The GMOA Guns Glyphosate & Misses A Milestone Study On 90,000 People?

By Chandre Dharmawardana –APRIL 19, 2018

Dr. Chandre Dharmawardana

In a press conference held on 11th April,  the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) stated that fresh laws should be introduced to take “stern action” against people involved in smuggling in such “harmful chemicals” like glyphosate. The GMOA considers  glyphosate to be “harmful” because it allegedly  causes cancer and kidney disease. However, just last November, the world’s largest study on the health effects of glyphosate covering over  two decades and  involving 90,000 people, found NO harmful effects even on applying powerful statistical analysis to scrutinize the data.

Published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) on 9-November 2017, the long-term large-numbers study found that there was NO association between glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s popular herbicide RoundUp and any type of cancer. In particular, there was no association with “any solid tumors or lymphoid malignancies overall, including non-Hogkin Lymphoma  and its subtypes”. The new study used  long-term data collected through the Agricultural Health Study. The study carefully monitored the health of nearly 90,000 people in Iowa and North Carolina from 1993 to 2010. These included farmers licensed to apply pesticides to their crops, and their spouses. The impact of more than 54,000 pesticide applications is taken into account in the study of which 83 percent contained glyphosate. Many of the farmers had been using glyphosate even before the study. Yet, after some two decades of continuous and intense use of glyphosate herbicides, they found NO significant increase in cancers among those exposed to the chemical.

Most scientists acknowledged the quality, clarity and decisiveness of the study, funded entirely with government and university sources.  Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk at the University of Cambridge, said:

“This large and careful study shows no significant relationship between Glyphosate use and any cancer.  The reported possible association with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is no more than one would expect by chance when looking at 22 different cancer types. In fact the association that comes closest to statistical significance is a negative link with testicular cancer – that is, higher Glyphosate use was associated with lower risk – but again this is just the sort of chance result one would expect.”

So, how did the GMOA miss this decisive, massive study which in fact looks at the type of diseases that the GMOA thinks is caused by glyphosate? Even though we can excuse Ven. Ratana and his acolytes to be out of touch with the scientific community, one would expect that the GMOA would have its committee of mavens when it comes to technical matters, even though we recognized that the GMOA is a trade union with the primary mandate of protecting its own turf.

The most important “non-communicable disease” that the GMOA refers to is cancer. This is precisely what is now definitively excluded from any association with the use of glyphosate, even if the latter were used continuously and intensely for two decades by a farmer.  Perhaps the GMOA  also has in mind the form of chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) that is prevalent mainly in the Rajarata. There is no scientific evidence at all in support of this, while there is compelling  evidence against the claim. In Sri Lanka, a small but politically powerful group of individuals led by Ven. Ratana, and a small number of scientists on the fringe of the main scientific community have claimed that chronic kidney disease is caused by the glyphosate in the environment and the food chain, and that too only if arsenic, hard-water  and other  agents are found in conjunction with glyphosate.

But the cats, dogs, cattle, and many villages in the Rajarata itself where the residents drink water from agricultural channels, rives and lakes do NOT get CKDu, while those who drink water from their private wells, located away from the paddy fields, get CKDu. So there is a strong anti-correlation between agrochemical use and CKDu. We also know that countries like Malaysia or NewZealand, which use many dozens of times more agrochemicals than Sri Lanka have no such chronic diseases.

Furthermore, the 90,000 people monitored by the US-NCI study would have also alerted the researchers to any higher incidence of kidney disease, since many different health indices of these subjects were a part of the inputs to the data base. While the presence of correlations does not establish a causal connection, the LACK of any correlation is a very strong indication that glyphosate cannot be a causative factor in diseases that the GMOA has indicated.

