By S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole –

It is generally agreed among many Tamils and Sinhalese too – Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri, Sunananda Deshapriya, Kamalika Peiris (a nationalist, she puts the blame on the British), Kusal Perera, Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne and the late Lasantha Wickrematunge, thank God for them all – that the Sinhalese have an insatiable appetite for taking over Tamil things, particularly Hindu temples. Kathirkaamam is a glaring example. (These names are from an AI search but seem credible).

The five ancient abodes of Siva in Sri Lanka have faced destruction and occupation throughout history, with recent reports highlighting the takeover or encroachment of three sites by state-backed initiatives aimed at developing them into Buddhist Viharas. These are Thiruketheeswaram Temple (occupied by the Sri Lankan Army in August 1990); Thondeswaram with accounts by James Cordiner in 1807 indicating that Buddhist temples were erected on sites previously occupied by Hindu ruins; and Munneswaram Temple, a site of mixed worship.

Sad for Tamils is that rarely were we compensated after 1983, whereas Sinhalese property owners affected by Aragalya got more than what they lost and promptly so.

Two recent examples mentioned in historical sources of Hindu temples taken over are:

Veddukkunaari Temple (Vavuniya): Worshippers were arrested in March 2024 for attempting to hold Shivaratri rituals;

Kandasamy Murugan Temple (Trincomalee): Worshippers were blocked from accessing the site, with police claiming the land “belongs to the Buddhist religion and Department of Archaeology”.

Activists estimate the government has surveyed around 600 Hindu temples in this region, a process that frequently leads to Buddhist clergy restricting access to Hindu worshipers. In July, Judge T. Saravanarajah ordered the eviction of Buddhist monks from a Tamil Hindu temple in Kurunthurmalai in Mullaithivu after they prevented Hindu worshipers from gathering. By September, however, the Department of Archeology violated a 2022 court order issued by Saravanarajah, which halted the construction of a Buddhist temple at the Hindu site. Subsequently, citing threats to his life for presiding over these cases, Saravanarajah resigned and fled the country.

As P.K. Balachandran reports (Virakesari, 20 July 2019), at the Kanniya hot water wells, Police had obtained a court injunction against the protest from the Trincomalee magistrate’s court, but served it only in Tamil allowing the Sinhalese in to demolish the Hindu site and pour hot tea on the landowner of the Kanniya temple Ms Kokila Ramani after the police summoned her for mediation talks.

Renowned and cautius historian and archaeologist Prof. S. Pathmanathan told Daily Express that since the British left in 1948, archaeology in Sri Lanka is vitiated by rank discrimination against the Tamils.

On the Sinhalese being a difficult and cantakerous with Tamils there is some consensus. Little discussion is required.

What of Tamil-Christian (T-C) – Hindu Relations?

This is more difficult to address for more than one reason. First, T-Cs and Hindus both suffer against Sinhalese oppression. Sinhalese take away lands belonging to T-Cs and Hindus. They take away university seats and jobs. They oppress us using language rights. Also T-C upbringing is relatively more genteel, so T-Cs by and large, lacking thugs in their service, avoid physical trouble. As a result T-Cs are mum on the topic. Hindus know we are reluctant to bring – indeed do not have – thugs to eject them when they settle on our land. (Roman Catholic Christians are not included in this discussion).

And second, after independence, people like P. Ramanathan bribed British officials for offices (as exposed by Kumari Jayawardena) and are labelled traitors. Tamils who participate in coalition governments making the FP accept only one cabinet portfolio and that too very briefly in 1965 that did not last till 1970. The Sinhalese kiss seems a kiss of death.
Be that as it may, T-Cs suffer the same fate that Hindus do under the Sinhalese. I can give 5 examples from my own family.

I owned land in Thinnaveli/Kondavil – luscious, fertile. Prof. A. Thurairajah, VC/Jaffna, had asked me to return and help lead the Electrical Department at University of Jaffna and I agreed. He said it would take a year because he was arranging for Korean contractors to construct the buildings while the IPKF gave security. So I bought a plot of land close to the university, putting in the little savings I had. I was abroad and as the. IPKF-LTTE war enlarged, the Engineering Faculty was delayed. I could not return after the IPKF looked for me over my hand in The Broken Palmyra. As a result, I soon lost track of where my land was. As I learnt, the neighbours had plotted to “nationalize it.” As they determined that, if they built a Hindu Temple on my land, fear of being labelled anti-Hindu would prevent my demolishing their temple. I agreed to sell my land to one in the university Registrars’ Service.

In the meantime, a businessman had bought several plots around mine for a housing scheme and wanted mine in the middle which was a hindrance to his housing scheme. I refused as I had already agreed to sell mine. About 4 times I fenced my land with concrete pillars and barbed wires. The next day the pillars were broken and the businessman came with more generous offers. Tired and getting the consent of the would-be buyer, I sold it to the businessman. I have not gone that side since then.

