Buddha's statues symbol of Sinhalese Hegemony!

By: V.Thangavelu,  Canada

On Sunday night May 15, 2005 a 12 ft tall Buddha's statue was installed on land belonging to the Trincomalee Urban Council by Buddhist monks and Trincomalee Three-wheeler Drivers' Association. This provocative act should not be seen as an isolated incident. There is much more than what meets one's eyes.

The clandestine installation of Buddha's statue led to mass protests by Thamils. It was no secret that the Janata Vimukti Peramuna (JVP), the North East Sinhala Association (NESA) and some saffron-robed Buddhist monks were behind the installation of the Buddha statue by the Three- wheeler Drivers Association.

It is obvious to anyone with a modicum of intelligence that a Buddha's statue near a fish-market is not meant for worship or veneration by Buddhists. If that is the case, it will be a supreme insult to Buddha himself!

The problem of the statues first arose in the Muslim majority town of Potthuvil in Amparai district in April. The Muslims of the town protested against the installation of a Buddha statue in the market place. The issue led to violence. The Ven Omalpe Sobitha Thero of the Buddhist monks' party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), said that Buddhists had every right to install a Buddha statue anywhere in the country, and added that Muslims were being instigated by the Al-Qaeda and Jehad groups. He said that the Sri Lankan government was not giving the army enough power to deal with the Thamil and Muslim militant groups.

Over the years building and/or renovating Buddhist viharas have been taking place in Thamil villages in Trincomalee district at feverish pace.

A Buddhist vihara was built in the Thamil village of Vilankulam. Efforts to stop the building of this Buddhist vihara failed. Thamil people of this village were displaced during the war and have not been resettled. Another Buddha statue was built near the famous Paththiniamman temple in Palampoddaru. Thamils protested about this as well, but to no avail. Another Buddhist temple was built at the entrance to the historic temple (Koneswaram) venerated by the Hindus.

For decades Sinhalese-Buddhist extremist organizations in Trincomalee and Amparai districts have been active in fanning the flames of communalism. It is certainly amusing, but nothing surprising to watch the so called Marxists getting involved in planting Buddha's statues instead of Marx or Lenin!

In early May, Trincomalee district JVP M.P. Jayantha Wijesekara made a futile attempt to construct houses for Sinhalese within Mc Heyzer stadium. The illegal construction was abandoned in the face of vehement protests by Thamils.

It is suspected the current statues planting spree is a forerunner for re-commencing large scale state-aided Sinhalese colonization that has been going on without halt since the early days of independence.

A court order issued by Trincomalee Magistrate to remove the Buddha's statue was not executed by the Trincomalee Police. This was a slap on the face of not only the Magistrate, but also to the entire judiciary. And instead of removing the illegal structure, the Police fortified the statue with a barbed wire fence and stands guard around the clock!

The Police also resorted to a subterfuge by filing a petition seeking the removal of all unauthorized places of worship in Trincomalee town. This is a clear example of the rule of law being subverted by the khaki-clad Police in favour of the saffron-robed law breakers. This is also a reminder that Sri Lanka does not have a national Police or a national Army that serves all citizens equally and fairly irrespective of ethnicity. The armed forces consist of 95% Sinhalese and Police 90% Sinhalese.

A hartal called by the Trincomalee District Thamil Peoples Forum (TDTPF) demanding the removal of the newly installed statue brought the town to a stand still. While the hartal was on, a second attempt was made on May 23, 2005 by Sinhalese settlers from Vijithapura to install another statue near the Hindu crematorium in Ehamparam Street. Fortunately the attempt was successfully thwarted.

In the past Buddhist temples and statues have been erected in villages predominantly occupied by Hindu Thamils. Thiriyai, Velgamvihara and Seruvila are good examples. Ruins of Buddhist viharas were rebuilt and/or renovated followed by moving Sinhalese colonists to occupy such villages. Such Buddhist ruins belonged to Thamil Buddhists and not Sinhalese Buddhists. It is a well known fact that from the 3rd century BC to 13th century AD a large percentage of Thamils professed Buddhism.

