Connect with us

Features

Commemorating independence with reconciliation

Published

on

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana

An unfading memory of my childhood is watching the Father of the Nation hoisting our national flag at the octagon of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, 74 years ago. Seated next to my father on the planks of a wooden viewing platform erected in front of the Dalada Maligawa, I watched D. S. Seananayake raising our national flag, after the symbolic lowering of the Union Jack; it got stuck momentarily as it passed through the hole in the roof, causing DS give it a tug, and my father said, “That is DS, our hero.” Does that hitch signify what we had to undergo to gain independence, or what has happened since?

The buzz-word of the moment is reconciliation and on this occasion of commemorating our Independence, we should ask ourselves whether we have done enough. ‘Reconciliation’ has been defined as ‘the restoration of friendly relations’ or ‘the action of making one view or belief compatible with another’. If one were to go by these definitions, the question is whether talking about reconciliation in Sri Lanka is superfluous as it already exists, perhaps to a greater extent than in the countries that attempt to judge us and force pseudo-reconciliation down our throats!

What DS raised was the Lion Flag, which was adopted as the national flag of the Dominion of Ceylon by the Parliament following a proposal made by the Member of Parliament for Batticaloa, Mudaliyar A. Sinnalebbe, on 16 January, 1948. To represent minorities two vertical strips of equal size in teal and orange were added in 1951. Even after independence our national anthem was “God Save the King’, till the Independence Commemoration Ceremony of 1952, when ‘Namo Namo Matha’ was sung in Sinhala. It is notable that an official Tamil version was sung in Tamil majority areas like Jaffna on this occasion though some narrow-minded nationalists have objected to this lately.

Ours is a country where differing ethnic and religious groups live in relative harmony. After all, minorities live freely within majority areas in spite of the denial of reciprocal rights in some minority areas.

Sri Lanka, a country which has been influenced for over 23 centuries by the pacifism of the majority religion, Buddhism, has shown great religious tolerance. Sinhala Buddhists co-exist with others despite grave injustices done to them during colonial times.

The Portuguese converted Buddhists to Christianity forcibly, though the British were subtle in their manoeuvres. Fortunately, all that has been put behind. In fact, the head of the Catholic Church, whilst acknowledging that Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country, has declared that Catholics are more at liberty to practise their religion in Sri Lanka than in most other countries.

When terrorists bombed Catholic churches, even Buddhist priests assisted in the rebuilding efforts. Buddhists are seen by the hundreds in some Hindu Kovils.

Of course, there are occasional hiccups, but which country does not have religious and ethnic tensions? However, if one were to analyse the root causes of such issues, one finds that these invariably are politically motivated or engineered. Admittedly, one thing that Sri Lanka lacks very badly is an enlightened political class. The majority, as well as the minorities are represented by self-serving politicians who are corrupt. In the past, we had politicians who contributed to world peace. J. R. Jayewardene, the young Finance Minister, who represented Ceylon at the San Francisco Peace Treaty in 1951, changed history, though his achievements later as President left much to be desired. We have politicians who were brave enough to take on terrorists and defeat them, going against the advice of so-called experts who declared that some terrorists were invincible. Unfortunately, though Mahinda Rajapaksa won the war, he was only partially successful in establishing peace. However, it was not entirely his fault, let down by the leaders of the so-called Free World.

Can Sri Lanka do better? Of course, it can. For that to happen Sri Lankans should be allowed to sort out problems themselves without external interference. Co-existence as well as reconciliation cannot be imposed. It has to emerge from the hearts and minds of the people. First and foremost, the continued harassment by the UNHCR, which is based on biased reports, must stop.

The other key factor that hampers progress is the behaviour of the Tamil diaspora. Their attempts at keeping the Tiger dream of a separate state alive, only antogonise the majority. Instead, they should concentrate on economic development measures for the benefit of their brethren back home. Is it not paradoxical that most of the young Tamils who are waving Tiger flags today were sent to the West by their parents, sometimes using devious means to avoid conscription by the Tigers?

