Why is law which works for one doesn’t work for the other?

I have great fears for Sri Lanka. Half a century of steady political brainwashing of citizens by successive governments regarding the exaggerated value of religion in life and politics, as well the ‘uselessness’ of democratic methods of governance seem to having the desired effect. Many citizens seem to be clueless as to what life in a secular, democratic state is like.

The police arrested eight people recently in a Matale area forest reserve. They were allegedly engaged in treasure hunting. Two details of this story are striking.
The first  is that five of the arrested happen to be final year students of the Ocean University in Tangalle. The second is that one of them had acted as exorcist during the treasure hunt. Among the detained items was a chicken meant as a blood offering.




" But it’s beyond belief that undergraduate students trained in the scientific method in an advanced science such as Oceanography should resort to treasure hunting, when a deep respect for the earth’s resources should be imbued in them by their learning. It is equally shocking that these science-oriented characters too, should resort to ancient rituals and superstitions as ignorant villagers did while treasure hunting decades ago  "










But it’s beyond belief that undergraduate students trained in the scientific method in an advanced science such as Oceanography should resort to treasure hunting, when a deep respect for the earth’s resources should be imbued in them by their learning. It is equally shocking that these science-oriented characters too, should resort to ancient rituals and superstitions as ignorant villagers did while treasure hunting decades ago.

 Treasure hunting is as old as Adam (or Ravana) but it has seen an unholy revival in post-war Sri Lanka. Those days, treasure hunters were usually locals, socially halfway between vagabonds and thieves.

 Today, this ugly tradition has top level representation from the country’s political, law and order and ex-military establishments. What this means is that treasure hunting has received de facto official status. The only thing in common with the village ruffians of bygone days is that these more sophisticated new generation treasure hunters, too, resort to the same unscientific methods while treasure hunting. Instead of metal detectors and scanners, they carry chicken, incense powder, flowers and the folkloric stuff of ancient ritual. The day may not be far off when the proverbial human sacrifice too, will be made.

These are matters which should concern our moralising monks. So many Buddhist monasteries have been pillaged, ancient Buddha statues and stupas vandalised, and resident monks even killed in some cases by ruthless treasure hunters (who are very likely to be Buddhists themselves). But the outrage of a few monks is aimed at churches and mosques instead. The latest victim is the  Assemblies of God and the Cavalry church in Hikkaduwa.

TV footage clearly shows rampaging monks among the mob vandalising this place of worship. The Assemblies of God isn’t some obscure satanic cult but a widespread Christian denomination, said to be the largest international Christian group of denominations. It belongs to the Pentacostal group, and has over 300,000 ministers and outstations in over 212 countries and territories, serving more than 66 million faithful worldwide.

Hikkaduwa is the hub of southern tourism, and we are still very much in the tourist season. Even today, most of the coastal town’s clients are Westerners, who also happen to be Christians. Our tourist literature speaks of gentle Buddhism. This is the traditional image given of the country’s majority religion. What impression would these tourists get when unruly Buddhist monks take part in a mob attack on a place of worship of another religion?

The footage shows the police trying ineffectually to hold back the mob, which dispersed only after a ‘senior police officer who arrived at the scene gave an undertaking to the monks that the churches will be closed for 2 weeks (until Feburary 10), during which time a solution will be sought. The mobs then dispersed.’

When a  married couple in trouble end up at the police station, the OIC will usually act as ‘peacemaker’ without anyone having to go to the courts. But from where do the police find the authority to close a church? This can be done only with a court order, and under extenuating circumstances. If the church  is involved in a scandal, there’s a judicial procedure involved.

No one has been arrested so far for the Hikkaduwa vandalism, even though there is damning video evidence against the participants. But back to the treasure hunt now. The suspects are in custody. If they had the right political connections, they would have gone free. Both are serious incidents. But the Hikkaduwa incident is the more serious of the two because the police couldn’t prevent it, and no one’s been arrested and charged yet. What would people have said if the police arrived at the treasure hunt scene but were unable to stop the hunters? Why is it that the law which works for one doesn’t work for the other?.