Press Freedom Day in Jaffna remembers journalists
[TamilNet, Friday, 04 May 2012, 16:26 GMT]
The journalistic contribution of Sivaram Dharmeratnam (Taraki),
especially his writings on the struggle of Eezham Tamils, were
remembered by several speakers at a well-attended Press Freedom Day
event held in Jaffna on Thursday. The event, organised by Nimalarajan
Memorial Foundation (NMF), has also brought out a publication of
cartoons by Mr Pious Raja, who passed away in Jaffna after experiencing
the genocidal war and incarceration in Vanni. A speaker at the event
urged the NMF to compile and translate Tamil articles by late Sivaram
into English and vice versa, as his writings continue to be valuable to
the Tamil cause. The NMF, in an exemplary way, took up the cause of
Tamil female students of Vanni in the Jaffna Univeristy, as there have
been several cases of suicides among them. Poverty, trauma and
psychological stress have been identified as the factors behind the
tragic trend.
Gayatri Pious Raja, the wife of Cartoonist Pious and their son lighting the memorial torch
Slain Uthayan journalist Selvarasa Rajivarman's mother lighting the memorial torch
V Thevaraj, the editor of Virakesari weekly edition, addressing the audience the current trends in contemporary Tamil media
R. Thayaparan of NMF
Sub editor of Jaffna Thinakkural A Sabeswaran
Jaffna University lecturer in law and civil activist Mr Guruparan Kumaravadivel
Rev Fr Rooban Mariyampillai giving a speech on the role of social media in modern journalism
Rev Fr Anton of Church of South India gifts funds to slain journalist Rajiwarman's brother for self-employment
Nimalarajan Memorial Foundation
said that it would sponsor the educational expenses of a section of the
female students from Vanni to continue their education without facing
poverty in the new environment.
The foundation also informed that it would take care of the expenses for the education of the son of the late cartoonist Pious.
The compilation of cartoons by Pious was named Kaalak-ki'rukkalka'l (Sketches of times).
The
cartoons and caricatures of Pious have been published in Namathu
Eezhanaadu paper during the times of the CFA between 2002 and 2006.
Gayatri
Pious, the wife of the late cartoonist and their son Jathiwarman Pious
Raja ceremonially released the compilation, published by Nimalarajan
Foundation.
Virakesari Editor Mr V. Thevaraj delivered a speech at the event on the current trends in contemporary Tamil media.
Jaffna
University lecturer in law and civil activist Mr Guruparan
Kumaravadivel talked on the role of media as a fourth pillar of the
society and Fr. Rooban Mariyampillai, a lecturer in journalism addressed
on the role of social media in modern journalism.
Mr Arumugam
Sabeswaran, the sub-editor of Jaffna Thinakkural and a lecturer at the
Institute of Media Studies of the University of Jaffna, gave the
introductory speech for the book release event.
Pious Raja was
forced to leave Jaffna, seeking security in Vanni, after the SL military
and paramilitary started harassing the Tamil writers and cartoonists in
SLA controlled territory in the North and East and in the South.
Mr
Aiyathurai Nadesan, a prominent journalist from the East was slain on
31 May 2004. Sivaram, a senior editor of TamilNet, was abducted and
assassinated on 28 April 2005. The editors of almost all the newspapers
voicing for the liberation of Eezham Tamils were threatened several
times in Jaffna during that period.
The France-based Reporters
without Borders (RSF) went on record in a press statement in September
2006 that Uthayan newspaper of Jaffna was the ‘worst hit media’ in the
island at that time.
Five gunmen burst into the office of the
newspaper on 2 May 2006 and opened fire on the employees at the office.
Two of the employees, Suresh Kumar and Ranjith Kumar, died after
sustaining serious injuries. Sathasivam Baskaran, 44, one of the
newspaper's drivers, was killed by the SLA on 15 August 2006. A worker
of Uthayan's sister newspaper, Chudar O'li was slain in Colombo.
Mr
Pious Raja, who managed to survive the Vanni war passed away after he
was allowed to resettle in Point Pedro following the genocidal war and
the collective incarceration in which his health condition had been
severely deteriorated.
TNA politicians Mavai Senathiraja, Suresh
Premachandran, S. Sritharan, A. Vinayagamoorthy and S.K. Sivajilingam,
and TNPF politicians Selvarasa Kajendren and Pathmini Sithamparanathan
were among the audience at the event, which took place at
Kalaith-thoothu Hall of the Thiruma'raik-kalaama'nram in Jaffna on
Thursday evening.
Three different commemoration lights were lit
to pay homage respectively to slain journalists, freedom fighters and
civilians, who had sacrificed their lives in the Tamil struggle.
Journalist
Nimalarajan, in whose name the foundation has been initiated, was
working for TamilNet at the time of his killing in October 2000.
Wimal Swmanithan, a lecturer in the field of linguistics, hands over NMFs fund to a university student
Nakaranjani
Aiyngaran, the chairperson Valikaamam South PS gifting her one month
salary to the education of poverty affected students from Vanni at the
university of Jaffna
Editor of Virakesari, V. Thevaraj hands over NMFs fund to a university student
N. Ponraja
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