Government planned anti-Indian hartal buckled

(October 24, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) Media revelations about the government planned hartal in the Tamil areas on 23 October 2008 have been abandoned due to disclosure of President’s involvement using the Tamil groups aligned with the government.

The news reported in the independent media stated: ‘Minister Devananda has been instructed personally by the President to liaise with other Tamil groups supporting the government. Douglas Devananda has spoken to V Anandasangaree (TULF), V Siththarthan (PLOTE), V Muralitharan alias Karuna (TMVP) and Sritharan (EPRLF) and given the instructions of the President to fully engage in the day long hartal tomorrow October 23, 2008. According to information verified, all these party leaders have subscribed to the President’s pressure.’

In order to cover up the revelation to avoid the anger of India, Minister Douglas Devananda on the advice of the President has changed the agenda of the hartal against India and has limited it to a hartal in Jaffna to protest against the LTTE attack on the government vessels.

The government has given due publicity for the hartal in Jaffna in their media and the Ministry of Defence website reported (datelined 23 October 2008) under the caption ‘Hartal in Jaffna to protest against LTTE attack at the cargo vessels’ and stated:

‘The Jaffna community along with business, administration and sections of educational institutions, on Thursday(Oct 23) have organised a hartal to protest against the cowardly LTTE suicide attack at two vessels with essential food supplies to the peninsula yesterday.

‘The peninsula is virtually connected with the south via sea route, which remains to be the sole lifeline providing daily bread to thousands and any means to disrupt the normalcy is to be condemned in all quarters, an organizer who wanted to remain anonymous was quoted saying with our Jaffna defence correspondent.

‘According to our sources, the hartal organised with the participation of diverse sections in the peninsula is clearly showing signs of success.

All the services in the Jaffna with its relative normalcy came to a standstill as there was no transport or any other service operating. All government and private institutions also put up shutters and kept away from their respective services.

‘However, Jaffna Teaching Hospital remained functional, defence sources confirmed.
LTTE an international banned terrorist outfit on Wednesday (22), attempted to ram into two MV with essential cargo, following its deliberate attack at the UN food convoy on 16th September.’

According to information, the Douglas Devananda’s EPDP activists and the army were fully engaged to bring Jaffna to a standstill. Following the revelation about the involvement of other Tamil groups in the original anti-Indian protest, it is now known some of the groups have backed off from their participation; hence the hartal in Vavuniya and in the East did not take place as planned.

Reliable sources in Colombo close to the government stated that an anti-Indian hartal and demonstration has now been planned for 26th October 2008. Due to reluctance of some of the Tamil groups the government has planned to hold it with the support of Douglas Devananda, JHU and the Weerawanse faction of the JVP. - Sri Lanka Guardian