Michael Roberts
In presenting an article on Duncan White’s achievement at the World Olympic Games held in London in August 1948, I limited my focus to the 1940s. Sachi Sri Kantha in Japan has often entered comments on Thuppahi items and on this occasion ventured a point-scoring set of remarks on this item. At times these comments have proceeded tangentially to topics straddling the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Sachi is a tangential specialist. Such tangential leaps can be endless and amount to a license towards absurdity and slander. Sachi’s remarks on one occasion have already drawn a short riposte from one “Charlie K” (who is not a Sri Lankan).[1]
On this occasion relating to the Duncan White achievement, writing from the political stance of a Sri Lankan Tamil nationalist (and conceivably that of an “Eelamist”), Sachi thumps the tale of Burgher outmigration from Ceylon and Lanka from the 1950s onwards. That set of events is a topic that has drawn a substantial literature over the years. It is, therefore, a huge topic – one which demands attention to the political processes in the island at the heart of governmental power struggles and including the anti-Tamil ‘riots’[2] of 1958, 1977 and 1983 which induced Burghers, Tamils, Sinhalese and other Sri Lankans to migrate – all intricate topics (which I, among others, have touched on at various moments).
The process of emigration from Ceylon and Lanka that commenced in the post-1956 period[3] and gained increasing momentum – a momentum that is still in train now in 2022 – is an important topic, but one that my piece on Duncan White could not conceivably address without a major digression which would have distracted readers away from its main focus: namely, White’s magnificent race at the London Olympic Games in London in August 1948. Sachi’s attempt at point-scoring via tangential excursion is simply ridiculous.
Let me indulge in the same tangential trajectory by point-scoring against the Sachi Sri Kantha …. yes “the” Sachi Sri Kantha …. a form of ‘knighthood’ recognising his sniper-killing work.
We should not forget that emigration from the British colonial outpost in Ceylon commenced from the mid-19th century because of its location in the Indian Ocean and the pathways of ships plying across those seas – from Africa, Europe & Arabia to Malaysia, Australia and the Pacific Ocean. Thiru Arumugam, Earlson Forbes and the late Stanley Sparkes are among those of us in Australia who have documented the migration of pearl divers and labourers who moved to the northern territories of Australia from the late 19th century.[4] Nor should we forget the movement of Sinhalese traders, usually Karava (for example the BP de Silva and Warnakulasuriya families) to strategic spots such as Zanzibar and Singapore besides Thursday Island off Australia.[5]
To these trajectories one can add the force of Empire-loyalism and adventurism which motivated young men to enlist in the British armed forces engaged in fighting Germany in World War One. Let me stress that: motivated by a sense of adventure and by Empire-loyalism in World War I in 1914-18. Among such men were several personnel from Trinity – the school that educated Lakshman Kadirgamar and Duncan White.
This pattern of a few brave souls from the Ceylonese middle class joining and supporting the British war effort during World War I and II continued in the period 1946-55. This form of outmigration was also boosted by the females who married British, Kiwi, Australian and American servicemen who had been stationed in Ceylon in the 1940s and then migrated with their husbands. These ‘currents’ may have been little streams in numerical terms. BUT they indicate the impact of “Westernization.” That process was — and remains – a “cultural impact” as much as an “economic one”.
Located as I am now in Australia, I am motivated by this ‘excursion’ to seek information on the Ceylonese personnel who migrated to Australia or New Zealand in the period 1946 to 1956 – before the Sinhala Only campaign of the SLFP-MEP coalition swept to power (with all its implications for the advantages possessed by the English-proficient middle classes & upper classes). These migrants were altogether different from the servant class of the “Alice Nona” category who were brought to Australia by their well-to-do employers.[6] I invite grounded biographical information on these early migrants to Australia and New Zealand. Their numbers may have been relatively miniscule in comparison with the flows in the 1957-72 period and that post 1973 or so[7] – after the White Australia Policy was jettisoned[8] – but that trickle is nevertheless of historical interest.
So: Sachi’s remark has embraced a large topic. My purpose here is to brand Sachi Sri Kantha as an assassin in the digital world, one who ‘haunts’ the columns of Thuppahi as well. It would be simple for me as Editor to debar his commentary. But, then, the readers of Thuppahi would remain unaware of the verbal assassins out there in the Big Bad World — inclusive of personnel like Satchi who have adopted a form of tactic in Velupillai Pirapaharan’s book: hit them verbally …. with tangential wordplay.
SOME READINGS
Thiru Arumugam: “The Devonshire reaches Queensland in 1882,” 18 November 2019, https://thuppahis.com/2019/11/18/the-devonshire-reaches-queensland-with-500-cingalese-coolies-in-1882/
Richard Boyle: BP de Silva: The Royal Jeweller of South-east Asia, Singapore, B. P. de Silva Investments, 1989.
Barbara Crossette: “The Burgher Exodus from Sri Lanka: A Reading in 1988,” ………19 November 2020, https://thuppahis.com/2020/11/19/the-burgher-exodus-from-sri-lanka-a-reading-in-1988/ … orig. in New York Times
Earlson Forbes: “The White Australia Policy Ceylonese Burghers and Alice Nona,” 5 September 2012, https://thuppahis.com/2012/09/05/the-white-australia-policy-ceylonese-burghers-and-alice-nona/ & The Ceylankan, vol. 59/3 August 2012.
Earlson Forbes: “Entering Australia from Ceylon: Burghers and Amahs first to penetrate White Australia,” 30 November 2021, https://thuppahis.com/2021/11/30/entering-australia-from-ceylon-burghers-and-amahs-first-to-penetrate-white-australia/
Michael Roberts: “Celebrating Duncan White in Pictures and Words,” 23 August 2022, https://thuppahis.com/2022/08/23/celebrating-duncan-white-in-pictures-and-words/
Stanley J. Sparkes: Sri Lankan Migrants in Queensland in the Nineteenth Century, Brisbane 1988.
