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Kurundumale archaeological site: Court reverses decision; conservation to continue

24 Jul 2022

  • FR petition before Supreme Court
 By Skandha Gunasekara The Archaeology Department is continuing its work at the temple ruins in Kurundumale in Mullaitivu following a reversal of a Court decision issued last week, The Sunday Morning learns.  “The Judge reversed his judgement as he saw that we were only doing conservation activities and nothing more. He came with us to the site and observed that there were no new construction activities. He understood that we were only doing preservation work,” Archaeological Department Director General Anura Manatunga told The Sunday Morning.  Earlier last week the Mullaitivu Magistrate’s Court ordered the suspension of any new construction activities at the Kurundumale ancient holy site. The location holds remnants of a Buddhist shrine as well as those of a Hindu kovil.  The conservation work at the site has drawn criticism from local residents and activists, who claim that Hindu devotees have been restricted from entering the site. Meanwhile, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran told The Sunday Morning that he had filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition at the Supreme Court over the prevention of Tamil devotees worshipping at the location as well as the damage being done to the Hindu kovil. “The Hindu worshippers had a trident, which has been broken and thrown away somewhere. In addition, the Hindu worshippers have been prevented from going there. I’m handling this FR case and it is to be taken up next week. Now the worshippers have been allowed in after the case was filed, but we may request that the trident be replaced as well,” Sumanthiran said.   Several civil society groups raised concerns about a social media video released by a young Buddhist monk last week critiquing the Court’s decision to halt construction activities on the controversial site.    


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