Future of Sri Lanka & Buddhism: Call a National Convention of all Buddhists (Clergy and Laymen)

The Sinhale nation was betrayed numerous times. Don Juan Dharmapala, our own men (lascoreens/sepoys) who joined the white colonial shooting their own people, those that willing converted to Catholicism/Christianity for perks and privileges, those that carried tales and messages for the enemy, the confiscation of Buddhist Temple Lands, the demarcation of territory, the later day arrivals now holding the majority to hostage using their foreign influence and the treacherous agreements signed to enemies are just a few examples of how a nation ruled by 181 Sinhale kings is presently existential fears for the real Buddhists who want to maintain the history and heritage of the Sinhale Nation and the Compassion of Buddhism that should prevail at all levels of governance and should be the basis on which the country’s Constitution is formulated.

The name for Sri Lanka was Sinhale. It was with the Sinhale Nation that the British signed the Kandyan Convention in 1815. No one can object to the use of the name Sinhale or remove that name from historical records because it does not fit into their plans. Reversal of injustices and discriminations have yet to be acknowledge, accounted for or even compensated in the absence of establishing what was denied and lost and what needs to be regained.

There is much that Sri Lanka has to be proud of – from ancient Buddhist artefacts, stupas, man-made irrigation and canal systems unmatched anywhere, art and architecture etc. These cannot be sold to foreign hands and must be preserved and protected. The Sacred Buddhist lands demarcated cannot be compromised on the grounds of development and given to faiths that shed blood with animal slaughter/sacrifice.

It is obvious that the majority of the Sinhalese Buddhists do not understand the dangers lurking while a handful of Sinhalese Christians have realized and have put country before religion. None the less it is imperative to organize a national convention bringing together all Buddhist clergy, all Buddhist Organizations and Patriotic Nationalists to discuss the challenges and devise a national plan to address them.

What are these challenges:

• The need to realize that Christian/Islamic territorial expansion and conversions to their faiths is a program that has the backing and even funding of government/institutional funding (Vatican / Wahhabi / NGOs / Evangelical/Assembly of God & other Cults)
• The Christian/Islamic influenced media on a witch hunt to denigrate Buddhists at every turn – content analysis of articles/coverage will prove (Press Commission Report of 1964 – needs to be reprinted and circulated)
• Politicians compromising territory and heritage of Sri Lanka for votes – Wilpattu deforestation and settlements of Wahhabi non-Sri Lankans depict dangers in store
• The subtle programs to slowly remove the Buddhist ethos and identity of Sri Lanka legislatively / constitutionally & legally by reference to multi-religious/multi-ethnic/multi-faith etc (do Muslim-majority nations refer to or follow any such programs? The Nations that do are now finding its citizens angry with immigrants influencing policy. We do not wish the same to happen in Sri Lanka.
• Need to decolonize our minds that have been distanced from the English education system, Western culture, Western modes of communication that steadily influences people to be slaves of different ideologies and denationalize them.
• Need to always protect those who defend the nation, incorporate history and nationalism into the school curricula (public, private & international) nurture future leaders to protect the history & heritage of the Sinhale nation.

What should be the demands

• 70/30 Demand from all Politicians : with over 74% being Sinhalese the Sinhale voters must insist that the Sinhalese must be given 70% share at every level of decision/policy and allocation of state funds/flats/lands/schemes etc. (The same prevails in Singapore and even in other nations though it is not publicized)
• National Anthem Sinhala only as was originally done
• National Official Language – Sinhala (link Language English) Everybody must know the language of the majority 74%. There is no requirement for the country to be divided with people speaking 2 different languages plus the cost of translations to Tamil is just a waste of time and money & has no productivity. Tamils/Muslims must be taught Sinhala first though Sinhalese should also learn to converse in Tamil without having to sit exams in it. Tamil is not a functional language in administration.
• One National Law – there cannot be different laws prevailing (no laws should take precedence or overrule the national laws). It is only when one national law prevails that equality before the law takes place.
• Laws to protect the Ranaviru National Heroes – If US & UK can ensure their soldiers are not brought before any international tribunals, the same should apply to the only nation that defeated an international terrorist movement. No international inquiry/domestic inquiry but military inquiry as done in all other nations for disciplinary action as per laws applicable to military only.
• No land/property to be owned by foreigners (even those married to locals) – strict laws must be created for this. With over 300,000 Maldivians in Sri Lanka is the Govt aware how many have married Sri Lankan citizens and are now indirectly owning land/property. Maldives will not even allow a Buddhist statue to be taken to Maldives where ancient artifacts in a once-Buddhist nation has been ruined by vandals and history changed to deny the Buddhist heritage of Maldives.
• Protection of Buddhism as foremost religion must entail that nothing can overrule the tenets of Buddhism – people of other faiths must be given freedom to practice their religions but their religious institutions cannot follow their doctrines of conversions and imperial expansion & culture changes of people using freedom of religion as a bogey.
• Sinhala Buddhist voters must not vote for any politician who compromises above at any election.

Buddhist lands prevailed from Persia as far as Indonesia – today there are just 5 Theravada Buddhist nations fighting to survive and preserve the Buddhist ethos and Sri Lanka is one such. The historical edicts of imperial expansion of Christian/Islam prevails still with both competing to increase their flocks (adherents via conversion to be their footsoldiers). The doctrines of discovery to take and possess non-Christian/non-Islamic lands continues still and not revoked and it is against this realization that Sri Lanka’s leaders, citizens must realize their role in preserving a history that has been passed from one generation to the other not to be given to be transformed into another faith.

No religion can object to the compassion of Buddhism to be incorporated into the governance of a country when the general public of the West are giving up their faiths to embrace Buddhism having discovered that wealth does not provide happiness, meat has ruined their health and peace of mind and truth has been scientifically proven by only Buddhism.

We as a Nation have much to ponder.

A National Convention must address all these challenges and more and it is our duty to take forward what has been passed down.

Those who forget to learn from history are doomed to repeat those same mistakes.

It is hoped that the Clergy and Laymen together arrange for an emergency national convention to discuss and address the challenges.

Shenali D Waduge

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