Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

13 July 2017                                           

 They made their mark of Perseverance in the History of Sri Lanka

Engineering at University of Peradeniya &

Buddhism Foremost

While we are thinking ‘logically’ as per our own current environments and what seems ‘right’ in our circles – we often forget those others whose ‘logic’ is different to ours. Yesterday for example a Tamil reader wrote in response to my article about ‘Traditional Powers’ :

[Vaalmeehi & Kambar ramayana 'story' was written to disgrace the Tamils]

My response to this was:

[If this is your Belief – then you must believe also that Tamils are very much in the minority – relative to those who Believe/Think  that Kambar is an Asset to Tamils and Vaalmeehi is an Asset to Hindus.]

Our beliefs do take different forms and hence one needs to listen as if one is that person. If one is not able to – then one must take the ‘outsider’s/foreign’ position and observe. In the above instance I was able to place myself in the shoes of the above Tamil. That steadiness was developed within family circles after  I was shocked to hear an uncle of ours say that Seetha went after Ravana! That my mind happened due to isolation with Seniors whose investment in wider world was limited. Likewise in Spirituality through respect for Traditions. Hence Ramayanam became a myth that could be used to entertain their idle minds. After that ‘shock’ I was conditioned to expect the unexpected – like the above.

One gets these parallels in Sinhalese Buddhist community also. No Secular constitution – however perfectly balanced it may be – can cure such weakness. Only those who are natural part of that community through one aspect of the other can.

Equal Opportunity laws in Australia are often not practiced by politicians who think they already are the best leaders to ‘show’ their  world that they are clever leaders. A citizen who knows her/his Truth and completes the relationship at its highest standards – takes that politician into the area of Truth where there are no rights and wrongs between persons but awareness of one’s true position as per oneself. In other words – the science of karma through which we learn why we acted as we did, through ourselves.

As per Daily Mirror report on the latest meeting of Tamil Politicians with the Buddhist leaders:

[The Asgiriya Chapter Registrar and the Asgiriya Sangha Sabha senior committee member, the Ven. Medagma Dhammananda Thera said he appreciated the decision taken by the TNA parliamentarians including the Opposition leader to meet the Mahanayake Theras.

“We are happy to have met the TNA parliamentarians including the Opposition leader and clear up misunderstandings if any,” he said. “We have expressed our views on amending the Constitution. It is our responsibility as Sri Lankans to create a conducive environment so that we all can live in peace and harmony. We regret that the Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister's extremist stance on certain matters." ]

 The TNA’s National level politicians are the opposition of the Buddhist Clergy in relation to Buddhism Foremost clause in the Constitution. The Buddhist Clergy  are also the parallel of Hindu leaders who influence Tamil Politicians. Mr. Wigneswaran ‘shows’ Hindu leadership. One of the reasons for the above could be that the  Buddhist Clergy are jealous of Hindu leadership – in what they consider to be their territory through Buddhism Foremost provision – that the Buddhist leaders have knowledge of.  Buddhism foremost clause to Sri Lankans is the parallel of Racial Discrimination Act in Australia- the purpose of which is largely to get a good name from their class / world.  The party that actually practiced Racial Equality is not likely to win political leadership due to the real connection being on the basis of ‘superiority/foremost status’ of one race over the other. But a true believer of Oneness has the power to invoke this Truth of inequality – through the official system if the standards are close to each other and/or through the natural system if the levels of operation are widely different – so that they cannot be brought under one measure without deepest level research work to find commonness.

The true practitioner of Oneness through autocracy will comfortably adopt in an equal opportunity environment. Buddhist clergy mentioned above, failed to respect the provisions of articles 10 and 14 (1) (e) of the Constitution which facilitate each person to practice her/his religion. As per Hindu religion one is within one’s authority to fight including to kill – in performing one’s duty.  As per Lord Krishna, the JVP uprising  in South  and LTTE led uprising in North – would have been right conduct by those who openly oppose the official system and did their best through the official system to complete their relationship with the government.

Any Sovereign Unit would produce  its physical manifestations in confirmation within its own boundaries as follows:

(i)             One side first and the equal other side later with accumulated interest – through time based autocratic system

(ii)            Both sides at the same time – for which apparent cultural diversity is needed – through the system of Democracy.

The rough manifestations of Buddhist clergy which does not seem to have connections to Buddha – need to be balanced through another religion at that time to preserve not only Buddhist Sovereignty but also Sri Lanka’s Sovereignty. Mr. Wigneswaran became the medium through which this manifestation happened and thus confirming the right of Provincial Councils to balance Buddhist theory through Hindu practice.

In fact, Buddhism foremost theory got into the Constitution through Political leaders. The Daily Mirror lists some of these as follows, through its article, Maha Sangha should be banned from 

politics. Period.:

[D. S. Senanayake

DS was a devoted Buddhist who hailed from such a family in Siyané Koralé and never ever engaged the clergy of any religion in running the country. He was totally secular in governance and believed in a distribution of power, at least at the centre, among all ethnicities.  

