Comments on: The Philosophy and Legitimacy of Sri Lanka’s Republican Constitution

By: Kandiah Perinpanathan

Kandiah Perinpanathan — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:53:37 +0000

Thank you for your analysis. As a participant in the Trade Union Seminar conducted by UPTO under Mr. Wilfred Perera and Erbert Stiftung in the Sixtees, where you were a guest speaker along with KC Nithyanantha of GCSU, Kulan Ratnesar then with attorney general department. All of the participants were full of praise for your presentation and subsequent discussions. It is no wonder this analysis is thought provoking. It is essential that educated and influential Sinhalease speak out for a peaceful settlement which will let the tamils full autonomy in the north east and power sharing at the center.
Perinpanthan, Los Angeles, CA

By: Estavez

Estavez — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 13:02:06 +0000

The sixth innovation of the 1972 constitution is to do away with the soulbury constitution enshrined minority protections.
The writer conveniently forgets that the ethnic conflict intensified after 1972 constitution where Tamils were further marginalized by the SLFP lead Republican Constitution.
Dr.Colvin R De Silva epitomizes the “double talk” of sinala leadership. His “One Nation – Two Languages, Two Nations – One language” wile in opposition and in govt him being the fore father of all ills by way of being the chief architect of the 1972 constiution.
Thus, your sinala leadership brought upon themselves the agony and chaos of war which with all the international support hasn’t seen and end in favour of the sinalese.
The stupidity of absolute power corrupting even the most erudite scholars of SL in the likes of Colvin spells doom to the Sinala race.

By: Sri

Sri — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 05:50:54 +0000

Thank you Dr Nihal Jayawicrama for writing such a nice article.
Should we not thank President J.R Jayawardena for imposing civic disability on an arrogant monster of 70s may be unjustly but thereby creating a fine humanist intellectual in the 90s because you were part of that Government that imposed an unjust constitution in 1972 on an unwilling minority, a racially motivated standardization and inhuman suppression of protesting youths thereby instrumental in the commencement of a long, bitter armed uprising that continue to swallow thousands to date?.
But your article especially when you recollect your speech delivered at the Felix R Dias Bandaranaike Memorial Lecture, 10 years back is electrifying.
But I disagree when you say that the initiative rests with the Government. It does not. It is an inherent right, no one not even international law could come in the way.