Sri Lanka's Swarnavahini TV needed to be brought to book for assisting a Buddhist monk to attempt self-immolation

Sri Lanka's Swarnawahini TV videoed all from beginning to the end of the self-immolation attempt of a Buddhist monk near the entrance of the Buddhist Temple of Tooth of Kandy where a relic tooth of Lord Buddha is placed for worship.

The TV crew seemed of being well aware of the crime the Buddhist monk was about to commit but did not do anything to prevent it, a clear legal offense by a citizen.

The monk Bowatte Indrarathana who was earlier a Jathika Hala Urumaya (JHU) local government member of Pelmadulla Pradeshiya Sabha who lost the position due to absence. He has been an activist of other Sinhala Buddhist chauvinist movements like Sinhala Ravaya.

The monk seems an honest kind of racist. Definitely a victim of the vicious campaigns of the opportunist racist campaigns. 90% burnt, the 31 year old monk may suffer throughout his entire life mentally, if not physically but we have no other option than to wish he will live. 

Update: The monk passed away in the evening of May 25. 

Sri Lanka entering an age of violent Buddhism

Sri Lanka which sees the rise of Buddhist extremism in recent times passed a breakthrough as a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk committed self-immolation today at Kandy city. Kandy is a sacred city of Buddhists where the sacred relics of Lord Buddha is housed in the Temple of Tooth.

The monk had told that he would commit self immolation against the slaughter of cattle.

The monk has been identified as B. Indarathana Thero who resides in a temple in Kahawatta.

The incident took place before the entrance to the Temple of Tooth.

The monk doused himself with petrol and set ablaze. Hospital sources say that the monk's body is 90% burnt and his condition is very serious. He was transferred to Colombo national hospital.

Sri Lankans eat meat since generations although the Buddhist religion the majority of them follow advocates peace on the lives of the animals also.

However,  the Buddhist extremist elements intensified the campaign against the cattle slaughter. But the same Buddhist extremists do not protest the killings and forcible disappearances of ethnic Tamils of the country. In recent months, the Muslims were also the focus of the wrath of the Buddhist extremists.

Cattle farmers who are mostly Buddhists sell the bulls and old cows for meat as an additional income since long ago.

Snake phobia and killing pythons

Researchers stretch out alongside Florida-record Burmese python. Photo courtesy of the University of Florida

Python is a harmless reptile that lives in woods especially in South Asia. But its size is so enormous that the man who is generally snake phobic may be terrified. There are lots of fiction about pythons swallowing men alive. This fiction has extended to internet graphics also.

I have lived with a python when I was in a torture center in 1989 era. The python was used to frighten the prisoners to get them to divulge information. But it was an innocent creature. Very rarely it bit like a cat when it was extremely hungry as it was not given food.

The python was kept in a box and an old prisoner was trained to feed it with eggs and meat stuffed forcibly into the mouth gaped with the use of two sticks. I think the keeper, one fine day, kept the lid of the box half open and let the creature escape.

Python is a specie under threat of extinction in Sri Lanka. It is a pity that the people tend to kill this reptile when they see it in their environment.

Today I read a story about a man being honored for killing a massive python in Florida. The serpent is called a Burmese python.

Americans, perhaps who went to war brought this specie from Asia to be kept as pet. Now they have escaped to environment and become a threat to wildlife.

In Florida, where they’ve been released as pets and escaped from wildlife facilities, there are thousands of them, mostly within the Everglades ecosystem.

As such a large and voracious invasive species, they’re a threat to native wildlife. The state would like to eradicate them, if that were possible.

Read the story.

King Mahasen of past 'Sri Lanka' and cycone Mahasen

Sri Lanka government is in another blunder as the Sri Lanka Meteorological Department apologized for naming a cyclone after an ancient king called Mahasen.

Meteorological Department announced that the name Mahasen would not be further used for the turbulence. However, S.R. Jayasekara, a director in charge of weather forecasting defended the name pointing out that the name was suitable since cyclones rendered a service by taking away the heat from the tropical areas and causing rain to provide water for cultivation.

The officials of the Meteorological Department surrendered to the Sinhala Buddhist extremist organization Ravana Power which protested the manipulation of of the past to name this cyclone.

The secretary of the Ravana Power Ven. Ittekande Saddhathissa Thero named the use of the name as a foolish decision. He further said the organization would not oppose naming it as 'Prabakaran', the slain leader of the minority Tamil's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam rebel movement which led a three decade war.

Meanwhile, another person called Nimal Weerathunga, a Coordinating Secretary of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development, has lodged has written to the Director General of the Met Department demanding a probe regarding proposing the name of the said king to the New Delhi meteorological base.

