By Dharisha Bastians Chaotic scenes unfolded in Aluthgama last evening with riot police using tear gas in efforts to disperse a violent mob, after ethno-religious tensions flared in the town leading to several assaults, arrests and damage to property. Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana told Daily FT that three persons had been arrested after the …
By Dharisha Bastians UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay has expressed ‘deep regret’ about Sri Lanka’s announcement that it will not cooperate with the investigation into alleged war crimes and major rights violations during the last seven years of the war, to be launched by her Office next month. “The High Commissioner deeply regrets the …
One of Sri Lanka’s best friends in the UK, Lord Naseby, has once again punched holes in the British policy towards Colombo and questioned why London was working against democratically elected government here. Lord Naseby delivering a speech at the British House of Lords on Wednesday (11) said:
By Dharisha Bastians The JVP has moved swiftly to counteract a Government decision to allow Parliament to decide on whether Sri Lanka should cooperate with a UN inquiry by demanding that the ruling party conducts a domestic probe into human rights abuses within three months. The Marxist part has submitted an amendment to the resolution …
By Sathya Liyanasuriya In recent weeks, Sri Lankan cricketer Sachithra Senanayake has leapt into the limelight from being a relatively low-profile national sportsman into the newspapers, websites and television screens of the international media. Senanayake’s sudden flight to fame began when he was reported by the umpires and the match referee for a suspected illegal …
by Izeth Hussain It now seems to be generally agreed that Sri Lanka could enter into a collision course with India if the SL Government continues to shilly-shally over reaching a political solution to the ethnic problem on the basis of devolution. Adverse reactions from India and the Western powers could turn out to be …
By Dharisha Bastians After months of stony silence on the subject, President Mahinda Rajapaksa finally addressed the question of a controversial UN investigation his Government will be facing during a function in Medirigiriya, Polonnaruwa on Tuesday. And he passed the buck. It will be Parliament that will be the final decider on Sri Lanka’s cooperation …
by Meera Srinivasan More than six months after the historic elections to Sri Lanka’s Northern Provincial Council, its first Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran says he has not been able to do much, for his hands are tied. From a reluctant entrant to Sri Lankan politics to Chief Minister who won a massive mandate in the …
By Ravi Ladduwahetty The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will leave no stone unturned to provide evidence against the government, if an international war crimes probe is held against it by the international community. ” This is a very serious situation and it is up to the representatives of the war affected people of the North …
(Text of a Press Release Issued by the Action Committee for Media Freedom) The Action Committee for Media Freedom believes that the government has to take full responsibility for the mob attack on the investigative journalism workshop organized by Transparency International for Tamil and Muslim journalists in the North, East and Colombo. The workshop was …
(Text of a Press Release Issued by the Transparency International of Sri Lanka) The Transparency International of Sri Lanka (TISL) vehemently condemns the disruption of a workshop they had organized on investigative journalism for the second time and urges the government to take stern action against those who were responsible.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that an employee of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Russia has died on the night of June 11 in Rostov-on-Don during a dispute with employees of a transport company engaged in transporting the baggage of a Sri Lankan delegation, which had arrived in this city, according to a statement …
by Kumar Rupesinghe Erik Solheim, the Norwegian peace facilitator, has stated that he will go before the war crimes inquiry on Sri Lanka initiated by the U.N. Human Rights Council and give testimony as to how many people were killed in Sri Lanka. In his recent statements, he argues that the war could have been …
A number of high profile women have joined together at an event at the Canadian High Commissioner’s residence in London this evening to give their voices to Sri Lankan rape victims. Bianca Jagger, MIA, Cara Delevingne (by video link) and Bond Girl Maryam D’abo read out the testimony of victims of rape in Sri Lanka, …
By Bianca Jagger The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict begins today, June 10-13, 2014, on the banks of the Thames here in London. The Summit is organized by Foreign Secretary William Hague and Special Envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Angelina Jolie. According to the UK government, it will be …
By Shamindra Ferdinando President’s Counsel and UNP MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday said that the government had no option but to face the proposed UN investigation conducted in terms of the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council resolution 25/1. The former President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Rajapakshe was responding on behalf of …
