28.3.2008
By Walter Jayawardhana
Pic
- Saranapala Pamunuwa - Divaina
Sri
Lankan film director Thushara Peiris , who has been brutally
attacked by pro-Tamil Tiger elements at Chennai’s
Gemini Colour Laboratories and stripped of copies of his
new film “Prabhakaran” which he processed
at the studios said from a hospital bed in Colombo that
he is starting a “fast unto death” sathyagraha
from his sick bed demanding the Indian and Sri Lankan
governments to intervene in getting back his robbed copies
of the film.
“I
have stopped taking food, water and medicine until the
Indian and Sri Lanka governments intervenes and get back
my copies of the film,” he said from a bed of Colombo’s
Nawaloka Hospital where he was admitted for treatment
caused in the mob attack in Chennai.
It
is believed an LTTE instigated mob attack took place in
Chennai where they believed that his maiden full length
feature film entitled “Prabhakaran” depicted
the character of the ruthless terrorist leader Velupillai
Prabhakaran in very bad light and anti-Tamil flavour”.
Many
in the mob belonged to the Chennai Film Technician’s
Union and a leading newspaper in India, the Times of India,
has also identified leaders of an extremist pro LTTE political
party among the attackers.
The
39 year old talented film director , who has had his training
in Italy , said he passed out for about 45 minutes after
the brutal attack , and when he was conscious discovered
that he was profusely bleeding and the film copies have
been robbed.
The
film produced both in Tamil and Sinhalese languages were
watched by the mob and they agreed with the film director
that there were no anti-Tamil sentiments as they had been
told. But according to Peiris the Film Technicians Union
decided to keep them in their custody without giving the
copies back to him. Peiris said he want his film back.
Meanwhile,
the BBC Tamil language service broadcast a news item in
which a mobster has been interviewed. He said the story
was spread that an anti-Tamil movie was about to be released
in Chennai and that caused the pandemonium.
Courtesy
Asian Tribune