Deccan to launch int’l cargo flights

Deccan Aviation Lanka is looking at launching intentional logistics and cargo flights to the region and beyond this year. The airline hopes to lease out a suitable aircraft for this purpose.

Deccan Aviation Vice Chairman Suren Mirchandani, said that they are the first company to announce the launch of cargo flights based on the proposed Mattala International Airport. “One of the main reasons for this is that the airport is focusing 60 percent on cargo operation and we see great potential from Mattala,” he said. We also plan to launch cargo flights from the Colombo Airport as well.

The airline has announced firm plans to commence daily scheduled operations to Jaffna in 2012. “For this purpose, we are currently looking at purchasing a 12 to 14 seater commuter aircraft in a few months,” he said.

Domestic helicopter and aircraft operator, Deccan Aviation Lanka (DAL) also said that Millennium Aero has acquired a 48% shareholding in DAL held by Bangalore based Deccan Charters Ltd recently.

Singapore based Millennium Aero has acquired the entire equity interest of Deccan Charters and infused additional working capital into DAL.

When asked whether Deccan Lanka would rebrand, Mirchandani said, “There is no doubt that the airline has a strong brand presence in the corporate and travel industry, but the new shareholder group may look at rebranding in the medium term,” and did not comment when asked to reveal the growth plans of the company only saying “That would be giving away too much to our future competition, I can only say we intend to maintain and further cement our market leadership position.”

Deccan’s Sri Lanka venture was put together in 2004 by local investor Suren Mirchandani in partnership with Indian aviation mogul Captain Gopinath. Regarded in industry circles as a pioneer who played a key role in re-building the domestic airline sector, Mirchandani’s family holding company Favourite Investments will continue to have a significant equity stake in the venture.

Airline operates helicopters to all parts of the country and flies to all local airports. In addition to its own operations the airline maintains and provides services for a number of private aircraft owners. Widely acknowledged as the market leader, the airline has a strong pipeline of new business bolstered by the entry of Millennium Aero of Singapore.

The new board of the company comprises Chairman Kevin Pocock, Vice Chairman Suren Mirchandani, Harsha Amarasekara, Denham Schokman and Yeo Sock Hwa.

Walk from Dondra to Jaffna - a heartwarming event

A recent event that underlines the innate good nature of man was the great walk from Dondra in the South to Jaffna in the North covering a distance of 670kms to generate funds to build the Paediatrics Cancer Ward in the Jaffna General Hospital. The walk named Trail, a journey of 27 days was undertaken from July 1 to 27. The Trail was initiated by the Colours of Courage Trust, a nonprofit organization which from its inception in 2008 has dedicated itself to provide the infrastructure for the treatment of cancer in Sri Lanka, a noble task where early detection and care could save numerous lives.

A noteworthy feature of this walk was that numerous people, rich and poor, young and old, spontaneously supported the walk which symbolized a noble gesture providing relief to children in the North who are afflicted with cancer. Some walked a part of the distance to record their support for a noble venture. There were others contributing in cash or kind to raise the necessary funds for the Pediatric Ward.

The brains behind this noble exercise was Sarinda Unambowe, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a leading commercial organization who with the support of his friend and colleague, Nathan Sivagananathan, also the CEO of a successful business undertaking and Director of the Colours of Courage Trust, launched this most worthy project. The willing support and generosity of many others enabled the vision of Sarinda to be made a reality.

The walk captured the imagination of a vast cross-section of the people of this country. It yielded Rs 186 million up to early November 2011 but what was worthy of note is that it did not come from a few of the most affluent but from a large cross-section of the people.

From a Buddhist stand-point, it is significant that a majority of those who participated in this great effort were Buddhists indicating their adherence to those qualities emphasized in the Dhamma, namely, Metta and Karuna or goodwill and compassion towards all living beings without any discrimination. In this case, these qualities were generously extended to the Tamil people of Jaffna who have suffered most from the ravages of three decades of war. This endorses the contention of our beloved Foreign Minister, the late Lakshman Kadirgamar, who declared to the world that the Sinhala people and large are not racists.

It is unfortunate that this great event did not receive in adequate measure the publicity and recognition that it so richly deserve both at home and abroad. At a time that Sri Lanka is being severely criticized regarding Tamil civilians killed or wounded by the repulsing of terrorism, this noble event should have been highlighted to reveal the overall humane nature of our people.