Stanley Sparkes & Anna Shnukal: “The Sri Lankan Settlers of Thursday Island,” Elanka Admin, 3 April 2020, https://www.elanka.com.au/the-sri-lankan-settlers-of-thursday-island-by-stanley-j-sparkes-and-anna-shnukal/
B. Swan: “Sinhalese Emigration to Queensland in the Nineteenth Century: A Note,” Journal of the Royal Australian historical society, vol67/1, pp 55-63.
A. Sunil and K. Ratnayake: “Unanswered questions about Sri Lankan foreign minister’s assassination,” World Socialist web site ……….………………………….. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2005/08/sril-a26.html) for more
Wickrema Weerasooria: Links Between Sri Lanka and Australia,
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END NOTES
[1] “Charlie K” deemed Sachi’s remarks to be a form of “twisted debate and focusing on Sachi’s theories about the Kadirgamar assassination indicated that “Kadirgamar was an intelligent person who had every right to make his own choices in life which could never justify his assassination. There are no shades of grey to assassinations” …. [in ………………………………………………………….. https://thuppahis.com/2022/08/23/celebrating-duncan-white-in-pictures-and-words/%5D.
[2] The attacks on Tamils in the Sinhala-majority areas of the island were such that I followed Newton Gunasinghe, Charles Abeysekera and others in deeming the events a “pogrom”. I was slapped on the knuckles by Professor KM de Silva for doing so. I a have continued to stand by my position. See Roberts, “Agony”, in Nethra, 2003.
[3] As most people are aware, at the 1956 General Elections the MEP coalition led by SWRD Bandaranaike and his SLFP swept to power on a “Sinhala Only” campaign – one that was founded on a groundswell of support from the lower middle classes as well as elements among the working-class Sinhalese. The political rhetoric included fervent criticism of the Western-educated and the “trouser johnnies as well as the advantages accruing to those versed in English. The spurt in Burgher migration could be said to have commenced then (although the migration to Australia was restricted by that country’s strict “White Australia” policy).
[4] See the items listed in the Bibliography attached to this article.
[5] During his fieldwork research in Galle during the 1970s Bruce Kapferer and his research aide Chandra Vitharana unearthed details re these families’ entrepreneurial ‘investments’ in Zanzibar, Singapore and Australia. My research work on elite formation among the Karava also garnered some data on these connections.
[6] See Earlson Forbes 2012.
[7] “By 1966, the Sri Lankan community in Victoria had risen to 3,126, most of them Burghers. The end of the White Australia Policy in 1973 saw increasing numbers of Sinhalese and Tamil settlers in Victoria. By 1976, 9,061 Victorians were of Sri Lankan birth” …………………………….…………………………………… https://origins.museumsvictoria.com.au/countries/sri-lanka/
Michael, Thanks a lot for the so-called ‘Exposure’, and ‘branding’ me as an ‘assassin in the digital world’. I hardly expected it.
I like your tag ‘Tangential Tamil sniper’. Yes, I’m a Tamil. I cannot do anything about this. I’m also thankful that you allow me to be ‘heard’ in the digital world.
Prior to you, journalist Mervyn de Silva, did allow me some space in the ‘Lanka Guardian’ during 1990s, in the ‘Letter to the Editor’ column to express me ‘Tamil point of view’. I’m simply presenting my ‘Tamil point of view’ in your blog. Nothing more. My sole purpose in writing to your blog is to reduce the prevailing bias factor, in your coverage of recent Sri Lankan history. Tell me frankly, what is your fluency in Tamil language? – reading, writing and speaking.
It would have pleased me more, if you had used my photo, instead of V. Prabhakaran, pointing a gun. I’m sure, that you would have heard the proverb ‘Pen is mightier than the sword.’
I have pointed out Sachi Sri Kantha’s aberrations quite some time ago. But, then, I was accused of slandering him by no less a person than the editor of this blog himself.
Sometimes, history repeats itself!
I wish to point out my views on the Burgher community in Sri Lanka, although very few of them are left in the island now. I will be very brief.
I have found Burghers to be able to integrate fully and happily in to our country’s social fabric. I have always found them to be simple, and willing to enjoy life when they could. Yet, they were never morose when the tide was against them, or they were in financial difficulties. They took it as it came.
I have never heard a Burgher utter any comments about racial frictions in the country, or be found to be fanatically following religions.
On a very personal note, I must say, that I admired very much the beauty of the Burgher lasses during our young days. They were the ones we really wanted to dance with at parties, though, often unsuccessful because of the great competition to partner them.
Duncan White did not win a silver medal for the Burghers. He won it for Ceylon, and I am sure that is the way he would have looked at it then also.
Wherever they may be scattered in the world now, I salute the Burghers of Sri Lanka, and say without any reservation that Sri Lanka is poorer for their absence.
This is a straight comment to Mr. N. Goonewardena. In a previous criticism about my interest in Buddhism, you had shown pretense as if you own a patent on Buddhist scriptures. May I know, in which of the Buddhist scriptures, it is written that ‘admire the beauty of the Burgher lasses during young days’? Please clarify this. If you are not aware, my wife of 35 years is a practising Buddhist!
ARE YOU GOING MAD, SACHI SRI KANTYHA? Where the hell have I ever referred to Buddhism in any one of my posts? Yes, you are definitely mad.
As for Buddhism and Burgher lasses, don’t try to show that you are knowledgeable on any of them. You don’t know a damn about Buddhism, and you don’t have a clue about the Burghers, either. As for Buddhism and Burgher lasses, I have sorted it out my way, and I do not need a Nosey Parker like yourself to interpret a matter that you need not, and should not, try to interpret, because I had mentioned that it was a “very personal” comment. Did you not know the meaning of “very personal”, Nosey Parker?
