| by Thrishantha Nanayakkara
( March 19, 2013, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) In the last few days, two Buddhist monks were attacked in rapid succession in Chennai, India. In one incident, a monk who went to collect information for a study was attacked and in the other case, a Buddhist monk on pilgrimage was attacked inside a railway station: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S_RLo9HjDB8 )
South Indians usually have good respect for clergy. Buddhist monks went on studies and on pilgrimage via Chennai even during the 30-year long war in Sri Lanka. Yet, we did not hear about this kind of physical attacks on them. In the latter case, hurting the Buddhist monk sparing the other lay Sri Lankans from Kandy means that there is some special anger towards Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka. Then, do these two incidents tell us some important story deeply rooted in some new development among Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka?
The other reason is the hot diplomatic dialog between the Indian Central Government and the Tamil Nadu State Government on the upcoming US led resolution on Sri Lanka. I noticed that DMK has threatened to withdraw their five ministers from the United Progressive Alliance Government in the Central Government, unless the Centre takes measures to include demands to investigate Sri Lanka for “genocide” against Tamils. I am sure this would be a hard negotiation for the Centre to accord with US diplomats in these final hours. However, this may have created public tensions in Tamil Nadu. Yet, what created such an explosive outrage specifically against Buddhist monks?
We have to look back at the recent developments in Sri Lanka. We saw how the Sri Lankan Government machinery worked in supper efficiency in the case of impeaching the Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake. One Government MP stated in a popular TV show that one of the reasons to make that move against her was her favoring power devolution as a solution to the ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka. We also noticed how the law enforcement agencies allowed gang violence against the peaceful protestors against the Government move to impeach the Chief Justice. Usually such negligence of the law enforcement comes when they get direct orders from the top to ignore violence against protestors. This further broke public and international confidence in the justice system in Sri Lanka.
In addition, frustration was building up in Tamil Nadu on the slow progress of implementing the recommendations of the LLRC (Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission). Interestingly, some people of Tamil Nadu attributed the lethargy of bringing in a political solution in the post war Sri Lanka to ethno-centric (radical Sinhala-Buddhist) political parties like Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) in the Sri Lankan ruling party coalition. On 23rd June 2012, Zeenews reported that “Coimbatore: Nine Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) activists were arrested on Saturday when they attempted to burn an effigy of Sri Lankan Minister Champika Ranawaka (from the above JHU party) protesting against his reported warning of a backlash against Tamils in the island country.” Despite such developments of public anger in Tamil Nadu, the Government of Sri Lanka has openly continued to abuse religion to thrive on ethno-centric politics. While it maybe a very cheap way to thrive on the paranoia of the majority Sinhalese, radicalization of Buddhist clergy can have very long lasting repercussions. As a result of continued Government patronage, some gangs of radical “Buddhist” monks have taken law unto their hands. They have somehow gained authority to raid people’s private houses, business places, and to threaten consumers not to buy from shops belonging to a certain minority ethnic group with complete impunity. To my amazement, the defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa expressed patronage to this group first by not mobilizing the law enforcement to arrest any of these gang members for damaging private property, and second, by being the chief guest in the opening ceremony of a leadership centre run by this group. In addition, Minister Champika Ranawaka, in a recent book launch ceremony in Colombo expressed his frustration about the role of certain minority ethnic groups in Sri Lanka in threatening the existence of the majority Sinhalese (igniting paranoia) and praised the activities of the above radical “Buddhist” groups.
These factors may have compounded each other to explode the anger of certain parties in Tamil Nadu to specifically target Buddhist monks. I, as a Buddhist, wish to kindly suggest my fellow brothers in Tamil Nadu not to generalize your frustration on all Buddhist Monks. From Lord Buddha to Mahatma Ghandi, India mothered great sons and daughters who stood by humanity. India was home to mother Theresa. Great artists and thinkers like Rabindranath Thagore walked on Indian soil. For Sri Lanka, India is perhaps the closest partner with a common philosophical outlook on humanity. Let us not that bond break due to the activities of a few racist groups in either country. Please try to limit the expression on your frustration through diplomatic channels. The upcoming UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka maybe one choice you would take to express how you feel about reconciliation in Sri Lanka. However, beating a Buddhist monk, who may have condemned the activities of the above “Buddhist” gangs in certainly not the way to defend moral high grounds of both India and Sri Lanka.
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