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An irresistible identity with violence

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22 March 2018 12:00 am - 0     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Film director Nilendra Deshapriya has scenes in his short film ‘Thanha, Rathee, Ranga’ as to how the majority Sri Lankans took to the streets to celebrate the military’s crushing of the LTTE  

One just has to browse through the list of television programmes. Sri Lankans watch during the week and it will be evident that this island nation has the mentality to stage a war anytime, anywhere.   

The majority of channels show movies or tele series which fuel patriotic feelings. Maharaja Gemunu and now Muthukuda make our hairs stand on end. The latter shows the battle between Sinhala rebels and British soldiers, dating back to the time of King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe.   

The tele series is scripted in a way that we not only hate the British, but also want to see any existing families of Kandy’s elite Sinhala chieftains perish. The story towards the end of the tele series Muthukuda underscores how survival those days boiled down to betrayal! Even though the tele series gives us a peep into the island’s history and presents true facts, the net result is that we succumb to thoughts of hatred.   

  • We forget that when one community celebrates this win, there is another that sulks because those who fought for their cause were vanquished
  • The article reveals how people buy liquor from the wine store owned by a Tamil, purchase the soda they want from the store owned by a Sinhalese and visit the boutique owned by a Muslim for the bites

Silence not peace
It’s just eight years and some months after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) were banished. The Sinhalese lit crackers and served milk rice to passersby on roads to celebrate this victory. Film director Nilendra Deshappriya in his short film ‘Thanha, Rathee, Ranga’ shows these scenes in the most colourful manner. 
We forget that when one community celebrates this win, there is another that sulks because those who fought for their cause were vanquished. All these and the recent incidents in Teldeniya and Digana have similar endings. A rebellion was squashed. A minority was silenced. Yes. From time to time there is silence in this country. What we see is silence; not peace.   

The media plays a huge role in carrying information to the masses. Most media institutes have taken painstaking efforts to show that violent mobs which torched and damaged the belongings of Muslims weren’t influenced by the clergy. Sri Lanka’s history reveals, like its highlighted during the entire tele drama ‘Muthukuda’, that all rebellions, featuring the majority Sinhalese, started from temples with the blessings of the clergy. In this context it’s pertinent to ask this question; where is it said in Gautama Buddha’s teachings that a Buddhist nation has the permission to go to war or behave violently under any circumstance?   

There is no confusion when a Muslim or a Hindu goes to war if these efforts are to protect their religions. This writer says this because their religions (Hindu and Islam), in their scriptures, give them permission to do so.   

A rebellion was squashed. A minority was silenced. Yes. From time to time there is silence in this country. What we see is silence; not peace

Identity problem 
As much as a good number of Sri Lankan Buddhists, this writer is referring to those who have not made any effort to practice the Dhamma, have an identity problem, so do extremist Muslims who think they are superior to all those who belong to other faiths. A close analysis of what members of these two groups do and say suggest that they wish to show the world that they belong to a great religion; not necessarily that they practice what the scriptures say.   

When MJ Kumarasinghe, a lorry driver, was brutally beaten during a recent clash, which featured four Muslims, the initial public attraction was almost zero. The man who was mauled, he later died in the ICU, and those who attacked him figured in an incident of insignificance. This was because no identity was pinned on them. But the moment the assaulted man died and his assailants were identified as Muslims, (Not forgetting the dead man being identified later as a Sinhalese) the death was turned into a source that started spreading evil.   

The Sunday edition of ‘Ravaya’ (2018-03-11) highlights beautifully the happy coexistence between the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims in a recent article that analyses the Teldeniya and Digana violence. In the article it is said how people in the area buy liquor from the wine store owned by a Tamil, purchase the soda they want from the store owned by a Sinhalese and visit the boutique owned by a Muslim for the bites. What a marvel! What unity! But the roots of that unity aren’t deep rooted, in this island nation. This unity was existing in Digana, but before these incidents took place. All that brotherhood has been buried under the rubble now.   

All what recently happened and the many incidents in the history of this country show that wars and battles have been fueled by religious thoughts. Global records show that over 5000 wars have been fought in the name of religion.   

The Sinhalese owe one to the Muslims. It’s certainly not nice to see the Sinhalese owned shops flourish doing business during the festive month of April when the neighbouring Muslim shops have been reduced to ashes.

On lowering standards 
The topic ‘religious wars’ compels this writer to make mention of the ‘Satyagrahi Movement’ which was initiated by Mahatma Gandhi. Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952), one of India’s revered spiritual gurus, once asked Gandhi, “May one kill a cobra to protect a child and oneself”. Gandi replied, “I couldn’t kill a cobra without violating two of my vows; fearlessness and non-killing. I would rather try to inwardly calm the snake by vibrations of love. I can’t possibly lower my standards to suit the circumstances”.   

We can’t escape Karma. We will be punished sometime during Samsara (the endless cycle of life and death) for the bad we do. The debate about killing and going to war in the name of religion will continue. How about putting religion aside for a while and using commonsense for a change? How about using the month of April-the month that the Sinhalese celebrate ‘New Year’- to mend broken relationships with the 
minority Muslims?   

The Sinhalese owe one to the Muslims. It’s certainly not nice to see the Sinhalese owned shops flourish doing business during the festive month of April when the neighbouring Muslim shops have been reduced to ashes. The Sinhalese have to do more than make milk rice and sweetmeats during this ‘Avurudu’. Even if mending these strained relationships is harder that getting the head of the Kevuma (Sri Lanka oil cake), they still must do it.   


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Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

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