Opinion
Are we the most gullible on earth?
By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana
I wish experts on human behaviour introduced a gullibility index, as this surely would have been the one, we could easily have topped! We have been fooled by politicians of all hues who have mastered the art of exploiting gullibility. We have been brainwashed to believe that family bandyism is an integral part of success in politics. We have been fooled into putting caste before the country. Our votes are cast not on policies but on the subtle, and the not so subtle, bribes. Whilst other countries borrow for developmental purposes, we borrow to repay political bribes and are in an abyss now, as a result. Even at this darkest hour, our politicians have put self-interest first, instead of getting together to save the country. Seeing no light at the end of the tunnel, professionals are fleeing in droves and soon we will be a country bereft of talent, on top of being financially bankrupt!
It is not only the politicians who exploit the gullibility of the masses. Paradoxically, even the intelligentsia are at it. Look at the proliferation of professors in Sri Lanka! It has become such an epidemic that University Grants Commission is reportedly considering laying down guidelines. How they are going to implement, I wonder! There are plenty of dubious universities the world over, awarding pseudo-degrees and appointing professors! Ayurvedic Medical faculties do not produce Ayurvedic doctors, all labelling themselves as doctors and practicing non-Ayurvedic medicine. Further, plenty of bogus doctors abound, practicing very successfully with no training at all!
It reminds me of a colleague of ours, who went on a Chinese government fellowship to study acupuncture for three months. On return, not only he became a specialist in the field but also set up an institution to teach and award degrees. Seeking legitimacy, he invited President J. R. Jayewardene, who happened to be the Minister of Higher Education, to award degrees at the convocation.
The danger of this was discussed at a Sri Lanka Medical Association council meeting and it was left for Dr N J Wallooppillai, as the President, and me, as the secretary, to appeal to President Jayewardene. Fortunately, we were able to approach President Jayewardene and convince him that he would be awarding degrees from an institution not recognised by the UGC. As it was too late to cancel, he attended but did not take part in the awarding of degrees!
Of course, gullibility is at its peak when it comes to religion which, in a way, is no surprise. After all, religion is the first and strongest brainwashing we get in life. More often than not, the religion we practise is based on birth, not on conviction as it should be. Gullibility is best exploited in this situation by so-called conversions. I have no problem with conversions based on convictions but most conversions are simple exploitations. Many rewards are offered in some religions for conversions resulting in conversions through, from marriage to trickery; almost all miracles falling within this category. The worst offenders are the cults and the only thing that has not happened in Sri Lanka is people killing themselves before the world ends!
There is much hype these days about a self-proclaimed prophet, supposed be close to some politicians too and he is accused of insulting other religions. Some politicians are up in arms demanding punishment which seems more for their political gain. Out of curiosity, I carefully watched YouTube video and am quoting verbatim what he stated, as media did not do so. During his preaching to a large cheering crowd, where Sinhala translation followed each line, he stated:
“This is what separates Christianity from Buddhism. This is what separates Christianity from Islam. Let us take Islam for instance. You can’t even call Allah, father! Are you hearing this? You have 99 names for God in Islam and yet, love is not one of them! This is what separates Christianity from Buddhism. Because for a Buddhist in their mind, it is like, Okay, annunta kala de tamanta palade In a sense it is true, especially if you do something to a prophet anyway. Now, but in the Buddhist mind they never hear the love of Buddha. Are you hearing me? Their focus is on enlightenment. Now, to be enlightened you need light. The Buddha himself, the name Buddha means enlightened one. Ladies and gentlemen, what is greater? Light or enlightenment? Jesus said ‘I am the light of the world.’ So, I tell you now, Jesus did not say I am the enlightened one.
No, no, no, Jesus came from a different wavelength. He said I am the light. So, I submit to you, the Buddha was looking for light. He was actually looking for Jesus. This is why every Buddhist needs Jesus. This is why every Muslim needs Jesus. This is Christianity that separates itself from Hinduism. Glory to Lord! Hindus are very close to the gospel. Buddhists are also very close to the gospel. Muslims are very close to the gospel. Very close.
