Madhu shrine should not be made a trump card - Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph

Branded as ‘Tiger in Bishop’s cassock’:

At a time when the LTTE is facing a historic defeat while getting cornered into their last stronghold in Wanni and the people are fleeing from the uncleared areas in large numbers seeking liberation, the Bishop of Mannar says that the LTTE is not the sole representative of the Tamils and they should be held responsible for the destruction unleashed during the last 25 years.

In an interview with the ‘Sunday Observer’ the Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph, the Mannar Bishop said that the LTTE might have their own reasons to claim that they are the sole representatives of Tamils but people like him and the ordinary Tamils would be very hesitant to support that claim.

“Did the Tamil people ever say so? No. It has to come from the Tamil people themselves. Anybody can claim that they are the sole representatives. That is only their claim and the LTTE has a right to that claim as they have sacrificed a lot”, he added.

Wanting people to live in an united Sri Lanka, Bishop of Mannar said he was neither a LTTE sympathiser nor a supporter of the outfit. “Even Prabhakaran knows what kind of a man I am. I am not for separation or war. So how can one tag me as an LTTE sympathiser”, he queried.

“Once when I met Prabhakaran he told me, “Bishop, I know that you don’t support us and we do not expect that from you. But we expect you to talk about sufferings of our people. He cannot get my support”, the Bishop said.

Excerpts:

Q: The military has now made all the arrangements necessary to hold the annual Madhu feast. Why did you decide to withhold the church feast?

A: Food is one major problem. There is not even a small kiosk for them to buy food. Landmines are the other problem. People cannot go to the surrounding jungles to fetch firewood. We do not know which part of the jungle is free of mines, unless somebody is there to forewarn us.

If people are coming to the feast what are they going to eat? They cannot survive without food. We need time to arrange these things. Priests have to take residence permanently. Drinking water is also polluted because of the war and we need time to clean the wells.

Though there were carcasses of crocodiles due to shelling, the water in the surrounding reservoirs are now clean but the water is unhygienic for drinking. Drinking water, kitchen and canteen facilities have to be restored before we entertain the pilgrims.

Security is another major concern and we have been asking the government to declare this area as a no-war zone or peace zone.

The Catholic church does not want anybody to interfere with its administration because the church administers its affairs according to its own principles based on religion, faith and spirituality.

For Madhu we do not allow anybody to come and merry making around the church premises. Strict discipline has been enforced to ensure that the atmosphere is conducive to conduct prayers and meditation.

We need to have the assurance from the government at first and then I can get the cooperation of the LTTE. The LTTE had given their assurance verbally but what I need is a written assurance from the government stating that the military will secure their positions outside the church premises. The army should be 2.5 km away from the shrine area.

As the priests have now returned to the church, the normal mass can be held?

But we cannot organise a feast as such. The five ministers including the Minister of Religious Affairs had visited here and they accepted my position. They said that they will talk to the government and get the assurance in writing.

Madhu is a symbol of unity regardless of caste or creed. Pilgrims come here in the belief that they are the children of one mother living in one country! This pattern should continue to exist in the country. But we are going through so much of troubles, because of the failures on the part of the successive governments to recognise the grievances of one section of the people.

They are also people and their rights should be recognised. They should be given due respect and also power-sharing authority within one country leaving no room to entertain ideas of separation. We want to foster that kind of life in this small country while making the arrangements for all people to live together in peace. This is one purpose of arranging this feast beside the spiritual gains that people get.

But what I can say is that this is not the right time to hold the Madhu festival. We would be able to hold the festival next year when everything returns to normal.

Q: Why did you decide to remove the sacred statue of Our Lady of Madhu from the church?

A: We took the sacred statue with us because we could not continue to stay at the Madhu Church anymore. Initially there were two priests but later, due to the prevailing situation I had to send another two priests there. But they could not stay at the church for long.

Q: Were there any internally displaced people living within the church premises at that time?

A: No. There were none except three Rev. sisters, four priests and seven helpers. They were the people who stayed there but now everybody is displaced.

Q: It was reported that there were some bunkers and artillery points around the church premises. Is there any truth in this?

A: Except till the last moment, there were nothing in the premises. Earlier, there was not a single gun position in the area but there were some in the surrounding jungles.

