By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “The Speaker represents the House. He/she represents the dignity of the House, the freedom of the House and because the House represents the nation, in a particular way, the Speaker becomes a symbol of nation’s freedom and liberty. Therefore that should be an honoured position, a free position and should be occupied always …

Continue reading ‘Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s Heroic Defiance of Maithripala and Mahinda’ »

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Machiavelli is the only political thinker whose name has come into common use for designating a kind of politics, which exists and will continue to exist independently of his influence, a politics guided exclusively by considerations of expediency, which uses all means, fair or foul, iron or poison, for achieving its ends – …

Continue reading ‘Machiavellian Manipulation by Maithripala To Replace Ranil With Mahinda 👑’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The continuing political crisis in Sri Lanka has resulted in a great numbers game being played now. The aim of the game is to gain majority support among members of Parliament. Both Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as well as the purported Prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who was appointed amidst controversial circumstances by President …

Continue reading ‘The No Holds Barred Game Of “Grabbing” Sri Lankan Members of Parliament 💰’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Ranil Wickremesinghe is Green! Mahinda Rajapaksa is Blue! President Maithripala Sirisena, Which Political Colour Are You? Former British prime minister and renowned statesman Sir Winston Churchill in a memorable radio speech over the BBC in 1939 referred to Russia in this way – “It (Russia) is a riddle,wrapped in a mystery,inside an enigma”. …

Continue reading ‘Can Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa Re-unite Politically?’ »

BY D.B.S.JEYARAJ “Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind, As man’s ingratitude” – William Shakespeare ~ “As You Like It” It’s official now! Canagasabapathy Visuvalingam Wigneswaran has announced the launch of a new political formation known as the “Thamizh Makkal Koottani” meaning Tamil Peoples Alliance(TPA). The retired Supreme court Judge who was …

Continue reading ‘How Sampanthan Made Wigneswaran The TNA Northern Chief Minister Candidate In 2013’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Maithripala Sirisena is a man of many surprises. Sri Lanka’s sixth executive president has a penchant to make controversial remarks and startling revelations on more than one occasion. Most of these sensational disclosures explode in the public domain with a powerful bang and then fizzle out into pathetic whimpers. The latest in this …

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena’s Cabinet Comments Strike a “Raw” Nerve in India 🇱🇰🇮🇳’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj October 23rd is the 70th Birth anniversary of legendary Muslim Congress leader M.H.M. Ashraff. The dynamic lawyer – politician hailing from Eastern Sri Lanka would have completed the Biblical life span of three score years and ten if he were among the living today. Alas! This was not to be as Ashraff passed …

Continue reading ‘M.H.M. Ashraff Was The Single Most Popular Mass Figure In Eastern Muslim Politics: Seventieth Birth Anniversary Commemoration.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The perplexing political conduct of Sri Lankan President Pallewatte Gamaralalage Maithripala Yapa Sirisena has in recent times defied many norms and values of conventional politics. The turns, twists and turnarounds of the President are unfathomable to many. So uncertain have been Maithripala’s political moves and manoeuvres that the only certainty about Sirisena that …

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Pressured Into Backtracking At UN In New York’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s interview to the influential Indian English daily “The Hindu” has caused quite a splash among political circles in Sri Lanka. The ex- president was interviewed by Suhasini Haidar and Amit Baruah for the newspaper which has acquired a reputation over the years of being the most …

Continue reading ‘Rajapaksa Family Politics And Gotabhaya’s Presidential Candidacy.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj ‘Spotlight’ shines this week on a remarkable Sri Lankan woman whose qualitative contribution to the realm of music has been noteworthy. Although devoted in principle to films, film personalities and film-related matters, this column will deviate in practice this time to focus on the internationally-celebrated composer – pianist Dr. Tanya Ekanayaka, whose second …

Continue reading ‘Tanya Ekanayaka’s Second Solo Album, ‘Twelve Piano Prisms’ Combines Sri Lankan Melodies With Music From Other Countries’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj When Sri Lanka known then as Ceylon obtained full freedom from British rule on February 4th 1948, the second largest ethnic community in the Island were the Tamils of recent Indian origin and not the Sri Lankan Tamil community. The 1ast official census before Ceylon got Dominion Status and then Independence from the …