Unfortunately, minorities always seek rights forgetting that they too have responsibilities. The ‘50:50’ demand by G.G Ponnambalam was totally irresponsible.

What about the demand for the merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces? Is it not a demand that one minority be allowed to undermine another minority?

The more important question is the situation of the Muslim community in the East. In a merged province the Muslim voice would be significantly diluted and, if this happens, Islamic extremists are likely to have a field day.

Sometime ago, there was an excellent suggestion for redemarcating provincial boundaries and reducing the number of provinces to five with each province having access to the sea, one of our most valuable resources. With the reduced number of provinces, more effective devolution could be envisaged with less financial outlay. These are the sort of innovative solutions politicians of all shades and ethnicities should seriously consider if they seek prosperity, which would eventually lead to true reconciliation. I do hope the present government would implement its promise of the ‘one country-one law’ concept. If laws separate and distance communities, won’t they hamper reconciliation?

Another important issue is the banning of all religious and ethnic political parties so that voters would choose governments based on policies alone. Bhikkhus and other religious dignitaries should also be banned from taking to active politics as it is very important to keep religion and politics apart.

We must also do away with is the caste system, which plagues both Sinhala and Tamil communities. This archaic division persists because it is exploited by politicians. Some Buddhist Nikayas are also guilty of upholding a practice abhorred by the Buddha. Even if a classless society is a distant dream, a casteless society is long overdue.

It is sad that the Buddhist majority has a tendency to overreact due to the false impression that Buddhism is under threat. Of course, politicians are ever ready to exploit and encourage this sort of irrational behaviour. What needs to be understood is that from the time of formal introduction in 3rd Century BCE, Buddhism came under numerous threats but has overcome them all. It has been able to do so because Buddhism is not simply a religion but a philosophy that laid the foundation for modern scientific thinking. Even if it does not survive in Sri Lanka, it will survive in the West, as more and more have come to understand the true value of Buddhism. Therefore, we should not make Buddhism an excuse for inaction but the reason for true reconciliation and peace.



Features

Religious extremism set to gain from rising Israel-Iran hostilities

Published

on

The costs of extremism; the Twin Tower blasts of 9/11.

Many of the international pronouncements on the current dangerously escalating Israel-Iran hostilities could be seen as lacking in adequate balance and comprehensiveness. The majority of these reactions could be said to be failing in addressing the aspects of the conflict that matter most.

For example, there is the recent UN General Assembly resolution on the crisis which calls for an ‘immediate, unconditional and lasting ceasefire in the Gaza’ and which goes on to urge ‘Member States to take necessary steps to ensure Israel complies with its international legal obligations.’ An immediate and durable ceasefire is indeed the number one requirement in the Middle East today but could it be ‘unconditional’? Could it ignore the principal requirement of Israel’s security? These posers need to be addressed as well.

Besides, it is not only Israel that should be compelled to meet its ‘international legal obligations.’ All the states and actors that feature in the conflict need to be alerted to their ‘international legal obligations’. While it goes without saying that Israel must meet its international legal obligations fully, the same goes for Iran and all other Middle Eastern countries that enjoy UN membership and who are currently at odds with Israel. For instance, Israel is a UN member state that enjoys equal sovereignty with other states within the UN fold. No such state could seek to ‘bomb Israel out of existence’ for example.

As a significant ‘aside’ it needs to be mentioned that we in Sri Lanka should consider it appropriate to speak the truth in these matters rather than dabble in what is ‘politically correct’. It has been seen as ‘politically correct’ for Sri Lankan governments in particular to take up the cause of only the Palestinians over the decades without considering the legitimate needs of the Israelis. However, a lasting solution to the Middle East imbroglio is impossible to arrive at without taking into account the legitimate requirements of both sides to the conflict.

The G7, meanwhile, is right in stating that ‘Israel has a right to defend itself’, besides ‘reiterating our support for the security of Israel’ but it urges only ‘a de-escalation’ of hostilities and does not call for a ceasefire, which is of prime importance.

