By Kandiah Neelakandan and M. Karhiragamanthan –
Kandiah Neelakandan
All Ceylon Hindu Congress (Federation of Hindu Religious Associations and Hindu Temples in Sri Lanka) was shocked and grieved to hear that 150 year old statue of Shri Muthumariamanan which was in Shri Murugan Kovil in Udunuwara in Hali Ela Badulla District had been damaged by undesirable criminal elements.
When such destructions and thefts were reported we brought those to the notice of the concerned persons and also to the appropriate authorities including His Excellency the President, the Secretary to the Defence Ministry and the IGP but those responsible for those criminal acts have not been arrested and brought before the Law. Such failure to take action appears to be encouraging those undesirable criminal elements to continue these criminal acts of destruction and thefts. Who is responsible for this unfortunate continuous dilemma to the Hindu People of this country and for the Divine statues being continuously destroyed and the valuable items being continuously stolen in the Hindu Temples?
Although the Hindus have expressed their shock and disappointment at the continuing illegal acts and expressed their dismay at these unfortunate happenings only to the places of worship of minorities the Government and the Officers responsible for law and order have failed to take steps to prevent those.
Therefore all the religious leaders and the political leaders should insist on the Government guaranteeing of cessation of these acts of injustice.
Although the State is to give Buddhism the foremost place it is also entrusted with another important duty by Article 9 of the Constitution to assure to all religions the rights of freedom and enjoyment with equality of those religions also, as enshrined in the Articles 10 and 14 (1) (e) of the Constitution. Failure to do so amounts to be an offence of insulting the Republican Constitution.
It cannot be the policy of the Government to allow the destruction of the Hindus and their places of worship and thus violates the Republican Constitution.
Harbi / December 12, 2013
Mr. Kandiah Neelakandan, There are plenty of Hindu Kovils and Religious places being looted by robbers. If you have enough time and go through the whole list of people who is doing it you may fined to your surprise and dismay majority robbers are Tamils who break in to Kovils. If you don’t trust this just get the details from the Sri Lanka police! When you try to spread false propaganda by saying Hindu Kovils were attacked when the truth is it being an attempt of robbery I don’t know to which hell you will go one day when you die. Don’t you had enough killing in Sri Lanka due to spread of Ethnic and Religious hatred for the last 30 years? Do you want to kill many more? What kind of a low life are you! Shame on you!
/
Dude / December 12, 2013
Boru Balu Habibi -stop talking RUBBISH – Dude!
Your patron Gota the White Van Goon and his private Militia – the Balu Sena headed by Pathala Champika has been attacking Christians, Muslims, Tamil places of worship for years.
/
sid / December 12, 2013
Sri Lanka needs an URGENT BILL modeled on the British Bill on the Prevention of the Incitement to Racial and religious hatred and hate speech. Such a bill would also criminalizes attacks on ALL places of religious worship. The unprincipled dead leftist, Vasudeva Nanayakaara who so-called Minister of National Languages and Social integration long ago promised to bring us a Bill to the diya-wenna parliament but has not done so. Lawyers and academics and civil soceity must hence take the lead on drafting and presenting such a Bill as a private member’s bill. It also needs all the minority ethnic and religious groups to unit and ensure that there is a clear policy to promote MULTICULTURALISM in the country.
/
WINSTON DEVALLIERE / December 13, 2013
“so-called Minister of National Languages and Social integration”
DONA ‘T YOU THINK HE’D BETTER LEARN HOW TO ‘INTEGRATE’ IN WEDLOCK AND GIVE SOCIAL DIGNITY TO HIS 35 YEAR PARTNER FIRST BEFORE HE PRETENDS TO HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR A NATIONWIDE INTEGRATION PROGRAM? SHIT, 35 YEARS AND THAT POOR WOMAN’S BEEN ROBBED OF HER RIGHT TO CIVILIAN MARITAL STATUS.HE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET DOWN TO THAT IN 35 YEARS. THINK HE CAN HANDLE THE NATIONWIDE CHALLENGE BY YEAR 3000 AT LEAST ? AND THE MINISTER OF LANGUAGES HAD NO WORDS, ENGLISH, SINHALA OR TAMIL, WITH WHICH TO DEFEND HIS PARTNER. THINK HE CAN COME UP WITH ENOUGH WORDS TO DRAFT A NEW LANGUAGES POLICY ?
