Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Jaffna have obstructed Hindus performing religious rituals to their ancestors in the temple pond as well as dissolving the ashes of their cremated relatives in Keerimalai seas around the historically famous Nakuleasvaram temple claiming that Keerimalai has been declared as a tourist spot and no one should pollute the springs and sea therein, sources in Jaffna said. This infringement on religious rights which had been observed by the Hindus for ages has angered the Hindu organizations in the peninsula, the sources added. Keerimalai is one of the major tourist attractions in Jaffna peninsula and SLA has imposed this restriction in order to please the Sinhalese tourists who continue to pour in their thousands after the opening of A9 road, representatives of the organizations said.
Meanwhile, Dougals Devananda, a minister in the outgoing cabinet who was in Keerimalai recently had seen the notice boards which the SLA authorities had erected warning people not to pollute the sea in Keerimalai seas.
His men, on his orders, had pulled out the notice boards and threw them away.
On the next day, however, SLA authorities had constructed permanent cement notice boards with the same prohibition.
Hindu organizations have decided to take the issue with the SLA Commander in Jaffna.
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