Condemning the Archaeology Department’s attempts to deny the Tamil’s right to worship at Vedukkunari malai in Olumadu and demanding the retrieval of this particular Vedukkunarimalai from the Archaeology Department’s control, a massive protest has been staged in front of the Vavuniya North Divisional Secretariat yesterday.
Vedukkunarimalai located just 3 km away from Olumadu village is the ancestral place of Tamils, where God Shivalingam namely “Aathilingeshwarar” is located and Bharmi letters of Nagas, the ancestors of Tamils were identified. Thus, historical significance of this place could be clearly realized.
The people of this area have been worshiping this place for five generations. Meanwhile, Archaeology Department has imposed ban on the people to visit to this ancient Tamil temple. Then, this ban has temporarily lifted by the Nedunkerny Police with the cooperation of the Archaeology Department and the people have only been allowed to go this place to worship. However, the people are infuriated as the people have been denied to renovate the existing temple and to build new buildings for this temple.
In the meantime, demanding the complete recovery of this temple from the clutches of Archaeology Department, administrative body of this temple, village people, public organizations, Vanni district parliamentarians Sivasakthi Aananthan and Shanthy Sriskandarajah, NPC members Mayilvakanam Thiyakarajah, G.T.Linganathan and Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, ex-parliamentarians Suresh Premachandran and Vinotharalingam, ex-NPC member Senthilnathan Mayuran, Pradeshya Sabha members, representatives of various political parties and members of All Ceylon Saiva Maha Sabha gathered in front of the Vavuniya North Divisional Secretariat and staged protest.
Following are the slogans raised by the protestors during this protest;
“Our land; Our Mountain”
“Don’t humiliate the Hindus”
“Don’t deny the right to worship”
“Appropriation of Aathilingeshwarar is humiliation to Hindus”
“Archaeology Department! Is this mountain to be dug?”
“Independence enjoyed by the South is not in North”
“North will not bow down”
“Death bell to Saiva Epic”
Meanwhile, the memorandum addressed to the President has been handed over by the protestors to the Vavuniya North Divisional Secretariat K.Paranthaman. Then, the protestors have gone to the Vedukkunari temple to worship.
