- Perahera to proceed with 1,500 cops, STF presence
Several members of Kavadi dance groups participating in the annual Esala (July) Perahera of the Devinuwara Uthpalawanna Sri Vishnu Maha Devalaya were arrested yesterday morning (28) for allegedly possessing narcotics during a special Police operation.
Around 1,500 security personnel have been deployed to ensure the safety of the procession, while all Kavadi groups taking part in the event are being subjected to inspections.
The heightened security measures follow tensions between two organised crime figures over the participation of Kavadi groups in the perahera, which recently escalated into a shooting targeting a house near the Devalaya.
Amid the concerns, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasuriya had recommended to the Matara District Secretary on 26 July that the participation of Kavadi groups be temporarily suspended this year.
However, a high-level meeting held on Monday (27) at the Matara District Secretariat, attended by Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, the Public Security Ministry Secretary, the IGP, and other senior officials, decided to allow Kavadi groups that had participated in previous years to take part in this year’s procession.
Accordingly, groups that participated in last year’s (2025) perahera were permitted to join this year’s event. The procession, including the Kavadi performances, proceeded yesterday under strict Police supervision.
Minister Wijepala said that, in addition to the Police, the Special Task Force (STF) had also been deployed as part of the security arrangements.
Meanwhile, the security situation surrounding the perahera has drawn political reactions. Former UNP MP Saman Ratnapriya claimed the Government lacked a proper strategy to ensure public security.
Responding to the criticism, NPP MP Chandana Sooriyarachchi said that while a failure to properly assess and act on intelligence information could be considered a lapse, such decisions fell under the responsibility of the Police. He added that portraying the issue as a Government failure reflected the agendas of certain groups.
Former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said organised crime groups should not be allowed to influence or control the country’s cultural festivals.