Jaffna University street play condemns Devananda

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 December 2000, 18:44 GMT]
The arts faculty students of the Jaffna University performed a street play Monday in which Sri Lankan cabinet minister Douglas Devananda was portrayed as a heinous oppressor of civilians in the north. Hundreds of students and people watched the play named "that which is not spoken of" (Pesaapporul). The performance started around 4.30 p.m this afternoon inside the campus. The play ended with the likeness of Mr.Devananda being torn to pieces by the people of Jaffna.

A large number of banners implicitly condemning the Eelam People's Democratic Party and its leader were hung about the venue of the play.

The EPDP is a major alliance partner of the Sri Lankan government. The following are some of the slogans written on them.

"Do not see oppression, do not speak of oppression, do not hear oppression, do not feel oppression"

"Condemnation after murder, relief after displacement"

"We salute he who gave clothes to the lady who was exposed in Chemmani" "Who knows how I ached to sit in that chair" (The chair is the symbol of the People's Alliance)

"Tears like those of the crocodile, a tail like that of the dog, talons like those of the vulture, a mouth like that of a ghost - this is their form".

The Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Prof.S.Balachandran, who was angered by the performance tore a banner hung at the site. The Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University expressed shock, claiming that he was unaware of the contents of the play when he had granted permission for performing it on the campus.