In Jaffna Indian Consul General in trouble over flowers

The Jaffna-based Indian Consul General would have never thought accepting a flower garland as an honour at a tree-planting campaign event could land him in controversy, at least till he saw the newspapers the following day.

Consul General Raakesh Natraj who himself is a former journalist was invited to a function last Sunday at Kittu Park in Jaffna by a local environmental advocacy organisation headed by former Provincial Environment Minister P.

Iynkaranesan. The tree-planting campaign began last Saturday to mark the week of remembrance or Maveerar Day, which was designated as Martyrs Day by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to commemorate fallen cadres. The park itself was named after a former notorious LTTE Commander of Jaffna.

At the event, everyone was welcomed at the entrance with the flower Karthikaipoo (Gloriosa Lily or Niyangala) given as an honour. Certain media institutions in the North and in the South portrayed his participation as support for the cause.

In Colombo, the Indian High Commission had to issue a statement to put a full stop to the controversy.

"The Consul General had attended this event upon invitation and such participation can in no way be associated with the organisers or their acts, outside the official programme, about which he had no prior information."