King Mahasen ruled the country during 277 - 304 AD. He is remembered as a king who built a large number of resevoires including Minneriya weva in Polonnaruwa district. He also helped immensely to the Mahayana Buddhism and built Jethawanaramaya which became the third religious center in Anuradhapura.

Air Arabia flight suspension; first major blow to new Mattala international airport of Sri Lanka

As the first major blow to the mythical Mattala international airport's flight wonder, Air Arabia has cancelled Sharjah – Mattala route, reported airlineroute.net website.

The service was cancelled just 6 weeks after it became the first foreign carrier to operate the newest International airport in Sri Lanka.

The airline previously operated twice weekly services to Mattala airport.

Reservations on the airline’s website is no longer available.

Launching the service on March 18, Air Arabia said that the twice weekly service would be increased to four times weekly in future.

The airline operates nine flights a week to Katunayaka Bandaranaike International Airport from Sharjah.

As the airport built with public money borrowed at high interest rates from international finance markets is landing to its reality, now, reports say the government is taking another step towards pushing it go. It is shutting the main Katunayaka airport for several hours everyday in the guise of widening the runway and diverting the aircraft to Mattala. Let us wait and see its practicality.

A political fable on South Asian politics if not world politics

Nice story. It is an anecdote or a fable. A tongue-in-cheek analysis on South Asian politics if not world politics.

Rahul Gandhi walks into ICICI Bank to cash a cheque. As he approaches the cashier he says, "Good morning Ma'am, would you please cash this cheque for me?"

Cashier: "It would be my pleasure sir. Could you please show me your ID?"

RG: "Truthfully, I did not bring my ID with me as I didn't think there was any need to. I am Vice President of the Congress Party. Future Indian PM.

Cashier: "Yes sir, I know who you are, but with all the regulations and monitoring of the banks because of imposters and forgers and requirements etc., I must insist on seeing your ID."

RG: "Just ask anyone here at the bank who I am and they will tell you. Everybody knows who I am."

Cashier: "I am sorry sir but these are the bank rules and I must follow them."

RG: "I am urging you, please, to cash this cheque."

Cashier: "Look Sir here is an example of what we can do. One day, Sachin Tendulkar came into the bank without ID. To prove he was Sachin he pulled out his bat and played a beautiful shot across the bank. With that shot we knew him to be Sachin and cashed his cheque."
"Another time, Mahesh Bhupati came in without ID. He pulled out his tennis racquet and played a fabulous shot when the tennis ball landed in my cup. With that shot we cashed his cheque.
So, sir what can you do to prove that it is you, and only you, future indian PM, Rahul Gandhi?"

RG stands there thinking, and thinking, and finally says:
"Honestly, my mind is a total blank... There is nothing that comes to my mind. I can't think of a single thing. I have absolutely no idea what to do; I just don't have a clue".

Cashier: 'Sir, 500 or 1000 rupee notes?'

Crocophobic Sri Lanka hosts the 22nd Working Meeting of the IUCN - SSC Crocodile Specialist Group

Sri Lanka is a country with wonderful nature and wonderfool people. When they see a crocodile they mob and harass it finally to bind it. Photo and video journalists gather round the arrested criminal croco and photograph them to be published competitively. You also focus your mobile phone to collect a souvenir show to your friends. One may dare to sit on the back of the croco and pose for a photo.

The wildlife officials come late and the poor reptile will be dislocated from its habitat and will be carried to Who Knows Where.

There were talks the Wildlife Department would establish a crocodile park in Muthurajawela marshes situated just south of Negombo but now the talks have ebbed. Reports say the land is being grabbed.

Meanwhile, the 22nd Working Meeting of the IUCN - SSC Crocodile Specialist Group which is called the World Crocodile Conference has been organized to be held in Sri Lanka from 20 to 23 of May 2013 at Goldi Sands Hotel in Negambo. According to their website, the IUCN SSC Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG) is a worldwide network of biologists, wildlife managers, government officials, independent researchers, NGO representatives, farmers, traders, tanners, fashion leaders, and private companies actively involved in the conservation of the world's 23 living species of alligators, crocodiles, caimans and gharials in the wild.

Sri Lanka is a unique location for the conference since there are nearly 75 protected areas under the Department of Wildlife Conservation in the country which covers approximately 13% of the country’s land area.

Around 250 not crocodiles but crocodile experts, specialists, biologists, independent researchers, government officials and a host of other attendees are expected to be present at the conference. This conference is aimed to highlight the significance of working to protect the crocodile species and discuss about crocodile related ideologies, environmental issues and conservation principles.