-By A Staff Writer
(Lanka-e-News -09.March.2025, 11.00 PM) Parliament is often home to profound debates, but every now and then, it becomes a stage for theatre of the absurd. Enter Dr. Arjuna Ramanathan MP, a man whose recent intervention in the debate on the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) was nothing short of an accidental comedy special.
Here we have a self-proclaimed human rights crusader, an independent MP from Northern Sri Lanka, who has decided that his most pressing concern is not the economic struggles of his constituents, nor post-war reconciliation, nor even the dire issues plaguing his own Tamil community—but rather, the matrimonial affairs of Muslims. Why, one must ask, is he so obsessed with Muslim marriage laws?
Perhaps it is because he has no real political standing. Perhaps, in the absence of any serious policy contributions, he has decided that controversy is his best bet for relevance. Or maybe, just maybe, he believes that meddling in matters he does not understand will win him a few moments of spotlight in Parliament.
Dr. Ramanathan’s political career is an oddity. A medical doctor by profession, educated at the expense of Sri Lankan taxpayers, he now finds himself in Parliament—possibly by sheer accident rather than merit. And what does he choose to do with this platform? Engage in a mystifying attack on the fundamental cultural fabric of the Muslim community.
His argument? That Muslim women should not have arranged marriages. His logic? Non-existent. Islam already grants women the right to accept or reject a marriage proposal—something he would have known if he had done even the most basic research before launching his parliamentary performance. Instead, he lectures an entire community without understanding its customs, traditions, or legal framework.
But then again, logic was never the strong suit of a man who openly glorifies the LTTE, a terrorist outfit responsible for some of the worst atrocities in Sri Lanka’s history—including the mass expulsion of Muslims from the Northern Province in 1990. For someone who speaks of human rights, he appears disturbingly selective about whose rights matter.
Dr. Ramanathan’s curious fixation on the MMDA is not only laughable but also deeply suspicious. Does he genuinely believe he is an expert on Islamic jurisprudence? Or is he simply executing someone else’s agenda?
Is he being nudged by external forces to stoke division?
Is his obsession with Muslim marriage laws an attempt to remain politically relevant?
Or does he simply hold an irrational vendetta against the Muslim community?
Whatever the answer, one thing is clear: his parliamentary theatrics are an insult to the intelligence of Sri Lankans. If his goal was to spark a debate, he has failed—because educated voices do not waste their breath on empty rhetoric. If he hoped to undermine Muslim cultural autonomy, he has only strengthened the resolve of the community.
Dr. Arjuna Ramanathan may call himself an independent MP, but his thought process remains imprisoned in ignorance. Parliament deserves statesmen, not jokers—and Sri Lanka deserves leaders who engage in serious policymaking, not attention-seeking performances.
-By A Staff Writer
---------------------------
by (2025-03-09 18:05:21)
Read 15594 Times
Leave a Reply
0 discussion on this news