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Aluthgama after one month

One month after the unrest, Dharga Town is now buzzing with a lot of reconstruction activities. The houses and shops that were damaged are being renovated and rebuilt by the security personnel.On the outside, everything looks calm, though there is still a significant security presence. Those affected have slowly started to move on with their lives, but the memories of the harrowing experience they faced are still afresh.

Dharga Town is a home for Muslims and Sinhalese. They have lived together for generations and have shared their joys and sorrows. It’s not a typical village where both communities live in groups or blocks. They live among each other. But the flames which gutted the houses and shops last month, not only destroyed their homes, but also the unity and understanding they shared for decades.

“We have a Muslim neighbor. We helped each other in the past. We helped them to use our house to arrange all the food items when one of their family members got married. They too helped us a lot. But now, they don’t even look at us and we don’t look at them,” says W. Sumuduni, a mother of three, as she looks on at her house, which was burnt down, being renovated by military personnel. Hers was among six houses that were attacked on the evening of June 15. The Sinhalese living in them, all members of an extended family, escaped and hid in the nearby woods, she said. 

The story is the same for the Muslims who were affected by the unrest. “We live together. But we don’t talk anymore,” says Mrs. Himaya Mohideen as she stands under the burning sun inside her house. They do not see eye-to-eye. They do not smile at each other. “But we are not angry at them. There are people who have spoken to us and have empathized at our situation. But the gap is wider,” she said.

Meanwhile, Nafeesathul Thaira Haniffa, a retired teacher hailing from Gampola, explained her harrowing experience to The Nation and broke into tears as she held her beloved father’s photo, damaged during the unrest, which she had preserved for years. The photo, however, was restored thanks to the military personnel who gifted a framed picture of her father. She now runs a Montessori in her home and also teaches English to those who are employed. However, these activities have been put on hold after the attack on her home. 

She still shudders when she recollects the incident where several men armed with rods, knives and sticks barged into her room. She had been told of a procession in the area and had therefore hid her money and jewelry items in her cupboard. “But it opened at the mere touch of those who came,” she said. 

Amity
But they did not harm her after she had pleaded with them and had told them of her family. She was allowed to leave her home unharmed. However, she claims that her belongings were looted. She was handed over to the officers of the Special Task Force (STF), who, in turn, ensured that she be handed over to someone known to her in a safe area.She once again broke into tears as she recalled the love and affection extended towards her after the incident. “Many of my Sinhalese students came to see me and said they would do anything for me,” she said.

Coping with the losses
The affected people from both communities are now faced with the challenge of coping with the losses they had faced. The houses are being built. But residents say that they will not be able to get back on their feet for some time as they have to earn everything back, Sumuduni told us. The story is very much the same once again on the other side. Zarook Hajjiyar sits amidst burnt vehicles on a plastic chair with one of its arms broken. He has been involved in vehicle business for over 25 years and has been successful. “But everything went in one night,” he said. He lost seven vehicles. His house and his office building were completely damaged.

“The challenge is how to get back all I have lost. I managed to save my life and the lives of my family. But I do not have a cent with me,” he said. 
Most of those who came to attack seemed to be outsiders, “but some locals had to have come with them to point out which places belonged to Muslims and which to Sinhalese,” Hajjiyar observed, once again outlining the sense of betrayal and mistrust felt by the communities in the aftermath. 
Anger at Police, STF continues

Repairs are still being conducted at the Masjid Noor Mosque in Dharga Town, which had been heavily damaged in the violence. Azmy, one of Mosque’s trustees, said it had been attacked three times within the space of several hours on June 15, and finally set on fire. 
A mob stormed it at around 6.30pm. They had beaten several adults who were inside. The children, they had spared and chased away. At around midnight, someone hurled a grenade into the mosque’s courtyard, while the entire place was set on fire at around 3.00am, the trustee claimed. 
He said police Special Task Force (STF) personnel had been in the area when the incident occurred. “How could they not prevent the burning, even after knowing about the two previous attacks?”

Rebuilding
The military has been entrusted with the duties of rebuilding and renovating houses and business establishments that were damaged. Accordingly, 94 houses and 137 shops in Aluthgama, Dharga Town and Beruwla are to be renovated by the military. According to Military Spokesperson Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya, 27 houses and 47 shops have suffered severe damages while 67 houses and 90 shops have suffered partial damages. The Government had allocated Rs.200 million for the renovation activities out of which Rs.130 million will be used for reconstruction of houses and shops. 

