Heard of a Sinhala Buddhist ‘Khomeini’?
A
few days ago, I received an invitation to be in the audience at the unveiling of
a set of policies by the “National Movement for Social Justice” (NMSJ) on 15
August, at the Colombo Public Library, auditorium. The invitation letter began
saying, the foremost responsibility today is to work towards social justice, law
and order, in a dutiful country. None would disagree. All should agree. Even
President Mahinda Rajapaksa says, his government is doing just that.
Kusal Perera-13
Aug, 2012
Groundviews
Photo courtesy ahfesl.free.fr
“Our future society will be a free society, and all the elements of oppression, cruelty, and force will be destroyed.” – Ayatollah Khomeini (in an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, Paris, November 7, 1978)
“Our future society will be a free society, and all the elements of oppression, cruelty, and force will be destroyed.” – Ayatollah Khomeini (in an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, Paris, November 7, 1978)
A
few days ago, I received an invitation to be in the audience at the unveiling of
a set of policies by the “National Movement for Social Justice” (NMSJ) on 15
August, at the Colombo Public Library, auditorium. The invitation letter began
saying, the foremost responsibility today is to work towards social justice, law
and order, in a dutiful country. None would disagree. All should agree. Even
President Mahinda Rajapaksa says, his government is doing just that.
Here
is where the political confusion lies. What social forces would be brought
around this “Movement” to back such promises ? The present Rajapaksa regime
proves, extremist forces consisting of Sinhala Buddhist political elements and
the Sinhala business and trader community that helped prop this government, do
not allow such rule of law, social justice and democracy for all. During the
past few years, during the war and post war years, this regime has basically
numbed social structures that could take dissenting positions and established an
authoritarian State, entrenching the Sinhala armed forces in civil life, in
satisfying the Sinhala politics that back the regime. The all powerful Executive
President has been given the Constitutional right to continue through any number
of terms, provided he or she could nudge voters to do what he or she wishes.
This whole process was justified by war based Sinhala sentiment and was backed
by extremist forces in the regime, the remnant “Left” within the government also
adding their two pennies worth, into it.
