities grabbing money from students, he says he will set up international universities launching about 10 of them to begin with.

The whole idea of setting up international universities does not go with the present independent development programme envisaged by the Government of Sri Lanka. If the idea is to teach a lesson to the Inter University Students’ Federation and students influenced by the JVP , embroiled in constant strikes and most intolerable behaviour not expected of undergraduate of any respectability, the move to establish international universities is not the solution to the problem.

The Minister himself does not seem to be sure of what he means by setting up International Universities. To a question the interviewer from the Lakbima asked, “ What are the laws to be enacted for bringing the foreign universities into Sri Lanka?” The Minister answered, “ There are two ways to establish a university. If anyone has the capacity, for instance, we can give him a chance to establish a university”.

If that is the idea, it will only be creating problems as those we had with the NGOs and INGOs that invaded Sri Lanka after tsunami and interfered into internal affairs of the country. The government had a greater difficulty in getting rid of them. Does the Minister wants to create another such mess ?

If it is to invite established National Universities of foreign Countries like Oxford or Cambridge Universities of UK, Sorbonne or Bordeaux Universities of France , Berlin or Freiburg Universities of Germany , or Harvard or Stanford Universities of America, to set up Branch universities in Sri Lanka , the Minister’s proposal is acceptable, but definitely not if it is to invite any foreigner who has the capacity to establish a university, to set up a university in Sri Lanka. The latter would be changing pillows to cure a headache, and the worst of it would be if the wrong people posing as having the capacity were to set up Universities.

The leading National universities of foreign countries will not agree to set up branches here thought they may agree to open offices to register students for admission to their Universities.

The Minister of Higher Education has got the wrong end of the stick with his idea of setting up international universities. Instead on precipitating action on such a dangerous move, he should first take action to close down the 78 private universities that he says are degree selling institutions.

There is really nothing wrong with our universities accept that the politicians like Lal Kantha of JVP had been allowed to manipulate the university students far too long resulting in the chronic indiscipline that has infected the universities in Sri Lanka. Destroying the future of young graduates by involving them in manifestations and strikes to fulfil political ends should be condemned and it should be treated as a criminal offence and the perpetrators should be arrested and taken to courts.

Democracy is good as long as it is used for the welfare of the people and progress of the country. But when any one oversteps the bounds of liberty offered by democracy, that person should be taken to task. Sri Lanka is a fast developing country and every body should be able to make sacrifices and put their shoulder to the wheel of development. Strikes for increase of salaries , or better conditions of work should be put off until Sri Lanka has risen above its present development stage.

The university students of today are the tomorrows capital on which Sri Lanka depends for its vigorous development plans. They are the “brain” of the nation and they should not allow themselves to be manipulated by Lal Kantha or JVP or any other person or group. Their future lies in the future development of Sri Lanka therefore , they should prepare themselves with that prospect in mind.

Our Universities have the potential to reach Western university standards. An example is the University of Moratuwa- a leading University recognised the world over. It is therefore important to take corrective steps to improve discipline, and make the students understand that the University is an institution for the development of the intellectual capacity of young Sri Lankans to compete with the intellectuals of the world at large, and not to follow nincompoops like Lal Kantha to end up as casualties of the JVP’s political ambition.

The Minister of Higher Education instead of giving chances to foreign individuals “with capacity” to establish Universities, should make do with the existing National Universities to first, rank them according to their importance and improve their teaching standards, by recruiting instructors of quality, even “foreigners” to impart adequate knowledge to the undergraduates to prepare them for the competitive world beyond universities.

The language of instruction is no problem. No one should down grade instructions in Sinhala, or Tamil. Sri Lankans should be proud of their mother tongue, and should not be made to feel inferior because they have not received an English education. The Ministers contention that “……. Our students are mentally backward as they lack English language skills….” is wrong .

