We remember Yogendra Duraiswamy on his 23rd death anniversary this June 2022 as one who relentlessly worked for the economic development of the pre-war Jaffna and Kilinochchi Districts.
It was following a distinguished diplomatic career in the Ceylon Foreign Service that Yogendra Duraiswamy assumed duties as District Secretary of Jaffna in 1979. The distinguished international civil servant worshipped at the Nallur Temple and then paid homage at the Columbuthurai Ashram of Yoga Swami before taking up his duties.
As his friend Ranganathan recalled in his appreciation of his services, it was really hard work; “To my mind, the finest phase of his career was after he shed the metaphorical plumes and regalia of diplomatic life and became District Secretary and Government Agent at Jaffna. That period gave point and purpose to a life-long passion to serve his people.” (16th July 1999, Ceylon Daily News) It was ‘Sivathondu’ – Service to God.
Burning of Public Library
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) made a decision to contest the District Development Council (DDC) elections in 1981 and it was to contest for all the seven councils in the North and East. The largest council was the Jaffna Council where ten members were to be elected. Tamil militant youth were thoroughly disenchanted with the TULF and considered the decision on the part of the TULF as amounting to the betrayal of Amirthalingam’s promise at the 1977 elections to fight for Tamil’s independence. Youth perceived that the District-based devolution of power was unpromising and scarce.
DDC elections were to be held on June 4, 1981. In the Jaffna Secretariat, the officials were busy making preparation for the conduct of the polls and counting of ballots. Yogendra made sure that everything had been well planned and intended to announce the results of the Jaffna District earlier than the other districts. The TULF, the UNP, the SLFP and the Tamil Congress launched a vigorous campaign and on May 31, 1981, the TULF held a massive election rally near the Naachimaar Amman Temple in Jaffna. Police were deployed to provide security for the rally. In the frenzy of the rally, two unidentified gunmen shot at the police and fled the scene, killing three policemen. Two hundred police personnel present rioted and indiscriminately burnt shops, houses, cars and other commercial establishments. The reprisal attacks were the worst that the people of Jaffna had witnessed.
Yogendra returned home virtually exhausted after a turbulent day putting the final touches on the preparations for the forthcoming elections. He had informed Colombo of the killings near the Naachimaar Temple. More and more adverse developments began to emerge. The most negative among them was the news that enraged policemen had burnt down the Jaffna Public Library with all its invaluable collection of manuscripts and publications on Hindu civilisation, Tamil culture and its several thousands of rare manuscripts and out-of-date first editions. The Jaffna Library was one of the leading repositories of knowledge in South Asia. The burning of the library, which marked a seminal trajectory in the history of Tamil armed struggle, lasted the entire night. Yogendra rushed into the burning city at 10.00 p.m. and requested the Navy base in Karainagar and the Municipality for bowsers of water to extinguish the fire. The city was virtually deserted and he found that the Municipal Office was closed and the water tower locked. Although the Navy’s bowser arrived at the scene, its capacity was inadequate to douse the roaring fire.
As Yogendra stood transfixed seeing the burning library with a vacant gaze, a lone Tamil policeman came up to him and said, “Aiyah please do not stay here because I am not sure what the police will do to you. Please leave,” he urged. Yogendra kept saying “What security is there for life and property when the custodians of the law behave in such a manner.” That fateful day, Yogendra returned home at 4. a.m. On recalling the ordeal a few days after, he realised that his life was, indeed, in danger. No one had dared to come out that night. Despite political rhetoric, none of the TULF politicians were present. Yogendra stood all alone that night trying to douse the flames.
District Council polls
The District Development Council elections were held in Jaffna in the same week that the Jaffna Library was burnt. The DDC elections were J.R. Jayewardene’s model of devolution. The elections were held in a chaotic environment and the Government rejected the Jaffna Secretary’s arrangements and removed the officers designated for duty. They were replaced with complete strangers who were from the south from diverse parts of the country. Yogendra came under the pressure and influence of ministers Gamini Dissanayake and Cyril Mathew. They insisted that the presiding officers be changed and when he refused their request, President Jayewardene called and threatened him, ‘your head would roll, Duraiswamy unless you change the designated officers’. (My Diplomat)
The election was held in a chaotic situation and rigged. Ballot boxes were misplaced and several polling centres ceased to function. Counting was not conducted at some polling booths. Kumar Ponnambalam of the Tamil Congress, Chelliah Kumarasuriyar of the SLFP and Amirthalingam and Sivasithamparam of the TULF complained that the election was flawed and rigged.
Due to the poll irregularities, Yogendra initially did not release the election results and brought the matter to President Jayewardene’s attention. However, the TULF knowing that it had won the election insisted that results be released immediately. Elections Commissioner Chandrananda de Silva instructed him in writing to declare the results. Accordingly, he declared the results and resigned from the post of District Secretary ending an eventful phase in his life.
Yogendra considered the burning of the Library as an indictment on the conscience of the nation. He fervently wished that the library be rebuilt and would lobby diplomats for obtaining new books and tracing documents which may have earlier been microfilmed. He was appointed a member of the Jaffna Public Library Committee for the reconstruction of the Library. At the inaugural meeting convened by President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Yogendra as Head of the Committee on Fund Raising stated in his Introductory Address -
“Sixteen years ago I had the misfortune to witness the Jaffna Public Library go up in flames. Despite the efforts by a few of us, we were unable to extinguish the fire. Today I am indeed happy to participate in a function, under the distinguished patronage of the President to formally inaugurate the reconstruction of the Jaffna Public Library on the same spot on a bigger and better scale.
