Sivalingam removes paintings of Sinhala Buddhist statues

Sivalingam removes paintings of Sinhala Buddhist statues

As a result of strong protests by Tamil politicians in Jaffna, three statues to be unveiled opposite prison were removed by prison officers yesterday. 

Paintings depicting Vijaya - Kuveni arrival and moments when Theri Sanghamiththathera  brings Sri Maha Bodhiya were seen drawn and to further confirm the meaning of those paintings, three statues
were erected close to the paintings. These three statues were images of Mihindu thero, king Kawanthissa and Theri Sanghamiththa. The previously mentioned paintings were painted several years before this and those were drawings of Hindu prisoners and not Buddhist prisoners, it was reported. 

A batch of inmates of Jaffna prison have created these paintings following the trend of paintings that is now in vogue and in the instance an attempt was made to unveil the said statues, Tamil politicians in Jaffna have engaged in a strong protest. What these Tamil politicians strongly remarked was that since those statues depict Sinhala Buddhist history, it could give rise for racism to raise its head once again in Jaffna and to remove them before it happens. 

Former Jaffna district member of parliament of Tamil National Alliance, Mr. Mavai Senadhiraja has even written to president requesting that this type of paintings and statues be eliminated from the Northern province. Supporters of Tamil National Alliance and of other Tamil political parties have entered into an exchange of words with prison officers of Jaffna protesting that those three statues be removed. Under such strong protests those three statues were removed and there were influences from Tamil politicians asking that paintings sketched on the walls are those that speak of Sinhala Buddhist history ... asking that those too be removed.