The French, Italian , German, Russian, Chinese, Spanish Universities provide university instructions in their respective languages. They provide facilities for students to study foreign languages. Why should it be different in Sri Lanka ?
English is a foreign language, therefore, these students of Sri Lanka should not be disparaged for their lack of English knowledge. But instead they should be provided with modern methods of learning foreign languages to make them proficient in English. Why not even in Chinese ?

English should be taught as a second language to all university entrants, so that they will have access to literature, modern science and technology .

But an important aspect of the University education the Minister should look into is the admission of Buddhist monks to universities.

The greatest disrespect and damage caused to the Buddha Sasana in Sri Lanka was the scrapping of the Privena System of education to Buddhist Monks, and admitting them to Universities. If some one can at least now rectify this great unpardonable error committed against the Buddha Sasana it would be another step towards the modernising of the Education system, and at the same time giving to Buddhism its rightful place of sanctity.

When an ordinary layman is ordained as a monk he adheres to 227 rules of Patimokkha. He gives up connection to lay life. But what has happened with the scrapping of Pirivena System and admitting Buddhist Bikkhus to Universities is that they have gone back on their vows of monkhood adhering to the patimokkha rules, and turned back to become laymen in yellow robes.

A monk has to live the life of a monk- a mendicant living on alms, not become an Administrator, Director of a Corporation, a teacher, Parliamentarian, a drivers, or a motor cyclists.

Therefore the Minister of Higher Education has to reform the existing Universities without setting up international universities, and above all he should separate the Sangha and the laity.

And while reorganising the universities for lay students, he should set up a separate university for Buddhist Monks, without allowing them to mix with the lay men and women. Buddha’s teachings including the disciplinary rules, cannot be changed to go with the modern way of living, or modern science and technological developments, because the teachings of the Buddha is timeless (akaliko)

The most disgusting sight we often see in manifestations in Sri Lanka university students, is the monks who take the forefront shouting slogans, with their robes in disarray, faces ugly with anger , disorderly, and for the most part unshaven and disgusting .

There should be a separate university exclusively for Buddhist monks. They should be instructed in Buddha Dhamma. But teaching foreign languages may enable them to spread the word of the Buddha.

Take Ban ki Moon before an International Tribunal for trying to bring disrepute to Sri Lanka, while ignoring evident war crimes by member states of O

Ban Ki Moon’s determination to go ahead with a panel to investigate possible war crimes by the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka, at the final phase of its military operations against the terrorists, seems to be a personal vendetta, rather than a sincere desire to know whether there had been violation of human rights.

Why does he make it a personal vendetta ? Perhaps because he was a party to the failed attempt of the member states of the West, led by UK, France and Norway to save the Sri Lanka terrorist leadership.

If Ban Ki Moon is a man capable of independent evaluation of the situation it may not have been difficult for him to first, differentiate “war” and “terrorism”. A conventional war is first declared by a country preparing to wage a war, to the country which is being targeted for the attack. Therefore the enemies are recognised and their movements known, and those who investigate could then enforce the Geneva Convention and all such gamut.

Second, to understand that terrorism is different because terrorism springs forth, unannounced and they attack a country without differentiating the armies and civilians. Ban Ki Moon knows what happened on the 11 September,2001.

The method of the terrorists to achieve their object is to create terror, assassinate, murder, kidnap, blow up buses, trains, air ports, attack from hidden areas often hiding behind civilian occupied areas , taking civilians under their control through threat and fear.

The terrorists are not seen in battalions , they are hiding most of the time to appear from somewhere least expected. They plant bombs, they send their suicide carder as civilians in buses or trains to either be exploded in a crowded bus, train or a market place. If not they lay in waiting as “sleepers” until an order is sent for them to activate and blow themselves at a given place to blow in “exchange” a VIP.

That is how the terrorists operate, and military operations to fight terrorism is entrapped with danger, specially for soldiers of an infantry who could be taken unawares, fall into ambuscades, walk into minefields, and collateral damages could hardly be avoided. This fact seems difficult for Ban Ki Moon’s grey matter to work out.

Ban Ki Moon has to be educated that the Sri Lanka Government forces adopted a special method to avoid possible material damage or death to Tamil civilians when they targeted places where terrorists were in hiding.