That is why you need preachings like this. Let them take the next step. Sit down! Hinduism, the reason why they venerate so many animals. They don’t realise and hopefully after I said this will realise why they have a god that looks like an elephant. The reason why they have gods with ten thousand hands. They are not far from the truth. Why they venerate cows? They are very close but they are still far away. But what separates Christianity from Hinduism? It is this reality of life. Agape love. Some of you should tell your loving Hindu people, what you are doing may be true to you but there is a deeper truth. Never prosecute anybody. Never shame another person’s faith.”
As for me, these are not the words of a prophet, nor a preacher but the ramblings of an ill-informed individual who is making a living out of the gullible. The cheers for some of his ill-conceived statements amply demonstrate the gullibility of the audience. Their behaviour is in sharp contrast to our youth; I have been most impressed by the knowledge of Buddhism displayed by non-Buddhist children in quiz shows. In my opinion, the best way to handle ill-informed persons is to ignore them. In fact, past events support this. In January 2000, a series of chain emails spread the rumour that imported bananas were infecting people with ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria, adding that the FDA was trying to cover up the epidemic to avoid panic and encouraging readers to spread the word to their friends and family. FDA issuing a denial which only made matters worse!
Coming back to the pseudo-prophet, he displays gross ignorance as he implies light is needed for enlightenment! Light gets rid of darkness and that is not enlightenment!! He completely overlooks the fact that the Buddha was there six centuries before Christ, making it impossible for the Buddha to look for Christ!
After insulting all religions, the pseudo-prophet demonstrates the height of his hypocrisy by stating: “Never shame another person’s faith”!
Opinion
A new dawn for Sri Lanka
by Ayampillai Dharmakulasingham,
(Retired Sri Lankan career diplomat)
The Communist Party of India won Legislative Assembly elections in the Indian states of West Bengal and Kerala, establishing their respective governments. Leftist parties were also influential in some other states, especially in Tamil Nadu, though they could not capture power there.
In Sri Lanka, JVP/NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s rise to the presidency marks a new chapter in the country’s history. The upcoming general election, on 14 Nov. holds significant importance and has raised hopes that Sri Lanka is undergoing a transitional period for good. It may mark the first time a left-wing party comes to power in Sri Lanka. There are other factors that make the upcoming election important. Major political parties have become notorious for corruption, mismanagement of national resources, family dynasties, elitist politics, etc. Corruption has been widespread throughout government, accompanied by nepotism, lack of transparency, and mismanagement of public funds
It is indeed true that the JVP’s presence in the northern and eastern regions, is not as strong as in the south, such as Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, and other districts. However, Anura’s popularity has drawn attention in the north as well. For the first time, substantial support appears to be emerging for the JVP in the northern and district districts of Jaffna, Batticaloa, Ampara, and Trincomalee. However, every parliamentary election has been similarly heralded as “historic” by the press and media, though often without substance. The major parties – the United National Party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party, and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna – have ruled Sri Lanka repeatedly, with the media often playing a supportive role by portraying each election as historic, ultimately misleading the public.
Sri Lanka’s first left-wing political party, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), once had widespread support across the country and grew powerful enough to become a significant opposition force. The plantation population, in particular, supported both the LSSP and the Communist Party. The LSSP achieved major victories in parliamentary elections after the 1940s. In response, the first Prime Minister, D. S. Senanayake, revoked the citizenship of people of Indian origin, stripping them of their political rights. As a result, the LSSP lost a significant portion of its support base. When the citizenship rights of people of Indian origin were revoked, the prominent Tamil leader G. G. Ponnambalam served as a key Minister in the UNP Cabinet. Although he opposed the provisions of the Act within the Cabinet, Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake ultimately prevailed. Despite his opposition, Ponnambalam failed to take meaningful action to protect the political rights of the hill-country Tamil population. This perceived betrayal led S. J. V. Chelvanayakam to leave the Tamil Congress Party and establish the Federal Party.