It is only an enduring ceasefire that could lay the basis for a cessation of hostilities which could in turn pave the way for the provision of UN humanitarian assistance to the people of the Gaza uninterruptedly for the foreseeable future. There is no getting away from the need for a durable downing of arms which could engender the environment required for negotiations between the warring parties.

Meanwhile, some 22 Muslim majority countries have ‘warned that continued escalation threatens to ignite a broader regional conflict that could destabilize the Middle East’ and called ‘for a return to negotiations as the only solution regarding Iran’s nuclear program.’ This statement addresses some important issues in the crisis but one hopes that the pronouncement went on to call for negotiations that would take up the root causes for the conflict as well and pointed to ways that could address them. For instance, there is no getting away from the ‘Two State Solution’ that envisages peaceful coexistence between the principal warring parties.

The ‘Two State Solution’ has been discredited by sections of the world community but it outlines the most sensible solution to the conflict. As matters stand, the current escalating hostilities, if left unchecked, could not only lead to a wider regional war of attrition but bring about the annihilation of entire populations. There is no alternative to comprehensive negotiations that take on the issues head on.

Besides, all who matter in the current discourse on the crisis need to alert themselves to the dangers of appealing to the religious identities of communities and social groups. When such appeals are made religious passions are stirred, which in turn activate extremist religious outfits that operate outside the bounds of the law and prove difficult to rein-in. This was essentially how ‘9/11’ came about. Accordingly, speaking with a sense of responsibility proves crucial.

In fact, it could be argued that a continuation of the present hostilities would only benefit the above outfits with a destructive mindset. Therefore, comprehensive and constructive negotiations are of the first importance.

The above conditions should ideally be observed by both parties to the conflict. Israel, no less than the Islamic and Arab world, needs to adhere to them. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has no choice but to say ‘No’ to extremists within his cabinet and to ‘show them the door’, inasmuch as hot-headed extremists in the Islamic and Arab world need to be opposed and alienated by the relevant governments.

Meanwhile, the US is on a duplicitous course in the Middle East. Whereas it has no choice but to rein-in Israel and convince it of the need to negotiate an end to the conflict, it is choosing to turn a blind eye to Israel’s military excesses and other irregularities that are blighting the Gazans and the ordinary people of Iran. It ought to be plain to the Trump administration that it is promoting a barbaric war of attrition by continuing to provide Israel with the most lethal weaponry. Currently, it is anybody’s guess as to what the US policy on the Middle East is.

The Islamic and Arab world, on the other hand, should come to understand the imperatives for a defusing of tensions in the region. Decades of conflict and war ought to have made it clear that the suffering of the populations concerned would not draw to a close minus a negotiated peace that ensures the wellbeing of all sections concerned.

As pointed out, the security of Israel needs to be guaranteed by those quarters opposing it. This will require the adoption of a conciliatory attitude towards Israel by state and non-state actors who have thus far been hostile towards it. There needs to be a steady build-up of goodwill on both sides of the divide. If this is fully realized by the Arab world a negotiated solution will be a realistic proposition in the Middle East.

Continue Reading

Features

She deserves the crown

Published

on

We had no luck coming our way at the Miss World 2025 contest – not even our immediate neighbour, India – but I’m glad that Miss Thailand was crowned Miss World 2025 as Thailand happens to be my second home … been to Amazing Thailand many times, courtesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

In fact, even before the Miss World 2025 grand finale, which was held at the beautiful venue of the HITEX Exhibition Centre, in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, my colleagues at office all predicted that Miss Thailand, Opal Suchata Chuangsri, would emerge as the winner.

Yes, indeed, Miss Thailand not only won the hearts of millions but also became the first ever Thai to claim this much sought-after title.

Prior to winning the title of Miss World 2025, Opal Suchata was Thailand’s representative at Miss Universe 2024 and took home the third runner-up title.

