Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Attached paper  is a  secret  letter written by Anagarika Dharmapala   regarding floods in October 1906 to the Chief Secretary under British rule  ,who has put  a note saying that the way I see it that these helpless villages have been enjoying the river floods !!  (See the note below the article …)

He mentions not only about the plight of the poor,but also of about the foreigners who  always have a placed to go .but our people ( Sinhala)  have no other place to go

Few weeks back we saw a similar situation with only one difference .Many areas like Nugegoda  and Welikada  were not flooded from Kelani River outburst .It may be due the flood bund built along Buthgamuwa .

If on reads this letter, there is a deep meaning about the suffering of the villages at that time.

Today we see the same situation, where poor people were suffering and our Kalu Suddas” were on foreign safaris .

I am sure these Kalu Sauudhas have duel passport to run away when we get flooded with poverty and helplessness .

I hope that this letter will bring sense to the rulers who may be fighting at this moment to save the honour of one of their colleagues who is subjected to a no confidence motion

( I passed the parliament road and my driver made a comment about hundreds of four wheel drive jeeps and cars parked along the road with security guards wearing Chinese –collar shirts in brilliant white to take their  pay masters home safely after the voting of no confidence motion >

He further commented and said that the money spent for these cars and guards could have built thousands of houses for people who suffered during floods and due to the enormous explosion in Salawa .

I just commented and said that the poor  Tamils who lost their homes  in the North may be laughing and quoting a Buddhist  verse Ditta Dhamma Vadaneeya Kamma”

Dr Sarath Obeysekera