Continue reading ‘Pragmatic Politics of Plantation Tamil Leader Saumiyamoorthy Thondaman’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall; All the king’s horses and all the king’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again.” – Nursery Rhyme Northern province chief minister Canagasabapathy Viswalingam Wigneswaran is a retired Supreme court judge. Much was expected of CV Wigneswaran when he was first elected …

Continue reading ‘Wigneswaran, Sampanthan and the Presidential Task Force Boycott Issue’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The rise and growth of “political families” is a common occurrence in Sri Lanka. Ever since the Island known formerly as Ceylon gained limited forms of representative democracy through the Legislative and State Councils during British rule, the practice of members of the same family seeking posts through elections became widely prevalent. The …

Continue reading ‘“Medamulana Mahinda” and the Political Rise Of “Ruhunu Rajapaksas”’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena reportedly sent two special representatives early this week to India with a letter to the ailing Dravidian Tamil political patriarch Muttuvel Karunanidhi wishing him a speedy recovery. Karunanidhi known widely as “Kalaignar”(artiste) has been leader of the Dravida Munnera Kazhagham (Dravidian Progressive Federation) since 1969 and served as …

Continue reading ‘Dravidian Patriarch “Kalaignar” (Artiste) Karunanidhi and the Cinematic Politics of Tamil Naadu’ »

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj Death has become a mere word. The number of deaths is a simple statistic.Life is “nasty, short and brutish”. Even in such vile atmospheres where life and death are fast becoming meaningless a single man’s or woman’s death too cannot have any meaning. Yet there are people whose deaths diminish all of …

Continue reading ‘Ketheeswaran (Ketheesh) Loganathan Championed Tamil Rights in a United Sri Lanka’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The 21 km long Puthukkudiyiruppu – Oddusuddaan road progressing through the hinterland of North – Eastern Mullaitheevu district, links Puthukkudiyiruppu on the A- 35 Paranthan – Mullaitheevu highway and Oddusuddaan on the A -34 Mankulam – Mullaitheevu highway. It was along this road that a trusted deputy of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) …

Continue reading ‘Seizure of “Tiger” Arsenal in Oddusuddaan Revives Fears of Another LTTE Revival Attempt’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka Atul Keshap will conclude his three year term in Colombo this August.He will be succeded by Alaina B. Teplitz the current US Ambassador to Nepal. Both Keshap and Teplitz were appointed envoys to Sri Lanka and Nepal respectively by former US president Barack Obama in March …

Continue reading ‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s US Citizenship and Presidential Ambition’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Viyathmaga”(Erudite Path) is an organization that claims to be dedicated to the goal of “an Intellectually inspired Sri Lanka”. It is said to possess an elitist membership comprising top level professionals, academics and entrepreneurs of Sri Lanka. The Viyathmaga website describes the organization in the following manner -“The Professionals for a Better Future …

Continue reading ‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s Economic Vision and Political Mission’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Coalition Government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe may soon be facing a political challenge from an unexpected quarter namely the Tamil National Alliance(TNA). The TNA regarded as the premier political configuration of the Sri Lankan Tamil people is becoming increasingly frustrated at what it perceives as the slow pace …

Continue reading ‘TNA May Launch Non-Violent Protest Campaign Against Govt Soon’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Hell hath no fury as an opposition thwarted in its bid to pass a no confidence motion against a Prime Minister! Sri Lanka’s self -styled joint opposition led unofficially by Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa and officially by Colombo district parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardena is still smarting from the defeat encountered while attempting to …

Continue reading ‘When The Jayewardene Govt Brought a No Confidence Motion Against Opposition Leader Amirthalingam’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj In the seven decade long history of Independent Sri Lanka’s legislature there have been two no confidence motions and related debates that are unprecedented and unparalleled. The first was in 1981 when members of the then United National Party (UNP) Govt brought and passed a no confidence motion against the former leader of …

Continue reading ‘How And Why The TNA Helped Defeat The No Confidence Motion Against Premier Wickremesinghe’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj In a comical turn of events – not entirely unanticipated – the Sri Lanka freedom Party (SLFP) faction under the purported leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena did a complete political volte -face by deciding to abstain from voting in the no confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on April 4th 2018. An …