This had not been the case with the coalition armies led by the Americans in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. They bombed villages where the talibans were supposed to be hiding and attacking those areas they killed civilians. They were continuing their bombardments unconcerned as it was for them a war against terrorists, and collateral damage to civilians were unavoidable.

It was only when complaints against civilian deaths were numerous, that UNO intervened to collect evidence. Having collected reliable evidence Ban Ki Moon shelved the information. He did not make any accusations against the coalition armies led by America.

Following is an article that appeared in a French web site , when the coalition armies led by America was killing civilians in their air raids against talibans, it is in French:

“.. Irak, Afghanistan, chaque semaine des dizaines de civils morts par des frappes de l´Otan, sans que cela ne soit vraiment sanctionné car ça dure encore et encore. Tragique concours de circonstances, plus de 90 civils afghans ont été tués le même vendredi 22 août, lors d´un bombardement aérien dans l´ouest du pays. En raison de la triste répétition de ces «dommages collatéraux», l´ONU has collected des «preuves convaincantes qu´un bombardement de la coalition emmenée par les Américains avait tué vendredi 90 civils, dont 60 enfants, 15 femmes et 15 hommes», (on a report dated 1 September,2008 in http://terredislam.bloguez.com)

Translate it reads :

“Each week in Iraq, and Afghanistan, tens of civilians are killed in aerial bombardments by Otan, without being really sanctioned and goes on again and again. In these tragic circumstances, more than 90 Afghan civilians were killed on Friday 22,August, in aerial bombardments in the West of the country. In view of the sad repetition of these “collateral damages", the ONU collected convincing evidence of bombardments of the coalition led by the Americans on the Friday22 in question, in which 90 civilians were killed, of them 60 were children, 15men and 15 women. “

The passage quoted above shows that UNO having collected reliable evidence of the death of civilians by the bombardments of the coalition armies led by America, did nothing to stop it or bringing it to the notice of the USA Congress( which seems to get reports on Sri Lanka’s past military operations quite often).

The Americans and their coalition partners have a lesson to learn from the Sri Lanka Government Forces. The precise targeting in bombardment adopted by the Government Forces of Sri Lanka will avoid collateral damages that America and its coalition partners continue to cause in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is some thing that Ban Ki Moon could recommend to America in their war against terrorism.

In the absence of such “ civilian safety related methods” of military action, the American and coalition forces are killing the civilians in their bombardments, putting those deaths to“unavoidable” collateral damages.

In such a situation how can one stand dumb to Ban Ki Moon’s appointing a panel to investigate the military operations of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces to investigate whether they had committed war crimes, when he has in his possession evidence of war crimes against America and its coalition partners. Ban Ki Moon is doing nothing about it, but continuing to harass the Government of Sri Lanka.

Why should not the Government of Sri Lanka demand an investigation into the reasons why Ban Ki Moon, has not taken any action pertaining to those deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, while appointing a panel to investigate the conduct of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces ?

There had evidently been overwhelming evidence to inculpate coalition governments led by America of deaths to civilians on the bombardments against Taliban terrorists . But Banki Moon, the Amnesty International and the Human Rights watch very vociferous about Sri Lanka’s anti terrorist operations are observing holy silence about the violation of human rights and blatant killing of Civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq, by the coalition partners led by America.

For Sri Lanka the military operations against terrorism is over. It is looking ford to a future without terrorism, where peace is established, the communities are united, and the country is developed.

But for Ban Ki Moon, Amnesti International, Human Rights Watch, Eropean Union the terrorism in Sri Lanka is not over. They are carrying it in their minds, trying to save the terrorists and accuse the Government of Sri Lanka. They deny Sri Lanka and its people material help and moral encouragement to build unity, peace and social and economic development.

