Why are we shocked at the recent betrayals?
There is a debate going on about President Rajapakse's decision to let Daya Master be treated in Colombo. Is it right or wrong, good or bad, I wouldn't know. However, this has prompted discussions leading to LTTE vs SLGov and the Tamils vs Sinhalese comparisons.
We, the Sinhalese think that we are the greatest. We are united, we are peaceful, we the cultural, we are this and we are that. We are the dog's bollocks. For all the Sinhalese in this country, let me offer a self analysis.
We descend from Vijaya, who's grandmother - Suppadevi (a princess from Vanga) - ran away from home and mated with a lion (Could be a human from the "Lion" tribe). Their kids, Vijaya's parents - Sinha Bahu and Sinha Seevali - were twins. It is also said that Sinha Bahu killed his own father for a reward from the King of Vanga, and later assumed throne.
As we know, Vijaya and his boon friends got deported from his own kingdom - they were that 'well-behaved.' The first thing Vijaya does upon landing in "Tamba Panni" - or the copper-coloured shores of Sri Lanka - is to get laid with the very first woman he sets his eyes upon... The woman, Kuveni, becomes his mistress and betrays her own clan to help Vijaya exterminate them. What does grateful Vijaya do eventually, after assuming the crown? He "imports" a new bride and sends Kuveni and his two kids packing in to the jungles of Adam's Peak. Kuveni doesn't survive in the hands of her enraged kinsfolk, but the kids are said to be the ancestors of the "Pulinda" race - the current "Vedda's."
Now boys and girls, aren't we proud of our heritage? A proud heritage of incest, thuggery and betrayal?
Does 'selling one's soul' sound strange to the Sinhalese? Does anyone wonder why the top ranks in key positions are selling information to LTTE? Does anyone wonder why the Sinhalese are offering the LTTE all the logistical support in carrying out their missions?
Friends, don't blame them, blame our ancestors. It is in our DNA.
We would sell our fathers, get rid of the wife, throw the kids out... we Sinhalese would do ANYTHING for selfish gains. Our fingers itch, if we don't make a fast-buck.
Even King Parakramabahu (12th Century), who had the greatest ever Sinhala army in the history, had a "Solee (Chola)" regiment to safeguard the tooth relic, it is said. He could trust his army to invade Burma, but he knew he couldn't trust them with the symbol of the crown. He knew, even then, the true colours of the Sinhala race.
My dear countrymen, fellow Sinhalese, open your eyes and smell the coffee. Don't ever be surprised at the Sinhala traitors and the ones who betray the country - it is not at all a new concept to the Sinhalese.
We are born to have fun, make material gains, and live a life full of joy. Can't find a woman - sleep with your sister. Need some money or power - kill your dad or plaster him to the walls with cement. That's the heritage we are proud of, that's what we are made of.
Who are we kidding?
very informative about the history. i did not know many of the facts you pointed. i am a tamil canadian and lived in sri lanka for the first half of my life. the country is beautiful with a lot of nice civilians. i lived in colombo and was surrounded by sinhalese people and never really had problems with any of my neigbours. as a matter of fact there was one family thats character surpasses any other family that i have yet to meet,they helped us and defended us when we were looked down upon and discriminated by the cops and other government officials. thats what i cant stand about in that country... the politiicians and majority of the government workers, most of them are racist and are very discriminatory. i am very impressed with your work and hope you continue your blogging. i found your piece on all aliens wearing the same thing quite funny and truthful. keep it up!
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Interesting, so by your theory all Germans should be war loving mass murderers, the French don't know how to fight, Jews are bent on taking over the world, all black people can run fast and jump high but aren't very smart and Tamils worship death and are liable to blow themselves up every once in awhile. Generalizations are a beautiful thing aint they?!
ReplyDeleteTo think that prejudices, self-destructiveness and betrayal is in our 'DNA' is both foolish and dangerous...all races, all people have the capacity to be good or evil. In most instances it is a personal choice, influenced sometimes by circumstance and culture as opposed to being born like that.
Have to agree with Kumara.... When Mahanama Thera wrote Mahavansam way back in Dutugamunu King era, he wanted to show king decented from a pure Aryan Blood line...
ReplyDeleteI mean we all can see that Kuveni part is something right out of one of Homer's epic :) ...
Agree with Kumararp and childof25. The author was trying to score some cheap brownies by creating controvercy. This time he uses some irratic incidents in our history to tarnish the Sinhala nation. He simply doesn't understand that he was spiting by looking up (Uda balagena Kela gahanawa). What Vijaya did wasn't what Pandukabhaya did, what Panu did wasn't what Gamunu or Parakramabahu did. He managed to get 2 or 3 bad behaviours out of 300 odd rulers of Sinhala nation right through our histrory to tarnish in a poisonous generalisation which show how unprofessional he is in his analysis. To generalise on some thing statistically you have to have at least 51% of the population doing what ever the good or bad thing, which is not the case here.
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