This US-NCI study is  just one of the many studies that have come  to this conclusion. Over 190 countries of the world are satisfied and approve the use of glyphosate. However,  strong political movements that take a nostalgic, romantic and often anti-science approach to agriculture have become very powerful during recent decades. Their strength is the unreasoned fear of the public, fanned by the “MANTHRA”  that chemicals “in the food” cause all sorts of chronic diseases. These groups join hands with the commercial interests of large consumer chains that  offer “organic-foods”, “natural foods” “holistic foods” etc., catering to the elite classes who also control the politics of most countries, constituting about 1% of the world population. It is not surprising that many educated people and indeed medical doctors who do the “daily grind”, but do not follow the research, fall for the  “chemicals are poisoning our food” MANTHRA. In fact, many agrochemicals, if applied in sufficiently high doses can be toxic, as with ALL pharmaceuticals and industrial substances like gasoline, chlorine,  or common detergents. Even spices like chillies and cloves are potent toxins when their familiar-use thresholds are exceeded.   

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Jaffna University remembers Annai Poopathy

19Apr 2018

Students at Jaffna University held a remembrance ceremony to mark 30 years since the death of Annai Poopathy.

Around 100 students gathered at the university campus today to pay their respects to the Batticaloa native, who died 30 years ago today.

A member of the Navatkerny Mother's Front, Poopathy Kanapathipillai, fondly referred to as Annai Poopathy ("mother Poopathy"), commenced a fast unto death on 19th March 1988 to protest the injustices and atrocities committed by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). She had called for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks between the IPKF and the LTTE.

Her 28 year old son was shot dead by the Sri Lankan army and another son randomly shot dead by the Special Task Force. Another son, arrested during round up operations, was held in Boosa army camp and subjected to severe torture.

She died on 19th April 1988, after thirty days of fasting.

Related Articles: 

16 April 2018 : Batticaloa Municipal Council pays tribute to Annai Poopathy

07 April 2018 : Annai Poopathy remembrance tournament to be held in Batticaloa

Presenting 20th amendment delayed due to prorogation of Parliament

April 19, 2018

The JVP expected to present the 20th amendment to Parliament as a private members’ motion today (19th) to get the executive presidency abolished. However, the motion had to be delayed as President Maithripala Sirisena prorogued Parliamentary session to settle the internal conflict in the SLFP said a spokesman for the JVP.

Speaking at a press conference the Leader of the JVP Anura Dissanayaka said President Maithripala Sirisena came to power promising to abolish the executive presidency but has not taken any measures at least to present an amendment to the Constitution to do so. As a result, the JVP decided to present the 20th amendment to the Constitution as a private members motion said Mr Dissanayaka.

However, presenting the 20th amendment to parliament has been delayed due to conflicts that exist in the SLFP and the UNP and also the chaotic situation that exists in the ‘yahapalana’ government. The JVP had planned to present the amendment to parliament as a private members’ motion.

Meanwhile, Member of the Mahinda faction Bandula Gunawardene speaking at a press conference held in Colombo had said their faction would support the motion if it is presented to parliament. Also, the UNP and several other parties reached a policy agreement at the 2015 presidential election to support Mr Maithripala Sirisena as the common candidate. The JVP bringing in the 20th amendment emphasizes that abolishing executive presidency was the main slogan at the 2015 presidential election.

Government simmering in its own soup The crisis of the present Government is nothing but one of its own making

The two incidents have thrown the country into utter confusion

The SLFP led by President Sirisena is in disarray divided over Unity Government

The UNP has temporarily suppressed a rebellion against it with a promise to reorganise the party

2018-04-20 

The retreat by the politicians into their family life during the Sinhala and Hindu New Year and President Maithripala Sirisena’s absence from the country to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, had obscured the political mess prevailing in the country.

The February 10 Local Government Elections and the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) presented by the Joint Opposition against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe were the immediate causes that transformed an already simmering conflict in the Government into chaos.

The two incidents have thrown, the country in general and the ruling coalition in particular, into utter confusion. 

The two main parties in the ruling coalition, the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) have been bewildered as to whether and how they should continue with their coalition.

The SLFP led by President Maithripala Sirisena is in disarray and divided over the continuation of the so-called National Unity Government with the UNP and a split seems to be imminent. 