They are investigating to accuse Sri Lanka for its past activities to defeat and eliminate terrorism, to find whether Sri Lanka’s past military operations against terrorism lead to war crimes, so that they could enforce embargoes against Sri Lanka, like they did to Iraq, and Cuba, to stop unity among communities, stop development, and progress. So that Sri Lanka will remain poor fighting among communities without peace and development, dependent on handouts from the West, in return for poor Sri Lanka’s material and human wealth, its strategic position in the Indian Ocean, to be exploited by the West for their benefit.

Ban Ki Moon as a consolation for Sri Lanka, states that the panel he has set up will investigate not only the war crimes of the Government of Sri Lanka but also those of the terrorists.

In saying that Ban Ki Moon really takes us for fools. Where was he and his followers the Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the EU, all the time the terrorists were massacring our people, assassination our President, Ministers of Governments, Police Officers Army Commanders ? It is then they should have voiced their disagreements, and anger against the terrorists , not now when every thing is over.

If Ban Ki Moon and his coteries, want to investigate past crimes, violation of human rights by governments , aggressors against innocent civilians. There are many Nations he could start to investigate.

Ban Ki Moon and his nosy parkers can investigate crimes and violation of human rights of the American Indians by America, and Canada; crimes and violation of human rights of the Australian aborigines by the British in Australia; Japanese against Manchurians, and Koreans; the British and the French against Arabs; British against the Sri Lankans, South Africans, Kenyans; French against Vietnamese , Algerians; the list is long.

The Past is past, there is no time to waste on what had taken place, then. The Colonialism was not a period of holiday and amusement . It was a period when many colonised countries were devastated, plundering not only their material wealth, but also their pride, culture, religious beliefs and all that they valued as belonging to them.


While Ban Ki Moon and his coteries the Amnesty International, Human Rights watch , the European Union are buried neck deep with the weight of the Sri Lanka Military Operations against the terrorists, they still carry in their minds, Sri Lanka is engaged with its programmes of development, and building unity amoung the communities.

For Sri Lanka terrorism is now past history.

Sri Lanka therefore wants a little more space, and for that Ban Ki Moon, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the European Union have to get off its back and mind their own business , to allow Sri Lanka to continues its march towards progress, and Nation building.

Ban Ki Moon and his nosy parkers should know that Sri Lanka has no ethnic problems . It is a problem that was created by the interested Tamil politicians, and Tamil Intellectuals still making obeisance to the West, such as Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu, to wield their power over the Tamil population, and be some sort of Tamil Chieftains.

Those trouble shooters too are gradually finding a place in the Sri Lankan history, while others of all communities are emerging into being partners of a new nation of Sri Lankans.

It was a fortnight ago that two Tamil Parliamentarians who were even sympathetic to the LTTE terrorists and thought of a separate State for Tamils, gave up their idea of separation from the Sinhala majority and stated that they would work in harmony with the Sinhala Community and others, and with the President Mahainda Rajapaksa -who has given a new hope for unity, to share in the progress and development of the country as a union of communities.

These two young politicians, who have taken off time to think intelligently and put in their lot with the Sinhala , Muslim and other communities to make Sri Lanka a great Nation are namely : Prabah Ganesan and Palani Digambaram. Prabah Ganesan had said “Now is the time to develop the country. ” and had added , “President Mahinda Rajapaksa is one leader, who is elected by the people of this country and his mandate is to develop the country. It is time we all cooperate with him.”
Many Tamil people begin to feel that, “…. there is no point in continuing a hostile campaign with the majority community; instead it is better to work together with them to find an acceptable solution to issues facing the Tamils and Tamil speaking people of this country…”.

An heir to the terrorism named by the terrorist leader Prabhakaran- K.Pathmanathan has also promised to cooperate with the government and bury the old hatchet of discord that existed between the Tamils and the Sinhala, and work together for the common good of Sri Lanka.

The Tamil expatriates are beginning to question whether it is worth wasting time demanding a separate Tamil Eelam State and may soon join hands with the Sinhala Community- which is awaiting to receive them into its fold , when ever they decide to join their hands with them.

