26 January 2017

Don't underestimate Ven Athureliye Rathana Thero


Ven Athureliye Rathana Thero, quite silent and almost a non-factor in the public domain for almost a year, made the headlines of all national newspapers last week.  ‘Rathana Thero goes independent,’ or versions of this, made the headlines.  The truth is that Rathana Haamuduruwo had already been made independent.  He had been unceremoniously evicted from the Jathika Hela Urumaya.  Although a national list MP of the United National Party(UNP), it is no secret that he does not identify with that party.  Although close to President Maithripala Sirisena, he has no truck with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.  The JVP doesn’t consider him a friend.

It was almost as though the obvious was being stated.  Rathana Haamuduruwo has since stated that he will support the government.  The JHU has called for his ouster from Parliament.  What happens next, no one knows.  Some insights into the haamuduruwo’s character, going by his history, might help infuse some reason into conjecture.

One Wednesday afternoon in early April 2001, while making my way from Town Hall to Jayasekeraramaya (Kuppiyawatte Pansala), I came across a small crowd of people staring in shock and horror at the Punchi Borella bo tree.  Mangala Samaraweera, then a minister of the People’s Alliance government headed by Chandrika Kumaratunga had ordered the half-wall surrounding the tree to be demolished.  There was debris all over the place.  The intent, according to reports, was to remove the bo tree, supposedly to alleviate traffic congestion.  No warning.  No explanation.  Just a bulldozing with scarcely a concern for hurting the sentiments of Buddhists. Strange for a man and a colleague of others who then and now preach ‘reconciliation’ and demand ‘sensitivity’ from Sinhalese and Buddhists.

I proceeded to the temple where Ven Athureliye Rathana Thero (then of the Sihala Urumaya) was to explain the Satipattana Sutta to a few of us as he had every Wednesday morning for several weeks.  I reported what I saw and that signaled the end of the ‘class’ for that day.  Rathana Thero took off.  Anuruddha Pradeep Karnasuriya, now a senior lecturer in Political Science at Jayawardenapura University and a spokesperson for the Jathika Hela Urumaya told me (in Sinhala), ‘the haamuduruwo will be standing on a barrel and making a speech in a few minutes’.  

There was no barrel, but he did climb on to a block of concrete displaced by Mangala’s machines and addressed the crowd which grew and grew to make within a few hours turned a full blown demonstration.  Among those who came to check things out were UNP members, Dinesh Gunawardena and Mahinda Rajapaksa, all of whom were duly booed by the protestors for dishonesty, cowardice and even complicity in the anti-Buddhist operations of that regime.  

I relate this incident because I believe it gives an insight into the political thinking and practice of ‘Rathana Hamuduruwo’.  

I first saw him in December 1986 when he addressed students of Dumbara Campus, University of Peradeniya at the Weerasooriya Commemoration (Weerasooriya being a student who was shot dead at Peradeniya during a protest 20 years previously when Sirimavo Bandaranaike was Prime Minister).  He was articulate.  Compelling.  Quite the orator.  Quite a character.

Two years later he headed a panel set up by the Action Committee of the university to inquire into various allegations leveled against a group of students who opposed the JVP dominated student movement.  At the time he was one of the key leaders of the Inter University Student Federation (IUSF) and appeared to be a JVP loyalist.  He was fair and did his utmost to settle the issues without the matter snowballing into a mini war.  

Then came the bheeshanaya.  

I saw him again in July 1990 when I visited Peradeniya while on vacation.  I saw him walking into the enclosure reserved for the clergy in the WUS canteen.  I was surprised and even happy that he was still alive.  So I spoke with him.  And that was the beginning of my long friendship with RathanaHamuduruwo, a friendship marked by agreement and disagreement, much affection and many a light moment.  He took criticism.  He could take a joke.  

