By Shane Seneviratne and L.B.Senaratne   

Leader of the Indigenous Community Vanaspathi Uruvarigelage Vannila Ettho stressed that the government should shut down the country for a specific period if the health authorities, scholars and prominent personalities insisted on it.   

After performing the ritual of offering bees honey to the Sacred Tooth Relic, he pointed out that the nature had revenged the mankind by dispensing a virulent disease regardless of communal, religious or social differences.   
The ritual of offering bees honey to the Sacred Tooth Relic on the first day of the Randoli procession in the Kandy Esala festival was performed by the Veddah community from Dambana yesterday.   

 The group of indigenous people led by Vanaspathi Vannila Etthto was received by Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela.   

However, only Vannila Ettho was permitted to proceeded to the inner shrine room in view of the health guidelines and other precautions adopted by the Sri Dalada Maligawa.   

Addressing the gathering the Indigenous Leader further said all individuals from top to bottom in every country is vulnerable to the CORONA virus.   “ Several of my community has developed cough, and fever, but it is still to be decided whether or not they have contracted the disease. Fever is a usual sickness affecting the people in Dambana at this time of the year.