Continue reading ‘Realising Ranil Has a Majority in Parliament, Maithripala In a Political “U” turn gets Fowzie to Announce that SLFP Would Abstain From Voting for No Confidence Motion but Lakshman Yapa and Dilan Refute It Saying Party will Vote for NCM’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Jaffna is the capital city of the predominantly Tamil speaking Northern province of Sri Lanka. It was at the time of independence from Britain, the second largest city in the Island, next only to Colombo. Jaffna gradually declined in the post-independence years dropping to fourth place at the 1981 census. Thereafter with the …

Continue reading ‘TNA Captures Jaffna, Point Pedro and Chavakachcheri By Defeating Tamil Congress in Skilful Political Operation’ »

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj * About 200 Youths From “”Diga Kalliya” (Group of Diga)Unleashed Violence(Diga derived from Digamadulla) * Sinhala Hardliner Ex-MP Had Meetings With youths and Police officials in Amparai Before Violence * Mosque and Office, 3 Eateries,1 Grocery Store, 8 Vehicles Damaged in Night of Terror in Amparai Town * 35 Persons From Mob Identified;5 …

Continue reading ‘“Wanda Pethi”, “Digakalliya”and the Anti-Muslim Violence In Amparai Town’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as minister of Law and Order on February 25th 2018. It was a stop gap measure. The premier was only expected to be in charge of the portfolio for two weeks until a new minister was appointed. The fortnightly stint as a”caretaker” minister however has proved …

Continue reading ‘Orchestrated Anti-Muslim Violence in Amparai Town and Kandy District’ »

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj Let me begin on a very personal note. The first major emotional upheaval I underwent as a result of losing a very loved one was when I lost my maternal grandfather in December 1968.I was 14 years old at that time. I was inordinately fond of him and he of me, his eldest …

Continue reading ‘Office of Missing Persons May Give a “Quantum of Solace” To Long Suffering Loved Ones’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Pallewatte Gamaralalage Maithripala Yapa Sirisena is currently in the throes of an acute political crisis after the local government poll results. It was only some weeks ago that a pugnacious and cocky President Sirisena threatened to wield his “kaduwa”(sword) against members of his own govt and opposition as part of his self-declared crusade …

Continue reading ‘How Mahinda Trapped Maithripala With The SLFP Party Leadership’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his misguided astrological and numerological wisdom held the seventh presidential elections on January 8th 2015. When the date was announced most people yearning for a regime change in Sri Lanka noted the symbolic significance of January 8th in a different context. It was on January 8th 2009 that …

Continue reading ‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Sarath Fonseka and the Assassination Of Lasantha Wickrematunge’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Thamizhan Illaathaa Naadumillai. Thamizhanukkendroru Naadumillai” (There is no country without Tamils. There is no country for the Tamils) is a saying in Tamil that vividly illustrates the angst felt by the more nationalist sections of Tamils about the lack of a country of their own – an Independent sovereign self-governing Tamil state! The …

Continue reading ‘Separate Tamil State Demand Abandoned By DMK After 16th Constitutional Amendment Bans Secessionism In India’ »

“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year To All” – Seasons Greetings From D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Christmas is you, when you decide to be born again each day, and let God into your soul. The Christmas pine is you, when you resist vigorous winds and difficulties of life. The Christmas decorations are you, when your virtues are colours …

Continue reading ‘“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year To All” – Seasons Greetings From D.B.S.Jeyaraj’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Sri Lanka’s first woman recipient of the “Deshamanya” award and former Health Minister Ms. Siva Obeyesekere passed away peacefully in Colombo on Saturday December 23rd 2017. The Former parliamentarian for Mirigama known popularly as Siva was 88 years of age. Sivagamie Verina Dassanaike who was born on May 7th 1929 studied at Ladies …

Continue reading ‘Former Health Minister Siva Obeyesekere the First Woman Recipient Of “Deshamanya” Award Passes Away In Colombo’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj India gained freedom from Britain at midnight on August 15th 1947. At the time of Indian independence there was a separatist movement in South India spearheaded by the “Dravidar Kazhagham” (DK) or Dravidian association led by E.V.Ramaswamy Naicker popularly known as “Periyar”(Great Person). As stated in an earlier article the DK demand was …