Less than two years later we shared a cell at the Wadduwa police station.  The OIC of that police station, Karunatilleka, was a man with a reputation for brutality.  I heard sounds of people getting assaulted.  There was screams.  I asked the hamuduruwo if we would be beaten up.  He said ‘hmmm’.  I asked if we would be killed.  He said ‘probably not,’ adding, ‘are you scared?’  I was, but lied.  He knew.  He said, ‘don’t be scared; after a few blows your body will go numb and you won’t feel anything.’  He was correct.  After I had been dragged out and ‘treated’, it was his turn.  Rathana Haamuduruwo began chanting the Karaneeyametta Sutta.  The OIC blurted out, ‘karaneeyametta thoge ammage h…..,’ caught hold of the hamuduruwo’s head and banged it several times against the wall of the cell.

Back then he was the chief incumbent of a temple in Palliyamulla, Matara.  Rights to the temple he relinquished and moved to Colombo in the late nineties.  He went from temple to temple like a vagrant.  Kind and accommodating chief incumbents suffered the ‘strange’ comings and goings and one by one, inevitably, asked him to move on.  Those who talk about his ‘maaligaava’ (palance) on Gothami Road, “Sadaham Sevana,” clearly haven’t seen his room or observed the life he leads.

So he has a history.  It all began with the fact that the great left leader, Dr. S.A. Wickramasinghe was from his village, Athureliya.  His beginnings, therefore, were heavily influenced by the Marxism of the then ‘old’ left.  Ranjithan Gunaratnam, the older brother of the current leader of the Frontline Socialist Party, Kumar Gunaratnam, then the convenor of the IUSF, had spent many hours discussing politics with Rathana Haamuduruwo at Peradeniya.  

‘He must have talked to me for more than 100 hours over many nights; we discussed late into the night and he would sleep on the floor,’ is how he described that association.  ‘Ranjithan was a wonderful human being,’ he added, implying that his humanity had a larger part to play in the political choices that he, Rathana Haamuduruwo, made as a student.  

When the student movement went ‘military’ he quit and as was the way at the time because a prime target.   He survived both the JVP and the vigilante groups of the then UNP government.  He survived — hence my surprise at seeing him in the WUS.  He was a prime mover in the formation and activities of several political groups: Ratawesi Peramuna, Janatha Mithuro, National Movement Against Terrorism, Sihala Urumaya and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU).

On the 14th of February, 2005, I went to see him at the Vihara Maha Devi Park where he was to address young people attending an event that offered an alternative to the crass and commercialized thing called ‘Valentine’s Day’.  Ama Wessa was the name of that programme, interestingly organized by Rev Galabodaaththe Gnanasara Thero of the Jathika Sanga Sammelanaya.  

I asked him what was happening, referring to rumours that the Buddhist clergy was planning to contest the upcoming Parliamentary Elections.  He smiled and said ‘What’s happening?  Athureliye Rathana is going to the Parliament — that’s what is happening.’  We were and are friends, so the arrogance was in part due to friendship.  And due to friendship I said ‘before this election is over, you will consider me one of your key political foes’.  

The JHU never had the numbers that the JVP had.  It never had a party machinery that could hold a candle to that of the JVP.  And yet, the JHU made maximum use of meagre resources, Rathana Hamuduruwo being one of the key individuals who could at any given moment alter equations and change the political direction of the entire country.  If the JHU and Rathana Hamuduruwo had the parliamentary strength that the JVP enjoyed from 2005 to 2010, it is reasonable to state that they would have done much more than the JVP did, for better or worse as the case may be.

But we saw how the march on Mavil Aru changed perceptions and policy.  We saw how that ‘first move’ turned out to be a ‘necessity’ in altering the policy of appeasement, mollycoddling and going through the tired and unproductive motions of ‘peace’ such as ceasefire agreements and negotiations.  

We saw how Rathana Haamuduruwo, accidentally invited to a donor conference in Kandy, took the microphone uninvited, said a few words, distributed a leaflet and thereby stymied efforts to channel aid directly to the LTTE in the post-tsunami context.  

We saw how he single-handedly pushed the JHU out of the coalition led by Mahinda Rajapaksa in late 2014 and how this move expand the space for the consideration of an alternative like the Maithripala Sirisena candidacy.  

We also saw how the signature project ‘Mathata Thitha’ lacked the support to bear any real fruit but we see that his vasa visa nathi ratak project to rid agriculture of chemical inputs is slowly but surely gaining ground. 

