Tamil novel on Elephant Pass battle lands journalist under terror police grilling

Sri Lanka’s anti-terror police has interrogated the President of the Tamil Literary Association, who had organized a book launch for a novel based on the Elephant Pass attack, considered as one of the most devastating defeats suffered by Sri Lanka army during the war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Journalist and writer Theepachelvan Piratheepan summoned to the Counter Terrorism Investigation Division (CTID)’s Paranthan Unit in Killinochchi on 11 April, and had been interrogated for over two and a half hours. Officers had questioned him whether there was any intention to resurrect the LTTE through the writing of a novel on an attack carried out by the LTTE.

As the author of the book Nadugal (நடுகல்), which is recognised as the first novel written in the North following the end of the war, Theepachelvan was well received by both readers and critics. The book was translated into Sinhala by G.G. Sarath Ananda under the title Smaraka Shilawatha (ස්මාරක ශිලාවත).

The launch of ’34 Natkalil Theendikkadanda Nerupparu (Crossing the River of Flames in 34 Days)’, a novel penned by veteran Tamil writer N. Yogendran, was held in Killinochchi on 10 February.

According to regional reporters, the book contains information about attacks carried out by the LTTE for 34 days in order to gain control of the Elephant Pass area that was under Sri Lanka military control. The assault on the army base occurred 24 years ago.

The book launch had been organized by the Tamil Literary Association. In response to the CTID’s questions, Theepachelvan had said that the event was organized in honour of Yogendran, who is a respected Tamil author.

“The interrogation focussed on whether there was an intention to resurrect Tamil Tigers through the writing of a book on LTTE attacks. But, I explained that that is not the case, and that it is the revisiting of a past war. I was asked why I organized the book launch. I responded that it was meant to honour a veteran writer in his twilight years.”

Moreover, Theepachelvan has told regional reporters the CTID told him that other speakers at the book launch will be investigated as well. CTID had further questioned about the writers literary work.

“I was asked about the number of books that I have written. I provided them with that information. They also asked whether those books contain information about the LTTE. I said that I have written about the war and the impacts of the war on people.”

Tamil Literary Association Secretary K Aleksan, Jaffna district MP Sivagnanam Shritharan, former Karachchi Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Arunachalam Welamalikithan, former Karachchi Pradeshiya Sabha Member Arunachalam Sathyanandan, Killinochchi district Planning Director S. Mohanapawan, and Oddusudan Central College Principal Sinnappa Nagendraraja were among the speakers at the launch of Yogendran’s ’34 Natkalil Theendikkadanda Nerupparu’.