Colombo, September 10 (Daily Express): The Siva Senai, a Hindu organization based in Jaffna in Tamil-majority Northern Sri Lanka, has heartily welcomed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s proposal to ban cow slaughter.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, Siva Senai’s founder-leader Maravanpulavu K. Sachithananthan described the proposal as a “surgical strike” and said that the PM had with one stroke “effectively removed the pricking thorn of a colonial past.”
“Following the royal dictums of Kings, Sankili, Senarat, Vidiye Bandara, Mayadunne and Pandara Vanniyan, Prime Minister Rajapaksa led his legislature alliance to resolve to remove one of the vestiges of the colonial era.”
“Through protest fasting, street demonstrations, poster campaigns and repeated petitioning, the Siva Senai and its numerous volunteers in the hill country, east and the north, emphasized the need to protect one of the nation’s lacto-protein sources of this holy island, Siva Bhoomi,” Sachithanandan said.
“The call was heard. On behalf of the three million Saiva Tamils Siva Senai expresses its gratitude to the Prime Minister and the ruling parliamentary group, including practising Saivaites like Devananda, Chandrakanthan, Jeevan and Ankajan, for their positive response in proposing to ban cow – bull slaughter.”
“From time immemorial, Sri Lankan societies, Naga, Iyakka and Veddah Tamil Saivaites venerated the cow, worshipped the bull and nurtured the calves. Ruminants are part of the household, participating in all domestic chores and needs. Saivaites thank the sun for the primary energy inputs, on the Thai Pongal day. With equal veneration they celebrate the next day as Pongal day thanking cows and bulls.”
“Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse speaking at Negombo a few months ago asked the Venerable Bhikkus to meet the challenges posed by evangelists and Jihadis.”
“Banning cow – bull slaughter paves the way for the Venerable Bikkus and Saivaite Tamils to clear the weeds – evangelists and Jihadis.”
“His promised program to (1) regulate evangelistic and jihadi NGOs and their foreign funding (2) bring a uniform civil code and (3) legislate restrictions on forced and coersive conversions, will be a boon to Saiavaite Tamils who are struggling to hold on to their cultural heritage.”
“Three million Saivaite Tamils are with you, Prime Minister Rajapakse, on your focused efforts to weed out the vestiges of colonialism. By polling in large numbers to make your candidates, the frontline winners in the recent parliamentary election, Saivaite Tamils in the hill country (Jeevan), east (Chanrakanthan) and the north (Ankajan) have entrusted to you the uphill task of making this island, a paradise for its historical inhabitants,” Sachithananthan said
(The featured image at the top shows cow worship during the Tamil festival of Pongal)
