This is an archive article published on January 9, 2021
Jaffna varsity decision to remove war memorial sparks TN protests
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, DMK chief M K Stalin condemned the demolition of the memorial built in memory of civilians killed in the Mullivaikkal incident that happened in the last phase of the Sri Lankan civil war that ended in 2009.
The Jaffna University administration’s decision to remove a war memorial erected in 2019—in memory of victims of the 2009 Mullivaikkal massacre in the last phase of the Sri Lankan war—triggered protests outside the varsity and sharp reactions from leaders in Tamil Nadu.
The Army and police were deployed to disperse protesters, including students, following reports of a heavy vehicle being used to remove the structure on Friday night.
Political leaders including Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami of the AIADMK and DMK chief M K Stalin condemned the incident. While Palaniswami blamed the Sri Lankan government for demolishing the structure and said it was a “huge shock”, Stalin urged the Indian government to condemn the move, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter.
A student, requesting anonymity, said they were denied entry into the campus when they gathered to protest. “They used two heavy vehicles to destroy the memorial. They did not complete the demolition due to our protest. They used police to threaten us in the premises,” he said.
Jaffna University V-C S Srisatkunarajah told The Sunday Express that he ordered the removal of the structure as it was illegal. “There was already a war memorial at the campus. But this new one was erected recently during the 10th anniversary of ending the Sri Lankan war… (it was) installed without permission from authorities,” he said.
Srisatkunarajah said there were orders from the government to remove all such unauthorised structures.
A senior police officer from Jaffna said: “It was the university’s decision and we deployed our personnel to prevent a huge gathering amid a pandemic,” he said. He dismissed talk of the incident hinting at LTTE’s revival.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
