Hindu temples are being attacked on a large scale at the Government level in Sri Lanka

Colombo (Sri Lanka) – There have been incidents of attacks on Hindu temples in Sri Lanka for the past few days. Idols of Deities are being vandalised, and in some cases, Idols in temples have also disappeared. Information has also surfaced that all this is being done by the Archaeological Department of the Sri Lankan Government. This has led to a wave of anger among the Tamil Hindus, and the Hindu leaders called for a protest on 25^th April. They also alleged that the country is undergoing rapid ‘Sinhalaisation’ (Empowerment of the predominantly Buddhist Sinhalese community).

Tamils in #SriLanka have witnessed an escalation in the attack on Hindu temples in recent weeks, a trend that they note is part of the State’s “ongoing Sinhalisation project” in the island’s north. @meerasrini reports https://t.co/gC1emengfr

— The Hindu (@the_hindu) April 24, 2023

1. A report published by ‘The Hindu’ has revealed that these attacks are mainly taking place in the Hindu-dominated city of Jaffna in the northern part of Sri Lanka.
2. After some Tamil Hindus installed Idols of Hindu Deities in a public place, the local Police filed a petition in a Court against it and demanded the removal of the Idols.
3. On the one hand, Hindu temples are being targeted, while on the other, Hindu-dominated northern Sri Lanka is seeing an increase in the number of new Buddhist sites. After Hindus, the number of Christians and Muslims is more in this area and the number of Buddhists is even less.
4. The number of Buddhist Vihars at Kurunthuramalai, as well as in the Iyer Temple at Mullaithivu, has grown rapidly over the years. According to local Hindus, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his family gave impetus to ‘Sinhalaisation’. The current President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe is turning a blind eye to all this.

How did the case come to light ?

A series of attacks on Hindu temples came to light in the Hindu-dominated North and East of Sri Lanka, with increasing operations by the Archaeology Department. Hindus were barred from entering some temples by Government officials citing research on historical sites. After the arrest of a Hindu youth who had gone to worship at a Vedukkunarimalai temple in Vavuniya, it also came to light that the Idols in that temple had been vandalised. Hindus had also protested in large numbers in this area last month.

Editorial Viewpoints

The attacks of the Sri Lankan Government are condemnable and India must question it in this regard.
Why is the Western media, which otherwise harasses Hindus because of the alleged attacks on the minority Muslims or Christians in India, silent on these types of incidents in Sri Lanka ?
About 3 years ago, efforts were made to provide justice to the minority Hindus who had returned from neighbouring countries by implementing the CAA and NRC; yet, nothing has been done to protect the temples in these countries. The Government of India should take concrete steps in this regard too.