Continue reading ‘DK-DMK Dravidian Movement Split in India and the Decline of Tamil Separatism’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Aman Ahamed Ashraff is the only son of legendary Muslim Congress leader the late Mr. MHM Ashraff and Ms. Ferial Ashraff who was Sri Lanka’s first Muslim woman cabinet minister. In spite of this family background 36 year old Aman Ashraff who is the executive creative director of Ashraff Associates (pvt) Ltd has …

Continue reading ‘Muslim Congress Founder MHM Ashraff’s Only Son Aman Ashraff Speaks Out Against SLMC Leadership’ »

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj Tamil secessionism in the island of Sri Lanka came to an effective end in May 2009 when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE)Organization was militarily defeated by the Armed forces of the Government of Sri Lanka. Interestingly enough our big neighbour India which has a Tamil speaking population of over 60 million people …

Continue reading ‘Tamil Secessionism and the “Dravida Nadu” (Dravida State) Demand in India’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj November 27th 1989 was the day on which the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE)first observed its annual “Maaveerar Naal” or Great Heroes Day (GHD). Twenty –eight years have passed since then and the 28th anniversary of the event is today Nov 27th 2017. The event continues to be observed on a large scale …

Continue reading ‘LTTE Oriented Event “Maaveerar Naal” (Great Heroes Day) On November 27th Is Not The Tamil National Day Of Mourning.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The prevailing political relationship between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has come under heavy strain lately due to the on going Presidential commission of Inquiry into the alleged Treasury Bonds Scam , it is learnt. According to informed sources close to the Coalition Government headed by President Sirisena and Premier …

Continue reading ‘President-Prime Minister Relations Strained as Maithripala Wants Ranil to Step Down as PM Before Testifying At Treasury Bonds Presidential Inquiry Commission On November 20th.’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj (This Article Written in November 2016 is Being Re-posted here to denote the Birthday of P. Susheela on November 13th) “Joyous, and clear, and fresh, thy music doth surpass… how could thy notes flow in such a crystal stream?” – Percy Bysshe Shelley, ‘Ode to a Skylark’ An indispensable feature of Indian …

Continue reading ‘Southern Skylark Susheela is Uncrowned Empress Of Tamil Film Songs ♫♥’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Popular Sinhala movie actress Geetha Kumarasinghe who was elected member of Parliament from Galle electoral district on the United Peoples Freedom Alliance(UPFA) ticket in August 2015 has been unseated as an MP by rulings of the Sri Lankan judiciary. According to relevant media reports a five judge bench of the Sri Lankan Supreme …

Continue reading ‘Geetha Kumarasinghe, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the UPFA Galle District MP’s’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj President Maithripala Sirisena held successive discussions with two Tamil delegations in Colombo on Thursday October 19th 2017. The meetings were about the issue of Tamils detained in various prisons under the Prevention of Terrorism Act(PTA) in general and the hunger strike undertaken by three detenues at the Anuradhapura jail in particular. The focus …

Continue reading ‘Alleged Killing Of 18 Navy and 8 Army Prisoners By LTTE In Jan 2009’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This article appeared in the December 2016 issue of ‘Saamagaana – The First Melody,’ a magazine devoted to classical music published in Bengaluru, India. It is being published here to mark the 1st Death Anniversary of maestro Amaradeva on 3 November 2017.) Renowned Sri Lankan vocalist, violinist and music composer W.D. Amaradeva passed …

Continue reading ‘Maestro W. D. Amaradeva Created a Distinctive Genre of Sinhala Music’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Reputed American Writer and Humourist Samuel Clemens known to the world as Mark Twain was in London in May 1897 on a lecture tour. A rumour began circulating in the USA that Mark Twain was gravely ill on the verge of death. Subsequently another rumour began spreading in the US of Mark Twain …

Continue reading ‘J.R. Jayewardene’s Executive Presidency May Not Be Abolished After All’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj President Maithripala Sirisena who is also the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party(SLFP) has embarked on a project of purging the party of organizers regarded as loyalists of former president and party leader Mahinda Rajapaksa. Maithripala has removed more than 50 electoral organizers and replaced them with persons who are supposedly loyal …

