TRAGIC DEATH OF DAVID PONNIAH (98 Oct 21)
A young old boy of S. Thomas' College was stabbed to death last week, while participating at a religious and cultural function organised by the Hindu Society of the school. The society had invited students from the other schools for the function and two groups of students had clashed.David Ponniah, a son of a Vicar, who had left school only in the previous year had tried to calm the two groups. Unfortunately he had been knifed and had to be rushed to the Kalubowila hospital, where he died.
It is said that there had been problems even at the function held last year. A group of students from an invited school had wanted the National Anthem to be played in Tamil but the Hindu Society of S.Thomas' College had not acceded to the demand.
It could be that the antagonism had continued and some had come with knives, prepared for a fight and not for a religious function. In any case what transpires is how the younger generation of Tamils have been misled by their elders.Only a couple of years ago the National Anthem was played in Tamil at a function held in the Sri Lankan High Commission in Maldives.
The peace merchants who blame the Sinhala people for every thing and advise them to even to drop the "Elara Dutugemunu war" from the history books for the sake of peace, are silent about these incidents. If they are actually interested in peace they should be preaching these young Tamil students to give up their racist demands.