You should see a “shrinker” immediately. For that, our thoughts are with you, Nosey Parker.
I forgot to tell you. How long you have been a practicing Buddhist, or practicing cricketer does not matter at all. These practices can vary from person to person, and situation to situation, and however much you “practice” you may still never be a good Buddhist or a good cricketer. It is the end result or outcome that matters. So, if you claim that your wife is a good Buddhist, the first person she should have resurrected is you, because you need every bit of help others can give. Since she has not been able to even make you a person with reason, and impartiality, I have to conclude that she has been practicing (for 35 years) nowhere near what is expected of a good Buddhist.
Practice does not make perfect, the saying goes, Sachi!.
Mr. Goonawardena, thank you very much for your wisdom, and medical advice. I refrain from prolonging this debate with a person who in his days of senility had forgotten what he had corresponded merely two months ago and scribbles nonsense for his defence.
As per your question, ‘Where the hell have I ever referred to Buddhism in any one of my posts?’, kindly refer to the exchanges we had to the feature ‘Go Home Ranil..Astute Pedlar Opportunism’ (July 16) and to my query to a comment made by Prof. Chandre Dharmawardena (July 17). I still wait to hear from Prof. Dharmawardena – for my original query on, what Lord Buddha ‘said’.
Dear Mr. Sachi Sri Kantha,
This is the last time I will ever respond to you because by now everybody in this blog would have turned from what was for some time your entertaining comedy to outright indignation now of those “impartial” and “unbiased” “knowledge” you display by the continuous posts that you send to this blog.
You are dead right! I don’t have any patent to Buddhist scriptures. Scriptures? Sachi, did you say, “Buddhist scriptures”? Didn’t your wife who you claim has been a “practicing Buddhist” for 35 years ever tell you that unlike the Bible or the Koran, there are no Buddhist scriptures? If not, I am now beginning to doubt whether her practice for 35 years has been limited to offering flowers, lighting incense, and clasping her hands and mechanically saying a few stanzas in front of an image of the Buddha. Yes, Sachi, while I don’t have a patent right to anything in Buddhism, and I know only little of the Dhamma (a little I know very well and believe in fully, despite not even offering flowers and murmuring some stanzas every day in front of an image, or even sighting a temple, for god knows how long) I am knowledgeable enough to know that there are no Buddhist scriptures like in Christianity, and Islam. The closest to scriptures in Buddhism is the Tripitaka (please ask your wife what this is.
It certainly is not a camera tripod) which is only a COLLECTION OF WORKS, BUT NOT SCRIPTURES.
My parting farewell swansong to you Sachi Sri Kantha is this: While I don’t have a patent to anything related to Buddhism, I am now having a patent pending for the ability to identify stupid idiots!
OK. Mr. N. Goonewardena, I take your word positively, that you will stop writing about your wisdom on Buddhism, to me. Unlike you, I will be civil in my correspondence.
I provide excerpts below from chapter 14 (The Buddha teaches the Doctrine), Part 3, from Andre Ferdinand Herold’s book, ‘The Life of Buddha’, originally published in French, in 1922, and translated into English by Paul C. Blum, in 1927.
“The Master was growing old. When he was in Rajagriha, he called the monks together, and he spoke to them at great length:
‘Monks, do not forget the precepts I have given you. Observe them carefully. You will assemble twice a month, and you will confess your transgressions to one another. If you feel that you have done evil, and you keep it to yourself, you will be guilty of a lie. Admit your transgressions: the confession will bring you rest and peace. The four gravest sins a monk can commit are, as you know: to have intercourse with a woman; to steal anything whatsoever; to kill a human being or instigate a murder; and to pretend to possess a superhuman power that he knows he does not possess. A monk who has committed one of these four sins must be expelled from the community. Monks, do not bandy words with women, and do not corrupt them. Do not bear false witness against your brothers. Do not try to sow discord in the community. Do not strive to evade a reprimand. Never lie, and insult no one. Observe carefully. O monks, all the precepts I have given you.””
Mr. Goonewardena, will you notice the penultimate sentence by the Master, quoted above? ‘Never lie and insult no one.’ If you are a true Buddhist, you wouldn’t do this.
As for your twisted views on Buddhist scriptures, here is a link for you to study.
https://www.amazon.com/Buddhist-Scriptures-Penguin-Classics-Donald/dp/014044758X
Finally, when you have that ‘stupid idiot’ patent registered in any country you reside, I’ll be pleased to have an authentic copy of it, for my reading.
Mr. Sachi Sri Kantha
It is true that I never want to waste any time on you. As I have said earlier, that is because your mind is made up of hardened cement, and no one, absolutely no one, can penetrate that cement.
People will now tell me that I do not keep up to my words. Every time I say this is the last time I will engage you Mr. Sri Kantha, and I break that promise, and again respond to your banal posts. So, there is a credibility issue surrounding my behaviour. I am making one last post, not for your attention, but for the attention of the editor of this blog, as to whether a person as lacking in intelligence like you, a person who looks at everything from tinted glasses, a person who cannot make one single positive comment about the country he was born, bred, and educated, a person who is so partial and biased in order to incite people at a time when we are just getting out of labeling each other by race and religion and concentrating on our immediate difficulties in maintaining our economic livelihoods, a person who is brash enough to insult the Buddha by stating a sermon which only he and his French connection and the connection of that Frenchman to another equally ignorant European, can say that they were the original words of the Buddha, and many other things of saying lies and making unwanted provocations, should be allowed to make these contemptuous posts on this blog, or, buried in the deepest dungeons of oblivion. That decision is solely the discretion of the editor. However, if he reflects backwards on all the posts of Sachi Sri Kantha, he would realize that he is very much more than a tangential sniper. Sniping is to one object at a time. But these posts are explosive grenades that harm very many. My own opinion of this gentleman’s posts is that he is always trying to incite people, and often, doing so by lying, or at least by distorting. He has not made any worthwhile contribution to this blog. He has only been completely inimical. He is the type of person who would be very happy if Black July (1983) would recur because all he would be interested in is to howl to the world that there is genocide and carnage in Sri Lanka, and not be at all bothered by the deaths and arson which occurs to his own brothers and sisters.