On the other hand, the UNP leadership has temporarily suppressed a rebellion against it with a promise to reorganise the party.

The President is increasingly being isolated by his coalition partner as well as the members of his own party.

It was against this backdrop that he prorogued the Parliament on April 12, on the eve of the New Year holidays.

The statement by Minister Lakshman Kiriella this week that there was no specific reason for the prorogation of Parliament and it was only a tradition was an insult to the people’s intellect.

Had it been done according to tradition it wouldn’t have been a surprise move. Here, even the top leaders of the two main parties in the ruling coalition were caught off-guard by the President’s move.

There is no doubt that the President prorogued Parliament in order to buy time to decide and prepare for his next move in his desperate attempt to bolster his sagging grip over his party as well as the Government. 

This reminds us of two similar incidents where a Prime Minister and a President had prorogued Parliament to save them from an apparent threat of ouster.

It would have been embarrassing for the UNP as the ministries that had been tasked to take action against corruption were held by UNP Ministers

In February 1977 Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, threatened by a No-Confidence Motion by her one-time coalition partner Lanka Sama Samaja Party with the assistance of the main Opposition UNP, prorogued the National State Assembly (NSA), the then Parliament.

And she dissolved the Assembly on May 18 the same year without reconvening it. President Ranasinghe Premadasa, who had been threatened with an impeachment motion by the dissidents of his party, the former ministers Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake in 1991 also prorogued the Parliament in order to buy time to decide on his next move to scuttle the motion. However, the motion was dismissed by Speaker M.H. Mohamed on the grounds of insufficient signatures in it, when the House was reconvened.

Despite the Local Government Elections in February and the No-Confidence Motion against the Prime Minister being seen as the immediate cause for the present crisis in the government and in its two main parties, the conflicts within the Government has been festering since 2016.

And interestingly the large-scale corruption allegedly committed by the leaders of the former as well as the present administrations seems to be the chief contributing factor for the conflicts within the Government as well as for the present political crisis in the country.

It must be recalled that President Sirisena in an unexpected turn of events in October 2016 launched a scathing attack on the Bribery Commission, Criminal Investigation De

partment (CID) and the Financial Crimes Investigating Division (FCID) of the Police claiming that the three institutions had been politicized.
Later he and Minister Rajitha Senaratne justified his controversial statement by saying that the three institutions were very slow in looking into the high-profile acts of corruption committed by the leaders of the former regime.

However, it would have been an embarrassing situation for the UNP as the ministries that had been tasked to take action against corruption were held by UNP Ministers.

The President again in July last year accused the UNP, this time directly, for delaying and even stalling investigations against the leaders of the previous Government. During a Cabinet meeting, he had reportedly challenged to catch the thieves within three months if the Police and the Attorney General’s Department were brought under him.

Then he was critical of the UNP’s apparent connivance in the Central Bank bond scam and appointed a Presidential Commission of inquiry to probe the highly controversial transaction.

The local council elections became a turning point in the relationship between the SLFP and the UNP and it has apparently marked the beginning of the downfall of the yahapalanaya government

The proceedings of the commission led to the resignation of UNP Assistant Leader Ravi Karunanayake from his ministerial portfolio on August 10, last year which in turn led to Justice and Buddha Sasana Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe stepping down from his post 13 days later.

The President, who went public with allegations of corruption against the UNP during the recent local elections, called for the resignation of the Prime Minister after the humiliating defeat of the election.  In fact the local council election defeat of the UNP can be attributed to the bond scam, among others, as 1.5 million out of 5 million voters who voted for the UNP in August 2015 had rejected the party this time while the SLFP and the UPFA had received the same number of votes (1.5 million).

The local council elections became a turning point in the relationship between the SLFP and the UNP and have apparently marked the beginning of the downfall of the Yahapalanaya Government.

While heightening the strife between the two parties in the Government it also gave a huge morale boost to the Mahinda Rajapaksa camp which instilled fear in the minds of many members of SLFP on their survival.

