A tense situation arose at the Sri Dalada Maligawa premises today (04) after a Buddhist monk attempted to display a flag he called the ‘Flag of the Sinhale’ but was prevented by the Police from doing so.
The monk has been identified as Madirigiriya Sukhi Thera, the Convenor of a Sinhala nationalist organization called ‘Jathiye Peramunagath Sinhayo’ (Lions at the forefront of the nation). When the monk tried to enter the Temple of the Tooth, SSP Sudath Masinghe, in charge of the Kandy division had informed the monk that although there were no restrictions on worshipping at the Temple of the Tooth, he could not display any other flags other than the accepted national flag at the Temple of the Tooth.
A heated exchange then took place between the monk with the SSP as the Thero insisted that he was preparing to display the real Sinhala flag used since the days of the kings.
SSP Sudath Masinghe, however, explained that although the flag was displayed at that time, the national flag has changed to represent Muslim and Tamil Sri Lankan citizens and therefore no other flag can be allowed to be displayed.
He also pointed out that according to the constitution of the country, only the statutory national flag can be displayed in a public place and a court order has already been issued preventing the display of any other flag in the Temple of tooth premises.
After being presented with the court order, the monk displayed the flag to the public and the media gathered and handed over one flag to the SSP.
Afterwards, the monk visited the Temple of the Tooth and after performing religious rites, offered the Sinhala flag to the Sacred Tooth Relic.
