Mannar (Sri Lanka) : Hindu temple destroyed, households attacked by Christians

Former UN adviser on food and agriculture, a Tamil Scholar and Chief Coordinator of ‘Siva Cheanai’ in Jaffna, Maravanpulavu K. Sachithananthan has reported the recurring Catholic conspiracy in Mannar District, northern province of Sri Lanka. Sachithananthan also reported the destruction of a Pillayaar temple at Vellaankulam, in Mannar district.

Catholic priest in charge of the parish Devanpiddy, a village to the west of Vellankulam towards the coastline led the vandals at midnight on 23rd/ 24th April to destroy the Pillayar temple and attack the Hindu residents causing extensive damage to Hindus and their properties.

A police case has been registered. Government officials including the Provincial Police Director, Hindu Cultural Officer had visited the site of vandalization but no action has been taken to arrest or register a case against the perpetrators of violence in the name of religion.

Both villages, Catholic Christians only (about 200 families) populated Devanpiddy and Saiva Hindu Tamils only (about 250 families) populated Vellankulam are neighboring villages living in absolute harmony and co-operation until the Catholic parish priest of Devanpiddy illegally planted a 2 meter tall cross inside the Hindu village of Vellankulam in close proximity to the Pillaiyaar temple on the Pongal day 14th January 2017.

Since there was no permission for this erection from any authority in Mannar District, Hindus lodged a protest with the authorities to have the Christian Cross removed from the Hindu village. But, it was not removed. Then, Sachithananthan went personally to the offices of Divisional Secretary, Admanpan, and Pradeiya Secretary Aadkaadiveli to present written memorandums on this illegal construction and asked them to have it removed. But, the Christanity influence administration and Buddhist influenced police did not take care for the earnest petitions of Hindus.

At last, the aggrieved Hindus removed the illegal erection of the Cross on 23rd April as it was a source of irritation to the Hindu only village environment. Also, it was a corrupt influence on the school children. Hindus also felt that it was a prelude to convert the Hindus to Christianity. So, they removed it.

On the next day, 25th  April night the Catholic Parish priest of Devanpiddy led a party of drunken men from his village to attack another temple, the Munnaiswaran temple at Vellankulam. As Hindus became aware of this, they assembled to chase the vandals led by the Catholic priest. But, unfortunately, the Pillayaar temple was destroyed by the drunkard catholic vandals.

The entire Mannar district is under the grip of Christianization targeting Hindus. Even though Hindus form 40% of the District population, there are no elected representatives to represent their plight. All elected representatives are Christians. Also, the District administrative and Judicial officials are Christians. Police force is Buddhist. In such a situation the Saiva Tamil Hindu people in Mannar and in many places Sri Lanka just face a persecution of both political and administration level.

Hindus are at the mercy of these alien religionists in their land of more than 5,000 years of cultural heritage to whom the entire District was Hindu until the advent of the invading Portuguese who forcibly converted Hindus to Catholic Christianity.

Post 2009 May, after the war is over, missionary groups like Pentecostal Mission, Jehovah’s Witness, Sound of Trumpets, and such mushrooming outfits funded by Christian Churches from the western countries are very active attempting to convert the Hindus to Christianity. Removing the illegally constructed cross at Vellankulam is an indication of the resistance by Hindus to these ‘coercive’ conversions.

Through and email M. K. Sachithananthan urged his Hindu activist friends connected in a google group to ask the Sri Lankan government to take adequate steps to protect the Hindus, their lives, their property, their places of worship in Vellankulam as an urgent measure.

Condemning the attack on Tamil Hindus by Catholics in Sri Lanka, prominent Hindu interlocutor and editor of Hindu Existence, Upananda Brahmachari conveyed that he will take the matter with the PMs of both the countries, central administration and specially with Smt. Sushma Swaraj, the external affairs minister of India, urgently.

Source : Hindu Existence