Elderly Tamil women question by ‘Terror Police’ for protesting against medicine short supply

Anjalidevi Navaratnarasa is a Human Rights Defender based in the East of the country. She had staged a protest two years ago (2022) when there was acute shortage of medicines in the country. For seeking to sort out the medicines shortage and ensure its uninterrupted supply she was summoned for inquiry twice this year (2024).

Hailing from Narayanapuram in Trincomalee, 60 years old Anjalidevi Navaratnarasa was questioned by the CTID Trincomalee branch was questioned for the second time on the 4^th of December from 10 AM to 12.30 PM, local journalists say.

She was summoned by the police without informing any specific reason by the CTID and Intelligence agencies. After questioning her for two and half hours, authorities present there said a statement was recorded from her about the protest she staged what they call ‘against the government’ citing a shortage of medicines in 2022. They also say she was summoned to record the statement.

Local journalists say a statement was earlier recorded from her on the 7^th of February 2024, during the regime of Ranil Wickremesinghe, by the CTID and the intelligence agencies.

When the CTID and Intelligence agencies questioned Anjalidevi Navaratnarasa about why she undersook such protests, she replied back saying her protest for the welfare of the people regarding shortage of medicines was similar to farmers protesting seeking to redress their grievances and other sections of the society taking forward protests. It was basically for people’s issues, she said according to local journalists.

Police and intel agencies in Trincomalee also questioned her based on her Passport number and personal details, in particular regarding her trip to Switzerland among her visits abroad.

She was also questioned about the Police Form 256 signed by the OIC on the 2nd of December, shared on social media platforms, through which she was summoned for inquiry by the CTID and intelligence agencies, asking her to report to them on the 4th of December.

Anjalidevi Navaratnarasa told the officers, that she had just shared it with her lawyer seeking advice, and she is not aware of how it was shared over social media platforms.

Officials say she may be summoned again in the next few days for recording further statements as part of the inquiries being taken forward by the CTID and the intelligence agencies.

Local journalists add that Anjalidevi Navaratnarasa was a former activist in an NGO and was at the forefront of women’s rights in the region.

By, SivaRamaKrushnan

Senior Journalist Former News Editor BBC Tamilosai And Human Rights Activist