“Sri Lanka Customs in Jaffna has refused to release copies of Thoarai, a Tamil novel by the writer Yatharthan, pending approval from the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Government Information, in the latest case of Tamil books being held by the state.
Yatharthan, whose real name is Piratheep Kunaradnam, went to the customs division at the Jaffna Post Office on Thursday to collect 32 copies of the novel, published by Kalachuvadu in Tamil Nadu, which had been ordered by readers in Sri Lanka, JDS reported.
In an account published on his website, the author said customs staff opened the package and searched the book for particular words, flagging terms such as “field bike” and “army man”. A Tamil officer was then called in, and the officials told him the books could only be released with approval from the Ministry of Defence.
He said he told them the novel contained nothing that incited ethnic hatred or promoted armed groups, and offered to wait while they read a few chapters, but the officials did not engage. They said two copies would be sent to the Ministry of Defence, which they said rarely responds, and suggested he travel to Colombo himself to pursue it..”
Tamil guardian
Full link of the article : Sri Lanka blocks Tamil novel and demands Defence Ministry approval
