Tamil outfits target archaeology students in Thanjavur
A Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, Pathberiye Gnanaloka Thero, was assaulted by members of Tamil outfits at the Big Temple in Thanjavur on Saturday. He was part of a team of students of the Institute of Archaeology of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), New Delhi, on a study tour.
Later in the day, vans transporting the students to the Tiruchi airport from Thanjavur were pelted with stones resulting in damage to windshields. However, the students escaped unhurt.
In Thanjavur, the students and staff, 19 in total, were going around the Sri Brihadeeswarar Temple when a group owing allegiance to the Naam Tamizhar Katchi and the Thamizh Desiya Podhuvudamai Katchi attacked Ven. Gnanaloka Thero, who stood out in the group in his saffron robe.
The students were taken to the ASI office near the temple, but the assailants surrounded the office and demanded that the monk be sent out. The incident sent shock waves among devotees and archakas who were witness to the attack.
Gnanaloka Thero was asked to change his clothes and sent to Tiruchi along with other students with police escort in vans. As the vehicles entered Tiruchi, two cabs transporting the students were targeted near Ariyamangalam and G Corner, where members of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Naam Tamizhar Katchi attacked the vehicles with sticks and stones, police said. The front windshield of one of the vans and the rear one in the other were damaged. However, the students were escorted safely to the airport.
City Commissioner of Police Shailesh Kumar Yadav met the students upon their arrival at the airport. The monk was put on a Chennai-bound flight later in the evening, while the others were accommodated at the airport temporarily.
The students hailed from different countries, including Sri Lanka, China and Thailand and from north India. All of them are studying Postgraduate Diploma in Archaeology in New Delhi. Their proposed visit to Darasuram and Gangaikondacholapuram temples were cancelled following the incident.
Gnanaloka Thero has been staying in New Delhi for the last one-and-half years pursuing the diploma course. The 46-year-old monk, who hails from Colombo, told The Hindu on the phone from the Tiruchi airport that he came to India in 2011 and enrolled himself for the ASI course.
Eleven persons, including A. Nalladurai, State coordinator of the Naam Thamizhar Katchi, and Pazha Rajendran of the Thamizh Desiya Podhuvudamai Katchi, were arrested in Thanjavur, while 10 persons, including MDMK rural district secretary, Tiruchi, were held in Tiruchi in connection with the stone-throwing incident.
Keywords: Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Tamil Nadu politics, Sri Lankan Buddhist monk attack, ASI study tour, Tamil extremism
No difference between Tamil tigers and these who attack monks. Tigers
attcked monks at srimahabodhi and kandy temple and killed. Now these
goons are attcking monks. India should be ashamed of these thugs.
While I pity the monk and others who got attacked,I am more pained to see the low culture of some of these less popular political outfits who do not have any representation in Indian political system.Those who criticize should know that an average Tamilian does not belong to such outfits.
5% of maharsthra belongs to buddhist and we can teach these tamilian a lesson in
maharsthra.Prabhakaran was a terrorist who had killed 3000 IPKF .
As a Sri lankan I'm very sad how these few racists in India treat our travelers in India. Tamil Nadu Politicians have made a very bad image of Sri lankans in their people's mind which is not true and they should take the responsibility of these racist activities. If TN politicians really think Sri lankan government have made mistakes they should try to solve those in a proper manner.
SL Government should impose a travel ban on Tamil Nadu and change all
their Chennai and Thiruchi flights to Trivandram and Bangalore.
Then TN would recognize the importance of Sri Lanka.
Even by fishing in Sri Lankan waters they are depriving the rights of
the same people they want to protect.
In civilized societies clergy are not attacked. They are respected and served. It is a dobly uncivilized act to attack a member of clergy who visited a religious place.
Such wanton acts negate the justifiable cause of the Tamils that SL
government and army carried out war crimes against innocent women and
children, and also surrendering LTTE cadres.
Know the history before blindly supporting a Srilankan monk or talking about other ethical nonsense.
Once Indians were the most tolerant people in the world and we were supposed to be
the guiding force for others. But now, we behave in a most intolerant way possible,
because everyone wants to become politician.
What happened to TOLERANCE.
Tamilnadu has become a state that can be manipulated by Certain
sections.
EV Ramasamy Naicker's (aka Periyar) observation has come true ! :-( Tamilians have shown that they can be "KAttu MirAndis". These few have brought shame to all Tamilians ..
Real Shame. How can we behave like this ?