Continue reading ‘Ananda Sarath Kumara Who Forced Lady Teacher To Kneel Down Before Him Publicly is Appointed SLFP Anamaduwa Organizer by Maithripala Sirisena.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former Tamil United Liberation Front(TULF) Member of Parliament for Mannar Mr. P. S. Soosaithasan has passed away after a brief period of illness on Friday October 13 th 2017 in Sri Lanka. He was 83 years old. Mr. Soosaithasan popularly known as Soosai hailed from Vangaalai in the Mannar district of Sri Lanka’s …

Continue reading ‘Former TULF Mannar MP Soosaithasan Passes Away at the Age of 83 in Sri Lanka.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The coalition Govt of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has – as one of its primary objectives – the political project of enacting and passing a new Constitution.This requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament and endorsement by the people in an Island -wide referendum. More importantly the Govt has been …

Continue reading ‘Maithripala-Ranil Govt Likely To Lose Referendum On New Constitution’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Constitutional Assembly Steering Committee chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has laboured mightily and brought forth the Interim report of proposals for an envisaged new Constitution. It would be premature to prognosticate on the report’s potential future or delve deeply into its contents at this point of time. Nevertheless it must be …

Continue reading ‘“Aekiya Raajya – Orumiththa Naadu”: For An Undivided, Indivisible Sri Lanka.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The recent spat – if one may call it that – between two former commanders of the Sri Lankan army has caused quite a furore. Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka and Lieutenant-General Jagath Jayasuriya have engaged in a heated exchange over issues of both command and control responsibity as well as alleged war crimes. …

Continue reading ‘Sarath Fonseka vs Jagath Jayasuriya: Clash of Two Ex- Army Commanders’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj September 16th 2017 is the seventeenth death anniversary of Mohammad Hussein Muhammad Ashraff, the uncrowned sultan of the Amparai district Muslims and legendary leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC). The pioneering president of the SLMC was Ahammed Lebbe of Kattankudi with whom Ashraff co-founded the party in September 1981. It was …

Continue reading ‘M.H.M.Ashraff Was The Single Most Popular Mass Figure in Eastern Muslim Politics’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The month of August saw a flurry of hectic political activity in Sri Lanka. The statement made by controversial minister Ravi Karunayake at the Presidential Commission of inquiry followed by his resignation, the move to postpone Provincial council polls by way of the 20th Constitutional amendment, the revolt within UNP ranks against the …

Continue reading ‘ITAK Gets a Clean Chit as Supreme Court Rules Federalism is not Separatism’ »

By D.B>S.Jeyaraj (Veteran Trade Union Leader Philips Balendra Tampoe passed away at the age of 92 on September 1st 2014.Comrade Bala Tampoe as he was generally known created Trade union history by being the general secretary of the Ceylon Mercantile Union for an unbroken period of sixty – six years.To denote the third death anniversary …

Continue reading ‘Remembering Comrade Bala Tampoe the Legendary Trade Union Leader on his Third Death Anniversary’ »

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj Thirty years ago on this day (July 29th 1987) an accord was signed by the then Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and Junius Richard Jayawardene the then President of Sri Lanka in Colombo that had far reaching implications for both the tear drop island in the Indian ocean and its giant neighbour. The …

Continue reading ‘How JR Was Coerced By New Delhi to Sign the Indo-Lanka Accord 30 Years Ago’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (Dr.Neelan Tiruchelvam was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of tamil eelam(LTTE)18 years ago on July 29th 1999. This article was originally written three years ago to commemorate the 70th birth anniversary of Dr. Tiruchelvam on January 31st 2014. It is being re-posted here without any changes to denote Neelan’s 18th death anniversary) January …

Continue reading ‘Neelan Tiruchelvam the Foremost Intellectual of Contemporary Tamil Politics’ »

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj 71 Year old Lawyer Ram Nath Kovind has been elected on Thursday July 20th 2017 as the 14th President of India! An excerpt from Indian English daily “The Hindu” stated as follows – “Ram Nath Kovind was on Thursday declared elected as India’s 14th President polling 65.6% of the vote defeating the …

Continue reading ‘“Govigama” Monopoly Of Presidents And Prime Ministers In Sri Lanka’ »

