MODERN DAY SINHALAYA IN SRI LANKA
Posted on July 26th, 2017
By M D P DISSANAYAKE
Majority of Sinhalese in Sri Lanka in today’s society are quite funny. If you go through the Media, the impression is that Sri Lanka is almost finished.
But lets look at the behaviour of Sinhalese. None of the topics that are being currently debated have grass root reaction. Sinhalese go merrily with their days work, looking after themselves and families and solve their problems.
They are divorced from the so-called problems of the country. Lets examine few burning issues and reactions of Sinhalese:
- New Constitution: Many Sinhalese say that is only a sheet of paper, who cares, (apita moko”);
- Maha Sanga disagreement over new Constitution: Most of them never heard of such a thing, they simply say: we don’t know” (apita wedak neha);
iii. Bond Scam: Sinhalese say: They are all the same”
- Delay in holding elections: Sinhalese say when an election is held, we just vote for someone who help us ( apita wedak thiyena kenekuta chandaya denawa”;
- SAITM Issue: Sinhalese don’t care about this matter;
- DENGUE: This is the only issue Sinhalese are serious about at the moment. There is a growing commitment at the lowest level of the society, to carry out proper housekeeping. Numerous deaths and serious illnesses at most villages have forced parents, friends, children to take ownership of this matter on voluntary basis;
vii. COST OF LIVING: Sinhalese spend less money on food, but spend more money for educating children, buying land, renovating house or building three storey homes.
STRANGE SINHALA BUDDHISTS:
DANSALS:
In the past, the Dansals were conducted mainly during Wesak and Poson Poya Days. But today, in almost every poya day, you will find Dansals, providing cool drinks, rice and curry. For rice and curry, the queues are generally longer than 1 km. Dansals are well illuminated plus Sunil Perera’s type of thuppahi bailas take the prominence.
PIRITH CHANTING:
This has become a style nowadays. Pirith Chanting is not organised now for death anniversaries or 3 months after death, but for any occasion including wedding anniversaries, birthdays etc. Once again, there is a growing business for those providing Tarpaulin Sheds, Lighting. It is like an Exhibition, with 3 wheelers waiting outside.
BUDDHIST TEMPLES:
Almost every Buddhist Temple will now have a Hathara Maha Devela” complex for God Vishnu, God Saman, God Katharagama and God Ganesh. Each complex is built by a particular person/family in memory of beloved ones, their names and photos displayed prominently. ( These complexes look like Vevrukannala Vihara in Matara District, with huge photos of dead persons attached to Wall Painting. The entire temple looks like a Cemetry). Vast volume of Joss Sticks are burned by devotees at the complex, making it extremely difficult to breath;
ALCOHOL:
Those who organise Dansals, celebrate their achievements with Gal, Pol, Mendis Special. Whilst Dansal is still in progress, you find the drunkards fight among themselves, with their sarongs falling down, providing a moment to laugh whilst waiting in the rice and curry queue.
In one of these incidents, a 3 wheel driver who got beaten went home with his family. He pretended as he was sleeping, later at night he drank further, carried a knife and got into his 3 wheeler to teach a lesson to those who attacked him in front of Dansala”. On the way, he was run over by another vehicle almost at mid-night and killed in a drain instantly.
July 26th, 2017 at 6:33 am
Thanks MDP. You are right on the spot. I love this song by Sunil Edirisinghe. Very appropriate for current situation in Sri Lanka.
July 26th, 2017 at 8:04 am
MDP, you have rightly confirmed my belief that Sinhalese are the naïve and the most ignorant, ungrateful, selfish people when it comes to safeguarding the country. Look what they have done to MR, the man who saved the country that ravaged for 30 years of Tamil terrorism.
What did they do? They ditched him for a bunch of morons and idiots who brainwashed them promising to bring glory, good governance free of corruptions, and rule of law. After two and half years what do they have? A messed up regime full of thieves and thugs milking the treasury, while the country is going to hell.
The Sinhalese are so gullible, and can be easily hoodwinked by any politician who promises the world. This has been happening for decades, even before the independence. The colonial British knew about this and that’s why they preferred the minorities, especially the Tamils..!
July 26th, 2017 at 4:24 pm
Nearly 70% of the Sinhala Vote went to MR at the last Elections.
The Yahap combo folk won with the Minority Vote.
July 26th, 2017 at 6:45 pm
@Fran
On average 58% of Sinhala vote went to Mahinda in 2015 down from 61% in 2005 and 68% in 2010. In July 2015 it reduced to 51% when Mahinda contested to become PM under Sirisena.
Chandrika won about 68% of the Sinhala vote in 1994. No one has won more than 68%.
July 27th, 2017 at 6:06 am
Dilrook,
MR won very well against SBK in 2005 Elections.
He did not let down the Country & the People as CBK did.
Her record in office is dismal, to say the least.
———-
CBK is a ‘damaged person’ (same as RW), and ought not to be in politics.
Can anyone say these two pepole are PATRIOTS ?