We are of course left with unconcerned critics mooning for the lost terrorism like the TamilNet, SriLanka Guardian, Groundview, Sunday Leader, and others like Jehan Perera, Kumar Rupasinghe, and the politicians hoping to oust the present Government and seize political power like those of the UNP, JVP, and TNA who are not really worth worrying about. Even Ananda Sangaree does not fit into the emerging new Sri Lanka.

In a recent comment to an article in the Lanka web a commentator Lorenzo wrote: “….unfortunately Tamils in the north east are tribal. Take a look at the parties they vote for.
TAMIL congress, TAMIL kachchi, TAMIL front, TAMIL alliance.
Look at what they demand.
TAMIL aspirations, TAMIL Elam, TAMIL grievances, TAMIL self determination, TAMIL nationality, TAMIL etc, etc.
This is same as in Tamil Nadu. Just look at the political parties and their tribal names and demands……..”
This too will soon end giving place to a country of united communities, “a one people, one country, one Nation”.

There you are Ban Ki Moon, stubbornly holding on to your panel to teach Sri Lanka a lesson by investigating into its past military activities, the present situation in Sri Lanka is far more brighter than you have expected, while scheming to make Sri Lanka a victim of your false allegations.

While you are holding on to your “Panel”, history and progress do not wait. As much as past is receding to history, social, economic, and cultural progress in Sri Lanka is marching fast forward. Ban Ki Moon too will soon be just a land mark in the progressive forward march of Sri Lanka.

There may be short comings and disappointments, like holes, rocks, and thorns on any uneven path, but Sri Lanka will overcome all that to make a reality of the object of progress and development to be a great nation.

Mervyn Silva phenomenon

The reported cases of dengue is said to be about 26000, of which about 175 were deaths.

Dengue fever which has taken an epidemic proportion in Sri Lanka is being swept under the carpet of Mervyn Silva phenomenon by the opposition political parties to inform the people and the international community through their press conferences , the inaction of the President and the Government to bring under control an eccentric Minister, as there is nothing more important than that happening in Sri Lanka.

The disaster that is being caused by dengue fever is no more the concern of the opposition political parties.

Undoubtedly Mervy Silva’s antics have taken a significant dimension that demands intervention of the Government and the President to prevent him from continuing his erratic behaviour in his own interest, and that of the President and the Government.

Mr. Silva seems to be showing an unusual inclination, to come into the limelight by resorting to actions that are unorthodox, and objectionable hoping for public acclamation, caring less if the sort acclamation turns to condemnation. Even if the epithet Court Jester seemed appropriate in view of his pranks, they are far from being intelligent and lovable as those gaucheries of Andare- the legendary Sinhala Court Jester.

The court jester or not, it is time that Mr.Silva is castigated for his foolish activities, and put a stop to them, as it has become a nuisance for the general public, and a means for the political opponents of the President and his government to make capital of the situation, to denounce both the President and the government for harbouring an individual not fit enough to be a Minister.

The critics of the President take his inability to put Mr.Silva in his place, as a weakness of a National leader on whom the people have placed their highest expectations to develop the country, and bring prosperity, peace and happiness to the people . The people expect the President to maintain decorum among his Minsters, and those around him.

Mervyn Silva perhaps deserves sympathy, as his behaviour pattern is not of a normal person. He seems to take what is irrelevant, for relevant, and what is annoying and foolish, for amusement and wisdom. Mr.Silva seems to think that he is capable of doing in his own way what the Government is not capable of doing through legislation. Therefore he does what he thinks is correct. He acts without wise attention without reflecting on the consequence of his act.

That is why on the face of it Mr. Silva’s objectionable act of tying a government officer to a tree seems to be his way of driving into the minds of the public servants the necessity to be alive to problems that require their attention, and their service to the public should be their primary concern. But he unfortunately acted without wise attention, without reflecting on the consequences of his act.

In the Sabbasava Sutta the Buddha instructing the Bikkhus on the abandonment of taints says “………Bikkhus an untaught ordinary person , who has no regard for noble ones and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, who has no regard for true men and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, does not understand what things are fit for attention and what things are unfit for attention. Since that is so , he attends to those things unfit for attention and he does not attend to those things fit for attention….”(MN.2. Tr.Bikkhu Bodhi).

