Sri Lanka: 20A Passes with Super Majority- Eye-popping slap on “religious actors”

These religious actors are deliberately neglecting the duties of religious leaders and fighting for dud media publicity, are obstacles to social order. 

Editorial 

The Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution has passed handsomely, meeting the expectations of the government. Is not it worth to congratulate the government? Only former President Maithripala Sirisena did what he had written a few days ago. That is something to be appreciated. 

A scene of Drama by members of "religious actors"

The comparative reading on the 20th Amendment by MP Harsha de Silva is also commendable. However, it is, we believe, worthless to mention other opportunists in the House who only know how to bake bread when the plate is heated. Talking about them can only corrupt the words of our very language. So let us do our best to prevent such heinous crime against our language.

 There are many political readings about the 20th Amendment while the Island nation is fighting against novel pandemic originated in China. Some critics of the amendment have spoken of democracy, which has been so badly abused since it was introduced as the principle of best governance. But, the nation will not benefit from the crocodile tears shed by those who have abhorrently violated the basic features of democracy every time they have been in power. That is the lesson we as a nation-state have learned over the past decades. 

However, the leadership and government have taught a lesson to one important social group by passing the Twentieth Amendment in the way it wants. It is to the group of religious actors who are destroying the religious establishment of this country and tarnishing its vitality. The government has offered a political lesson to these religious actors who are dancing eighteenth rigours (Dahaata Sanniya) whenever they see microphones of media channels. The government helped them awake from their slumber. Now, all that is left for them to do is look for themselves, not see themselves in others. 

We see this situation as a silver line in a dark cloud. The group, nicknamed the Voice Cut Religious Actors of Sri Lanka, was strongly opposed to the 20th Amendment. A significant amount of time was allocated to their protest in so-called mainstream media channels as well. Despite helping the countrymen and women to overcome very difficulties facing due to the pandemic these religious actors chose to offer different interpretations on the constitution. What they have proven is that, for them, religion is a tool to satisfy their desires. 

These religious actors are deliberately neglecting the duties of religious leaders and fighting for dud media publicity, are obstacles to social order. If they want to get involved in politics, they have to take off their religious uniforms and appear before society as ordinary citizens. If that is not their choice, then, as members of a religious body, they must fulfil their primary responsibility by living religiously and promoting the spirituality among devotees.  

The lesson that these religious actors have been asked to learn through the result of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution is a lesson that should have been taught decades ago. These groups were pessimistic critics of the previous government and responsible for spreading many false ideologies throughout society to deceive the public. That is why the open slap given to these religious actors by the political incident that took place yesterday in the House is historic. 

What is to be done in this context? If there is a feeling of shame about their souls, these pagan actors must keep away from the political stages. It is high time for them to study the Tripitaka or the Holy Bible again (if they have read it before) and pay some homage to the lives of Gautama Buddha and Jesus Christ as well as for their doctrines. 

In the name of Dharma and Holly Words; Are not you happy now, our Venerable Theros; Our Holly Fathers? Let us be frank; if Jesus or Gautama Buddha can look into your rotten souls, they will run away not only from the Planet Earth but also from the Milky Way, the galaxy. 

Is not it good? At least someone in the political arena was dared to teach you the deserved lesson. Finally, the 20th Amendment to the Constitution gave these religious actors an inside blow and asked, "take care of your religion. The rulers of the country will take care of the public administration and the welfare of the people.” What a phenomenal lesson for greater awakening! Is not it spectacular?