They hoot at us from buses – Kassapa

Balangoda Kassapa Thero strongly emphasized that if President's pardon is not granted unconditionally to Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero, the President should immediately resign from his post. He expressed these views after the Fort Magistrate's Court issued a special order today (16) preventing protests in front of the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

This protest march was organized with the participation of over a thousand forest-dwelling and village-dwelling monks who walked from Kandy to Colombo. Its main objective was to remind the President of the government's responsibility to protect and foster Buddhism in accordance with Article 9 of the Constitution. Kassapa Thero points out that considering this responsibility, as well as Article 34(1) of the Constitution, a presidential pardon should be granted to Gnanasara Thero.

He also accused the police and personnel from the Pelawatte office of attempting to escalate the situation into a violent one by obstructing the monks who came to present their demands peacefully chanting pirith and meditating. However, Kassapa Thero stated that they did not allow such a chaotic situation to occur, and if necessary, the monks had the ability to completely disrupt activities in Colombo city. Nevertheless, he further stated that they would only act through legal and constitutional means.

Meanwhile, Kassapa Thero also strongly criticized the insults against the robes (Chivara) and the Buddha Sasana. He emphasized that some individuals, while traveling in buses and vehicles, hoot at monks even in the presence of police officers, and this can no longer be tolerated. Stating that he does not accuse ethical journalists, he reminded the government that immediate legal action should be taken against social media activists who insult monks by uttering obscene words from a room with a camera and a mobile phone in hand.

Furthermore, Balangoda Kassapa Thero announced that a massive symbolic program would be launched on behalf of Gnanasara Thero in the face of this crisis. He stated that in the context of Gnanasara Thero's robes being removed, a program to sew and dye one hundred thousand new robes in place of one robe would be implemented. Kassapa Thero said that his aim is to offer these robes to Gnanasara Thero face-to-face after his unconditional release, and he extended an open invitation to the entire Buddhist community, both local and international, to join this meritorious act.