/
Kalupahana / December 13, 2013
Mr. Neelakandan – thanks for this. Please send a missive to Narendra Modi, the next Prime Minister of India, about the Rajapassa regime’s attack on Hindu places of worship in the north and east and plantation Indian Origin Tamil areas… Let us see what the BJP has to say to this?! Rajapakse and his Military occupation of traditionally HINDU HOMELANDS in Sri Lanka’s north east, where the elephant GOD GANESH TRADITIONALLY holds sway will not pass unnoticed by BJP. Attack HINDU shrines and GANADVIYO in Lanka and Tamil folk on BJP watch in Delhi and see what you get from the Hindutva crowd – far worse that silly old Manmohan and Congress could dream of.. And Modi is known to be ruthless.. A Congress defeat and MODI victory will be the WORST thing that happened to Mahinda Rajapassa – short of a war crimes trial..
/
Harbi / December 12, 2013
Every now and then a poor guy break in to a Religious place break the till box and it is going on. No need to tolerate it but poverty is the reason. The problem is this [Edited out] Kandiah Neelakandan is trying to give a false idea to the world as saying its an attack on to a Hindu Religious place. This [Edited out] MUST know that Sinhalese worship and goes to Kovils as much as or more than that they go to Temples. If [Edited out] denied it I’m not surprised since his and many others like him have separatists and hatred agenda with them to play around. They think by spreading lies again and again they could win the Eeelam Dream. If lies could win them the Eelam Dream it could have happened already. But sadly because they lied to the world and specially to their own Tamil People for som many years and so badly Kandiah Like people are destined to be where there are deserved to be.
/
Kalu Nangi / December 12, 2013
Harbi, you seem to be harboring a grudge against the Tamil people. Neelakandan is concerned not only about one attack but several such attacks on religious places. How can he be spreading hatred? If the Buddhists temples are attacked and the Buddhists report such attacks, would that amount to hatred? People like you, who are not rational minded, by your words and deeds keep the ethnic fires burning!
/
eksath / December 23, 2013
[Edited out]
/
Sammy / December 12, 2013
This is not an isolated incident and there had been another Kovil attacked in Dambulla area, in addition to mosques. Furthermore, whatever reason the attack was perpetrated for, the police need to take action. If you want to stop spreading religious hatred then why not tell the government, of which a rabid racist party like the JHU is a member, to take action against and stop mollycoddling the likes of Bodu Bala Sena and Ravana Balaya.
/
aratai / December 12, 2013
.
So, this is the state of Srilanka……hundreds of kovils are robbed!.
:-)
/
Harbi / December 12, 2013
Yes indeed because Kovils are not safe like any other place against Thieves and robbers. Unfortunately even GOD tolerate them. Unless thy should have been punished for stealing GOD’s Properties or damaging it! Even once I kept a Pooja at a Kovil against a thief who broke the Kovil door and took away many valuable items. Sadly nothing happened as I beg to the God to bring the culprits before the Kovil by Next Friday. So we repaired the door and had more strong Padlocks for the Door and the till Box!
/
G1 / December 13, 2013
Harbi the wise man, this article is about state sponsored terror against Kovils, mosques and churches, and not about the kovil thief breaking the kovil door to rob valuable items.
Yanne koheda malle pol???
On the same note…….. why not sinhala bauddha racist leave it to karma rather than crying foul when their fellow brethren convert to christianity or islam. ????
/
noel-jones / December 14, 2013
Aratai, Don’t be silly. Hundreds of buddhist temples,arch. sites looted through out the last few years and valuable statues,artefacts,money stolen. It is not only happened in hindu temples in Srilanka.