Biased media
At the Kurunduwatta Sri Vijayaramaya, Chief Incumbent Ven. Ayagama Samitha Thera said problems still persist in the area. Ven. Samitha Thera, whose alleged assault by three Muslim youths on Poson Poya Day set off the chain of events that eventually spiraled into deadly communal violence, said anger among the Sinhalese would subside a great deal if the police would only enforce the law equally. “But this is not the case in Dharga Town,” he lamented. 
Ven. Samitha Thera has been Chief Incumbent of the Sri Vijayaramaya temple for five years, which is the longest time a monk had held that position there since 1989. The reason, he claims, is that some extremists within the Muslim community constantly harass monks at the temple, forcing them to leave. 
Listing incidents that took place prior to his assault, he stated no action had still be taken to arrest persons who left the head and hoofs of a butchered bull in front of the temple, while he spends some Rs.6000 on a three-wheeler to transport his Samanera monks for studies at a Pirivena. The three-wheeler’s use was necessitated after the Samanera monks were repeatedly subjected to verbal abuse as they walked to the Pirivena and back through Dharga Town. 
Ven. Samitha Thera, however, emphasized most Muslims in the area are decent human beings. “It is only a few extremists who are trying to create trouble”. 
Pointing to some houses that adjoin the temple, the Thera says, “Those are houses of Muslims. There is no animosity between me and them. Some of them come to me for help, and I do all that can be done. Even during the Sinhala New Year, I distribute to them the kavili people bring to the temple”. 
The six Sinhalese houses that were attacked and destroyed lie near the Pathirajagoda Sri Vivekaramaya temple. Speaking to us, its Chief Incumbent Ven. Badalkumbure Ariyashantha Thera criticized ‘biased’ media coverage of the incident, which he claimed portrayed Sinhala Buddhists and Buddhist monks as ‘barbarians’. 

“The main issue we have with the media and others is that no one seems to be willing to even acknowledge that we, the Sinhala Buddhists, were subjected to a grave injustice,” the Thera explained. He also addressed accusations leveled by some members of the Muslim community that he had a role in encouraging violence and that he was a member of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS). 

“The six houses that were destroyed belong to people who come to this temple. They are members of my Dayaka Sabha. Even now, I basically go hungry on the days it is their turn to offer alms to the temple since they cannot afford to do so right now. The house of the three Muslim youths (brothers of the same family) who assaulted Ven. Samitha Thera is located near my temple. No one has even thrown a stone at it. If I was eager for violence, I could have roused all the Sinhalese in the area when our houses were attacked and torched. I was the one who calmed people down and urged them not to retaliate,” the Thera added. Showing newspaper clippings of him helping Muslims and working with them side by side, Ven. Ariyashantha Thera dismissed accusations of racism. “If we were racist, would we be doing this?” 

Welipenna largely ignored
The Sinhala majority area of Welipenna also witnessed violence, where it is alleged a mob of Muslim youths made their way through on the evening of June 16, smashing shops and attacking the Buddha mandiraya located there. “They first attacked my house and then started throwing stones at the Buddha mandiraya. Some of them even made their way up the steps and used swords to hack at the building,” Nilantha Peiris, who is also the President of the Welipenna Sinhala Buddhist Organization said, as he showed the damage caused by the attack, some of which is still visible.While several policemen were on duty nearby, they did not prevent the attack, he charged, claiming the Welipenna police had been bought by ‘illegal cattle traders’. 

“There has been no racism our part here, though some have tried to portray it as such. There was an incident where some Sinhalese and an illegal cattle trader in the area had a drunken argument at a party, leading to a filling station belonging to the trader to be set on fire. He and some others then used it to go on a rampage through Welipenna attacking Sinhalese,” Peiris claimed. Weeeratunga Mudalali’s shop was one of those that came under attack. The top floor had sustained severe damage from stones and missiles, and soldiers were still engaged in repairing it. 

Noting that Minister Champika Ranawaka was the only Parliamentarian to visit and inspect the damage in the area, Weeratunga Mudalali expressed frustration that though it’s now been over a month, none of the district’s MPs had bothered to even show up. “It doesn’t matter, if they don’t give us any aid. At least they should have had the decency to come and see for themselves”. 

Police deny
The Police have denied allegations that their failure to ensure law and order and biased manner in which they conducted themselves had aggravated the tense situation in Dharga Town, Aluthgama and Beruwala.Speaking to The Nation, Police Spokesperson, SSP Ajith Rohana stated that the Police acted in a fair manner in handling the situation and was not partial in its actions and its investigations.He stated that there was an understanding between the Moulavis and the Buddhist monks that they would ensure that the people do not resort to activities that would disturb normal life and the peaceful environment. “However, the situation got out of hand,” he said.

Govt. Analyst’s investigation
The Government Analyst’s Department said it had commenced tests and investigations on the destruction caused during the unrest in Dharga Town, Aluthgama and Beruwala.Government Analyst, Sakunthala Tennakoon told The Nation that a team of three officers were sent to the affected areas and they had collected the necessary details in order to conduct the tests.

“We are in the process of conducting tests. We cannot tell a specific timeframe on when these tests could be concluded,” she said.
The Kalutara Magistrate earlier this month had ordered for the suspension of debris clearance as the Government Analyst’s Department was yet to conduct necessary tests following arson attacks during the unrest.(The Nation would like to thank Mr. Mathugama Seneviruwan and others for their assistance)

Top floor of Weeratunga Mudalali’s shop

Soldiers restoring the Masjid Noor Mosque 

Ven. Badalkumbure Ariyashantha Thera

Ven. Ayagama Samitha Thera


Zarook Hajjiyar, next to one of his burnt-out vehicles

Mrs. Haniffa with the framed photograph of her father, which was gifted by the army


Soldiers at work repairing the houses of Sinhalese


Mrs. Mohinudeen’s house

Weeratunga Mudalali

Azmy, the trustee of Masjid Noor Mosque

Area of Mrs. Hanifa’s Montessori

Mrs. W. Sumuduni