Despite the defeat of the NCM against the Prime Minister on April 4 being  a temporary setback for the former President and his loyalists, it has yielded to them by way of dividing the SLFP and further antagonizing the two ruling parties.

A shortsighted UNP demanded the resignation of the SLFP members who voted in favour of the NCM from their posts.

Rajapaksa promptly responded by an open invitation for them to join his camp.

In the face of the political trend created by the local elections in the country, the 16 MPs would happily accept the invitation. Former Minister S.B. Dissanayake, a well-known turncoat had already stated that those who voted for the NCM would form an alliance with the Joint Opposition.

The President seems to have prorogued the Parliament to prevent or delay this crossover.

The crisis of the present Government is nothing but one of its own making.

Had it been honest in its promise to take action against corruption, the Rajapaksa camp would have now been in disarray. But the UNP seems to have wanted to divide the SLFP by not weakening the Rajapaksa faction of the SLFP. Had the Government also prevented the bond fraud or taken the culprits to task at its initial stage and had they been honest in their promise to create one million job opportunities in five years, there wouldn’t have been such an erosion in the UNP vote base.

Age Limitations For Teens On Social Media

By Dinuka Jayasinghe –APRIL 19, 2018

Dinuka Jayasinghe

Social media sites have taken over our lives and it’s hard to imagine that 10 years ago there was no Facebook. Through social media, anyone online is empowered by an unrestricted flow of information to add to their knowledge. Social media has removed communication barriers vibrantly.

As media has the power to change the opinions of people, it can bring a great positive changes in society. Media have access to people and it provides a lot of strength. This strength can either be used constructively by educating the people or it can be used destructively by misleading the innocent people.

Teens and the Internet

There are 6 Mn + active social media users in Sri Lanka right now. That is more than 30% of our population. Starting from mid-2017, users in Sri Lanka on Facebook increased from 5Mn to 6Mn in less than 6 months. As per the stats of TRCSL, there are 1.5Mn + users age between 10-18. 

As per a National Survey done by Australian Phycology Society (APS) it is found that more than three in four young people (78.8%) are highly involved with their mobile phones. Young people are reportedly using social media for an average of 3.3 hours or more each day.

The survey also found 15% of teenagers reported being approached by strangers on a daily basis through their online world.

It’s high time to get rid of social media addiction before it’s too late

It is an indeed fact a life without smart phones and social media is unthinkable to many of today’s teens. Although these tech and social media brings many educational and creative opportunities, it also contains dangers which we don’t always consider. Rather than education kids more likely to be addictive to video games and social media. It seems obvious that these techs aren’t benefitting our children’s lives. Facebook stats says, time spent looking at mobile screen has tripled in just 4 years.

Knowing how to navigate the online social networking world is crucial for parents and teens these days. Being educated and talking about online experiences can help reduce many negative impacts on youth mental health and well-being.

Have you ever known that there are age restrictions for Social Media????

We have age restrictions on smoking, alcohol, pornography, etc….. But we have no age restrictions on social media and smart phones. 

The minimum age to open an account on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat is 13. YouTube requires account holders to be 18. According to a study it is found more than 50% of children in the world already used a Social network by the time they are 10. 

Despite these clearly stated and published age restrictions, large and growing numbers of children 12 and under are using social media networks, often with or without their parent’s knowledge and consent. 

The question is, in Sri Lanka do our parents have the knowledge to check these social media platforms, restrictions, etc….. Educating parents regarding this matter is essential.

Is it true that Silicon Valley Giants severely limited Tech use for their children???

Have you ever heard of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Evan Williams (founder of twitter) didn’t raise their kids with technology? They didn’t allow them to touch a cellphone until age 14. In Sri Lanka average age for a child getting a cellphone is 10. And we are more proud of it…… 

When Jobs was asked shortly after the IPad’s launch whether his kids enjoying the new product, his reply was “They haven’t used it,” Jobs responded. “We limit how much technology our kids use at home.” 