It was heartwarming to observe the popular support for this great walk and its objectives from all walks of life. During the walk, it is reported that a man shirtless, emerged from a mud hut to put a few rupees to the trail till. Furthermore, schoolchildren from their savings gave whatever they could for this noble cause. Schoolchildren lined the streets to clap and wave at the walkers while school bands from numerous schools performed to encourage the walkers. The bands were also playing for the children in Jaffna and the North afflicted with cancer and to provide some entertainment so as to offer momentary relief for the walkers from their pain and agony.

Well-known cricketers, Mahela Jayawardena former Captain, Tilakaratne Dilshan present Captain and bowler Dilhara Fernando were among those who joined this walk, on certain days as support for the walk. Eighteen walkers covered the entire distance of 679 kms over 27 days without a break. With swollen and damaged feet, they were encouraged by the invaluable cause for which they had committed themselves. Sarinda's father, Stanley Unambocwe, at 79 years walked for 18 days with a short break in between.

We generally tend to look upon successful business magnates to be over-conscious of material gains and neglect social responsibilities, but these pioneers were of a different mould. They not only organized the walk but many of them walked the entire distance spanning 27 days and 670kms. Twenty six others achieved this feat with great discomfort for an outstanding cause.

The government has to be commended for taking decisive action to end terrorism that reigned in the island for three decades and the substantial economic development that is taking place today. However, there has been a sharp deterioration of moral and spiritual values, both in Sri Lanka and in many other countries, with the rise of the underworld, abundant violence and serious threats to life and property. Corruption has become the order of the day. It was earlier confined mainly to the public sector but now unfortunately it is penetrating the private sector as well. There is also the abuse of power by those in authority to the detriment of the welfare of the country and its people. Some are being harassed because of their views and actions when what is require is tolerance and patience as advocated in the Dhamma. The silence of religious leaders, including the Maha Sangha, in this sad situation is most disturbing.

In sharp contrast, we have the attitude of the King of Thailand in his dealings with the people.

When the army came to ensue that the Palace was safe and not adversely affected by the recent major floods in Bangkok his response was that there should be no special treatment for the Palace, but to assist the people who are suffering from the deluge. It is said that he has always wielded power and authority for the welfare of the people.

It is heartening to note that there are dedicated people ready to initiate projects or good causes and the general public willing to give a supporting hand when the cause is noble and the sincerity of the organizers are impeccable.

The recently concluded, walk, the Trail, was above all a triumph for the innate good nature of man. We salute the organisers and all those who participated and supported this noble event in whatever way they could in the true Buddhist spirit of Metta and Karuna - goodwill and compassion for all living beings without any discrimination. Let this walk be an inspiration to others to engage selflessly in good deeds of this nature.

Global warming, natural disasters, climate change and health
Other ways of reducing GW include less use of paper by encouraging communication on-line and re-cycling of paper. Re-cycling of garbage and production of biogas and fertilizer is another example of an environment friendly venture. Concept of minimalisation should be popularised so as to reduce the usage of fuel-powered personal items. As demonstrated in most Western countries and China, cycling should be encouraged by providing cycling lanes in urban areas. If public transport is improved, the need for the use of private motor vehicles would be reduced thereby consuming less fossil fuels. In Colombo, the results of terrible traffic jams during the rush hours is a good example of environmental pollution at it's worst, reduction of work-hours and wastage of personal finances.

Source:http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/12/26/fea02.asp

Why not sing Kolaveri Di in Jaffna Tamil?

It was less than 200 years ago that the title of “orator” or “navalar” was bestowed on Kandar Arumukam Pillai, by the grateful inhabitants of South India. Leaving his native Jaffna for a time, he had spearheaded a renaissance of the Tamil language and culture in South India preaching, printing and endowing educational institutions. Thus began a long history of Jaffna Tamil involvement in the renaissance of Tamil. Thamotharampillai, Winslow and Kanagasabai Pillai are but a few whose contribution to the Tamil renaissance that rushed through South India and Jaffna.[1]

Jaffna’s isolation from Sanskritic influence and its commitment to education has meant that it considers itself culturally superior to the natives of Tamil Nadu, it considers it language and culture purer and closer that of that Sangam ideal. Therefore it comes as no surprise that the blast of the trumpet against the now infamous  “Kolaveri” song should be so strong in Jaffna. The day before yesterday SJ Stalin released a fascinating response to the song, entitled “Yarlpanathilirunthu Kolaverida”, a rough translation would be “Dude, Bloodlust from Jaffna”.  Its essence is a celebration of Tamil language and culture, a deploration of the bastardisation of Tamil and chastisation of those who are ashamed of their Tamilness.

