'Even in the remembrance of the dead, there is discrimination against the Tamil people' - Sumanthiran

 28 November 2020

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, M A Sumanthiran highlighted the discrimination faced by Tamils in their right to remember those who gave their lives in the struggle for liberation, in a fiery exchange in the Sri Lankan parliament.

The lawmaker was questioned by Sarath Weerasekara who asked Sumanthiran how he could take an oath in Parliament after paying tribute to the LTTE's Captain Pandithar last week at the fighter's mother's home. 

Responding to Weerasekara, Sumanitharan said: 

"Yes, he was a LTTE leader. Nevertheless, he was her son. Every mother has the right to remember their children."

"The Honourable Minister has never rasied any questions with regard to the JVP remembering Rohana Wijeweera with his beret and regalia on the streets of Colombo. Even in the remembrance of the dead, there is discrimination against the Tamil people," he added. 

Earlier this week, the TNA MP went to the home of Captain Pandithar's mother, Sinnathurai Maheswari,in Valvettithurai, where he lit a lamp to commemorate the fallen cadre, who was martyred in 1895.

"This is a mother's remembrance of her son. She was my client the previous day in court and I was required to explain to her she can commemorate her son in private in the house and I was there with her," Sumanthiran added. 

Maheswari who had filed a petition at Jaffna High Court seeking an injunction not to attempt a ban on Maaveerar Naal commemoration events but the court dismissed the petition. 

Weerasekara called Sumanthiran's explanation a "childish excuse" and claimed that "the mother can always respect the son, there is no problem but a parliamentarian cannot then go and pay tribute to a LTTE leader."

Weerasekara's comments come as Sri Lanka ramped up its intimidation and obstruction of Maaveerar Naal commemoration events. Whilst private commemorations were allowed, the Sri Lankan security forces carried out several raids, arrests and were heavily deployed across the North-East. 

See our coverage of Maaveerar Naal here. 

 

 

Related Articles: 

21 November 2020 : TNA MP pays tribute to LTTE’s Captain Pandithar

28 November 2020 : Sri Lankan army’s Maaveerar Naal crackdown in Jaffna caught on CCTV

27 November 2020 : Sri Lanka’s security forces crackdown on Maaveerar Naal

24 November 2020 : Jaffna High Court rules 'public Maaveerar Naal commemorations are banned but private ones are allowed'