Isn’t this the best example????? 

The question is what it is these Tech giants know about their own products that their consumers don’t? The answer is simple, that is harmful addictive power of digital technology.

Facebook Depression

The time before these social media and smart devices taken place, kids were doing physical activities, which is far better than using social media devices. There is another thing that these social media is happy to introduce younger children to an adult world without moral boundaries which leads to child depression.

A Recent research has found that risk for depression jumps 27% when a teenager frequently uses social media. Also found that kids in America who uses social media for more than 3 hours a day more likely to homicidal? We can’t simply ignore this fact as we are one of the best in the world in Suicidal rate.

A study found children who frequently uses social media are more likely to lose soft skills, self-esteem respect for others and creativity.  

An early gadget use for your kid can damage your child in many ways, such as speech delay, attention deficits, learning and sleep problems, anxiety and childhood depression.

Do you know that there is a Plea for a ban of all tech handheld devices in children under 10? 

Beware of what your child sees on Facebook

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Comedy of Gamarala turns into tragedy ! Very few respond to his invitations ! Left in the lurch in London..!!

(Lanka-e-News - 19.April.2018, 4.45PM)  Sri Lanka ‘s president ‘Pallewatte Gamarala’ who has currently tumbled down to  a  4 %  popularity  base before the entire country ; whose  parliamentary representation has dwindled from 225 to 16 ; and who  brought  a no confidence motion to bite  the hand that fed him while also kicking the very ladder he used to reach the top , was plunged in  a  state of utter despair  and despondency in London day before yesterday (17)

Gamarala who is in London these days to attend the Commonwealth state leaders’ conference arranged a meeting on the 17 th with the Sri Lankans residing in Britain . But to his utter consternation , only a very few attended the meeting. 

The  SL High Commission(HC)  in Britain that organized this cordial greeting and meeting for him left no stone unturned to get the maximum crowd. In fact they made an effort as never before to draw crowds for the gathering , yet the smallest crowd ever in the  SL  history at  such meetings  attended it.  The H.C.  went on desperately  sending invitations again until yesterday noon ,and made urgent  calls to urge  the invitees  to attend the meeting as the president was participating , but without avail. 

All political parties in SL have branches in Britain , and even there are branches of student associations 

Yet the branches in Britain of all the political parties which worked with commitment to propel Gamarala to the presidential throne in 2015 , boycotting his visit on this occasion was specially noteworthy .

When a  High Commission office organizer had phoned the branch secretary of  a Leftist party and urged him to attend , the latter  had questioned, ‘why should we meet this bloke ? There had not been a ruler even during the British period who  profusely lied  like him . Are you inviting us to come and listen to another lie of his?’

No high rung officers  from UNP official branch office in Britain which put Gamarala on the presidential throne too had  attended the meeting . However a handful of  fake discarded UNPers rejected  by UNP’s  Sri Kotha but who claim as UNPers had participated.

Not a single representative of the TNA which voted for Gamarala in 2015 too had  attended  poor embattled Gamarala’s meeting . It is significant to  note in 2015 , about 80 %  of the TNA votes were cast in favor of Gamarala .

A majority of those in  the SLFP branch in Britain are with the Rajapakses. They are more than a thousand whereas the number with Gamarala Sillysena is only a little more than a hundred, and only 133 have expressed their assent via  the face book page . Though the branch secretary attended the meeting , only a very few members of that group had gone for the meeting. 

Of course the usual small  group of idlers who wear tie and coat , to  eagerly and enthusiastically   pose for  photographs with any VIP while displaying their own un-brushed teeth in order  to publicize  themselves  as  ‘bigwigs’  were present at Gamarala’s meeting.  Yet the  most shocking part was ,all these members of the  groups put together did not exceed the number of members of  Sillysena’s group  brought along by him  from Colombo to London. That was the most tragic part of Gamarala’s worst comedy show in London. 

