Peace for the World

Peace for the World
First democratic leader of Justice the Godfather of the Sri Lankan Tamil Struggle: Honourable Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

UN raises fresh fears for Sri Lanka rights defenders
Fox News - Fair & BalancedGENEVA (AFP) –  The UN rights chief Monday raised fresh concerns for the safety of Sri Lankan journalists and activists she said had been harassed by the authorities for meeting with her.

Navi Pillay told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva she was worried about those she met during her week-long visit to the island, which is emerging from decades of ethnic war.

She stressed her "immediate concern for the protection of human rights defenders, journalists and communities I met during my visit from any reprisal, intimidation or attack."

"I will be reporting on my observations later in the session," she told the council.

She thanked the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse for "facilitating my recent comprehensive visit," but alleged that those she held talks with had been harassed, without giving names.

Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said its ambassador to the UN, Ravinatha Aryasinha, had urged Pillay to "adopt an objective and unbiased approach to Sri Lanka" and "not give credence to unsubstantiated allegations made by those with vested interests and agendas."

"The government of Sri Lanka is fully committed to protecting human rights defenders, and in this regard had requested the High Commissioner (Pillay) and her office to provide specific information of such incidents (of harassment), if any," Aryasinha said.

A Catholic-run human rights group working in northeastern Sri Lanka said last week it had been harassed by security personnel after meeting Pillay during her visit to the former war zone.

Pillay ended her first official visit to the formerly war-ravaged country on August 31 with a stinging press conference in which she accused the government of becoming "increasingly authoritarian".

Sri Lanka's government has criticised Pillay, saying she overstepped her mandate.

Sri Lanka's battle with separatists from the minority ethnic Tamil group ended in 2009 with a no-holds-barred military offensive which crushed the Tamil Tiger rebel group.

The military campaign sparked allegations that troops killed up to 40,000 civilians and committed other war crimes such as executing surrendering Tamil rebels and shelling civilian centres which had been declared no-fire zones.
In March, the UN passed a second resolution in as many years pressing Sri Lanka to investigate alleged war crimes more thoroughly 

Navi Pillay expresses concern for protection of those she met here


September 9, 2013, 10:43 pm 
article_image
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay yesterday told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that she had an immediate concern for the protection of human rights defenders, journalists and communities that she met during her recent visit to Sri Lanka.

Pillay addressing the 24th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva thanked Government of Sri Lanka for facilitating her visit.

She said: "I am grateful to the government of Sri Lanka for facilitating my recent comprehensive visit, which allowed me to assess the progress being made towards reconstruction, reconciliation and accountability in the aftermath of the war – as well as the broader human rights situation, including religious intolerance, governance and the rule of law. I will be reporting on my observations later in the session, but wish to stress my immediate concern for the protection of human rights defenders, journalists and communities I met during my visit from any reprisal, intimidation or attack.

 The Secretary-General’s report on cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights is before the Council at this session. It refers to cases of alleged reprisals, or intimidation, against persons as a result of such cooperation, from 16 June 2012 to 15 June 2013."
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World Happiness Report 2013: Sri Lanka Amongst The Last 20 Nations

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Why Tamil deserves national status

