Reggie Ranatunga no more

Parliamentarian Reggie Ranatunga passed away today at a private hospital in Colombo after a brief illness.

I never knew him personally but as an Anandian just few years junior to Arjuna Ranatunga (Arjuna aiya to most of us) I knew about the Ranatunga family. The first time I saw Mr. Reggie Ranatunga was at a felicitation for Arjuna we had at the Kularatne hall at Ananda College immediately after the first test where he scored half a century against England. He was just 18 and the youngest of the team.

Mr. Ranatunga’s wife Ms. Nandani Ranatunga too was a teacher at Ananda College though she taught only to Arts students. I have heard when our then Proncipla Col. G. W. Rajapakse invited her to join the staff the only condition she put was to take her sons to the college. He agreed and it was a vice decision. That was how Ananda College could produce a test captain who brought glory to motherland by winning the World Cup in 1996.

I wish Mr. Reggie Ranatunga attain Nibbana. I pass my condolences to the family.

Sirasa News First Reporter killed

What a country we live in.

Even before Keith Noyahr could recover from the shocks he had to undergo for being faithful to his profession, we hear another sad news. Sadder, in fact, but not sure it will rock the Southern society as Noyahr affair did.

Sirasa News First Jaffna reporter P. Devakumaran, 34, has been hacked to death this afternoon in Navthurei by ‘an unidentified gang’. He was travelling in a motor bike with a friend when he met his unfortunate event. His friend too has been killed in the same brutal manner. (Keith, thank God that you live in Dehiwala and not in Jaffna!)

No need to start pointing fingers. As the government constantly reminds us Jaffna is within the LIBERATED area. (And the credit for ‘liberating’ it goes to the former President Chandrika Kumaratunge and Anuruddha Ratwatte) So logically that area should be under the control of security forces and presumably free from LTTE. If LTTE could kill the way they like WITHIN THE LIBERATED AREA the control is really bad and they should not be liberated as the government claims.

A resident from Wadukottai Jaffna, Devekumaran has been serving Sirasa for the last three years.

I express my deepest sympathies to his family. It is sad that is all we could do. I guess his name too will enter the long list of journalists who faced similar fates under the current regime, without the culprits ever brought into justice.

Defence.lk confirms: MARTIANS abduct and beat Keith Noyahr!

Defence.lk, which has won an international reputation for its unbiased and truthful reporting (”Heavy fighting in Muhamalai. 157 tigers killed and one Sri Lankan army soldier suffers minor injuries in his left thumb”) today confirmed the initial suspicion that MARTIANS have actually abducted and beaten Keith Noyahr, Deputy Editor of ‘The Nation’ newspaper. Defence.lk also expressed suspicions that the MARTIANS who did this beating were actually linked to LTTE and they have done this to discredit Rajapakse government, which was recently congratulated by Bishop Desmond Tutu and President Jimmy Carter for its immaculate record in maintaining human rights.

ITN Sri Lanka web site too confirmed the news. “We are saddened by this incident of MARTIANS beating one of our key journalists” Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa was reported saying at the weekly briefing of the cabinet decisions. “This is a planned move by the MARTIANS to discredit the government. We are fortunate that in spite of this move by MARTIANS we could win a seat at UNHCR as planned because of the dedication of our government to protect human rights”

Meanwhile Defence.lk today launched a new payment gateway for collecting money to pay the medical bill of the slain journalist Keith Noyahr. Speaking at this occasion Secretary to the Ministry of Defence noted the unparalleled work done by journalist Keith Noyahr by  unbiased reporting. “I remember well how impartially he interviewed me. I am saddened to hear that he was abducted and brutally beaten by MARTIANS. It is inhuman.” Defence Secretary also expressed confidence that his ‘podi aiya’ will find the culprit MARTIANS as soon as possible the same way he found the culprits of the killings of Red cross workers, 17 aid workers in East, Maheshwaran, Nadaraja Raviraj, Joseph Pararajasingham and more recently the two police officers in the Eastern province.

The government also announced that it plans to provide a duty free vehicle and a computer to Keith Noyahr, as promised by ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ during the Presidential election of 2005.

“We think of bringing his duty free vehicle immediately so that he can return from the hospital in it” said Media Minister Anura Priyadharashana Yapa today announcing cabinet decisions.

