Vortrag Udaya

1. .
100 Jahre für Gewaltfreiheit
1. - 3. August 2014!
Konstanz- Germany

2. Geography
People and Society
Government
Economy

3. Location:
Southern Asia, island
in the Indian Ocean,
south of India
Area:
total: 65,610 sq km
country
comparison to the
world: 122land: 64,6
30 sq km
Slightly larger than
Switzerland
water: 980 sq km

4. We cannot talk about justice and democracy
separating from past and present and also
other social and political issues
All are interrelated. So that, democracy and
justice are sources of politics, economics,
social and cultural sections.
Sri Lankan social formation widely can be
understood under three periods
1.Pre colonial period
2.Colonial period
3.Post- colonial period
Ethnic conflict
Class Conflict
Environment
And so on

5.  Historiography – Mahavamsa chronical
 Narratives
 Identity – Split in Identiy (1)
Sinhala vs Sri Lankan
Sinhala vs Tamils
 Ideologies – Sinhala- Buddhist- Aryan
Mahavamsa as a historical text, though it has gaps and
contradictions, we cannot avoid in its soul that has being emerging
with glamour throughout the time. In academic scholarship, people
do analyze and deconstruct but in common sense, though people
read or not, listen or not, they believe in its stories and it is
considered more or less as a holy text. Its hegemonic effectiveness
is more powerful than a historical source, when it is brought in
means of identity issues and communalistic sense for political and
religious propagandas. Particularly in ethnic issue, there are lots of
narratives that create Sinhala Buddhist ideology as the safe guard
of Buddhism and the land.
The great chronical
Mahavamsa

6. “Buddha’s three visits to the Island; first to
‘Mahiyaganaya’, second to ‘Nagadeepa’
and third to ‘Kelaniya’ are legendry
narratives strongly woven to build the
foundation of Buddhism, though it is
historically questionable. However, it is
believed thoroughly and these three visits
have placed sacred feelings in the hearts of
common Sinhala Buddhist public and they
consider the above three places as holy
places, The importance of this narrative
conveys the recognition of the ideology
from generation to generation as symbols
of Sinhala Buddhist power. According to
Mahavamsa and some arguments of
scholars based on the chronicle, it is
important to mention here how these three
visits generate the conflict in justification
and it help to strengthen the ideology for
Sinhalese Buddhists”
Buddha’s Three
Visits

7. “ When we go through the mythical story of
arrival of Vijaya (in chapters 5-10), Mahavamsa
takes us to the past and gives us a wonderful
story to read about the origin of the
generation of Vijaya. In the same time, the
legacy of Sinhalese and purity of Buddhism
become questionable with its relationship
with Vijaya. These all together do not bring a
correct legitimacy for the legacy of Sinhalese.
When the myths are taken to fill the gap of
history by making the bridge, the output of
the ideology that comes out from narratives
become controversial. Identity of Sinhalese
and philosophy of Buddhism are connected
through with unethical lines of illegitimacy
and violence.”
Vijaya- Founder of
Sinhala race

8. “Dutthagamini in Mahavamsa is one of the
effective mega narratives, which is like a
rising star constantly in the sky of the
Buddhism and Sinhala nationalism in Sri
Lanka. The brightness of the epic has been
expanding throughout the history in various
stages in politics and it has been reincarnated
in postcolonial Sri Lanka in the context of
ethnic issues and the logic of nation building.
In this mega narrative, there are sub
narratives also go together and separately to
strengthen the ideology of Sinhala Buddhist
nationalism.”
Saga of
Duttagamini

9. Sinhala Buddhist Ideological Triangle
Sinhala Ideology
Buddhist Ideology
Aryan Ideology
“The most elementary
definition of ideology
is probably the well-
known phrase from
Marx’s Capital: ‘Sie
wissen das nicht,aber
sie tun es’- ‘they do
not know it, but they
are doing it’. (Zizek)
ownership

10. ABC Triangle
Politcal changes
have happened
many times in the
post colonial history
Root causes of social
justice and
democracy is always
forgotten after the
political power.
Behavior
Atitiudes
Invisible
Contradictions
B
A C
Sinhalese
Tamils
Muslims
Buddhism
Hinduism
Islam
Chritian

11.  Colonialism - Impacts of colonialism
has created conflicts its own for
building a new nation after the
independence
 Social change- capitalism was super
imposed.
Perverted society, contradiction with
tradition
 Ideology – primodial + modern with
Sinhala Buddhsit
 Aryan ideology
 Identity – split of the soul (2)
Portuguese- 1505
Dutch- 1658
British- 1796- 1948
«According to foster
asserts that colonialism
is more than just a
narrative of momentary
disarray, for
colonialism has
become nature itself
(colonialism and
culture)”
S/B ideological agent:
Dharmapala

