Ethnic unrest eruption interrupts pooja at Matara Lakshmi Kovil even on Poya day
(Lanka-e-News- 17.Dec.2013, 11.30PM) The Lakshmi pooja conducted every poya day at the Sivasubramaniam kovil at Kataragama Devale situated at Matara railway road met with obstruction yesterday(16) (poya day). Owing to this hindrance , the Hindu devotees who congregated at the Devale to perform their religious observances had to carry out their pooja on the main road . It is learnt that this is because an attack was launched on the Devale and the family of the incumbent in the night recently.
There had existed a long drawn out dispute involving the Kovil . One faction (Sinhala) that represents the ownership of the Kovil had been forcibly obstructing the Hindu devotees from entering the Kovil premises. Although there is a court order against those pressures , it is a matter for regret that the order is not being duly implemented.
Already , about ten of the 25 Tamil families living in Matara town have received letters ordering them to leave the Matara town. It is most unfortunate that though a large group including Minister Dallas Alahaperuma, the Matara police , DIG south, Matara district secretary, divisional secretary as well as the Minister’s secretary who got caught well and truly trying to participate in a sordid game recently ,posed to act for and on behalf of the aggrieved Kovil incumbent , nothing tangible was done by them by way of assistance to him.
Dallas who spoke loudly and proudly about religion and life at the Kovil function , after coming outhas been acting contrary to his sermons along with his associates, by taking the side against the Kovil. This Dallas alliance , it is reported runs with the hare and hunts with the hounds.
Despite the complaint lodged with the police in connection with today’s incident , no action has been taken to remedy the situation . Consequently , the Hindu and Buddhist devotees had to perform the Lakshmi pooja on the Railway road in front of the Kovil (see photograph)
(Lanka-e-News- 17.Dec.2013, 11.30PM) The Lakshmi pooja conducted every poya day at the Sivasubramaniam kovil at Kataragama Devale situated at Matara railway road met with obstruction yesterday(16) (poya day). Owing to this hindrance , the Hindu devotees who congregated at the Devale to perform their religious observances had to carry out their pooja on the main road . It is learnt that this is because an attack was launched on the Devale and the family of the incumbent in the night recently.There had existed a long drawn out dispute involving the Kovil . One faction (Sinhala) that represents the ownership of the Kovil had been forcibly obstructing the Hindu devotees from entering the Kovil premises. Although there is a court order against those pressures , it is a matter for regret that the order is not being duly implemented.
Already , about ten of the 25 Tamil families living in Matara town have received letters ordering them to leave the Matara town. It is most unfortunate that though a large group including Minister Dallas Alahaperuma, the Matara police , DIG south, Matara district secretary, divisional secretary as well as the Minister’s secretary who got caught well and truly trying to participate in a sordid game recently ,posed to act for and on behalf of the aggrieved Kovil incumbent , nothing tangible was done by them by way of assistance to him.
Dallas who spoke loudly and proudly about religion and life at the Kovil function , after coming outhas been acting contrary to his sermons along with his associates, by taking the side against the Kovil. This Dallas alliance , it is reported runs with the hare and hunts with the hounds.
Despite the complaint lodged with the police in connection with today’s incident , no action has been taken to remedy the situation . Consequently , the Hindu and Buddhist devotees had to perform the Lakshmi pooja on the Railway road in front of the Kovil (see photograph)