This poor show of Gamarala is in profound contrast to that when he visited London for the first time after his 2015 presidential victory in January . Even after Maithri’s  one and half hour long cordial meeting was over visitors were flocking  to the venue  . Such was the crowd which attended the meeting then.

However just three years later , the same Gamarala Sillysena has owing to his  own  ruthless , reckless , rudderless conduct and  ungrateful , low bred , hypocritical and betraying traits demonstrated beyond any doubt  what a venomous hopper gobbling  untrustworthy ungrateful uncouth serpent he is, consequent upon which he has now  incurred the displeasure and disgust of the whole nation. The fiasco he faced in London bore  ample testimony to this when  the Sri Lankans in Britain rejected their  president insolently by boycotting his eagerly sought  cordial meeting.

This unpopularity of Gamarala and the disgust shown towards him by Sri Lankans  is not confined  only to Britain . A cursory glance at the face book now which revealed there were 1.1 million in favor of  Gamarala  then will  also confirm this stark truth about his present predicament . Only 118 have shared his face book page new year wishes. 

Only 159 have shared his milk boiling photograph; 18 leaders have only shared his New year wishes; only  22   have shared Gamarala’s London visit; only 18 have shared his oil anointing ceremony at the London Vihara( these are the numbers calculated based  on Sri Lanka time 11.00 a.m.- 2018-04-18 ). Sadly , this is the present dire plight of Gamarala  who has slid down precipitously having lost   1.1 million voters. By this it can be inferred how much his own relatives are disgusted of this stinking Gamarala dried fish because his  number of relatives is more than the present number of individuals  with him. 

When Lanka e news inquired from senior stalwarts of the SLFP in London why they did not respond to  Gamarala’s anxious invitation to greet and meet with  them?  They had an interesting and intriguing tale to relate …

‘The many  assurances and undertakings we gave to others based on his promises and speeches have now been proved as false . We are unable to face those who are in England, hence we have no faith any more in him . He is not only a double crossing betrayer    but even a vicious opportunist with chameleon traits .’

Chandra Pradeep from London

Translated by Jeff

---------------------------
by     (2018-04-19 11:23:19)

Attacks on foreigners on southern beach: 13 arrested

By Shamindra Ferdinando-April 19, 2018, 10:55 pm 

Four persons, arrested in connection with an alleged attack on a group of Israeli tourists on the Meedigama- Weligama beach on April 15 were remanded by the Matara Magistrate on April 18 till April 26, pending an identification parade.

A senior police official told The Island that of the suspects in custody the first arrest had been made by the Weligama police on April 17. Three more persons, residents of Meedigama, Ahangama and Mirissa, aged 17, 18 and 23 had been arrested subsequently, police said,

According to police, the incident on the Meedigama-Weligama beach took place a week after thugs assaulted a group of foreigners and sexually assaulted one woman on the Mirissa beach also in the Weligama police area.

The police said that three more persons wanted in connection with the Mirissa incident had been arrested on April 17. They, too, have been remanded till April 19.

Tourism Ministry Secretary Esala Weerakoon told The Island that he had briefed relevant diplomatic missions on the incident and assured them of speedy action.

Witnesses absent: 9 suspects re-remanded

Police headquarters said that nine suspects produced before the Matara Magistrate for an identification parade yesterday were re-remanded till May 3 due to the failure on the part of the witness to appear. The identification parade will be held on May 3 at the next hearing.

Castes and Votes Sri Lanka needs a longer Nonagathaya for sanity

This article is being typed for the Daily Mirror, almost two hours before the Sinhala-Hindu New Year is to astrologically close at 02.37 p.m. this Saturday, April 14.   

2018-04-20

That period from 01.49 a.m. is called Nonagathaya: The time Sinhala Buddhists also call Punyakalaya, literarily meaning meritorious time. 
Sinhala Buddhists generally refrain from routine work they usually indulge in and keep this time to go to temple and engage in deeds they understand as meritorious.   

