Sudath Gunasekara 31.5.2017 The immediate cause of all these disasters is rain. But we all know we cannot stop it. No can we control it either. But certainly we can control and mitigate these disasters by visionary thinking, proper planning and good management. The most important cause of this calamity as I see it is the land degradation on the upper watersheds. What we witness today is the cumulative results of centuries old land degradation on the upper watersheds caused by large scale removal of the forest cover and indiscriminate and inappropriate new land use practices on the hills by the British for coffee and tea plantations. Kelani Valley Railway Commission 1894 The earliest concrete evidence of the impact of large scale deforestation on the upper watersheds and colonial land policies on land degradation, earth slips, downstream siltation and heavy floods is found in the Report of the Kelani Valley Railway Commission 1894. In his evidence before the Commission F Lewis an Assistant Conservator of Forests observed that ‘at one time the Kelani river could be made use for rafting of woos, I have had the frequent occasion to use of it; but this is now, year by year becoming more difficult owing to the large sand deposits in long sweeps down the bed of the river. The increase area of land in tea is distinctly the cause for this silting of the river, is a fact that I presume will not be disputed. The Kelani river (90 miles) was obviously navigable up to the rapids above Yatiyantota (which is about 50 miles from the sea) before the advent of the plantation agriculture, and this sand problem in the river was cited as one of the major reasons for the opening up of the Kelani Valley Railway. Besides many reports of Commissions and Committees of inquiry appointed by the Government from time to time, repeatedly stressed the damage caused by opening of land for plantations (Eg XL11 of 1905,X11 of 1921 and 111 of 1931) Besides landslides and large scale land degradation have also been other disastrous results of deforestation. Its effects on the physical stability of the Islands geographical Heartland, damage done to human life and the economy over the years was enormous. For example the landslides of 1986 claimed some 51 lives and affected 100,000 families The 1989 landslides claim 300 lives and the damage to economic infrastructure was around Rs. 2800 million (Perera 1992) The report on Kotmale landslides and the adjoining river catchments (Sessional paper XV11 of 1954 by Mac Largan Corrie has been described as the most comprehensive report on Lands slides in Sri Lanka by Madduma Bandara. Plantation Agriculture involved the complete removal of the natural forest cover that protected the central hills for millions of years from the major parts of the upper watersheds. Out of about 13,110 km2 in the hill country (that is 20% of the total area of the Island) today less than 158,000 ha are left as natural forests (NRSR 1991) In other words almost over 80 % of natural forests on the central watersheds has been removed for plantations by the British. During the pre-colonial times the whole hill country with the exception of few settlement pockets in the river valleys below was fully covered and well protected by natural forests In addition to deforestation, new land use practices introduced by the British that followed indiscriminately without any understanding of or regard to the disastrous outcomes that would result owing to steep slopes, heavy rainfall and degraded lands on the central highland of this country in opening up of plantations also aggravated earth slips, siltation and heavy floods in downstream areas, causing heavy economic and social losses. Therefore as a first step, perhaps as the most important, I suggest that we restore the original forest cover on the central watersheds by banning all cultivation above a given contour, say for example 5000 ft above msl and declaring them as strict natural reserves, like in the olden days. This will increase the perennial river flow providing sufficient water for the dry zone tanks even for three seasons , enhance the islands hydroelectricity potential, arrest land degradation, restore physical stability of the watersheds, improve the ecological balance, minimize earth slips and mitigate downstream silting and floods. This should be immediately followed by a sustainable land use policy for land below 5000 ft as well. It could be tea or mixed plantations promoting the Kandyan garden type model that is considered to be the next best to the natural forests in protecting the land degradation by minimizing erosion. This upper watershed restoration has to be followed by a comprehensive plan of action in the downstream areas to protect the river banks by banning illicit buildings along river reservations, widening physical bottlenecks like in the case of Kaluganga and regular removal of sand bars at the mouths of main rivers. However, none of these steps can find a permanent solution to earth slips and heavy floods until and unless we rehabilitate and restore the physical stability of the upper watersheds to their original conditions by restoring the original forest cover.
