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 Several dashing and debonair actors have graced the Sinhala silver screenover the years. Arguably the most lovable among these cinematic heroes wasthe dynamic Tony Ranasinghe who acted in both lead as well as character roles. Tony Ranasinghe who was born on 31 July 1937 entered the film world in the early sixties of …
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 Muttuvel Karunanidhi, known to the Tamil-speaking world as “Kalaignar” (artiste),passed away at the age of 94 in Chennai on 7 August. Karunanidhi had been Chief Minister of India’s Tamil Nadu state for a total of 19 years. Hewas Chief Minister of Tamil Nadufive times from 1969-71, 1971-76, 1989-91,1996-2001 and 2006-11. No other Tamil …
by D.B.S.Jeyaraj The recent release and box-office success of the Telugu biographical movie‘Mahanati’ (Great Actress) has created a great deal of interest inthe famous South Indian actress Savitri. The bio-pic simultaneously released in Tamil as ‘Nadigaiyar Thilagham’ (Doyenne of Actresses) is about yesteryear actress K.Savitri who was known as Savitri Ganesh after she married Tamil …
Continue reading ‘The Sweet and Sour Real Life Romance of Reel Actors Savitri and Gemini’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Favourite Film Songs – 8 Madurai Shanmugavadivu Subbulakshmi known as MS Subbulakshmi or more popularly as ‘MS’was a sublime singer who ruled the Indian classical music world for over five decades.Blessed with a divine voice,immeasurable talent and ethereal beauty she captivated the hearts and minds of innumerable fans. MS was acknowledged at …
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 …
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj Favourite Film Songs – 7 I love rain! One of the things I loved to do as a boy and even as a young adult was to get soaking wet in the rain. If it started raining while I was on my way home from school I simply got wet instead of …
Continue reading ‘‘Kaanaa Inbam Kaninthathaeno’ – Splendid “Singing in the Rain” Song ♫’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Favourite Film Songs – 6 Sishtla Sreeramamurthy Janaki popularly known as S. Janaki is widely praised as the “Nightingale of the South” .In a splendid career spanning over fifty years Janaki has sung over 20,000 songs for films made in 16 different languages.The Southern nightingale has won four national awards and 31 …
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 …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Favourite Film Songs – 5 “Neeyay Unakku endrum Nigaraanaavan” is a sparkling song from the old Tamil film “Baley Pandia” produced and directed by B.R.Panthulu in 1962.Sung by maestro TM Soundararajan(TMS) and “Konnakol”expert M.S.Raju(not to be confused with the Telugu film producer) the song was picturised in the film on actors Sivaji Ganesan …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj One of the darkest chapters in the sphere of Sri Lankan ethnic relations was the widespread anti-Tamil violence that occurred thirty – five years ago during the fourth week of July in 1983. Although the tragic history of post – independence Sri Lanka records that the Tamils of Sri Lanka were subjected to …
Continue reading ‘“Black July”: Thirty-fifth Anniversary of 1983 Anti-Tamil Pogrom.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Favourite Film Songs -2 “ Dingiri Dingaale Meenatchi Dingiri Dingaale, Ulagam Poara Poakkaip Paaru Thangamay Chiillaaley” was a song that rocked Sri Lanka then known as Ceylon in 1958-59 and the years after. The rhapsodic song from a Tamil film “Anbu Engey?”was widely popular during my childhood days. It was released in Sri …
Continue reading ‘“Dingiri Dingaaley Meenatchi, Dingiri Dingaaley”- Rocking “Baila”-Type Song ♫♥’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Favourite Film Songs -4 “Ruritanian Romance” is a genre consisting of stories, novels, dramas and films set in a fictional country. Anthony Hope’s novel “Prisoner of Zenda” based in the imaginary state of Ruritania was the pioneering novel that spawned this popular genre. Literature, theatre and films of this genre are generally about …
by D.B.S.Jeyaraj Favourite Film Songs -1 This article is the first in an on going series about film songs I have come to love over the years.Watching Tamil movies on screen and listening to Tamil film songs over radio was an integral part of life for me as a child growing up in Colombo. The …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Filmmaker Sanjeewa Pushpakumara is a bright star in the cinematic firmament of Sri Lanka. His second feature film ‘Davena Vihagun’ (Burning Birds) is currently being screened in Sri Lanka. The film completed in 2016 has been shown at several international film festivals over the past two years. Just like Pushpakumara’s first film ‘Igillenna …
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) …
by D.B.S.Jeyaraj Cinematic journey of maestro Lester James Peries – Part 2 ‘Gamperaliya’ (Changes in the Village/Changement au Village) was the third feature film made by ace director Lester James Peries. It was released on 20 December 1963.The film was based on the famous novel of the same name written by the doyen of Sinhala …
