tamilweek.com/news-features

By N.Karunagaran
[Children Programme Coordinator, PREDO]

PREDO has introduced mobile libraries to distribute books among children’s clubs in plantations

[Dambatenne tea plantation, highlands, sri lanka-pic:cjb22]

No one would dispute the fact that the plantation people are the most underdeveloped people, be it in education, economy or in politics. The disenfranchisement of this group of people in the 1948s which resulted in their political isolation deprived them of the enjoyment of their fundamental rights. For these and other historical reasons , ‘education’ has never been the part of the culture of these people. The same applies to their reading habits. The best indicator of the low standard of education of these people is that the children who gain university entrance from this sector lie far below 1%. On the other hand, no facilities are available or was provided even in this developed era for children in the plantations to help them to improve their reading habits which is adversely affecting their education . After the people in the plantations started showing interest in education, some plantation political parties and trade unions constructed library building in the plantations, but did not provide sufficient books or train people to maintain them. Consequently, the buildings are either idling or being used for other purposes. In addition these people who were without electricity until recent times were provided with electrical power without being properly educating in its proper use. This has led to other complications. People and children spend most of their time viewing or listening to TV and other electronic media which has taken the reading habit completely away from them.

Although it is said, “Reading makes a full man,” the plantation people and their children were never given this chance of becoming ‘complete men.’ In this backdrop, the Plantation Rural Education and Development Organization (PREDO) introduced mobile libraries to distribute books among the children’s clubs established in the plantations. Presently PREDO runs about 125 children’s clubs mobile libraries. PREDO provides books to these mobile libraries within it’s means and it is evident that the children now show interest in reading. The children make covers for the books to preserve them. They also have made bags to carry them from one place to another making them available to children in other plantations. Children have now developed the habit of asking their parents to buy books for their birthdays out of the money that would be spent otherwise and donate the books bought to the mobile libraries. Some children’s clubs also have negotiated with the estate management directly and were successful in getting buildings to establish libraries. Recently such a building obtained from the management of Kotiyagala Estate and at St. Wiggins Estate in the Bogawantalawa area were opened after they were renovated by the children club members with the assistance of their parents. Since the children had insufficient books for the library, the parents were requested to donate used books and they were able to collect about 85 books.

When children finish reading the books they ask for new ones. These plantation children who do not have the means or the facility to attend supplementary or tuition classes in the urban areas, are pleading with PREDO to give them supplementary study books to help to improve their educational standards. It is beyond the reach of PREDO to supply books to 125 clubs.

The change of attitude among the plantation parents who were thought to be totally lethargic about the education of the children coming forward to donate books towards the children’s libraries has inspired PREDO to launch a campaign to collect books for the children’s libraries mainly depending on the goodwill of the people.

In view of the ‘Literacy Day’ on 8th September, and the ‘Month of Reading’ in October, PREDO had declared five months from June to October as the “Library book collection campaign period.” Every children’s club is targeting to collect 50 used or new books from parents and well wishers during the campaign period. In order to encourage the children, PREDO on it’s part has agreed to supplement their collection with ten new books for every 50 books so collected.

There is a saying, “Be ashamed to ask for favours from others but not books.” For one who knows the plight of the plantation children, helping them to further their education and reading habits would be seen not as a mere favour but a meritorious act.

PREDO seeks the support of well wishers who have the desire to support and encourage these plantation children’s clubs to donate used or new book by contacting PREDO at No: 30, Pushapdana Mawatha Kandy (Telephone 081-236746 email ) predo@sltnet.lk

National Bhikku Front, Organization of Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka in a statement has condemned Police dispersing protesting monks after a standoff that lasted for hours in capital Colombo on Thursday June 26th.

The statement said the incident could have been avoided if the government resolved the issue amicably without dragging it. The Front said this is an attack on the entire Buddhist clergy by the Sri Lankan government led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Buddhist monk, all of them undergraduates Police say attempted to overturn barricades put up by the security forces during a protest demanding enhanced facilities at state universities, at the city centre of Colombo.

[A protest march organized by the Inter University Bhikkhu Federation was tear gassed by the police]

The Daily Mirror reports that, the monks of the Inter University Bhikku Federation were demanding that the government provide hostel facilities for them, open a Buddhist Education Faculty at the Colombo University and reopen the Buddha Shravaka University which has been closed for some time.