Ven Athureliya Rathana Thero has been deservedly accused of lacking in organizational discipline.  He is outcome-focused and sometimes he sets multiple destinations for himself and therefore leaves followers stranded high and dry.  Whether or not we like his preferred outcomes, whether we endorse what appears to be an ad hoc manner of engagement, it has to be acknowledged that without human resources to write home about, without an organizational machinery that is robust or even in barely working order, and despite a multitude of political detractors he’s ‘gathered’ over the years over and above those ready and able to vilify him at every turn, this bikkhu has nevertheless surprised one and all at key political moments. 

So what do we make of this Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI)?  A longtime friend and political associate who has known Ven Rathana Thero as long as I have, when it was put to him that the Thero had been made independent anyway, had this to say: ‘Stating the obvious, yes; but what it means is that a ball has been bowled to create doubt in the mind of the batsman’.  

What the response indicates is that there’s a new turn of events that the general public is anticipating.  Others, after all, have ‘left’ or declared ‘independence’ from the yahapaalana political establishment, but no one generated anything close to the kind of media curiosity that Ven Rathana Thero’s statement precipitated.  There’s a demand for a rallying point, one might say, an anticipation of a first stone that needs to be cast.  Whether or not we will see Ven Rathana Thero doing another ‘unexpected’ we cannot predict.  Neither can we predict the kind of configuration that might result if there is such an eventuality.  The possibility lurks, though.  That’s quintessential ‘Rathana Haamuduruwo’.  

18 comments:

Unknown said...

They say "Road to hell is paved with good intentions". This Hamuduruwo simply has no vision - nor the 'Big Picture' of events in the political sphere. He is just a simpleton throwing stones at everything he thinks is not according to his 'current vision'. The damage done to Sri Lanka by facilitating the Jara Palanaya is immeasurable in terms of time, cost and damage to Sri Lanka's political landscape. People should not be fooled by him anymore. It is just our misfortune that Sri Lanka is cursed with such shallow minded 'leaders'!

Malinda Words said...

I don't think the previous regime was less 'jara'....in fact given arrogance and the coterie of crooks that ran the show things could have got much worse. the 'simpleton' made a big difference at several key moments, but if one is invested emotionally in one particular party or coalition then that difference could be read either as fortuitous or as tragic.

Unknown said...

Never underestimate Rathene hamuduruwo.. he will emerge wen u least expect him to... he knows exactly the pulse of the peopl... he knows he needs to be independent... this is just the beginning of a mass independent movement.. a people's movement the country desperately needs. He is the person to watch.. and will be a forcecto be reckoned wit... just watch... malinde is spot on... I met him at 21 climate chabge summit in Paris. His intelect is amazing... he will take forward wat ven sobitha left off...

Unknown said...

Never underestimate Rathene hamuduruwo.. he will emerge wen u least expect him to... he knows exactly the pulse of the peopl... he knows he needs to be independent... this is just the beginning of a mass independent movement.. a people's movement the country desperately needs. He is the person to watch.. and will be a forcecto be reckoned wit... just watch... malinde is spot on... I met him at 21 climate chabge summit in Paris. His intelect is amazing... he will take forward wat ven sobitha left off...

Anonymous said...

Good and timely article with lots of insights ,Malinda. People are just accumulating sin by throwing unnecessary words .This will be an eye opener.

Anonymous said...

Both A Rathana and all other politico saaduus are heading aweechi. They are living a life of villakku lit on both ends.
Destruction of Buddhism and culture is pioneered by this lot. If we can't see that that is because we are part of it as well. This is reflection of the deterioration of our Nation. NO one else to blame.

Anonymous said...

I agreed with you on almost everything you wrote for many many years but not on this guy Rathana. You should know better than me, during many many kappas the Bodhisattva never ever broke one particular precept. He never uttered a deliberate lie. Did you see the way this Rathana spoke during 2015 jan elections. He talked about Labboghinis (the bugger could not pronounce the word Lambhogini) like he was so sure. Then he was shedding crocodile tears about the price of 100 grams of green chilies. For God's sake Don't try to white wash this cheat although he is your buddy. This joker with the cohorts like Champaka and Appa Sira are directly responsible for the mess country is in today. Also Malinda you say the previous regime was not less Jara. Did they commit a day light robbery like RW and Mahendran did?

