Pitiduwe Siridhamma, also known as Siri Samanthabhadra Thero, made the following statement addressing the media. "I think the government needs to be more intelligent and political in this issue. I think they first got entangled in an unnecessary problem. We said from day one to forgive Gnanasara Thero. But they didn't do that. They behaved arrogantly.
We also remember that we went to the Presidential Secretariat and had a big struggle to get the Presidential Secretary to come out. I think we appoint a government not to fulfill the government's wants and needs, but to fulfill the needs of the general public of the country. It would be good if the government understands this and resolves these issues intelligently. Otherwise, this has now escalated into a meaningless conflict. See, if that problem had been resolved then and there, when they came to this office that day, it would have been over. Now it's turning into a struggle. So, we don't know what will happen in the future. We can't say those things. It's bad to create meaningless problems; one needs to be intelligent and use their head. That's what politics is.
A Swami from India came, and they are taking him around the country everywhere in helicopters. Is that what should really be happening? Now, when we say we want to bring tourists, tourism promotion doesn't mean showing Anuradhapura to Swamis; we need to create more projects. Today, most of those who come to Sri Lanka as tourists are not tourists but hippies. What tourists need to come... now, that elephant was killed, was there any purpose in that? That elephant wasn't properly protected. I think these problems are not being managed. Only electricity was managed. That's the problem.
I think the way people in Sri Lanka are, if you try to control them by imposing too many laws, they will break them. We live in a country where people don't even listen to the Mahanayaka Thero. We know that. So, I think instead of doing things to cover up government mistakes, they should give people freedom and respect democracy. Even if we, for example, have some children at home, what happens if you beat them, put them in a room, and lock it? They will tear off the roof and run away. If you give them more freedom and act intelligently, many problems can be solved. Now, I think it's meaningless; because of politically ignorant actions, we should never create meaningless problems. We need to be intelligent. You can't control people's problems by bringing laws when there's a lack of intelligence. Could Gotabaya control a massive crowd? I think by being intelligent, the democratic rights and human freedom in the country, which is amazing in other countries now, is being opposed here in the world. We are becoming tribal. Then not a single foreigner will come. Now, that incident with the elephant, it's a big incident that has gone worldwide. Our opinion was that these things would have been better handled.
Venerable Sir, while this protest is taking place at Viharamahadevi Park, the government is also staging protests across the country. How do we view that?
Now, if someone scolds us, or if someone scolds father at home, father doesn't bring the neighbors and tell them to protest against me, does he? Have you ever heard of a ruling party behaving like this anywhere in the world? That means the government is afraid of these problems. We say, don't be afraid. Solve the problem properly. It's not about protests; people have real issues. Now, we've come to this village, to our old school. So, when you come, there are things people say, surrounding you from all sides. People have problems, some don't have enough to eat, some eat only two meals a day. They came to them continuously, without end, as was said. So, they don't go to Anura and tell him, Anura just goes waving his hand with security. People come after us and tell us their sorrows. Then we need to listen to them. We can't reject people. Then we say these things into this mic. These are actually not problems we should be saying; these are problems the country's leader should be listening to. But there's no one to listen, no leader with a living head. It's your mistake; when we said no, when we said 'the devil you know is better than the god you don't,' you spat it out. Now you yourselves are bearing the burden; we won't bear that burden. I think very much...
Venerable Sir, also, these days there's a 'waskavi' (curse poem) circulating on social media...
It's like this. From that day onwards. From that day onwards, people recited 'waskavi' to release the pressure in their minds. Now, 'The baby crocodile in the Matara river, with a white jaw and spotted neck, stopped the incoming boats and rafts, the baby crocodile of Matara does not eat humans.' That means it's about the person who collected tax there. When people felt pressure on their minds, they released that pressure through various methods. I say, let them release it. So, that implies there is a huge opposition to the government within society. It would be right to accept that instead of attacking it.
And in government protests held in other areas, they claim that this is the work of a limited number of Venerable monks at Viharamahadevi Park...
So, the Buddha first preached to a limited group of monks, five of them. How many people are there today? Everything starts small. If we don't solve something that started small while it's still small, we say, 'don't leave something that can be cut with a fingernail to be cut with an axe.' That's what we tell Anura. Now, to solve these problems, reduce prices. People now have too much flour, no gas everywhere in Colombo. To get a gas cylinder, you have to talk to this manager... to the boss here. So, how can a country run like that? So, let's see if this is a small matter in about another month.
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