It’s been a while since I sat
down to write something, may be because I lacked a triggering fact, which makes
me jot down my thoughts. But after a long time, I think I have found one.
For 23 years, which is just 3
years short of my spent lifetime, I have seen a war that kept a lot of things
apart from us. And I have seen how things have changed in the last couple of
years, which could have been towards a positive direction. Back then it was
quite normal for us to see, hear and read about the fights, killing and other
destructive acts that were carried out in the name of war. We felt it little by
little with the increase of suicide bombings, shootings and air attacks that
took place within the southern cities. That is when it dawned on us what it is
like to experience it day in day out, to live a life submerged in fear. It is
now that we know what we have missed all our childhood.
After the war, the number of
military barricades declined. Roads that were previously closed were open for
the public. So were the areas that were previously war torn. We had a glimpse
of the northern Sri Lanka as it was and saw the price that the residents of
those areas had to pay. However, as it was a war against terrorism, I bow in
honour of all the people, both military and non-military, who have sacrificed
their today in achieving a better tomorrow for all Sri Lankans. I do not see a
more noble intention than this that a man or woman can hold.
Today, the sensible Sri Lankans
try to put aside the bitter experiences we had and spend our time in doing our
part towards rebuilding our motherland. I believe we have done well to a
certain extent but there is a long journey ahead of us. Some, however, has lost
faith in the direction of the progress made and continue to leave the country. That
too, in my opinion, is quite okay, rather than what the remaining group of people
does in hindering the development process.
It feels as if it is a force of Mother
Nature that at any given time, there is hatred in society, as if to maintain equilibrium.
Earlier it was the war against terrorism, and then when it was over, there is another
that is rising and has made its presence felt. Racism, I believe, is the next
of kin to terrorism, as the result of each does not differ much from the other.
In Kandy, when I was at school,
we didn’t understand the differences that we had. Of course we knew that all of
us didn’t have the same views about many things, but we respected it. It didn’t
count when it came to sharing our lunch, or any kind of food or drink. We never
stopped to think whether it came from a home where a “Koran” was read, or the
“Holy Bible”. In fact, there was no time to think, and as if it was a
production line, lunch packs coming from one side of the desk got converted in
to the left over pieces of paper and lunch sheets at the other. Even though
unethical, we never stopped to think when we received or provided “aid” on
subject matter, when it was not allowed at midyear and year end. It was all
team work even when it was not allowed.
Most of the time after school,
after a tuition class, or even when we meet today after going to see a rugby
match, we sat down at the “Muslim Hotel”, or at one “Rajeshwari Bhavan”, or
“Yusoofiya” or “Sri Ramya” for a quick snack, or even lunch or dinner. We are driven by the basic need of hunger at
that point. So would it have been for clothes or any other goods that we
bought, as we never knew that food and goods also believed in religion.
It was a frequent incident at the
schools religious assemblies that students from various religions attend
together. Even though it might not be morally correct, we had students from
other religions attending the Buddhist Students Assembly when they come late,
because if they continue to go to their own meeting which would be held further
up the hills, they might be punished for coming late. The funny sight is that
they recite all Buddhist recitals along with us which they have come to know by
heart. That was the childhood we experienced, and we are ever so proud of it.
For a number of years of my
school life, I was given free transport by a father of one of my class mates who
is a Muslim. We lived on two sides of the city and our school was on a third.
However, even if his son is sick and not attending school, he would still come
all the way to pick me up and drop me at school. How could one expect me to
understand racism when that is what I grew up with?
When I got promoted at work, my
colleague who I consider to be my mentor was an Islamic. He was a great coach
and taught me how to look at situations and how to handle them. He explained
the importance of being moderate and doing the right thing, which is one of the
core concepts of Buddhism. And even today, when I am not working with him on
the same team, still I go to him for advice which he provides happily. How can
I be an extremist when this is what I live with?
And oh! The all controversial
HALAL issue! The so called extra cents or rupees that we pay for the Halal
certified goods; I have a question to ask, don’t we waste more money than that?
Are those few cents or rupees that we spend extra, the only money that we
waste? Don’t we buy unnecessary amounts of clothes, goods and food just because
we like them, and end up using them may be once in a blue moon? Why didn’t the
“Bala Sena” stop their hooliganism after the ACJU stated that they will no
longer issue the certification for money? Why do they have to raid clothing
stores run by Muslim people and cause damage to property? Are they going to
stop using vehicles because we continue to purchase the fuel from Islamic
nations? If not, why do they want to stop buying from Sri Lankans just because
they are non-Buddhists?
I say, this is not a problem
between religions. This is only a problem between politically motivated groups
of people who wants their wallets fatten by any means, be it at the cost of
national harmony. It could be even a western funded equivalent of the “Arab
Spring”, as we all know that we are a strategically located country in the
Indian Ocean, backed by Eastern power houses such as China, and sometimes
supported by Russia, which lies next to the American supported Asian hub of
India. Not so long ago we discovered crude oil deposits didn’t we, if that adds
on to the attraction of Americans?
A word about the bala sena, whose
biggest achievement so far has been the “rotten egg treatment”. The Buddhist
philosophy known to many does not encourage spreading hatred across the
society. No where it speaks about a
rotten egg treatment to be given to people who does not believe in what it
says, or to say the least, to Buddhists walking into stores run by
non-Buddhists. These are the acts of mindless, short-sighted non-human beings
that simply get highlighted because they have an equally “intelligent” fan
base. The ironic fact is that these are lead by people who dress like Buddhist
priests, simply to convince a wider market segment of the public with a common
belief. Where they went wrong in their analysis is that they failed to
understand that the whole market segment lacks the “intelligence” they have to
grasp their concepts. And further irony, they boast that they are not
extremists, but simply try to protect Buddhism by attacking other religions!
Non-Buddhists are not at fault
for something we didn’t do right in the past. We have to get our act straight,
not attack others to bring them down to the level where we are.
No one should judge Islam by the
acts of a small group of Muslims. Similarly, to my non Buddhist friends, I
would like to request not to judge Buddhism, by acts of a cluster of Buddhists.
This goes for any religion. It’s the level of intelligence of some people who
follow it, THE MINORITY.
I am a Buddhist, I speak
Sinhalese and I am proud of it. But it does not mean that I will not go to a
non-Buddhist store, not eat wattalappan, or pongal rice. That is because, I am
a Sri Lankan and we have all the right to do and believe in what we think is
right, as long as it does not harm anyone.
PS: I’ve decided to carry soap
and a towel where ever I go, in preparation for the situations and incidents I
might have to face in future. ;-)
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