Karallyachari: Religious gathering held defying overwhelming military presence

chtnews.com
News No. 10/2008, January 26, 2008

Thousands of Buddhist devotees took part in a religious gathering at Karallyachari, 15 kilometers south of Khagrachari district town amid overwhelming military presence and intimidation yesterday, Friday.

The event was held at an open ground at Karallyachari Mukh village, about one kilometer from Sarnath Arannyo Kuthir, a Buddhist temple which has been at the centre of a conflict between the Jumma villagers and the army.

Rev. Sumanalanker Mahathero, Rev. Jinbodhi and Rev. Shashan Rakshit were among the speakers. About 80 Buddhist monks attended the religious gathering.

They squarely blamed the army for the woes and worries in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and advised the people to stick to the Buddha's noble path for the emancipation from oppression.

Despite a last-minute permission given by the Deputy Commissioner of Khagrachari to hold the gathering, the army tried to disrupt the programme and made no stones unturned to make the participation as thin as possible.

Military presence was everywhere and intimidating. In remote areas the soldiers prevented the devotees from attending the programme. The Khagrachari-Rangamati road as well as water-transports in Maischari portion of the Lake Kaptai were blocked and made off-limits to passenger vehicles, while the Bus Owner's Associations in Rangamati and Khagrachari were asked not to ply their buses on the Khagrachari - Rangamati link road.

Harassment of monks
The roads leading to Sarnath Arannyo Kuthir was effectively blocked and no one was allowed to go there. Even the invited monks were barred from visiting the Kuthir and one of the monks dwelling in the Kuthir was harassed. The soldiers halted Rev. Bibekananda Bhikkhu while he was returning from the said religious gathering.

When about 60 Jumma women protested against it, female members of the so-called Village Defence Party of the settlers were ordered to attack them. But the Jumma women refused to be cowed down and displayed undaunting courage and determination to fight back.

Ultimately, the army had to give in and let Rev. Bibekananda Bhikkhu return to the Kuthir.