Continue reading ‘Great ‘Gamperaliya’: A Great Novel Made Into a Great Film By a Great Director’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Filmstars often act in the roles of real persons in what are known as “Biopics” or biographical movies. Biopics are usually about illustrious and interesting historical figures. Actors and actresses enacting such roles get praised if their performances are brilliant enough to project those historical figures in a realistic manner on screen. While …
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 “Rekava” (Line of Destiny) in 1956 Revolutionized Sinhala Cinema The doyen of Sri Lankan cinema, Lester James Peries, has breathed his last. It has been my firm opinion that the master movie maker was Sri Lanka’s greatest film director. When I began the ‘Spotlight’ column focusing on films, film personalities and film-related matters, …
Continue reading ‘“Rekava”: Cinematic Journey Of Maestro Lester James Peries – 1.’ »
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 Tamil film music has been enriched over the years by the immense contribution of non-Tamil music composers and playback singers of South Indian origin. Some of the notable non-Tamil music composers are M.S. Viswanathan, S.M. Subbiah Nayudu, T.G. Lingappa, S. Dakshinamurthi, S. Rajeswara Rao, T. Chalapathy Rao, P. Adinarayana Rao, V. Kumar, R. …
Continue reading ‘P.B.Sreenivas-S.Janaki: Evergreen Film Songs Of An Endearing Singer Duo’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj It is with great sorrow that I write of the death of Sri Lanka’s greatest film director Lester James Peries! The doyen of Sinhala cinema who celebrated his 99th birthday on April 5th passed away at a private hospital in Colombo on Sunday April 29th 2018. The nonagenarian filmmaker had been ailing for …
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 …
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 …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (Lester James Peries the doyen of Sinhala cinema celebrated his 99th birthday on 5 April 2018. This article published on April 8th 2017 in the Spotlight Column of “Daily Financial Times” is Being re-posted here with a slight update to commemorate the master filmmaker’s birthday) IF I were to pose the question “Mirror, …
Continue reading ‘Lester James Peries, The Legendary Pioneer Of Authentic Sri Lankan Cinema’ »
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 …
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 …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (Well-known Sri Lankan Filmmaker Dharmasena Pathiraja born in 1943 would have celebrated his 75th Birthday on March 28th were he alive today. This article was fist published on Feb 10th 2018 following Pathi’s passing away on Jan 28th 2018.It is being re-posted here to denote Pathi’s 75th Birthday) Renowned Sri Lankan film maker …
Continue reading ‘Dharmasena Pathiraja The Master Movie Maker’ »
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 …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Srinivasan Kamal Haasan is one of India’s foremost film actors. Known popularly as Kamal, the talented and versatile thespian has not only excelled as an actor on screen, but has successfully engaged in other cinematic spheres too. The multi-faceted artiste is a film director,producer, screenplay – film script, writer, film song lyricist,poet,dancer, choreographer …
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 Popular film actor- politician Vijaya Kumaratunga was shot dead in cold blood on February 16th 1988. He was standing near the front gate of his Kirulapone residence on Polhengoda road and talking to an acquaintance when the assailants on a two-wheeler struck. Vijaya was shot twice in the back and fell on the …
Continue reading ‘Evergreen Memories of Actor-Politician Vijaya Kumaratunga’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (Former chief minister of Tamil Nadu Ms.Jayalalithaa Jayaram was born on February 24th 1948. The glamorous actress turned politician who passed away in 2016 would have turned seventy were she among the living now. This article originally written in 2016 is being re-posted here to denote “Amma”s 70th birth aniversary) The demise in …
Continue reading ‘When actress Jayalalithaa reigned as uncrowned Queen of Tamil cinema’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj After days of protests, demonstrations, threats and violence against its release, India’s ace filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s classical magnum opus ‘Padmaavat’ hit the screens on 25 January. Despite the controversy and in spite of being banned in several populous states in North India,the film about the legendary “Rani”(Queen) Padmavati has clicked at the …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Ithaya Oasai”(Sound of the Heart”) was a drama put on the boards by the students of St.John’s College,Jaffna in 1963/64. The play proved so popular that it was staged to members of the public in Jaffna,Kandy,Trincomalee,Batticaloa and Colombo. The chief actor in the play was a handsome curly-haired student in the then Higher …