Now I turn to Sachi Sri Kantha’s verbatim statement given within inverted comments, so that the reader is made to believe this was an original and authentic statement of the Buddha. I am asking you once again, Sachi Sri Kantha, whether you or your wife, or that French connection, or that French connections connection to someone else CAN PROVE THAT THIS VERBATIM PARAGRAPH OF YOURS’ IS THE ORIGINAL AND AUTHENTIC STATEMENTS OF THE BUDDHA. IF YOU CANNOT, THEN YOU ARE CLEAN BOWLED, SACHI. TELL US ALL WHAT SERMON OR DISCOURSE OF THE BUDDHA THIS QUOTES ARE COMING FROM? I TELL YOU THE ANSWER IN ADVANCE, NONE OF YOU CAN GIVE A SOURCE BECAUSE THE BUDDHA, IN THE FIRST PLACE, WOULD NOT HAVE MADE SILLY STATEMENTS LIKE THIS, AND THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN SAY THAT THESE ARE THE BUDDHA’S OWN WORDS IS IF YOU, OR YOUR FRENCH CONNECTION, OR HIS CONNECTION, LEAPFROGGED BACKWARDS IN TIME OF 2600 YEARS AND RECORDED THIS SO CALLED STATEMENTS OF THE BUDDHA WITH A CASSETE RECORDER. SO, SACHI SRI KANTHA, PLEASE DO NOT ENGAGE IN BLASAPHEMY. THE BUDDHA WAS A PERSON WITH GREAT WISDOM, AND WOULD NEVER HAVE MADE SUCH SHALLOW AND LUSTURELESS SERMONS OR DISCOURSES. WHILE WE CANNOT BE CERTAIN OF THE EXACT CONTENTS OR WORDS HE USED IN HIS SERMONS/DISCOURSES BECAUSE WE HAVE NOW TRAVERSED 2600 YEARS SINCE HIM, AND WE KNOW THAT NOT ONLY IN BUDDHISM BUT ALSO IN ALL OTHER RELIGIONS WHEN KNOWLEDGE IS PASSED ON FROM ONE CENTURY TO THE OTHER, SOME THINGS GET LEFT OUT, SOMETHINGS GET CHANGED, SOMETHINGS GET DISTORTED, AND SOMETHINGS ARE EVEN NOT THINGS THESE GREAT RELIGIOUS LEADERS WOULD HAVE PROBABLY EVER SAID.
YOU HAVE THE HABIT OF SAYING SOMETHING, AND, THEN, WHEN YOU ARE EXPOSED AS A BIASED COMMENTATOR OR AS LACKING KNOWLEDGE ON WHAT YOU INDISCRIMINATELY WRITE (LIKE PENNING THAT THERE ARE BUDDHIST “SCRIPTURES”) YOU START ENGAGING IN SOMETHING ELSE. THEN AGAIN, WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, YOU SNIPE AT SOMETHING(S) ELSE. PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO LISTEN TO OTHER OPINIONS, EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT CONVINCED BY THEM. BUT, PEOPLE WILL NOT, AND SHOULD NOT LISTEN TO STUFF THAT ARE HAVING INIMICAL UNDERCURRENTS WHICH ARE NOT BASED ON ANY FACTS. THE EXACT SAYING, I GUESS, WOULD BE NOT TO LISTEN TO “PREJUDICED MINDS.”
YOU WERE ALSO KEEN TO KNOW FROM ME WHEN I GOT THAT PATENT I APPLIED FOR. DON’T WORRY, SACHI. I HAVE APPLIED FOR AN INTERNATIONAL PATENT. SO, NOT ONLY WILL YOU GET TO KNOW OF IT, BUT YOU WILL ALSO BE COVERED BY THAT PATENT, FREE OF CHARGE.
SO, SACHI SRI KANTHA, DON’T ENGAGE IN THESE SNIPERING WITH YOUR CROOKED BARRELL. SOME OF YOUR SHOTS FROM THE SAFE COCOON OF A FOREIGN COUNTRY, MAY, AND WILL, BOOMERANG ON YOU.
AT THE LEAST, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. BECAUSE EVERYTIME YOU OPEN IT, AND CONVERT IT IN TO WRITING, YOU DISTURB A HORNETS NEST.
AS I SAID EARLIER, I AGAIN WISH YOU GOOD LUCK. YOU NEED LOADS OF IT.
Well, Mr. Goonewardena, thanks a lot for your sermon, to me and Prof. Michael Roberts. Do let me know, when and where your patent application gets registered.
I repeat once more. “It’s time to put a stop to the correspondence. I never asked Mr. Goonewardena to waste his time on me.”
This Tit-for-Tat exchange is now closed Mr GOONEWARDENA. Even SRI has got exhausted.
PPS: I was underthe impression, Mr GOON, that yu had washed your hands off Thuppahi after a previous argie-bargie in Thuppahi. Clearly an erroneous notion ….. SIGH
Dear Dr. Roberts,
I think you know very well what the meaning of “GOON” is. You have repeatedly called me by that name in public. Let’s take it from there.
I don’t think you will publish this post because it only goes to show what type of person you really are. Every time you are cornered on the ropes, you evade me by not posting what I write. Those are hallmarks of a sheer coward.