BJP’s Member of Parliament Tarun Vijay on why he chose to demand national status for Tamil
Rediff.comSeptember 10, 2013 
Tamil is us. Take a bow and try to know a little bit about the great language, culture, the history of their literature and the social upheavals they have passed through. You will wonder what kept you so distant from the wealth of knowledge and Indian-ness. No other society in India has passed through such turmoil as Tamils in the past one hundred years, and no other society has seen such unexplainable ignorance from other Indians about their pains and dreams. 
We hated them when they started the anti-Hindi agitation. When Periyar began a strange but powerful Dravidian movement that almost touched extremist levels. We know their anti-Brahmin movement, which perhaps prohibitively gets mentioned as an anti-TamBrahm outlook and so on.
No sir, this is just not enough. Understanding India must mean understanding the threads that bind it. When I say Tamil, I speak for all Indian languages which are facing a ‘never before’ challenges due to the overwhelming and largely unwarranted influence of English. My Tamil friend lamented the other day that his kids can’t pronounce or recognise Tamil numerals. This is true about so-called high profile kids in Lucknow, Dehradun and Guwahati too.
Newspapers are full of English words, some even use the Roman letters in their titles. Stories of Chola kings, Thiruvalluvar’s classical literature, MS Subbulakshmi’s divine music, tales of Tamil valour, scholarship, splendid achievements in arts and culture are read more by foreigners in Singapore in printed coffee table books than in ‘fast forward’ Tamil homes.
So, have a Chetan Bhagat and forget about Cholas or the identity that defines you? And keep on mentioning the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka to deaf ears in Parliament?
Agreed, every single language is as great as any other, and all states have a case to state that their language is the best. Even the Warli spoken among the Warli tribes or the Coorgi in Coorg is the best for those who have lived that flow of words, or the great richness of Bengal, that gave us two national lyrics, of which one became our national  anthem and the other our national song. And why not Gujarati or Marathi or Kannada or Punjabi?
Yes, please do ask these questions and ask yourself if your home has a mother tongue or you speak to your kids in English. No one opposes the Queen’s language and says go purely desi. But English can never be allowed to take the place of our mother tongue. Learn it, speak and write and read it. But the mother is a mother is a mother and hence when I speak of Tamil I speak for every single Indian language, and if at all we have to give them an honourable place, can there be another language but Tamil to represent the vibgyor of all Indian languages?
It represents the south like none else. It envelops unspeakable sufferings, struggles and aspirations of a great people. It binds India, builds bridges as the strongest representative of all that we see beyond the Vindhyas. It has no clashes with any of the southern language family constituents, leave aside water-sharing issues. It has influenced, enriched and walked aside all the southern languages. And, no malice intended, it has that magical, overpowering and definitive Madrasi flavour that defines all that we see through our southern gates!!
If we lose Tamil, we lose India. And this is true of every other Indian language. Lose Marathi, Bengali or Kashmiri, and we lose our national milieu. The national anthem is the national fabric of all threads and designs, from Jammu to Ladakh, Kashmir to Indira Gandhi Point and Kanyakumari to Tawang and Kutch. India is made of all the people, their customs, colours, fragrances and diversities.
Recognising Tamil is to salute and internalise that diversity with a vigour that secures India’s distinct civilisational colour.
We are changing, and so is Tamil society. Learn and feel the warmth of a very large number of people learning Hindi and welcoming a Chennai Express as heartily as Hindi-wallahs welcome the phenomenal success of Rajnikanth.
Say Vanakkam to Tamil and it will be instantly translated as a Vande Mataram to Mother India.
Tarun Vijay is a Bharatiya Janata Party member of the Rajya Sabha; member, Parliamentary Consultative Committee on External Affairs; member, Parliamentary Group on India China Friendship.
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The Visit By Madam Pillay: Imperialist Politics, Regime Change And The R2P

By Surendra Ajit Rupasinghe -September 10, 2013 
Ajit Rupasinghe
Colombo TelegraphThe recent visit by Madam Navanetham Pillay will turn out to be a dramatic turning point in the future of the country. Her reports could either sound the death-knell to the Rakapakse Regime, or be given a new lease of life. It is a matter of how the symphony will be orchestrated by the US, the supreme grand conductor of the UN. It is not Madam Pillay who would decide on the follow-up. Madam Pillay could be expected to play her role professionally and with detached objectivity and integrity. Yet, ultimately, it is the US that would manipulate the outcome.
Just by the way, the insolent behavior of the inimitable clown, Hon. Minister of Public Relations, Mr. Mervyn Silva would have irreparably damaged the image of Lanka internationally, as a pariah State, since only pariahs behave in such a low-life, uncouth and uncivilized manner, as to propose marriage to a visiting foreign dignitary.  As decent, civilized citizens, this display of indecency affects all of us, since it taints our image worldwide. This is not an isolated event. The long litany of outrageous, bellicose and unlawful behavior by the Minister and his son is on record. On behalf of all citizens, President Mahinda Rajapakse should reprimand the Minister and relieve him of any official position in the government and be thrown out of politics. Or, is it that the government is far too obligated to protect him, even at the expense of the reputation of the country?                        Read More

