Buddhist extremism in Sri Lanka

No pacifist idealism has ever created strong and proud nations.

The perception that G Ganasara Thera is an extremist is written in many UN papers, BBC new reports and Aljazeera’s. 

No denial that some minor part of Sinhala Buddhists too are thinking GG as an extremist. But most tolerate him and some aspire him. They all seems to understand that in a nation like ours, where no politician seems to be accountable for the electorate to protect their national interest, what is wrong with the good-old-age Buddhist valor to remind to others Sri Lanka’s Buddhists national identity and its national interest.

The thing is that most critics of GG never seek out about the fact of the rout causes. Widespread fear of Muslim expansionism, deforestation of Wilpattu National Reserve and an attempt to clear off an area in Kulamarippu National Forest Reserve by Rishard Badurdeen, Muslim parliamentarian, and evidently visible destruction of pre-historic and historic archeological sites by some Muslim communities are grave concerns for majority Sinhalese, mainly for Buddhists. A statement made by Mano Ganeshwaram, another Tamil parliamentarian, few days ago, has triggered a dire concern among Sinhala Buddhists. He stated that nowhere in the Sri Lankan constitution it stipulates Sri Lanka is a Buddhist nation.

 











M. K Shivajilingum too, another Tamil parliamentarian, did openly challenge the country’s President not to visit North at the time of Tamil celebration of genocide week. Every year, he commemorates the death of terrorists and bystanders of 2009. This is on the Sri Lankan independent day, as it shall be. No European nation celebrates Hitler or Nazis or bystanders who perished with them on their respective independent days. So does the Americans; Abraham Lincoln is celebrated not Jefferson Davis or bystanders perished with him. Chairman Mao and Red army is celebrated not the nationalists or bystanders.

The violation of this simple norm constitutes a grave danger to national identity and interest. No systematic actions are taking place either by any of law enforcement authorizes in Sri Lanka to neutralize these ongoing provocations.  

Tolerance of minorities and mutually benefiting diversity within boarders must be protected by natural law. But when the very diversity and tolerance challenge the overarching ideology of the state it shall also be dealt with the same laws. But the protecting this Sinhala Buddhist identity is being questioned by global-cosmopolitans and pluralists.

Sri Lanka’s challenge is to stand up to those criticism with real realist rigor. Real forefathers of ours have left no doubt of the process of nation building and tolerance of people within it. No nation as such was ever built by pacifists. Behind the creation of each powerful nations lie the graveyards of millions. And it is on the winner’s term the peace is written. No one ever question the Anglo-American ideology or deny the UK’s Christin heritage. So does the state of Saudi Arabia’s or Iran’s or India’s.  

No pluralist or cosmopolitan grievances need tolerated in the case of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is a very young nation. Alien post war theories have no application in Sri Lankan case. The first step have already been taken in the right direction in 2009. And the country shall be a marching further in that right direction.

A state shall never be hesitant to enforce its core values on minorities. The long term trick is to make it works without even realizing it. Before that GG and many others seems to have very legitimate roles to play defining Sri Lankan Buddhist identity.