Election Gathers Momentum In Polonnaruwa
By Nirmala Kannangara- in Polonnaruwa
Pictures by Asoka Fernando
Unlike in Colombo and its suburbs, election violations – displaying cutouts, banners and posters of Presidential candidates – were hardly seen beyond Ambepussa up to Habarana and Polonnaruwa last week. It seems people are not enthusiastic on poster campaigns but fervent in electing the right candidate.They are keen to elect the ruler from their district. They are really proud of the opportunity they received.
Their keen wish is to make their own ‘King’ to rule the country after the fall of the Polonnaruwa kingdom in 1236 AC. The last king from Polonnaruwa, king Kalinga Vijayabahu ruled the country for 21 years.
“After the fall of the Anuradhapura kingdom in 1055 AC, King Vijayabahu ruled the country from Pollonaruwa for 55 years. King Kalinga Vijayabahu (1236 AC) ruled Polonnaruwa last. The city became the capital of 21 kings and this time we are going to make the 22nd ‘king’ from Polonnaruwa,” Ven. Dimbulagala Rahulankara Thero of the Dimbulagala Monastery said.
Not only the laymen, but majority of the Buddhist monks in the district are desperate to elect a ‘King’ of their own, and said that the time has come to elect a son of a farmer as the country’s head which will benefit the farmer community very much.
“The rulers in the past have given attractive promises to our farmers to get elected to office, but how many they fulfilled. We have seen respective governments ignoring farmers. We are confident that the common opposition candidate, being a son of a farmer, will give relief to the people once he is elected. Fertilizer subsidy was one of Maithripala Sirisena’s concepts which people do not know,” Rahulankara Thero said.
Accusing the attempts being taken to sling mud and levelling murder charges at the common opposition candidate, Rahulankara Thero said it is disheartening to witness the Chief Incumbent of Dimbulagala Monastery Ven. Maldeniye Jinalankara Thero’s statements alleging that Maithripala Sirisena was behind the murder of the former Chief Incumbent Kithalagama Sri Seelalankara Thero, also known as Dimbulagala Hamuduruwo.
“If they want to attack the common opposition candidate, they can accuse him of any other blunder but charging him with the murder of Dimbulagala hamuduruwo on May 26, 1995 is a crime. Sirisena does not have blood on his hands. Jinalankara thero is very ill and old, so he read it out not realising the consequences. We too were watching what was going on and when the nayaka thero missed certain wordings that were on the paper. Later we witnessed the high publicity that was given to this statement. This is called bankrupt politics,” the Thero said.
Sahan with the others who have come to the temple in search of food, Ven. Dimbulagala Rahulankara Thero and Amitha Wellage
Meanwhile Secretary Dimbulagala Buddhist Society Ven. Dimbulagala Devalankara Thero accused the Defence Ministry of instructing forces personnel to engage in President Rajapaksa’s election campaign work and added that he can prove that security personnel forcibly have taken people to President’s meeting. “This happens only in the villages but not in towns. This government is taking all steps to manipulate the election, but the Maha Sangha has now come out to prevent these manipulations. This President came into power in 2005 promising to abolish the Executive Presidency and again in 2010 he promised the same. He could have abolished the executive presidency after his 2010 victory. Still he enjoys two- third majority in the parliament to do so if he is genuine.
“Instead, he introduced the 18th constitutional Amendment enabling him to contest the presidency more times. Allegedly, other than the clique any other politician cannot take any decision. The Foreign Service has been filled with their relatives, government departments are the same. If anyone can name one state department that does not represent a relative of rulers in its director board I will stop campaigning for Maithripala Sirisena and will support Mahinda Rajapaksa instead,” Devalankara Thero said.
The Thero further accused the government of preventing the then Mahaweli Minister Maithripala Sirisena from carrying out the Moragahakanda irrigation project which was to give lands for 12,000 farmer families and enough of water for them to cultivate paddy. “No sooner than the foundation stone for this project was laid, Minister Sirisena’s portfolio was changed, we believe, they changed his ministry knowing if the project becomes a success the farmers in the province will benefit which will result in increasing Maitripala Sirisena’s popularity,” Devalankara Thero added.
Meanwhile Ven. Dimbulagala Vineethalankara Thero, a teacher at Dimbulagala Maguldamana Maha Vidyalaya, said that small children faint in school every day due to malnutrition.