People’s Action Might Need To Save Depositors & Investors Of CIFL

By Hema Senanayake -September 11, 2013 
Hema Senanayake
Colombo TelegraphA billion rupee financial institution namely the Central Investment & Finance PLC (CIFL) is in grave crisis. Some respectable people in Sri Lanka now believe that senior professionals in the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) make deals when Licensed Finance Companies like CIFL go bankrupt. The mechanism is that they allow devaluing the assets and then transfer such assets to business friends of their choice. Also they put their friends to be in charge of the troubled company and planning to extend financial assistance under the Liquidity Support Scheme which scheme is going to be established soon by the CBSL. If this is true this must be stopped right now; sale or transfer of assets must be stopped immediately until CIFL restructured fully. This action is necessary to safe-guard peoples’ deposit over Rs.2.6 billion and the money other investors put in CIFL. This is a company that has assets over Rs.3.6 billion.
CIFL is not liquid as at now, but this does not mean that there is no value in CIFL assets. I guess that there are no significant bad loans and bad investments but the company’s cash inflow is not sufficient to meet its daily obligations. But value of the assets might be intact. Protection of the value of assets as it is, if possible, is the necessary first condition that is required to save everybody’s interest. Therefore, the first thing that should be done by CBSL to protect depositors, creditors and investors, is to stop sale or transfer of assets at devalued prices until the company is restructured and become operational fully. If the assets are devalued and sell to friends of CBSL Officials nobody’s investment will be safe.             Read More
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Wijeya editors call for Champika’s removal

Tuesday, 10 September 2013 
dailyMirror champika


Editors of Wijeya Publications have requested the owner of the company, Ranjith Wijewardena to remove the editor of Wijeya’s Daily Mirror newspaper, Champika Liyanarachchi since she was violating the principles of ethical journalism and acting according to her will.

The rest of the editors of Wijeya Publications have made the request following a story published on page 8 of the Daily Mirror newspaper under the title, “Beware of this conman.” The photograph published in the story was one of Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. There had been no connection with Wickremesinghe’s photograph and the contents of the article.
The Daily Mirror Editor has said that the photograph was carried with the article due to a mishap in the type setting department of the newspaper.
However, every page of the Daily Mirror newspaper are sent for printing once the editor has had the final look at the page and placed her signature.
The Opposition Leader has instructed his lawyers to file a defamation case against the newspaper demanding Rs. 1 billion in damages. When the management had called for an explanation from the Daily Mirror editor, she had said it was a small technical error.
Hearing this incident, President Mahinda Rajapaksa had telephoned Ranjith Wijewardena and said in lighter vein, “Don’t know if my photograph will also be published along false articles.”
Given the disgrace that has befallen Wijeya Newspapers due to the Daily Mirror editor’s foolish actions, the rest of the editors in the company have in writing requested the management to remove her from the post.
Editors of The Sunday Times, Sinha Ratnatunge, Daily Lankadeepa, Siri Ranasinghe, Sunday Lankadeepa, Ariyananda Dombagahawatte,  'Ada' editor, Kanchana Dasanayake  and Daily FT, Nisthar Cassim and senior editors in the newspapers have signed the letter.
When a former deputy editor of a newspaper of Wijeya Publications, who is now an editor of a newspaper, had inquired about the incident from Daily Mirror Editor Champika Liyanarachchi, she has said she was ready to leave the post of editor at any time. She had said that director, Sujan Wijewardena had refused to accept her resignation letter when it was handed over to him on several previous occasions.
Freelance journalists of the Daily Mirror newspaper say that the newspaper’s editor is more responsible to the Defence Ministry than the management of Wijeya Publications.
Therefore, the Opposition Leader has said in parliament that the Daily Mirror editor lacked a proper backbone.
The names of senior journalists Lalith Alahakoon and Iqbal Athas have been proposed to the post of Daily Mirror Editor when the post falls vacant.
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Why Does It Feel So Different?

