Back To 1915 On 1983 Scale: Who Is More Suited To Succeed The Throne Than Gota?
Dr. Ameer Ali
The attack on the Grandpass mosque last week is the latest of the never ending anti-Muslim provocations conducted by Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya with their extremist mob. Ever since the defeat of the LTTE in 2009 these un-Buddhist militants have taken an apparent pledge to cleanse the island of Sri Lanka of all non-Buddhist elements and transform it into a pure land of Theravada Buddhism in their own image. The real tragedy is the inaction against and toleration of the activities of this unruly minority by the ruling authorities who are morally, legally and constitutionally bound to protect the security and welfare all its citizens. What is the end game of all this conspiracy?
I want to apologise at the outset to the vast majority of the venerable Sangha for referring to the following incident, which I heard in 1957 when the Prime Minister of the time, S.W.R.D Bandaranaike, was gasping for his breadth in the hospital after he was fatally wounded by Somarama Thera. According to one story that was circulating at that time, the then leader of the United National Party, Sir John Kotalawela, had gone to visit the wounded PM and while holding his hand had remarked, “I tied down the dogs, you let them loose and they bit you”. Whether he actually said this or not, the underlying message behind that remark is not too difficult to comprehend. Politics is not for the Sangha, and politicians who employ members of this respectable institution as tools to achieve their short term objectives are not only devaluing the sacredness of this noble body but also are corrupting democracy itself.
The Sangha certainly has an important role to play in the pastoral care and welfare of the society. Their advice on the ethics and morality of actions in the light of Buddhist teachings should be sought by political leaders, and it was in that context that in 1946 the scholar monks of the Vidyalankara Privena made the declaration that “it is nothing but fitting for Buddhist (Bhikkus?) to identify themselves … (in) activities conducive to the welfare of our people whether these activities can be labelled politics or not, as long as they do not constitute an impediment to the religious life of Bhikkus.” Can anyone explain how the violent and destructive behaviour of BBS is ‘conducive’ to the ‘welfare’ of the Buddhists let alone Sri Lankans and how it does ‘not constitute an impediment to the religious life of Bhikkus? Read More
