by Namini Wijedasa
The academic staff of Hartley College (HC) and Methodist Girls School, Point Pedro, demonstrated last week against the brutal assault on HC principal, M. Sripathy, while human rights activists and non-governmental organisations joined them in condemning the attack and calling for his security.

Sripathy, who was taken to a cemetery and beaten up with clubs on the night of September 21, is still in hospital. He suffered severe head injuries and a broken nose among other wounds. He was assaulted by a gang strongly believed to have close links with the LTTE.

The principal reportedly raised the LTTE’s ire over certain remarks he recently made commending the army’s restraint when school children and civilians stormed the Point Pedro army camp on September 2. He is known to have condemned attempts to provoke school children against the army and has also participated in meetings held with security chiefs.

"We call on the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission to investigate the allegations of LTTE involvement in the attack on Mr. Sripathy in context of the prevailing climate of fear and tension at Hartley College," says 82 Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala signatories of a joint statement denouncing the assault.

"The signatories of this statement welcome the peace process," it said. "Peace, however, is not merely the cessation of war. Peace is democracy. Peace is freedom. Peace is dissent."

"The people of the north and east have been trapped between two militaristic forces for too long," it stresses. "Violence, intolerance and brutality cannot be accepted whether in the name of ‘national security or ‘national liberation’."

Although Sripathy’s complaint was recorded by Point Pedro police the day after the violent attack, several Jaffna citizens speaking on condition of anonymity told the Sunday Island that he is now too scared to talk to anybody. He has reportedly been warned against speaking out or seeking redress for the wrongful act committed against him.

"We questioned two people whom he had named in his complaint," said ASP Dhorawaka Premaratne of Point Pedro Police. "But they didn’t admit to any involvement. They simply denied any knowledge of the incident. However, we are conducting further inquiries." The two men are the secretary of the HC Old Boy’s Union and a principal of another school who has been seeking a transfer to HC.

"We are very concerned about what happened and people are also angry," ASP Premaratne added. Sripathy’s daughters (who had been in the house at the time of the incident) have told police that while they can’t name the perpetrators, they can identify two of the men who entered their house if brought before them. No progress has yet been made in locating these men.

Police say that between 15 to 20 people participated in the assault on the principal. They had come to his residence on the night of September 2 claiming to have a letter for him from the OBU secretary. When Sripathy went out, they assaulted him, prompting him to run back into the house and bar the door. His three daughters, wife, mother and seven visitors had also been at home.

Although the gang pounded on the door and insisted that he come out, Sripathy did not respond. Two gang members had then climbed down from a gap in the ceiling, had dragged him out of the house, blindfolded him and taken him to a nearby cemetery on a motorcycle. Others had followed in a van. These details have been recorded by police in Sripathy’s complaint.

At the cemetery, they had removed his blindfold and asked him whether he knew where he was. They threatened to kill him although he pleaded with them not to. The assault followed and it is believed that they left him for dead after he started bleeding. Sripathy subsequently staggered to the Point Pedro hospital and sought treatment. He was later treated at Jaffna hospital and is now at the Velvettithurai hospital.

The LTTE has been demanding the removal of army from the vicinity of Hartley College. Although the army vacated the school buildings, the school remains within what remains to be an army camp. Methodist Girls School is also inside.

The LTTE is known to be angry that the army does not permit them to enter the premises of either school. The army’s right to deny them entry is preserved in the cease-fire agreement.

Recently, the LTTE has been using school children, certain members of the OBU and civilians in a bid to oust the army.

"Hartley College has been the scene of growing tensions between the LTTE and school administrators," the joint statement said.

"While school administrators have tried to ensure that the school remains a zone of peace — a place free of either party to the conflict, where children’s rights are protected — the LTTE has reportedly been using the school as part of its campaign against the government for maintaining a high security zone near the school."