Mahinda is the people’s President

Extracts from P.K. Balachandran’s article

President Mahinda Rajapaksa must be the happiest leader in Sri Lanka ‘s recent history. Despite serious and debilitating flaws in governance, he is riding a wave of popularity even three years after taking office.

Undoubtedly, at the root of it all is the public perception that the military campaign against the LTTE is going great guns.

A recent survey conducted by LMD-TNS Lanka in areas other than the war-affected Tamil-speaking parts of the country, showed that 67 per cent were satisfied with Rajapaksa’s overall performance, and 79 per cent said that he was right in trying to settle the ethnic conflict by military means.

The (impending) fall of the LTTE stronghold Kilinochchi to the Sri Lankan forces, has made D G A Perera recall how in the 13th century, a similar event with far reaching consequences occurred. The Sinhalese king Parakramabahu II had then driven the Indian invader, Magha, out of Kilinochchi and other parts of the Northeast, and regained the territory for the Sinhalese, Perera wrote recently.

Magha from Kalinga had invaded Sri Lanka with a “savage force” of Keralite mercenaries in 1215. He built 15 fortresses from Trincomalee in the east to Mannar in the west through Jaffna.

One of his strongest fortresses was in Pulachchery, which Perera says is the modern Kilinochchi, as both Pulachchery and Kilinochchi mean “bird sanctuary”.

According to him, the “original” Sinhalese name for Kilinochchi was “Giraa Nochchiya” which means a sanctuary for parrots.

Ironically, Parakramabahu II had to take the help of the Cholas and Pandyas of Tamil Nadu to get rid of Magha and his Keralite hoardes. Chandrabhanu II, an invader of Malay origin, who had taken Jaffna by then, also helped. History seems to be repeating itself with Colombo seeking the help of New Delhi , other governments, and Karuna, to crush the LTTE.

Few know that in the fascinating ethnomosaic that is Sri Lanka , there is a community of Afro-Sri Lankans. They are the Kaffir of Puttalam and Batticaloa districts who stand out with their kinky hair. Historians say that they were brought by the Portuguese to Sri Lanka via Goa in the 16th century, converted to Catholicism, and made to work under very exploitative conditions.

The Dutch, who followed the Portuguese, used 4,000 of them to build the Colombo Fort. Sadly, even after five centuries today, the Kaffir are mainly manual labourers. Over the years, most have merged with the Sinhalese, and only about 215 families still retain their identity.

Even these have no knowledge of their original tongue, Afro- Portuguese Creole. But amazingly, the Kaffir’s vigorous Afro-Portuguese musical and dance tradition has survived the ravages of time and cultural onslaughts.

Buddhism is the religion of over 70 per cent of the Sri Lankan population, and since the advent of democracy in the island, aspiring political leaders have had to become Buddhist or pay obeisance to Buddhism.

The latest in the long list is Karuna Amman who is now a nominated ruling party MP. He told ‘Express’ he was enamoured of the “pro-people” ideology of Buddhism and was “inspired” by emperor Ashoka’s just and constructive rule.”

I am keen on visiting Bodh Gaya, where Buddha attained Enlightenment,” Karuna said. He trashed the Tamil nationalist propaganda that the largely Hindu Tamils of Sri Lanka were antagonistic to Buddhism. “We were brought up on Buddhist lore,” he claimed.

(Courtesy: Hindustan Times)