Sri Lanka It's Happening

April 14, 2004

Most politicians are screaming theirs heads off about how they have worked to bridge the ethnic divide, while doing the exact opposite. The latest comedy on television is a stream of buddhist politicians making bee lines for the nearest church, mosque or hindu kovil.

After the commercial break you see christian, moslem and hindu politians making blundering their way through the rituals at a buddhist temple. Too bad all of these politicians left their sincerity behind along with their shoes at the gate.

On the other side of the coin, the late minister Ashraff, a moslem, once had a televised debate with a leading buddhist monk. The minister held the viewers spell bound with his vast knowledge of buddhism. Many viewers came away feeling the minister was more familiar with the scriptures than the monk!