An Obstreperous Monk & Ostensible Compassion

By Ameer Ali –JANUARY 27, 2019

Dr. Ameer Ali

The letter signed by a set of powerful Buddhist leaders including two Mahanaykes and the Diyawadana Nilame of Dalada Maligawa, and addressed to Buddha Sasana Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, appealing for the release of Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera from prison, and in turn, the minister’s recommendation to President Maithiripala Sirisena(MS) to comply with that appeal on compassionate ground, seem to be a carefully calculated but sinister move to maximise its political advantage to competing parties. President Sirisena, opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa(MR), and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe(RW): all three would like to claim credit for Gnanasara’s release, but it is the politics behind this ostensible compassion that should worry a discerning public. 

Gnanasara is not an ordinary innocent monk sent to jail without justification. The judiciary found this monk, who is also the General Secretary of the far right Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), guilty of contempt of court over the hearing of the case of missing journalist, Prageeth Ekneligoda. However, he and his BBS, even before his incarceration, have been alleged to have involved not only in planning and executing but also participating directly in a number of racial and religious disturbances targeting minorities.  There is ample video recorded evidence that had gone viral to prove this monk’s un-Buddhist and uncivilized behaviour. Yet, it is disappointing that Gnanasara’s obstreperousness and unruliness have not received at least a public rebuke if not outright condemnation from the Sangha. Instead of him being de-ordained and de-robed to protect the sanctity of Buddhist Sasana and cleanse the Sangha of elements like him who tarnish Sangha’s compassionate and purist image, Mahanayakas are appealing to the President for his freedom, so that he could continue doing in the future what he had done in the past. (See my piece in Colombo Telegraph, 12 April 2018 on “Sangha Needs Cleansing”.) By this move the signatories of the letter have shown their utmost disrespect to the judiciary of the country. One wonders whether these petitioners acted on their own volition and in the interest of Buddhism and the nation or have fallen prey to sinister motives and manoeuvres of some politicians. In all probability it is the latter that seems to have motivated their action. Who is/are actually behind this scheme and why?         

To start with, MS’s unconstitutional parliamentary fiasco and its aftermath has created greater volatility in domestic politics and severe financial strain and productivity loss to the economy. Politically, even though UNF has won a reprieve to govern until the end of its term, the government is actually on life support and can only mark time before facing another election, which MS and MR want to be held soon and they have determined to exploit every opportunity that arises to make it happen. While UNF wants to protect the support it receives from TNA and Muslims, the opposition wants to maximise its vote bank from the Buddhist majority. The President in the meantime, who is more interested in ensuring his chances of occupying the Presidency (with its powers undiminished) for another term than in the welfare of the country and its people, is desperately seeking political alliances (even with the devil) to achieve his objective. The country’s economy in the meantime has fallen prey to these political manoeuvres. Any long term measure and hard choices to be made to reverse the economic descent will be sacrificed in the interest of populism and political expediency. 

In the absence of any sound economic program or blueprint to present before the voters, political contestants will be looking for other vote catching issues to win the race. In the political history of this country almost every election since 1950s was fought on ethnic and religious grounds. It is to exploit these explosive issues that the utility of a person like Gnanasara will become handy to whoever who could buy his and BBS support. The question is who stands to gain most by the release of this confrontationist and rabble rousing monk? 

Because of Gnanasasra’s open hatred of ethnic and religious minorities and direct involvement in a number of anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim violence, RW and UNP that are depending on TNA and Muslim support for survival stand to lose the most by his release. However, the appeal for his release originating from the Buddhist hierarchy cannot be opposed or rejected easily by RW, because the cost of that rejection in terms of Buddhist votes will be greater than the damage arising from his release. Hence, the least costly action for the government would be to recommend the release rather than just forwarding the letter and leave the final decision to the President. This explains the recommendation of the minister concerned. He and his government can claim some credit for Ganasara’s release.

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