Monks destroy Muslim shrine as police stand idle

by admin
Sep 14, 2011

Photograph www.sinhalaravaya.com

Over 100 Sinhala Buddhist monks demolished a Muslim shrine in Anuradhapura on Saturday according to reports by the BBC.

Monks, dressed in their saffron robes, encouraged other monks and Sinhala crowds to tear down the shrine.

One photograph of the incident shows a monk burning the flag of Islam by the ruins of the shrine.

The destruction was reportedly masterminded by a monk, named Amatha Dhamma Thero, who justified the attack by stating the local Muslims were attempting to convert the shrine into a mosque.

According to Thero, despite local government officials attempting to pacify the Sinhala crowds by stating the shrine would be closed within three days, angry crowds proceeded to raze the shrine, shouting "we cannot wait".

Thero explained to reporters that the shrine was located on land 'given' to the Sinhalese Buddhists over 2000 years ago - an ideology central to the Sinhala Buddhist text, the Mahavamsa.

According to locals, senior members of the Sri Lankan police force witnessed the entire incident, but did nothing to intervene.

All photographs www.sinhalaravaya.com

Photographs published on a Sri Lankan news portal show Sri Lankan policemen idly watching the monks' wanton destruction. No arrests or charges have been made.

The police however deny the incident ever took place.

Police spokesperson, Prishantha Jayakody, told BBC Sinhala, "This is a fabricated story. No media in Sri Lanka has reported this and we don't have any police report. If this happened there would have been a complaint. We have not received any complaint."

Sri Lanka's Buddhist monks, part of the very fabric of Sinhala polity, are notorious for their extremist Sinhala nationalism and their deeply concerning propensity towards violence.

 

Buddhist monks and violence

Sri Lanka's monks have consistently been leading proponents of a return to armed conflict during times of ceasefire.

See 'Sri Lanka's top monk shuns non-violence' by Voice of America, dated 9th April 2008.

See 'Sinhala nationalists want truce torn up' - Buddhist monks protest in demanding the abrogation of the 2002 ceasefire, in February 2007. 

See 'APRC dead in the water'

 

Targeting of non-Buddhist places of worship

The sacred buildings of other religions have frequently been targeted by Sinhala-Buddhism extremism.

The JHU - a political party known for its ultra-Sinhala nationalist stance - was formed by Buddhist Monks.

In 2009, the JHU justifed an attack on a Christian healing centre, 'Centre for Hope' in Koswatte, arguing that religious conversions to Christianity left Sinhala Buddhists with no other option.

Then JHU spokesperson, Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe stated, "we as the JHU who pledged to build a ‘Buddhist nation’ have a right to raise a voice against the church".

  

All photographs www.sinhalaravaya.com

 

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Tamil asylum seekers in Australia mark 100 days of continuous protests for permanent visas

Over 200 refugees and supporters marked a significant milestone by marching 10 kilometers from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office to the Immigration Minister’s office this week, commemorating 100 days of continuous protest.

This demonstration, which culminated in a rally and speeches in Punchbowl, highlighted the plight of refugees denied permanent visas for over 12 years. Speakers at the event shed light on the profound impact of the current system, including barriers to higher education, employment, and access to essential services.

The protest has now entered its 100th day, with Tamil asylum seekers and their supporters continuing their relentless demand for permanent protection. For 38 days, they camped outside Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke’s office in Sydney, calling on the government to end the visa limbo that has left many without basic rights and stability. Tamil asylum seekers have been in Australia for over a decade, living on short-term visas that must be renewed regularly. Without permanent residency, they are excluded from Medicare—Australia’s universal health insurance scheme—and are denied the right to work, study, travel, or access essential services. Many are also required to report to visa offices weekly.

The crisis is compounded by the controversial 'Fast Track' system introduced in 2014 by the Abbott government. According to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, this system has resulted in the rejection of around 8,500 asylum seekers' cases. It specifically targets individuals who sought asylum by sea and arrived in Australia between August 13, 2012, and December 31, 2013. Tamil asylum seekers, stuck in visa limbo for years, have launched protests nationwide, with 24-hour encampments in Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane.

Amaran - Problematic propaganda

amaran

The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

 

 

 

The patriotic military films of Tamil cinema had taken a back seat for a while. The subject matter is now seldom a prominent theme of a film, instead lurking in the shadows peeking through such as via the heroes in the works of Nelson Dilipkumar. The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

The film follows the tale of Major Mukund Varadarajan (Sivakarthikeyan) and his partner Indhu Rebecca Varghese (Sai Pallavi), who meet at college and soon become lovers. Indhu grapples with her lover’s life ambition of becoming a soldier for the Indian army, admiring his courage and more than willing to become his doting wife at home. We then watch as Mukund is stationed in Kashmir and follow along with his various missions in the volatile area. The film’s depiction of the Indian army is one solely made up of heroes rescuing civilians and looking out for the public’s interests. It is not necessary to delve too much into why this is an oversimplified and problematic portrayal.

The central performances by Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi carry the almost three hour film adequately. Despite moments where Sivakarthikeyan lacks the intensity to land highly emotional scenes, the pair deftly share the screen between them, with Pallavi picking up any slack. Another notable performance comes from Geetha Kailasam, a character actor who has featured in many films recently in the role of ‘the mother.’ ‘Amaran’ gives her another opportunity to showcase her own humorous brand of motherhood.

Technically, the film runs smoothly. The film is decently shot and edited. Other than a few overly melodramatic moments, the screenplay is solid, albeit a little superficial. GV Prakash Kumar continues his trend of matching the quality of the film with the quality of his music. The track ‘Hey Minnale’ is an earworm, but the rest of the score and soundtrack does not shine through.

Overall, ‘Amaran’ is a straightforward piece of propaganda. A shot in ‘Amaran’ depicts a soldier of the Indian army blocking a closing door with his rifle. On the other side of the door is a Kashmiri child. To appease the child, the soldier sneaks a chocolate bar through the gap in the doorway. The reverse of this tactic is what director Rajkumar Periasamy employs to hook his audience in: the sweetness of the Penelope-Odysseus relationship between Mukund and Indhu hides the intrusion of the weapon of jingoist ideology. 

Krishna's rating: 2.5 stars

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Official trailer for film below.

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