(This article was posted in 2013 to denote the 30th anniversary of Black July 83 and is reproduced here again with minor changes in view of the 34th anniversary of the anti- Tamil pogrom) by D.B.S. Jeyaraj “Shops, Banks, Offices and Restaurants in the Capital’s crowded City Centre and Main Streets being burnt while the …

Continue reading ‘Anatomy of an Anti-Tamil Pogrom: Thirty-fourth Anniversary of “Black July” 1983.’ »

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj 45 year old Ananthy Sasitharan made history when she was sworn in before Northern province governor Reginald Cooray in Jaffna as Northern provincial minister of women’s affairs, rehabilitation, social services, food supply and distribution and industries on June 29th 2017. Ananthy who will celebrate her birthday on September 10th has set a record …

Continue reading ‘Ex-LTTE Leader Ezhilan’s Wife Ananthy Sasitharan Becomes First Woman Northern Provincial Minister’ »

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj Jaffna District MP, Mathiaparanam Abraham Sumanthiran waxed eloquent during the course of the adjournment debate in Parliament on June 6th 2017. M. A. Sumanthiran who is also the official spokesperson of the Tamil National Alliance(TNA) and its premier constituent, the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) emphasised that they stood “for a country that …

Continue reading ‘Unsolved Murder in Broad Daylight of Batticaloa Journalist Aiyathurai Nadesan’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Nine Cabinet Ministers and one state minister were re-allocated fresh ministerial portfolios in the morning of Monday May 22nd what was the first major re-shuffle since the formation of the current coalition Government headed by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe took office in August 2015. President Sirisena himself was the …

Continue reading ‘Nine Cabinet and One State Minister Sworn In By President Sirisena: Changed Portfolios for Mangala, SB, Ravi and Arjuna etc | Tilak Marapana Back in Cabinet; Mahinda Amaraweera – State Minister’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Well-known Sri Lankan Journalist – activist Poddala Jayantha was in the news last week when he sent a letter to the Director-General of Information Dr. Ranga Kalansuriya who is also the Secretary to the Cabinet Sub Committee on granting measures of relief to media persons who were subjected to various types of harassment …

Continue reading ‘The White-Vanning Ordeal Of Journalist-Activist Poddala Jayantha’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Kumara Vidugalage Dona Geetha Samanmalee Kumarasingha popularly known as Geetha Kumarasinghe is in the eye of a politico-legal storm. The glamorous actress turned politician who was elected to Parliament in August 2015 from the Galle district on the United Peoples Freedom Alliance(UPFA) ticket has been unseated by an Appeal court ruling. According to …

Continue reading ‘Geetha, Gotabhaya And The Political Implications of Dual Citizenship’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi(ITAK) known also as the Federal Party has resolved to formally induct into party folds former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) who have undergone a process of rehabilitation. The path breaking party decision was taken unanimously at the ITAK central Committee sessions held in Batticaloa on …

Continue reading ‘Rehabilitated Ex- LTTE Cadres to be Given Membership in ITAK the Chief Constituent Party of the TNA’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Northern province chief minister Canagasabapathy Visuvalingam Wigneswaran who possesses a remarkable flair for getting embroiled in controversial issues is in the eye of a storm again. This time it is over some remarks made by him during the course of a media interview on April 14th 2017.Mr. Wigneswaran was interviewed by a Tamil …

Continue reading ‘C.V.Wigneswaran Hurts Christian Sentiments By Comparing Jesus Christ With Swami Premananda’ »

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj It is with great sadness that I write for the first time on my Blog after the advent of the April traditional new year “Hevilambi”! My first post for the new year is the last post for the Editor who first recruited me as a journalist. Kandasamy Sivapragasam , Former Editor -in …

Continue reading ‘Former “Virakesari” Editor-in-Chief K. Sivapragasam Passes Away Peacefully in Virginia’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Octogenarian leader of the opposition Rajavarothayam Sampanthan in a hard hitting Parliamentary speech made four weeks ago drew attention to the prevailing practice of persons being condemned as Traitors (Drohi/Thurogi) within the sphere of Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalist Politics. The Trincomalee district MP who is also the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group …