After independence a massive Buddha's statue was erected at the entrance to Fort Frederick and to the historic Koneswaram Temple. The excuse was that this was once the site of Gokanna Vihare. But, there is no supporting evidence for this contention admitted by serious scholars or archaeological findings.

The deliberate, but random erection of such Buddha's statues is only the symptom. The disease is the single point agenda of every Sinhalese government to colonize the eastern and northern provinces by Sinhalese. It is done to make the Thamils a minority and to negate the Thamil homeland demand. Resorting to various subterfuges the Sinhalese have succeeded in reducing the Thamils in Trincomalee district and the eastern province to a minority.

All governments since independence have strenuously implemented the single point agenda of converting the Northeast into a Sinhalese majority province. The schedule below gives the names of state sponsored Sinhalese colonization schemes and the respective governments under which they were carried out.

Kanthalai Scheme - D.S. Senanayake government
Allai Scheme - D.S.Senanayake / Dudley Senanyake government
Padaviya Scheme - S.W.R.D Bandaranayake Government
Morawewa Scheme - Srimavo Bandaranyake Government
Mahadivulwewa Scheme - J.R. Jayewardene / Gamini Dissanayake
Weli Oya Scheme - J.R. Jayewardene / R.Premadasa / Gamini Dissanayake

Trincomalee district never had a Thamil government agent not even a Thamil District Land Officer. All these posts have been filled by the majority Sinhalese with two solitary exceptions. In the late fifties Mc Heyzer and Speldewinde who were burghers served as GAs.

In 2002 a Buddhist shrine was constructed in Vilankulam, a traditional Thamil village, 11 km off west of Trincomalee. Protests made to the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe by the Thamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader and the Trincomalee district parliamentarians .R.Sampanthan and K.Thurairetnasingham were of no avail. [ThamilNet, December 25, 2002]

In every case of statue installation the modus-operandi is very similar. First, a Buddha's statue is installed which then followed by Buddhist monk (s) taking residence nearby. Since the monks need the support of lay Sinhalese for their survival, illegal Sinhalese settlers are brought in from the south to form a new colony. The GA, Police and army ably aid and abet such illegal settlements.

Along with politicians, saffron-robed Bhikkhu brigades are in the front-line of all illegal colonization in the Northeast. They have personally led hordes of illegal Sinhalese to settle in state lands.

When Ranil Wickremesinghe was the Prime Minister, a delegation of hard-line Buddhist Bhikkhus led by Most Ven. Agga Maha Pandita Madihe Pannasiha Mahanayake Thera of the Amarapura Sri Dhammarakshita Maha Nikaya at the Siri Vajiragnana Dharmayatanaya, Maharagama urged him to continue the colonization of Thamil areas in the north and east. Ven. Pannasiha requested the Prime Minister to create settlements in selected jungle land in the North-East and settle people in them according to the communal ratio. He also told the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that the homeland concept is a historical misconception.

The Prime Minister responded saying "We have never accepted the homeland concept. Our stand is that Sinhalese, Thamils and Muslims are living in the North and East. This stand has been included even in the Indo-Lanka accord. Therefore the homeland concept will never be accepted. No request pertaining to the homeland concept has been made to us so fare either. We have always clearly expressed our stand on this issue." (The Daily News - January 20, 2002).

Buddha in his life time taught the virtues of non-violence, tolerance and understanding. Violence in any form, under any circumstances whatsoever, is absolutely against the teachings of Buddha.

Buddhism is not a religion in the strict sense, although it has over the years acquired the trappings of faith and ritual based religions.

Buddha was the only teacher who did not claim he is god or god incarnation or possessed miraculous powers inspired by some divine force. In this respect he differed from other religious teachers. He attributed all his realization, attainments and achievements to human endeavour and human intelligence. He ruled out the existence of an external god or power. Man, according to Buddha, is supreme. Man is his own master, and there is no higher being or power that sits in judgment over his destiny.

Buddha taught that every man has the potentiality to become a Buddha or achieve Enlightenment by liberating himself from all bondage through his own personal effort and intelligence. It is self-discipline, self -development and self-purification in body, word and mind.

