BODU BALA SENA – A NEW BUDDHIST MOVEMENT IN SRI LANKA
Ram
Madhav, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Sah Sampark Pramukh
Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) – a Buddhist organisation many wish to call as
Right or Ultra Right – is a new phenomenon in Sri Lanka. One may prefer
to brand them in any manner one would like to. But the fact remains that
this new outfit is slowly growing in stature and popular support in the
country’s Buddhist-dominated areas.
It came into prominence due to its public opposition to the Halal
mark on all products marketed in Sri Lanka. This was the demand made and
achieved by the less than 10 per cent population of the Muslims of the
island. Halal mark has been made mandatory to all products in Sri Lanka
due to the pressure of the Muslim leadership although a large population
of the country – Buddhists, Hindus and Christians – who constitute
around 90 per cent of the population don’t need it at all. All producers
of food products have been forced to manufacture Halal products and
approach a Muslim council for Halal certification. While this rule has
become a revenue earner for the Ulemas it has become a burden on the
manufacturers whose majority clients don’t need this mark.
BBS’ opposition to this issue had led to the Ulema council
withdrawing the mandatory demand for Halal certification. However the
story didn’t end there. The BBS has turned its attention to growing
Islamisation and Christianisation of the Island nation.
Like everywhere else, there is a spurt in Islamic identity politics
in this country too causing alarm to the local population.
Muslim parties
The Muslim population in Sri Lanka is growing fast. Muslim parties
won elections in the country’s East province, which was one of the
strongholds of the LTTE’s second-in-command Karuna. In fact in spite of
Hindus – Tamils – being the majority in that province, elections saw the
Muslim party securing majority in the local provincial council and
forming the Government.
There are mosques and madrassas sprouting everywhere in the country.
A rough estimate suggests that of the 1.2 million Muslim population
every 50 households have a mosque. In Colombo itself a new magnificent
mosque is coming up, so are in many other places. Increasing number of
burqa-clad women and skull cap-wearing men can be sited on the streets
of Sri Lankan cities and towns now.
Changing demographics in many villages, districts and even provinces
has rung alarm bells in the Buddhist community. A recent media report
indicated high rate of growth among the Sri Lankan Muslims compared to
other groups like the Sinhalese and the Tamils. According to that report
Muslims had outstripped other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka in population
growth between the censuses of 1981 and 2011.
During this period, the majority Sinhalese had grown by 38 per cent
(from 10,979,400 to 15,873,800); Sri Lankan Tamils by 20.3 per cent
(from 1,886,900 to 2,270,900) and the Indian Origin Tamils by 2.8 per
cent (from 812,700 to 842,300). But the Muslims grew by 78.6 per cent
(from 1,046,900 to 1,869,800). Increase in Muslims had been
significantly higher in the districts of Colombo (73.7 per cent), Kandy
(74.1 per cent), Matale (76.4 per cent) and Nuwara Eliya (43 per cent).
This almost double growth rate of Muslims has naturally attracted the
attention of even the ordinary citizens. It has triggered fears of the
possibility of the minorities in general and Muslims in particular
dominating the Sinhalese over time. BBS clearly represents that popular
resentment against growing Muslim influence on Sri Lanka. Increasing
presence of the Pakistanis and the ISI also are an important factor.
The BBS essentially talks about protecting the Buddhist culture of
the country from foreign religions. By this it also means the Christian
missionaries who are trying to convert people. It is interesting here to
note that in Sri Lanka there exists a gentlemen agreement between the
Buddhist and Christian leadership that each would not disturb the flock
of the other.
Christian conversions
This agreement was agreed upon by the Catholic Bishop of Colombo who
is Simhalese. Of course the non-Catholic denominations don’t recognise
it. Also, the Tamil-origin Bishops and priests in Jaffna, Trincomalee
etc do not pay any heed to it. In any case their targets are the Tamils
of the North. The entire Tamil Eelam movement, right from its inception
to the LTTE until its wiping out in 2009, was actively supported, if not
sponsored, by the Church in Jaffna. It continues to control the Tamil
National Alliance leadership – a group of parties that essentially
represents the Tamils of the North and East.
The BBS is opposed to Christian conversions also. But so far the BBS
has maintained that Hindus and Buddhists of the country should work
together on these issues. Recent anti-Sri Lanka campaign in Tamil Nadu
and unfortunate attacks on two Buddhist monks in Chennai, which were
very widely and vividly discussed in Sri Lankan media, were enough for
this body to turn heat on India and Tamils. Fortunately that didn’t
happen. BBS restricted itself to marching in a procession to the Indian
High Commission in Colombo and submitting a memorandum. But the risk
remains.
So far, the issues raked up by the BBS are worthy of active and
sympathetic consideration. BBS is able to capture the attention of the
Buddhist population of Sri Lanka. This may lead to tensions between the
Muslims and Sinhalese there. Naturally any such tensions in the
neighbourhood will be a matter of concern for India too.
Courtesy: Vishwa Samvada
Kendra,
Karnataka |