D Rajaratnam

Month of May saw Lanka’s ever renewing political conversation tuning to a new subject. SLVLOG a you tube channel organised a stand-up comedy in a leading religious private school. Comedy topic : Buddhism and its affiliated nationalism.  While the comedian ridiculed the nation’s piety and cultural values cemented for centuries the audience laughed scornfully. On surface appeared Zeitgeist embracing  liberal ideals. Unsurprisingly Buddhist organisations and monks were quick to pounce on the incident demanding reprimand inflaming already heating religious tensions.   Channel and It’s organises had affiliation to USAID and benefited from IREX MEND program. Later unravelled millions of rupees had been invested into project work. The comedian had previously even worked in USAID. The YouTube channel is an array of psychological warfare directed against Lanka since intensification of Geo-Strategic competition with China. 

While many found a connection to United States or other Western sources of these Social media outfits, clandestine motive was mostly directed to local political contest or religious rivalry failing to comprehend why West wants the Buddhist establishment dethroned as the nation’s top advocacy to the society and the state.   Lanka’s Civil War victory was primarily supported by ‘Sinhala Nationalism’ an Ideological strand that has its roots in freedom struggle. Many political analyst credit assistance provided by China, Russia, Iran, Libya and India as pivotal in this victory. It was Rajapaksa Government which enjoyed endorsement from the Buddhist advocacy that tilted the foreign policy into this path. To West nexus between the religious advocacy and the policy direction couldn’t be clearer. 1956 Bandaranaike government was brought into the power by same movement. Under him Lanka embraced Non-allied movement nationalising Trinco Port and Tank Farm tearing the 1948 Defence Agreement. Three years before signed Rubber Rice pact with China despite Nixon’s visit. Economic model pivot to socialism.Measures taken to unpick social stratification carefully built by British era albeit short sightedly espousing racial fervour. 1972 socialist government removed the umbilical code becoming a republic. On the other hand Western inroads often met with resentment as hostile to local culture.   UK granted independence on the understanding nation would remain within the Western sphere. To former master this was a betrayal of trust. From this point alliance took keen interest in widening ethnic rift. 

Conclusion of the Civil War only reminded the US failure of focus in the region. In its senate committee report drafted in 2009 Recharting US Strategy after the War” amply highlights the importance of the Island. Foreign policy advocacy saw earlier attempts to devolve power to counter the hostility stemming from nationalism as unfinished business. To this end it has brilliantly unified Media, Academia, NGO and Think Tanks to redefine the issue calibrating emerging threat to hegemony, then condescending a solution partnering with local fragmented fraternity (no disrespect to Tamil community). It is in here super power finds a comforting partnership of common enemy” with a determined view of transforming the nation. Opponents believe building a twin structure (or Federalism) is new name for the old craft of divide and conquer to keep the nation frail preventing a future regime aligning with a Western adversary complementing geo political road map in indo pacific.  To them weakening the religious advocacy pillar is at the forefront of this game.  

 D Rajaratnam