At first glance, the music video appears to be primarily targeted at Dhanush. His mix of English and Tamil in the Kolaveri song has proved immensely popular with over 30 million hits on Youtube. Stalin considers his song a war on the Tamil language and describes his attitude toward it as bloodlust. He wonders why Dhanush chooses to use English – he asks why Tamil is scarce in its heartland, Tamil Nadu. He seems to imply that if Tamil gave sufficient creative freedom for Kamban, Valluvar and Bharathi it should be enough for Dhanush. Stalin thinks that Dhanush doesn’t give Tamil the respect that it deserves. As an ancient language, one which Stalin describes as predating the creation of stones and sand, Tamil has a rich literature and culture and Dhanush appears to ignore this and consider Tamil lacking. This is brought out by the poignant contrast between the focus on the keyboard in Dhanush’s work as opposed to the harmonium, perceived to be a more indigenous instrument, in Stalin’s video.

From a political point of view, the vehemence with which Dhanush is attacked is notable. In India, Tamil feels more secure now that the policy of replacing English with Hindi, popular in the 1960s, is dead. In contrast, the Tamils of Ceylon, whose numbers have dwindled considerably as a result of the war and migration, now feel that their language and culture are under attack –  just as when the first missionaries arrived in Jaffna in the 1800s. The reaction, as then, is one of Tamil pride and yearning for the glory days of Dravidian power and culture – the Sangam period.

The politics does not end there. The opening scene highlights an official government signboard, at the entrance of Jaffna, which has Singhalese at the top and an indigenous signboard where Tamil is above Singhalese. This juxtaposition highlights the vulnerability of Tamil and the divergence of official and popular sentiments toward language policy in the North. The continuous flow of buses from the South into Jaffna must demonstrate a concern with the increasing settlement of people from the South (read Singhalese). The police board in the corner (again Singhalese top, Tamil bottom) takes the mind down an associative track that ends in colonisation and cantonments. Another associative track is set in motion by the constant reference to bloodlust, intermingled with references to Ahimsa (non-violence) and revolutionary zeal – we all know where it leads.

It also highlights the threat to Tamil from within. After years of persecution some Tamils have chosen to hide or disassociate from their Tamil identities – especially in the metropolis of Colombo. The victory of the Sri Lankan Army, and the present occupation of sorts constantly reminds Tamils that they are second-class citizens. Stalin’s video is an exhortation for Tamil’s to embrace their culture; hence his parting cry to the Tamil is, “keep your head high”.

Why this bloodlust toward my Tamil language?
My tamil language, my mother tongue
Beautiful tongue, poor thing dude

Tamil, before the creation of sand and stones, dude
If you are a Tamil, you need have a little self respect dude

In the Tamil heartland
Where Tamil is praised
Why is Tamil scarce?
Listen, Tamil who abandons Tamil
Who accepts medals

Kamban’s lines
Valluvar’s sayings
Bharathi’s poems, where?
From birth
To maturity singing
Where has Tamil’s pride gone?

Why this bloodlust toward my Tamil language, dude?
Tamil, my mother tongue, sublime language, poor thing dude

Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi all asked us to listen to the call of Ahimsa, listen.

Studying Tamil’s richness will abate your bloodlust, try!
In the company of the Tamil who one an Oscar [2]
Who accepted his honour in Tamil [3]
The Revoulutionary Poet
Who sang in the beautiful tongue
Mixed his life with Tamil!