The newspaper also reported that agitated Colombo drivers were seen getting into heated arguments with the monks as some vehicles attempted to make their way through the protestors. Subsequently police made an announcement saying a representative of the President would meet them to discuss their grievances.

The National Bhikku Front added in the statement that they are now looking to seek remedies for their grievances via assistance from Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the political party of the monks who are also an ally of the ruling coalition in Sri Lanka.

The monks have long been active in Sri Lanka’s deeply polarized politics, and their political party JHU opposes a negotiated settlement to the long running Sinhala-Tamil ethnic strife in Sri Lanka.

“It must be noted that the drastic reduction in the number of convoys that are allowed by the military forces of Sri Lanka to pass through the Omanthai checkpoint has created extreme shortage of essential food and farming items in Vanni. Efforts made by the international community and International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) to alleviate the situation has not been very successful. As a result essential items in Vanni cost twice as much as in the south,” said an official of the Vanni based ‘Tamil Eelam Economic Development Organization’.

The official, P Sujan, reportedly warned of darker economic times for the people in Vanni and he called for urgent necessity of self sufficiency during a speech near Kilinochchi.

“Hard times have already arrived due to the limitations on the arrival of convoys from the south of the island and we are facing difficulties in obtaining the farming needs such as fertilizer and fuel for our farmers. We are, therefore, trying to produce substitutes for the farming needs that we are unable to bring from the south in convoys”, he said.

It has also been reported that blockade of cement and other building materials into Vanni has virtually halted the building the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) there.

Vanni, in Northern Province of Sri Lanka comprises of four districts; Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Mannar. Large swaths of this area is under the control of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who is fighting for an independent state.

Also a Colombo newspaper ‘The Island’ reports, that in a bid to overcome the shortage of food and offset the prevailing high prices in the Sri Lanka Government controlled Jaffna peninsula, food will be directly imported there from South India.

Sri Lanka Government says high cost of transporting food to the Jaffna from Colombo has been one of the main causes for the prevailing high prices in the North.

Amnesty International (AI) in an appeal is, calling for detained Sri Lanka Journalist Tissainayagam’s immediate and unconditional release, unless he is charged with a recognizably criminal offense before an independent court.

AI is also calling on the authorities to ensure Tissainayagam is not tortured or ill-treated, and that he is allowed unrestricted access to his family, a lawyer of his choice, an independent court and any specialist medical treatment he may require.

The international human rights organisation pointed out that Tissainayagam has not yet been given the glasses which an eye specialist prescribed for him on 9 May, to prevent further deterioration of his sight. Nor has he seen a specialist since then to determine whether the condition of his eyes has changed.

“He is at risk of going blind if he does not receive this treatment. J.S Tissainayagam has only been allowed to see his lawyer twice since he was detained, over three months ago. Both times a TID officer was present,” Amnesty International adds in its appeal.

[June 23, 2008: Colombo Chief Magistrate reserved his order for June 30 on the application made by counsel for journalist J.S.Tissanayagam and two others]

Full Text of Appeal:

Arbitrary detention/Torture

Jayaprakash Sittampalam Tissainayagam (m), journalist

According to sources close to him, journalist Jayaprakash Sittampalam Tissainayagam was given a further three months’ detention on 7 June. Despite a request from the Magistrate, the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) did not bring him to court to be informed of this. He remains in TID custody in Colombo without charge, and is at risk of further torture.

On 19 March J.S Tissainayagam filed a Fundamental Rights case in the Supreme Court on the basis that he had been tortured, and because he was denied equal protection under the law, and suffered discrimination because of his ethnicity.

He has not yet been given the glasses which an eye specialist prescribed for him on 9 May, to prevent further deterioration of his sight, nor has he seen a specialist since then to determine whether the condition of his eyes has changed. He is at risk of going blind if he does not receive this treatment.

J.S Tissainayagam has only been allowed to see his lawyer twice since he was detained, over three months ago. Both times a TID officer was present.

