ISLAND of DHARMA

[Gibbs]

I don't want to be seen as anti-rajapaksa, nor do I pretend I know anything about Sri Lankan politics. But I think peace time requires another leader than a war leader.

I don't know if anyone in Sri Lanka that is proficient in administration and is relatively clean.

Sri lanka's development is head and shoulders above the others in the region.

A decade of solid growth can see it knocking on the doors of developed nations

The opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe is.. He has a clean slate in corruption and a solid record in foreign relations and had always been pro business.. But alas the guy is unelectable, Aloof of the common village man and lack the charisma of populist dictators like Mahinda Rajapaksa.. Sri Lankan electorate is still very immature

But for the first time since 2005, The Rajapaksa's are facing a real challenge by the common opposition.. His own ministers resigning over claims of nepotism and misgovernance and to his utter shock his own Health minister Maithripala Sirisena running for office as the common opposition presidential nominee

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Only Pakistanis know about that.......infact, they know things in History which the rest of the world doesn't know or agree with.....

Funny its him pointing it out... and him who talked about it... and hes right... maybe you dnt know how stupas were destroyed,buddists were killed and a bounty on the heads of monks was placed by a extremist hindu king after ashoka...

 

[Chronos]

The opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe is.. He has a clean slate in corruption and a solid record in foreign relations and had always been pro business.. But alas the guy is unelectable, Aloof of the common village man and lack the charisma of populist dictators like Mahinda Rajapaksa.. Sri Lankan electorate is still very immature

But for the first time since 2005, The Rajapaksa's are facing a real challenge by the common opposition.. His own ministers resigning over claims of nepotism and misgovernance and to his utter shock his own Health minister Maithripala Sirisena running for office as the common opposition presidential nominee

Again no offense intended, but I sometimes think Lankans remind me of Goans in their attitude sometimes.

There were blunders on the Indian side in regards to Lanka. Hopefully India can be a big market for Lankan businessmen in the future.

Funny its him pointing it out... and him who talked about it... and hes right... maybe you dnt know how stupas were destroyed,buddists were killed and a bounty on the heads of monks was placed by a extremist hindu king after ashoka...

I kind of wished India remained Buddhist or became Buddhist still

 

[Azizam]

Not per Se..We are a community born out of colonialism.. After the one language policy was passed in 1956, Many minorities felt alienated.. English is our mother tongue, All the people studied and worked in English as it was the official language of the country.. Many found it difficult to adapt to Sinhalese.. Countries like Australia at that time was giving precedent to those with European blood to migrate.. So many took the opportunity.. But we do keep out Lankan roots intact.. And many still do live there well integrated to the Sri Lankan society by large



Nah Ravi no offense at all.. You may have noticed i have mentioned the similarities many a times.. Not just in geography but in people too

Before that policy 70% of majority felt alienated.

Burghers are doing fine in Sri Lanka and they are one of the most successful communities. The problem is that the Burghers don't have any political power and find it hard to work in the government sector. One of my aunts is married to a Burgher and also I had a Burgher neighbour but I can't think of any major issues they are facing.

The political system in Sri Lanka should change in a way to serve the country rather than anyone's religion/ethnicity/language but I also think that Sinhalese should be the official language. English will always be the official language of UK, German will be the official language of Germany and so on.

 

[Gibbs]

Before that policy 70% of majority felt alienated.

Burghers are doing fine in Sri Lanka and they are one of the most successful communities. The problem is that the Burghers don't have any political power and find it hard to work in the government sector. One of my aunts is married to a Burgher and also I had a Burgher neighbour but I can't think of any major issues they are facing.

The political system in Sri Lanka should change in a way to serve the country rather than anyone's religion/ethnicity/language but I also think that Sinhalese should be the official language. English will always be the official language of UK, German will be the official language of Germany and so on.

No qualms about it.. The majority language has to be the national language of a nation, But they could have done it in a more pragmatic way, A way in which a multi cultural multi lingual country like Ceylon could have adopted well, They just gave in to ultra nationalists for populist motives thus alienating minorities not just the Burghers but others as well.. People were more or less pushed out of their careers livelihood almost over night.. But i guess those wrongs were made right in later years albeit after having to pay for those blunders in a massive way

 

[punit]

Logic 101.

