Praise to the monks who rose to perform their rightful duty

By that title I mean the Ramanya and Amarapura Nikaya monks who made a joint statement disapproving the 20Amendment and advised the government to amend it drastically or better, withdraw it and concentrate on more urgent national matters, with a new Constitution drawn up later. Some other bhikkhus went to the extent of threatening the present government with: “We brought you to power and we can take that power away.” (Not verbatim; gist is intact)

Hence the monks of the two Nikayas who jointly drew up their statement and presented it at a media briefing are to be highly commended, respected and thanked. Cass does not want to get into the politics of this event. She only wishes to state that they played the role the Sangha is expected to play and was directed to do by the Buddha himself; namely advice rulers; direct the right political path to follow. Cass has in the past been most castigating in her remarks on Buddhist monks who lifted stone and stick, hitched up robes, and actually went on the offensive. Or led protests which turned violent, caused chaos, ultimately leading to public property destruction. Also abhorred were those who exhibited verbal and/or physical antipathy to other religions and their religious places of worship. All these happened and subsided; subsided due to one particular monk getting away from the limelight and foregoing heroics (read random terror attacks) which he said he resorted to in the name of preserving Buddhism and the Sinhala race. Stuff and nonsense! Utter tosh is Cass’ invariable reaction to Buddhist monks who turn militant.

The chief prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters are still to voice their opinion. The silence of the Asgiriya chief monks is understandable but the other Chapter aught to lend a voice for democracy.

Storm over Tamil film

A clear case of how stupid politics warps even the good and blameless. Mercifully this is in Tamil Nadu, but it is centered on a Sri Lankan. Cass means here the most unnecessary ‘row’ over the film titled ‘800’ which is a biopic on Muttiah Muralitharan, made in South India by Tamil Nadu-based director Cheran, starring Vijay Sethupathi. And what is this stormy uproar in a mere teacup of a film? The question the rabble rousers ask is why Sethupathi consented to portray “Muralitharan who was close to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the country’s war-time Defense Secretary and his support to Gotabaya Rajapaksa during the election campaigns”. We in Sri Lanka have taken such matters in the correct spirit – it’s a personal act of the famed cricketer and he is entitled to his choices and loyalties. But it has irked many in Tamil Nadu. The comment I read in The Island also states that the protesters took objection to the fact that Muralitharan was rumoured to be appointed Governor of the Northern Province. They say, Vijay playing MM is shocking. SO WHAT!? That’s the Sri Lankan response, even though such bigotry deserved no response. Cass echoes the child’s remark of long ago: “Don’t poke your inquisitive fingers into our business!” Objection to the film has been brought up even in the Rajya Sabha.

This sanctimonious, intrusive State – Tamil Nadu – is the one that a couple of years ago almost worshipped that woman politician who got richer and richer as she grew fatter over ill gotten gains, and all through being extra ‘friendly’ with the famous South Indian film star, M G Ramachandran. Tamil Nadu citizens elevated Jeyalalitha to ‘Adi parashakti’ state which means the ultimate powerful goddess in Tamil. Her shenanigans were OK and she was adored at the time. Now a popular actor is hauled over the public opinion coals for starring in a film, which is his profession from which he earns for his vadai and sambhar! Muralitharan has been again his magnanimous self and requested the actor, Vijay Sethupathi, to step down. Our great cricketer should go the whole hog and declare he will star as himself in the biopic. That would jolt the protestors to silence.

GROBR

Those initials above were Cass’ schoolgirl expression of thanks for the removal of a pest or pestiferousness. Cass spells them out with reference to the shooting of Makandure Madush by the hand of co-gangsters as the Police say, in a murky housing block in Maligawatte even before dawn broke on another day of Covid-19 spread in this island of ours. And what pray is the expression the more elite may ask who speak in words not initials and acronyms? GROBR is ‘Good riddance of bad rubbish’, which of course is too mild and polite to express our true feelings about a criminal/gangster/wealthy drug dealer and destroyer of humans, mostly youth/ being done to death. Live by the gun and you die by the gun. Also thrive on corruption and your end is corrupt with corruption following you to the next life or hell as your beliefs tell you is what follows your death. These may live happy and handsome now on corruptly earned wealth but when death comes, it is doubly horrible with rot setting in. That is not a curse of Cass a la Kuveni, but a universal truth.

Those who want their voices heard and protest for protest’s sake, voiced dissent in Parliament about the master gangster’s death by shooting.Violation of human rights they said. Methinks there is no one, not even one of Madush’s so called wives who would sincerely mourn his death, barring perhaps his mother.

A contact I have to the grapevine, or one of its branches, said that other drug dealers in prison now do not want to be released on bail. They know their justified demise at the hands of rivals will be immediate and bloody. It seems Podi or Punchi someone is having the runs violently and is permanently in the prison toilet!! They fear release much more than imprisonment from where they carry through all their nefarious, nay, deadly activities.

Kudos to the police who have hunted down so many drug dealers. A snippet from the shouting in Parliament on Tuesday 20 October. “No, these criminals will not be questioned fully since names of some sitting here will be divulged.” What a damning accusation.

The debate on 29A will soon be on with verbal pyrotechnics. The best was Shameer Rasooldeen on MTV Channel I Face the Nation panel talk on Monday 19th asking panelist U.R. de Silva, ex-BASL Prez whether the Government did a U-Turn regards which the newly appointed law advisor to the PM or Prez refused to agree to. Prevaricated!

Meet you next Friday with the Covid-19 fully under the Pres Taskforce’s control.