In Buddhism there is no place for belief, prayer, worship or ceremony. Buddha said "You should do your work, for the Tathagatas (One who has discovered the Truth) only teach the way. But you have to work out your own emancipation.' (Source - What the Buddha Taught by Ven.Dr.W. Rahula)

The five Noble Truths and the eight-fold path is the path to emancipation or Nirvana according to the teachings of Buddha. In addition Buddha laid down 10 precepts (Thasa-Seela), the first 5 (Pancha-Seela) for the laymen and the rest for the Bhikkhus.

All Samaneras, because of their full-time ethical endeavour, proceed to take the following Samanera code of conduct-

1. To abstain from killing all living beings.
2. To abstain from stealing.
3. To abstain from sexual indulgence.
4. To abstain from telling lie.
5. To abstain from liquor and intoxicants.
6. To abstain from eating in the afternoon.
7. To abstain from dancing, singing, watching musical performance.
8. To abstain from using garlands, unguents, or ornaments.
9. To abstain from sitting and sleeping on a big or broad bed.
10. To abstain from receiving gold and silver.

For all who seek purity and liberation, the Samaneraship is conducive to peace and happiness. The ten precepts fulfill the need to purify the mind and win higher and deeper knowledge. Truths can be realized by higher morality and insight. Thus the ten precepts and 227 Vinaya rules of bhikkhus are basic requirements to maintain the Sasana pure. The true Sasana needs good Samaneras who will become great bhikkhus in due course.

In Buddhism violence in any form, whether physical or verbal, under any pretext is absolutely against the teachings of the Buddha. Also in Buddhism there are no just wars or unjust wars. There is no room or excuse for hatred, cruelty, violence and massacre. Buddhism preaches non-violence and peace as a universal message and does not approve of any kind of violence or destruction of life. But not very long ago, we saw in newspapers photographs of monks visiting army camps, performing pirith, blessing the soldiers and their weapons and fix auspices times to commence military attacks!

The reality today is Buddhism as a philosophy has degenerated into religion of rituals, myths, miracles and superstitious beliefs. Buddha himself has been elevated to a position of a super human being and an object of worship. The Mahawamsa speaks of Buddha flying though the air to visit Sri Lanka and summoning Hindu gods to do his bidding! Although it is claimed that Theravada Buddhism found in Sri Lanka is the pure form, in many aspects it is hardly distinguishable from Mahayana Buddhism.

Meeting to Solve Buddha Statue issue at Tricomalee

As for the observance of the 10 precepts by Bhikkhus, it has become a huge joke in Sri Lanka. There are still many pious minded Bhikkhus, but they are in a minority. Bhikkhus who took to politics without discarding their robes and ditching their oath have breached all or most of the rules governing their conduct.

The Dasa Dhamma Sutta of the Anguttara Nikaya lays down guide-lines for the Bhikkhus. It contains Ten Reflections which a monk should constantly bear in mind.

The first four are:-

1) I have become casteless.
2) My life style is different from a layman.
3) My life is dependent on others.
4) How do I spend my days and nights?

Contrary to the oath taken, a majority of Bhikkhus in Sri Lanka live a life of luxury. They have acquired ultra-expensive properties, travel in Mercedes Benz cars, run businesses, run tutorials, run Ayurvedic clinics, hold salaried jobs, hold bank accounts, practice black magic to drive devils etc.

Bhikkhu by definition is a 'mendicant' or 'one who begs food', but hardly anyone is seen these days with the alms- bowl!

Therefore, Buddhism found in Sri Lanka today is a brand of virulent Sinhala Buddhism which has nothing to do with the teachings of the Great Teacher. A philosophy that was founded on the bed-rock of non-violence and enlightenment is being manipulated by Bhikkhus to fan violence and hatred towards Thamils and Muslims.

What is more frightening is the conduct of Bhikkhus who have taken to full-time politics. The venom they spew inside and outside parliament is totally un-Buddhistic. When a bhikkhu becomes a M.P. on puerile and shallow grounds, he is breaking every vinaya rule in the book. A well known Sinhalese politician has lamented that "It is very unfortunate that these saffron robed people are deceiving the innocent and the unsuspecting Sinhala Buddhists in Sri Lanka with help from Buddhist business tycoons!"

