According to Sri Lanka’s supreme law – the Constitution – every citizen is entitled to be treated equally, regardless of their ethnic, religious, and other differences, and that unconditional equality is what most citizens seek and most Governments and politicians promise to give. However, Sri Lanka has not been quite successful in ensuring that equality.
In a new move to achieve said equality, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, this week, established a Presidential Task Force for the “One Country, One Law” initiative. The establishment of the Task Force was announced through a gazette notification, which also revealed the names of the Task Force members.
In fact, more than the importance of the duties this Task Force is entrusted with, it was the composition and leadership of the said Task Force that grabbed public attention and criticism, and Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, who has a reputation for being a nationalist, hardline Buddhist monk, had been appointed as the Chairman of this Task Force. Following the establishment of the Task Force, many expressed concerns about his suitability to be appointed as the Head of a Task Force tasked with ensuring equality.
Even though one might argue that the appointment of Gnanasara Thera, as an influential, prominent figure a lot of Sinhala Buddhists look up to, is a good decision, his principles which reflect a strong – in fact, too strong – partiality towards the Sinhala-Buddhist majority is also the very reason he may not be the perfect person to head this Task Force, which is expected to advocate for equality regardless of ethnicity, religion, or other such grounds. Also, when looking at his record, we cannot forget that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) appointed to look into the Easter Sunday attacks has implicated Gnanasara Thera in stirring ethnic conflicts, and he has been found guilty of contempt of court and been sentenced. It is also not a secret that he was never an unbiased figure, and that he never claimed to be one. The immediate question that arises in this context is how suitable he is to make judicious decisions as the Head of the Task Force that looks into introducing one law for all ethnic and religious groups.
The decision to appoint a Task Force to plan one law for the country without regard to ethnic and religious biases is an admirable move, even though speculation is rife that this is aimed at garnering Sinhala Buddhist votes in the coming elections. As a matter of fact, if the right decisions are taken, such a Task Force can make some progressive changes to the legal system of a country like Sri Lanka that has been struggling to address ethnic rifts for decades. However, it all depends on the outcome of this initiative, and the responsibility that has been put on Gnanasara Thera’s shoulders, which requires being impartial, shrewd, and considerate of the country’s future, is massive.
A good outcome of this incident is that the country will no longer have to have doubts as to what Gnanasara Thera’s political alignment is. Even though he has claimed to be politically impartial and did not pledge allegiance to any political party or politician openly and officially, many doubted the sincerity of these claims. So far in Sri Lanka’s history, people that were appointed to committees, commissions, and task forces were those who supported the ruling party, and it would not be wrong to say that this is also an appointment based not only on Gnanasara Thera’s capabilities, but also on his political alignments.
However, now that the President has chosen Gnanasara Thera for this serious task, he has a responsibility to provide the service expected of him. He has to remember that establishing one law to ensure everyone’s rights is nothing like the activities he has been a part of before, and what this Task Force and the country expects from him are also far more serious than what he has done up until now. He has claimed many a time before that he is endeavouring to eradicate extremism, racism, and discrimination, and now he has an opportunity to do so. Gnanasara Thera’s litmus test
28 Oct 2021
Gnanasara Thera’s litmus test
28 Oct 2021
According to Sri Lanka’s supreme law – the Constitution – every citizen is entitled to be treated equally, regardless of their ethnic, religious, and other differences, and that unconditional equality is what most citizens seek and most Governments and politicians promise to give. However, Sri Lanka has not been quite successful in ensuring that equality.
In a new move to achieve said equality, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, this week, established a Presidential Task Force for the “One Country, One Law” initiative. The establishment of the Task Force was announced through a gazette notification, which also revealed the names of the Task Force members.
In fact, more than the importance of the duties this Task Force is entrusted with, it was the composition and leadership of the said Task Force that grabbed public attention and criticism, and Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, who has a reputation for being a nationalist, hardline Buddhist monk, had been appointed as the Chairman of this Task Force. Following the establishment of the Task Force, many expressed concerns about his suitability to be appointed as the Head of a Task Force tasked with ensuring equality.
Even though one might argue that the appointment of Gnanasara Thera, as an influential, prominent figure a lot of Sinhala Buddhists look up to, is a good decision, his principles which reflect a strong – in fact, too strong – partiality towards the Sinhala-Buddhist majority is also the very reason he may not be the perfect person to head this Task Force, which is expected to advocate for equality regardless of ethnicity, religion, or other such grounds. Also, when looking at his record, we cannot forget that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) appointed to look into the Easter Sunday attacks has implicated Gnanasara Thera in stirring ethnic conflicts, and he has been found guilty of contempt of court and been sentenced. It is also not a secret that he was never an unbiased figure, and that he never claimed to be one. The immediate question that arises in this context is how suitable he is to make judicious decisions as the Head of the Task Force that looks into introducing one law for all ethnic and religious groups.
The decision to appoint a Task Force to plan one law for the country without regard to ethnic and religious biases is an admirable move, even though speculation is rife that this is aimed at garnering Sinhala Buddhist votes in the coming elections. As a matter of fact, if the right decisions are taken, such a Task Force can make some progressive changes to the legal system of a country like Sri Lanka that has been struggling to address ethnic rifts for decades. However, it all depends on the outcome of this initiative, and the responsibility that has been put on Gnanasara Thera’s shoulders, which requires being impartial, shrewd, and considerate of the country’s future, is massive.
A good outcome of this incident is that the country will no longer have to have doubts as to what Gnanasara Thera’s political alignment is. Even though he has claimed to be politically impartial and did not pledge allegiance to any political party or politician openly and officially, many doubted the sincerity of these claims. So far in Sri Lanka’s history, people that were appointed to committees, commissions, and task forces were those who supported the ruling party, and it would not be wrong to say that this is also an appointment based not only on Gnanasara Thera’s capabilities, but also on his political alignments.
However, now that the President has chosen Gnanasara Thera for this serious task, he has a responsibility to provide the service expected of him. He has to remember that establishing one law to ensure everyone’s rights is nothing like the activities he has been a part of before, and what this Task Force and the country expects from him are also far more serious than what he has done up until now. He has claimed many a time before that he is endeavouring to eradicate extremism, racism, and discrimination, and now he has an opportunity to do so. Kapruka
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!