Two Bandaragama residents among yesterdays Dehiwala bomb blast victims

To me what differentiated yesterdays Dehiwala bomb blast from the ones happened in previous weeks was the sad news that two of the victims were from my own electorate, Bandaragama.

Mr. Menaka Vanniarachchi died yesterday while 25 year old Ms. Mekhala Niranjala of Ramukkana, Bandaragama succumbed to her injuries today (27) morning at the Intensive Care Unit of the Colombo South teaching hospital. According to what we hear, they were a couple and about to get married next month. As we all know, the merciless bombs do not take such details into account. That is the ugly face of the terrorism.

I also had to perform the extremely difficult task of informing the families of these two victims, after Dr. Ravindra Fernando passed me the sad news from the hospital. The girl was not dead then but her condition was critical and the doctors have already given up hopes. The family of her is personally known to me for a long time.

The other victims from Kalutara district were Ms. Rani Munasinghe of Kalutara North, Mr. Chitral of Panadura, Mr. Roshan Perera of Kalutara South and Ms. Kusum Ranjani Silva of Wadduwa.

I pass my heartiest condolences to the family members of all victims and wish speed recovery for the injured.

It is sad that innocent people continue to die as a result of a tug of war between two power hungry individuals who have no other concern than their own survival.

I am certain the politicians of war mongering political parties like SLFP, JHU and JVP would have badly felt guilty hearing about these unnecessary deaths. No matter how sad we feel, our only consolation is that United National Party does not support this ruthless war, which had claimed so many lives (not to mention the rising Cost of Living as a result of high war expenditure) ever since the Presidential Election of 2005.

What we suffer today is the outcome of the greed for power and money of one political family that has no concern for the country. Unfortunately this family will continue to ruin the country till someone stops it for the sake of the nation.

 

 

Bomb at Dehiwala Railway Station in Panadura Train

An explosion has happened in the Panadura bound express office train at the Dehiwala railway station today at 5.00 pm local time. No confirmed information yet about the impact and casualties.

Lankaenews quoted Police media sources that minimum of five persons have died and many others injured. Unconfirmed reports put casualties around 10 and injured more than 60. The explosion has taken place when the train started moving from the station. The injured have been moved to Kalubowila and Colombo national hospitals.

This is the second time an explosion took place at the same place. On 24 July 1996, two bombs ripped through a crowded train in Dehiwala Railway Station. 70 commuters were killed and over 500 were wounded. In 1996 too the explosion happend in the same way when the train started moving from the station.

Keith Noyahr and ‘The Last King of Mihinland’

If the Keith Noyahr incident brings back the memories of any movie, it would be ‘The Last King of Scotland’ It is based on a true story about young and newly-qualified Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) heading to Idi Amin’s Uganda seeking adventure. He works in a small clinic on the countryside. At the time of Garrigan’s arrival, General Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker) leads a coup against current president Milton Obote.

Garrigan and Amin meet on a chance encounter on a country road, where he treats Amin’s hand. Amin is impressed when Garrigan takes his gun (without asking) and shoots a wounded cow. He likes Garrigan because he is Scottish, and offers Garrigan the job of becoming his personal physician, and, after some hesitation, Garrigan accepts.

The movie builds up the close relationship between the two until the dictator loses trust on his doctor. The scariest scenes of the movie, that would perhaps make the more sensitive audience vomit, are how Garrigan was beaten and tortured nearly to death by Idi Amin’s ruthless thugs. He escapes only because of a Ugandan colleague, Dr. Junju, who offers his help (and ultimately his life) in exchange for Garrigan’s promise to return to Europe and tell the world the truth about Idi Amin.

Now, wasn’t that the same happened to Keith Noyahr last Thursday night? Wasn’t he too was beaten nearly to death? Who was behind that? Was it an NGO initiated move to discredit the government, as we are told? Or was it an abduction by Martians?

This is what ‘The Nation’ has to say about the incident to the President in its editorial today.

What the country needs from you now is the political will to put an end to this type of savagery. And that direction has to come from you, not from your pathetic minister of mass media and information or from your omnipotent doctor-minister of labour- or even from your younger sibling the Defence Secretary.

This country does not need a ‘fifth estate’ that decides who should live and who should die, who should be punished and who should be rewarded, who should say what and what everyone else should believe. The fourth estate is there to do its job and it will-it does not need a ‘fifth estate’ telling them what to do.