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 …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj In the May 2014 Indian General elections the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) led by Narendra Modi swept the poll in many states to form a government with a stable majority in New Delhi. However Tamil Nadu was one of the few Indian states to resist “Modimania” with the Jayalalithaa Jayaram led All India Anna …
Continue reading ‘Will Tamil Film Hero Rajinikanth Become Tamil Nadu Chief Minister?’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj ‘We Three Kings of Orient Are’ is a popular Christmas carol written and set to music by Rev. John Henry Hopkins Jnr in 1857. This is about the wise men mentioned in the Bible who came to Bethlehem with the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to pay homage to the newborn infant …
by D.B.S.Jeyaraj ‘Spotlight’ shines again after many weeks to focus on a luminous Sri Lankan star of Sri Lanka who has been illuminating the Hindi cinematic firmament for several years. A beauty queen turned film actress who possesses a flair for promoting culinary commerce as well as retaining a penchant for espousing social and humanitarian …
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 …
“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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 Versatile Film Director and Script Writer Vasantha Obeysekere breathed his last on 8 April. Vasantha, born on 29 December 1937, was 79 years of age when he passed away peacefully in Colombo. In a creative career that spanned nearly five decades, Vasantha made 13 feature films and several documentaries. He won many accolades …
Continue reading ‘Vasantha Obeysekere, his House on Lauries Road and the Film “Dadayama”’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Oxford English dictionary defines the word compromise as being “an agreement or settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions”. Sri Lanka witnesed a political compromise of sorts between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe when the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and United National Party(UNP)leaders …
by D.B.S.Jeyaraj Vesak festivity in Sri Lanka acquired an international dimension this year with the Island nation hosting the United Nations International Vesak day. The icing on this Vesak event cake was the participation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as chief guest in the celebrations. Even though President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil …
Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Nocturnal Rendezvous With Narendra Modi’ »
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj History was made 70 years ago when the film ‘Kadawunu Poronduwa’ (Broken Promise) premiered at the Kingsley Theatre in Colombo on 21 January 1947. The Chief Guest was D.S. Senanayake, Minister of Agriculture and Lands under the State Council system of governance during the penultimate stages of British rule. Senanayake went on to …
Continue reading ‘First Sinhala Talkie “Broken Promise” was Released 70 Years Ago on Jan 21 1947’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj January 17th 2017 was declared a holiday in the southern Tamil Nadu state of India. This was to acknowledge and celebrate the birth centenary of Marudur Gopalan Ramachandran or MG Ramachandran who served as chief miister of Tamil Nadu for 10 years from 1977 to 1987. It is the political party he founded …
Continue reading ‘Magical “MGR” Charisma of Kandy- Born Actor-Politico M.G.Ramachandran.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Sinhala Cinema’s Line of Destiny Re-drawn By ‘Rekava’ 60 Years Ago – 2 “Rekava”(line of Destiny)directed by Lester James Peries premiered 60 years ago at the Regal theatre in Colombo on December 28th 1956. It was a path breaking venture in Sinhala cinema that notched many “firsts”. Among these was the singular honour …
Continue reading ‘Lester’s “Rekava” Was First Sinhala Film To Compete At The Cannes Film Festival’ »
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Seasons Greetings From D.B.S.Jeyaraj
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj December 28th 1956 remains a red letter day in the cinematic history of Sri Lanka formerly known as Ceylon. The maiden feature film of a 37 year old director called Lester James Peries premiered at the upmarket “Regal”theatre in Colombo on that day.It was a black and white Sinhala film named “Rekava”. Though …
Continue reading ‘Sinhala Cinema’s Line of Destiny was Re-drawn By “Rekava” 60 Years Ago’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Spotlight” beams this week on Gamini Fonseka the first super star of Sinhala cinema. I had begun preparing this article many months ago to mark the 80th birth anniversary of Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka who was born on March 21st 1936. My old schoolmate and journalistic colleague Prasad Gunewardene had been extremely keen …
Continue reading ‘Action Hero Gamini Fonseka Was The First Super Star Of Sinhala Cinema’ »
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 …
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 …
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’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Last week’s shooting incident in Jaffna in which two male Jaffna varsity undergraduates lost their lives because of alleged Police firing has given rise to a raging political controversy.Initially it was announced officially that the deaths were due to an accident but subsequently it was stated that the Police had to open fire …