SWRD Bandaranaike

SWRD was not only a political by-product of the Sangha, the strongest pillar that delivered the 1956 elections to him, he eventually paid the ultimate price for his slavish obedience to the Buddhist Clergy. Tearing the infamous Banda-Chelva Pact literally into pieces was done at the instigation of the Buddhist clergy and other so-called Buddhist leaders. Bandaranaike was assassinated by a Buddhist monk as the culmination of a conspiracy headed by the very monk who led the Maha Sangha at the ’56 elections for him. The assassin was Talduwe Somarama and the chief conspirator, Mapitigama Buddharakkhitha. Ironically, both had the ‘Venerable’ at the beginning of their names.   

Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Sirimavo has the distinction of including a clause in the new Constitution of Sri Lanka in 1972. As per that Constitution, Article 9 says: “The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place, and accordingly, it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e)”. The most significant element of this clause is, when such special place is accorded to Buddhism, in no way that any future government could take it away without risking a riot led by the saffron robed. 

JR Jayewardene

JR Jayewardene, the only political leader who had the foresight and the ‘spine’ to ask the Maha Sangha not to dabble in politics. He declared well before his 1977 elections victory that the Maha Sangha should keep away from politics. And after assuming power, he opted to seek the advice of the Sangha only when the appropriate time arrived. In other words. JR did not allow the Buddhist monks nor any other clergy to dictate ‘terms of state’ to the government. And it should be so. ]

If it is a fact that Mr. Jayawardene so declared well before his 1977 elections victory – then that is also Political play of Buddhism. Any true Buddhist would have known this.  Mr. Jayawardene – as per the logic of  his own circles / supervisors did not leave the Buddhism Foremost Provision out of the 1978 Constitution. He used the provision as a trump-card to highlight that  Mrs. Bandaranaike was weak but that he was strong enough to keep the Buddhist leaders out. The dependent  voter – follows the master blindly.

 All those who lost interest in Mrs. Bandaranaike and were looking for an easy reason would have demoted the Buddhist clergy also. Mr. Jayawardene played the Buddhism card – to his political advantage. The most serious offences against Tamils happened during his period – due to him invoking negative Energy through such declarations.

Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, inherited her husband’s investment in Politics. It was during her period that the Quota system to enter University was implemented. As per the Memorandum of the subcommittee  of the National Science Council of Sri Lanka, that prepared the preliminary report 'ENTRY INTO UNIVERSITY - STANDARDIZATION• AND DISTRICT QUOTA SYSTEM:

1.     Reasons for, Standardization

1.1  At discussions with officials from the Examinations Department and the University, it transpired that as far back as 1970  there had been allegations that selections to the Engineering Faculty at Peradeniya had been unfair .

1.2  A linguistic basis for deciding admissions had been decided upon by the Government.

1.3  The maximum mark Varied between subjects – the best script in one subject may score 90 marks, while in another subject it may fetch only 65 marks. Similarly, the minimum marks will also differ between subjects.

1.4  Where the marking is subjective particularly in the essay type of paper, there can be disparities in the student performance between the different media. It has also been submitted that the intrinsic differences in the languages result in the same question being comprehended differently in the different language media.

The quota system was seen by Tamils as a manifestation of the Discriminatory Habits of Majority race. It was fiercely opposed by Tamil youth – largely through the non-violent pathway. My husband’s group which had an overwhelming majority of Tamils from Jaffna entering the University would have been the latest batch to confirm this outstanding achievement. The importance of that achievement is confirmed in our Coogee home here in Australia where the graduation photo is part of the heritage of this family. That Engineering group has a special bonding due to the manifestations of the ethnic problem.

As per my understanding – Engineering is largely Maths and Physics based. The medium of learning was English for this subject at Faculty of Engineering, Peradeniya University. Whilst it is appreciated that as  quoted above ‘the same question would have been comprehended differently in the different language media’  the difference would have been far less than in the Arts stream, due to the high component of  Maths and Science in Engineering Course. Engineering is the parallel of Secular provisions in the Constitution.

Even if we attributing the reasoning to be to demote English – the reasoning that different cultures would interpret the same problem differently – is acceptable. This is even more valid at social level – so we do not interfere with each other’s cultures. It is significant that University of Jaffna is yet to develop an Engineering Faculty. The reason to my mind is that it was a handout by Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike as compensation for the quota system. It is based on Hindu tradition.

Likewise, the Provincial Council led by Mr. Wigneswaran  who ‘shows’ Hindu culture.

This morning, I receive an email from a UK Diaspora leader under the heading: Dr Jayampathy's interview on the Constitutional reform

Dr. Jayampathy discusses how the ‘Common’ candidate was developed etc. etc. But so long as Buddhism Foremost provision is in the Constitution – all that is ‘foreign’ to the Tamils affected  by the language and religion issues. As they say in Tamil under similar circumstances ‘ What does it matter to us whether Rama rules or Ravana rules?’ So far as Tamils are concerned – all the resources thus far expended in changing the Constitution is wasted without repealing the Buddhism foremost clause or advantaging minority religions through affirmation clause – for example specific clause that Buddhist Clergy have no right to Publicly discipline or reward any non-Buddhist, except through strictly Secular /(Engineering) provisions of the Constitution and the laws that flow from those provisions of the  Constitution.