By R.A.Ratwatte -September 11, 2013 |
R.A.Ratwatte
Colombo TelegraphFor 7 seemingly unending years I struggled for survival under the Rajapaksa regime. Feeding my family with nourishing and uncontaminated food was a real problem. Paying the Electricity and water bills was well neigh impossible. The banks squeezed harder and harder and pawning jewellery became a real option.
All the time I had friends abroad who were praising this Government. They are people I respect for their intellect and they are no catchers’ of this regime. They kept saying that the roads were now fantastic, there were new Airports and Ports, the city of Colombo has never looked cleaner. When they arrived from abroad they would marvel at the number of brand new and expensive vehicles on the roads. They simply couldn’t understand what I was whinging about!
Now that I have lived and worked abroad for a while I UNDERSTAND how they feel. When your family is eating real meat and not processed sausages, when it doesn’t matter if you keep the air conditioner on or the computer is used to watch a movie or two. When you can afford to run your vehicle without feeling bad about excessive mileage. When you don’t have to watch Government catchers with absolutely no qualifications doing top jobs and decimating the organizations they work for. Basically driving state assets into the ground. The corruption, the robbery, mortgaging future generations with crippling loans that have to paid back forever!
When those things are out of the equation, you understand what these expatriates are talking about. They look at the external view. They may even be thinking of what this will be (from an external viewpoint) a few years down the track, when they are ready to retire with their hard currency pensions. Their children would have grown up strong and healthy and could choose if they wish to come back or live abroad. They would also have been educated under a properly structured system not the parody of an education system that exists in Sri Lanka.

Successor To The Ugly American: Is China A Candidate?

By Charitha Ratwatte -September 10, 2013 
Charitha Ratwatte
Colombo TelegraphReaders will recall the novel ‘The Ugly American,’ published in 1958 by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer. In 1963, a hit movie was made starring Marlon Brando. The novel became a bestseller and greatly influenced American and worldwide thinking.
The novel presents in a fictionalised guise the experience of American expatriates in South East Asia and allegedly represents, by pseudonyms, several real people, living and working in Viet Nam at that time. The novel describes a fictional country called Sarkhan (meant to allude to Viet Nam) and details how the Americans lost the struggle against communism in Viet Nam. Much later, this aspect was referred to as the ‘Battle for Hearts and Minds’.
The need for enhanced capability in this area has been reinforced by the recent debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan, faced by foreign armies. General Petraeus, the famed overall commander in both those wars, who later headed the Central Intelligence Agency, before having to resign, rewrote the Counter Insurgency Strategy and Manual of the United States Army, building around the hearts and minds aspects of security, community and social development.
The novel ‘The Ugly American’ details the failure of the Americans in Viet Nam, allegedly due to innate arrogance and the failure to appreciate and respect the local culture. This has been the bane of armies of occupation, throughout history.                               Read More 
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Sri Lankan Tamils must first get hold of ‘their’ land: Sudarsana Natchiappan

E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan
E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan
September 10, 2013Return to frontpage
Union Minister E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan on Monday created a flutter by saying “Sri Lankan Tamils must first get hold of their land, as Sri Lanka belongs to them” before their “Eelam dream” could become a reality.

Talking to reporters at the airport, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry said land was important for the Tamils just as it was for Israel and Palestine. “I have told the Tamil diaspora, whose members are in touch with me, that Sri Lanka is our holy land. Don’t work against it.” And he added: “You should first capture Sri Lanka to achieve your objective.”
Mr. Natchiappan’s remarks, repeatedly aired on Tamil television channels, seemed to suggest that he favoured Tamils capturing their land in Sri Lanka as a first step towards achieving Eelam. It came as a surprise as he is known defender of the Congress government’s policy of engagement with Sri Lanka even while working for devolution of power for the Tamil minority there.
However, Mr. Natchiappan later clarified to The Hindu that what he meant that was that Tamils should lay claim to their territory and fight politically for their rights. He mentioned ‘Eelam’, a term that refers to the whole of Sri Lanka, and not to ‘Tamil Eelam’.
The reference to land was in the context of Israel being created only after land was obtained and the Palestinian Authority gaining recognition based on territory.
He also had the forthcoming North-Eastern Provincial Council elections in mind. “Elections are taking place in Tamil areas for the first time [in over two decades]. Unless and until Tamils get devolution of power, they cannot get equal rights.
It can be achieved only by democratic means,” he said and wanted the diaspora to help the Tamils living in the country.
Mr Natchiappan said Tamils in Sri Lanka were keen that the Indian Prime Minister should attend the Commonwealth summit (to be held in November in Colombo) as they believed that only a strong India could protect their interests and as India had already spent considerable sums towards their rehabilitation.
To a question on India’s defence cooperation with Sri Lanka, he said the ties between the two countries were important to ensure that Sri Lanka did not inch towards China for help.

