Gnanasara and ‘One country, One law’

Unsurprisingly, the appointment of politician-monk, Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara, as chairman of yet another Presidential Task Force (PTF), this one studying the implementation of the ‘One country, One law’ proposal, has raised hornets’ nests in many quarters; and wide ranging protests have been emerging from a variety of interests. Nobody from the government side has yet defended the monk’s appointment, possibly for the reason that they are the prerogative of the president and he presumably knows what he’s doing. Gnanasara sought his party’s single National List place in Parliament after the last election having been shut out of the poll by the rejection of the Apey Jana Balavegaya’s nomination list in Kurunegala. Eventually Ven. Athureliye Ratana, who has worn many political hats and was a UNP National List MP in the last Parliament, was granted the place; though not before much entertaining melodrama.

Gnanasara won visibility, if not notoriety, from the Bodu Bala Sena which he continues to lead for his belligerent ethno-nationalist credentials. These command support of one section of the polity and dismay of another comprising mostly of minorities. Political analyst Dayan Jayatilleka, in an essay we run today, has perhaps tongue in cheek suggested that former Chief Justice Sarath. N. Silva would have been a better choice to run the task force under discussion. He believes that Silva who was both Attorney General and Chief Justice would in addition to Sinhala nationalist credentials have legal attributes lacking in Gnanasara; that is apart from some brushes with the law hat the pries has had. Obviously the president would not have been unmindful of the flak last week’s appointment would inevitably draw. But he went ahead for reasons he would best know. This was very similar to the pardon he granted one time parliamentarian Duminda Silva, convicted of murder by a High Court with the death sentence imposed confirmed by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court. The pardoned convict, as an MP, held a supervisory role over the defence ministry when GR was secretary.

Like Silva, Gnanasara too is a convict, jailed for a lesser offence of contempt of court. He won his pardon from former President Maithripala Sirisena after a short spell in prison. Sirisena had also earlier similarly pardoned the Royal Park murder convict, Jude Shramantha Anthony Jayamaha. We do not know how many presidential task forces have been appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa since his 2019 election but there have been many. The most visible of these, of course, is that on Covid 19 PTF headed by Army Commander Shavendra Silva. There have been similar task forces appointed for a variety of subjects including attaining a green economy, and another to review and take forward objectives arising from the president’s much publicized Gama Samaga Pilisandara (Discussions with the village). There’s also a PTF on building a secure country. This comprises entire of military, police and intelligence officers and has drawn the ire of the International Commission of Jurists. Other than for the Covid Task Force, the people don’t know what the others are doing but Gnanasara’s is likely to be different.

Whether the monk, who has previously demonstrated an affinity for both controversy and visibility, will opt for a low profile role in his newest avatar remains to be seen. Duminda Silva who was made Chairman of the National Housing Development Authority weeks after his release from prison has not been in the news in his present capacity. Rajan Philips in his regular column on this page has speculated of the possibility that Gnanasara’s appointment being a counter to Malcolm Cardinal Ranjit, Archbishop of Colombo, who has been increasingly vociferous recently. His focus is what he regards as the glaring lack of accountability over the Easter Sunday massacre and the denial of justice to the victims. His outspoken comments have been well received by his flock much to the embarrassment of the ruling powers. It was widely perceived by analysts and observers that his Eminence favoured President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election two years ago. But that scenario has totally changed since the Easter tragedy.

Dayan Jayatilleka has cuttingly drawn attention to what he calls one of Gnanasara’s “many accomplishments,” among them inviting and hosting the “even more notorious monk,” Venerable Ashin Wirathu of Myanmar. Whether Justice Minister Ali Sabry who has been working on the ‘One country, one law’ project for some time will resent the Gnanasara-led PTF looking over his shoulders remains to be seen but we wouldn’t place money on it. The appointment after all came from high up and no boat is likely to be rocked. Gnanasara’s PTF has been required to make a study of the implementation of the “One country, One law’ concept and prepare a draft Act for this purpose. It is also required to study available material at the Justice Ministry and report on them.

It has been noted that the 13-member PTF comprises of a majority of Sinhalese members and four Muslims but no Tamils. Presumably the majority of the Sinhalese are Buddhists and it has not been revealed whether any Christians are among them. Usually bodies such as this are secular and the non-inclusion of Tamils in the PTF has attracted comment. The subjects on the table will probably include the Thesavalamai law and the Muslim Marriages and Divorces Act. Although the Center for Policy Alternatives, well known for its criticism of acts of omission and commission by governments, has demanded rescinding of the gazette creating the PTF, nobody will expect anything more than a deafening silence.