Thus, I thought, if rational thinking and intellect could not make most Sinhala Buddhists accept and treat others as equals entitled to the same rights they enjoy, why not have a longer Nonagathaya when they at least refrain from their usual selfish work and engage in meritorious work? 
Nonagathaya, an annual short period when they try behaving nice and sharing time with others as good human beings? But astrology wouldn’t allow good times last long, I guess.

We are therefore into the next day with the New Year, going about as usual in a nasty competitive world that leaves no time for one another, but for individuals and for their families.   

The extended family there was for older generations and have gradually become extinct. For the present generation, the extended family is too distant and almost non-existent in daily life. 

Reginald Cooray

And they are also turned into human atoms chained to ever growing life targets that by virtue of the competition to survive and succeed demands chasing after time.   

They wouldn’t even bother about what happens next door, that in this Neoliberal Society is often talked of as good and civilised behaviour. 
Within this atomised, isolated and explosively competitive society, the identity crisis is often found answers in terms of ancient and historical rights. 

That brings to life all the dirty divisions from localisation to religion, ethnicity and then caste. Majoritarian dominance is thus the order in
urban life.

Any racist, hate-filled society that divides along localities, ethnic and religious lines wouldn’t stop divisions just there.
They seek and seep into other feudal differences from geographical localities to caste that encroach into trade, politics and governance. 
Comfortably immersed in that melee, there was a time during the height of Madam Bandaranayake’s tenure, the city gossip said anything could be done if one was a KGB. It wasn’t about the Soviet espionage agency “Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti. It meant “Kandyan, Govigama, Buddhist”. 

K.C. Logeswaran

Much later in the decade of 1990 during President Kumaratunga’s time, the Colombo middle class was talking of an MKR dominance. During our school going days, that had a different meaning tagged to dumb Romeos. But this was different and was all about being “Matara, Karave, Rahula”. Old boys of Rahula, it meant.   

Such is social divisions that exist and are given political importance in racist societies.   

In India, Narendra Modi’s Hindutva campaign openly carried through the RSS, is not only about religious dominance. It is also about the ruthless dominance of the upper castes over Dalits. 

The Buddhist monks are not alone in shouldering and nurturing caste preferences

Where the political executive is shy in handling issues the society may react against, the Narendra Modi Government allowed Courts to handle them, wrote senior journalist and a very serious columnist Bharat Bhushan in The AsianAge on 12 April 2018.   

Referring to the Court ruling on the “Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act” he added, “The Supreme Court ruling comes in the wake of the increasing atrocities against the Dalits under BJP rule. A Dalit youngster can be beaten or even killed for daring to ride a horse to his own wedding or for sporting a moustache. The only time upper caste goons forget about untouchability is when they rape Dalit women.”   

Hindutva dominance thus is not just about religious authority over society but also about hierarchical dominance of upper castes in their most indecent and ruthless manner.   Searching for a dominant identity, Sinhala Buddhist extremism in our society also carries similar caste patronage, the South lives with. Caste plays its role big and small in conservative family life to trade and business and in politics too, from Point Pedro to Dondra.

Recent shuffling of Governors to Provincial Councils (PC) had its share of caste and religious preferences the South never paid any attention to.
The first indication of shuffling Governors between PCs was reported almost three weeks ago on April 5.   

Recent shuffling of Governors to Provincial Councils (PC) had its share of caste and religious preferences the South never paid any attention to

It was said President Sirisena would re-appoint Western Province Governor Logeswaran as Governor Northern Province (NP), the first Tamil Governor for NP.   

Reginald Cooray thus was to move from North to Central Province (CP) as Governor, while others were also to change provinces on mutual consent.   

Yet, the shuffling did not take place as expected though without clear reasons given.   

Mainstream media that often speculate on such decisions, did not follow on those stories and report. Yet it was no State Secret Reginald Cooray’s posting as Governor CP was being objected to on caste and religion. 

Cooray who thought he could impress upon the Mahanayakes to be Governor of CP, had persuaded President Sirisena to shuffle Governors as decided and on 12 April he was appointed Governor CP, along with other changes that saw K.C. Logeswaran being sworn in as Governor North Western Province.   

