Artistes' Adishtana Pooja today

Rasika SOMARATHNA

COLOMBO : Leading Sri Lankan Artistes are to stage a peaceful demonstration at the Independent Square in Colombo today, in an attempt to reach out to their South Indian counterparts and the international community in general, with the message of the true intentions behind military operations in Northern Sri Lanka.

The peaceful demonstration named "Adishtana Pooja" which is scheduled to start at 4.30 p.m is an attempt to alleviate misconceptions and portray the true facts of the humanitarian mission in the North to the world, amidst adverse and mis-leading propaganda by the LTTE lobby, organizers said yesterday.

At a recent media briefing Veteran film artiste Ravindra Randeniya.emphasised that the attempt was not politically motivated but was a collective effort to raise awareness, specially among South Indians and the international community in the back drop of an adverse campaign.

Another Veteran Artiste Buddhadasa Vithanachchi observed that the recent protests by Tamil Nadu Artistes asking the Indian Central Government to intervene in the conflict in Sri Lanka, were provoked by politically motivated pro-LTTE elements in the State.

While claiming that this was a last resort by the LTTE who were facing imminent defeat on all fronts, Vithanachchi said that the esteemed Tamil Nadu Artistes had been mis led by interested factions.

He further claimed that these artistes had not risen when LTTE had assassinated former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and scores of other Tamil leaders in Sri Lanka.

The move comes in the backdrop of a series of demonstrations by South Indian film Artiste's in recent times seeking an intervention by the Indian Government in the conflict in Sri Lanka.

The organisers of the event made an open invitation to all Sri Lankan Artistes to gather at Independence Square in the afternoon in a show of solidarity to portray the message that the present military thrust was in fact a humanitarian mission to liberate the Northern masses who had lived under Tiger tyranny for over two decades.

According to organisers all participants are advised to be present at the Independence Square before 4.30 p.m dressed in white.