By Dharisha Bastians The international investigation launched by the staff of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay’s office would violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, a group of ruling party MPs said in a motion handed over to Parliament yesterday. Nine UPFA MPs delivered the motion to Parliament Secretary General …
By Vishwamithra 1984 “The time is long overdue to stop looking for progress through racial or ethnic leaders. Such leaders have too many incentives to promote polarizing attitudes and actions that are counterproductive for minorities and disastrous for the country.” ~Thomas Sowell Velupullai Prabhakaran had a dream until it turned out to be a terrible …
By Sagarika Ghose A ruler stood on the battlefield surveying the wages of war. A personal choice was made or perhaps a politically strategic decision was taken that changed a country’s history forever. Ashoka turned his back on conflict, embraced Buddhism, and gave his kingdom efficient governance for four decades. History books chronicle the roads, …
Continue reading ‘Can Narendra Modi Emulate Emperor Ashoka in the 21st Century?’ »
By Upul Joseph Fernando President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited Jordan on a special official tour early this year. He was not seeking the support of Jordan to vote in favour of Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), where a resolution was passed against Sri Lanka in March as Jordan was not among the …
by Meera Srinivasan The scars created by terrorism and conflict are yet to heal in Sri Lanka, outgoing U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday. Addressing the 26th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, her last as High Commissioner, Ms. Pillay said her office has put in place a staff team …
Hundreds of Sri Lankan nationalists on Tuesday staged a demonstration near the Indian High Commission in Colombo and burnt the effigy of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to protest against the “undue influence” from India on Colombo to implement the 13 th amendment. picture courtesy of: Straits Times-twitter.com/STForeignDesk Activists from the Nationalist Organisations gathered …
By Meera Srinivasan Hundreds of protestors gathered outside the Indian High Commission here on Tuesday, demonstrating against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “interfering in Sri Lanka’s domestic affairs”. Holding placards that read “Modi don’t be foolish,” the protesters shouted slogans outside the mission located on the sea-facing Galle Road.
by Shamindra Ferdinando The parliament would decide on Sri Lanka’s participation in proposed UN probe on atrocities allegedly committed by the military and the LTTE on the Vanni east front, during eelam war IV, ministerial sources said yesterday. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Central Committee (CC) …
The Government of India will be constructing a Cultural Centre at Jaffna at a cost of Rs. 1.2 billion. A Memorandum of Understanding for implementation of the project was signed by the High Commissioner of India Y.K. Sinha and the Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Development, Dr. Nihal Jayathilaka. The MoU was signed in …
By Dharisha Bastians Sri Lanka yesterday categorically refused to cooperate with the UN investigation into alleged war crimes and major rights abuses in the last seven years of the war, and called into question the credibility of senior UN staff that will be leading the probe. Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva …
By N Sathiya Moorthy Responding to UNP Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s comment on President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s maiden meeting with India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris has told Parliament: “We made it crystal clear that devolution of police powers is not acceptable. We want to find a solution …
By M.K.Bhadrakumar The arrest of 33 Indian fishermen by Sri Lanka on Saturday hot on the heels of the release of all Indian fishermen (who were exactly 5 in number, as it transpires) by Colombo just a week earlier, ostensibly as a ‘friendly gesture’ toward the new government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, comes …
BY MEERA SRINIVASAN With more Indian fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of poaching — the arrests totalled 82 on Sunday morning — Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Centre to “strongly and decisively deal” with Sri Lanka on this issue. Eighteen trawlers of Tamil …
By Smriti Daniel pic via: twitter.com/SalmanRushdie Considering the timing, it’s a pity Salman Rushdie isn’t giving interviews. It’s been 25 years since the fatwa that turned his life inside out was issued by the Ayatollah, it’s been 10 years since he founded PEN World of Voices Festival in response to 9/11 and it’s been two …
At least 23 persons, including 10 terrorists have been killed when heavily armed militants attacked the Jinnah International Airport’s old terminal in Pakistan’s financial capital Karachi. The terrorists were cornered and killed after they attacked the old airport terminal building late last night, posing as Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel.