Malinda Words said...

haven't whitewashed anyone. read the article carefully. i have not agreed or disagreed about his political choices. i've focused on other things. but since you've talked about 'messes'....i think that MR brought it on himself. when the issue of regime change comes up, one does not and indeed cannot play clairvoyant re the possible crimes of that which is to replace the incumbent. politics does not happen like that. :)

Anonymous said...

It's not about MR Malinda. Its about the country. You know bloody well who brought in this change. It's not Mahinda's failings. I don't have to repeat these things to you as most of it I learned from you. I will still repeat for the sake of clarity. MR was the only leader who had guts (or balls) to say NO to the White Sahib when they wanted to stop the war in early 2009. From that moment onwards they wanted a regime change in Sri Lanka. (Of course there were few other factors too.) Even in 2010 they wanted to bring that Mad dog SF to power. MR stood grounds for you and me Malinda. That's why he is being crucified upto today. If Prabhakaran was allowed to escape and fight another war by this time 10 or 20 thousand would have died. If he was alive today he would be doing maximum damage using drones. (I get down every book on this war starting with Gota's War. Then Adhishtanaya, Thiyunu Asipathaka Sevana Yata. Still I couldnt get Road to Nandikadal though.) That Thamilinis book revealed the mind set of that megalomaniac. Do you seriously think this Kalu suddas like Ranil, Ravi (and baiyas like Akila who is trying to be a kalu sudda) would have stood grounds against the White Sahib. You know what they would say when the White Sahib asks them to pass the toilet roll? No Sir. We would do a better job. We would lick your white ass clean. I learned about the Clash of Civilizations by Prof SG from your morning inspection. Got down the book had to stop reading half way as I could not read about the atrocities the Portuguese committed on my grandmothers. Please please Malinda don't talk like a two year old. "I think that MR brought it. ...and clairvoyant s.it." Every grown-up should have known if MR was sent packing who would fill the void.
I am specially angry with Rathana and Sobitha as they should have bloody well known the Kalama sutta. They all had ulterior motives Malinda. What can you expect from Appa Sira as he was calling Sir to RW when he was a minister and saying that he would continue to do so even if he becomes the president.

Malinda Words said...

It was certainly not one thing that brought MR down, I agree. But the conduct of MR and his closest buddies (including family) contributed. That was the key that allowed others to move in. Of his guts re the 'int community', determination to eliminate the LTTE etc, there's no dispute. And i agree that RW and his cronies can't hold a candle to MR on these issues. That however is not a license to do 'as i please' on other matters. 2015 was very different to 2010. Can't compare the two political moments, regardless of the fact that the individuals and forces supporting SF, backed MS in 2015.

Of course we knew who was going to come in. But politics is not about a single issue. I am no mind-reader to figure out 'ulterior motives' and in this article i am not indulging in any moralizing regarding such things.

Mahesha Thrimanne said...

Facts are important as the history of the person concerned.Rathana Thero is an unpredictable character yet had inspired the MR regime to liberate the Mavil Aru. Will have to wait and see how he wiwill react after the incident and who he will support.

Anonymous said...

WELL MALINDA !! COUNTRY CAN BE VERY WELL OFF WITHOUT MEGA CROOK MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA AND IS BUNCH OF MURDERES AND CROOKS !!!

Anonymous said...

Malinda,
I think you forgot theinitiative by Pera Limnis to form a movementqt Sadaham Sevana. Somehow, it did not materialise, but thero went on to form "Pvithuru hetak", soon afterwards.
Shyam

Unknown said...

Your a racist yourself malinda .

Malinda Words said...

I wasn’t part of that. I attended a get together. It wasn’t a big thing neda?

Malinda Words said...

And Ranil is not a mega crook and murderer? Hahaha

Malinda Words said...

Prove it buddy. And reveal yourself if you are not a coward. 😂

Anonymous said...

Don't you know MR was forced to commence the war after the Mavil Aru standoff, by JVP and JHU represented by Rathana Thero when MR refused to go for war saying "Labbenda yudda karannea"