Make Tamil live, no let it live
My soul still won’t support me
You who call your self Tamil, hold your head high
Only that will do

All who have toiled for Tamil
Stood amidst lost opportunities
He who left Tamil and lived
Calls himself an artist
Anyone who creates for money
Isn’t a true artist
If he’s one who relishes whatever he is given
He isn’t a connoisseur
Why this blood lust to towards my Tamil language, dude
Tamil, my mother tongue, sublime language, poor thing dude

Jaffna that place noted for its classical Tamil,
Tamil, your duty is to protect our Tamil mother-tongue

Source:http://groundviews.org/2012/01/03/why-not-sing-kolaveri-di-in-jaffna-tamil/

From the Northern scars to the Arts

By Shanika Sriyananda

Lara with her team

It is all about a new life in the Wanni. The sun shone brightly while people were rebuilding their lives. It is above his school that birds fly freely where there are no thundering explosions of deadly bombs or shooting to force them into hiding. Children are back in schools, which were abandoned for many years.This is how 10-year-old Pandiyan of Mallavi Tamil Maha Vidyalaya put his feelings about peace in his drawing displayed at a unique exhibition held in Colombo recently.
“We are happy as there is no fighting anymore. We can play and study unlike those days”, Pandiyan, who said he ran away with his parents a few years back to save their lives said.
He ended up at a welfare centre for displaced people, the little boy had no hopes of ever going back to school.
“During the conflict some of my friends got killed and some were wounded. We always lived in fear and my parents had to hide us as LTTE terrorists were trying to snatch us and use us to fight”, Pandiyan recalled the days between death and life.It is a surprise for the boy to reach Colombo and enjoy life in Colombo for two days.
“I am happy to learn about collage which I didn’t know earlier. “I want to do more paintings and continue learning”, he said. Pandiyan dreams of becoming a doctor, someday. P. Janani, S. Priyatharshani and J. Sanusan are grade seven students of Mallavi Tamil Maha Vidyalaya and over 200 students displayed their artistic talents in art and photography at an exhibition by the Cartwheel Initiative of New York, USA.
The team consists of artists and professionals, much respected in their fields. They conducted easy-to-learn, hands-on photography, visual art and music workshops over a period of 10 days for three schools in the Vavuniya, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts.

Patricia A. Butenis, US Ambassador “I want to do more paintings and continue learning”, Pandiyan said

Introducing the children to new coping tools, provide each child with a voice to their emotions to help restore their self-confidence, renew their sense of potential for the future, and reinvigorate their joy for living in post-conflict Sri Lanka to support them with ultimately transcending the physical and emotional impact of conflict through understanding, adjusting and healing.
The Cartwheel Trust whose Trustees are Afghar Mohideen and Praveen Dassenaike of United Holidays, Sri Lanka and Ashok Sinha from the USA, has collaborated with Manori Unambuwe who has been promoting psychosocial activities and social integration projects in the North to bring a team of eight artists and educators from the US to conduct easy-to-learn, hands-on photography, visual art, collage making and music workshops.
These workshops took place in three psychosocial centres named ‘Happiness Centres’ established in several schools in Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi Districts in northern Sri Lanka. The chosen schools were Mallavi Central College, Mallavi, Pandiyankulam GTMS in Thunukkai and Poonekary Maha Vidyalam in Pooneryn. These Happiness Centres recognise the importance of the arts as a therapeutic medium for children to readjust and rebuild their lives in a post-conflict environment.The project is being enthusiastically supported by the Zonal Education offices and the Sri Lanka Army who is actively engaged at grassroots level rehabilitation and development activities and recognises the benefits from psychosocial activities as integral to lasting peace.“
My hope was that the children will be able to see their world differently through their art, whether it be the lens of a camera or the strokes of a paint brush. When I conceived this project, I didn’t know what to expect, although, I was confident that we could unleash the hidden potential of these children if they were given a chance.
We don’t expect to change their world over a course of a few days, all we want to do is to show the world that like any other child, these children also have the potential to make great things happen,” Ashok Sinha,Co-founder of Cartwheel Initiative said.
Ashok, who has worked in more than thirty countries on various freelance assignments, said as one child in a workshop at Mallavi aptly put “We want others to know that growing up in the Wanni has its own inherent hardships, especially because of the war, however, we want to learn and we want to succeed, and despite all the hardships we face everyday, we come to school, attend class and want to succeed in life. We want to erase memories of the horrors of war and create new ones... seeing the world through art is different from the world we see every day with our eyes - our hope is that we can look forward to the positive things in life and look forward rather than look back in the past.”