by Prof.Charles Santiapillai The war began when “Archie Duke shot an ostrich because he was hungry.” – Private Baldrick in: Blackadder Goes Forth In the summer of 1914, three great empires dominated Europe: Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary. Four years later, all of them had collapsed in the aftermath of what happened in Sarajevo on the …
Continue reading ‘The shot that was heard around the world:How the First World War Began’ »
Narendra Modi: A Leader Who Is What He Wears By VANESSA FRIEDMAN Even by the standards of a world that has seen blogs devoted to Michelle Obama’s dress sense, the pre-election makeovers of François Hollande and Dilma Rousseff, and the canonization of Nelson Mandela’s shirts, the image-craft of India’s new prime minister, Narendra Modi — …
(Text of Statement issued by Hon. Karu Jayasuriya,M.P and Chairman of the Leadership Council, UNP) According to Buddhist belief, natural disasters such as famine, floods and untimely rains occur in a country when it is ruled by unjust, wicked, corrupt and dishonest rulers. Isn’t that what is happening in our motherland today? I have no …
By Staff Torstar News Service For separating couples, it’s confusing enough to try to distinguish between shared custody and split custody in plain English. For people who must rely on, say, a Tamil interpreter to explain legal terms like those, it’s an even bigger struggle, fraught with the possibility of big mistakes. In response to …
Continue reading ‘Prof. Marco Fiola Creates Canada’s First On Line English -Tamil Legal Glossary’ »
by Deepak Sinha The pathetic condition of Lankan Tamil refugees in India shows how little Chennai really cares about their cause The collective hypocrisy of Chennai’s politicians towards the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka was once again evident in their response to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presence at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. …
By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan An ardent supporter of the present Sri Lankan Government and President Mahinda Rajapaksa, India’s former Union Cabinet Minister, Harvard PhD in Economics, Dr. Subramanian Swamy, who believes in the motto, “I give as good as I get,” says India can only urge Sri Lanka as a friend and cultural sibling to …
By Dharisha Bastians The die is cast, unofficially at least for a presidential election in January 2015. When the poll is declared, President Mahinda Rajapaksa will create history in Sri Lanka as the only incumbent to contest a presidential election for the third consecutive time. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution, passed by a two-thirds …
By Fabian Cornelius PETALING JAYA: About 30 representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), led by Suaram, protested at the police headquarters in Bukit Aman against the deportation of three Sri Lankan Tamil refugees. Two of the three have United Nations High Commission on Refugee (UNHCR) status while the other’s asylum request is still pending. At 11.30am, …
by Peter Oborne Veteran political correspondents like me recall Michael Morris, Deputy Speaker of the Commons from 1992-97, with a great deal of affection. He carried off the role with plenty of brio and style. Michael Morris has since been deservedly elevated to the House of Lords, where he has taken the name of Lord …
Archaeologists have unearthed several Buddhist artefacts including slates, ancient bricks and Sri Pada symbols in excavations carried out in Kilinochchi, Sivanagar and Uriththirapuram, the army said. Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe, Commander of SFHQ-KLN had requested a team of archaeologists to visit the site after an army troop came across the site a few days ago. …
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by Vishwamithra1984 “In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organized robbery?” ~Saint Augustine Thirty seven years ago, in 1977, when the country was in the grip of a rule by one single Family, the Bandaranaikes, the country chose in an overwhelming manner to dispel that ‘Family’ from power. The scourge of the Family …
By Seely de Silva The public areas of Colombo are being taken care of, with the boundary walls surrounding government buildings and offices coming down, good roads, lovely pavements, beautiful areas for walking and relaxing, lovely lawns and paths and gorgeous trees and flowers to feast our eyes on. It is absolutely marvellous when the …
by Karthick S CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa has taken a firm stand on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue despite conciliatory gestures by the Island nation in recent times, including release of Indian fishermen from the jails in that country. In a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on …
By Ori.Z. Soltes In the ongoing discussion of a “two-state solution,” one Israeli and one Palestinian, an obvious, little-discussed issue—at least not publicly—is that even a viable Palestinian state offers a logistical problem given that its two parts, the West Bank and Gaza, will be separated by Israel. One could argue that, under sincere peace …