In the northern and eastern regions, the parties and organizations that once formed the traditional alliances of the Tamil Alliance and other Tamil parties have fragmented. They are now contesting the general election as separate alliances. Like it or not, the Federal Party remains somewhat influential today, although its support base is not as strong as it once was
Tamil parties have often criticized and blamed the major national parties as being racist. Ironically, most Tamil political parties – such as Thamil Arasu Katchi, Tamil Congress, and the Tamil National Alliance – include “Tamil” in their names. In contrast, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, United National Party, and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna do not reference any race in their names. Yet, Tamil parties have continued to win elections by appealing to Tamil-speaking people with claims that only the major parties are racist. Some insights into racism are important here. Muslim citizens representing major parties have been elected as members of Parliament in predominantly Sinhala areas. However, the stark reality is that the Muslim population in the North and East has been alienated by the Jaffna-centered major Tamil parties.
G. G. Ponnambalam, the leader of the Tamil Congress, advocated for 50/50 representation for the Sinhalese and other ethnic groups, despite the fact that Sinhalese people are the majority. This 50/50 representation demand is seen as an extremely racist slogan. In other words, he openly undermined the representation and political rights of the majority Sinhalese people. S. J. V. Chelvanayakam left the Tamil Congress and founded the Federal Party due to G. G. Ponnambalam’s perceived betrayal of the upcountry Tamils. However, Chelvanayakam’s own performance was not markedly better than that of Ponnambalam. Chelvanayakam’s own words deserve attention. In 1970, when the SLFP coalition swept the parliamentary elections, Chelvanayakam famously declared, “Only God should save the Tamils from now on.” It is essential to closely examine the underlying implications of this statement. The first implication is that the UNP government is preferable. The second is that Sirimao’s party will not benefit the Tamils. Notably, Chelvanayakam’s loyalty to the UNP correlates with the historical voting patterns of the Tamil (Jaffna) people, who have traditionally supported UNP candidates in all elections within the Colombo Municipal limits and the adjoining areas of Dehiwela and Ratmalana.
On 27 Oct., a book titled “Jaffna on Fire” (Tamil version) was launched in Jaffna. Original Sinhalese book was translated by well-known media personality and translator, Manoranchan, into Tamil. The author, Nandana Weerasekhara, presented evidence that the Jaffna Public Library, modern market, and other locations were set on fire during the presidency of J. R. Jayewardene, allegedly with his blessing. Another notable aspect is that Tamil leaders, both before and after this incident, provided full political support to the UNP.
President Dissanayake’s NPP is expected to win significantly in the upcoming general elections. This expectation arises from the fact that most Sri Lankans are seeking change. President Dissanayake has emphasised the need to elect representatives from the NPP in large numbers to cleanse the Parliament. It is understandable that the President requires a strong Parliament to effectively govern the country with new legislative measures. During a meeting in Kilinochchi on 04 Nov., Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya captured the attention of the audience by stating that Parliament should be cleansed. She emphasised the importance of electing the right representatives in the upcoming general elections. The overwhelming response from the audience reaffirmed the prevailing mood of the country.
Opinion
Franklyn Amerasinghe: an appreciation
It was 1979. I had just married and was trying to manage my fledgling legal practice in Kurunegala when Franklyn Amerasinghe attracted me to the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC). I basically followed what he did 5yrs earlier; the exception being that when he left Kurunegala, he also left a lucrative Practice built by his late father. From then onwards, for the next 45 years he was my colleague, boss, friend and above all; professional and personal guide. I was indeed fortunate as a young professional in the EFC to have had S R de Silva, the doyen of Sri Lankan Industrial Relations and the late Franklyn as my bosses. I am ever grateful to them both for whatever I achieved professionally; ending my working career with the International Labour Organisation in which they served with distinction before me.