Unfortunately, though my email inbox is inundated with recent posts from your blog, I have not had the time to delete them. Frankly, I have not read any of them and do not want to read them. It was very unfortunate, and I regret having had anything to do with your blog, again. By chance I had a sneak at what Mr. Sri Kantha posted, because I always found his posts to be detrimental to racial and religious harmony, and also the fact that he always wrote hearsay, and not confirmed facts.
At no time, Dr. Roberts, ever, have I insulted, ridiculed, or even accused you of anything in public or private. Therefore, your addressing of me as GOON, and the ridicule you made of me in your blog, illustrated with cartoons of your choice, will now be taken very seriously by me.
I get the feeling that you are dangling with the inevitable.
Mr GOONEWARDENA, I could easily censure your recriminations by excluding your comments. I have let the accusations and the bile you display appear because the Thuppahi readership will be able to comprehend what sort of person you are — that is, IF they bother to read your fulminations.
28/09/2022
Dr Roberts,
I am really disappointed. I thought you still had some guts left. But, for the third time now, when I cornered you in the ropes and hammered you, not only did you not throw in the towel, but you discretely left the ring. In case you still think that I am a silly and stupid fellow to write these lines which others might find baffling, I am sure Dr Roberts you know very well that what I am meaning is that YOU ARE NOTHING BUT AN ABSOLUTE COWARD. That is because after you hurled insult after insult at me in public in your blog, after you hurled ridicule after ridicule at me in public, and abuse after abuse at me in public, I had more than enough, and I responded with a few lines to you about your behaviour and as you are an absolute coward, you ducked them completely, and none of them made it to the public domain in your blog. Why is that, Dr Roberts? When I read your “achievements” as an academic, I was getting the impression that you were an extremely intelligent person, an excellent researcher, and a really good, and unbiased contributor to happenings in Sri Lanka, or, even the world, and you even showed everybody your mastery over sports, particularly, cricket. With this repertoire behind you, I hardly expected you to duck the simpleton “GOON”s comments made to you (i.e. my comments). I thought you will once again resort to ridiculing, insulting, and abusing me in public by showing my comments to you, and your responses to them, in your blog itself. I thought you will show that you are a master of everything, and that this simpleton GOON (as you always call me) did not even deserve to write anything on your blog, and definitely, not engage in posting anything against the wisdom of a world renowned scholar, and a sharp and all-round intellect of the level of Dr Michael Roberts. But that did not occur, You neither put my comments in your blog, and since you did not do so, you did not engage in publicly denouncing me as a GOON. Neither did you even respond to me in private. As such, I am disappointed to find that you did not lash out your tongue or your pen at me, in public, or in private. Now, I am beginning to feel that this post will also go unchallenged, and never appear in your blog, with your usual ways of insulting, ridiculing, and abusing me in public. Now, I am beginning to doubt whether I, and maybe some others, are feeling apprehensive of the way you indiscriminately and completely unnecessarily, hurl your venom at others of your choice, in public, in your blog – the Thuppahis blog.
So, I think that you will at least summon the courage to lash out at GOON in public in your website blog, because, after all, as you claim in very many of your sites on the Internet (which “seem” to have been posted by third parties, but due to the almost identicality of all of them in terms of content and “bragging”, one begins to wonder whether they are actually written by third parties) you are way above the knowledge, wit, and intelligence of people like the GOON. I now throw an open challenge to you to publish this posting on your blog and demolish this irritable GOON forever. However, if you do not do so, I have to confirm you fully as a absolute coward, and maybe, show others also that you are so in other forums.
You called me Don Quixote in one of your responses to me. Maybe, you have already forgotten it, because, after all, you hurl so many insults and ridicules at me, so much so, that you probably, have no track of them. So, in case you have forgotten, you should take time to go back on your insults and ridicule of me, and find when you referred to me as Don Quixote. In case you cannot locate it, please let me know, and I will forward you a copy of that post you sent me. Also, Dr Roberts, I think you owe it to your readers to, at least, simply explain the character of Don Quixote. That is because I think many of them do not know anything about this silly and hilarious character. So, I remind you once again, to post this post of mine in your blog, in front of everyone, and destroy me in to pieces. If you do not, then you will have established yourself completely as a coward. If you do not do so, maybe someone might use different platforms to secure your identity as a coward, for posterity.
The difference between you, Dr Roberts, and others is this: you have been so far successful in having everything your way, whilst others have not. You have completely dominated the scene from start to now. After all, who are others compared to a First Class in History from the University of Peradeniya, a Rhodes scholar who did his PhD at Oxford University, and who has an unparalleled record of “research” and “scholarship”? A person who has been a philanthropist, who donated his entire collection of books and manuscripts to the National Library (?) of Sri Lanka and not to his alma mater, the University of Peradeniya (to whom he owes a big gratitude, for it is that institution that shaped the young Dr Roberts to integrate in to the world of academia). No wonder others accepted your superiority over them, and you knew that everyone and everything had to succumb to you or, at least, feel inferior to you.
But, maybe, yes, maybe, that total “superiority” and “dominance” of others could be challenged at some point. Maybe, some one might expose that the foundation and structures of your “house” are not as solid as others thought, and certainly not as solid as what you have thought up to now.
By the way, Dr Roberts, why do all address you as PROFESSOR Michael Roberts? Don’t you think an unassuming correction is in order? Or, will someone else have to do that correction?
I do, really, really, hope that you will publish these preposterous comments of mine (your GOON) and thrash the devil out of me. If you don’t, then I have to finally conclude, without any doubt, that you are a coward of the highest order.
I get this feeling that for once, yes, just for once, you are beginning to feel a little anxiety, and a little fear of what maybe in store for you. But, you should not take it too seriously, Dr Roberts. After all, it is only my FEELING!
Regards
Your GOON.
There is absolutely no point in engaging in debate with a child like you. Actually, an infant like you. You are a disgrace to Sri Lankans, wherever they may be.
