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In the absence of war-induced destruction, damage, disappearance and killings, it has become necessary for the regressive forces with vested interests in the north to regularly engage manipulating news – falsifying or distorting the truth – in order to further the ‘Tamil cause’. Tamils being continuously nourished by aggressive nationalism, accept these rumours and innuendoes without further examination.

‘Destruction of Jaffna Public Library by Sinhala tourists’, ‘Thanthai Chelva memorial foundation was vandalised by Sinhala tourists’, ‘government to construct a hotel in an archaeological area in Nallur’,‘destruction of King Sangliyan Statue to erect a statue of Lord Buddha’, ‘murder and rape of a Tamil midwife in Velanai by a Sinhala Doctor’, ‘Valigamam zonal director of education was murdered for refusing to sing the national anthem in Singhala’, ‘government implement Bim Saviya programme to take over Tamils lands for colonisation’, just list a few. The very recent example of this is the ‘destruction of the Old Park of Jaffna’. It is another false distorted and slandered story in direct conflict with the facts.

The ‘destruction of the Old Park’ was first reported in the ‘Times on line’ without a shred of uncertainty that the Governor for the northern province Major General G A Chandrasiri has ordered to demolish an ancient building with archaeological value known as the Old Park. The news published at 17.14 on Wednesday the 28th September 2011 under the heading ‘Protest over Governor’s order to demolish Old Park in Jaffna’ continued that the demolition work was stopped only after the Government Agent for Jaffna Emelda Sukumar informed the Archaeology department.

The following day, the Colombo daily ‘Daily Mirror’ reported in similar vein, ‘The historical Old Park buildings in Jaffna town were demolished on Wednesday allegedly on the orders of the Northern Province Governor G. A. Chandrasiri. The Governor denied this allegation, but declined to comment on it further’, the ‘Daily Mirror’ reported.

It became the breaking news headline in Jaffna Tamil daily the following day. Jaffna Tamil daily, ‘Thinakural’ reported in its front page : ‘Historically important Jaffna Old Park demolished with heavy vehicles. Police watching aimlessly with hands crossed; Government Agent says she doesn’t know anything’. The report concluded, quoting some unnamed informed sources that the intention was to build a lodge for the ‘Sinhalese’.

On the 2nd of October the Governor had categorically denied the press reports and assured that the old archaeological buildings, tanks and trees in the park premises would be preserved and protected and only a selected segment of the park would be renovated for the benefit of the Jaffna people and, the Archaeological Department of Peradeniya University is involved in this process. He further assured that the landscaping and beautifying work will be done in consultation with the Archaeological Department.

But lurid tales of the destruction continued.

Jaffna’s most popular daily ‘Uthayan’ carried out a full centre two page article on the 5th of October (3 days after the Governor’s assurance) titled, ‘ Old Park: buried secrets and emerging truths’ stamped with the required emphasis and gave a clear impression to the reader: ‘ shattered old park’. And it even purposefully speculated: ‘they have intention to erect a Buddhist temple. But whether it is true of false is not known’. It has warned: ‘they have not given up the idea of destruction’. It gave prominence to unconfirmed reports from unnamed sources but not a single word about the Governor’s or Mayor’s flat denial.

It did not end there. On the 26th of November, a featured article in ‘The Island’ claiming ‘the desecration of Old Park is a sadder story’ asserted that ‘the destruction has begun and half the destruction already done. Majestic trees which adorned this landmark site have been cut down and monstrosity of buildings to house sundry government officials and government departments are being built’. It urged the authorities to halt all further building construction and felling of trees in the Old Park.

Destruction or desecration, for anyone relying on news media coverage, the case against the Old Park is now closed. It is that the historical old park is now demolished on the orders of the Governor with the backing of the Jaffna Mayor. The image that the ‘Sinhala government’ is all out to destroy the archaeological heritage of Tamils has yet again been imposed on the public mind. Previously, when some investors wanted to build a hotel to bolster the tourist industry in a private land in close proximity to the King Sangliyan’s ruined palace in Nallur, same sentiments were raised. Any news reader would find it extremely difficult to question these emphatic sentiments offered right across the media spectrum.

What is so breathtaking is that the apparent consensus on the ‘destruction or desecration of Old Park’ is a fraud. It is a distortion of the truth.

The truth was it was the old boundary parapet wall constructed in 2002 that was demolished and, not any single historical building of archaeological value as reported by the media. In fact I was told that the old ‘archaeological’ dilapidated parapet wall was taken down few years ago when the ‘LTTE’ was holding the political leadership, with the tacit approval of the Tamils. The wall now demolished was the replacement wall and not the ‘archaeological’ one as claimed in some media outlets.

The ‘Old Park’ became prominence by late eighties after the ‘LTTE’ started using it as a recruitment centre. Thereafter it was used by ‘LTTE’s Police Chief Nadesan. It was also used to house LTTE’s prisoners and used as their torture chambers. The archaeological heritage of the site was not recognised by anyone when it was threatened during that period. Those who were close to the ‘LTTE’ leadership did not even give a friendly advice against bringing the site as a legitimate war target. The much damage to the site was done during the period of war.

I have visited the old park first time only by the end of 2009 and, again now on hearing this news on the 29th of September and I couldn’t see any signs of destruction to any archaeological structures that had taken place during those intervening period of two years.

Inside the park near the entrance, an attracted bungalow for the government agent had already been built a few years ago. A short distance there is the residence of the Northern Province Governor. Besides, within the park premises, there is also a half constructed building. But I am told that neither any buildings nor any trees of archaeological value were destroyed or cut down for the construction of these structures and there were no reasons or evidence to doubt it. The dilapidated old Kachcheri buildings are still there including the tunnels and ponds. But some structures are beyond repair. I could see significant threats to the site such as vegetation, erosion and lack of maintenance. Those who now cry foul over the renovation of Old Park have ever thought about these physical conditions of this site?.

It is said that there are 40 or so identified archaeological sites in the north. Only few of them are considered as the Cultural heritage sites associating with the Tamils and the Old Park is not one of them. The Old Park is a national heritage and we should welcome the renovation program the government has embarked upon. We should welcome the modern and more attractive wall to the ‘Old Park’. We only need to ensure that proper account is taken of archaeological remains when developers plan a scheme. That is already assured by the Governor well before the demolition of the parapet wall started.

It is true that protection of sites deemed significant to our national heritage is important. But without commercial salvaging archaeological sites would be destroyed. Tourism promotes rather than damages, the archaeological sites. We should ask for what purpose the 27 acres of garden land in the old park is to be conserved and managed ?. Is it for research or excavation purposes; or for access by the public and interpretation to visitors; or for entertainment; or for commercial gain; or for what ?.

It is sickening to see that any development programmes in the north are shouted out and stopped to further the ‘Tamil cause’. Now more than ever, the journalists should be vary of repeating propaganda claims over the north and east. Less twisting of the facts and little more honesty would go a long way to reconciliation. The news organisations must ensure that they are worthy of the public trust.

– Rengan Devarajan, Jaffna

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