PM will be apprised of issues relating to Sri Lanka: V Narayanasamy

Karunanidhi had said it would strengthen the arguments voiced by many that India was only helping the Lankan government and not the Tamils.
Karunanidhi had said it would strengthen the arguments voiced by many that India was only helping the Lankan government and not the Tamils. The Economic Times
By PTI | 10 Sep, 2013
CHENNAI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singhwill be apprised of the objections raised by political parties in Tamil Nadu to India's plan to supply warships to Sri Lanka and his participation in the Commonwealth Head of Governments Meeting in Colombo, Union Minister V Narayanasamy said on Tuesday. 

"Political parties from Tamil Nadu have opposed India's plan to supply warships to Sri Lanka. DMK chief M Karunanidhi has opposed it. Congress (TNCC) has also spoken on the matter. I will bring them to the attention of the Prime Minister," he told reporters here. 

DMK and other parties have opposed India's plans to supply two warships to Sri Lanka, contending that such a move would in no way benefit Indian fishermen and sought withdrawal of the proposal. 

Karunanidhi had said it would strengthen the arguments voiced by many that India was only helping the Lankan government and not the Tamils there or Indian fishermen. 

"Parties have opposed the PM's participation in the CHOGM (this November) in a united voice. I will take the issue to the Prime Minister. He will take a good decision," Narayanasamy said. 

Ruling AIADMK-led by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has demanded that India boycott the CHOGM meet,accusing the Lankan army of committing "war crimes and genocide" against the Tamils.
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All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama on Sec Defense statement

Tuesday, 10 September 2013 
Jamiyyathul UlamaAll Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama write a letter to the Secretary of Ministry of Defence and Urban Development Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapakse. See full leter below.
07th September 2013
Secretary
Ministry of Defence and Urban Development
15/5 Baladaksha Mawatha
Colombo 3
Keynote address at Defence seminar 2013

Dear Mr. Secretary,
We note with great dismay, media reports of the references to the Muslim Community in Sri Lanka and to Muslims elsewhere made by you in your address at the Defense Seminar held recently.

As you aware, we the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, which is the apex body of Muslim theologians in Sri Lanka, have made representations to you and to those placed at the highest levels in Government in regard to the hate campaign against the Muslim community carried on by certain extremist elements. Being patriotic Sri Lankans, in making such representations, we have acted responsibly and with great restraint, being conscious of the fact that there are forces still operating which are hostile to Sri Lanka and that these misguided actions of a few, could be unfairly utilized, to vilify Sri Lanka by such groups. We are grateful that you and the Government have taken action consequent to such representations.

However, we apprehend that the references to Muslims made in your address, could be misinterpreted to suggest that Sri Lankan Muslims pose a threat to national security and thereby advance the hate campaign against Muslims. This apprehension is well founded as those vocal but small group of hard liners have interpreted your references as a vindication of their ongoing anti-Muslim sentiments and actions, as evidenced by their laudatory response. You would no doubt appreciate that this is disruptive of national unity and would tend to further polarize the communities.

We wish to strongly emphasize that the Muslims in Sri Lanka are a peaceful and patriotic community and have lived in amity with the other communities. Hence, whilst sharing the sentiment expressed by you that there should be national integration and pledging our support for fashioning an inclusive Sri Lankan identity, we write to convey our concern the references to Muslims in your address could be utilized by those seeking to marginalize and vilify the Muslim community.

This is no way an endorsement of extremism or of any unlawful activity, both of which we unreservedly condemn. In this context, we reiterate the position consistently articulated by us that the interests of national security and the restoration of communal amity would best be advanced by the evenhanded condemnation of extremism, whatever may be its source and the uniform application of the law in respect of all offenders irrespective of their race or religion.

Yours Sincerely,
Ash-Shaikh Fazil Farook
Secretary - Media
Courtesy - http://www.acju.lk/

Col. Solangarachchi asked to take responsibility for Rathupaswala incident

 Tuesday, 10 September 2013 

rathupaswala5Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has forced the Commanding Officer of the 8th Infantry Regiment, Colonel Solangarachchi to take responsibility for the incident in Rathupaswala last month and to admit that he was the person who had entered the church, sources from the army said.

