Sri Lanka, Sept. 1 -- The period marked by the unchecked power of British missionary societies was a time when Sri Lanka's Buddhist culture suffered severe blows. By the mid-19th century, the ordinary Sinhala Buddhist population was bearing the brunt of missionary influence and the harsh, repressive nature of British imperialism; the Tamil and Muslim communities were also affected by this. Their primary objective was to highlight the Christian missionary movement within the British enterprise. It is evident that a series of events arising from this situation provoked a strong reaction from the country's middle class, as well as from indigenous religious communities.

Accordingly, the 'Panadura Debate' stands out as an internationally ren...