/
Thiru / December 12, 2013
The Rajapakse junta is setting the stage for partition of the Island: Sinhalese regimes don’t promote peaceful coexistence of different communities in the island. How can the State continue like this with racial and religious intolerance like these perpetrated by Sinhala extremists on others with impunity?
/
M.Sivananthan / December 12, 2013
Were you sleeping when LTTE killed six Hindu priests? Oh.. I forgot the LTTE are the DIVINE SOLDIERS OF CHRIST as per the leader of the BTF Fr. S.J.Emmanuel!
Under LTTE many Hindu temples were simply robbed. That may be the reason Soosai’s wife had 8 kilos of Gold when she got caught by the navy while escaping to India!
/
Native Vedda / December 12, 2013
M.Sivananthan ……… “Were you sleeping when LTTE killed six Hindu priests?” ………… How does it justify the destruction of Hindu temples, Christian churches and Muslim mosques under the very nose of Gota or in many cases with his active support?
/
JC / December 12, 2013
Shame on you Sivanathan. You are a traitor! Shame on your Buddhist kiss-ass self.
/
Palmsquirrell / December 12, 2013
You really think just because a guy has a distinctly Tamil name on an Anonymous forum, that he is Tamil.
/
aratai / December 13, 2013
.
Palmsquirrell______________________________________________________it all depends on his initials M.____________________________________ :-)
/
sach / December 12, 2013
how do u conclude this is an act by extremists? To me it looks more like a robbery. For an year, many of buddhist temples are being vandalised by thieves and robbers.
That is a robbery not any act of a extremist party. It is the same case here.
Actually the writer himself has not givern any evidence to suggest such. But he is TRYING to give a religious twist by saying how consititution is giving foremost place to Buddhism. That is trying to achieve a different thing using another.
/
John / December 12, 2013
If the attack is against Hinduism & not looting , then the Govt. should put all the resources available to bring culprits to book,…… I don’t think this has any political motive because even the president himself is seeking for Hindu Gods blessings.
/
Palmsquirrell / December 12, 2013
You don’t really think he believes in Hindu Gods do you? Come onm, it’s all an act , posturing and grandstanding. –Elites everywhere are not genuine theists, they just put a show for the brainwashed masses.
/
Anton / December 12, 2013
Disgraceful. Have you no sense of shame? Reporting an attack on a Kovil is inciting racial hatred? So, what does he do? Keep mum?
/
Ajith / December 12, 2013
Do you trust your Sri Lankan Police? They are just there to follow orders from BBS.
/
Palmsquirrell / December 12, 2013
There is a difference between petty theft and attacks designed to intimidate a community.
/
Amarasiri / December 12, 2013
Mr. Kandiah Neelakandan,……………………………………..
“When such destructions and thefts were reported we brought those to the notice of the concerned persons and also to the appropriate authorities including His Excellency the President, the Secretary to the Defence Ministry and the IGP but those responsible for those criminal acts have not been arrested and brought before the Law”……………………….
You are describing the culprits and their agents, above. They are namely…
1. Mahinda Rajapaksa……………………………………………
2. Gotabaya Rajapaksa………………………………………….
3. Their Regime Dogs……………………………………….
4. Sinhala Buddhist Racists……………………………….
It is rather very unfortunate that Lanka turned out to be “Buddhist” Sinhala Buddhist from the original Sinhala Hindu. Lanka should have remained Hindu like Bali, Indonesia. with 94% Hindus and peaceful……….So the core problem is Sinhala Buddhist Racism and the Buddhist Monk Hegemony. This is NOT what the enlightened Buddha preached….
/
Sidney / December 12, 2013
Sri Lanka needs an URGENT BILL modeled on the British Bill on the Prevention of the Incitement to Racial and religious hatred and hate speech. Such a bill would also criminalizes attacks on ALL places of religious worship. The unprincipled dead leftist, Vasudeva Nanayakaara who so-called Minister of National Languages and Social integration long ago promised to bring us a Bill to the diya-wenna parliament but has not done so. Lawyers and academics and civil soceity must hence take the lead on drafting and presenting such a Bill as a private member’s bill.
