Text books, school uniform issue event conducted in Sinhalese in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 December 2009, 02:23 GMT]
A "national" event of issuing free text books and school uniforms to students in Jaffna was held entirely in Sinhalese Wednesday in Jaffna Veampadi Girls’ College, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was to preside in this event and later his brother Basil Rajapaksa was to participate in the event instead of the president. But Basil Rajapaksa too did not attend the event as announced in the local media. In the meantime, the Sri Lankan president visited Vanni Wednesday to open a "national war memorial" north of Mullaiththeevu at the centre of Puthukkudiyiruppu tank.

Education officials in Jaffna had made elaborate preparation for this "national" event that was to be presided by Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The main entrance of Veampadi Girls’ College had been closed and the students were made to use the narrow path next to Jaffna police station.

Sri Lankan Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha, SL Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Deputy Education Minister Nirmala Kotalawela, Deputy Education Minister Sachithananthan and EPDP leader and Minister Douglas Devananda were present at the event in which Education ministers spoke in Sinhalese to the students who understood nothing of what was being said.

Thousands of Sri Lanka Army soldiers were deployed to cover the event.