Clergy, politicos take umbrage at Trichy hooligans

By P. Krishnaswamy

Bishop Rt Rev. Thomas Soundaranayagam Mannar

Batticaloa/ Trincomalee Bishop Rt.Rev.Kinsley Swampillai

Bishop Rt.Rev. Rayappu Joseph

DPC leader Prabha GanewshanJaffna

CWC President Muthu Sivalingam

The recent mob-harassment of Sri Lankans in Tamil Nadu who were on a pilgrimage to Velankanni and the Poondi Matha Christian shrines has drawn a barrage of criticism not only from Sri Lanka's Tamil political and religious leaders, but also from a wide cross-section of Indian leaders and some of India's widely-read English newspapers.

Deputy Minister Muthu Sivalingam who is President of the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) which represents a bulk of the Indian origin plantation community and Prabha Ganeshan, UPFA Parliamentarian and leader of the Democratic People's Congress (DPC) said that these acts perpetrated by certain extremist Tamil political leaders for their mean political gains will be counter-productive. Such acts will pose a threat to the lives of over 1.5 million Tamils of Indian origin living in brotherhood and harmony amidst the majority community, they said.

Tamil Catholic Bishops of Jaffna, Mannar and Batticaloa/Trincomalee the Rt. Rev. Thomas Soundaranayagam, Rayappu Joseph and Dr. Kingsley Swampillai said that they condemned in no uncertain terms the mobbing and harassment of pilgrims who had gone to perform their devotion at the shrines in Tamil Nadu.

The leaders of Tamil Nadu, the Central Government, the Catholic Bishops of Tamil Nadu and all concerned authorities, including the police, should take steps to ensure that the pilgrims' right to worship is not denied."

Excerpts of their comments:

CWC President Muthu Sivalingam: "The historic and cultural ties between India and Sri Lanka date back thousands of years. The Indian origin Tamils of the central hill country have lived as brothers with the majority community, outside the North and East, for over 150 years. They were unscathed even during the 30 year intensive military operations against terrorism. The Tamil Nadu political extremists are trying to make them scapegoats for their mean political gains. The Sri Lankan Buddhists have religious links in India. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a Buddhist and he has every right to visit India for performing his religious obligations.

"Thousands of Sri Lankan students are going for their higher studies to Indian universities. Sri Lankan girls, mostly belonging to the majority community , study performing arts, especially ' Bharatha Natyam', in fine arts institutions in India and they remain exponents and 'brand managers' of those arts in Sri Lanka.

An average of 10 flights operate daily between airports in Tamil Nadu and Colombo and a majority of the passengers are Tamils. Do these extremist leaders want to impair all these?"

Colombo UPFA MP Prabha Ganeshan: "Certain extremist leaders of Tamil Nadu have either conveniently forgotten that over 1.5 million Tamils of Indian origin are living amidst the Sinhalese majority in the central hill country or are they not aware of this fact. Their activities, patronised by sections of the Tamil diaspora, pose the threat of impairing the atmosphere of peace and brotherhood prevailing between the different communities in the country.

They should take into consideration the welfare and security of the Indian origin Tamils instead of taking recourse to acts, purportedly for the benefit of the North-East Tamils, which will be counter productive in the long run. While I strongly condemn such acts, I believe that the State Government and the Union Government will take all necessary steps to prevent any repetitions."

The Bishop of Mannar Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph: "This type of act to prevent people earnestly desiring to worship and to be in the divine presence at the Velankanni and Poondi Matha shrines is inhuman. No one has a right to prevent the spiritual desires of devotees being fulfilled. Devotees from all parts of the world and belonging to many religions go on pilgrimage to these shrines.

They must be left alone to perform their devotion. It is very strange and saddening that such a thing has happened. I condemn it in no uncertain terms.

They went on pilgrimage and not for any political purposes. Such things should not be repeated. The governments of Tamil Nadu, the Indian Centre and the authorities concerned should take all measures necessary to prevent such disgraceful acts being repeated. From whatever quarters the pilgrims may come their religious conscience and their right to worship should be respected. I also appeal to the Catholic Bishops of Tamil Nadu to take measures to ensure that such unfortunate incidents are not repeated in the future."

Bishop of Jaffna Rt. Rev. Thomas Soundaranayagam: "It is not ethical to harass pilgrims who go to perform their vows and perform their devotion. I strongly condemn it. The authorities concerned should take steps to dissuade such things being repeated in the future.

Those who are behind these incidents should realise that the pilgrims from Sri Lanka went for religious and spiritual purposes.

They should not mix it up with politics. The people should be free to visit the places of pilgrimage and carry out their devotions in these places."

Bishop of Batticaloa/Trincomalee Rt. Rev. Dr. Kingsley Swampillai: "We regret and condemn these incidents. The pilgrims were Catholics and non-Catholics.