How stupid can you be to give something aN unknown Frenchman says WITHIN QUOTES AS WHAT THE BUDDHA SAID. FYI, these are only false and distorted writings attributable to what the Buddha has actually said. No one, absolutely no one, can produce one single quotation of the Buddha with pure authenticity. Any learned monk (of which there very few now in Sri Lanka) will tell you that the exact original words of the Buddha are not available to us, even through the most accurate historical records. Looks like your French friend recorded one of the Buddha’s sermons with a cassette recorder. AND YOUR FRIEND DOES NOT, AND YOU DON”T EITHER, GIVE THE SOURCE OF THOSE LINES YOU QUOTE AS BEING HAVE SAID BY THE BUDDHA, AS BEING THE ORIGINAL WORDS OF THE BUDDHA. THAT IS, EVEN THE QUOTATION YOU GIVE FROM YOUR FRENCH FRIEND AS AN ORIGINAL SERMON OF THE BUDDHA, DOES NOT HAVE A SOURCE. SO, I BELIEVE THAT MY STATEMENT THAT HE TOOK A CASSETTE RECORDER AND RECORDED THIS SERMON OF THE BUDDHA SEEMS LIKELY TO BE “TRUE”.
IT ALSO SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU DO NOT EVEN KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MEANINGS OF THE WORDS “PRECEPTS’ AND “SCRIPTURES.”. I AM SORRY TO TELL YOU THAT I DON’T INTEND TELLING YOU THE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE I AM JUST WASTING MY TIME KNOWING VERY WELL THAT THE MIND OF THE PERSON I AM ADDRESSING IS MADE OF HARDENED CEMENT, THAT IS NOT AMENABLE TO ANYTHING.
YOU YOURSELF HAVE DETERMINED THAT YOU WRITE IN CIVILIZED MANNERS, IMPLICITLY IMPLYING THAT I DO NOT. WHETHER YOU WRITE IN A CIVILISED MANNER IS THERE FOR OTHERS TO JUDGE, AND NOT YOU. IN THIS RESPECT, I THINK THE VERDICT OF OTHERS VIEWING YOUR THEATRICS WILL BE NOTHING SHORT OF UNANIMOUS.
IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, WHEN I RESPONDED TO YOUR POSTS MUCH EARLIER, YOUR REPLY USED TO END WITH “RIP.’. CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG SIR, BUT I THINK YOU MEANT “REST IN PEACE.” OF COURSE, MR. SACHI SRI KANTHA, I AM ALWAYS AT PEACE WITH MYSELF (ALTHOUGH I MAY OCCASSIONALLY BE NOT AT PEACE WITH OTHERS LIKE YOU). WHEN MY ALL TIME HERO MUHAMMAD ALI WAS ONCE TOLD BY A REPORTER, “ALI, YOU ARE THE GREATEST.”, ALI IMMEDIATELY QUIPPED “COME ON, TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT MYSELF THAT I ALREADY DON’T KNOW.” SO I BORROW FROM MY HERO AND RESPOND TO YOUR “RIP” AS “COME ON SACHI, TELL ME SOMETHING THAT I DON’T ALREADY KNOW ABOUT MYSELF.” (BECAUSE I ALREADY KNOW THAT I AM RESTING IN PEACE WITH MYSELF).
NOW I REALIZE I HAVE REALLY WASTED MY TIME IN POSTING THIS. I SHOULD NOT HAVE, BECAUSE IT WILL NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THE PERSON ON WHOM IT WAS INTENDED TO. SO, SACHI SRI SKANTHA, YOU CAN CONTINUE YOUR THEATRICS AS LONG AS YOU WANT TO PERFORM WITH YOUR EVER CHANGING, AND DISTORTED COMEDY. BUT THE SHOWTIME IS OVER FOR ME. GOOD LUCK TO YOU. YOU NEED A LOT OF THAT!
Well, it’s time to put a stop to the correspondence. I never asked Mr. Goonewardena to waste his time on me.
French author Andre Ferdinand Herold (1865-1940) is NOT an unknown identity. The book, I quoted was published 100 years ago. If Mr. Goonewardena is keen on finding more about his writings and credibility, I suggest to check this link http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n87896128/
As Goonewardena implies, he is NOT a friend of mine. He died, before I was born. Amen.
Hello Mike,
I do appreciate your thoughts about Mr. Goonawardena’s scribbles. Your words to him – “I have let the accusations and the bile you display appear because the Thuppahi readership will be able to comprehend what sort of person you are — that is, IF they bother to read your fulminations.’ are a straight knockout punch to his nastiness.
Here is a limerick, I wrote today about his behavior.
There lives an uppity guy with a name Goon
who got offended by a humorous tag ‘Goon’
He riles madly at Roberts Mike
to scribble ‘Tuppahi – I don’t like’
That’s a sad story of the sourpuss named Goon.
Sachi Prabakaran,
I don’t give a damn about what social parasites, scavengers like you howl. Because that is all you do. Howl, and when near to being knocked out, start making reference to websites. So, your facts are in websites, isn’t it you parasite? Irrespective of whose website it is and irrespective of whether it is accurate or not, isn’t it?
As for Roberts’ belated request for his audience to pass judgment on me, it is way too late. That is because people would have seen almost two months ago (?), how this editor (if you can call him one) placed a email letter I had written to him personally, in the view of the public CAPTIONING that I I quit Thuppahi’s blog in ‘disgust”, when the truth is that I had never used the word “disgust” anywhere in my personal letter to him. Not only that, this immature and childish, but yet, very sinister editor while committing the cardinal sin and facing the legal consequences of placing a personal letter in view of the public without permission from the writer, and also decorating that letter of mine with cartoons of his choice, thereby committing another illegal act of distortion of a document (in this case, a letter) by willfully, changing the contents and intentions of that personal letter.