The second experience was with my paddy-land in Iluppaikadavai in the Mannar District. The Village Headman, a man I greatly respected, had retired from the CGR on the language issue. He, Mr. Kailayapillai, wanted good people to come and settle there. Devanesan Nesiah and I together bought 10 acres. Others included Chelvanayakam Chandrahasan. We were promised an irrigation scheme in two years. With the war, however, it never came.

In our absence, a Hindu temple cut a path through the land. The land is in two now. I was told it is for Chaami and we should give up the land. What kind of Chaami is that who wants to steal my land?

The 3rd experience was with Devanesan Nesiah’s land next to his cousin-sister, the wife of the late Kopay MP S. Kathiravetpillai (aka Kathiravelupillai), our relation from Mavittapuram. On his demise his wife had gone to Malaysia and the crooked worshippers built a stage and viewing area for their Community Center associated with the Katpaha Vinayahar Temple. Nesiah gave me his power of attorney to report to the police and take action. St. John’s teacher. Jeevanandam’s brother from St. James’ who had married in that Hindu community told me, “Nesiah is a good man. He would happily give that land to Chaami.” Again the word Chaami to rob Christians of their property in the name of God. I fear the land of Jaffna is permanently lost to Christians.

The 4th incident I know of concerns a plot I bought next to Nesiah’s ancestral area close to the Katpaha Vinayahar Temple. For me, the attraction was an underground chamber for sheltering orphans under the care of the LTTE during airforce bombing. It opened up wonders for designing a house with an underground chamber. My grandaunt Mrs. Ratnam was next door and her house was taken over by V. Prabhakaran where he would entertain suicide bombers with his personally cooked noodles.

A Church official who helped with the deed had her whole family hailing from there. It is said her father also taught at the Anglican school there. Like CCTM Nallur, this was CCTM Nallur South, a feeder school for St. John’s. The terms of the takeover are that it should be used for the same purpose as that used by the church. Contrary to that law the name was changed to Nallur South Sri Vigneswara Vidyalayam and was close to closure for lack of students but the Bishop and the church had no will nor skill to take it over. She, the church official, imposed only one condidtion – that I not to sell it to the neighbours from France who were low-caste and owned land between what I bought and her sister Vana Eliezer’s to my North. I soon discovered why. My two neghbours to my East, and West were throwing their garbage on to my land and draining their kitchen water into my land causing a permanent greenish muddy puddle. The neighbour by my south was Nallur South Sri Vigneswara Vidyalayam that had encroached onto my land, and built illegal toilets opening on to my land putting out bad stenches. I was advised there is little I can do as the illegal construction was before my purchase even though the encroachments were illegal as far as open toilet windows are concerned. All crooks, Jaffna Hindus, even church officials cut from the same cloth.

The final experience is from the Nallur Saathana Paadasaalai, or CCTM Nallur, a feeder school for St. John’s opposite our house. It was on the same grounds as the Teachers’ Training College (TTC) which originally was Baldaeus’ College as pictured in his book. The TTC part is used for offices, not for a TTC. The back of the mission house has been taken-over as a canteen for ministry officials, a supplementary take over for which an archdeacon had given his unauthorized authorization and the church does not want to ruin his name. It. is not known what if anything was exchanged.

Today with the drop in demographics, the school is down to 45 teachers. A few years ago it was 30+ teachers and 30+ students, a number that rises and falls, whereas the school is meant for 600 students when I was there. The Hindus do not want to return the school. It is Sivaboomi they say.

The playgound was shared by the school and TTC but is now separated by a new fence with the offices taking the larger part so that they can take it for the ministry offices and bus parking lot in case it has to be returned to the church!

I formally requested the church to ask for it back to run a science college and had the postgraduate staff ready. Jealous persons on the Standing Committee did not want to take it, citing my age 10 years ago. But the reality is that the dumb church with overpaid poorly qualified officials does not know what to do if it is returned.

The 5th memory involves several families related to me. In particular I remember Engineer Chinnappah.

Engineer Chinappah

Engineer Chinnappah was then Jaffna Municipal Engineer and President of the Jaffna Branch of the Institution of Engineers. My most notable memory was of a family of cobras nesting in our vicarage tamarind tree. Engineer Chinappah came with his rifle with khaki shorts, and stockings and garters.

With one shot he felled the nest. The villagemen who showed much bravado throwing stones at the snales ran away. Engineer Chinnapah took another shot on the snakes now on the ground and the brave men who did not flee cut the snakes into two and set them alight claiming that unless so set alight the parts would rejoin and search for us in the night.

The house opposite Veyyil Viluntha Pillayar Temple on Chemmany Road was the Eastern Guardian Temple to Chankiliyan’s palace temple before his Queen gave it to the Church to build St. James’. Many prominent families hail from the northwest corner house (Nathanielses), The northeast corner house is the Hensmans’ (Wijeyanathan) and the southeast corner house Chinnappah’s. The southwest corner is occupied by Veyyil Viluntha Pillayar Temple.

