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| A Jaffna kovil |
Saiva temples located along the border of the Batticaloa district are being desecrated and demolished under the guise of archaeological excavation, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian P. Ariyanethran said Wednesday at Thaan-thoan’ri-eesvarar temple situated in Kokkaddich-choalai of Batticaloa district.
The parliamentarian blamed Buddhist monks for constructing Buddhist viharas on such sites with the backing of Colombo government and the occupying Sri Lanka Army.
Mr Arniynethran was attending a meeting on the development of Kanthaveal-malai located in Paddippazhai Piratheasa Chapai. The meeting was held under auspices of Batticaloa-Ampaa’rai district Saiva Temples’ Federation.
The temple federation should work not only for safeguarding the temples but it should also assist the people by providing livelihood assistance to them, the MP added.
Ariyanethran wanted the Saiva Temples Federation to take concrete steps to stop the Sinhalicization of Tamil villages such as Kanthaveal-malai by the Colombo government.
Archaeological excavations now being undertaken in Tamil villages in the East should be stopped, he said.
In the meantime, Sr Lankan Police elite commandos, who were on treasure hunt at an archaeological site have been confronted by the local people of Mahawilachchiya in Anuradhapura district in the North Central Province.
Media reports in Colombo also revealed that illegal treasure hunting in archaeological sites have increased with the connivance or participation of the SL military occupying the country of Eezham Tamils at the bordering forest areas.
The ‘Army and Archaeology’ has entered into a phase of ‘Army and antiquarian trade’, civil sources in the island commented.
TN