I will not dwell herein on the professional attributes and achievements of Franklyn. Neither can I do justice to that aspect in this short piece. Instead, I will attempt to capture what I knew of Franklyn the man. He was personally exposed to the vicissitudes of life in his youth and again thereafter when his loving wife Neelanthi passed away while their two daughters were still school going. These circumstances which would have drained a lesser mortal brought out the best in Franklyn’s innate strong character. Whilst being the devoted father to his young children and successfully managing his professional career, he was also the “go-to person” to so many in need of professional or personal help. With his children grown up and on their own feet, the demands on Franklyn’s time from others only increased. Regardless of social or official status, old or young, he gave wise counsel ungrudgingly and always found time for them. What fascinated me was his ability to make all those who knew him feel that there was a special place in his heart for each of them. They in turn considered him to be special.
Perhaps, it was this unique gift that enabled him to give inspirational leadership to those who worked with him. His faith in humanity was boundless. He genuinely believed that no person was useless. It was this faith that drew him to help the helpless. Few would know of all what he has done or the sacrifices he has made, to assist the less fortunate get on their feet, without breathing a word of what he had given or lost in the process. The “Diamond Trust” he initiated with the support of close friends and family in later years to facilitate learning for handicapped children was a dream come true for him. The Trust was his precious baby in the last days of his life. His wish to see the baby nurtured into adulthood is now in the able hands of his daughters and family. While he will be remembered for his philosophical strengths, he will also not be forgotten by those of us who knew him personally for his social camaraderie. A sportsman himself, he loved sports. So was it with music. His wit and humour was infectious. Many were the long hours he spent with family and friends signing old favourites around a Piano, late into the night at parties. This sense of camaraderie he shared with his office colleagues as well.
We who were at the EFC with him, will recall the family atmosphere he promoted among us. He was truly a man for all seasons. It was my privilege to have had known Franklyn. It will not be easy to fill the void he has left in my life and that of my family. The last audible words he said to me were “I will soon let you know what it is like on the other side” I know for certain that wherever he may be the grass there will be far greener than on this earth. To Michelle and Sharon, the loving daughters of a devoted Father, the tender care you showered on Dad, particularly in his final days was truly exemplary.
Gotabaya Dasanayaka
Opinion
Social responsibility of the media
In Sri Lanka, established media channels, particularly television, play a crucial role in shaping public perception on various aspects of life, including both local and international politics. Social media, however, has also become a powerful force, frequently spreading biased or manipulated content that risks fragmenting communities and damaging the social fabric, especially during sensitive times such as general or presidential elections.
Sri Lanka’s media has long been aware of the full spectrum of public life in the country—the good, the bad, and the troubling. They understand that political corruption and malpractice have significantly contributed to social unrest, economic decline, and the deterioration of essential services like education, healthcare, and nutrition. This has prompted many citizens to emigrate, leading to a damaging “brain drain.”
Media outlets also recognise the challenges in electing better leaders. Entrenched politicians have erected legal and financial barriers to safeguard their positions, making it difficult for ordinary citizens to participate effectively in elections. Additionally, the high cost of media exposure during election seasons makes it nearly impossible for average citizens to run for office. While media organisations often use this period to maximise profits, it would be commendable if they could support underrepresented and less privileged candidates, contributing to the public good.
As we approach a pivotal general election, we urge these influential media institutions to uphold their social responsibility. Since media ultimately relies on public support, directly or indirectly, they have to prioritise the public interest. At this critical moment, we, as citizens, need to elect honourable, honest, and patriotic individuals who can act as “watchdogs” in Parliament and help guide our nation toward better governance. We respectfully request that significant media outlets dedicate at least a small amount of airtime to non-political candidates vying for a seat in Parliament. Providing even a few minutes of prime airtime for these candidates to present their mission and vision would be a meaningful gesture toward equal representation. This commitment to the nation’s well-being would be widely appreciated. After all, true equality—the very principle that media frequently champions for its own survival—is now an ideal that can extend to all.
Chula Goonasekera (admin@srilankaleads.com)
On behalf of the LEADS forum
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