In the 1960s Mrs Bandaranayake asked the Irish Nursing Nuns to leave the country. This was because, despite their selfless nursing, they insisted on baptising dying patients irrespective of their religion. Mrs Bandaranayake had the guts to do what her husband did not do.

In the 1960s the Bauddha Jathika Balavegaya of L.H.Mettananda successfully challenged the power and influence of the Catholic Church. This resulted in an attempted coup and later a marked decrease in the number of Christians being allowed to join the military.

Today's two leaders are not of the same calibre. They could expel the vultures who thrive on the poor and the hungry but they are only interested in power for themselves.

Missionary activity carried to its logical conclusion will result in Sri Lanka becoming a Christian country. The dagabas, temples and bo trees will end up like the pyramids of Egypt, only interesting to tourists and historians. It is not too late for our leaders to show that they do, in fact, have guts.

Anonymous
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