12. Abscence of Justice and Democracy
 Problem of the nation building
 Ethnic conflcit
 Political changes
1956- power shifts to a new class
1977- introduction of Liberal economy
1994- so called of humanistic face to the
economy
 Uprisings- 1971 Southern Youth
1988/ 89
 Black July- a historical phenomenan
 Last war 2009- Rajapaksha Regime + Tamil
Tigers
So called
independence
From 1948
S/B ideological
conveyor: Nalin de
Silva

13. Sri Lanka can be identified as two sections
1. Post Colonial capitalized part (Sothern) Sinhalese)
2. Neo colonial capitalizing part (North & east) Tamils
Muslims
 North and East has a different social structure.
 Minority Tamils still dominated like slaves, labors,
 Clash of Tamils Civilization
 Land issues comes out as significant factor
 Militarization
Reconciliation
War crimes
Political solution

14.  People – increasing selfishness(in family/
education/ society)
 present regime and power hegemony
 Other Political power structures
 Representative democracy
 Law and order
 Media
 Intellectuals
 Religious power
 INGOs and NGOs
 Civil society
Challenges for
Justics, Democracy
and Peace

15. Family oriented, corruption,Theft, Drugs
Authoritarian, dictatorship, nationalistic .
Because of these reasons, basic principles of
peace, justice and democracy cannot be
expected
Verbally, government uses Justice, democracy
and Humanity for its survival and
propaganda.In practice: it is problematic
Peace is “their peace”/ “Victor’s peace”
One example:
See the Rajapaksha family tree
A new type of rule in
the post colonial
history
He is accepted
because of the
destruction of LTTE
A new Dutugemunu
A new thought for a
destruction
For all of these, he
uses the executuve
power

16.  Opposition - internal
conflict/leadership/policies(It is also one
side of the same coin)
 Leftist parties- Theory oriented/ Powerless
 Pressure groups-
 Civil society
About 67 registered political parties
But in mainstream: only a few
Powerless, ideologically weakness
Most of politics are sunk in the sea of
Sinhala Buddhist nationalism
So called progressive politics are also more or
less weaker to face the ideology
No space for a single
structure
Divided and
complicated
Frustated people

17.  State controlled
 Non Policies
 In danger
 Freedom of expression for truth
 Vagabond(lumpen) “ dangerous class” Truth based, justice
and democracy
based, a media
culture creation is a
challenge

18.  Tactically used by the government
 Indirectly silenced, oppression
 Disgusted
 Outside
 So called groups of intellectuals guide
the society
Support for the dictatorship and protect
the injustice rule

19.  Used by the regime
 Partial
 Nationalistic/ extremists
 Justify violence and oppression
 A Virus for peace and harmony
 Anti- west
 Intolerance
Buddhism
New type of Buddhist
movements –
Bodu Bala sena
Ravana Balakaya
Hela Urumaya

20. https://www.youtube.com/results?search
_query=aluthgama+attack

21.  Controlled by the government/ bias
 Hidden agendas
 Bad images
 UN role – unsatisfied
(Blind and Deaf Elephant) Registered NGOs:
1349
Most of these are
talking about peace,
justice, equality

22. There are three actors
Regime – Victor's peace
International – Agenda peace
Traditional- survival peace
Radical - ?

23. Political
change
Ideological
change
superstructure
Infrastructure
Only a political change
does not support to
gain justice, democracy
and peace
Alternative politics
does not signify for a
holistic change for the
above elements
Base on power, not for
the humanity base

24.  From top to Bottom and bottom to top
 Learning by doing
 Theory and practice
 With holistic approaches
This is to be elaborated by Karl Brunner
in the next presentation
It is to be created.
Others experiences

25.  Basic needs (Survival)
 Well being
 Identiy and dignity
 Equity
 Unity in Diversity
Peace would come
alongwith these
elements

26.  People can be motivated
 Time /Space/ Leadership
 Honesty/ dedication
 Theory and practice
 Democratic practice for its own culture

27.  Re thinking
 Re creating
 Re building
 Re fresh
 Revolution
 Re- birth
Everything is to be
recreated

28. “You may say I am a dreamer, but I am not the
only one
I hope some day you join us and the world
will be as one”
John Lennon
Welcome to
Comments and
discusion