His detention has been extended by the Ministry of Defense under the Emergency Regulations, under which he could be held for up to 12 months without charge. Detaining him in this way is arbitrary, in violation of Article 9(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Sri Lanka is a state party. The Emergency Regulations, issued by the President, introduce broad-based and vaguely defined “terrorism” offenses, which have been used to silence critical journalists and generally suppress freedom of expression in Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A number of media workers have recently been attacked or suffered other abuses of their human rights, in a pattern outlined in Amnesty International’ s report Sri Lanka: Silencing Dissent (7 February 2008). Journalists and other media workers have been detained without charge for long periods. On 21 November 2006, Special Task Force (STF) personnel arrested Parameshwari Munusamy, a Tamil woman journalist with the Sinhalese newspaper Mawbima, and detained her at TID headquarters under the Emergency Regulations on suspicion of having links with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. They did not tell her why she was being arrested. She was held without charge for four months, and released on 22 March 2007. A number of media workers have been attacked or arbitrarily detained since 6 March 2008 including Gayan Lasantha Ranga, Udayen and Kithsiri Wijesinghe, all contributors to the website www.outreachsl. com. The three were held without charge by the TID for several days, and according to reports, released on 18 March. The deputy editor of The Nation newspaper, Keith Noyahr, was abducted and physically assaulted on 22 May. According to Sri Lanka’s Free Media Movement (FMM), it is widely believed that Noyahr was targeted as a result of his reporting and analysis of the ongoing conflict between government forces and the LTTE in the northern part of the country.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:

- calling on the authorities to ensure that J.S. Tissainayagam is not tortured or ill-treated, and that he is allowed unrestricted access to his family, a lawyer of his choice, an independent court and any specialist medical treatment he may require;

- expressing concern that J.S Tissainayagam is being detained without charge by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) in Colombo;

- urging the authorities to release J. S. Tissainayagam immediately and unconditionally, unless he is to be charged with a recognizably criminal offense before an independent court.

APPEALS TO:

His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1

SRI LANKA
Fax: 011 94 11 2446657
Salutation: Your Excellency

Hon. Amarasiri Dodangoda
Minister of Justice and Law Reforms
Ministry of Justice and Law Reforms
Superior Courts Complex
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA

Fax: 011 94 11 2445447
Salutation: Dear Minister

COPIES TO:

Ambassador Bernard A.B. Goonetilleke
Embassy of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
2148 Wyoming Ave. NW
Washington DC 20008

Fax: 1 202 232 7181
Email: slembassy@slembassy usa.org

Kamal Hassan’s mega cine creation, Dasavatharam is breaking box office records in Sri Lanka.

In Colombo the blockbuster is now showing at Cine City (Maradana), Liberty (Kollupitiya) Savoy (Wellawatta) and Samantha (Dematagoda) and several other locations around the country.

All the movie houses are showing with full houses for several days now, winning praise from all movie goers.

[Kamal Hassan emboldened the phrase “Humanity Ashore”, in the aftermath of the catastrophe of Dec 26th, 2004: A Song from the movie & A slide show marks the release of Dasavatharam, featuring slides from Sri Lanka]

Here is what Ramesh Kandasamy compiled, in the ‘Kollywood Life’ section of Colombo newspaper Daily Mirror’s June 24th edition:

Dasavatharam, which was under production for almost two years, has finally hit the marquee and in style. Kamal and the marvel of technology rule this venture of Aascar Films directed by K S Ravikumar who has packaged Kamal’s dream with aplomb.

It would be an uphill task in understanding Dasavatharam if one does not pay adequate attention to the opening stadium scene where Kamal as scientist Govinda Ramasamy, renders an acceptance speech for all the praise he receives. The ensuing 12th century sequences will not fall into place if one does not concentrate on this scene.

Kamal as Rangarajan Nambi, in a gravity-defying movement, flies from the bottom of the statue and thrashes the baddies who are involved in removing the Lord Ranganathar idol. Napoleon plays Kulothunga Chozhan who is an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. He agrees to pardon Kamal if he just chants Om Nama Shivaya but the latter meets his watery grave by saying Om Namo Narayanaya along with the idol.

Sharpness of dialogues exchanged between Kamal’s family and Napoleon in this scene is commendable and a testimony to the clashes between Saivism and Vaishnavism that persisted in those earlier times. Napoleon, albeit in a small role, dazzles in his performance as the Saivite King. His arrogant countenance and ‘mightier than thou’ body language reiterate the experience of this veteran star in filmdom.

Cut to the present time again: Govinda Ramasamy (Kamal) is a scientist working in America, researching the components of biological warfare which are potent enough to wipe out the human race. The story that follows shows Kamal in a race to save mankind from the hands of his superior who purloins this dangerous chemical. His struggle begins in America and ends in Chennai on the 26th of December 2004 – during the tsunami.

