Mortgaging the country’s soul

Roman Catholic Headed Tourism Ministry to Change the History of Nagadeeepa

(Courtesy of The Island)

By Bandu de Silva

Mortgaging the country’s soul (cultural identity) is a thought that arose in my mind after reading the letter of Dr. P. Punchihewa, of the former Ceylon Civil Service (later, International Civil Servant), who has authored nearly 30 books including those relating to history of Sri Lanka. (The Island, 22 July 2016).The erudite writer points out that one of the MOUs signed between the two countries during the June 2016 visit of Indian Foreign Minister, Sushima Swaraj, is being referred to in the media in both countries as related to ” … a move to develop infrastructure at the sites that form a part of the Ramayana circuit, …which says both neighbouring nations will work jointly to promote mutual tourism interest.

Foreign Ministry does it again

Dr. Punchihewa put it too mildly when he stated that Ramayana trail [is] back on track at cost to Si Lankan history and Buddhist belief. Last time it was the Tourism Authority of Sri Lanka led by its staunch Hindu head and supported by others, one of whom even publicly claimed he worshipped the India flag several times a day. India officially remained in the background. Even the news of Mr. Chauhan, BJP Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh participating in the ground –breaking ceremony and offering several crores of Indian Rupees for construction of Sita Maha Devi temple at Divurumpola was kept hidden from the Sri Lankan media and the public. The news came to light through the Deccan Herald. So it was a BJP supported affair altogether from Indian side that accomplices in Sri Lanka were promoting.

That project is not included in the Ramayana trail sites in the Memorandum signed between Swaraj and Samaraweera this time at top governmental level. The document relating to tourism was probably co-proposed by the Ministry of Tourism and Christianity on the Sri Lankan side. But to agree to accept the broader project this time without proper scrutiny, those at the helm of the Foreign Ministry must be out of their mind. Dr.Punchihewa rightly asks if the Ministries of Buddhasasana and Culture were consulted. Buddhasana Ministry comes in to the picture because an important Buddhist religious site –the Nagadeepa- is involved in the project which could diminish the Buddhist significance of the place as a place sanctified by Buddha’s visit. Both Buddhist and South Indian traditions confirm the Buddha’s connection with this site. Those at the Foreign Ministry could not have been unaware of this even if the Ministry of Tourism and Christian Affairs would have ignored it.

It is also a matter that the Ministry of Tourism and Christian Affairs should have handled with particular care to avoid any allegation of meddling by the Minister himself who is a Roman Catholic. Besides, even as per mythology, the route taken by invading forces of Rama was claimed to be the Monkey-built Bridge (Sethu or Adams Bridge) linking Matota with Dhanuskodi. Didn’t it occur to the Sri Lankan side to query this discrepancy?

Myth officially rejected once

Even if the Sri Lankan side may not have seen anything wrong in Indian government’s proposal, the submissions made to Courts over the Sethu Samudram project by the former Indian government under Manmohan Singh considered the Ramayana story of the bridge as a myth without historical truth. The BJP being a major party to the issue with its adherence to the myth, the Modi government’s interest in it could be well understood. The potential for conflict over the new projects arises from the fact that many crores of Indians are backing the mythology as true history, is that as the court case reveals. On the other hand, there was the case of the historic Babri mosque in Ayodhya to go by, which saw a large mob of fanatic Hindus who considered the site the birth place of Rama destroying the ancient mosque and over and around it infrastructure being allowed to be built by the Modi government. The key word in the proposed Sri Lankan projects is also building “infrastructure” at/around the places identified in the Ramayana trail project.

Against this background, one can imagine what could happen if a flare-up were to occur once these projected sites become active.

Why Ministry of Cultural affairs should be concerned?

Other sites such as Ashok Vatik and Donara, are imaginary places not even identified in Sri Lankan survey maps. Couldn’t there be controversy over their location? How childish for Sri Lankan government to accept a project containing such imaginary places?Another place whose historical significance has been overlooked when including in the new project is Yudaganawa, the place where the two brothers Dutu-Gemunu and Saddha-Tissa are traditionally believed to have fought a battle. To subvert this site’s traditional identity is an assault on accepted history which should have been objected to. How could that too have escaped the eyes of the Foreign Ministry unless those at the top had not properly scrutinized the proposals? Haven’t we become the laughing stock in the eyes of Indians?

Not the first time

This is not the first time Sri Lanka was taken for a ride. The last occasion was the time when Mahinda Rajapksa government signed an agreement with India to exhibit what India claimed as “Kapilavastu Relics” in contrast to “Sarvagna Dhatu” as when the same was exhibited here under the regime of President JR Jayewardene. There is serious controversy as to the authenticity of these relics.

India scored two points on that occasion .One was to get support for India’s highly contested claim of Kapilavastu being on Indian side of Indo-Nepal border. (This is an issue in which even UNESCO has refused to intervene). Here the former Rajapaksa government, ill-advisedly, lent its support to India as against another SAARC country. The other was, unknown to the Sri Lankan public, of agreeing to the Indian government to carry out excavations at present Tiruketeeswaram temple site. The temple was constructed during the early British period by two Tamil businessmen as recorded in British archival records. The old temple of the Brahamin which the Governor wanted the Collector to support was elsewhere. Here again India was putting her finger in this affair for geo-political reasons.

A time-bomb

The government has enough trouble already at its doorstep to worry about including the proposed ETCA with India. This is another time bomb with potential of a heavier damage in scale than the other to the fortunes of the government, if allowed to ignite.

There is no need to engage in controversial projects which might have adverse repercussions on the historic/cultural/religious identity of the country. For over millennia, our Buddhist clergy succeeded in keeping the Ramayana myth out of this country giving pride to the Buddhist connection with India as opposed to the situation in South East Asia. Prof. Heinz Bechert of the Gottingon University has presented a fully academic study as to why Ramayana myth failed to take root in Sri Lanka.

Let that ancient historic identity remain undiluted not allowing it to be submerged by Indian cultural expansionism in the guise of tourism promotion. It is time the Foreign Ministry and other Ministries are cautioned against creating situations like this. It was relieving to hear the President say that even on ETCA he would go by public opinion. This Memorandum on Tourism is something where he and the Prime Minister might advisably use better judgment to avoid another eroding situation of the fortunes of the government.

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