Sigiriya scribbling; Mother pleads

The family of the 27-year old Tamil garment factory worker, who was sentenced to prison for two years by the Dambulla Magistrate’s Court for scribbling on the Sigiriya ‘Mirror’ wall urged authorities to reconsider the verdict and take steps to release her.

She is the oldest in our family of six and her father is dead.We don’t know what to do.

She is the oldest in our family of six and her father is dead.We don’t know what to do.All she had done was write her name.I know it is wrong, but does it justify a punishment such as this?”her mother asked

Sinnathambi Udayasri, a 27-year old resident of Batticaloa had visited the Sigiriya rock on February 14 with friends. While on her visit she had scribbled her name with a hair pin on the ' Katapath Pawura' (Mirror Wall) in Sigiriya. Thereafter, she was arrested and produced before the Dambulla Magistrate's Court, which found her guilty and sentenced to two years imprisonment on March 2.

The trial had concluded within a record time span of 2 weeks.

“She is the oldest in our family of six and her father is dead. We don't know what to do. All she had done was write her name. I know it is wrong, but does it justify a punishment such as this?" her mother asked. Udayasri is currently in the Anuradhapura Prison.

Speaking to our sister newspaper, the mother of six, of whom Udayasri is the oldest, said that she had brought her children up in the midst of extreme hardship. “The father of these children died when they were small and I raised them by making hoppers and rotti. This was her first time to Sigiriya and I don't think she was aware that she should not scribble. It is due to ignorance that this happened, she doesn't know the language and she was being ignorant," the mother said. “Everything has happened now, and all I can do is to beg for her freedom. Please save her for us. She has been sentenced for a crime that she didn't know of," the mother begged.

Visitors to Sigiriya have witnessed graffiti on the walls of the 'Ketapath Pawura', in many languages during the years, and efforts have been made to prevent the menace in order to protect the heritage sight.

The Department of Archaeology head office was not aware if the warning signs comprised the Tamil language, but when contacted by the Daily Mirror an official of the provincial branch of the department affirmed that the signs were in all three languages, including Tamil.