And that is why, Mr. President, you would have to take steps to stop the rot - and do so now. After all, it is but a short step from the sublime to the ridiculous - as it would be, from Mahinda to Mugabe.

Well, one also observes in the map of African continent, Mugabe’s Zimbabwe is not too far from Uganda. If President Rajapakse ever wants to travel from one to the other, we assume it might take only a few hours flight.

Keith Noyhar (Deputy Editor “The Nation”) abducted and beaten by Aliens from Mars

The Nation deputy editor and former Daily Mirror deputy editor Keith Noyhar has been reported missing and suspected to have been abducted after his car was found abandoned near his house yesterday night, Daily Mirror reported. Later he was released after badly beaten up, and had been admitted to the hospital.

One might say it is too early to point fingers as investigations are still going on. One may even suggest (I am sure Anura Priyadharshana Yapa will do) personal motives. If one wants one can even suggest this was done by aliens. (Reports of alien abductions of human beings are common) However Keith Noyhar is not the only Sri Lankan journalist to meet such unfortunate fate during the last few years and I am sure any rational mind can put two and two together.

Most interesting is what Mahinda Chinthana promised to media personal in Sri Lanka in 2005, which I reproduce below (Pages 81 and 82 of Mahinda Chinthana). Not sure how many media personnel voted and supported for the ‘baits’ of tax free computers and  vehicles, but it is apparent now that is not what in for them.

පිල්ලායන් වඳින ගාථාව

 

ප්‍රභාකරන් අති භයංකරං

පිල්ලායන් ඉෂ්ඨ දෙවතා

පිල්ලායන් සරණ මාගම්ම

සබ්බ දුක්ඛො විනස්සතු

 

බෞද්ධ මහෝපාසක පිල්ලායන්තුමාගේ පින්තූරයක් අභියස වැඳගෙන දවසට තුන් වතාවක් මේ ගාථාව මැතිරීමෙන් ඉෂ්ඨ ඵල සංසිද්ධි වන බව ජාතික හෙළු උරුමය කියා සිටී.

 

සාදු! සාදු! සාදු!

 

______________

War mongers’ Vesak: Today SIL, tomorrow KILL!

We live in a strange society. The logics of ‘Sinhalese Buddhist’ society are difficult to understand.

For 364 days most ‘Buddhists’ in South - encouraged by the government itself - invariably monger war. They see absolutely nothing wrong in killing human beings (Yes, Tamils too are human beings – in case someone has forgotten) More the numbers, more jubilant they are. ‘200 TIGERS KILLED’ makes a reason for celebrations, as if the killing gives them a sort of eternal joy. They may never feel Tamils too are made of flesh and blood and prone to suffering just like themselves. It will be surprising if they actually understand some of these so-called ‘tigers’ are innocent civilians (one of the obvious targets of any war) or even armed – they were forced to take arms largely because that was the only means of survival. (Most militant Tamil youth have not joined LTTE on their free will. They were forced to join at the gun point, mosty as children)

Many Budhists dress in white today –  for Vesak - visit the temples and promise “Panathipatha Veramani Sikkha-padam samadiyami” – that they do not harm even a fly. Even those who promote war for 364 days do so.

For 364 days they revere machine guns. For one day they take ‘Nava Guna Vela’ and chant ‘Karaneeya Metta Sutta’ – which tells that one needs to love any other living being with the kindness of a mother towards her only son. Strange. Isn’t it?

The politicians who push war with unceasing force probably never know, or perhaps pretend not to know, those who get killed (from both sides) are largely boys and girls of the age of their own children. (who may be enjoying the overseas life.)

For Vesak the government bans selling meat for a week, at least thinking it would decrease the number of cows and hens that get killed, but never thinks of declaring a ceasefire in the war front for the period. Why? Is this because our war mongers give a higher value to the life of a cow than the life of human being?

When we were small our parents, specially the strict Buddhists, never brought us guns as presents. Today guns and those who carry them are hero worshipped. At exhibitions military weapons are demonstrated to students the big way. Pregnant women are expected to get up and offer them seats in public transport. How low our society has gone!

