Mass protest against placing Buddha statue

By Our Batticaloa Correspondent

2013-05-31 

A mass protest urging those concerned to desist from using the statue of The Buddha as a symbol of anarchy, was held in Batticaloa on Wednesday (29), with the participation of TNA Parliamentarians from the Batticaloa District, Eastern Provincial Councillors, members of local bodies and civilians.

The protest was staged to prevent the erection of a statue of The Buddha at the gateway to the Batticaloa District, in front of a temple of the Hindu deity, Lord Ganesha.

The protestors including women shouted slogans, requesting those concerned not to fan religious unrest in the Batticaloa District and to remove the Buddha statue, which has been erected in an area where Buddhists hardly live.

The placards carried by the protestors read: 'What is the need for a Buddha statue where Buddhists hardly live;' 'Don't make the 'great teacher to mankind as a symbol of anarchy.'

The management of the Ganesha Temple, opposite which the Buddha statue has been erected, accompanied by the Rural Development Society, handed over a memorandum to the Government Agent of the Batticaloa District, P.S.M. Charles, through TNA Parliamentarian, P. Selvaraja, demanding the removal of the Buddha statue at the entrance to the District.

A memorandum was also handed over to the senior military officials, requesting them to prevent steps being taken put up the Buddha statue in the said area.

Batticaloa District TNA Parliamentarians, P. Selvarajah, P. Ariyanethiran and C. Yogeswaran along with the EPC Councillors, K. Thurairajasingham, R. Thurairatnam, Jana Karunakaran, Prasanna Indrakumar, Nadarajah and Krishnapillai Vellimalai were at the forefront of Wednesday's protest.

The TNA Parliamentarians said the protest was peaceful. However, they lamented the presence of officers of the military establishment who were filming and taking photographs of the demonstration and those who had participated in the same.

TNA Parliamentarians added they too took pictures of the military officers who had been videoing them and the demonstration.