Sunday Times 2
Destroy the smouldering embers of religious and racial flames
View(s):By B. Anton Jeyanathan
Our country consisting of multi racial and multi religious citizens, has been thrice blessed to live in peace and harmony for many centuries. On and off, extremist elements, racial, religious and political, have disturbed this peaceful co-existence due to their adventurous and diabolical acts of inciting riots and disturbances between the communities, which has resulted in many deaths as well as earning the tag of a “pariah state”. One particular race or religious group alone cannot be blamed for such a situation. The entire populace, political leaders and religious leaders must bow their heads in shame for the irreparable damage caused due to such disturbances in the past.
Country – thrice blessed
In all parts of the country, people of different races and religions live together without any impediment or hindrance to practice their own religion as well as speak in their own mother tongue. It is the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of our country that every citizen has the freedom of speech, worship and living wherever they decide to live.
Religious harmony
Temples, Churches, Mosques and Kovils exist in close proximity to each other where worshippers of each religion have the freedom to worship at any of their places of worship according to their own wish. Take for an instance Slave Island junction near the Nawaloka Hospital, where anyone could observe a Catholic church, a Buddhist temple and a mosque on either side of the church, and a Hindu temple a little away from the Catholic church, co-existing for many years. One has only to visit this junction on a Friday where services in all four places of worship are conducted more or less simultaneously, where a large number of devotees of all four religions congregate to receive the blessings of the deities of their choice. This is a clear example of people of different races and religions continuing their beliefs and worship without antagonising each other.
Rabble rousing
During the past few weeks both in the print and electronic media publicity had been given to a particular Buddhist organisation and also in particular to a Buddhist monk; the activities of him and his followers arousing religious and racial hatred amongst the people who are living peacefully irrespective of their race or religion. I do not wish to go into details of this Buddhist monk and his followers as enough and more has been written and published about their activities and the dangers looming due to the activities of this group. It has also been reported that the police had made attempts to arrest this Buddhist monk, but had been either prevented or they have not been able to apprehend him.
Blame on police
The activities of this particular Buddhist monk and his organisation have been the subject of debate in Parliament. The Minister of Law and Order is reported to have blamed the police for not having taken stern action against such elements. Our laws have many provisions to take any person or persons into custody and bring them before courts for indulging in such rabble rousing and hate speeches. It is for the police to act within the law irrespective of the standing of the perpetrators and bring them to book and take legal action according to the provisions of the law. Even in the past when such violation of the law had taken place in respect of racial riots as well as any other criminal offences, the police have been blamed for not having taken sufficient action to apprehend the perpetrators in time, either to prevent such incidents or minimise the impact of such criminal acts.
Past history
We have witnessed blood baths of racial and religious riots in the1950’s, 1970’s and 1980’s, which had caused irreparable damage to our country as well as brought bitterness and hatred among the various racial and religious groups of people living in this country. Here too, members of the civil society as well as political authorities have blamed the police for not acting sternly against the rioters at the initial stages which would have prevented the escalation of such violation of law and order.
Peaceful co-existence
Every religion has taught us that peace amongst people is the utmost desire of all communities, and has also taught us to abhor violence and hatred. The majority of the citizens have lived according to the teachings of their religion for many centuries. It is a handful of misguided and hate minded group of people who sow the seeds of hatred which has resulted in destruction and death. All religious leaders must come forward and jointly campaign for religious and racial harmony amongst the people.
Disasters
Our country has witnessed enough and more violence and hatred during the past 30 to 40 years. This year our country has faced disaster after disaster such as the explosion at the army explosive dump in Homagama, the Meetotamulla garbage disaster, the severe drought and now the heavy flooding. The number of deaths and the number of people left homeless and displaced, deprived of all their belongings, are too numerous to be counted. Should we face another disaster due to the religious, racial, rabble rousing which is bound to be disastrous and detrimental to our country? The people are apprehensive of such a calamity of island wide clashes between the citizens of various races and religions due to the prevailing uneasy situation in the country.
Law and order
Prevention is better than cure. Nipping in the bud is a saying which is very relevant to the present situation. Blame has already been placed at the feet of the police for not taking appropriate action to prevent the rabble rousers carrying on their campaign without any hindrance. The law and order agency, the police, should not wait till the bubble bursts. There are sufficient legal provisions for the police to act against anyone whether from the North, South, East or West, irrespective of race or religion, who indulge in spreading of hatred and violence among the people of this country who have co-existed peacefully for many centuries. The peace loving people of this country depend on the police and expect them to act without fear or favour. The police should not allow the embers of this flame to rise up. They should take immediate steps to destroy the smouldering embers of religious and racial flames before it engulfs the country.
(The writer is a retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Police.)