A yellow peril on the rise

Light Refractions

By Lucien Rajakarunanayke

The term Yellow Peril was coined by German Emperor Wilhelm II in 1895, and about the same time it referred to what Americans saw as the threat or menace of Chinese immigrants who came as coolie slaves or labourers; it was later extended to the Japanese, notably in the United States, due to Japanese military expansion in the 1940s.

There is a new Yellow Peril on the rise in our own country. It is the peril from a robe that is far removed from the teaching of compassion it is expected to represent, and raises major issues for those who traditionally respect those clad in this robe.

This week saw a swell in the tide of this yellow peril with threats, by a much publicized person in a yellow robe, to a magistrate’s court in a Colombo suburb, and even a challenge to the very legal system that is followed, which was called the "white man’s law".

The yellow clad person behaving in the most non-venerable manner, showed how far a culture of intolerance had spread in the country, when he behaved most contemptuously within the premises of a court of law. The following day, when he was correctly brought under arrest to the same court, there were many more in the same robe, some even removing it for better freedom of movement and not any respect for the robe, clash with the police and threaten to invade the court premises.

The presence of the leader of this rising yellow peril in the custody of the Prison authorities, as directed by the Court, is no cause for slumber to those concerned about this major challenge to the core values of our cultural traditions, deeply rooted in the teachings of Buddhism, that those who voluntarily and genuinely don this yellow robe are known to bring to our knowledge and understanding.

It may seem easy to shrug this off as the work of one more eccentric person; over enthusiastic about the teaching he is expected to spread. Yet, such a shrugging away could be very dangerous, because the same forces of yellow peril and hatred, under the same leadership, did cause serious violence against another religious community, not so long ago; and has acted with the least compunction in spreading hatred and intolerance towards other communities, with encouraging political nods of approval from those who once held the reins of power.

This force of yellow power and peril has also forcibly entered state institutions, disrupted their work, threatened senior administrators, with reactions from those then in power of consent and connivance. Strangely, the only official response was the setting up of a Religious Affairs Unit in the Police Department, which ignored all such situations with a wholly religious commitment to inaction.

What we now see rising is a major cultural threat to the concepts of tolerance and understanding, the promotion of which are the declared policies of those now in the realms of power, and calling for a very clear response of contemptuous rejection and the strongest action against its spread.

It in the very recent past we saw one of the strongest reactions by none other than the President himself, to what was described as a gross insult to our culture, in the organizing of a musical event named "Love & Sex" involving a foreign performer of repute, the huge sales of liquor to highly priced ticket holders, and the throwing of a brassiere at the performer possibly by a drunk or enthralled member of the audience.

We have also heard much being said about the need to curb the increased consumption of liquor and smoking of tobacco, attempted largely by higher prices, which bring even more revenue to state coffers.

All of this, we are told, is to preserve our centuries old culture. Then why is no concern about the much more serious threat to our culture by this rising yellow peril, that is gaining political momentum too, and could well lead to Fascism and racist and religious dominance, that are far, far away from what the genuine yellow robe stands for?

It is right to prevent the emergence of another Buddharakkitha or Somarama. But, that was an inner political cum business conspiracy. It is far different to the use of the yellow robe for public attacks on the judiciary, the search for the truth on missing persons, and governance with accountability.

If that "bra throwing" event was an assault on our culture that called for a Madu Valigey attack on its promoters, what is the weapon to be used to put a hold to and prevent the spread of this yellow peril staring at us today, using a robe of compassion for one of hatred?