It is reported that when the residents of the sleeping villages, who live on the lands belonging to temples and shrines, go to the relevant police stations to lodge complaints about the injustices that are happening to them, they say, “Resolve the complaints to the Nilame.”
It is reported that when the police go to lodge complaints such as fraud, corruption and threats of irregularities, the relevant police stations do not write them down. As a result, the residents are facing a number of problems.
The villagers have been forced to live under severe pressure from the administrative assistants of some temples, including the Basnayake Nilames, Mohottalas and secretaries. The same situation is seen in some temples.
The villagers are divided over the weaknesses of the Nilamela and the fraud and corruption. Nilames treat those who worship the Nilame and the rulers well. In the process of some police officers and OICs, the Nindagama Nilamela served its dictatorial king. Its employees are like the cabinet and the priest is the Mohottala. According to them, the inhabitants of Nindagam were their subjects.
Some police Nilamelas also try to send the abusers back to the Nilame instead of writing their misdeeds in the police book when they go to the police.
But even if there is a land issue in the temples and shrines, if it cannot be resolved in the police first, they should be referred to the Nilame. But the police have no power or right not to register a complaint.
Also, the police should investigate allegations of fraud, corruption, irregularities, criminal coercion, breach of trust, sale of the same land to two or three persons, complaints sent to the police against Nilamelas and granting relief under the common law to the Sri Lankan citizen. If not, the police should also be the recipients of certain privileges from the relevant Nilamelas. Also, those areas do not need police. It should not be forgotten that all Sri Lankans should be protected by the common law, including the Constitution, and some OICs have decided not to.
A large number of people belonging to temples and shrines throughout Sri Lanka suffer because the common law that should be enforced through the police is not enforced.