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Dear Editor,
I write with reference to the column written by your Political Editor in The Sunday Times of 15th May.

The assumption that the occasion described in the political column was the nomination of Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Presidential candidate is incorrect. The United National party nominated Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Presidential candidate at the 50th National Convention of the Party held on 5th December 2004. His acceptance speech was made on that occasion.

The event referred to by the Political Editor is the launch of the Party's propaganda campaign. A factual report of this is given in page 3 of The Sunday Times of 15th May. The key speaker on that occasion, Mr. Hemakumara Nanayakkara spoke after the Leader of the Party - Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Your columnists live happily with contradictions. On the one hand your political column has criticised the UNP for not observing tradition, including traditional Buddhist rites and ceremonials. On the other hand another column in your newspaper has criticised the Leader of the UNP and Leader of the Opposition for following Buddhist rites at the launch of his book, Deshapalanaya saha Dharmaya.

It appears that Buddhism to Rajpal Abeynayake, is like a red flag to a bull. He is of the view that Buddhism is fundamental and full of extreme positions thereby making impossible a pluralistic society in our country. We do not share the anti-Buddhist view of your columnist. The teachings of the Buddha are based on ahimsa, compassion, tolerance and respect. That is why it is possible for Buddhists to treat all other religions with respect and with tolerance, leading to co-existence among adherents of all religions. The Asokan Empire is a good example of such a pluralistic society. The UNP, following this example, has since inception upheld the freedom of religious worship and observance.

We have no wish to weary your readers by engaging in a long controversy on Buddhism through the columns of your newspaper. We offer the following quote from the Dhammapada for reflection.
Digha jagarato ratti - digham santassa yojanam
Digho balanam samsaro - saddhammam avijanatnam
Long is the night to the sleepless; long is the mile to the tired; and long is samsara to the witless who knows not the sublime teachings.
Tissa Attanayake
Asst. General Secretary
United National Party

Our Political Editor says:
We note a sudden flush of spirituality pervading the UNP. It possibly has something to do with the Vesak atmosphere, or the party leader's release of his book 'Politics and the Dhamma' this week. Maybe they are working towards a Dharmishta Rajya which could not be fully implemented from 1977-89.
We wish them the best, considering the fact that they need to retrieve a lot of lost Buddhist votes in recent years, if they are to regain office.

Meanwhile, Rajpal Abeynayake says:
I did speak of Mr Wickremesinghe doing the bull Clinton. Attanayake seems to have put the hat on - he is getting pretty bovine in his reply, saying also that to me Buddhism is like a red flag to a bull. I didn't have to be given an Attanayake sermon this Vesak - having imbued Buddhism from the written discourses of the great Teacher himself. He says I'm of the view that "Buddhism is fundamental and full of extreme positions thereby making impossible a pluralistic society in our country.

'' If Attanayake is going to put such hilariously facetious and untrue words that only he can dream-up in my mouth, I suggest that he takes over and writes my column in future. All I wrote was, "instead of capitalizing on the pluralistic Sri Lankan identity Ranil Wickremesinghe is trying to wear a nationalist hat.'' Nationalist here refers to being politically Buddhist a la UNP; not being Buddhist per the Buddha. Anyhow, Attanayake is obviously not writing on my article, he is merely hallucinating about it. He says: "another columnist (me) in your newspaper has criticized the Leader of the Opposition for following Buddhist rites at the launch of his book Deshapalanaya saha dharmaya.''

I wrote my column on Sunday. The book launch took place on Monday. Attanayake's political Buddhism is so zealous, he seems to exist in a time and space of his own.

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