Her Miss Universe crown, unfortunately, was subsequently forfeited, due to a contract breach, but she did not let that demotivate her, though, and went on to compete and win the title of Miss World Thailand 2025.

Coming from a family that was in the hospitality industry, her upbringing, in this kind of environment, made her aware of her culture and helped her with her communication skills at a very young age. They say she is very fluent in Thai, English, and Chinese.

Obviously, her achievements at the Miss World 2025 contest is going to bring the 22-year-old beauty immense happiness but I couldn’t believe that this lovely girl, at 16, had surgery to remove a benign breast lump, and that made her launch the ‘Opal For Her’ campaign to promote breast health awareness and early detection of breast cancer, which also became the topic of her ‘Beauty with Purpose’ at the Miss World 2025 contest.

Opal Suchata intends to leverage her Miss World title to advocate for other women’s health issues, as well, and sponsor a number of charitable causes, specifically in women’s health.

Her victory, she says, is not just a personal achievement but a reflection of the dreams and aspirations of young girls around the world who want to be seen, heard, and create change.

What’s more, with interests in psychology and anthropology, Opal Suchata aspires to become an ambassador for Thailand, aiming to represent her country on international platforms and contribute to peace-building efforts.

She believes that regardless of age or title, everyone has a role to play in inspiring others and making a positive impact.

And, what’s more, beyond pageantry, Opal Suchata is an animal lover, caring for 16 cats and five dogs, making her a certified “fur mom.”

She also possesses a special musical ability—she can play the ukulele backwards.

Opal Suchata is already a star with many expressing admiration for her grace, leadership, and passion for making a difference in the world.

And there is also a possibility of this head-turner, from Thailand, entering the Bollywood film industry, after completing her reign as Miss World, as she has also expressed interest in this field.

She says she would love the opportunity and praised the Indian film indstry.

She akso shared her positive experience during her visit to India and her appreciation for the Telangana government.

Congratulations Opal Suchata Chuangsri from Amazing Thailand. You certainly deserve the title Miss World 2025.

What is important is that the Miss World event is among the four globally recognised beauty pageants … yes, the four major international beauty pageants for woment. The other three are Miss Universe, Miss Earth and Miss International.

Unfortunately, in our scene, you get beauty pageants popping up like mushrooms and, I would say, most of them are a waste of money and time for the participants.

Continue Reading

Features

Wonders of Coconut Oil…

Published

on

This week I thought of working on some beauty tips, using coconut oil, which is freely available, and quite affordable, as well.

Let’s start with Coconut Oil as a Moisturiser…

First, make sure your skin is clean and dry before applying the coconut oil. This will allow the oil to penetrate the skin more effectively.

Next, take a small amount of coconut oil and warm it up in your hands by rubbing them together. This will help to melt the oil and make it easier to apply.

Gently massage the oil onto your face and body, focusing on dry areas or areas that need extra hydration.

Allow the oil to absorb into your skin for a few minutes before getting dressed.

Start with a small amount and add more if needed.

* Acne and Blemishes:

Apply a small amount to the affected area and gently massage it in. Leave it on overnight and rinse off in the morning. Remember to patch test before applying it to your entire face to ensure you don’t have any adverse reactions.

* Skin Irritations:

If you’re dealing with skin irritations, coconut oil may be just what you need to find relief. Coconut oil has natural anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe and calm irritated skin.

Simply apply a thin layer of coconut oil to the affected area and gently massage it in. You can repeat this process as needed throughout the day to keep your skin calm and comfortable.

* Makeup Remover:

To use coconut oil as a makeup remover, simply apply a small amount onto a cotton pad or your fingertips and gently massage it onto your face, in circular motions. The oil will break down the makeup, including waterproof mascara and long-wearing foundation, making it easy to wipe away.

Not only does coconut oil remove makeup, but it also nourishes and hydrates the skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth. Plus, its antibacterial properties can help prevent breakouts and soothe any existing skin irritations, so give coconut oil a try and experience its natural makeup removing abilities, and also say goodbye to acne and blemishes!

Continue Reading

Trending