NP being left without a Governor was nevertheless an uneasy silence.   

Often times important State postings are compromised on caste, lobbied by influential personalities and groups

Within 24 hours a quick change saw a KGB appointed as Governor CP and Cooray re-appointed to NP.   

It was said, Cooray was sent back to NP on popular request. Whatever is said publicly, President Sirisena had given into the Mahanayakes for the second time and they had their choice as Governor for CP.

Mahanayakes of Shyamopoli Siyam Nikaya have been adamantly sticking to such caste preferences ever since 1778 when they refused the higher ordination (Upasampadawa) to the Low Country and low caste monks. 

That ancient feudal decision stayed when President Sirisena was to revoke the British colonial decision that named 20 Kandyan aristocrats including Keppetipola Disawe as “traitors” under Governor Brownrigg’s signature for rebelling against the British Crown.   

President Sirisena was to sign the Gazette notification at the Pattirippuwa, Dalada Maligawa on December 08, 2016, naming all rebels as national heroes.   

But that never happened at the Pattirippuwa as planned. Without any reason given, the venue was shifted to the Magul Maduwa adjoining the Dalada Maligawa.   

Yet, the ceremony fizzled off without much pomp and pageantry and in the absence of Amarapura and Ramanna Nikaya (Sects)
Chief Prelates.   

President Sirisena had conceded to and compromised with the Mahanayakes.   

The Buddhist monks are not alone in shouldering and nurturing caste preferences. 

It is more than rumour in the Catholic Church, Bishops have to be from proven stock of social acceptance for appointment. That is said to be more important for Tamil Dioceses than for Sinhala Dioceses. 

After the war was brought to a conclusion, Tamil society also complains against growing Vellala dominance once again in Jaffna ruling circles and in its local economy.   

This is felt no less in the Jaffna University and within its academia. Over a year ago a research outfit in Jaffna thought it right to discuss caste issues in Tamil society and organised a forum in the Jaffna University that immediately ran into internal personality conflicts.   

The stubborn unrelenting fact here is, while racism provides enough space for such identity searches, in feudal divisions that grow within the political establishment as well.   

While in India Narendra Modi compromises with Hindutva politics that leads to caste polarisation, here President Sirisena compromises with a heavily divided Sangha on caste preferences. 

It is an unwritten, rarely documented fact in Sri Lanka that if not often than at times, important State postings are compromised on caste, lobbied by influential personalities and groups.

This leads to a more fundamental issue in governance.   

Is caste an accepted substitute for competence, seniority and merit?   

Though not referred to anywhere in public, there are caste preferences that decide public postings violating12 (2) of Chapter III of the Constitution that says, “No citizen shall be discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, language, caste, sex, political opinion, place of birth or any one of such grounds.”   

There would not have been any necessity to mention caste as possible grounds for discrimination in the Constitution if caste was not used in decision making.   

Thus, it is the right of Citizens to know and for sake of promised transparency in Governance the responsibility of President Sirisena to explain, why Reginald Cooray posted as Governor CP was removed within 24 hours and replaced by Uva PC Governor Punchi Banda Dissanayake.
With such social values, attitudes and perceptions shaped by feudal bindings at the highest level of governance and in politics across ethnic lines, there is absolutely no social space for reconciliation and peace in this country.   

 No society that lives with feudal divisions and demarcations beyond ethnic and religious polarisation, can ever dream of inclusivity and secular life in a modern democratic society.   

This society that accommodates and lives with feudal divisions apart from religious and ethnic polarisation would never allow the dominant Sinhala Buddhists to accept the Other as an equal and a dignified human, like him or her. 

We thus need a much longer Nonagathaya for South to engage in decent social activities and engage in positive dialogue to accept, life is not about accruing rights and liberties, but is about sharing equally all that we want with the other.   

Understand and accept that life is not just individual living but social sharing too. But that would need a political alternative to this neoliberal free market economy as well.