Jaffna Diocese says hands off sacred site

 The Jaffna Diocese has opposed a government’s plan to develop Kachchativu Island as a tourist destination.Rev. Fr. J. Jebarathnam, Vicar General of the Diocese of Jaffna, voiced his concerns at a press briefing held at the Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre in Jaffna on Wednesday (3).

Emphasising that Kachchathivu was a sacred site, he said the government should not do anything that would violate the sanctity of the island. He added that he expected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to hold discussions with the Diocese of Jaffna before proceeding with the matter.

Fr. Jebarathnam also noted that, at a time when Tamil Nadu politicians were claiming that ‘Kachchathivu belonged to India and should be taken back’ it was important to reiterate that the island belonged to Sri Lanka and that no one else could lay claim to it.

by Dinasena Rathugamage