Rev.Narangpanawe Ananda, The deputy registrar of the Asgiri Maha Vihara chapter, says that a group of representatives of non-governmental organizations are planning to attack the Perahara culture in Sri Lanka by carrying an international ideology that tamed elephants are exploited and mistreated.
Addressing the issue raised regarding Muthu Raja, he said that a few people in this country wanted to send back all the elephants that were given to this country from Thailand and the Buddhist community should understand the motive behind such actions and protest against them.
Rev. Ananda highlighted the distressing fact that approximately 400 wild elephants died in Sri Lanka last year. He criticized the NGO representatives, who remain silent on this matter, for seemingly displaying unwarranted concern solely for tame elephants as part of a broader scheme to undermine Buddhist traditions.
Rev. Ananda drew attention to the Esala Perahara festival in Kandy, which is just weeks away, and noted that every year, NGO members intensify their efforts to disseminate news related to tame elephants as the festival approaches.
Rev. Ananda highlighted that ceremonial events involving the royal family in England utilize horses, and bullfights are held in Spain, yet these NGOs remain conspicuously silent about those practices. He suggested that their selective focus on tame elephants serves as a deliberate tactic to target and undermine the unique cultural differences upheld by the Buddhist community.
