Press Freedom Day in Jaffna remembers journalists
[TamilNet, Friday, 04 May 2012, 16:26 GMT]The journalistic contribution of Sivaram Dharmeratnam (Taraki), especially his writings on the struggle of Eezham Tamils, were remembered by several speakers at a well-attended Press Freedom Day event held in Jaffna on Thursday. The event, organised by Nimalarajan Memorial Foundation (NMF), has also brought out a publication of cartoons by Mr Pious Raja, who passed away in Jaffna after experiencing the genocidal war and incarceration in Vanni. A speaker at the event urged the NMF to compile and translate Tamil articles by late Sivaram into English and vice versa, as his writings continue to be valuable to the Tamil cause. The NMF, in an exemplary way, took up the cause of Tamil female students of Vanni in the Jaffna Univeristy, as there have been several cases of suicides among them. Poverty, trauma and psychological stress have been identified as the factors behind the tragic trend.
Gayatri Pious Raja, the wife of Cartoonist Pious and their son lighting the memorial torch
Slain Uthayan journalist Selvarasa Rajivarman's mother lighting the memorial torch
V Thevaraj, the editor of Virakesari weekly edition, addressing the audience the current trends in contemporary Tamil media
R. Thayaparan of NMF
Sub editor of Jaffna Thinakkural A Sabeswaran
Jaffna University lecturer in law and civil activist Mr Guruparan Kumaravadivel
Rev Fr Rooban Mariyampillai giving a speech on the role of social media in modern journalism
Rev Fr Anton of Church of South India gifts funds to slain journalist Rajiwarman's brother for self-employment
Wimal Swmanithan, a lecturer in the field of linguistics, hands over NMFs fund to a university student
Editor of Virakesari, V. Thevaraj hands over NMFs fund to a university student
Nakaranjani Aiyngaran, the chairperson Valikaamam South PS gifting her one month salary to the education of poverty affected students from Vanni at the university of Jaffna
N. Ponraja
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