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Sudath GunasekaraDear All Patriots, Please see the following notice by the Indian High Commission calling for applications from children of estate workers India offers scholarships to children of Sri Lankan estate workers May 27 (HCI) Applications are invited from the children of Estate Workers, who are residents of Estates, for award of scholarships by the Ceylon Estate Workers’ Education Trust (CEWET). These scholarships are available for GCE A/L, Undergraduate courses and for students undergoing Vocational/Technical courses. Students, who have passed GCE O/L (with minimum 6 credit passes) or A/L exam, and are below 25 years of age, can apply for this Scholarship. I quote here a section from a an open letter I addressed to Prime Minister Modi when he came to Sri Lanka to attend the International Vesak festival this year where in also I brought up this issue. 2 Stop all direct assistance to Tamil areas in future and all such assistance should be sent to the Government of this country as assistance to all Sri Lankans on a bilateral basis. Don’t treat Tamils as a separate target group 3 Your Governments present practice of offering scholarships only to Estate Tamils also should be discontinued as it would tantamount to India’s selective treatment to Tamils who are Sri Lankan citizens. Indian assistance must come to Sri Lankans and not to any particular community or area as it will make Sinhalese suspect the Indian agenda behind such assistance. (I am compelled to tell you this as I have seen some paper advertisement in the past by you Embassy in Colombo calling for applications for Indian Scholarships only from Estate Tamils) These unfortunate practices have lasted long enough. This is how the Indian Government has driven a wedge between native Sinhalese and immigrant Indian Tamils. As such India is more responsible for ethnic clashes and ethnic separatism here even than Britain. Aren’t both parties are contributing to create ethnic compartments and communal unrest and building Chinese walls to keep the communities separately eve their own benefit. Also tell them to drop Indian identity if they want to be Sri Lankans and develop a Sri Lankan identity, learn the language of the natives and integrate with the natives. Then they will be equal with native Sinhalese. That is the best answer to the current problem. Actually it is the Government of this country that should make these requests from you. But I am compelled to make these request from you as a responsible Citizen on behalf of the Sinhala Community who are sick of Indian interference in our domestic affairs and secondly, as there is no patriotic Government with a backbone in this country to do so and stand for its own people. Such action may bring short term political gain to you. But they are detrimental to both countries in the long run. You must not act like a third grade Tamilnadu politician when it comes to matters like this. You must act and behave like an exemplary Statesman representing the land of the Buddha, whom we worship day and night. Please don’t treat them any more as Indians. They citizens of this country. If you are interested in helping Sri Lanka please offer them to the Government of Sri Lanka without specifying any community. So that the Government can call for applications from qualifies candidate, process them and submit them to you. I see this action by the Indian High Commission as an unwanted strategy and conspiracy to build up a Pro-Indian Tamil generation within Sri Lanka. While I strongly protest the Indian High Commission’s action I request the Government of Sri Lanka also to lodge its protests against the Indian High Commissioner’s action and ensure that in future these all foreign scholarships will come only through the Sri Lanka Government. Because it is the Government of the country that should take decisions on is citizens and not a foreign Sudath Gunasekara 2017.5.24. I want all patriotic Sinhala readers to go through these statement by the big wigs of the Yahapalanaya Government carefully and thereafter find answers to the few simple queries I have posed to the four statements by the most important men in order of protocol on this subject, the President, Prime Minister, Leader of the House and the Cabinet Spokesman, Land and Parliamentary Reforms Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka 1 Sri Lanka president orders stern action against racial attacks Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 19:32:33|Editor: xuxinCOLOMBO, May 23 (Xinhua) — Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena on Tuesday ordered his Law and Order Minister to thoroughly probe incidents related to racism in the island country and take stern action against those involved. Minister of National Co-Existence and Dialogue Mano Ganeshan told Xinhua that during a cabinet meeting held on Tuesday, he had informed the president that there had been incidents of racial attacks against the minority Tamils and