සංස්කෘතිය පාතාලයට බිලිදීම සහ රාජ්‍ය ස්වාධීනත්වය දියවීම : දෙවිනුවර පෙරහැරේ කාවාඩියෙන් පෙනෙයි !  

Sacrificing Culture to the Underworld and the Ebbing of State Sovereignty: What Does the Kavadi in the Devinuwara Perahera Reveal?

The situation that has recently emerged surrounding the Esala Perahera of the Devinuwara Utpalawanna Sri Vishnu Maha Devalaya—a proud, historical, and cultural festival in Sri Lanka—places a serious question mark before society regarding the true governing power of the country. The fact that the police and authorities were compelled to temporarily remove the Kavadi dance, a primary feature of the Perahera, due to conflicts between two organized criminal gangs and power struggles within drug networks is no trivial matter. This is not merely a matter concerning the security of a religious festival, but one that raises a deep crisis regarding the sovereignty of the entire state and the rule of law.

Shadows of the Underworld on Cultural Heritage

The interference of underworld gangs in a national-level festival like the Devinuwara Esala Festival, which boasts an unbroken history of over 769 years and profound religious sanctity, clearly demonstrates the gaps within our country’s law enforcement mechanism. According to reports, underworld leaders and criminals operating from abroad have directly intervened to control Kavadi troupes, their revenue streams, and to capture power.

The primary issue arising here is the retreat shown by state institutions and law enforcement agencies—which ought to establish public order—in the face of underworld threats. Being forced to remove the Kavadi from a Perahera due to death threats and intimidation by organized criminals has successfully generated a legitimate fear among the public: “Who is actually governing the country?”

A Challenge Directed at State Power

Although this decision made by the police and security forces based on intelligence reports was justified as an immediate security measure to prevent loss of life, it is extremely dangerous in terms of its long-term consequences. Fearing the murderous threats of underworld gangs and abandoning cultural and religious rituals amounts to bringing the state to its knees before non-state armed groups.

The erroneous message this sends to society is that:

• The commands of the underworld can become more powerful than the rule of law.

• Even the cultural and religious freedom of ordinary citizens can become subject to the wrath of criminals.

• The intimidation tactics of the underworld have proven stronger than the state security mechanism.

Which Path Should We Take?

If this situation is allowed to develop further, tomorrow the underworld will attempt to control other major festivals, business activities, and eventually the daily lives of ordinary citizens as they see fit. The Devinuwara incident serves as a flashing red light.

To address this, the government and security forces must act firmly and with a unified stance. If actions are not taken to uproot drug networks and underworld patrons operating under the guise of cultural festivals, in the future we will not only be questioning “Who rules the country?”, but we will inherit a nation fully entrapped in the grip of the underworld. The moment has now arrived to demonstrate through action that the rule of law is a force too powerful for any criminal to suppress.