Govt to monitor construction of places of religious worship : Overlooked points
Posted on February 22nd, 2013
Shenali WadugeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
The GOSL has issued a fresh circular to monitor the construction of places of religious worship in Sri Lanka. A Committee is to be appointed to monitor such work and a director board of members representing the departments overseeing Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity is to be appointed
Let it not go unsaid that it is the GOSLƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s disinterest, delayed actions, inactions and totally ignoring the long term repercussions for short term gains and advantages that has led to the present issues surfacing.
The present decision is itself questionable. With the Buddhists being a clear 70% majority and the place of Buddhism clearly enshrined in the Constitution (Article 9) why is the GOSL giving equality of position to Buddhism making it on par with all other religions whilst leaving it in the minority against the 75% majority that the 3 minority religions will end up holding at the decision making level? Is this also part of a multicultural deal forwarded by foreign Governments and international monetary organizations?
Is the GOSL not violating the status given to Buddhism? Should the GOSL not be looking into all the illegal structures and removing those first and thereafter coming up with a clear law against such constructions.
Moreover, how can a group of 4 monitor constructions? Is it not the municipalities and provincial councils and the politicians that have given blessings to most of these unlawful and illegal religious constructions some of which are garages turned to prayer centers causing traffic congestion and noise pollution to other residents!
What is needed is a complete survey of all these illegal constructions right round the island and to take punitive action against both municipal authority as well as the religious parties putting up such structures as well as having a very clear order that is not for misinterpretation simply to fulfill the whims and fancies of politicians.
Calls are afoot to have the Sri Lanka Standards Institute issue the halal certificate – the logic and principle remains no state organization should endorse a NEW religious practiceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ based on a minority religionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that would affect all that the rest of the faiths in the country purchase given that 90% of them are non-Muslims. Moreover, it is not just food that is being sought certification on – and later demands would cover cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, tourism etc… where would all these lead to. So the Govt must be forthright in properly addressing this without dilly dallying.
The politicians now need to seriously pull their act together because it is mostly their actions that are causing disharmony. If the laws were properly spelt out and people were clearly told what the demarcations were none of these calamities would have arisen.
We do empathize with the police because they are also under much pressure from politicians.
When we have a golden opportunity before us politicians should not help create divisions by their self-serving actions.
February 22nd, 2013 at 6:09 pm
shenali – the only thing which worries mr, rw and the rest of the rot is not buddhism but the vote. now they have become human rights advocates and speak like westerners and blame buddhist monks for agitating the muslim issue. they are quite oblivious to the real situation experienced by e.g. monks in muhudu maha vihara in pottuvila/paanama, since they don’t experience the hardships like others. every person i spoke to from 3 wheeler drivers, street workers pradeshai saba etc. etc people they all say before the war things were cheaper and affordable – now our man has this ‘blunder of asia’ dream and he has to get massive loans to achieve this – 6 mega cities are going to be built with the help of world bank! while people are suffering – i met a local consultant who will look after re-settlement – this is the pathetic situation in this country – when half baked cakes run the administration (which unfortunately some expats don’t want to hear or believe)
what we need now is to get rid of the rot (of course bad timing as we are conscious of the fact the hyenas are after the scalp of top people in sri lanka through unhcr which we should have quit sometime ago, should have followed china and russia) its a dilemma indeed – to hit both sides and hoping to emerge victorious but we certainly can with the support of buddhist monks, who have been antagonised by this government. it’s perfect timing in one way.
February 23rd, 2013 at 1:13 pm
Govt should control building mosques kovils and churches in the island limiting them according to their population.It is the duty of the Govt .. to rebuild all the buddhist temples destroyed by other religionists.Give backto sinhalese all lands taken by muslims in DEEGHAVAPI and other areas
Build GOKANNA VIHARAYA Govt is bound to do that by the constitution.