In stretching expression of political protest to an act of assault, that too directed at a defenceless monk on a harmless archaeological study tour, the degenerates have exceeded in vandalising not just the ethos of a people, but also in desecrating the sanctity of the place with their heretical mentality.
The incident provides yet another sample of a 'talibanic' disposition that is slithering into our spiritual culture.
what is the point in arresting, they should be sentenced appropriately
to prevent recurrence of such incidents. moreover whats the security in
the big temple ? This is really shaming for entire tamil community.
Sad to see that this is the way that Tamilnadu has treated a guest. He is not a representative of the Sri Lankan Government.
Inna Seithaarai oruthal avarnaana
Nannayam seidhu vidal
- Thiruvalluvar
Remember this?
What did these outfits do when Rajapaksa came ? Do they have courage
only to the level to target unarmed and normal civilians?
Those who were involved in such cowardly act should be punished with a
strong message....
It is a highly regrettable vandalism.The perpetrators should be brought to book.As there is Photographic and Video graphic evidence available,it is easy to nail the culprits.They should be severely punished.These fringe groups are creating such scenes for quite some time.
What a disgrace, India is starting to be a place not to be visited by any tourists. Yesterday a Western tourist was raped in front of her husband and now this attack on a monk.
Shame, shame.
When people agitate against the Lankan government, in a way it can be
justified.. But, no way in the civilized society, such incidents, where
the normal Lankan citizens are attacked, are totally unacceptable.
Whats wrong with these groups, hitting a monk and pelting students? Is it supposed to show that they 'strongly' feel about Srilankan tamil issue? How could we as a group be so simple minded? Hitting group of innocent people creates a false image on the entire tamil population. I say we should be calm and oppose not just the injustice happening in srilanka but also those happening in our land in the name of patriotism.
This shameful attack must be condemned in the strongest possible terms
by all right thinking Tamil community. In what way this monk and his
group of students who are ostensibly on a study tour responsible for the
war crimes against Tamils in Sri Lanka. Those outfits who directly and
indirectly encourage such acts of hooliganism must realize that
misplaced militancy against visitors of this type, is no substitute for
sanity and against our much acclaimed Tamil culture.The TN Govt. should
deal with the hooligans with an iron hand.
This is an atrocious act by Tamils. Those arrested should not be released. Put them behind
bars for at least 5 years.
It is a barbaric act.. We all should condemn this act in one voice.
This is shameful. This is not how such issues are dealt with.
This is absolutely shameful.What does the monk have to do with the Sri Lankan government or military?He's a monk,a monk!!!
All it shows is the sheer levels of ignorance and malice amongst these political parties.
Want an identity? make some nonsense voilence, you get it in india...Most of the recent incidents made me think like this.
Assaulting Sinhalese is not a right way for Tamils to take their
protest. However why Media outlets such as Hindu who maintained Staunch
silence about Loyola protest in the initial days give prominence to news
such as these ? Should not both news items deserve the same ?
Any Anti-Tamil news items gets undue prominence in Hindu and any Pro-
Tamil news items are kept in abeyance?
What a shame! And we pride ourselves being born in the land of Gandhi. Whatever happened to peaceful protests?
Barbarism. Is this our culture?
This is truly an unfortunate incident that is a byproduct of whipping up linguistic sentiments. I
dont understand what we gain by targeting sinhalese civilians who have as little control or
influence over their government's decisions, as much we indian civilians have over ours.
Even symbolic targeting of civilians is unacceptable. We cant be talking of human rights, war
crimes and behaving as barbarians at the sametime. All protests should be targeted only at
institutions that carry symbolic value without any violence. Otherwise these protests are
going to lead to more antagonism towards the cause than helping it.
Pity Tamil activists display anger against a monk in students' group; he
is only member of tourist study group not involved in politics; violence
uncalled for; it may create more problems for Indian Tamils in Lanka
which we will not come to know at all; it is time we instill right
values in our student community; protest like this will escalate enmity
between the two countries people and lead to disgust and despair sure !
Pray our folks are more logical in showing their discontent for Lanka.
While our frustration at the despair of Sri Lankan Tamils is understandable,
Mob frenzy and attacks on their citizens in our country does not behove of a
Democracy.All political parties should discourage such acts of their cadre.
Mere rage takes us nowhere.Action befitting a Big,but equal neighbor is the
NEED OF THE HOUR.
Not one politician, student, or so called protectors of Tamils in
SriLanka helped the refugees in the camps in Tamilnadu providing better
sanitation, drinking water or living quarters.
