Buddhist clergy claims Hindu, Muslim threat

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 December 1998, 22:03 GMT]
Hundreds of Buddhist monks demonstrated at Borella junction in Colombo this afternoon to protest against the building of Hindu temples in various parts of the country and the introduction of the Halal bill.

The demonstration was organised by the National Sangha Council, a militant Buddhist organisation led by the monk Maduluwawe Sobitha.

The organisation is aligned to various Sinhala Buddhist nationalist organisation supporting the Sri Lankan government's war effort.

Ven.Maduluwawe Sobitha said that the proposed resort of Ramapura in Seetha Eliya near the hill country town of Nuwara Eliya where it is planned to build a temple for the Hindu god Rama, his consort seetha and the monkey god Hanuman is aimed at eventually converting Sri Lanka into a Hindu country.

The monk charged that the three million rupee project was the brainchild of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) leader and government Minister for Livestock Development, Mr.S Thondaman.

He said that the Hindu temples are coming up on land belonging traditionally to the Sinhalese.

Ven.Maduluwawe also stated that the Halal Bill which would make it mandatory for several food products to be made according to the Islamic Thaqbeer proceedure may be the first step to a greater future threat to Buddhism and Buddhist culture from the Muslim faith.