A commemoration marking the 45th anniversary of the burning of the Jaffna Public Library was held there today, to remember its destruction by Sri Lanka's security forces and state-backed mobs.
On May 31, 1981, the library was set ablaze destroying over 97,000 unique and Tamil palm leaves (ola), manuscripts, parchments, books, magazines and newspapers.
Some texts that were kept in the library, such as the Yalpanam Vaipavamalai (a history of Jaffna), were literally irreplaceable, being the only copies in existence.
The event also commemorated the library’s founder, Mr. Chellappa, and Reverend Father David, who died from the shock of the tragedy.
Attendees included Jaffna Municipal Council Commissioner D. C. Aravindaraj, Jaffna Municipal Council Deputy Mayor E. Thayalan, Public Library Chief Librarian Anusiya Sivakaran, Jaffna Municipal Council Member J. Mayuran, library staff and users.