Ashok Sinha	Manori

A select group of 60 children and accompanying teachers travelled to Colombo for two-days and took part to exhibit their hidden skills in art and photography were put on display. Lara J. Kisielewska, who has a degree in Graphic Communications Management and Technology at New York University and working toward a masters’ degree in Magazine Publication Management, who taught Collage art said they were not aware of the technique until they take part in the Collage workshop.”Lots of students were interested in painting but didn’t know about this form as they have not done it before. We did lots of painting techniques which they never painted before. We used tooth brushes or charcoal and it’s interesting for them to let think differently. When they finished it, we cut the painting and made into collage. At the beginning they didn’t want to cut their paintings as they love them”, she said.Lara said the kids in her group learned the technique well and she was really stunted by their products.Ashok, an award winning photographer who won several awards including the BBC award, while touring around Sri Lanka was amazed by the stunning natural beauty and also saw the impact of the prolonged conflict which ended two years back.
It immediately made him wonder about the children he encountered in the battle-scarred communities and the unthinkable trauma they must have gone through having witnessed the horrors of war first hand.He decided that there must be a way that he could use his creative talents to help these children.”I was in Sri Lanka last year and what I have saw during my visit to the North had an effect on me. I was always thinking what and how I could contribute something for these children. I see a different world through my camera and I decided to share my artistic skills with children so they might use them to see the world differently.
“The project gave them their lost childhood back a little bit and we wanted to teach them new skills and also some positive ideas”, Ashok said recalling how the children who for the first time saw a sophisticated camera rally around him and how they were surprised to see their images in the camera screen.
“We are leaving some cameras with the schools and we hope to have a dialogue with the children until we come back. There is a message from these children. ‘All of them want the world to hear that living in Wanni is not so easy.
With lives torn apart by the conflict they want the world to know that they are picking up with life slowly forgetting their bitter past.
They also want the world to know that there is beautiful place call Wanni in the North of Sri Lanka and children in that part of the world are standing on their own feet erasing the deadly and bitter memories that hurt them barely two and half years ago”, Ashok said.

Pix: Nissanka Wijeratne

 Source:http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2012/01/01/fea05.asp

Jaffna students shine in A/Ls

With the release of the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination results in Jaffna, ten students of Vembadi Girls College have reportedly obtained 3 As and secured the first place in order of merit in the Jaffna district.

Jaffna Hindu College ranks the second with nine students obtaining 3 As. In the Arts section, Sathiya Sothinathan of Vadamaradchy Hindu Girls College has obtained 3 As with 22798 Zscore marks. He ranks first in the Jaffna district.

Palaeolithic Period stone weapons found in Jaffna

Some stone weapons belonging to the Palaeolithic period have been unearthed in the Jaffna peninsula. This has also been assessed by Dr Shiran Deraniyagale, an expert on the pre-historic period, Deputy Archaeological Director Dr Nimal Perera told the Daily News.

"Evidence has been found pertaining to the Palaeolithic period in locations in South India, South Asia and Africa.

However, this is the first time in Sri Lanka's history that such objects have been found relating to the Palaeolithic period in the country," he said.

"These findings were made in Manikkai, close to Point Pedro in 1984. Nevertheless due to the 30 year war, excavation came to a halt making it impossible to unearth any evidence. "Under the excavation project of Kantharodei, a combined project was launched by the Archaeological Department and the Jaffna University. Prof Krishna Raja of the Jaffna University found the stone weapons from the Jaffna peninsula," the deputy director said.

Dr Perera said he inspected these weapons which were brought to Colombo and shown to Dr Deraniyagala who confirmed that the stone weapons belonged to the Palaeolithic period.

He said there are four ancient and important historic towns in Sri Lanka. "They are Anuradhapura, Tissamaharama, Mathota and Jaffna. No pre- historic evidence was found in Jaffna upto now. The department has begun excavations in the area now," he said.

Source:http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/10/03/news11.asp

SLT launches Rs. 5 bn investment upgrading ICT in Jaffna

In a significant boost to the Northern region, Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) rolled out the first phase of the i-Sri Lanka initiative in Jaffna last week to enhance broadband penetration and empower the nation to become the research and development hub in South Asia through cutting edge technology and industry innovations.