By B. Muralidhar Reddy Ruling out joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa, however, kept the door open for support to the Narendra Modi government in the Rajya Sabha, where it has no numbers to be anywhere near a simple majority to ensure passage of Bills. …
by N Sathiya Moorthy. By calling for general elections based on ‘proportionate representation’ and blaming the Election Commission for the poll-eve ban under Section 144 as the near-exclusive cause for the party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha polls, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu has once again sought to deflect serious issues that are …
by Konrad Marshall Leo Seemanpillai met his new ”mum”, Cathie Bond, almost a year ago on a cold night in Geelong. Cathie, a retired art teacher and volunteer, was handing out ”welcome packs” to new asylum seekers, distributing food and toiletries, undies and socks, ”to give them some dignity”. Remembrance: Leo’s Australian ”mum” Cathie Bond …
by N. Sathiya Moorthy Independent of expectations to the contrary from various stakeholders to the ‘ethnic issue’ in neighbouring Sri Lanka, the personal touch of India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone could be a departure, if any, from the well-considered Indian policy from the past. That India’s Sri Lanka policy can do with a …
By ADAM LIPTAK WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday turned down an appeal from James Risen, a reporter for The New York Times facing jail for refusing to identify a confidential source. The court’s one-line order gave no reasons but effectively sided with the government in a confrontation between what prosecutors said was an …
By Dharisha Bastians The UN team probing major human rights abuses by both sides during the last seven years of the Sri Lankan war will comprise at least 13 members, supervised by two experts, including at least one high profile personality in the international arena, the Daily FT exclusively learns. The experts and sections of …
In a dramatic twist, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has avowed to enter politics one day, if his entry is approved by his brother and President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Speaking to our newly launched Sunday sister newspaper Deshaya, the Defence Secretary said that while he had no personal interest in politics, he would enter the fray if …
By LIGAYA MISHAN The shiny black table reflects blue sky, banana fronds and distant birds with eyelash wings. Outside, signs for mortgages and driving lessons loom over this tired stretch of Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. But inside Spicy Lanka, clouds drift, as does the mind. Spicy Lanka opened in February in Jamaica, Queens. Pratheepan …
N. Sathiya Moorthy If anyone thought that they could fool around with India’s new, ‘inexperienced’ and ‘un-tested’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi on foreign policy issues in particular, news reports about his post-inauguration meetings with visiting Heads of Governments from SAARC nations suggest otherwise. Not only were those meeting more than a courtesy call, PM Modi …
By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan India should not unilaterally and directly deal with the Sri Lankan Tamil population, Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and economist, Dr. Subramanian Swamy, told Ceylon Today. Dr. Swamy, who has always been a diehard fan of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and admires him for not wavering or wobbling in the face …
By Gnana Moonesinghe “The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits.” – Plutarch “It’s no crime to light a lamp in the darkness, For swallows need the blue sky of March And bees need a flowering orchard.” – Tsou Ti Fan Following his victory …
By C.A.Chandraprema It was reported that the new prime minister of India Narendra Modi in his first meeting with Sri Lanka’s president after his swearing in, had asked the latter to “expedite the process of national reconciliation in a manner that meets the aspirations of the Tamil community by fully implementing the 13th Amendment to …
By David Ebert The sloth bear’s reputation for being one of the most elusive animals in Sri Lanka’s wilderness is a well-earned one. Very rarely would you catch one off guard while it strolls along the many roads that criss-cross Yala National Park Block 1, as with it being quite a shy animal, it would …
Continue reading ‘In Search of the Elusive Sri Lankan Sloth Bear at Yala.’ »
By Richard Kay and Geoffrey Levy Bedtime for the Queen on recent chilly spring evenings has not been complete without one of her most cherished pleasures — a hot water bottle, placed snugly between the silken sheets. Imagine Her Majesty’s shock, on retiring to her large first-floor bedroom overlooking the gardens at Buckingham Palace just …
By Sathya Liyanasuriya She may not have made headlines in Sri Lanka yet but Sushma Swaraj, the first woman to be appointed as India’s Minister of External Affairs will be a key player in forging that country’s foreign policy towards Sri Lanka over the next few years. Swaraj was sworn in for the vital portfolio …
(Full Text of Letter Sent to Tamil Nadu chief Minister Ms.Jayalalithaa Jayaram by Tamil National Alliance Leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan M.P.) Chelvi J Jeyalalitha, Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister’s Office, Tamil Nadu. Dear Chief Minister, I write to you as the Leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), democratically elected to substantially represent the Tamil …
