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Mahanayakas warn politicians of public reprisal

09 May 2022

  • Note enjoyment of privileges on taxpayer funds will cause severe backlash
By Buddhika Samaraweera Chief Prelates (Mahanayakas) of the Malwathu and Asgiri chapters of the Siam Sect and the Amarapura and Ramanna Sects have warned that if politicians, instead of creating a pro-people political pattern, enjoy privileges on taxpayer money and work only for their own enjoyment, they would have to face severe public reactions in the future. The Chief Prelates of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters, namely Ven. Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera and Ven. Warakagoda Gnanarathana Thera, respectively, Chief Prelate of the Amarapura Sect Ven. Dodampahala Chandrasiri Thera, and Chief Prelate of the Ramanna Sect Ven. Makulewe Wimala Thera had stated this in a letter addressed to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa, Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya Leader Sajith Premadasa, and all Members of Parliament. The letter stated that the Buddhist clergy (Maha Sangha) would never fall prey to narrow political agendas to bring anyone to power or to remove someone from power. However, the letter read that they are deeply saddened that the Sri Lankan people, who have provided for and nurtured the needs of the Buddhist clergy in the midst of various hardships, are becoming increasingly helpless in the face of the rising cost of living. “Therefore, if, instead of creating a pro-people political pattern, politicians continue to enjoy privileges from the people’s tax money and pursue their personal pleasures, they will have to face severe public reactions in the future,” the Chief Prelates had mentioned. The letter further read that although they had presented a series of proposals on the steps to be taken in the face of the current political and economic crisis in the country in two letters dated 4 and 20 April 2022, no people’s representative has made a positive intervention in resolving the prevailing economic, political and social crisis. “As we have pointed out in the previous letters, the political authority must work to unite all political parties and build an all-party, interim governing system of scholars.” It further stated that at a time when the public is suffering severely, it is highly questionable as to whether there is a validity for the politicians, who are enjoying unlimited privileges by spending millions of public money to achieve their party political pattern and related objectives in Parliament, to represent the sovereignty of the people. The Chief Prelates of the said Buddhist sects recently warned that they would unanimously declare a Sangha Convention if the President, the Premier, the Opposition Leader, and all other party leaders representing the Parliament continue to be insensitive to the issues faced by the people and do not resolve the prevailing economic and political crisis. Meanwhile, Chief Prelate of the Malwathu Chapter of the Siam Sect Ven. Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera recently decided not to allow any politicians to meet with him. The decision has been taken by him as no responsible person has still responded to the proposals by them, on resolving the current crisis situation in the country. Accordingly, when Premadasa had arrived in Kandy recently to present the document containing the proposals submitted by the SJB for the 21st Amendment to the Constitution to the Chief Prelates, he had not received permission to meet Ven. Sumangala Thera. A group of backbenchers of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) had also tried to meet with him to present a document containing their proposals regarding the crisis, and had however not been permitted. However, when a group of persons who are currently engaged in the “GotaGoGama” public protest in front of the Presidential Secretariat on Galle Face Green, recently arrived at the Malwathu Maha Viharaya in Kandy to brief Ven. Sumangala Thera on the current situation in the country, they were allowed to meet him. In addition, he also met with a representative of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga last week. During that meeting, a set of proposals prepared by Kumaratunga with regard to the resolution of the prevailing crisis was handed over to him.  


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