Tamil Diplomat

Sri Lanka Police warn daughter of Annai Poopathy that she will be arrested if she remembers her mother

Sri Lankan police have warned Lokeswaran Shanthi, the eldest daughter of Annai Poopathy (Mother Poopathy) , that she will be arrested and jailed under the Prevention of Terrorism Act if she goes to  her tomb on Mother Bhupathi’s Memorial Day.

She stated this at a press conference held at the Press Club in Batticaloa today (Sunday).

Annai Poopathy was a mother of five from Kiran who fasted unto death in May 1988 in a protest against atrocities by the Indian army in the island’s Northeastern province.

Commenting on this Shanthi further said, “We have been celebrating our Mother’s Remembrance Day at the memorial in Nawaladi for more than three years.

The officer in charge of the Kattankudy police station said that if we go to our mother’s tomb and pay homage, we will be arrested.

It is a matter of concern that we are being denied permission to pay tribute to our mother where she was buried. This is not a political activity. Annai Poopathy is my mother and we commemorate her death. There is no terrorist activity in it.

My mother fought and died against the Indian Army through an organization called ‘Mothers Front’. She didn’t wage any armed  struggle. She demanded to withdraw Indian troops from the country.

We don’t do this  commemoration together with any  political party. Only our family members plan to visit there and pay our tribute.

It is a pity that we are not able to pay tribute at her tomb as Mother ‘s Day is being observed all over the world today, ” she said.