Uthayan
Encyclopedia
Uthayan is a Tamil
newspaper published in Jaffna
, Sri Lanka
. It was founded in 1985 and has been the single voice of the people of the Jaffna since 1996.
Uthayan is the only publication which has not ceased publication due to the Sri Lankan Civil War
, and during the war, was the only Tamil language paper published in Jaffna.
The newspaper has been attacked several times in the previous years and journalists and other staff were killed by Paramilitary and other forces.
The International Federation of Journalists with the collaboration of five Journalists Associations in Sri Lanka honoured Uthayan with Public Service and Tolerance Journalism Award on 24th October 2008 for Uthayan’s courageous service of the people amidst threats and pressures.
The international Press Freedom Mission to Sri Lanka in its fact finding mission report dated August 2007 says Uthayan is a heroic paper.
It goes on to say - "This paper, Jaffna’s most popular Tamil daily has paid a heavy price for doing its job since it was founded in November 1985. Its offices were bombed in the 1980s and 1990.Its staff have been threatened by several Tamil armed groups."
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
newspaper published in Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. It was founded in 1985 and has been the single voice of the people of the Jaffna since 1996.
Uthayan is the only publication which has not ceased publication due to the Sri Lankan Civil War
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
, and during the war, was the only Tamil language paper published in Jaffna.
The newspaper has been attacked several times in the previous years and journalists and other staff were killed by Paramilitary and other forces.
Attack on Uthayan
The worst incident took place on May 2nd 2006, a day before the World Press Freedom day. In that incident alone two Uthayan employees were killed and two wounded. The wounded are now permanently maimed. On that day a gang of politically motivated gunmen intruded into Uthayan office at 8.00 pm and called for the chief reporter and opened fire at random causing deaths, injuries and damage to properties.Awards
Uthayan was awarded the prestigious Editors Guild Award for 1998 for courageous journalism.The International Federation of Journalists with the collaboration of five Journalists Associations in Sri Lanka honoured Uthayan with Public Service and Tolerance Journalism Award on 24th October 2008 for Uthayan’s courageous service of the people amidst threats and pressures.
The international Press Freedom Mission to Sri Lanka in its fact finding mission report dated August 2007 says Uthayan is a heroic paper.
It goes on to say - "This paper, Jaffna’s most popular Tamil daily has paid a heavy price for doing its job since it was founded in November 1985. Its offices were bombed in the 1980s and 1990.Its staff have been threatened by several Tamil armed groups."