Sachi Prabakaran, now you have joined hands with Roberts. That is a hallmark of a parasite, because isn’t it you, yourself who lamented to Roberts that you would have preferred him to insert your photo instead of a photo of Prabakaran pointing a revolver when he wrote that incriminating post about you calling you a “tangential Tamil sniper.” How times and friendships change for you, however insincere and opportunistic they be. Urghh!
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As for Roberts, many things will come to light very soon about his hatred towards certain segments and personalities of Sri Lanka, past and present. Here is one for a starter. (I don’t think he will publish this post of mine when he gets reminded of the personal crusade he has been engaging against Sinhala Buddhists from a very very long time). This one refers to one of his articles as way back as 1998. His actual crusade began even much, much earlier.
I refer to an article which appeared in the Sunday Times of Sri Lanka on the 4th of October 1998 in which Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku raised in parliament a number of issues regarding an article this venomous Roberts wrote regarding Anagarika Dharmapala in the Sunday Observer (whose editor at that time also had some perverted inclinations) of September 25th, 1998. For brevity I will take only some of the contents of Dr. Kodituwakku’s statement in parliament. In his article, Roberts is said to have claimed that the Anagarika’s “sexual urges came in to serious conflict with his goal.” Dr. Kodituwakku rightly pointed out whether it was the national hero’s psychiatrist who furnished the medical report to Dr. Roberts, the writer of the offensive article. I now go one step further and ask Roberts whether any fair sex member of his ancestry also knew the Anagarika well?
Later, Dr. Kodituwakku asked for an inquiry to find out who authorized the publishing of such an article in a largely read national newspaper (I have given a hint of who authorized it, above). Dr. Kodituwakku goes on to say “What is the significance of this report which projects this country as a sex paradise and at the same time tries to destroy what is left of a vibrant culture of a proud and incomparable national identity.” (I guess the paranoid Roberts must be laughing his guts out again when he is reminded of this sentence of Dr. K). Dr. K also goes on to say that this article coincided with the Anagarika’s birth anniversary.
I am not here to defend Anagarika Dharmapala. I do not know much about him, anyway But, it is very obvious what kind of hatred Roberts has towards this man (not only in this article, but many others he has written about the Anagarika). This kind of hate-filled statements cannot be expected from any person with a sane mind. So, it is very clear that Roberts, a Reader (only) at the University of Adelaide, and a person who we thought would act responsibly both as the owner and editor of this blog, could stoop down to these levels that are usually exhibited in the alleys and gutters. ROBERTS, YOU OWE IT TO YOUR READERS IN THIS BLOG TO PROVE CONVINCINGLY THAT THE ANAGARIKA HAD SUCH SEXUAL URGES. IF YOU CANNOT, YOU SHOULD APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY NOT ONLY TO THOSE IN THIS BLOG BUT TO ALL SENSIBLE SRI LANKANS (OF WHICH, YOU AND SACHI PRABAKARAN, NEVER, EVER HAVE BEEN).
YOU HAVE ENGAGED OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN TRYING TO EXPOSE SINHALA BUDDHIST CHAUVANISM. YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT IN A COUNTRY IN WHICH THE VAST MAJORITY ARE SINHALA BUDDHISTS. YOU SHOULD AT LEAST BE THANKFUL FOR THEIR PATIENCE WITH MADMEN LIKE YOU. IN MANY OTHER COUNTRIES, YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN SHRED TO PIECES PHYSICALLY. YOU DO NOT STOP AT THE ANAGARIKA. YOU ACCUSE SWRD BANDARANAYAKE, PHILLIP GOONEWARDENA, WS KARUNARATNE AND MANY OTHERS AS SINHALA CHAUVANIST IN THE SAME VEIN. UNFORTUNATELY, ROBERTS, THIS STEMS FROM THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE NO PEDIGREE, AND AS A RESULT OF THAT INFERIORITY COMPLEX, YOU ARE ALWAYS BITTER ABOUT OTHERS.
THERE ARE SOME OTHERS LIKE YOU WHO NEED TO BE EXPOSED AS PARASITES WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE SRI LANKA IN TO A HELL-HOLE. THESE INCLUDE, TISARANEE GUNASEKERA, DAYAN JAYATILLEKE, AND SURREPTITIOUSLY THAT HEAD OF THE CENTER FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES, WHOSE NAME DOES NOT COME TO MY MIND AT THE MOMENT. WE ARE ALSO AWARE OF IGNITION CHARGED RESEARCH INSTITUTES LIKE “VERITES RESEARCH”. I READ WITH HUGE AMUSEMENT THAT THEY HAD HOSTED YOU AND SHOW IT ON THEIR WEBSITE OR GOOGLE POST AS ‘AN EVENING WITH MICHAEL ROBERTS.” THAT MUST HAVE BEEN SOME EVENING FOR WHAT I CAN GATHER IS THAT YOU MADE SOME GENERALIZATIONS, OR, ONE MIGHT EVEN SAY, YOU COINED A “THEORY” ON THE BASIS OF WHAT YOU OBSERVED IN A CRICKET MATCH IN AUSTRALIA WHERE YOUR CASE STUDY WAS AN INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE BETWEEN TWO SRI LANKAN SPECTATORS AND AN AUSTRALIAN FIELDER (WHO I BELIEVE WAS FIELDING NEAR THE ROPES). YES, ROBERTS YOUR “RESEARCH” WAS BASED ON THAT SINGLE AND VERY SHORT EPISODE (AN ARGUMENT, I PRESUME, BETWEEN THE TWO SPECTATORS AND THE AUSSIE FIELDER). I DON’T KNOW OF ANY RESEARCH METHODOLOGY THAT FITS YOUR “RESEARCH”. I WOULD HAVE TO CALL YOUR “RESEARCH METHODOLOGY”, WHICH IS A NEW ONE TO EVERYONE, AS, “ROBERTS’, THREE INDIVIDUAL-ONE INCIDENT RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.” AND OF COURSE, A “RESEARCH” PAPER BASED ON THIS METHODOLOGY. SO, IT SEEMS YOU KEPT THE ‘RESEARCHERS’ AT VERITES RESEARCH GLUED TO YOUR EXPOSITION OVER SEVERAL CUPS OF COFFEE THAT EVENING (IN THEIR AUDITORIUM?). I HAVE LISTENED MANY TIMES TO THE SHALLOW AND ONE-SIDED EXPLANATIONS OF SOME OF THEIR BIG-WIGS OVER THE MEDIA. OFTEN, COMMENTING ON THINGS WHICH THEY WERE REALLY ALMOST CLUELESS. WE CALL THAT “BORU KAIVAARU”. NO WONDER, YOUR “RESEARCH” BLENDED WELL WITH THEM AND THEY EVEN NOW HAVE THAT EVENING AND A SUMMARY OF YOUR DISCOURSE ON THE INTERNET.