Muslims in the recent weeks. Ganeshan said that the president also instructed his cabinet that he would not tolerate any acts of racism and if any such attacks take place, then stern action would be taken against those responsible. “Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also said that if such attacks occur, then the area police officers will be held responsible. The government will not tolerate any acts of racism,” Ganeshan said. He further said that the recent attack on a mosque in Kurunegala in northwestern Sri Lanka and the attack on shops owned by minority Tamils and Muslims on Tuesday morning were all part of a conspiracy to topple the government. He added that the Police Chief would also be informed of the decision taken at the cabinet meeting. Govt. to accelerate growth & protect peace – PM 2017-05-23 2 Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said certain factions are behaving in a manner that disrupts the reconciliation process by inciting violence and racism. The Prime Minister said the public should voice their objections against such factions. Premier Wickremesinghe said those who cannot instigate separatism within the country are now attempting to create issues in the name of religion within the country, he then questioned as to how can religious based issues can be allowed to flourish within this country. The Premier said individuals must vehemently condemn any movement that would bring about religious or racial hatred adding that this country cannot be divided. The Premier added religion is something that unites people, not something that divides people. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said if anyone is looking to create racial and religious issues within the country, the need to be stopped as all citizens have the duty of protecting peace within the country. The Premier said citizens must act against racial and religious hate within the country and work against its promotion. 3 Lakshman Kiriella speaking The government says action will be taken against any individual engaged in extremist activities. Leader of the House Minister Lakshman Kiriella speaking in Parliament reiterated the government’s stance. The Minister was responding to a statement by United People’s Freedom Alliance Parliamentarian Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena who claimed certain groups and organisations are attempting to destabilise the country by engaging in such misconduct. Minister Lakshman Kiriella added the government will not tolerate actions such as that reported in Aluthgama and Beruwela in the past. The Minister said the government clearly instructed that those engaged in extremist actions should be arrested following an investigation. He added the government would not tie people to trees; nor kidnap people in white vans. He questioned as to what took place during the Aluthgama and Beruwala incidents. Minister Kiriella added such was why the good governance government laid out clear instructions to take action against such individuals regardless of their rank. Strict action against inciting communal tension: Govt. 2017-05-23 21:16 Minister Gayantha Karunatilaka Strict action against inciting communal tension: Govt. 2017-05-23 21:16:3 The Cabinet today decided to take strict action according to the law against elements that attempt to create communal tension and disharmony in the country, the Government said today. The Government accordingly will instruct all Police stations to be vigilant on those who attempt to create tension among communities and apply law strictly on them. Cabinet Spokesman, Land and Parliamentary Reforms Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka told a hastilyconvened news briefing in the Parliament Complex last afternoon that the Cabinet that met after the mini Cabinet reshuffle on Monday was concerned about the statements made by certain groups and individuals that had contributed to heightened the communal feelings. There are extremists in all parts of the country among all communities and they wait for opportunities to create ethnic unrest. They use the freedom given to them by this Government for their ulterior motives. But the Government is committed to ensure each and every citizen new freedom without hindrance from any party or group,” Minister Karunathilaka said. The law enforcement authorities will act according to the law in a more vigorous manner to arrest this negative trend and maintain law and order and inter-communal harmony, Minister Karunathilaka stressed. (Sandun A Jayasekera) The queries I make What do these people mean by racism and racial and religious issues in the Sri Lankan context and in to whom they are referring to as individuals engaged in extremist activities. Most probably in this context, they must be referring to the alleged attacks on a mosque in Kurunegala in northwestern Sri Lanka and the attack on some shops owned by minority Tamils and Muslims, by Minister of National Co-Existence and Dialogue Mano Ganeshan which he