It is so disgusting to see hindus that tolerate all religions commit
such an act. I am disgraced to be an indian
Tamil activists should leave the religious pilgrims alone. India is
the cradle of Buddhism and even though Sri Lankans practice a
distorted version of Buddha's teachings (Buddha would find it
appalling the way Sri Lanka treated its Tamil minorities and the
violence unleashed on defeated and surrendered Tamil rebels and
civilians) it is uncivilized and unbecoming to hurl abuse and harass
pilgrims and monks. Tamil activists would only weaken their cause and
loose appeal in rest of India with picture like abuse of saffron clad
monks in shaved head abused by Tamil activists.
Such assaults against civilians are only going to worsen the situation. Our focus
should be to resolve the issue of living Tamils in Srilanka rather than expressing
such emotions is going to make matters worse.
What Delhi Govt is doing? Why haven't they prevented the visitors to travel to TN
considering the ongoing sensitivities in the State. If the Govt didn't acted proactively,
then I think Govt is insensitive any body's safety or security ( Let it be Indian
Fishermen or foreign visitors).
Barbarism of a few uncultured people...To be condemned unreservedly.
It saddens me to see such behaviors from our people on visiting
students. Especially India the culture where all conflicting views
and Ideology religion and spiritual practice are always encouraged
without any objection.
We should not do same inhuman and uncultured ways of doing things
which the Srilankan government and army have been doing to other
ethnic and religious groups.
If we going to act same way as those whom we oppose, On what moral
grounds we cry injustice!
I am not sure what these ruffians were up to. Those who are in the country are our guests and should be treated with dignity.
This is a shame and disgrace to Tamil Nadu. One wonders what would've happened to the monk had he come out.
What if the visitors from Tamilnadu in Colombo get attacked in Srilanka. We should not give them reasons to attack our Tamil visitors to Srilanka. So it is not good to attack some lone person because he is a Monk. That is very childish. We should show our protest in the United Nations if our Government has the guts to do it
Madness
i think these sort of stupid act (attaching visitors, civilians, tourist etc) will only spoil tamils cause. dont these idiots realise? what is then the diff between sinhalese thugs and these idiots?
What the Tamil Outfits did to the SL Buddhist Monk and other international students was the most despicable,condemnable and contemptible thing imaginable.It was not merely indecent behavior but criminal.One cannot allow sentiment and feelings to rule the head in dealing with a dicey issue such as this.This will only antagonise the international community against us for the Tamil
Outfits' barbaric and unacceptable behavior.Now there is hardly any difference between the SL hoods and our cretinous hooligans.
Please do not attack ordinary Sri Lankan. Ask your government in New Delhi to
challenge Colombo and join USA demanding for an independent international inquiry
into allegations of war crime and crimes against humanity. I can understand your
anger of seeing innocent Tamils being killed including children on TV channels and
photos in 2009. Please leave innocent Sinhala people alone in South India. I am an
Eelam Tamil and I follow Gandhiji, an eye for an make the world blind. At the
moment your frustration should be inaction by New Delhi.
This is ridiculous, atrocious and unacceptable - The leaders death in Mumbai and Facebook post - the viswaroopam movie and issues surrounding it - now Srilankan issues and the effect on Srilankan citizens and monks - Who are these people to self proclaim themselves as moral police, cultural protectors and police.
Where is the real police who is supposed to ensure free and fairness?
Shame on those who do these.
Sri Lankan Buddhism is full of sexual abuse, anti-Tamil, hate and Apartheid mindset and Buddhist Monks were involved in crimes against humanity and the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Monks are involved in bringing down Christian Churches and Muslim Mosques as well in Sri Lanka. I do not say every Monk is a criminal and there may a minority good Monks who are voiceless.
Most of the srilankan tamils are studying well and living in comforts in
the western world. Here the indian students does not want to go to
study, pelt stones and do all unwanted things. Is this the way to
protest?
Our conduct towards the srilankan monk is shameful. We definitely need to make the srilankan govt to deliver justice - we demand rights for our Tamil brethren. But that does not mean we practice violence against sinhalese. An Eye for an eye is not a solution. This brand of hate politics should stop. Lets start from our end.This is the land of Mahathma Gandhi. And world wide, it is proven again and again it is non-violence which has delivered justice with least human sacrifice.
shame on you. you people don't deserve to talk about humanity as it is not in your own behavior.
Shameful incident. Only the weak-minded go after innocent, children,
monks and nuns.
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