By Dharisha Bastians President Mahinda Rajapaksa may have metaphorically leapt into new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arms this week, but in the beginning there was Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. The Congress Party won Parliamentary elections in 2004, returning the Gandhi family dynasty to the helm of Indian politics after a hiatus of eight …
by Col R Hariharan [This is a summary of author’s comments made on May 27 to English and Tamil newspapers and magazines as well as on TV news channels.] Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had faced more flak and investigations than any other aspirant stepping into the shoes of a prime minister, has shown on …
By MARGALIT FOX Maya Angelou, whose landmark book of 1969, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” — a lyrical, unsparing account of her childhood in the Jim Crow South — was among the first autobiographies by a 20th-century black woman to reach a wide general readership, died on Wednesday at her home in Winston-Salem, …
Continue reading ‘Maya Angelou: Lyrical Witness to Jim Crow, and the Caged Bird’ »
Well known Carnatic vocalist Jayalakshmi, one half of the famous Radha-Jayalakshmi duo, passed away in the early hours of Monday May 26th. Ailing for quite a while, she had been hospitalised in Chennai for about a month when the end came. Jayalakshmi of the Radha-Jayalakshmi duo, known for her timbre and ‘briga’-laden voice stood out …
By Karu Jayasuriya M.P. (Text of Statement issued by Hon. Karu Jayasuriya, Chairman of the Leadership Council, UNP) It is patently clear that the Government coalition led by the United National Freedom Alliance (UPFA) is embroiled in a crisis. The crisis has reached such a zenith, one can hardly feel, sense or detect any authentic …
The Ravana Balaya staged a protest inside the Religious Affairs Ministry today against the new police unit launched to investigate incidents related to any religion.
The Sri Lanka Business and Biodiversity Platform of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce together with Hatton National Bank and Dilmah Conservation – Patron Members of the Platform – hosted a successful public event to mark the United Nations International Day for Biological Diversity which fell on 22 May under the declared theme for this year …
by N Sathiya M0orthy The presence of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was not the only reason why Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa stayed away from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, says N Sathiya Moorthy. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa kept the nation waiting for a while before deciding to skip the …
(Kuala Lumpur) – Sri Lankan authorities should ensure the safety of two refugees and an asylum seeker whom Malaysiaforcibly returned to Sri Lanka in violation of international law, Human Rights Watch said today. All three were under the protection of the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, which recognized two as refugees and was in the …
By Dharisha Bastians President Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose Government has been euphoric about the BJP victory, held his first official talks with the newly-sworn-in Premier of India yesterday, but found that Narendra Modi echoed the call of his predecessors for full devolution under the terms of the 13th Amendment and beyond for Sri Lankan Tamils. The …
By Upul Joseph Fernando Mahinda Rajapaksa is a pragmatic politician. When the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was close to win the election in India, he called on Shiv Sena Leader, Uddhav Thackeray, who is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also strengthened ties with Leader of Janatha Party, Subramaniam Swamy. He invited this ardent …
By Harin Fernando M.P. If ever there was a contest to determine the best comedian amongst the members of the Cabinet, the accolade would undoubtedly be conferred on Wimal Weerawansa. Even though many of the Cabinet members are all comedians, Weerawansa is a clear cut winner in comic acting; so much so that he can …
By Vishwamithra1984 “You believe today’s paradigms are not going to change…. Ask the caveman then if his paradigms changed or not. Think for yourself, you lose. Think for coming generations you win”. -Sameh Elsayed The Indian National Elections that concluded on May 16, 2014 were, in more than one sense a landmark victory for democracy. …
By N Sathiya Moorthy By inviting SAARC Heads of Government for his inauguration, prime minister-designate Narendra Modi has demonstrated a firm grip over the emerging foreign policy scenario(s) and his vision of and for an India of the future. With the much-hyped Pakistan conundrum taking a shape of its own, more so in the so-called …
By Chamitha Kuruppu “Going as part of President Rajapaksa’s entourage would give the impression that all is fine between the Northern Provincial Council and the Government of Sri Lanka, when in fact it is not,” said Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran. Wigneswaran, who hit headlines last week following his refusal to join …