When there are festivals taking place in the Madhu church, there are gazette notifications demarcating areas including part of the jungle reservations.

These land areas can be used for seven to ten days during the festival season. These areas, which are under the control of the Government Agent, are used as church reservations for the benefit of the pilgrims. That is why we want these areas to be free from war and any political activities.

Q: You have insisted a written commitment from the government but how confident are you that you can get the same commitment from the LTTE which does not have any faith in human or religious values?

A: As I told you earlier, they have promised me by word of mouth. They respect this area and they said that if the government declares this as a no war zone, we would also go by that. This was told not only in front of me but in front of one of the Arch Bishops who was with me at that time, by the late Tamilselvan.

Consequently, the other man, Nadeshan had told in an interview with the BBC that the LTTE would declare this as a zone of peace. Therefore, in that sense I am confident that they will stick to their words. But with the situation changing every time I am not so sure of it.

If I to ask them again the LTTE will in turn ask me whether I am sure the government will not try to going any political mileage out of the Madhu festival.

Then I should be able to answer that. Then they will cooperate. What I can say is that I am hopeful about the assurance given to me by the LTTE which was verbal. I am hopeful that they will definitely cooperate with us.

Q: The Madhu shrine is one of the oldest churches in the country and were there any occasions where the sacred statue was removed from the shrine in the past?

A: Yes. Those were not by force. Similar incidents had taken place in the history and they are not because of any insecurity.

We removed the sacred statue because the situation was not conducive to continue to keep it in the church and later we brought back the sacred statue to the Bishop House due to security reasons. Therefore, I will bring back the sacred statue when the present situation comes back to normal.

Q: You are constantly in touch with the LTTE hierarchy in the Wanni. What do you really feel about the present situation where people were forced by the LTTE to fight against the military?

A: First of all I must say that I am not constantly in touch with the LTTE hierarchy. But I have some connections with the LTTE’s political wing. I do not have any thing to do with the LTTE’s fighting cadres.

People are suffering. There are over 39,000 displaced people in un-cleared areas in Mannar itself. These people are living in adjoining jungles with out adequate shelter, food, medicine and other basic needs.

Out of five DS divisions the people in three DS divisions - Moosari, Madhu and Omanthai West - are displaced. The people are on the move and the children, women, and the elderly people are the unfortunate victims of this agony.

People from these areas had fled to the Theavanpiddi where the statue of Our Lady Madhu was kept. Some people claim that the LTTE had manipulated to take the statue there. But this was a religious affair and no one can order me to do this and that. No body can force me.

Q: If you were so concerned about the security of the statue why did you take it to the St. Sebastian Church in the LTTE controlled area, which is 70 kilo metres away rather than taking it to the “Bishop’s House”?

A: The Madhu church was located in an un-cleared area so I had decided to take the statue to where my people were living. That was the last parish where over 21,000 people were living.

Why should I bring the statue to Madhu when people there are suffering? It was the only consolation for them. Now they were crying asking why did we take their only consolation - Our Lady of Madhu. However, later I felt that it was also not the proper place to keep the statue and brought it back to the “Bishop’s House”.

Q: The Sri Lanka Army had spent over Rs. 3 million for the renovation?

A: Yes, I am grateful to them for the work. I am very happy to see the church with new paint.

Q: What are your suggestions to stop the war where over thousands of people are caught up?

A: This is a big issue. I think the government, army, people, Sri Lankans living abroad and the LTTE - must take the responsibility for what is happening in this country. They should be very responsible and explore the proper solution to the conflict.

This is not simply trying to eliminate one party. Therefore, if you destroy the enmity there would not be any enemy. So let us do that and face the problem without trying to gain political mileage.

Every one should understand that there is a cause which led to this whole dilemma. It is not the false sense of nationalism. Simply the national problem was cropped up due to violence and suppression. So, we must face it without branding it simply as terrorism. There are terror tactics now.

What I want to say is that we should go into the problem.

We should respect the other people’s feelings as they are also a part of this country.

Q: The Mahinda Rajapaksa government is interested in power-sharing under the 13th Amendment. Do you oppose the proposals of the All Party Representatives Committee (APRC)?