describes as a part of a conspiracy to topple the government. Their reference to religious or racial hatred also emanating from the same representations The government’s policy decision to take serious action against any individual engaged in extremist activities is most welcome. But when you read through what Minister Lakshman Kiriella says that the government will not tolerate actions such as that reported in Aluthgama , it becomes more than clear that they are referring to only the alleged attacks by Sinhala Buddhists against muslims. His repeated reference e to communal tension and disharmony in the country, during the Aluthgama and Beruwala incidents make it very clear what the Government is having in their mind. None of these people who are so quick and prompt in taking Cabinet decisions and give orders to arrest Buddhist monks even open their mouths about the large scale sacrilege and vandalism carried out by Tamils and Muslims against Buddhist monuments in the North and the East. Why don’t they talk about what Vigneswaran, Sambandan or Sivajilingam say or do against the Sinhalese, both at Home and internationally and why don’t they take action on them. How is it that they take action only against the Sinhalese and Buddhists, and remand only Buddhist monks while they never touch Tamil Catholic priests. This government only talk about minority rights. But they never talk about the Majority rights. Don’t they consider the devastation of thousands of Buddhist religious places and cutting down Bo trees by Tamils and Muslims all over the country as provocative religious crimes? I presume that these responses are a direct sequel to representations made by two minority groups, one made by the Minister of National Co-Existence and Dialogue Mano Ganeshan and the other by a group of Muslim Ministers respectively, to the President and the PM, last week. It is not surprising that the President and all others have been so quick in responding to their requests to take action against Sinhala Buddhist leaders and monks going by the lethargic attitude displayed by them regarding all repeated representations made by Sinhala Buddhist organizations for a long time on continuing anti- Sinhala and anti-Buddhist activities of both Tamil and Muslim politicians. Isn’t it a clear proof of the yahapalanaya Government’s attitude and its policy towards the Sinhala Buddhist majority in this country and its deep commitment on the other hand to the Minority interests. I want all readers to see how quick and prompt the Yahapalanaya has been in taking even Cabinet decisions to address minority issues as against the lethargy displayed with regard to the majority Sinhala grievances. This also once again shows how the minority rules the majority in this country. By now this Government has taken actions against at least fifty leading Buddhist monks and many of them had been remanded. Whereas the Government has not taken any action against traitors like Vinesvaran, Sivajilingam, Richard Badurdeen and Asad Salee to name a few only for all anti Sinhala and anti=Buddhist utterances or activities done by them. Most of them have been engaged in anti-Government and unconstitutional activities as well. But both the President and the Prime Minister have turned their ears deaf and eyes blind in the name of reconciliation for the simple reason that they have voted them in to power along with the party blind Sinhala UNP voters. Today party politics introduced by the British to ruin the Sinhala Buddhist nation has successfully destroyed the Sinhala ness of the Sinhalese. Unlike in the olden days today we don’t have Sinhala people either. So much so you don’t have Sinhalese; their nationality as well as religion is their party. But on the other hand for both Tamils and Muslims for all intent and purpose they are either Tamils or Muslims They vote, eat, act and even sleep accordingly. That is the difference between the Sinhalese and minorities and that is why they rule us today and we are like this as a nation. The biggest tragedy is none of our Sinhala politicians understand this. They only understand value of power and money and the vote that manifest the secret of both. Now even this evening news broadcast over the TV, I saw Ven Galabodatte Gnansara has been asked to appear in courts on the 30th of this month. That is how this Government is treating the Buddhist monks the architects of our civilizations and the guardian gods of the nation who had protected this nation for the past 2500 years. I really do not know as to what the monks in this country are doing while this Government is taking the Sinahla nation and the Sasana openly to nemesis like this. Just one last question I pose to all patriotic people of this country. How long are you going to have these people as the leaders of the Sinhala Buddhist State and at what cost to the nation? |
AuthorDr Sudath Guansekara Forermer Secretary to Mrs Siirimavo Bandaranayaka PM Archives
August 2020
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