THIS A BUDDHIST COUNTRY; WE CAN

KILL YOU, BUDDHIST MONK TELLS A

TAMIL FAMILY IN COLOMBO

Image: File photo of a agitated Buddhist monk.

Tamil Family in Colombo Suburb Suffers Terrible Ordeal at
the Hands of a Religious Mob.

By Nila Loganathan.-08/11/2016
I have realized, again, that this world, as usual, is a heavenly
land full of religion, religious hatred and a land of people at the

height of their barbarism, passed on through thousands of years

of religions.
This time it were Buddhist monks who opened my eyes.
We barely managed to escape with our lives yesterday. The
hatred could continue today, tomorrow or even days after this has
passed.We could be sliced down by hundred swords bearing
people me, my family, or the child in our house.
You will probably remember, I wrote about the Buddhist temple
close to our house, the loud Pirith chanting, and the festivities
that were relayed over the loudspeaker a few months ago.
When we moved to this house it was but a small Buddha statue
under a Bo tree. Now it covers a much bigger extent.It is the 10th
anniversary of the Pansala. And I think they have holy days in
October.Yesterday was the 10th day.
On each of these 10 days they start broadcasting songs of Nanda
Malini at exactly 3pm. The same song would be broadcast, on a
loop, till 6pm. Young students of the Sunday schools would
broadcast their radio programs in between. They would usually
broadcast religious doctrines, religious songs and pious thoughts.
This does not happen only during the anniversary celebrations. It
happened everyday beginning from 6pm. But this time it
commenced at 3pm and ends around 10pm.
The house we live in has two storeys. There are no other upstairs
houses in the vicinity.Two loudspeakers had been tied across from

our house, right opposite our wall. One of the loudspeakers would
wail at our room. Our doors would vibrate like a tuning fork. The
bed would vibrate. The chairs would vibrate. The plates would
vibrate.The other loudspeaker would similarly harass our Muslim
neighbors, who lived opposite to our house.
Ive had migraine for a while now. Only a person with migraine
can ever say how, when or why one could get a migraine. Nothing
else could be predicted about them.
From 6pm to 10pm high decibel Bana is broadcast and the
monks also deliver their teaching.The recorded Bana is played till
early morning.
The Perahera commences at 3am. Every day, the Perahara
consists of lashing, drums, ghost dancing and fire torches. Then at
6 am the procession would end near our house.
I am not exaggerating here,
The teachings would explicitly and implicitly include,
1) How Buddhists are unable to maintain order and unity within
Buddhism, unlike other religions.
2) How our religious teachings should be said loud and clear for
others to hear.
3) How this is a Buddhist country, and how there should be
nothing else other than Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Yesterday, I went to them for the third time.

The first time, I spoke directly to the Chief monk and kindly asked
him to reduce the volume. Not to stop.The second time, with
obedience and humility unusual for me, I asked them at least if
they could direct the loudspeakers not pointing to our house.Last
night was the third time. The final day of the events.
Since 10pm we were waiting for the noise to be over, yet it
remained and after 12pm it was giving us immense discomfort.I
went downstairs. We went.Very quietly and very gently we asked
an elderly gentleman present if we could speak to those
concerned.
What is the problem?
There is no problem. Could you reduce the volume? I have
migraine headache.
The worshipers were quietly listening to the speaker.
I dont know where they came from. Initially there were around 15
of them.
Come inside, we can talk.
I did not come to argue or debate. If you could, can you please
reduce the volume?

Another 15 of them came in an instant. Suddenly, we were

trapped within a circular formation.
I dont intend to oppose this. But the sound levels are affecting
me.
The noise did not allow us to even talk or discuss with them.
Suddenly, several Buddhist monks, including some in maroon
robes, rushed towards us. One called himself the Chief monk.
The air was filled with the stench of alcohol (an ordinary person
cannot chant Bana all day without compulsory mild stimulant).
Palayang thamuse!
Meka Sinhala Bauddha ratak. Api mehmemai
Umbala Para Dhemala , palayang
circular formation was slowly closing in. It was becoming air tight.
Around 200 people were now around us.
Palayang dhemala!
Meka Bauddha ratak. Umba palayang Indiavata
Marala daanawa

We couldnt move an inch within the formation.

We couldnt hear anything beyond the racist chants, screaming
and the jostling.
The group reeked of alcohol stench.
The chanting was temporarily halted to deal with us.
Around 30 minutes into this physical hitting and jostling, a
Sinhala- Buddhist woman from the neighborhood escorted us to
her house and took us to safety.
My sister too had arrived there at this point. She was a medical
doctor by profession and a general practitioner in the area.
The woman was advising us thus:
This is a Buddhist country. Pirith chanting cannot be stopped. You
could go and live with your relatives in October. That is good for
you. The only reason that there are no floods and cyclones in this
area is because of the Pirith chanting at the temple. Your sister is
a doctor. But do you think its her medicine which saves the
people? Definitely not. It is the Pirith chanting and our rites that
have kept the people alive.
The lady locked us inside and went out to check the
circumstances.