Buddha preached non-violence not only in regard to living things but also in regard to non- living things like trees and forests, but what do we see today in practice?

Today the very Buddha's statue has become the symbol of Sinhalese hegemony. Unauthorized Buddha's statues are planted in unholy places to make claim to land! This is the stark reality and Thamils have no other choice but to face this menace squarely.

Ever since independence it has been the policy of both the UNP and the SLFP to undertake state aided Sinhala colonization schemes with the sole aim of altering the demographic profile of Northeast.

D.S. Senanayake, the first Prime Minister of independent Ceylon, was the master brain who initiated and executed large scale state-sponsored Sinhalese colonization in the East. It is he who launched the Paddippalai (Gal Oya) Allai (Seruvila) Kanthalai (Gantalawa), Pathavikkulam (Padaviya), Muthalikulam (Morawewa) and Maduru Oya colonization schemes. What he left unfinished was completed by his successors.

In 1936, D.S. Senanayake as Minister of Land and Agriculture arranged to examine the entire valley area of Paddippalai Aru (in Thamil - Aru means river) to construct an earthen dam across the river at Inginiyagala and divert the Gal Oya river waters to form a large reservoir, which was called the Gal-Oya multi-purpose project.

The dam was 3,600 feet long and 154 feet tall at its highest point. It was the idea of J. S. Kennedy, the Director of Irrigation, to have a deep-water reservoir rather than a wide one, in order to prevent loss of water by evaporation. This water reservoir was appropriately named Senanayake Samudra (sea) - the biggest man-made tank in the whole of Ceylon. Gal Oya Development Board spent a staggering US67.2 million dollars to build the infrastructure and settle the colonists. The building of the dam was entrusted to a firm of American engineers, Morrison Knudsen of San Francisco, and they completed the project in 1947.

D.S. Senanayake went on to enact Act No.51 under which the Gal Oya Development Board was established. It was officially inaugurated by him on August 28, 1949 at Ingniyakala.

In 1948, Parliament allocated Rs700 million for the restoration of abandoned tanks, such as the Padavilkulam, Kanthalai, Huruluwewa, Kandalama and Kaudulla tanks.

D.S. Senanayake in his independence day anniversary broadcast on February 4, 1951, declared, "Colonization of land development activities are going at full speed and we are now able to bring more [Sinhala] colonists to lands that have been fully developed and provided with irrigation and other facilities than we have ever done before."

By 1960 an entirely new electorate called Amparai (now called Digamadulla) was carved out for the Sinhalese colonists. Besides certain Sinhala areas from the adjoining Uva province were also merged with Amparai district.

On 10th January 1961 the government created a new administrative district called Amparai out of the then existing Batticaloa district on the recommendation of the De-limitation Commission appointed in 1959. This sharply increased the tempo of Sinhalese colonization.

The Sinhalese population in the undivided Batticaloa district in 1911 was only 4702. In 1921 it was 7, 243. But after the Gal Oya scheme was launched the Sinhalese population began to rise by leaps and bounds.

The ethnic distribution in Amparai district in 1963 was Sinhalese 29.34 per cent; Thamils 23.8 per cent; and the Muslims 46.39 per cent. But by 1981, the percentage of Sinhalese went up to 37.64, and the percentages of the Muslims and Thamils went down to 41.43 and 20.5 respectively.

In 1981 the Muslims were the single largest community with 41.6 %. The Sinhalese were a close second with 37.6 % and The Thamils were a distant third with 20.5 %.

In the 2001 census, the population of the Thamils registered a further decline. It had gone down to 18.70 per cent, while the proportion of Muslims went up marginally.

Today Amparai district demographic profile has changed dramatically resulting in the Sinhalese emerging as the majority community.

YEAR	Sinhalese	Muslims	Thamils
1963	98170	62180	50480
1981	168481	168481	77728
1994	263652	233748	111076

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