The Thero queried why the government spends money to give vitamins to schoolchildren when they can give a proper meal for the children in remote villages.
“Although the government claims that they have eradicated poverty in the country, they know that most of the people have become poorer. That is why they are giving vitamins to schoolchildren now, which has never done before. Where is the glass of milk the government promised for underprivileged schoolchildren? If you come to our school you can see about 15 students fainting every day at the morning meeting. Recently, the Zonal Education Director came to our school to distribute text books. At that meeting more than 10 students fainted. Seeing this, the Zonal Education Director asked why small children faint when he is still fit enough to stand in the hot sun for more than few hours. We were surprised to hear this comment. Didn’t he know that these children come from underprivileged families? This is the mentality of high rank government officers. They do not know that people do not have money even to have one square meal a day,” the Thero said.
The Thero further said how people in nearby villages come to the temple every day to eat the remaining dana and to take the leftover home. “This is a pathetic situation in most of the remote villages. These villagers do not have any income and do not have food. They depend on the temple and when people come to offer dana, we always want them to prepare extra food for these villagers. If you now go to the dana salawa (the hall where alms is served) you can see people fighting each other to grab remaining food. This is the country’s real situation. When we talk to the people they say they prefer the war to battling against the hunger. During the war, people gave food for the border villages and they survived with those donations. Now the war ended, no more donations come. hence they have no food. Now they are battling against the hunger war hard,” Vineethalankara Thero added.
Meanwhile Kumara who came to the temple to take food for his wife and two small children said that people are suffering due to lack of jobs in the area. “As Buddhists we should not take money for the work we do for the temple. However we are compelled to work for money. During President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s time many new factories were opened in remote villages – but now neither factories nor new jobs. If not for this temple, we would have died long time before,” Kumara added.
Sahan is a Grade four student at Dimbulagala Maha Kassapa Vidyalaya. He came to the temple with his neighbour to have breakfast and lunch. “Today my mother is unwell and she cannot come in search of food. Therefore, I came with the neighbour. I had a plateful of rice for breakfast and will have lunch after taking place the alms and the leftover I can take to my mother and father,” little Sahan said with lots of hope.
Seventy-four-year old Leelawathi too hobbled to the temple in search of food for her family. According to her, none of the villagers cook their meals and they depend on the alms served at the temple. “Those who reach the temple in the morning will not miss their breakfast and lunch. If we are lucky there will be remains for us to take home. We have not tasted milk for decades and the hearth is lit once in several weeks. This is the reality of our lives,” Leelawathie said.
However, Medirigiriya Pradeshiya Sabha member S. Hemantha said it is only President Mahinda Rajapaksa that can develop the country and accused the crossovers of destabilising the government.
“They are now claiming that the Rajapaksa family runs the country and accuse the Rajapaksas of corruption. If they claim so, then we too have to reveal the Sirisena family? Sirisena’s family has six boys and six girls and they are accused of paddy monopoly and violating environmental regulations when constructing Sudu Araliya Hotel on the banks of Parakrama Samudraya. Maithripala Sirisena should not pelt stones from glass houses as we can see clearly what they are doing,” Hemantha said.
He further accused Sirisena of sowing hatred at election meetings. “Initially Sirisena said he will protect the Rajapaksa family and now says he will not allow them to leave the country on January 8 because Maithri government will close down the airport. Being a Buddhist, is this the way Sirisena talk against his superior – the leader who saved the country from the clutches of terrorism?” Hemantha queried.
Meanwhile Polonnaruwa UNP Organiser Nalaka Kolonne accused the government of not allowing them to use the Hingurakgoda private bus stand to hold an election meeting.
“When we wanted to have the sports ground for Maithripala Sirisena’s inaugural meeting, it was not released, so we had to shift the meeting to elsewhere. However, the same venue has been given for President Rajapaksa’s meeting next year. This is how the government is harassing the opponents,” Kolonne said.
Thamankaduwa UPFA crossed-over Pradeshiya Sabha member, Amith Shantha Wellage who backs the common opposition candidate, said all patriotic UPFA members in the government are fed up with the administration. He added the time will soon come and the UPFA will break into pieces and the members will walk out.
“After winning the war, they thought whatever he does, people would accept -. That was why they started to loot public money. When these were happening, the real SLFPers got disheartened and the senior members decided to cross over to the opposition,” Wellage stressed.