Continue reading ‘Tamil Nationalist Politics and the Process of “Traitorization” in Sri Lanka’ »

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj “Politics is a blood sport” was a famous saying by former Sri Lankan president Junius Richard Jayewardene. In the cut-throatish competitive world of Sri Lankan politics there have been many casualties who aspired to high office but failed to fulfil their ambition. Even people with powerful bloodlines in Sri Lanka’s dynastic political …

Continue reading ‘The Crown Prince of Sri Lankan Politics who was Never Crowned as King’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Case No B 85/17 concerning the assassination attempt targeting Tamil National Alliance (TNA)Jaffna district MP Mathiaparanam Abraham Sumanthiran was taken up at the Kilinochchi courts before Kilinochchi district judge A. A. Anandarajah on February 27th 2017. Five former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) were again produced in courts as the …

Continue reading ‘Current Hostility Between Police and Intelligence Agencies is Weakening Effort to Combat Overseas LTTE.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The ongoing investigation conducted by the Police Terrorism Investigation Department(TID) into the assassination plot targeting Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district MP Mathiaparanam Abraham Sumanthiran has unearthed more details about the conspiracy hatched by “tigerish” elements in the Global Tamil Diaspora. Five former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) now in …

Continue reading ‘Many Attempts By Diaspora Tigers To Foment Violence In Sri Lanka’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Upali Wijewardene known widely as Upali was arguably Sri Lanka’s first home-grown tycoon of the post – Independence years who captured the popular imagination of the people at large. The Island nation has produced several indigenous business magnates and industrialists of great repute but there was none quite like Upali Wijewardene. He interacted …

Continue reading ‘Upali Wijewardene: Sri Lanka’s Beloved Home-Grown Tycoon’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “What was your first military operation”? was a question posed to Veluppillai Prabhakaran in a media interview many years ago. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) Leader replied ” Alfred Durayappah”. Prabhakaran was of course referring to the popular former mayor and ex-MP for Jaffna Alfred Thangarajah Durayappah who was gunned down within …

Continue reading ‘Will Norway Hand Over Diaspora Tiger Leader “Nediyavan” to Sri Lanka?’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Nallavan” (not his real name) is a Tamil youth living in a Northern village. He was a former member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organization who had surrendered to the armed forces in May 2009. He was incarcerated for a period of time and released after undergoing a process of …

Continue reading ‘Overseas LTTE Backed Plot To Assassinate TNA MP Sumanthiran in Jaffna Revealed’ »

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj Sri Lanka will Celebrate its Sixty-eighth Anniversary of Independence from the United Kingdom this Thursday. The country then known as Ceylon obtained full freedom from the British on February 4th 1948.Independent Ceylon/Sri Lanka / has faced many challenges and problems in the past 68 years. We have had military coup attempts, communal …

Continue reading ‘68 Years of Independence, Nation Building and the Future of Tamils in Sri Lanka’ »

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Seasons Greetings From D.B.S.Jeyaraj

An Interview with Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka by D.B.S.Jeyaraj Dayan Jayatilleka needs no introduction. He is one of the most prolific writers and powerful commentators on current political affairs in contemporary Sri Lanka. The ex-diplomat’s stylishly forceful writings reflecting his present political stance evokes mixed reactions among readers. Some rave about them while others rant against them.Dayan’s …

Continue reading ‘“Mahinda and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa are the Closest we Have to Fidel and Raul Castro”’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj November 27th 1989 was the day on which the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE)first observed its annual “Maaveerar Naal” or Great Heroes Day (GHD). Twenty –seven years have passed since then and the 27th anniversary of the event is today Nov 27th 2016. The event continues to be observed on a large scale …

Continue reading ‘“Great Heroes Day” (Maaveerar Naal) is a LTTE Event and not a Tamil National Day of Mourning.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former Tamil National Alliance(TNA) Jaffna District Parliamentarian and Lawyer Nadarajah Raviraj and his Police bodyguard Sgt.Lakshman Lokuwella were gunned down on a Colombo street in broad daylight ten years ago. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Investigation report on Sri Lanka (OISL) presented at the 30th session of the UN Human …

Continue reading ‘Murder Most Foul of Moderate Tamil MP Raviraj Ten Years Ago in Colombo’ »