Out of the ten Kamals, the first one who walks away with plaudits is Indian RAW agent Balram Naidu who is presented with little make up. His Telugu dialogues are enjoyable and remind us of the SPB of Guna. Next is Boovaraghan with his Nellai Tamil. His body language is exemplary. The Japanese kung fu exponent comes third in this avatar race with limited dialogues and moderate make-up. The remaining Kamals fail to make an impression.

The theatre broke into raptures when the American Kamal asks the Japanese Kamal if he remembers Hiroshima to which the Japanese Kamal counters with, ‘Do you remember Pearl harbour?’ Dialogue writing in the movie needs to be singled out. In short Dasavatharam is a make-up magic.

“The sea took away human lives but left humanity ashore, its time now to show humanity” – Padmashree Kamal Hassan, Actor – Producer – Director

Related: An intriguing connection between the 10 avatars of Lord Narayana and the film Dasavatharam

In a letter to the Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, Vaiko, General Secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), says that certain current practices of India are “…throwing to winds the farsighted foreign policy adopted by Pandit Nehru and Mrs. Indira Gandhi,” and urged the Prime Minister to not participate in the SAARC Conference.

Full text of the letter follows:

Dear Dr. Manmohan Singh ji,

Vanakkam. The betrayal being committed by the UPA Government at the centre against the Tamils, with particular reference to the ethnic Tamils of the island of Sri Lanka has been thoroughly exposed by the statements of the Sri Lanka Government, its military officials and also by the condemnable activities, open and clandestine of the Government of India.

News have appeared in the print media in India and Sri Lanka that a top level Indian official team comprising Foreign Secretary Mr. Sivasankara Menon, National Security Advisor Mr. M.K. Narayanan and the Defence Secretary Mr. Vijay Singh has reached Colombo on 20th June 2008 for consultations with the Sri Lanka Government ”on matters of mutual interest”.

It is reliably understood that the Indian team has met the President of Sri Lanka Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, Defence Secretary Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga. The visit was kept a top secret. A source in the Sri Lanka Presidential secretariat told the press that over Friday and Saturday, the visiting team would discuss an array of issues, including the security in the island, the ongoing military operations against the LTTE in the North, the issue of the intruding Indian fishermen in North-West Sri Lanka, and matters relating to the SAARC summit to be held in Colombo in the first week of August.

My repeated request to you by letters and also in person to stop forthwith any sort of military assistance to the Sri Lanka racist Government which is committing the grave crime of genocide against the ethnic Tamil race in the island have been callously thrown away.

Eventhough the UPA Government did not sign the proposed Defence Pact with Sri Lanka in 2004; the Indian Government has been equipping the Sri Lanka Government to help its war machine to perpetrate genocidal attacks against the Tamils.

I accuse that the Government of India supplied radars to the Sri Lanka Air-force which is strafing and bombing by which innocent Tamil people are brutally killed, the glaring example is Sencholai massacre.

I accuse that the Government of India gave a red carpet welcome to the Sri Lanka President and the Ministers whose hands are stained with the blood of Tamils.

I accuse that the Government of India has sanctioned a loan of 100 million dollars at 2% interest to the Defence Ministry of Sri Lanka enabling them to purchase weapons from Pakistan and China, which would be used to decimate the Tamil race.

I accuse that the UPA Government has deliberately derelicted in its duty to prevent the dastardly attacks and killing of the Sri Lanka Navy against the Tamilnadu fishermen. Adding insult to the injury, the Indian team is discussing with the Sri Lanka Government against the safety of Tamilnadu fishermen.

I accuse that the Government of India has mortgaged her sovereign rights, permitting the Sri Lanka Government to lay seamines in the international waters adjacent to Indian water.

I accuse that the Government of India, burying fathoms deep all the norms of humanism, prevented the supply of food and medicines to the suffering Tamils in that island by not giving permission to the International Red Cross to send the materials collected in Tamilnadu.

I am pained to make the accusation that the Indian Government, particularly the abovementioned officials are assisting the Sri Lanka Government, which is making all out military offensive to liquidate the Tamil race, throwing to winds the farsighted foreign policy adopted by Pandit Nehru and Mrs. Indira Gandhi.

The UPA Government and its constituent political parties are held responsible for the loss of Tamil lives in the island of Sri Lanka and will be held accountable and answerable in the dock of the people’s court of India.

In view of the abovementioned facts, I am registering my point of view that the Prime Minister of India should not go to Colombo to participate in the SAARC Conference.

With regards,

Yours sincerely,

(Vaiko)

Hon’ble Dr. Manmohan Singh,
Prime Minister,
Government of India,
New Delhi