Envoy stresses ties between Northern Province and India

Indian High Commissioner Ashok K Kantha visited the Northern Province on February 23 and 24. Kantha accompanied by his wife Sharmila, placed a wreath at the IPKF Memorial in Palaly on February 23.

Consul General of India in Jaffna V Mahalingam and High Commission of India, Colombo Defence Adviser Captain Sumeet Kapoor also laid wreath. Senior officers from the Sri Lanka Army also participated. Security Forces Commander, Jaffna Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe also laid wreath at the Memorial.

The IPKF Memorial in Palaly is in memory of the martyrs of the 10 Para Regiment of Indian Army who lost their lives during the IPKF operation in the Northern Province between 1987 and 1989.

The memorial consists of seven structures and has the names of 33 martyrs engraved.

Meanwhile, Kantha and Northern Province Governor G A Chandrasiri jointly inaugurated the India Corner at the Consulate General of India, Jaffna on February 23.

The ‘India Corner’ informally functioning since January 2013 will enhance cultural outreach of the Consulate General of India, Jaffna by further popularising Indian classical music and dance amongst the people of Northern Province. Facilities to learn Yoga and Hindi will also be offered free of cost at the corner.

The ‘India Corner’ also houses a library with a collection of books on various subjects.

The ‘India Corner’ is expected to transform into a vibrant hub of cultural activities with a full calendar of events benefitting the people of Northern Province. The Corner has been modeled on the lines of the Indian Cultural Centre in Colombo and is supported by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

Speaking on the occasion, the High Commissioner emphasised the special relationship between the people of the Northern Province in general, the Jaffna Peninsula in particular and people from India.

He said the ‘India Corner’ had been established to enhance this special relationship through exchanges in the field of culture and arts particularly in view of the fact that over the centuries, Jaffna had stood at the cross-roads of history, culture and religion, kings and kingdom, arts, dance and literature.

The High Commissioner highlighted the remarkable cultural space and convergence between Northern Province and India. Kantha also spoke about the cultural initiatives of the Indian government in the Northern Province, particularly plans for the Jaffna Cultural Centre, which will be a landmark building in city of Jaffna, assistance to the Ramanathan Academy of Fine Arts in construction of an Open Air Theatre, exchange of faculty and students between this Academy and Kalakshetra Foundation in South India and the organisation of a three-day cultural event during the Nallur Festival like last year.

The High Commissioner also donated a set of 20 Tamil books, audio compact discs and school bags to schoolchildren. This is part of a project by the Consulate General of India to provide 5,000 primary level schoolbooks and audio compact discs on various subjects in Tamil for distribution among 250 primary schools.