Driving licences for Buddhist monks: SC reserves judgment

(July 29, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) A petition seeking a court order declaring illegal the actions of the Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs preventing Buddhist monks from obtaining driving licences was taken up in the Supreme Court today.

The file has been filed by the Venerable Professor Paragoda Wimalawansa Thero, chief incumbent of the Sri Sakyamuni Vihara, Waskaduwa.

The petition has cited the Commissioner of Motor Traffic, the Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs and others as respondents.

The petition pointed out that although all requirements had been fulfilled to obtain a driving licence, the Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs had issued a circular barring Buddhist monks from obtaining a driving licence.

The petition was taken up before a panel consisting Supreme Court judges Nimal Gamini Amaratunga, K. Sripavan and Chandra Ekanayaka.

The Supreme Court reserved its judgment.
-Sri Lanka Guardian
kahagalle said...

I do not understand the logic of this. Buddhist Monks when they are showered with other privileges they are the first to grab it. We should try to classify who is the Buddhist Monk or any other religious practitioner is. We cannot bestow these privileges just for the asking, and there should be a very clear cut process to become a religious leader and they should be called upon to practice whatever their discipline is. When they get out of hand indulging in activities unbecoming of a religious person, they should deal with more severely than the ordinary citizen because of the privileges they are holding. Anyway in this day debarring monks driving vehicles is stupid and Ministry who made this determination should immediately revisit this order and make suitable amendments. I am not suggesting that monks should be allowed to run fleet of vehicles and become Mudalalis.