The occupying Navy of genocidal Sri Lanka and the Chief Buddhist monk stationed at Nayinaatheevu, an islet off Jaffna, have accelerated Sinhalicisation and Buddhicisation of the islet through military occupation. SL Minister for Justice and Buddha Sasana Mr Wijedasa Rajapakshe, who was visiting the peninsula last week, was encouraging Ven Navadagala Paduma Kiththi Tissa Thero to expand further the Buddhist vihara constructions in the island. The Northern Provincial Council (NPC) on Friday condemned the Sinhala-Buddhisication of the settlement wards belonging to Eezham Tamils. The Sinhala Buddhist domination and occupation, purely based on mythical claims, is being accelerated at the strategically located island where popular Saiva and Islamic sites of worships have existed for a long time along with a Buddhist temple.
Archway with title ‘Nagadeepa Pradana Rajamaha Viharaya’ rendered in ‘Sinhala Only’
Sinhala Buddhist devotees from South visiting Naiyinaatheevu
The islet, named as Nagadeepa in Sinhala, is located south west of Ooraath-thu'rai (Kayts) harbour and has become the main place for visiting Sinhala Buddhists from South. Hundreds of Sinhalese flock to the site on a daily basis.
The Chief Buddhist monk spearheading the sociolinguistic, religious and demographic dominance of the islet is characterised by the occupying SL navy as a spiritual leader, having a more significant role and is seen as being above the SL president and their commander-in-chief. The SL Navy is in control of the civil affairs of the islet.
The new regime has gone to the extent of changing the name of village divisions of Nayinaatheevu wards 8 and 12 to Nagadeepa North and Nagadeepa South.
The Eezham Tamil owners of the lands have been uprooted from the islet and are not allowed to permanently resettle there apart from allowing them to visit the island during the popular festival of the Saiva temple of Naaga-pooshani-Amman.
The Colombo regime has been demographically sealing off the Eezham Tamils from their territorial and Historic Waters of Palk Strait, deploying its military and by creating settlements of military personnel along the coastal line since the end of genocidal war in 2009.
The SL Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government under Maithiripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickramasinghe regime was behind the latest change of name from Tamil to Sinhala.
The recent change only indicates that the SL State was continuing the same agenda of committing structural genocide as earlier under the regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa, Tamil civil sources in Jaffna said.
The Chief Sanganayake monk, advancing the programme in ‘Nagadeepa’ was also attempting to monopolise the boat service to the islet.
The SL navy is also trying to bring families of the sailors to settle in the islet, the sources said adding that Kiththi Tissa Thero has planned to start a school and a hospital for this purpose.
The SL military is predominantly Sinhala Buddhist. All its official ceremonies are officiated by Buddhist monks and are closely bound with Buddhist rituals. Commanders of the SLA have to receive the blessings/imprimatur of the incumbent monk of the chief Buddhist clerical order of the country on assuming duties.
