If the world we live in today is not exactly an enlightened one there is still an increasing awareness and sense of urgency that peace and harmony can only prevail if people the world over are able to transcend narrow differences and fanaticism in religion, race, caste and culture wherever these may be found. So it is with a deep sense of shock that we hear of the Taleban Afghan Commander Abdul Wahid's threat to demolish the world's largest standing statue of the Buddha in the Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan.
Sri Lanka despite all the troubles that have beset the country in recent decades has still a remarkably good track record of being a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country in which all four major religions - Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam - have flourished side by side in harmony. It was last Friday that Buddhist Sri Lanka peacefully celebrated the Haj festival, and Tuesday is Bak Poya. The people of the country respect and are sensitive to the religious beliefs of others. It is this religious tolerance that has been the hallmark of Buddhism down the ages spreading a wave of humanism throughout Asia from Afghanistan across to Japan and including Thailand, Burma, Kampuchea, Vietnam, Korea, China and even Indonesia and Mongolia.
It is regrettable that the fanatic face certain Islamic rulers and the anti-religious Communists assumed resulted in the destruction of Buddhism in many of those countries. Only Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Kampuchea, South Korea and Japan survived the onslaughts.
Sri Lanka together with these countries in which Buddhism still influences the lives of a majority of the people have a duty to protect and foster this gentle faith. Buddhism may be a pacifist religion but that does not mean Buddhists should stand by and allow fanatic forces such as the Taleban who have taken religion from the sublime to the ridiculous to ride roughshod over it.
Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who today will be participating in a momentous act of planting a bo-sapling brought by him and his wife from Buddha Gaya should take the lead in firmly denouncing and nipping in the bud threats made against Buddhism not only by the Taleban commander but also look into the treatment of Buddhists in Tibet and the Chittagong Tract in Bangladesh. He can team up with his vice-captain in the Trinity cricket XI Cultural and Religious Affairs Minister Lakshman Jayakody and work towards this end at an international level.
They can also urge Pakistan and other friendly countries who are helping the Taleban to hold back from carrying out their threat. That will be a supremely meritorious act on their part and one which Buddhists not only in this country but throughout the world will appreciate and be grateful for.
When this government once said it would follow the Malaysian model little did we imagine that it meant the dangerous negatives in that model such as the control of the media and denial of the fundamental right to the freedom of information and expression.
The PA government came into office on the shoulders of the free and independent media promising like never before to protect the free media.
The Broadcasting Authority of Sri Lanka Bill calls for the licensing of television stations every year. This is purely and simply intended as a threat to private TV and radio stations to behave - or else! At present we have laws for the renewal of radio and TV licences every year through Gramasevakas. That is a requirement that private TV stations are not interested in, nor do they get a share of the revenue. Now not only the sets even the stations have to be licensed. Having a licence renewal problem every year would be like a sword hanging over the stations which would not be able to do much forward planning, staff expansion or technological upgrading for fear of being told to pack up and go home at any time.
Last year ETv took Media Minister Dharmasiri Senanayake to courts when he threatened the station on a complaint made by Rupavahini that ETv was pirating programmes. In court however state lawyers better advised on the law promised not to take arbitrary action and the matter fizzled out.
The proposed Bill indicates the government is getting annoyed and desperate with criticism that all it wants are hosannas from the hurrah boys and girls.
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