How Mahinda Rajapaksa Lost His Kalinga Moment
Shyamon Jayasinghe
The famous Kalinga war that took place in India around 262 BC had been a seminal moment in Emperor Asoka’s personal journey, in India’s history as well as in the history of Buddhism. The Maurya King Asoka waged the war to bring the province of Kalinga under the empire’s control. Thousands died and their bodies lay scattered all over with blood drooping from their limbs. This experience stirred a spiritual revolution in the psyche of Asoka. Deeply shaken by the tragedy of that war the King underwent a personal transformation that made him eschew all violence and develop sorrow and compassion for all human beings. He became a convert to Buddhism- a religion that had already gripped his subconscious for its powerful message of peace and non-violence. The futility, tragedy, waste, and immense sorrow that war brings was graphically set in his memory. From that point on, historians have recorded how the Emperor transformed his empire into a truly blessed land where compassion towards the human being became the central focus of government policy. King Asoka had already demonstrated his undoubted skill in military conquest. Now, he showed his greatness and nobility in peace as exemplified by a series of projects throughout the length and breadth of the great subcontinent that came under his sway.
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March 22, 2014
Five police officers belonging to the Giriulla Police were interdicted with immediate effect, the Police Media Unit told Ceylon today Online.
March 22, 2014 Five police officers belonging to the Giriulla Police were interdicted with immediate effect, the Police Media Unit told Ceylon today Online.
They were interdicted for keeping a suspect in custody without presenting to the courts and not informing the higher authorities about it.
Therein the OIC, Crime OIC and three corporals of the Giriulla Police have been interdicted.
A special investigation into the incident is being carried out on the orders of the IGP. (Ceylon today Online)