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ROBERTS, I HAVE NEVER WRITTEN LIKE THIS OF ANYONE. BUT, AS FOR YOU, YOU DESERVE MUCH MORE, AND YOU WILL GET IT IN GOOD MEASURE. YOU WILL SHUT ME FROM THIS BLOG. UNFORTUATELY FOR YOU, I WILL HAVE ACCESS TO MANY OTHER SITES, AND I MIGHT DECIDE TO GALVANIZE SUPPORT FOR EXPOSING YOU, AND YOUR INTENTIONS FULLY, THROUGH A SITE OF MY OWN.
WE HAVE TOLERATED PARASITES LIKE YOU MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR FAR, FAR TOO LONG. WE HAVE TAKEN YOUR VENOM WITHOUT PROTEST. THAT HAS MADE YOU EVEN MORE RESOLUTE IN DENOUNCING SINHALA BUDDHISTS. I AM A SINHALA BUDDHIST. BUT WHAT HAVE I OR VERY MANY OTHERS DONE TO BE SUBJECT TO YOUR RIDICULE AND INSULT OVER A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME?
THE TIME FOR YOUR PARASITIC BEHAVIOUR IS OVER. DO NOT SEARCH THE DUTBINS FOR MORSELS WITH WHICH YOU WANT TO ‘FIX’ GROUPS AND PEOPLE WHOM YOU HAVE DECIDED IN ADVANCE TO ‘FIX’. THAT IS NOT RESEARCH. THAT IS ONLY MORBID HATRED BEING SPAT OUT AT INNOCENT PEOPLE.
AS FOR PEOPLE LIKE TISARANEE GUNASEKERA, AND DAYAN JAYATILLEKE, IF THEY FEEL SO PERSECUTED BY US, OR THEY WANT TO BE THE BEARER OF THE CROSS, WHY DON’T THEY GET LOST FROM THIS COUNTRY AND END UP IN SOME PLACE LIKE SIBERIA, WHERE NO ONE WILL CARE ANY BIT ABOUT THEIR PERSISTENT COMEDY.
I WILL PERSONALLY CAMPAIGN AND GET SUPPORT TO SEE THAT YOU, MICHAEL ROBERTS IS MADE PERSONA NON GRATIA TO SRI LANKA. BECAUSE PARASITES LIKE YOU DO NOT HAVE GRATITUDE FOR THE FACT THAT WE TREATED YOU AS EQUALS, AND DID NOT TRAMPLE (MINORITIES) YOU TO THE GROUND AS HAPPENS IN SOME OTHER COUNTRIES.
YOUR PROBLEM ROBERTS IS THAT YOU TRY TO POSE OFF AS HAVING A SUPERIORITY COMPLEX, WHILST KNOWING UNDERNEATH, THAT YOU ARE INFERIOR. BUT YOU SHOULD NOT USE YOUR TWISTED NERVES TO MERCILESSLY HOUND OTHERS WHO HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NO WRONG TO YOU.
WE WILL ACTUALLY RESEARCH YOU CAREFULLY AND CLINICALLY, ROBERTS (AND, NOT “SEARCH” , AS YOU DO) SO THAT IN THE END WE WILL HAVE A HUGE DOSISIER WHICH WE WILL DONATE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF PERADENIYA, AND, ALSO, EXPOSE YOU TO THE MEDIA AS A DOUBLE-HEADED VIPER..
I SINCERELY HOPE AT LEAST SOME PEOPLE IN THIS BLOG REALIZE WHAT AN EXTREMELY SINISTER AND SKEWED PERSON YOU ARE DEALING WITH.
ROBERTS, YOU ARE A WORTHLESS PUNK.
Where is my other post about you Roberts? Why are you concealing it? Coward!
Sachi Prabakaran,
I quote from your post of 22nd September:
“Well, it’s time to put a stop to the correspondence. I never asked Mr. Goonewardena to waste his time on me.”
How did you who wanted to “put a stop to the correspondence” get suddenly rejuvenated once Roberts made those ridiculing statements about my bile, etc.? Does your morbid personality always look for opportunism? No wonder you need help.
Hello Mr. Goonewardena,
Thanks. I will put a stop, when you stop writing nonsense. It seems you are simply ignorant, of why I cite specific websites and works. It’s for other readers of the Thuppahi blog to check and deduce your ignorance about Buddhism and Buddhist scholars. You couldn’t even recognize French scholar Andre Ferdinand Herold’s contributions to Buddhism. You wrongly guessed that he is still living, and I listened to him with a tape recorder. When he wrote the book ‘Life of Buddha’ 100 years ago, a tape recorder was not in the market.
So, what is the latest about your idiot patent application process?