Colonel Solangarachchi had gone to Rathupaswala on the day of the incident with 24 army soldiers. However, sources from the army confirm that he had not entered the church. The operation was carried out by one of the Defence Secretary’s confidante’s Brigadier Shantha. There are no photographic or video evidence for his presence at the scene since he had issued the directives from inside a vehicle.
Brigadier Shantha is in-charge of the Colombo division and carried out most of the Defence Secretary’s secret operations. Therefore, Colonel Solangarachchi is being pressured to take the fall in order to protect Brigadier Shantha.
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Sri Lanka’s Authoritarian Drift And Pakistan’s Shameful Lankan Affair

By Reema Omer -September 10, 2013 |
Reema Omer
Colombo TelegraphIn a meeting with External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris last week, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his admiration for Sri Lanka’s “unremitting endeavors for promoting economic independence, human dignity and social justice for the people of Sri Lanka.” He pledged Pakistan’s support for Sri Lanka’s ongoing struggle to evade accountability and justice in the United Nations, and warmly accepted President Rajapaksa’s invitation to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, scheduled to take place in Colombo in November this year.
Sri Lanka’s authoritarian drift
Prime Minister Sharif’s statements starkly clashed with the assessment, a few days later, of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Navi Pillay, who finished her official visit to Sri Lanka on 31 August 2013.  The High Commissioner noted that “the war may have ended, but in the meantime democracy has been undermined and the rule of law eroded.”
She expressed concern that despite the opportunity provided by the end of the war to construct a vibrant, representative State, Sri Lanka “is showing signs of heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction.”
Widespread and systematic abuses                      Read More  

Sri Lanka’s Muslims: The End Of The Road

By Ameer Ali -September 10, 2013
Dr. Ameer Ali
Colombo TelegraphSri Lanka’s Muslims are at an unprecedented and ominous crossroads. The community there is faced with an existential threat at the hands of an increasingly militant Buddhist minority, while the nation’s Muslim parliamentarians appear to be more powerless and mute than at any time since 1947. This impotence is startling because the current parliament holds the largest number of Muslim cabinet ministers and deputies (four in each category, respectively) in history, although the number of Muslim representatives in the legislature, eighteen in total, is slightly fewer than in 1989 or 1994. In the face of increasing violence against Muslim businesses, mosques, madrassas, and lives, allegedly by Bodu Bala Sena (BBS)–a fascist outfit of the militant Buddhist political organization, Jatika Hela Urumaya (JHU), which is, like the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), a coalition partner in the Rajapaksa Government–the abject silence and weakness of these parliamentarians is difficult to comprehend.
How and why has Muslim politics descended to this level of ineptitude? And to what extent has the Muslim community of Sri Lanka enabled this impotent political leadership? When a few individuals from the most wealthy and prestigious Muslim families in Colombo entered politics in British Ceylon at the end of the nineteenth century, they were marked by rare leadership qualities like: honesty, integrity, courage, and dedication to service. They maintained these qualities even when confronted with an adversarial legislative, executive and judicial environment. They were, in short, bona fide statesmen. The four Muslim nominees to the then Legislative Council appointed between 1889 and 1912, M.C. Abdul Rahman, A.M. Sheriff, W.M. Abdul Rahman, and N.H.M. Abdu Cader, belonged to this esteemed elite (Cader M.L.A, 1999, pp.1 & 148). Dedicated politicians of this ilk, motivated by a kind of noblesse oblige and nurtured in the Muslim aristocracy, continued to serve the Muslim community even after independence. Names of leaders like Razik Fareed, T.B. Jaya, and Badiuddin Mahmud are still popularly remembered with great love and respect.
Although wealth and family background by themselves may count little toward successful leadership, in the past they provided a firmer substrate for the development of other necessary traits, such as: honesty, integrity, courage, and commitment, characteristics that were essential for politicians and social activists to serve effectively and maintain public legitimacy. Tragically, too many of the current crop of Sri Lankan Muslim leaders seems to suffer from a serious deficit in these areas. This does not mean that even if the community were to replace them with better quality substitutes the outcome would be vastly different. The political trajectory that the Muslim elite has chosen to lead the community may have reached a dead end.
Muslim Leadership in the Past      Read More
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