6.2.2008
Professor Suriyanarayan a former professor at the
University of Peradeniya and presently at Madras University
the keynote addressee at the 60th Independence Day celebrations
held at the Mahabhodhi Centre in Chennai, said that the
LTTE had killed many Tamil leaders over the past three years.
He also expressed the view that the political leadership
of both the UNP as well as the SLFP was also responsible
for this conflict.
Delivering the keynote address on the theme "Sri Lankan
and Indian Relations," he went on to say that the Sri
Lankans had suffered a period of terror or a "bheeshana
samaya" in the period 1988-1989 and that they were
once again living in fear of bomb blasts.
Thousands
of Tamils flock to India to escape the armed conflict. Around
65000 Sri Lankan Tamils who have arrived from areas such
as Vavunia, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Mannar, and Batticaloa,
and other areas in the North and East are in refugee camps
in Tamil Nadu while no permanent solution has still been
found to the problem. Professor Suriyanarayan indicated.
There
were academic bonds between Madras and Sri Lanka. The Madras
University which was established in 1857 had two Sri Lankan
students among its first batch which was evidence of over
a hundred year relationship between the two countries. Sadly
the India-Sri Lanka Foundation established by a former President
to promote cultural relations between the two countries
was not functioning, he said.
"Several
Tamil leaders had been killed by the LTTE, during the past
two decades," he pointed out.
An
Independence Day message from President Mahinda Rajapaksa
was read out by Sri Lankan High Commissioner in S.India,
P.M.Amza, where the President stated that both the Sinhalese
and Tamils were celebrating Independence Day together in
Chennai and that this would help strengthen relations between
the two countries.
Courtesy
- Government Information |