Courts in the eastern town of Eravur granted bail to Jaffna university undergraduates arrested while extending their solidarity to Tamil dairy farmers of the Eastern Province who have been protesting for their land rights for more than fifty days.
The students of Jaffna and Eastern Universities launched a protest in support of the Maylatthamadu and Madavanai dairy farmers on 5th November, the 52nd day of their ongoing protest.
According to the provincial reporters the students who took part in the protest were arrested in Santhivel while they were on their way back to Jaffna. The bus they were travelling was stopped and searched by police. Six students were arrested for not having their student identity cards on them.
An Assistant Superintendent of Police officer was caught on camera saying, “try to make them understand that we are not here to trouble them. But if they fail to give us any information then we’ll be taking everyone with the entire bus to the police station. We’ll take the information inside the police station and then we’ll send them back. We cannot let them do things like this whenever they feel like there’s a law in the country….. It’s up to you all to prove your identity.” Another video showed the senior police ignoring the students’ request to confirm their identity by contacting university authorities.
The Eravur court ordered the release of the five students from Jaffna University, N.Vidushan, T. Lajithar, S.Sinthujan, T.Gajan, Nevil Kumar, and the student Union Leader of the Faculty of Arts and Culture from Eastern University K.Robinson.
Lawyer Sinnathurai Jegan, who appeared on behalf of the students, told the media that the court ordered the release of the six students on a surety of one hundred thousand rupees each.
“The police presented their argument that a large number of people had come to the place and blocked the road and obstructed public traffic, and that this incident led towards creating a tense situation in the area. We presented our argument that the protestors came from Jaffna to win their rights democratically, and they were arrested when they were on their way home after participating in the protest. Since they are students and they united for their rights, the court granted them bail.”
Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) leader, Member of Parliament Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam, present at Eravur Magistrate’s Court, slammed the police version of events as false.
“There are video recordings of this incident. And we watched them. Whatever is said by the police regarding the arrest of these students is false. When someone raises objections to Sinhala settlements, they threaten whoever objects or protests against such Sinhala settlements and try to stop them. The students of the University of Jaffna, who came to strengthen the protests, were threatened and intimidated to prevent them from continuing to join the Mylatthamadhu, Madawanai dairy farmers. It looks more like a conspiracy to stop supporting the dairy farmers. We are looking at this. We strongly condemn this action of the police.”
“Viyath Maga” activist and the governor appointed to the Eastern province by former president Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Anuradha Yahampath settled 150 Sinhala families in the pastures of Mailattamadu, Madavanai areas in Batticaloa, to cultivate crops including corn and other vegetables. However, Tamil dairy farmers in Mailattamadu, Madavanai have alleged Sinhala cultivators of forceful occupation of 2500 acres of fertile grasslands that feed their cattle. The dairy farmers started the protest on the 15th of September in Batticaloa in front of the Siththandi school, demanding the release of the land occupied by the Sinhala farmers.
