தேடினேன், தட்டாத கதவில்லை, காணவில்லையே, கண்ணீர்க் கதை

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Maravanpulavu K. Sachithananthan

Missing person: Annalingam அன்னலிங்கம்

annali

Name of father: Sinnavan Ramanathan சின்னவன் இராமநாதன்
Name of mother: Alvappillai Ratnapoopathy ஆள்வாப்பிள்ளை இரத்தினபூபதி
Date of birth: 21st January 1969
Identity Card 690213206V
Birth Certificate number 3589

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Occurrence in brief:

Missing from: 19 July 1996. At about 0830 hours in the morning, Annalingam, (a fishermen and a toddy tapper) was baby-keeping his 7 month old third son. His older son and daughter were playing with the tiny tot, while his wife Jeyakala was cooking breakfast. Neighbours were talking about a round up in the area by the army. Jeyakala heard that men from eastern Maravanpulavu were taken away in the morning by the army. Army came to the house of Annalingam through the front gate as well from the backyard fencing. Intruding army men instructed all in the family to march towards A32 highway, to a place called the Banyan tree (Aaladi). Jeyakala protested saying that a nursing babe-in-arms was in the family and they cannot move out all of a sudden. Army instructed Annalingam to hand over the baby to Jeyakala and move. Prisanthini, the daughter went to hug her father and wouldn’t leave him. Both went together to Aaladi. Jeyakala could not with stand the ordeal. Leaving the kitchen with half-cooked food, Jeyakala went with her husband carrying the baby, followed by her son. Neighbours, most of them relatives of Annalingam were also instructed to march. Annalingam, Jeyakala and the two children walked for about 1.5 km through the paddy fields to reach Aaladi at about 1100 hours. It was hot sun. All were asked to sit in the open paddy fields. There was a crowd of more than 300 persons. Men from the army and navy were there with 2 to 3 long trucks. There were police personnel, both men and women, from the Kopay police station. Grama Sevaka Officer J/298 of Maravanpulavu was among the crowd having been part of the roundup. Army asked them to gender-segregate. Pirasanthini was hugging her father Annalingam until forced to join Jeyakala. Females were asked to line up for screening. Women moved in a row towards west. Few young women in the row were taken into custody. Jeyalalitha daughter of Poopalasingham was one of them. Jeyakala saw Jayalalitha being isolated for detention. Annalingan was in the men’s row proceeding towards north for screening. While being screened Annalingam was isolated and pushed into a waiting army truck along with men of his age group. Jeyakala, Vasanthakumar, and Pirasanthini saw Annalingam being pushed to be loaded into a truck. Jeyakala and the children rushed towards the truck. Army, navy and police personnel used mild force to chase away all persons rushing towards the truck, for a distance of about 500 m. south. Crowd retreated before making another abortive attempt to go near the truck. Army men became harsher and threatened the surging crowd. At about 1500 hours the army convoy with detained persons in the trucks headed towards west. The crowd ran behind the truck. The crowd could not keep pace. Jeyakala with her 3 kids walked back 1.5 km to her home. She fed the children. Jeyakala with babe in arms rode on a pillion in the bicycle pedaled by Sinnavan, father of Jeyakala following the convoy at a protectable distance to Navatkuli. Jeyakala reached the mound on A32 highway across which she was prevented from proceeding. Jeyakala cried. Many women in the crowd howled. Jeyakala shouted that her husband Annalingam was an innocent man attending to the family, working for a merger income. Jeyakala told the army that she had a babe-in-arms. Army men did not care. They baton-charged Jeyakala while her baby cried. Jeyakala would not give up. Her loved one, her care-taker, her bread winner, her protector, her life partner was within a stone throw distance. Since the army announced a curfew, Jeyakala came back home with the babe-in-arms on pillion of her cycling father Sinnavan. Pirasanthini had a restless night. Thoughts about her father haunted her. She loved him most. So Jeyakala took Pirasanthini and the babe-in-arms at the wee hours of the morning, next day the 20th to Navatkuli. Jeyakala took with her a photograph of Annalingam. Army had blocked the road. Jeyakala sat with others on the road. Army men told the crowd that the detainees would be released after inquiry. Thirst choking, hunger burning, sun scorching, road gravel pricking, Jeyakala and the children ungrudgingly sat awaiting the release. With no light at the end of the tunnel, depleted, deprived, grieved with the feeling of prolonged separation haunting, Jeyakala returned home around 1500 hours. On Sunday the 21st the ordeal for Jeyakala remained the same. She was there in the wee hours of the morning with her two kids. She feigned that she was sick, her children were sick and managed to obtain a pass to cross the blockade and go towards Navatkuli junction. Walking westwards, climbing down the mound, she looked at the partially damaged building on her right. Pirasanthini screamed. She shouted “Appa”. She had identified her father standing blindfolded and handcuffed in the verandah. Jeyakala saw her husband. She shouted. She hailed. Army men came and chased her. There were many men handcuffed and blindfolded along with Annalingam. Jeyakala and the children strayed around the area and returned along the same route. Eyes of Jeyakala and Pirasanthini were wide open, fixed to their left. They were searching for their beloved Annalingam. Alas! None were in the building. However the crowd continued to wait on the road. They waited till dusk and later returned to their homes empty handed. On Monday Jeyakala with babe-in-arms went to the office of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to formalize the record of missing Annalingam.

Documents
Marriage certificate of Annalingam and Jeyakala married on 5th February 1990
Report on the enforced or involuntary disappearance of a person (undated)
Letter to the Government Agent, Jaffna 24th July 1996
Letter to Inspector of Police, Kopay dated 14th September 1996
Letter to HE President of Sri Lanka dated 14th November 1996
Letter from Major General Janaka Perera HQ 51st Division dated 30th November 1996
Letter from the Senior Supdt. Of Police, Jaffna dated 5th January 1997
Letter from Ministry of Defense dated 9th January 1997
Letter from the Additional Government Agent dated 13th January 1997
Letter from Chavakachcheri Palm Development Cooperative Society Ltd. Dated 19th January 1997
Letter from the Additional Government Agent dated 10th April 1997
Letter from Ministry of Defense dated 9th May 1997
Letter by Jeyakala to the Ministry of Defense dated 31st May 1997
Letter from Ministry of Defense dated 28th June 1997
Letter from the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) dated 4th August 1997
Letter from Ann Revcclier dated 4th August 1997
Letter from the Government Agent dated 10th December 1997
Letter from Divisional Secretary Thenmaradchy dated 24th December 1997
Letter from Divisional Secretary Thenmaradchy dated 10th November 1998
Registration with Northern Province Guardian Association for persons arrested and disappeared (undated)
Registration with Jaffna District association for arrested and disappeared persons (undated)
Affidavit by Jeyakala dated 7th March 1999
Letter from Ministry of Defense dated 11th November 1999
Letter from Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka dated 30th December 2002
Letter from Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka dated 12th January 2003
Letter from Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka dated 12th June 2003
Affidavit by Jeyakala dated 6th August 2003
Summons from Magistrate Courts, Chavakachcheri dated 6th January 2004
Letter from Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka dated 26th September 2005
Letter from the Presidential Commission to investigate into complints regarding missing persons dated 24th October 2013
Letter from the Presidential Commission to investigate into complints regarding missing persons dated 30th January 2014
Interim Releif to be provided to
Wife Jeyakala Annalingam nee Sinnavan ID 688541930V Phone 0771334238
Son Vasanthakumar aged 25 years
Daughter Pirasanthini aged 22 years
Son Thatheeskumaran aged 20 years
All of Maravanpulavu West, Chavakachcheri, Jaffna District, Sri Lanka.

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