Many prominent families hail from these houses through marriage. The Rev. John Hensman was the first Jaffna Tamil to be made an Anglican priest. Well over ten graves at the St. James’ cemetery include John Hensman’s and others from the family such as Vethavanam. Into the Hensman famiy my grandaunt Louisa Hoole was married. According to public documents, “the Hensmam family, which originated in Nallur, was highly educated, with multiple generations of men (Rev. John, Charles, and John Jebaratnam) and women contributing to academia, the church, and public service, heavily contributing to the cultural and educational landscape of Madras.”

The Ernest MacIntyres of “He Comes from Jaffna” fame married into the Hensmans and would come home to my mother for mathematics help. The Nileses too married here. Enginerer Chinnapppah married Chundikuli English teacher MacIntire. They had a bunch of houses at the junction.

The Hindus of the area, just like the Buddhists in the East, built on Fr. Nathaniel’s house. I remember the Late Rev. W. P. S. Nathaniel – tall, slim, almost European white/pink and silver haired. In his old age he had gone near-blind. He would call me near with his two palms rolled like a pair of binoculars to look at me. Later, he was at the Home for Elders (by the Roman Church) in Colombuthurai and I would accompany my father on his Ladies’ bike to give him Communion. (A story behind the bike is that my brother Rajan who used to walk to St. John’s was promised a bike at Grade 8. However he was bought a sturdy Raleigh ladies’ bike saying my father could also ride it with his cassock. Rajan refused the gift as did all his younger bothers, making our young sister the beneficiary. It was stolen by Jaffna’s numerous thieves in the displacement of October 1995 when my stamp album, ancient coins and other bikes were also stolen by a particular community of thieves.)

It took the courage of Fr. Nathaniel’s grand-daughter Angeline Selvathurai (nee Nathaniel) from Canada to engage a brilliant lawyer, one Ariyanayagam, a retired judge who knows the law, to reposses the house in one hearing. She will get possession on 11 July.
In my own case, I gave my house in Colombo to one Dr. Subramaniam Sivanandarajah who sat squat from 2012 without paying a cent of my generous rent of Rs. 25,000 a month because his wife died. He hails from a prominent Principal’s family from Skanthvarothaya College, Subramaniam, who is feted annually foir the integrity lacking in his son and grandchildren. I wonder if he would have behaved the same way if he had been Vellala. It took me 12 years in court to get an eviction order. With almost a billion rupee fine on his head, he is in hiding without paying me.

Previous governments were against landowners. Now we have a government that is friendly to anyone who has given his house on lease. Engineer Chinnappah’s descendents must claim their house and evict Pillaiyar.

Mr. Samson Gnanaharan Ponnudurai from St. James’ Church are landowners falling afoul of the devout Hindu crooks. They are the founders of the Naayanmaattu Hospital.He lacks the funds to file cases to take back what is his. The large plot of his at the southeast of the Chemmany Road-Kanaharatnam Road Corner has been acquired and a library built almost overnight. The Federal Party non-Velllala Kaikula and Karaiya administration of crooked politicians authorized permits for a library and an electricity connection. I have been put forward to the courts as a Trustee for the temple hospital to take it back. One of the two legs of the arch from the A9 into Chemmany Road is on Gnanaharan’s lands. Wicked politicians tried to build a petrol shed but Gnanaharan has stopped it using documents through RTI identifying the FP crooks who authorized these illegal activities – in particular CVK Sivagnanam and Emmanuel Arnold who would help with crooked deals for a few votes.

Jaffna has a pattern of lands belonging to Christians being nationalied, hiding behind public causes like temples, libraries, schools in the name of crooked gods.

Crazy Sri Lankan Laws

In April 2014, British tourist Naomi Coleman was detained and deported from Sri Lanka for having a Buddha tattoo on her arm, which authorities deemed disrespectful to religious feelings. Her offence is described by the police thus: “hurting others’ religious feelings”. Likewise, in 2013, a different British tourist was barred from entering Sri Lanka for having a similar Buddha tattoo. In 2012, three French tourists received suspended prison sentences for kissing a Buddha statue – whereas there is no punishment for monks beating up Hindus going to worship in their temples.

Consider singer Akon who was blocked from visiting Sri Lanka due to a music video featuring women dancing in front of a Buddha statue. But it is something we see in every Kandyan dance staged to entertain us. My brother-in-law is teased even today for Kandian dancing he was forced into at school under the NCGE Reforms where he had to push his buttocks out and shake them. I hope the Prime Minister’s educational reforms do not include such shaking buttocks particularly for Tamil children.

I wonder if every Buddhist monk and every bald man will be locked up for imitating the Buddha regarding his shaven head. On the other hand, violent Buddhist monks taking over Hindu temples are not jailed. Nor are Sivasenai heads who threatened to take over churches legitimately given to the church but take over Christian lands everywhere – the same jokers are entertained by the Anglican Archdeacon of Jaffna in the name of peace-making on church premises as they splash notices demanding church lands.

Is this Buddhist law? The Buddhist order under which we Tamils and non-Buddhists must live?