By Fabian Cornelius PETALING JAYA: Human rights watchdog Suaram today claimed that the Malaysian government had deported three Sri Lankan refugees secretly to their homeland without adhering to the proper legal channels. “Yesterday the government secretly deported the three Sri Lankan refugees to Sri Lanka,” said Suaram’s spokesperson R Thevarajan at a press conference today. …
By Supun Dias and Sanath Desmond Three LTTE suspects, who were arrested by the Malaysian Law Enforcement Authority on May 15, were handed over the Sri Lankan Police, police said. Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said that the three suspects were brought to Sri Lankan last night and they were being questioned by the Terrorist …
by Sangeetha Amarthalingam GEORGE TOWN: Death awaits the three Sri Lankan Tamils arrested in Kuala Lumpur if they were to be deported to their home country, said Deputy Chief Minister (II) P Ramasamy. He said the police have disrespected the refugee status given by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to the three who …
by Chee Yuan Gho PETALING JAYA: Three foreign men suspected to be the members of the Sri Lankan Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist group were picked up in Selangor last week. Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed the arrest in a statement today, elaborating that the trio were nabbed …
Three Suspected members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) who were arrested in Malaysia on May 15th 2014 were handed over to Sri Lankan Authorities it is learnt.The three persons arrested in three different places in Selangor Province had been registered as refugees with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Malaysian authorities deported the …
By B.Kolappan Everyone probably has their own unique reason to be in Chennai. But a poet’s mind clearly explains the city’s charm. When he was struggling to get a toehold in the film world, late comedian N.S. Krishnan advised lyricist ‘Pattukottai’ Kalayanasundaram to leave the city instead of languishing in poverty. The lyricist rejected the …
Angry and widespread protests, including attempted rail rokos, were staged across the State on Monday to protest the participation of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the swearing-in of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet in New Delhi. Tamil enthusiasts and Eelam supporters such as the Naam Tamizhar Katchi, besides the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi …
Pon. Radhakrishnan, the only minister from Tamil Nadu in the Narendra Modi government, has his political roots in the RSS in the late 1970s, when Kanyakumari district witnessed political mobilisation on religious lines. Born into a rich family at Alathankarai in the district, Mr. Radhakrishnan, a lawyer by training, quit the profession to become a …
BY B. KOLAPPAN&SRUTHISAGAR YAMUNAN For the first time in 18 years, Tamil Nadu will not have a Cabinet-rank Minister at the Centre. It has to be content with a single ministerial berth. BJP State president Pon. Radhakrishnan, elected from Kanyakumari, has been accommodated as a Minister of State (MoS) in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet. …
BY PRAVEEN SWAMI Looking at the calendar of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-powered national security team, it is tempting to think there are good times ahead for them: Brasilia, in July, for the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa BRICS summit; the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September; Nay Pyi Taw in October, for a summit …
BY SMITA GUPTA Not surprisingly, the lion’s share of berths in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Council of Ministers went to States north of the Vindhyas, with a mere half-a-dozen to the four southern States. And, of the northern States, Uttar Pradesh that delivered 71 of the 336 seats that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) …
Corporate India has come out to express confidence in the new government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the hope that the business scenario in India will see better times soon. Corporate India, led by the Ambanis, Mittals, Munjals, Adanis, Hindujas and Ruias, was in full strength at Mr. Modi’s swearing in ceremony in New …
Marking the beginning of a new era in Indian politics, Narendra Modi was today sworn in Prime Minister at the head of a 45—member coalition government after the elections that saw the BJP gain absolute majority in 30 years. 63—year—old Modi, the first leader to get a landslide victory for the BJP, became the 15th …
MDMK chief Vaiko was today detained along with 100 of his party cadres for deSri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.fying prohibitory orders after he led a demonstration here against the visit of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. A section of the protestors also set the Sri Lankan national flag on fire, …
Narendra Modi, who will be sworn in as India’s Prime Minister on Monday, will have a 45-member strong Council of Ministers. Out of these, 24 are Cabinet Ministers. Ten are Ministers of State with Independent Charge, while the rest are Ministers of State. Sources say Modi is set to retain Defence portfolio.
