The protest launched by a group of religious clergy from Buddhist and Hindu temples and civil society personnel in Kalmunai continued yesterday despite the end of the six-day death fast following the mediation of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera. The dais setup in front of the Kalmunai Northern Divisional Secretariat office sheltered Chief Incumbent of the Kalmunai Sri Subadhrarama temple Ven. Ranmuthugala Sangharathana Thera, Leader of the Eastern Hindu Clergy Collective Sachithranandan Kurukkal, and several Tamil Councillors of the Kalmunai Municipal Council, who were sent to seek medical attention at the end of the death fast. On Friday, several parliamentarians arrived at the protest site to urge the clergy and the laymen to end the fast. All attempts made by the parliamentarians failed, with the residents from Kalmunai casting remarks at them and requesting the 16 Tamil MPs to resign from their positions as well. It was reported that even the ambulances brought to the site had been turned away with the protesters refusing to end their fast. However, yesterday, following the arrival of BBS General Secretary Gnasara Thera in Kalmunai, the protestors had agreed to end the fast, with Gnanasara Thera promising to personally attend to the matter and ensure that the Kalmunai North Sub-Divisional Secretariat office would be upgraded to an independent divisional secretariat. In a communiqué issued by Minister of Internal Affairs, Home Affairs, Provincial Council and Local Government Vajira Abeywardena last week, it was listed that following the issue raised by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) regarding the need for the Kalmunai (North) Divisional Secretariat to function as a fully-fledged independent division at a meeting held with the participation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in early April 2019, a separate accountant was appointed for the division, who now functions from the District Secretariat. Further, a national committee was also appointed in April 2019 to hear the representations of relevant parties on issues relating to land and Grama Niladhari Divisions in this regard. The activities of this committee were delayed due to the Easter attack. This process will be completed within a three-month period. Meanwhile, the Muslim organisations from Kalmunai had also launched a protest opposing the move to upgrade the Kalmunai North Sub-Divisional Secretariat to an independent entity to serve only the Hindu families.