A: The idea of power-sharing was discussed and the basis for a solution is provided for in the Constitution. All parties should define what type of power devolution is necessary to meet all situations.

It should not imitate any other country and it should suit our country and our people. That has to be discussed and defined. Cooperation of the people is needed and every one should put their heart and soul together to devise a formula to end this problem.

But my feeling about the APRC is that it is just going on and on without reaching a consensus. Everyone’s view should be taken into consideration. I know the one who heads the Committee is trying to do justice to all to make this a success and we appreciate it.

Whether they agree or not all the political parties should be a part of this process. They have a right to be there. There should be diverse views.

Q: You have been considered as a LTTE sympathizer. Your comments?

A: This is a false accusation levelled against me. I am not a sympathiser of the LTTE or any political party. I am only committed to the gospel values. I act only according to the teachings and directives given by the Church. I am not for separation or war. So how can one tag me as a LTTE sympathiser?

When there is a reasonable stand taken by the LTTE on human grounds I stand up for that. That does not mean that I am supporting the LTTE. Even the LTTE does not ask me to support them.

Prabhakaran has never asked me to support him and he knows what kind of a man I am. Once when I met Prabhakaran he told me, “Bishop, I know that you don’t support us and we do not expect that from you. But we expect you to talk about sufferings of the people. He cannot get my support.

Q: But the LTTE says that they are the sole representatives of the Tamils. Do you believe this?

A: No. Tell me who will decide who are the sole representatives of the Tamils.

Q: Did Tamil people ever utter that the LTTE is their sole representative?

A: It is true that they have sacrificed their lives for a cause. But this decision has to come from the people themselves. Anybody can say that they are the sole representatives. That is only their claim.

But I don’t think that people in general will accept this claim. My view is that the Tamil people who belong to political parties and other groups should come together and seek a solution that is good for our country.

The LTTE may have their own reasons to the claim. But people like me and others are very hesitant to support the claim that the LTTE is the sole representatives of the Tamils. People themselves will have to decide on that.

Q: There were some newspaper reports that you support the LTTE to form a separate State expecting to have the Madhu area as a separate religious enclave like Vatican. What is your comment?

A: There are mad people and they don’t know what they are talking about. What is Vatican and Madhu? These mad people are trying to divide this nation. I am not here to create a Vatican or a Church here. I am only the Bishop of the Mannar Diocese. I only wanted people to visit Madhu and go back with safety. I am not worried about these claims.

Q: Some critics have tagged you as a ‘Tiger in a Bishop’s cloak’. What do you have to say about this allegation?

A: As I said earlier, there are mad people and they make these allegations. What can I say about these allegations. If they have any doubt they should talk to me.

My doors are open for discussions. They made these accusations to gain political mileage. There are very bad people in this world. I know that. If they have any doubt they can call me and ask me about it.

I had a dialogue with the JVP and JHU. I have met JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe twice and the JHU also twice. They also had the same idea about me before the meetings but later they apologised me. Then they said that they wanted to visit me. So, I am a friend of all good people who work for this country.

Even if they call me like this, I would like to have a dialogue with any one. That shows there ignorance. In Tamil there is a proverb - when the dog is barking at the moon, the moon is not going to fall down’! But I do not take it in that sense.

Q: What’s your view about the government’s efforts to capture these areas to liberate the people under the clutches of the LTTE?

A: For me war is not the solution. But I know that the war is still going on. But the lives of these innocent people are shattered. How is the government going to re-build their lives. The destruction is going on. The children and their future, everything has been destroyed. If there is something wrong, as human beings, the two parties can get together, talk about and resolve it.

They can iron out it without destroying each other and also the future of the country and its people. These people have been displaced for six to seven times since last September 1. We do not want war. I hate war and separation. I love to see that all the people of this country live together as one family.

Q: Don’t you think that the LTTE is mainly responsible for all these destruction?

A: Yes, the LTTE is responsible, but before that all politicians and section of people were responsible for fuelling the present unrest.

Q: You have mentioned about the possibility of negotiations. Each and every time the government resumed peace talks, the LTTE breached the trust so as to strengthen their defences. How can the government trust them again?