There is no reason that Mervyn Silva should be excused each time he does some thing that damages the reputation of the President, and the government amoung the people, and gives the opposition political parties to discredit the President and the Government for the acts committed by him.

He should not be allowed to be the Biblical prodigal son who feasts on the fattened calf. But the situation has to be assessed from the several instances of his infractions, and action should be taken to stop a repetition, by sending him before a board of psychiatrists if necessary to evaluate his mental condition.

That would be a service not only for the people of the country who have placed their trust in the President and the government for wise rule, but for Mr.Mervyn Silva himself, as he is certainly suffering from an ailment he is not aware of, and which requires treatment.

It also would help the Opposition political parties- the UNP and the JVP to cooperate with the government to find an immediate solution to rid the country of the menace of the Dengue fever, instead of deviating to discredit the President and the Government, to hide their own political nakedness.

Stop bickering and get together to develop our country-Sri Lanka

Lot of people have taken exception to the blame worthy behaviour of Mr.Mervyn Silva. Many question why despite his irritating behaviour the President continues to keep him in the cabinet. The President may have his own reasons, perhaps he thinks it is safe to keep him in the Cabinet rather than let him loose outside without ministerial respectability, like an angry mad, horned bull amidst a crowd of people.

There are those who think that he should be “kicked” out of the cabinet, to avoid Sri Lanka being the laughing stock of the West. This is a flimsy excuse, as it really does not matter now what the West would think of Sri Lanka with or without Mervyn Silva in the cabinet. The governments of the West have worst erratic Ministers than Mervyn Silva .

If the West is watching Sri Lanka to commend it for its good actions and good behaviour, and condemn it for bad, they would have rose as one to applaud Sri Lanka for its incomparable feat of eliminating terrorism . But have they ? No, they have instead rose up as one to condemn Sri Lanka and accuse it as a war criminal just for eliminating terrorism. Therefore, it does not really matter whether the West is laughing at us or not for our irritating ridicules of an eccentric Minister.

The Minister in question should instead be sympathised because he may be suffering from some sort of irremediable mental disorder, and his place is in an appropriate Institution rather than in the Parliament.

But besides him there are others in the august assembly who are not just jesters or jokers but buffoons, and clowns whose appropriate place is a circus for children, if not in the same Institution recommended for the former. They are certainly the ones who should tickle the laughter glands of the Western Sri Lanka Watchers.

Mangala Samaraweera finally realised that he could neither fool the people, nor himself by being the leader of a one-man political party called SLFP (M), and joined the UNP announcing that he is a principled politician, and as such he has no alternative but to join the UNP.

Some would say it was a case of “savour” grapes . He had been holding on, hoping that some disgruntled members from the President Mahinda Rajapakse’s SLFP will jump on to his side, that not forth coming, the other alternative left for him was either to join the UNP or jump in to the “Beira Lake”. He had chosen the former.

Mangala Samaraweera has no principles, even if he shouts from roof tops in Colombo or Matara if one speaks of the same “principles” Mangala Samaraweera is speaking about. He left the SLFP, because he was removed from his portfolio of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He left hoping that the President might call him back, and that having not happened, he started a wild campaign against the President Mahinda Rajapakse first accusing him of having “bribed” the terrorist leader Prabhakaran.

Having failed to antagonised the people against the President with that accusation, he started the second campaign against the President Mahinda Rajapakse accusing him of floating a Rajapakse and Family Company, which has taken over the government. That too failed to appeal to the people to go against the President.

Instead the people replied to Mangala Samaraweera’s second accusation by electing the President.Mahinda Rajapakse for a second term with a thumping majority. But that accusation, was swallowed by another buffoon who fell for it, and added his own “spice” calling the President a Dictator, floating a family company.

Ranil Wickramasinghe continues his harangue against the Rajapakse Government , when every one around wants him to step down from leadership of UNP. If he has any principles he should have resigned from his leadership of the UNP long time ago.

