A brutal assault on a Catholic student for not knowing the names of the parents of Lord Buddha
Amila Tharanga a catholic Student of Year 09 of Mahanama College Getambe Kandy Sri-lanka was brutally assaulted by a teaching Buddhist monk Rahula on Monday the 11th June for the reason that he did not know the names of the parents of Lord Buddha.
Amila has 05 elder brothers and one younger sister. His father is a mason working in building constructions and his mother is at home. Amila Tharanga entered the Mahanama college Kandy from year one as his brothers too studied at the same college. It is a Buddhist school and only Buddhism is taught in school and Catholics ans Christians have to undergo lots of hardships as several Buddhist monks served in the staff time to time.
Although there is ruling by the education department that children of other faiths should have the Right learn their own religion and sit for the exams ( circular 2009/10), however often these Rights are not respected and Christians/ Catholics are forced to learn Buddhism. Amila Tharanga and his elder brother ( Gashan ) who is still schooling are discriminated and punished because they are not Buddhists.
On the 11th June 2012 Buddhist monk by the name of Rahula had come to Amila’s class to teach Buddhism and Amila has gone to back row as he was the only non- Buddhist student who was in the class. However the monk has forced him to sit in the front row and asked the names of the parents of Buddha and Amila in reply has said that he is a Catholic. Then the monk has said even if you are a Catholic you should learn Buddhism and has severely assaulted him until Amila was bleeding from his left ear.
The rest of the day until the school was over Amila had to bear up the pain without any treatment and further the the Monk Rahula and a teacher Mrs Kokila have warned Amila not to tell anyone about the assault. When Amila’s brother Gashan who was in school heard about the brutal assault, had gone to his brother’s class to see him but the monk Rahula who saw Gashan had threatened to beat him if he comes closer.
Amila Tharanga has gone home in the afternoon and being afraid to inform anyone and had slept due to the headache and pain in the ear. When Amila started vomiting around 7.00 p.m. his father P.G. Tilakaratne has questioned Amila and finally Amila has revealed what happened to him in school. Amila was given 02 Pandols that night. On the 12th morning when Mr Thilakaratna was taking Amila to the hospital they have met the Buddhist monk Rahula and he has threaten Mr Tilakaratne and has said ” You do whatever you can ” Amila was then taken to the Kandy general hospital and immediately he was warded in ward no 10 and on the 13th June he was transfered to ward no 18.
The officers of the hospital police post had obtained a statement from Amila on the 13th. Further Amila’s father P.G Thilakaratne has made a complaint to the Kandy police WCIB I 84/161 but so far no arrest made for further investigations.
Amila Tharanga and his family resides at 28/1 Sarasavigama Mahakande Hindagala Kandy Sri-Lanka
Amila’s father fears that in a country where Buddhist monks enjoy impunity that his complaint will go unheard and Amila will be short of hearing and further he will be dispelled from the school for reporting the incident it to the police.