In around 10 minutes she came back, accompanied with other

villagers, escorted us to our house so we could settle with the
chief monk.
While we were at the ladys house around 50 of the intoxicated
mob, led by the chief monk, had entered our house.
We entered our house hoping that we might get to meet someone
who could talk sense among of this chaos.
We were disappointed. Very disappointed.
We saw an enraged, drunk, aggressive 40-45 years old, worn in
Maroon Monk (seeing him for the first time) expressing utter
dominance in his sitting posture. The six-year-old child was
weeping and the hall is filled with the drunk and other aggressive
strangers.
Im the chief said the Monk and delivered the worst racist
remarks of the night, repeatedly hitting on his chest.
How dare recently arrived Tamils question us?
We will cut them to pieces.
I do not wish to write in detail of what happened at our house.

The police arrived. They were informed and brought in by the

Monk himself.
They asked us why we had assaulted the monk!
Around 10 people came forward to attest that we had assaulted
the monk and them. Those people were randomly chosen by the
monk, then and there.
Everyone, including the monks, the policemen, the worshipers
and us, we all knew that a concocted story was being told to the
policemen.
We were quiet, said nothing in return, knowing its never going to
be a bidirectional communication nor tolerated.
Continuing the verbal abuse, that cross-cuts several fundamental
ideologies, such as Are you a male, you let your wife to talk?,
When others arent complaining, why only you? Im sure you
must be in Angoda (repeatedly said),the monk then demanded
that we apologize in public.
The people who had gathered around us, much like the junior
artists in movies, chorused that we should fall at their feet and
apologize. I suggested that I will apologize for events that had
not occurred here.
The mob led us into the temple.
There, around 50 monks of all ages, including an African monk
and an East- Asian monk, were seated on stage.
Around 200 worshipers had silently gathered in white.

The monk started to speak,

1) These Tamil dogs have dared to question us.
2) Dont the Sinhala people and Buddhists have no backbone that
they continue to listen to these people?
3) How many of you can kill them here?
4) Can you raise your hands?
5) Even if I forgive them, will the people here forgive them? How
do I know that they wont kill, beat or cut the limbs of anyone who
questions their religion? Everyone it is in your hands.
6) I know Chandrika. I will speak with the Buddhist Sangha
regarding this.
7) Can we go to Jaffna and question their religion?
8) Everything will be ok if we beat Wigneswaran.
9) Now come fall at our feet and apologize.
If you want an apology, I can apologize for something that did not
occur. But I never fall at anyones feet, and I never will.
The elderly and older monks agitated against us. The youngsters
watched intently as to what we were saying.

A shorter monk then throttled my husband and indicated that he

would lift him off the ground by the neck.
We were too careful not to push or even move away so that the
Monk wouldnt get hurt. If he would have slipped or even fallen by
himself then we would have been destroyed by the angry mob
waiting.
I did not touch you only because you are a woman. he said to
me Now, go and apologize to the crowd.
When I tried to explain to them what had happened, I was
immediately shouted down. Kata wahapang, samaawa witharai
oney! and raised his hand Dont explain. Just apologize. Kneel
down.
We said that we would apologize (for the sake of ending this
trauma) but strictly objected the kneel-down-instruction.
At this point, some people at the temple raised their voice saying
Its getting late and we need to get back to our rituals so the
grip started to loosen up a bit.
We apologized explicitly for something that did not occur.
Around 300 people pushed and jostled us back home, with
beatings.
The pirith chanting commenced at the same decibel levels.
Do you see how many of us are ready to kill you?

How can you live in this great Buddhist nation?

See what happens in the morning.
It all ended around 4.30 am in the morning.
I dont have an iota of hatred towards these people. From last
night, I am overwhelmed by a sensed of kindness and sympathy
towards them.
They are sinners oh Lord Buddha! Grant them nirvana. Or please
at least post a status about them!
Any power structures that ignore human life, humans and basic
human needs will never be dismantled. Only that it will be a
thousand-year struggle.
I, and I alone as a woman, was a challenge to all those religious
zealots, last night. Every single family will talk about me, and
discuss my rights and wrongs at least till the next anniversary
celebrations.
There were children. They will think about what I did.
Weve carried out at least 1% of that great wave of motion.
I firmly believe that just like how life evolved depending on its
needs, and how humanity evolved and civilized based on its
needs, these humans too will evolve and choose their correct
paths based on their needs.

If anyone else chooses to harass these people, I will be the first to

question that too.
I have no hate or prejudice against them. I only oppose the static
ideas, such as religions and all other fundamentalism. Not
humans.
The social movement to empower and educate people on this
planet, so they become independent thinkers and decision
makers would take many decades if not centuries.
We strongly believe that what we have done last night is yet
another slight contribution to the very long streams of such
movements.
Nila
30.10.2016
From her face book courtesy of DBS Jeyaraj
Posted by Thavam