Continue reading ‘Controversial Shooting of Two Jaffna Undergrads by Policemen in Kokkuvil’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Sri Lankans were shocked and disturbed in the first week of September by two violent incidents directed against a Buddhist prelate and a senior diplomat in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur(KL). In the first incident on Saturday September 3rd the chief Adhikarana Sangha Nayaka of Malaysia – Sri Saranankara Nayaka Maha Thera …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj An official Ambassador is defined as a diplomat of the highest rank accredited to a foreign Govt as the resident representative of his or her own country. The equivalent designation to an Ambassador among Commonwealth Nations is the High Commissioner. Since an Ambassador or High Commissioner is the premier representative of his or …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj September 16th 2016 is the sixteenth 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 …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former parliamentarian and presidential adviser Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra known as “Lucky Aiya” was gunned down along with three of his bodyguards in Mulleriyawa on October 8th 2011. The past few years have been a taxing period of struggle for Bharatha’s daughter Hirunika Premachandra –now a Colombo district MP – as she sought justice …
Continue reading ‘Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra’s Murder and Hirunika’s Quest for Justice’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Dharussalam” meaning “abode or house of peace” is the name given to the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) headquarters at 53 Vauxhall lane in Slave Island or Colombo 2. The impressive seven storey structure was constructed mainly through the untiring efforts of M.H.M. Ashraff the legendary leader of the SLMC. “Dharussalam” was officially …
Continue reading ‘“Dharussalam” in the Eye of a Political Storm Within The Muslim Congress’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Exactly ten years ago on August 20th 2006 a member of the Catholic Clergy along with a member of the Catholic Laity went missing in the north.The clergyman was Fr.Thiruchelvam Nihal Jim Brown who was serving as a priest in the Catholic Diocese of Jaffna.The Layman was Wenceslaus Vimaladhas a social worker. The …
Continue reading ‘When a Tamil Catholic Priest went Missing in Jaffna Ten years Ago’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj August 11th 2016 was a day of well-deserved pride for the people of Sri Lanka. The Island nation’s parliament on that day passed legislation to set up an office of missing persons(OMP) in the country. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs minister Mangala Samaraweera hailed the passage of the OMP bill as “historic”. Addressing a …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Let me begin this article with a few paragraphs excerpted from William Mcgowan’s book about Sri Lanka “Only man is Vile” – “The Kandyan jungle seemed so at peace just after dawn on that October morning in 1989. In the twisted thicket of palms, bamboo and bougainvillea that blanketed the hotel, a handful …
Continue reading ‘Shelton Ranaraja: Principled Politician was Conscience-Keeper of the Nation’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Violence reared its ugly head again in the Northern city of Jaffna on Saturday July 16th 2016 when student groups fought each other within the Jaffna varsity precincts in Thirunelvaeli known generally as Thinnaivaeli. It was basically a confrontation between two undergraduate factions of the University of Jaffna. There was also an ethnic …
Continue reading ‘Jaffna Varsity Violence: What Really Happened and Why!’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The marathon protest march “Jana satana Pada Yathra” launched by loyalists of former President and current Kurunegala district MP Mahinda Rajapaksa is currently underway in Sri Lanka. The march organized by pro – Mahinda polititical stalwarts known as the Joint Opposition began in Kandy on July 28th 2016. The five day march is …
Continue reading ‘Colombo to Kandy Protest March Launched By JR Jayewardene in 1957’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The finest phase in the history of peaceful political protest by Sri Lankan Tamils was in 1961. A non – violent “Satyagraha” campaign conducted by the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) virtually paralysed administration in the pre-dominantly Tamil districts of the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka at that time.Though the civil disobedience …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Marikkar” Ramdas has passed away! Sadness spread among numerous fans of Sri Lankan origin scattered widely in different parts of the globe as news of the demise of the popular artiste reached them. S. Ramdas, known as “Marikkar” Ramdas was a radio, stage and screen actor cum writer who was a household name …
Continue reading ‘“Marikkar” Ramdas: The Brahmin Artiste who Transformed Into a Muslim Character’ »