The poets in Sri Lanka few decades ago described ‘Budu Guna’ in their work. The poets of today demand Tamil blood. There was one ‘monk’ who wrote a song,  few years back, that sure way to attain Nibbana is to go to war carrying a weapon!   

This is the damage the 30 year old war has done to our society.  

The Sinhalese Buddhist society we see today is not the one most of the adults saw when we were children. We see a very different society where the only doctrine is ‘KILL, KILL and KILL’. That is all our children are taught. Through media, at schools and most unfortunately at some temples too.

Many talk about the low levels the lay society has gone into. Hardly anybody seems to understand how pathetic  the Sanga society has become now, largely because of politics. Bhikkus entering politics could have been the worst ever happened to Buddha Sasana for its claimed 2,500 years of history. No other period in Sri Lankan history have seen such a detriment in Sanga society. Not even the Kandyan period where the Buddhist monks started living semi-lay lives as ‘ganninanses’. Thanks to few opportunistic leaders of Jathika Hela Urumatya.

The above photograph tells it all. It was taken at a JHu protest. Can anyone assume this ‘monk’ saying ‘Suvapath Veva!’ as he is supposed to say?

We celebrate Vesak in the middle of an ongoing civil war. Many ‘Buddhists’ in South today are in ‘Sil’ mode, but tomorrow surely they will change to ‘kill’ mode. This is the reality of our lives.

At least may this Vesak day bring some wisdom to these war mongers!

May they understand the futility of war and the need to enter into a political solutions without making more and more people miserable!

May they understand the power of ‘ahimsa’ against the power of ‘war’!

May they chant ‘BUDDHAM SARANAM GACHCHAMI’ instead of ‘YUDDHAM SARANAM GACHCHAMI’!

Siyalu sathvayo niduk vethva, neerogi vethva, suvapath vethva!

Vesak Post 2: Ramukkana Raja Maha Viharaya and Rock Inscription

Ramukkana Raja Maha Viharaya, situated close to Bandaragama along the Horana Road, may not be as large as some other temples in the area. Not having referred in ancient literature repeatedly it may not also be that well known. However, this is a unique place in the history of Raigampura kingdom. It is from the land of this temple that perhaps the oldest rock inscription in the Western province was discovered in 1997 during the renovation of the temple.

This inscription is now named as ‘Ramukkana Raja Maha Vihara Puvaru Lipiya’ – because it is written on a ‘stone slab’(gal puvaruva) In 1998, it was read by Raj Somadeva of the Post Graduate Institute of Archeology at University of Kelaniya. With the style of the Brahmi letters he dates it to the period 1st century BC to 1st century AD. In other words it is quite possible that this was done by the time Jesus Christ was alive and preaching his new found religion in another land.

As only part of the rock slab is available it is not clear what the message is. All what we know is it mentions about two ‘Bhanakas’. These were the learned Bhikkus of the day who memorized Dhamma before it was documents during the time of king Walagambahu. There were different groups (guru kulas) of such monks who memorized parts of Sutra Pitaka, ie. Dhiga Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya, Sanyuktha Nikaya, Anguttara Nikaya and Khuddaka Nikaya. The two Bhanakas mentioned here seemed to have memorized Sanyuktha Nikaya. (Sayutha Banaka) One was named ‘Maha Chittha’ (Machitha) and lived in a temple called ‘Maha Vihara’ – this may be a temple in the same premises but we will never know for sure.

It is reasonable to think that practice of memorizing scriptures have gradually died after the documentation began. So the ‘Bhanaks’ the inscription refers to should be from a period earlier than King Walagambahu’s (89-77 BC)

Interestingly there could be another twin inscription nearby. However the different interpretations given makes it difficult to date accurately. This was found at ‘Diyagama’ an ancient port of Kalu Ganga, about 3 km from the river mouth. It was also known as the ‘Pelunu Gala’ inscription because the rock it was written has been split in the middle.

First discovered in the late 19th century, by Ven Vaskaduve Sri Subhuthi thero, it gained attention of the archeologists after Prof. Muller read and published his interpretation in 1891 AD. He dated it to 5th Century AD based on the message and the style of the characters. However not everybody agrees with his dating and interpretation. Both C. W. Nicholas and C. Jayasinghe who read the inscription later relate it to an earlier period than 5th Century AD. So these two inscriptions could have been done during the same period.