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Future of Dighavapi and Other Buddhist Sites in the East ? -
12-22-2009, 01:44 PM
Future of Dighavapi and Other Buddhist Sites in the East ?
By Col. A S Amarasekera
" President had queried as to why the Government Agent of Ampara was not present and had informed the delegation that instructions had been given to the Government Agent Ampara not to proceed with the 500 unit housing scheme at Pallaikaadu. The President had also assigned Minister Dinesh Gunawardena with the task of inquiring into the grievances submitted by the delegation of Bhikkhus from Ampara. Senapathiye Ananda Thero on his returned to Ampara had met the Government Agent of Ampara who had informed the Thero that he had not been invited to attened the meeting. He had also categorically denied having received any instructions to discontinue the construction work on the 500 unit housing scheme. Under the circumstances, there is a great possibilty that grievances forwarded by the delegation of Bhikkhus from Ampara may well be swept under the carpet."
The rapidly increasing Muslim population in the densely populated divisional secretariat areas in the Digamadulla or the Ampara district is now settling in land that is either archeological, forest or coastal reservations or on land that is within the divisional secretariat areas where Sinhalese resides. With regard to the establishment of Muslim settlements on archaeological reservations a good example is what is currently taking place in Dighavapi. The sanctification of this highly venerated Stupa is attributed to a visit to this very place by the Buddha hinself. Twelve thousand acres of land had been gifted to the Dighavapi Temple by a Sinhala king. However when late Mr Ashroff was a minister he was instrumental in demarcating 585 acres with boundary stones as temple property.This resulted in the release of the balance extent of land for alienation.
There are thirty five archaeological sites in the vicinity of the Dighavapi Stupa.Only five of these archaeological sites come within the newly demarcated 585 acres of Dighavapiya Temple land. The balance thirty archaeological sites that fall outside the demarcated area are being desecrated daily by Muslims who are settling in this area. One site which was an ancient hospital complex of immens archaeological value, not even a kilometer from the Dighavapiya Stupa, has been bulldozed to contruct a housing complex which has been named Azwer Nagar.
Not far from this ancient hospital site in a place now identified as Kukulkotuwa, there was an ancient parivara Stupa of the main Dighavapiya Stupa that has been leveled and a house has been constructed above the stupa.
About one and a half kilometers from the Dighavapi Stupa in the land that was once the property of the temple, identified as Viharakale, now commonly known as Pallaikaadu,sixty acres have been acquired to construct a 500 unit modern housing complex with Saudi Arabian aid. This housing complex that is being built exclusively for Muslims will have a hospital, a play ground, a swimming pool and a bus terminus with all the modern facilities.Due to a large protest organized by the Sinhala people in Ampara when the project was inaugurated, work was temporarily halted for some time but has now recommenced and the project is rapidly nearing completion.
Though complaints were made by the North and East Sinhala Association to the Commissioner of Archaeology and to the Deputy Inspector General of Police Eastern Range,with regard to the desecration of ancient Buddhist sites, no positive action was taken to halt these activities. Therefore a delegation of Bhikkhus from Ampara consisting of N Buddharakkitha Thero, the chief Incumbent of the Dighavapiya Temple, R Wimalananda Nayake Thero, Senapathiye Ananda Thero,K Somaratane Thero, A Ananda Thero, D Susima Thero,T Subuthi Thero, H Wimalasara Thero, I Sagara Thero,and P Chandananda Thero met the President Hon Mahinda Rajapakse on 3rd September 2007. Ministers Dinesh Gunawardena, P Dayaratne, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene,the Commissioner of Archaeology, the Public Trustee and a few other Government Servants were present at this meeting.
President had queried as to why the Government Agent of Ampara was not present and had informed the delegation that instructions had been given to the Government Agent Ampara not to proceed with the 500 unit housing scheme at Pallaikaadu. The President had slso assigned Minister Dinesh Gunawardena with the task of inquiring into the grivances submitted by the delegation of Bhikkhus from Ampara. Senapathiye Ananda Thero on his returned to Ampara had met the Government Agent of Ampara who had informed the Thero that he had not been invited to attened the meeting. He had also categorically denied having received any instructions to discontinue the construction work on the 500 unit housing scheme. Under the circumstances, there is a great possibilty that grievances forwarded by the delegation of Bhikkhus from Ampara may well be swept under the carpet.
One of them Mr Anver Ismail, the National list Member of Parliament died and the Muslims very cleverly agreed to nominate Mr Basil Rajapakse to this vacant seat,knowing very well that they could support of the Rajapakse government to increase Muslim hegemony in the Ampara district.
Those who believe that the appointment of Basil Rajapakse would pave the way to resolve the grievances of the Sinhalese in Digamadulla must be reminded that it was none other than Basil Rajapakse who recently said that it would be Akkaraipattu and not Ampara that will be the main city of Digamadulla in the future.It is also a known fact that the survival of the present government depends largely on the support of the Muslim members in the Parliament.Therefore that nothing will be done to address the grievances of the Sinhalese population in Digamadulla is a forgone conclusion.
Minister Champaka Ranawaka on a recent visit to Dighavapiya area and to the Lahugala divisional secretariat area saw with his own eyes most of what has been explained above taking place with impunity. He made a lot of noise and threatened to take necessary action to prevent the Muslims from encroaching into both archaeological reservations at Dighavapi and forest reservations at Lahugala.Perhaps he too must have realized after getting back to Colombo that such action is easier said than done.
Courtesy: Buddhist Times
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