Musings On The Mullivaikkal Memorial At Jaffna University

By Karikalan S. Navaratnam –FEBRUARY 2, 2021

Karikalan S. Navaratnam

“Here was clear proof that Hitler had directly intervened to transform not only the physical landscape of Europe, but the landscape of memory itself.” ~ Despina Stratigakos, Architectural historian (“The Invasion of Memory……”, Architect journal, 06 Nov.2019 )

Demolition of the Mullivaikkal memorial at the Jaffna University campus, carried out under cover of darkness on 8th January 2021 at the behest of Vice Chancellor Prof. S. Srisatkunarajah had unleashed fire and fury, culminating in a death fast commenced by nine students. Reportedly, the VC had acted on the orders of Rajapaksas’ apparatchiks: “VC S. Srisatkunarajah, who earlier told the Hindu that his demolition order followed instructions from “defence, intelligence, Education Ministry, everyone”, later said authorities wanted him to “defuse the situation” (The Hindu, 17 Jan. 2021)

State of suspended animation

Much to the relief of the families and friends of Jaffna University campus community as well as the Tamil fraternity across the globe and the liberal  sections of Sri Lankan citizenry, the lethal stand-off between the students and the agent provocateurs of the Rajapaksas’ regime had, for the time being, come to an end. A potentially explosive situation at the campus had been diffused – maybe, much to the disappointment of the trigger-happy police/military men present in combat readiness at the scene of the confrontation and to the dismay of sections of the sanctimonious media. Apparently, an amalgam of several factors and India’s subtle use of soft power strategy had helped to temporarily resolve the crisis. Now that the VC has undertaken to rebuild the memorial and has also laid a foundation stone for the restoration, why say “temporarily”?

Although the incendiary mood of the students has now become a muted matter, the crisis is in a state of suspended animation. It  has left a trail of bad blood in its wake which has the potential to generate eruptive activities. Education Minister G.L. Peiris had earlier defended the demolition saying that “unauthorised constructions cannot be permitted within university premises” (The Island, 12 Jan. 2021). Sinhala-Buddhist (SB) warriors, may not take the affront lying down.  

Distorting the narrative

Shamindra Ferdinando of ‘The Island’ has a penchant for writing stories couched in jingoistic jargons, rousing rabid racist frenzy among the SB lynch mob. Deliberately distorting the narrative, he chose to call the monument, a “LTTE memorial ” and had thus set the tone for fomenting further trouble: “Controversy over LTTE memorial– In spite of the Education Ministry reiterating illegal structures couldn’t be allowed in Universities, the Jaffna University administration succumbed to heavy  pressure. The four party Illankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi led Tamil National Alliance (TNA) demanded the restoration of the monument.” (The Island, ibid.) University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof. Sampath Amaratunge said that the memorial was a threat to national unity in Sinhalese majority Sri Lanka. The pugnacious Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera said that “no one will and should be allowed to commemorate dead terrorists“. (BBC, 11  Jan.2021). Minister Weerawansa had condemned the Vice Chancellor for laying of a foundation stone for a new memorial. These antagonists have formidable firepower politically, to stir up trouble and create tensions at the time of baptizing the rebuilt memorial. 

‘Peace monument’

Reflecting the Colombo mandarin’s mindset, the VC  has already struck a discordant note: Mr Srisatkunarajah told the BBC that a new “peace monument” would be erected in the same location. The VC’s version resonates with the thinking of UGC Chairman Prof. Amaratunge, who , commenting on the demolition, said:  “I think it’s a timely decision. What we need is memorials of peace, not war.” But, what the students demanded was restoration of status quo ante – a War Memorial  to commemorate the tens of thousands of Tamils who perished in the war. True to their traits, the tribal media has sought to snarl up the situation. In effect, the ‘Daily Mirror’ construed it as a  ‘Tiger Memorial’ and wants the architecture be done according to specifications of the government: “And while doing so the state authorities need to intervene in a way that old wounds from the war are not cut open. People must take note that scores of armed soldiers died with the same suffering as those tiger rebels who perished in the line of firing…..” (Daily Mirror, 15 Jan. 2021 – Editorial) 

Victory  Monuments

These nasty newsmen from the mainstream media had shouted ‘hallelujah’ and sang hosannas when hundreds  of Victory Monuments were constructed and ceremonially unveiled by  Rajapaksas,  glorifying the war victory – victory over fellow citizens. Scores of such state-sponsored monuments dotting the landscape in the North-East, including locales where tens of thousands of Tamil civilians perished during the final  stages of the war, stir up grim memories of the  recent past – gory scenes of deaths and destruction and devastation- and keep reminding the Tamil citizenry that they are a conquered people. In the same breath, many burial sites and cemeteries of LTTE cadres killed in combat, and memorial headstones have been bulldozed and destroyed by the ‘Rana Viruwo’. Far from seeking to heal the wounds of war, the ‘patriotic’ media, exhibiting their tribalistic sentiments teamed up with the triumphalists and treated the Tamils as vermin to be left to languish and die of their festering emotional wounds. 

Miniature  Auschwitz  memorial !

Mullivaikkal memorial is anathema to Rajapakses’ apparatchiks. Why? Maybe that they fear that memory initiatives may also contribute to the Tamil progeny’s / historians’ understanding of past abuses, atrocities and war crimes perpetrated by the vainglorious victors. “History is written by victors.” (Quote, attributed to Sir Winston Churchill). Genuine history of the events leading to Mullivaikkal may sound heresy to the Rajapaksas. The Holocaust was a state secret in Nazi Germany. Holocaust denial and distortion generally claim that the holocaust was invented or exaggerated by Jews. The ruling class may, in its paranoia, imagine that a Mullivaikkal memorial at Jaffna campus could evolve into a miniature Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial of the Tamils.

Media blitz

News reports on the demolition of the Mullivaikkal Memorial in Jaffna gained  a rapid momentum briefly dominating the mediascape in India, not only in the South, but in the North as well.  Eminent media outlets from Chennai (The Hindu), New Delhi (Hindustan Times), Mumbai (Times of India, Indian Express etc.), Bangalore (Deccan Herald) and such other hubs had picked up the story and splashed them across the front/eye-catching pages with snappy headlines, as if carrying a scoop: E.g. “Outrage after war memorial for Tamils in University of Jaffna gets destroyed” (New Indian Express, 9 Jan.2021); “Tamil memorial at 

Jaffna University destroyed in Sri Lanka; Indian leaders express shock” (Deccan Herald, 9 Jan. 2021); “Sri Lanka’s Jaffna University war memorial removed, Tamil Nadu CM condemns move”(Hindustan Times, 10 Jan. 2021); “Tamil Nadu leaders condemn demolition of Jaffna University war memorial.” (Punjab Tribune, 10 Jan. 2021).

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