Mangala Samaraweera who has now joined the UNP, does not want Ranil Wickramasinghe removed from the UNP, for his own personal reasons. It is obvious having just joined the UNP because of Ranil Wickramasinghe, he would not know what his place in UNP would be without Ranil as its leader.

Karu Jayasooriya seems to have the same problem. If Sajith Premadasa becomes the UNP leader what would be his position ? In order not to be in doubt he too claims that this is not the time to change the UNP leadership.

Are these people really patriotic and love the country so much that they want to send Mahinda Rajapakse and family to Beliatta? Or are they looking after their own interests ?

If they come into power what more can they do, other than what the President Mahinda Rajapakse had done, and is continuing to do ? Of course they will want to disband the “ Rajapakse and Family Company”. But what better proposition have they ?

Is that not sheer madness to do away with a President and his Government, that had carried out from the outset what they had promised to do ?

Governing is not easy, as criticising it from out side of it. Once those critics come back into power, they will undo all that had been done and reorganise things their way, which would not be for the benefit of the country.

Even the worst of critics of the President Mahinda Rajapakse and his government cannot deny that they have done a wonderful work to steer the country on to the correct path of development, and the country is now showing every sign of being able to rise above its status of a developing country.

We have moved our foreign policies from dependence on our former colonial masters and the West who have their own agenda for their further enrichment, keeping the developing nations under their control.

What are the Western Governments doing with the withdrawal of GSP+, accusing government for violation of human rights, setting up panels to investigate whether the Armed Forces of the Government had not violated human rights in eliminating terrorism ?

Who are our real friends ?

Can the opposition that criticises the President Mahinda Rajapakse and his Government guarantee our independence from the dictates of the West ?

The President Mahinda Rajapakse has the correct vision of development. If the opposition parties are real patriots, who want Sri Lanka to develop as an independent Nation , should instead of falling over each other to criticise the President and the Government, should fall behind the President to develop this country, to make of it a united country without separation of Communities, drawing what is best of each other for the common good of every one to make our country a developed Nation in par with the West.

We can do it and we have the potential for that sort of development, and the present President and his government have gone a long way in the correct direction and this is not the time to change. There are always difficulties, and even wrong decision taken, we are human we should be able to understand these mistakes, wrong decisions, and correct them to overcome difficulties, without harping on them ad in finitum.

The President Mahinda Rajapakse is far from being a Dictator. These are terms used to frighten the ordinary people. But they cannot be fooled any more.

When Marxism was introduced to Sri Lanka UNP went round campaigning that the left is a movement against religion, and against the countries cultural values, and the leftists call every one including the parents as comrades.

It had to be an intellectual politician like SWRD Bandaranayake to introduce socialism, and recognised cultural values. He invited the left to join him to form a united front. Bandaranaike was not a racist when he wanted to make Sinhala the official language, he was seeking to break away from the bonds of colonialism, to identify Sri Lanka as a Nation “à part entière”.

He was not given a chance by the Tamil racists like Chelvanayagam and the rest. They were trying to do what Jinnah did to India.

SWRD Bandaranaike’s daughter Chandrika Kumaratunga, in criticising the Government of the President Mahinda Rajapakse becomes a traitor to her fathers political vision. She is like Mangala Samaraweera, a person without principles , wailing the place she has lost among the people in Sri Lanka. She has become a tool in the hands of the west.

JVP too in holding onto Sarath Fonseka has given up their Marxist and Socialist principles. Sarath Fonseka is the one that dragged Sri Lanka into inconceivable difficulties with all nondescript humanists, agencies, activists, and most interfering western and local media. Sri Lanka after the elimination of terrorists had the path open for undisturbed progress and development. Sarath Fonseka put an end to that possibility.

The UNP should change from its age old principles of hanging onto the tail end of Western capitalism in the name of development, and cooperate with the President and the Government bringing in their constructive criticism to make our country a peaceful and a happy place for every one.