Madhu Feast proceeds peacefully

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 August 1999, 14:21 GMT]
Over fifty thousand devotees participated in the Madhu Feast which took place today, said church sources. The Bishop of the Ratnapura diocese conducted the festival mass in Tamil and Sinhala at 6.30 a.m. this morning, along with Rev.Fr. A. Xavier Croos, the Vicar General of Mannar and Rev.Fr.D.B.Derarajah.

Church sources said that a large number of Christian devotees from the south region of the country participated the feast for the first time in 17 years.

At the same time for the first time nobody from the Vanni areas held by the LTTE attended the Feast this time Church sources said.

Devotees said that due to strict checking and delay at the Iratperiyakulam road checkpoint, many devotees who came late were refused permission at the checkpoints along the Medawachchiya Cheddikulam - Mannar road could not continue their journey to Madhu.

They appealed to the appropriate authorities through the press to make arrangements for the devotees to go to Madhu through Cheddikulam road.

Many of the devotees who came to Madhu from the South said that they were checked by both the Liberation Tigers and SLA.

They said that the LTTE members hey met said they were happy to see the people coming from the south to the Festival in the northern town.

They said the LTTE had assured them that no incidents would take place in the Madhu area due to Tiger action and that the people could move about without worry in the Madhu church premises.