Following backlash, ‘Jaffna’ restored in India-built Cultural Centre’s name in northern Sri Lanka

Indian High Commission renames Jaffna Cultural Centre to Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre, sparking controversy in Sri Lanka's Jaffna.

A strong backlash from politicians and intellectuals in Jaffna, over the renaming the India-built Jaffna Cultural Centre as Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre, has prompted Indian authorities to put up yet another name board, now calling the facility “Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre”.  

On January 18, the Indian High Commission announced the renaming of the Jaffna Cultural Centre as ‘Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre’, “in honour of the great Tamil poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar”.  High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Hiniduma Sunil Senevi jointly unveiled the new name at a special event held in Jaffna.

Following the ceremony, which coincided with Pongal celebrations marked by Tamils that week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar posted on social media platform ‘X’, welcoming the renaming. Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi termed it “another milestone” in Mr. Modi’s “continued efforts to celebrate and propagate the pride of Tamil language and culture worldwide”.  

PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the Jaffna Cultural Centre in 2015, while marking an Indian Premier’s maiden visit to Sri Lanka’s northern Jaffna city. The Cultural Centre was built with a $ 12 million-grant from India. Following its construction, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar virtually inaugurated the building during his visit to Colombo in 2022. It was dedicated to the people of Jaffna in February 2023, in the presence of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The 11-floor structure has been promoted as a state-of-the-art facility, with a 600-seating capacity auditorium, a conference hall, an amphitheatre and a digital library.  It was constructed on land belonging to the Jaffna Municipal Council , near the iconic Jaffna Public Library.

Amid concerns over the municipality lacking funds to run the facility, India offered additional financial and administrative support for five years. The Centre has been periodically hosting shows of local artistes, as well as cultural performances and talk shows of artistes and scholars from India. All this while, New Delhi has used the original name and its abbreviation “JCC” in its official statements.