Even British agreed to protect Budhism and Sangha in 1815 but our people are ignoring the rights of Buddhists
SINHALA BUDDHIST!!! OPEN YOUR EYES AND WATCH.. RALLY ROUND.. DO NOT TRUSTOUR LEADERS TOOMUCH
MOST OF THEM ARE NOT BUDDHISTS.. IF THEY ARE THEY DONT GO TO SAI OR THIRUPATHI KUDAGAMA OR GALPALLI
WE HAD PEOPLE WHO OPPOSED SINHALESE TO HAVE THEIR EDUCATION IN SINHALA
WE HAD LEADERS WHO DIDNOT WANT TO SEND BACK KALLATHONIS TO INDIA EVEN INDIA WAS READY TO TAKE THEM BACK .. LIKE DUDLY… PREMADASA GAV ECITIZENSHIP TO ALL OF THEM JUST TO HAVE THEIR VOTES
BUT STILL THEY HAVE ABOUT 40% FOLLOWERS – SHAME- THESE VOTERS OR THESE LEADERS ARE NOT SINHALESE
February 23rd, 2013 at 2:06 pm
Hope this is not another step to please the selfish, conniving muslims who are hell bent on making our country another islamic republic like Pakisthan, Afganisthan, Iran, Bangladesh, Maldives, Malaysia, Indonesia which were used to be Buddhist countries. They are mulitiplying at an alarming rate and nobody takes any notice of this. From 2% to 10% in 30 years and with these increased numbers they already control the government. These corrupt, unpatriotic politicians get into the Parliament with the votes from the Sinhalese and do everything possible to undermine and destroy the heritage of the very people who appointed them. While all these muslim politicians get into the government of the day and quietly islamising the parts of the country, opposition party of the day never contemplated sending few of their MP to the Government and get rid of this crafty muslims. Unfortunately it is still the case. UnP (unpatriotic party) has to take more blame for this as they have been in the opposition longer and more and more damage (Kuragala, Dambulla, Anuradhapura, Muhudu Maha Vihara, halal issue, burka etc. etc.) done in the recent years. Sinhalese should unite under one party before it is too late. If they multiply like this in another 50 years our country won’t be our country any more. If they are not uniting, we should all promote JHU and make it the main party. Tamils can have TNA, muslims have their own party, why not Sinahalese. Sinhalese have suffered in the hands of colonials, Tamils, Muslims, our own ‘desha paluwos’ etc etc. The Government should abolish free education and free medicine after two children. Most Sinhalese women are employed and have no time to bring up large families effectively making it automatic birth control while muslim women staying at home giving birth year after year. This put an enormous burden on the state as it has to pay for their education and health care. Their is another downside to this. Once they become adults they become enemies of the state, enemies of the Sinhalese. Diaspora is living proof of this. Poor Mother Lanka gave them free med, free education to make them doctors, engineers, lawyers etc. etc and now the President of the country can’t go abroad they pay their ‘respect’ with placards waving. Very very grateful! Aren’t they? The Government should think hard and fast about this and save all this money spent on ungratefuls to develop the country. They make the baby making in other people’s countries their favourte pastime and still have the nerve to claim islam is the fastest growing religion. How insensitive, how stupid to make a diabolical claim like that. Anybody else would say islam is the fastest breeding religion in the world.
February 23rd, 2013 at 3:53 pm
It is about time government is thinking about it. You just have to go to Bibile Road Gampola to see how a Muslim Mosque has been built. They have not only illegally filled the paddy fields on both sides of the Bibile road but built it across the public road that has been there for centuries and many Sinhalese people who lives on the other side of this so called religious place have to walk under the feet of those who are in the building. Even the Buddhist monks have to walk under their feet. When Sinhalese talk about these injustices and raise their concerns they become racists. How about if a Buddhist temple or a Hindu Kovil was built like that and the Muslims have to walk under it? If the Muslims learn to live peacefully without enforcing others to their ideologies and believes we all live peacefully as done in the past. So all Muslims it is about time you start thinking about others feelings too.
February 23rd, 2013 at 10:13 pm
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2796335/Hate-cleric-Anjem-Choudary-on-25k-benefits.html
February 27th, 2013 at 7:19 am
Sri Lanka should stop constructing temples, mosques & churches anywhere in the island. We have externalized religion coming out of our ears but practice of religion is doubtful in all religions. All the Teachers/Gurus of every religion lay emphasis on the Way Within through Meditation. It is time for us all to think on those lines.
The benefits of Meditation are many for good mental & physical health. Clear thinking, Life Supportive and clever action follows.
We should instead construct buildings as Meditation Centres for Peace & Prosperity and have able and dedicated teachers of Meditation to teach Meditation to any person, whatever religion. GoSL & the Maha Sanga could make this a reality in Sri Lanka.