The nameboard that stirred controversy: The trilingual opening-day nameboard (above) and the Tamil-only nameboard (top)
The naming of the India-funded Cultural Centre in Jaffna dominated Tamil politics this week, even forcing the North’s dominant political party—the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK)—to write to the Indian Consulate General’s office in Jaffna to express its concerns.
The controversy arose after Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Minister Hiniduma Sunil Senevi jointly announced that the cutlural centre would be named as ‘Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre,’ in honour of the great Tamil poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar, who wrote the Thirukkural, a collection of couplets on ethics, political and economic matters, and love, some 2000 years ago.
At the ceremony last Saturday, a diplomatic protocol mishap was avoided when Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, who was seated next to the High Commissioner on the front row, was asked to switch seats by the Indian Consulate General S. Sai Murali. The High Commissioner, however, politely insisted on the earlier seating arrangement remaining in place.
Political parties, civil groups and several outfits registered their displeasure for omitting the word ‘Jaffna’ from the name board and the Tamil misspelling of the trilingual name board.
Fisheries Minister R. Chandrasekar, who participated in the event, later said he was shocked to see the mistake and assured that he would take it up with the relevant authorities.
ITAK Acting President C.V.K. Sivagnanam wrote to the Indian Consulate General Office in Jaffna expressing his party’s displeasure as to why the name of the Tamil peoples’ cultural capital city is left out from the name board of the building that was built on land owned by the Jaffna Municipal Council.
Strangely enough, a new name board printed with the words “Jaffna Thivuvalluvar Cultural Centre” only in Tamil was put up on Friday, bringing the controversy to an end. Or is it?
- https://www.sundaytimes.lk/250126/c...sage-political-stunts-on-top-gear-585946.html