It also needs all the minority ethnic and religious groups to unit and ensure that there is a clear policy to promote MULTICULTURALISM in the country.
/
Thiru / December 12, 2013
There is no need for any BILL: It is the WILL to implement laws already in place that is needed.
/
aratai / December 13, 2013
.
Yes, it is the WILL, and the WILL reads, “all goes to Rajapakse’s”.
:-)
/
Paul / December 12, 2013
What is the point in such a bill when the Police, courts, lawyers etc are all corrupt?
/
Sammy / December 12, 2013
It is high time the minorities in this country join hands to bring to light, to the international community the lethargy and indifference of the government and other authorities to such incidents, when brought to their notice.
/
Ranjith / December 12, 2013
I presume Vasudeva Nanayakkara had to shelve the anti racial and religious bill due to pressure from the ruling elite whose prime intention is to promote religious and racial hatred by attacking, all religious places of worship, except Buddhist temples.All srilankans know very well who is behind these atrocities.
/
Amarasiri / December 14, 2013
Ranjith, ……………………………………………………..
“presume Vasudeva Nanayakkara had to shelve the anti racial and religious bill due to pressure ……..”……………………….
YES, but what is Karuna and the Other Tamils in the Govt doing?
Furthermore, Vasudeva is following the foot steps of his elders form the LSSP from a earlier ERA, and trading portfolios for ass licking of the Sinhala “Buddhist” Racists……………………………….
Lanka Sama Samaja Party ……………………………..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanka_Sama_Samaja_Party …………….
In 1964 the LSSP held a conference, at which the majority agreed with a theoretical categorisation of the SLFP by Hector Abhayavardhana as a petty bourgeois party, leaving the door open to a united front with it. A minority faction, led by Colvin R de Silva and Leslie Goonewardena, opposed the move but opted to stay within the Party. Another minority faction led by Edmund Samarakkody, Merryl Fernando, V Karalasingham and Bala Tampoe, left the party and formed the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (Revolutionary)- LSSP(R). …………..
Later that year, the LSSP joined the coalition government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Three of its MPs became Ministers; Dr N. M. Perera (Finance), Cholomondely Goonewardena (Public Works) and Anil Moonesinghe (Communications). The LSSP was expelled from the Fourth International, and the membership was passed on to LSSP(R).
/
Thiru / December 12, 2013
What is this nonsense of exclusive holy land for Buddhist shrines? Aren’t other religious places not holy? What is this idiocy of Buddhist superiority they are brandishing?
/
Amarasiri / December 12, 2013
Thiru,………………………………………………………
Buddhist Holy Land is in India.. Sri Lanka is Vedda Holy Land…
/
Lapatiya / December 12, 2013
150 Years is nothing when compared to 2600 years of civilized culture Mr. Kandiah Neelakandan.
/
Anpu / December 12, 2013
Did you mean 2600 years uncivilised…..
/
Lapatiya / December 12, 2013
If the king and the Family can destroy 2600 civilized culture, then there is no point of talking about destroying 150 Years of Old Kovil. Best thing is to close all the doors of Kovils to the King.
/
Trev / December 12, 2013
That is the problem you see… You talk of 2600 years of CIVILIZED CULTURE! Where is it, you find the CIVILIZED culture, Mr.?
/
Piranha / December 12, 2013
2600 years of Civilised culture? Really? The civilised culture has slowly but surely been destroyed since independence by successive Sinhala governments. Its all gone mate. Look around you and you will see the uncivilised behaviour of not only the people but more importantly your rulers. What a shame eh?
/
Saro / December 13, 2013
What is that you are proud of as a result of this “2600 years of civilised culture”? Intolerance towards other communities is barbaric? There are civilised and uncivilised people but nothing specific that you can hail as superior to other communities.
