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Marxism and Buddhism have shown me the path to say ‘no’ to anti-people policies
When Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) MP Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera raised a lone voice from within the ranks of the ruling coalition in Parliament, to oppose the controversial regulations that many allege pave the way for large scale casino operations in the country, the Opposition reacted with applause, while those on the Government benches maintained a stoic silence.
Earlier in the day, when the first of the three regulations were taken for debate in the House on April 22, the five-minute time allocated for Ratana Thera to speak in the House was denied to him, even though his name had appeared on the list of speakers at the start of the debate. Undaunted by this, the Thera decided to remain in the Chamber and voted against the regulations, a decision, he says, was taken by the JHU, a constituent member of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), in order to get the administration of President Mahinda Rajapaksa back on the “right path”, from which it had deviated on a number of issues.
The following day he was joined by fellow JHU member Champika Ranawake in opposing the other two regulations. “We have not made money by coming to Parliament. We have not used our political power to make money. We listen to the voice of the people, which is why we decided to oppose this,” he said.
The failure of the Government to be open about the agreements it has signed with (Australian gambling mogul) James Packer, as well as it’s failure to make public, the feasibility studies done with regard to these projects too, has angered the JHU.
“These regulations are flawed in many ways. The Government has failed to tell what the strategic importance of these projects are to this country. Whatever the denials, those involved in these projects are linked to casinos. However much the Government denies this, the people cannot be hoodwinked,” Ratana Thera told the Sunday Times.
Hailing from the village of Aturaliya, close to Akuressa in the Matara District, Ratana Thera grew up in a left-leaning family. Ordained at 14, he became politically active while a student at the University of Peradeniya. First as an ardent Marxist and later transforming himself into a politician monk, with Buddhism as the underlying philosophy guiding him in his political decisions. This, he said, has given him the courage to speak out against any “anti-people” policies of the Government, whatever pressures maybe exerted on him to remain silent.
And his ‘No” vote to regulations sanctioning tax concessions to the controversial projects, has won him only accolades, not only from among the public, but also from Government members. “No minister has so far looked at me in anger or faulted me over this. Some ministers have told me this is the decision the JHU should take. Some have told me, “We cannot do it, but what you did is correct.”
This is not the first time Ratana Thera has openly criticised the Government. The failure of the authorities to ban agro chemicals and promote organic farming, to curb the spread of kidney diseases among the farming communities, has also come under severe criticism from him. “The Agriculture Minister is a puppet. The Government has no proper plan for the Agriculture sector, which is why we say it is on the wrong path. It is being held to ransom by the multinational Agro chemical companies, and the Government lacks the guts to take on them,” he said.
Ratana Thera likes to tread lightly when asked about the hugely visible presence of Buddhist monks in today’s political landscape of the country, which many Buddhist themselves find an uncomfortable factor. “I have been in the forefront of many political struggles. I was jailed twice during my student days, but I strongly believe that Buddhist monks need to be disciplined, whatever task they undertake. It is our silence that should speak louder than our words.”
Having been in Parliament since 2004, the 52-year-old Thera who is now the JHU’s parliamentary group leader, feels that, there would not be a necessity for members of the Buddhist clergy to become elected representatives, if there was a proper Sangha Sabha in the country, that is united and capable of exerting sufficient pressure on any government in power, on issues of national importance. “I can leave active politics if there is such a Sangha Sabha, but I am unable to form such Council on my own. There are too many divisions among the Buddhist clergy at the moment for them to be an effective force.”
Despite the rumblings within the UPFA, consequent to the JHU vote against the casino related regulations, and his personal criticism of the concentration of power in the hands of a few in the administration, Ratana Thera is not in a hurry to bring about any change in the present administration. “What we want is not a change in the leadership, but a change in some of the anti-people polices of the Government,” he said.
The JHU is also not supportive of the efforts of several Opposition political parties to abolish the Executive Presidency. “We think the Executive Presidency is necessary for the country, but some of its powers have to be pruned, while the Proportional Representation (PR) system must be abolished.” In this connection, the JHU will, this month, make public a document it has prepared, and hopes to build up a public discourse on these issues.
For someone who has been in the forefront of people’s campaigns such as those held against the Eppawala Phosphate plant, the Kandalama Hotel project and up to the march to force open the Mavil Aru sluice gates, Ratana Thera says he has not shied away from his duties to the people. “I have devoted my life to the people. The decision to stay in Parliament or not, will have to be decided by the people. I have nothing personal to gain from being here.”