Continuing craziness

By Dr. Upul Wjayawardhana

As a Sinhala Buddhist I should really be overjoyed, as many Buddhist priests are being appointed to positions of eminence, but I am not. I would be delighted if they are appointed to positions that have any relevance to Buddha Sasana but what is happening is just the opposite; they are given positions for political reasons. Close on the heels of appointing a political Bhikku who has a criminal record, with not one but two convictions, to head a Presidential Task Force pertaining to law and order, comes the news that a Bhikku who is, of all things, a trade union leader is to be the Chancellor of Colombo University!

Though I cannot find any justification whatsoever, other than the assumption that the all-powerful President of Sri Lanka can do whatever he wishes, for the appointment of a Bhikkhu with a tainted reputation to head a PTF, the appointment of a Bhikku as the Chancellor of a University can very well be justified; provided there is qualifying academic excellence or record of service to education. Many erudite Bhikkus have held positions of Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of our universities, the responsibilities of these two roles having changed over time due to educational reforms. Bhikkhus and dignitaries of other religions function as Chancellors of our universities today, but they all have excellent academic backgrounds and have made contributions towards education, whereas this appointment seems totally politically motivated.

Some may argue that engaging in politics should not preclude a Bhikkhu from holding such high academic office. After all, Ven. Walpola Rahula, who was Vice Chancellor of Vidyodaya University from 1966 to 1969, was involved in politics in the past and was beaten, allegedly by ‘UNP thugs’, during JR’s election campaign in Kelaniya. However, Ven. Rahula’s politics was very different to the politics of the present generation of Bhikkus, his being not for personal gain. Even if one were to find fault with this, there were enough other factors to justify suitability. Most are unaware of the vital part he played in ensuring the success of Dr. C.W.W. Kannagara’s education reforms. Most political leaders of the day, as well as the Catholic Church, were against the introduction of ‘Free Education’ and if not for the petition signed by over a million, following the ‘Vidyalankara Declaration’, which was presented to the State Council just before the vote by Ven. Rahula, the Kannangara reforms would not have seen the light of day. Further, he was the first Buddhist monk to be made a Professor in a Western University and his writings in English and French, including his seminal work ‘What the Buddha Taught’, contributed greatly towards the spread of Buddhism in the West.

Contrast this with the Bhikku nominated as the new Chancellor of Colombo University, replacing a religious dignitary of another faith, a recognised educationist. True, Mahinda Rajapaksa owes this Bhikku a lot for his rejuvenation following the unexpected and humiliating defeat in 2015, his temple serving as the focal point, notwithstanding the contested ownership. He has no academic achievements of note, his only claim to fame being that he is the leader of a nurse’s trade union.

I was working in Colombo General Hospital when he started this trade union and well remember the rumours at the time. To his credit, he has shown strength by being its leader since 1969 but it is to the discredit of the Maha Nayakas of Siyam Nikaya that a Bhikku is allowed to hold a position totally unbecoming of a ‘Buddha Putra’. Instead of sanctions, the Bhikku has been rewarded with a Nayaka ‘Pattama’: That is the state of ‘Institutionalised Buddhism’ in Sri Lanka. Now, to cap it all, the government in its craziness has appointed him the Chancellor of Colombo University. Yet another square peg in a round hole!

It is a great pity that the government does not realise the danger of insulting academia. Or, is it done purposely on the basis of pseudo-socialism? I remember well, during the time I worked as the Registrar in Prof Ajwad Macan Markar’s Professorial Medical Unit in Kandy, how the many ‘socialist’ teachers in the Medical Faculty treated, with scant respect, a visiting inspection team from the General Medical Council of the UK. They did not want the GMC to accredit the Peradeniya MBBS degree, so that it would be ‘non-marketable’ internationally. That was their pseudo-socialist solution to the brain drain! Fortunately, it did not happen.

Even more important is the consideration of the new Chancellor’s role in the trade union. However unsuitable, once appointed to this high academic position, surely, he should cease to be the leader of a trade union. However, as nothing is said, it looks as if he will continue to lead the trade union whilst being the Chancellor of Colombo University; a world’s first! Nothing seems impossible in our wonderful ‘Land like no other’!

Most of us have admired the behaviour of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church up to now and even that seems to be getting tarnished. When the Head of Intelligence lodged a complaint with the CID that he had been unfairly accused by a high-ranking Catholic priest, he was requested to attend to record a statement. As the allegations made during the TV interview were of a serious nature, one would have expected him to help the CID to investigate these allegations. Instead, he asked for a week’s delay and has gone to courts to obtain an order to prevent is arrest! Is this a sinister attempt to evoke international disgrace?

Fortunately, in this crazy atmosphere there was a voice of reason. Not surprisingly, it was the Prime Minister who spoke his heart out. He is a consummate politician who is in tune with the pulse of the populace. One wonders whether his speech, on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the SLPP, was directed mostly at his brothers!

At the helm of our country, we have two Rajapaksa brothers who defeated one of the most ruthless terrorist groups the world has ever seen. Their determination was not shaken by the gloomy predictions of experts who predicted the invincibility of the Tigers. They snubbed the shameless Western politicians who rushed to save the terrorist leader on the cusp of defeat. Considering all this, one wonders why they cannot tame the rice mafia; why they give in to black-marketers and allow the poor to suffer; why they do not establish discipline by being tough with trade unionists who try to exploit the epidemic and others who spread disorder, probably on the instigation of external forces.

The epidemic seems to be subsiding and foreign airlines are starting flights giving hope for tourism. Do hope, am sure they can, the Rajapaksa brothers repeat their past performance, so that the prevailing craziness stops and Sri Lanka starts the journey towards prosperity!