/
Victor / December 12, 2013
Harbi
Bhuddhist monk arresed for sexual abuse with youngsters; catholic clergy faces the same;
So should we not demolish all faith instituions?
Several wreckless drivers on the road, so let us close all forms of transport and let ordinay law abiding citizens face the consequences
If that is the soluion , long live the law and democracy.
/
Pasel / December 12, 2013
MR regime let this happen in Sri Lanka and they all go to india visit Hindu temples
/
Maghribi / December 12, 2013
How many were arrested and prosecuted? Absence of rule of law is a grave injustice to the law abiding tax paying citizens of Sri Lanka. The public pays all forms of taxes for security and safety. If the government fails, the people should take private measures to protect places of worship and their businesses.
/
Fathima Fukushima / December 12, 2013
That is not 150 years old.
It is only 50 years old.
Stop twisting history.
Tamils have NO history in SL. They belong to Tamil Madu.
/
kapu / December 12, 2013
fathima, surprising that you didn’t know he had a twisted toungue… please look at his face again..dear !
/
james / December 12, 2013
Fuku shima – get an enema done soonest, the soonest to clear your blocked brain passage
/
voice2013 / December 12, 2013
There will probably be a new Buddhist temple or Buddha statue in its place in a month or so. …….built by the ‘robbers’ !!!
/
kapu / December 12, 2013
Ayyah kanda… you don’t know me but a incidence 40 yrs ago showed me what a double tounged viper you were as a budding attorney.. all these years you have survived behind shadows manupulating the wheel of justice and fair play with the help of the TNA and all the NGOs’ in this country and last but not the least as proxy of the LTTE and the diaspora.
When the sinhalese and muslims in the north and east lost their land and wealth in millions, and when they were massacred whilst at prayer and sleep, in schools and office, at markets and public transport.. you and your kind never shed a tear, a word or sympathy towards them.
Since , God is universal, his anger must have been unleashed after your visits to this kovil !!!!! otherwise why should a temple which was in peaceful existence for over 150 years suddenly undergone such a fate. many disasters will follow your ilk.. be ready…
/
Piranha / December 12, 2013
Many on this forum are commenting without reading the article. The 150 year old statue was damaged, not stolen. This kind of wanton damage is caused by the Blau Sena and Sinhala ravaya thugs. The government knows it and approves it and that’s why nothing is done about it.
/
kabaragoya / December 12, 2013
Why report to the President and the Defence Secretary when they are the very fellows doing all this?
/
kabaragoya / December 12, 2013
Better complain to the BJP. They will deal with this when the time comes. For mosques, better complain to the Al Qaueda, they will blow the Rajapakses up their backsides.
/
justice / December 13, 2013
None of the Vishnu Shrines in the premises of many buddhist temples have not been reportedly attacked – they are under protection of the viharadhipathis who derive income from these shrines.
Vishnu is said to be the Protecter of Buddhism.
Hundreds of hindu shrines in the north and east,have been looted,damaged and destroyed.
/
sinhala friend / December 13, 2013
I do not understand why these idiot damage the temple in South. This is not the priority. They can destroy these in minutes -like 1983.
They better focus and complete the mission in North and East-Tamil Eelam , in other word expedite the speed of genocide including cultural in North and east before the tide is turning against us( sinhalese)
Better import some Buddha statue from China, bury it in North and East and rewrite the history
/
Park / December 13, 2013
Acts against various religious places of worship will be added on to the next UN Human Rights charge sheet against Sri Lanka.
/
A.T.Kumar / December 13, 2013
International community please note that this is Sri Lanka
/
Leon / December 14, 2013
Dont worry Mr Neelakandan, when Modi comes to power in May 2014 in India ,he will
know what to do.
/
eksath / December 24, 2013
[Edited out]
/
Medalankara de Choppe / January 1, 2014
To everyman his religion is precious.It is time that we take some of the known thugs in religious garb and roast them alive.
/