Politico remanded over teacher's harassment:

Victim's father speaks out

by Ananda Agalakada and Prasad Purnamal, Puttalam Correspondent

In the latest incident, a teacher was forced to kneel by a local politico, because the teacher reprimanded the politico’s daughter for wearing a short skirt to School.

A protest march organised by the staff of Nawodya Vidyalaya

The politico in quetion

The teacher, H.M. P. Susila Herath, 41 joined the teaching profession after obtaining a Degree. She joined the staff of Nawodya Vidyalaya in Nawagaththegama to teach Sinhala.

Herath had built a reputation over the years as being a committed and honest teacher. According to the students she was a strict disciplinarian. She was respected by students and staffers.

When the Sunday Observer contacted her, for her strict approach she refused to comment saying “I cannot tell anything to you. Can you protect me. There is no law in the country today” she lamented. These words expressed her fear. Reprisals by politico’s against people who antagonise them are often heard and these stories may have raised a fear about repercussions," a source said.

However, Susila’s father, H.M. Heenbanda when contacted said, "When I returned home after finishing my work for the day, I saw my daughter crying. I asked her the reason why she was crying. But she did not talk about it.

Later I got a phone call about an incident that had taken place where my daughter was the teacher involved in the incident and added that such incidents were not new and that the suspect politico was responsible for other similar incidents as well. He said on an earlier occasion too, the suspect politico and his goons had attacked two other members of his family. He said on both occasions they did not complain fearing repercussions.

H.M. Heenbanda said the suspect was known to harass people in the village and many people had suffered due to such acts.

Heenbanda said he wanted to expose this incident and bring it out in the open because it would help to avert such acts in the future. Heenbanda said he was determined to reveal everything even though he might face repercussions.

Later on at the behest of her father, the victim spoke of the humiliation she was subjected to. The teacher said “I am in-charge of discipline in the school.

I pay special attention to the wearing of the school uniform of students. Those who wear short uniforms were pulled up and I instructed class monitors to keep an eye on such incidents”

The teacher said that she was not aware that the girl she reprimanded in this instance was politico Sarath Kumara’s daughter.

She said she was not bothered about political affiliations and treated all children alike. The teacher said she believed the law should apply to all students equally.

Susila’s father H.M. Heenbanda

Meanwhile, the suspect politico's wife too had come to school earlier and scolded the teachers in bad language over the incident. “After a few minutes, the suspect politico had rushed into the school wielding a club and scolded me in obscene language”.

The intervention of other teachers saved me from physical assault. But he forced me to kneel down before them. Although I disagreed the teachers told me to kneel before him, without causing further trouble.

I knelt for a five minutes and I resisted because it was difficult for me. The PC Councillor forced me to kneel again at that time. He threatened me saying he would come to my house with three hundred people and demolish my house within a few minutes”.

Susila further told the Sunday Observer, that people did not give evidence against the politico as they feared the Councillor’s wrath.

Gunasena Banda, a resident living close to Nawodya Vidyalaya said that he heard the PS Councillor shouting inside the school premises and created a racket. Later he saw the teacher, kneeling. “When I reached the location, the suspect also threatened me not to help her”, he said.

Gunasena Banda further said that the PS Councillor was a nuisance. There was a karate class close by at the time of the incident. Many students were practising at that time and they went away. The karate master also just moved away from the scene. Later, Susila was admitted to the Nawagaththegama hospital after lodging a complaint with the police.

Police officers then took the suspect into custody while he was participating at the 'Deyata Kirula' exhibition. After he was arrested by police, the Vice Principal who had given an account of the incident to the police withdrew his affidavit fearing reprisals. he PS Councillor was produced before the acting Puttalam magistrate, Ranga Dissanayake and remanded. It was reported in the media that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had assured the safety of the victim and that action will be taken in this regard. Ananda Sarath Kumara the PC Councillor in question was expelled from the SLFP and barred from contesting any future elections. A disciplinary inquiry by the party has also been initiated.