A newly erected Buddha statue near the Chulipuram Chaukkadi Pillaiyar temple in Jaffna has been removed following protests and outcry from residents who feared it could pave the way for the construction of a Buddhist Vihara in the region.
The sudden appearance of the statue under a Bo tree by the Pillaiyar temple raised suspicions among locals, who speculated that Sri Lankan navy personnel in the area might be responsible for its placement. Concerned residents demanded an investigation by the Sri Lankan police to uncover who placed the statue and for what purpose. However, scepticism loomed over the thoroughness of any potential police inquiry, given concerns about their historical support for Sinhalisation efforts.
This incident echoes a pattern of unauthorised Buddhist monument constructions in the Tamil homeland. Last November, despite local protests, construction on another Buddhist vihara in Trincomalee continued to progress in Iluppaikulam. Residents from nearby villages have repeatedly voiced opposition to what they perceive as the ongoing Sinhalisation of the North-East, particularly noting the absence of Sinhalese residents in the area where the temple was being built.
In a similar incident, tensions escalated when an officer from Sri Lanka's Minister Security Division (MSD) threatened to shoot Tamil and Muslim protesters opposing the installation of a Buddha statue in Ponmalaikuda, Trincomalee. Locals were incensed when a group of Sinhala Buddhist monks, officers from Sri Lanka's Archaeology Department, and security forces attempted to install a Buddha statue on land belonging to Tamils and Muslims. The situation worsened when a monk's driver reportedly damaged a farmer's fence to seize the land, prompting widespread outrage.
Controversy surrounded the erection of another Buddha statue in the Mayilathamadu Madhavanai area of Batticaloa, under the guidance of the controversial monk Ambitiya Sumanaratna and with the participation of the former Governor of the Eastern Province, Anuradha Yahampa. This decision came amid ongoing protests by Tamil farmers alleging encroachment by Sinhalese settlers, leading to the displacement of local Tamil farmers.
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