They both appear as UNPATRIOTC & vengeful against those who were genuine & PATRIOTIC.
July 27th, 2017 at 6:07 am
Read as ‘ against CBK’
Sorry, typing in a hurry ….
July 27th, 2017 at 6:41 am
Dear All
When it comes election statistics, Dilrook is spot on.
July 27th, 2017 at 10:42 am
Dr Dissanayake is quite correct.
Dilrooks’ figures are right.
Also, apologies from me re the comment on the 2005 Presidential election. It was MR vs RW at that time, not CBK. From my side, the mistake came from writiing in quickly with no time check facts ! Sorry, folks.
But all the past Elections need further examination, the circumstances and the personalities involved.
My present thoughts about RW is about Batalanda.
Such a person ought to be banned from Sri Lanka politics.
How come such a person is Exec PM today, entering through the back door, because teh ‘west wants it so’ said Pres MS.
As well, during the protracted war with the LTTE, CBK virtually ignoring the 1,000 plus SL Army soldiers who died of dehydration at the Elelephant Pass camp when the LTTE cut off the water supply to the camp. If anyone knows the details of what happened then, please write in.
In my opinion, CBK is not fit to handle any political position as she does now.
Both these people are political failures – why are they back ?
July 27th, 2017 at 11:50 am
How it came about that CBK won the 1994 Presidential Elections :
In 1993 Pres Premadasa was assassinated by the LTTE.
In 1994, D.B. Wijetunge took the Presidents post after Pres Premadasa was assassinated.
But, D.B. Wijetunge did not enter the 1994 Presidential race.
Instead, Gamini Dissanayake contested as the UNP candidate against the SLFP’s CBK.
Next, Gamini was assassinated by the LTTE.
Note that this was after Lalith Athulathmudali, another potential Presidential candidate for the UNP, was assassinated by the LTTE.
So, the SLFP was without a candidate, and to fill the gap, Gamini’s widow, Srima Dissanayake, a virtually unknown figure in the world of politics, was entered in as the UNP candidate.
Of course, it was a walk over for CBK ! She won the elections with the big majority, getting almost twice the vote Srima D. got.
Assassinations by the LTTE was the order of the day !
Thanks to the Vadukoddai Resolution (1976) and INDIA training the LTTE in Tamil Nadu..
That’s the story of the 1994 Pres Elections.
No wonder CBK won well in the 1994 Pres Elections !
The truly able politicians were killed off by the LTTE.
What a price Sri Lanka is paying for INDIAN & Cold War politics.
This must stop !
We need PATRIOTISM from all the political parties in Lanka.
No more killings !
No more humiliating our War Heroes through trumped up false War Crimes etc.
July 27th, 2017 at 12:01 pm
Let us also examine why CBK ought not to be in politics :
She lost her father, SWRD Bandaranaike, to a Sinhala political assassin.
She lost her husband, Vijaya Kumaratunge also to a JVP assassin.
She herself got almost killed by a LTTE suicide bomber.
As President & Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Lanka, she neglected her duties by the Armed Forces and let over 1,000 SL Army soliders die of dehydration at the Elephant Pass camp, when the LTTE cut off the fresh water supply to the camp. Did she attempt to save those soldiers ? I have never of such a move by CBK. If anyone knows more facts about this case, please write in.
In her defense, I have earlier written in that she was caught up as President at a time the Cold War finished (1991), and world poliitics were in turmoil.
For present day action : We think she is traumatised (PTSD ?) after all these tragedies she has faced, and therefore unfit for poliitcal action in Lanka.
July 27th, 2017 at 12:04 pm
Read as ” … so the UNP was without a candidate, and to fill the gap …. “
July 27th, 2017 at 5:17 pm
Thanks Dr Dissanayake. I think it is 90% statistics and 10% hit and miss that I got them right since 2004. Will copy you in next time if you were not in the 2015 mailing list.
Fran is right on Chandrika. Mahinda did defeat Chandrika in 2005! Although from the same party, Chandrika did her very best to try and defeat Mahinda in 2005. She openly canvassed for Ranil, refused to accommodate Mahinda policies in the November 2005 budget and refused to appoint pro-Mahinda people as organisers. Had she cooperated, Mahinda would have won more votes in 2005.
(However, it does not diminish her own victory – the highest in Sri Lankan history – in November 1994.)
Despite his weaknesses, Mangala did a reasonably good job as Mahinda’s campaign manager in 2005. Actually Mahinda owes Mangala for the work he did for his victory. Mahinda had this unique ability to get the best out even from an adversary. I don’t think anyone can beat him in that. More than adversaries, it was his friends that ruined him.
Interestingly, both Chandrika and Mahinda suffered a 11% drop in votes percentage in just 4 years. 1994 to 1999 and 2010 to 2015. Due to the higher starting position of Chandrika (62%), she managed to still win in 1999 (51%) whereas the lower starting position of Mahinda in 2010 (58%) dropped him below 50% in 2015 (47%).