A: Here you have to go back to the history. Those who sabotaged the peace talks also need to go back to the history and see the consequences. Why did the LTTE disagree with certain things? Go back to the history! Then only we can ensure the possibility of successful negotiations.

Whenever a party dis-agrees, it is not fair to stop talks. People who participated in the peace talks were not the seasoned people. They should learn to appreciate the problems confronting each other. So many countries used the same approach and succeeded.

Q: How do you think the religious dignitaries can contribute towards bringing peace?

A: That is a very important issue. All the religious dignitaries should think seriously and take this as a challenge and try to solve the long-standing problem. There are some religious people who look at this in a very subjective way but it is good that now they are looking at it in a very objective way.

They should look at the political realities of this country and they must explore the possibilities of reaching consensus. They should talk about peace not only when the NGOs are trying to give them money but in other times as well.

Who is Rayappu Joseph

At a time when people were treated differently because of their caste or poverty, the house in Delft was a symbol of equality and love. The doors of this house were never shut to low caste villagers or those drowned in poverty.

The five boys and the girl of the Joseph family were taught to live in harmony with all the communities. Their father who was a government contractor and an indigenous physician never had communal feelings and to him all were equal. A dish cooked by Mrs. Joseph was shared by everyone in their neighbourhood.

The children of this family gradually learnt though there are ‘man made’ disparities among people, the blood that runs in everyone’s body is same.

“My father did not treat people differently. He would invite any person ignoring his caste, religion or social status for lunch or dinner. We were taught not to be self-centred from our childhood. There were people who belonged to different religions in our area but we did not have any differences. We were taught to live in unity by our parents”, says the Bishop of Mannar, Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph.

Seven year old Rayappu was regular at the church mass and attracted by the love of God. The timid and well-behaved boy did not have any other ambition but to embrace a religious life. During his childhood, he used to bring milk to the town to sell and one fine day the parish priest who silently monitored the behaviour of this boy invited him to become a priest.

“Yes, I was praying for that since I was seven years of age”, he said to the priest and got the final nod from his parents.

Started his primary education at the Roman Catholic School at Delft and Murunkkan, the young Rayappu was sent for religious education to the National Seminary, Jaffna, at the age of 14 and was ordained a priest at 27.

“My brothers and sisters, who are farmers and teachers are now displaced and some of them have been resettled while their children are living abroad due to war”, Bishop Rayappu who hates war, says that the national question was propped up due to past errors committed against Tamils.

Entered the priesthood in 1967, he became the Assistant Pastor of Murunkkan in 1971 and became the Bishop of Mannar in 1992. He received the doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Urban University, Rome in 1984.

Bishop of Mannar says he has committed his whole life to the happiness of his people. “People make mistakes but I do not bear a grudge. Those who shout at me have their own prejudices and ideas but I am praying for them all”.

His mission in life is to see the day in which the peace doves fly the skies of the war-torn North ending the decades-long war.

“As Christians we love everyone. We are not for hatred and revenge. Love comes from God”, Rt. Rev. Bishop Rayappu wants all communities to live in unity and harmony in one country.

“Unity in diversity is the beauty of unity! Respect each other and try to live in a one country. Now I am thinking how we - the priests can adopt strategies to promote love, unity and peace”, says Bishop of Mannar, who enjoys one of his daily rituals - walking around the “Bishop’s House” to keep his body healthy.

* The Catholic church does not want anybody to interfere with its administration.

* I am only hopeful that the LTTE will cooperate to hold the Madhu feast.

* I am not constantly in touch with the LTTE hierarchy.

* This is not the right time to hold the Madhu festival.

* I will bring Our Lady of Madhu when the present situation returns to normal.

* My major concern is my people and not the damage to the Madhu shrine. Even if the Madhu shrine is razed to the ground I will certainly re-build it.

* I am grateful to the Army for repairing the Church.

* ‘Destroy the enmity, to destroy the enemy.’

* The government, the army, the citizens belonging to the three communities in Sri Lanka, Lankans living abroad and the LTTE together must take responsibility for what is happening in the country.

* The All Party Representative Conference (APRC) is just dragging on without reaching a consensus.

* The JVP leader, Somawansa Amarasinghe and the JHU also had discussions with me.