Lahori logic !

 

[AbidM]

Soo that's where the Buddhism from Bengal went, it went down south to Sri Lanka, I guess you could almost say, if Buddhism had existed in Bengal till this day, than it would be similar to Sri Lanka.

Also I just read that almost 50% of the words in Sinhalese (Language) are similar to Bengali, so would that make it easy for me to learn the language since I'm Bengali

 

[raveninthesky]

Sinhalese National anthem was inspired by Tagore. Ananda Samarakoon who composed it was a student of Tagore in Shanti Niketan. Anyone who has a penchant for Rabindra Sangeet(Music genre created by Tagore) can find unmistakable similarity.

I like it better than the BD one.

National Anthem of Sri Lanka

There's so much to see in Sri Lanka, Culture, traditions, historical places, scenic beauty and wild life.

Intro of National Geographic channel program about SL's wild life

 

[Gibbs]

Stunning.. The home of my people never ceases to amaze me

 

[Echo_419]

Picked by Vimeo staff as one of the best video's

Great video surely both of our nations have a lot in common

 

[HeinzG]

No qualms about it.. The majority language has to be the national language of a nation, But they could have done it in a more pragmatic way, A way in which a multi cultural multi lingual country like Ceylon could have adopted well, They just gave in to ultra nationalists for populist motives thus alienating minorities not just the Burghers but others as well.. People were more or less pushed out of their careers livelihood almost over night.. But i guess those wrongs were made right in later years albeit after having to pay for those blunders in a massive way

Oh really more pragmatic. LOL. Sri Lanka is not a multi cultural multi lingual country. It is Sinhalese Buddhist country. I'm not being racist or something but it is the true fact. People should realize that. See what has happened to Australia.

Why these minorities tries get political and cultural advantage against the majority. They should remain where they are.

 

[Gibbs]

Oh really more pragmatic. LOL. Sri Lanka is not a multi cultural multi lingual country. It is Sinhalese Buddhist country. I'm not being racist or something but it is the true fact. People should realize that. See what has happened to Australia.

Why these minorities tries get political and cultural advantage against the majority. They should remain where they are.

Well you surely are an insignificant but overly nationalistic moron that live in your own little jingoistic bubble.. You cant be a racist because most Sri Lankans are one way or another related.. Reminds me very much of a drunkard named Ghanasara of the rabid BBS fame.. Far removed from reality.. Barking at the moon.. How the fark can minorities get cultural advantage or political advantage over a majority that is over 70% ?.. You may need to get professional help for a massive case of inferiority complex

Sri Lanka is and will remain a multi cultural and a multi lingual nation.. And please dont refer to Australia, You have no iota of knowledge of it's social fabric

 

[bongbang]

Soo that's where the Buddhism from Bengal went, it went down south to Sri Lanka, I guess you could almost say, if Buddhism had existed in Bengal till this day, than it would be similar to Sri Lanka.

Also I just read that almost 50% of the words in Sinhalese (Language) are similar to Bengali, so would that make it easy for me to learn the language since I'm Bengali

You are Sylheti But ethnically Bengali

 

[AbidM]

You are Sylheti But ethnically Bengali

How did you know I was Sylheti? guessed? I'm actually from Sunamganj (sadar upazila) so technically I still fall under the 'Sylheti' banner since Sunamganj is district of Sylhet division.

 

[LaBong]

Soo that's where the Buddhism from Bengal went, it went down south to Sri Lanka, I guess you could almost say, if Buddhism had existed in Bengal till this day, than it would be similar to Sri Lanka.

Also I just read that almost 50% of the words in Sinhalese (Language) are similar to Bengali, so would that make it easy for me to learn the language since I'm Bengali

That actually is not true.

Bengal under Pal kings followed Mahayana Buddhism, Atisha Dipankara, one of the greatest figure both in Classical Buddhism and Bengali people helped to spread this doctrine of Buddhism to Tibet which ultimately evolved into Tibetan Buddhism.

Sri Lanka follow Theravada Buddhism, which first flourished under the patronage of Ashoka the great and it is his son along with other missionaries who helped to spread Theravada Buddhism to Sri Lanka. From Sri Lanka it is said to spread to Burma and South East Asia. Chakmas and Murmas in Bangladesh also follow Theravada Buddhism.