The objective of this network modernization project, which is expected to be completed in 2013 under a five billion rupee investment, is to dismantle all technological barriers, bridge the digital divide and make information and entertainment services accessible to people across the country.

The key focus of i-Sri Lanka is to revolutionize broadband access island-wide by upgrading the existing copper based access network with fibre optics. This will enable customers to enjoy consistent, uninterrupted high-speed internet services delivered on the network, up to high speeds up to 20 Mega Bytes Per Second (Mbps) and more.

Described as the largest Information and Communications Technology (ICT) project Jaffna, the launch coincided with the opening of the modern SLT Regional Telecommunication Office and Maintenance Centre.

"In line with the vision of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to make Sri Lanka ICT enabled and take modern technology to the grass-root level, this project is a dream come true for the people of the North", says Douglas Devananda, Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Development.

This innovative concept create more job opportunities, improve living standards and transform lifestyles through social developments, he underscored. "As a whole, it will contribute towards Sri Lanka’s economic progress".

"This network transformation could have been launched in Colombo or in the President’s constituency of Hambantota or in my electoral district of Kegalle, but the government opted for Jaffna to boost ongoing development initiatives", said Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Minister of Telecommunications and Information Development.

The government’s goal is to enhance ICT literacy from 30% to 75% in 2016 and also create 100,000 new jobs in this vital sphere during this timeframe, he noted. "This is top priority in our agenda".

The superior service offered by SLT via iSri Lanka and the improved Information Technology (IT) services will present an opportunity for the country to earn over a billion dollars through exports by 2016, Siyambalapitiya continued.

The Minister said this project will also facilitate setting up IT centres in all villages in the North – a big technological boost to the region. "It will also help the country to transact online business with the international community".

The launch of iSri Lanka is an important milestone to SLT, the ICT industry and the country as a whole, said Nimal Welgama, Chairman, SLT.

He said that SLT is inspired by a vision to connect all Sri Lankans seamlessly with world class information, communication and entertainment services across the country. The company’s’ new brand proposition - ‘One Country. One Voice’ - epitomizes the infinite value that the brand adds to the lives of Sri Lankans both here and abroad.

After three decades of war, the Northern region is now developing swiftly", he stressed. "This is one of the future growth areas of Sri Lanka which will contribute significantly towards economic development".

The iSri Lanka project will open up a "world of opportunities at their fingertips" as the an ideal platform for private business networking, interactive entertainment, distance learning, online education and e-health at superior speed, high quality and reliability, as never experienced before, the Chairman said.

The same technology that connects the entire country to the global community also provides the foundation that will serve telecommunications in Sri Lanka for the next decade, Welgama noted. "Sri Lanka wants to be future ready".

"With the end of the war, we seized the opportunity to extend our fibre optic cable project to connect Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Jaffna along the A9 main road. This was commissioned late 2010", said Greg Young, CEO, SLT.

He said that through i-Sri Lanka, Jaffna, Manipay, Sitthankerny, Chunnakam, Kopay, Chavakachcheri and Nelliady areas have already been connected to the SLT Broadband network through optical fiber connectivity.

Quoting research by the World Bank, the CEO said a country’s broadband growth rate and its Gross Domestic Production (GDP) are directly connected. Accordingly, there is a link between country’s broadband service growth of 10% and an increase in a country’s GDP of 1.38%.

"At present, the GDP of Sri Lanka is 4,825 billion rupees. The increase in broadband penetration will have a direct impact on economic growth in the country", Young assured.

He pointed out that in developed countries, 22% of the population use fixed broadband services, but in comparison, the percentage with broadband access in Sri Lanka still remains minimal.

Amongst those present were Mrs. Emelda Sukumar, Jaffna Government Agent, Nimal Athukorala, Secretary, Telecom Ministry, J. Blatt, Board of Director, SLT, Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, Commander Security Forces, Jaffna, Rear Admiral R. C. M. Wijegunaratne, Northern Naval Area Commander, Brigadier R. P. De Z. Wickramaratne, General Officer Commanding, 51 Division, Group Captain Athula Kaluarachchi, Commanding Officer, Palaly, N. Padmadeva, Senior Superintendent of Police, Jaffna and A. Kirupakaran, Regional Head, SLT.`

Source:http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=35442