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| Can’t there be any minorities live near the Dambulu gala? (Stone of Dambulla) |
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 (Lanka-e-News-24.April.2012,9.30PM) It is regrettable to see the conduct of Inamaluwe Sumangala thero marching and leading a protest to destroy a worship place of a minority community of Sri Lanka. It is a disgrace to witness the conduct of this thero to call an ethnic community of Sri Lanka in a nick name as “Thambiya” in public when addressing the protestors. We as Sri Lankans should condemn the act of this Thero in public instigating ethnic hatred between communities.
It is not suitable for this clergy trying to forcibly attack and evict a place of religious worship and engage in protest. If he has objection that the religious place is an unauthorized structure or a new site under construction he can go through a legal proceeding and seek the help of judiciary if the place is to be evacuated or be destructed. This clergy has gathered around 5000 people including monks outside the district and come by marching displaying placards that Dambulla is a Buddhist sacred area and no other worship places should be there in the area.
According to the people in the area this worship place is in the area for almost 25 years and not an unauthorized structure, newly built or under construction. There are no complains from the neighboring residents about any disturbance. According to the sources this land was donated by well wishers in the area to perform religious activities for Muslims who are resident there are for the travelers who visit the area. How can a bunch of people led by monks can force a community to evacuate or close the place of worship with immediate effect?. There is no necessity for the Thero to start a sudden protest and engage in violence. If the worship place is inside the premises of the Vihara they should provide documentary evidence to prove that this place is an unauthorized occupation. It is not a civilized act of this communal Inamaluwe Sumangala Thero to take people, thugs and monks and barge by force into a place of worship and forcibly evict people who are indulge in prayers. If the Dambulla is considered as a Buddhist sacred place can’t there be any minority communities living, if so can’t they indulge in their worships without disturbing the rest of the community.
As a matter of fact there are vihara’s built occupying acres of lands in almost every street in Colombo, in all districts and all the villages. Most of the areas inside the premises are grown wild where the activity of the abiththaya is to sweep the garden almost half of the day. If Inamaluwe sumangala thero consider the Muslim and the Hindu worship place is built using the temple property he could prove that by showing the necessary ownership certificates. Though Dambulla is considered to be a sacred area of Buddhist that does not justify the places of other worship should be evacuated or shifted.
It is worthwhile to note and not to be blamed when comparing religious activities it is a practice of Muslims to attend to five time prayers a day and there are considerable people attending to each prayer session where as Buddhist devotees visit the temple once a week for Daham school, once a month for a Poya or otherwise once a year for Vesak or Poson. Therfore it is very unfair to shift the place of worship of frequent devotees to a location not accessible to people who perform their religious rights daily. It is convenient for the community to gather in a place close to their residence within walking distance rather than traveling by bus. Therefore we all living as Sri Lankan’s in one country where majority of Buddhist living with a minority community in most places we should never create a space by violence activities to create a communal hatred within communities. Rather we can live with coexistence with a greater understanding with a sense of humour and respect where one community worship does not clash or be a nuisance with the other.
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It is not suitable for a senior clergy to call a minority community by “Thambiya” in public. I wish to inform this unscrupulous clergy that it is the “Thambi” states who gave their support during UNHRC against the US resolution and it is this “Thambi” states who are giving employment for Sri Lankan labour in the Middle East which is the first foreign exchange income to our country. While ignoring the stupid remarks of certain communal clergies, statements as such should be condemned, as it instigate hated within illiterate grass root communities. It is disgrace to see certain monks disrobe their cloth and showing their anger trying to enter the premises. It is very sarcastic of the Inamaluve thero to question a Tamil resident of the area are you living from the 18th century when she responded to a question as she knows this temple from the day she was born. He threatened the resident to remove the Kovil immediately if not the residents too will be removed from the place. He further showed the Hindu temple is situated near the stone of Dambulla (Dambulu gala) so this should be evacuated. I wish to ask a simple question from the Inamaluwe thero what is the problem of having a Kovil near the stone of Dambulla. He further elaborated that these are occupied lands of the vihara.
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He warned the district secretariat that these mosque and Hindu temple should be evacuated on the 23rd if not they will be coming on the 24th not like this. I wish to ask another simple question from the Inamaluve thero as a senior clergy how he wishes to come on the 24th. He warned the SP in charge of the Dambulla not to visit the place on the 24th to give protection to the latter.
It is disgusting to see the hooting sounds of the monks as soon as they break the door of the mosque and hostile with the police to allow breaking the mosque and it is disgraced to see when people start to laugh when another monk told that no Muslims should visit at least to use the latrines. I wish to remind the impious senses of Ven. Inamaluwa Sumangala thero that it is not correct for a senior clergy to use such language and take the laws into hands and instigate people to throw patrol bomb and start protesting carrying slogans to protect the Buddhist rights (Boudhdha urumaya) of Rangiri Dambulla to evacuate religious places of minorities, if you have any objection of any forceful occupation or unauthorized structures in temple lands you seek the assistance of the police and judiciary and go through a legal procedure which is civilized, cultured and moral. We welcome the protection given by the Police OIC in charge for not using tear gas as it might have provoked the protestors and initiated violence
It is worthwhile to think for a moment if such a disgusting act is performed by a senior clergy for such a simple issue of disallowing a religious right of a minority how can the majority allow the implementation of the 13th amendment and the 13th plus.
By the way the Muslims should welcome the religious rights given to them by the previous regimes in Sri Lanka as a minority community and urge the majority Buddhist masses not to provoke for the instigation of communal clerics and politicians who take advantage of the situation.
I wish to remind the Muslim community more than building mosques (not in this case) it is pleasant to gather in one mosque and do your rights and not to expand religious worship sites without proper approval of the UDA or relevant authority unless it is essential.
I wish to reminder the Buddhist community more than displaying religious statues in every trishaw stand, bow tree and a round about to respect and practice the teachings of Lord Buddha has preached.
By Robin Hood
Defending the rights of all Sri Lankan’s
Originally published in Lanka e news
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