Media Secy says tragedy could have been prevented if ...

May 26, 2013, 12:00 pm


By Shamindra Ferdinando

The police yesterday prevented a group of monks from marching on Temple Trees demanding that the last rites of Ven. Bowatte Indraratana thera, who set himself ablaze at the main entrance to the Dalada Maligawa on Vesak day, Friday and succumbed to his injuries at the National Hospital on Saturday night, be held in Colombo.

In spite of their protests, the government directed the transfer of the remains of the monk to his home town. Indrarathana Thera was a resident monk at the Porabe Viharaya in Kahawatta.

In a note issued before his suicide, the monk, formerly of the Jathika Hela Urumaya, demanded an immediate ban on cattle slaughter. It was among several other issues mentioned by the monk in a letter handed over to a journalist based in Kandy.

JHU sources told The Island that the party had expelled the monk on disciplinary grounds some time back.

The police closed the road from the Kollupitiya Junction to Galle Face to prevent Buddhist monks representing Sihala Ravaya from entering the security zone around Temple Trees. Subsequently, Buddhist monks and some supporters held a sit-in protest at the Kollupitiya Junction to pressure the government not to send the remains of Ven, Indraratana Thera to his hometown in Ratnapura. They demanded a meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa to press for total ban on cattle slaughter.

Police headquarters deployed anti-riot squads to face any eventuality though protesters dispersed peacefully when they were told that President Rajapaksa was overseas.

Media Secretary Charitha Herath yesterday told The Island that the police could have prevented the unfortunate incident had the monk’s plan to set himself ablaze in Kandy been brought to the notice of the police by the journalist concerned. Herath said that the Kandy police could have easily moved in if they had been alerted by the journalist. "The media should examine the incident closely," he said, urging all organizations which represented the media, including the Editors’ Guild to inquire into the incident.

Meanwhile, two groups of Buddhist monks exchanged words outside a funeral parlour at Borella yesterday over the government decision to move the remains of the monk to Kahawatte, Ratnapura. Subsequently, the police intervened to settle the dispute, with Senior DIG Anura Senanayake speaking to both parties.

Leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) Wimal Weerawansa, too, requested the President to immediately ban the slaughter of cattle.

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