MDMK chief Vaiko, an NDA ally, on Monday held a protest in the national capital against the visit of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. Mr. Vaiko held a black-flag demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
Tamil superstar Rajnikanth, who had been invited to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi on Monday, will not attend the function, sources close to the actor said. They said the actor was not in town and, therefore, would not attend the ceremony, which will see Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Pakistan Prime Minister …
Reacting to the invitation to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has decided not to attend the swearing-in of Narendra Modi. She is not sending any party MP either to represent her. The Sri Lankan Tamils issue has outweighed other considerations in her decision, sources in the AIADMK said.
By Meera Srinivasan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sunday ordered the release of five Indian fishermen in custody in Colombo as a “goodwill gesture” that comes a day before he leaves to India. On Monday, he will attend the ceremony where BJP leader Narendra Modi’ will be sworn in as Prime Minister of India. Unlike the …
by DILRUKSHI HANDUNNETTI The newly-elected Bharathiya Janatha Party (BJP) will introduce a ‘baggage-free’ foreign policy that will allow India to foster relations with each SAARC member country and in that discourse, Sri Lanka – India’s strategic neighbour – will enjoy a special place, Spokesperson for the Bharathiya Janatha Party (BJP), Nirmala Sitharaman, told Ceylon Today. …
By Stanley Samarasinghe M. Kairul Nisa Awoof, a practising Muslim woman, filed a fundamental rights application before the Supreme Court, seeking permission to enter the premises of Nawala Janadhipathi Balika Vidyalaya clad in the Islamic attire. According to the petition, filed through her lawyer, Gowry Shangary Thavarasa, the petitioner, a mother of four children, shifted …
BY FAIZER SHAHEID Members of the medical fraternity are seemingly disconcerted by the silence of the authorities in relation to the National Medicinal Drugs, Devices and Cosmetics Regulatory Authority Bill (NMDDCRA) currently being studied by a consultative committee. Approximately 15,000 or more registered medicinal drugs are being distributed in Sri Lanka, of which a majority …
Opposing the invitation to Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa for Narendra Modi’s swearing—in as Prime Minister, BJP ally MDMK on Saturday announced a black flag demonstration against the head of the island republic in Delhi on May 26. A similar protest will be held in Chennai the same day, he said.
The Government has issued an order to freeze all funds, other financial assets and economic resources of persons, groups and entities designated and listed in March on suspicion of terrorist financing. The 39-page list was promulgated in terms of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSRC) 1373 and contains the names of 424 persons and 16 entities, …
By Keith Jones India’s corporate media has proclaimed the victory of the Hindu communalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in India’s just-concluded general election a massive popular endorsement for sweeping pro-market “reform.” This is a lie. While the BJP, with 31 percent of the popular vote, became the first party …
THE most important change in the world over the past 30 years has been the rise of China. The increase in its average annual GDP per head from around $300 to $6,750 over the period has not just brought previously unimagined prosperity to hundreds of millions of people, but has also remade the world economy …
BY HARTOSH SINGH BAL The year 1984 is being invoked a lot in the wake of the Narendra Modi victory. Even though the circumstances were different then, it was the last time a single party won an absolute majority in an Indian election. That election saw another new prime minister, bearing the stain of majoritarian …
By C.A.Chandraprema Last week, we saw Sri Lanka positioning itself in the new world order as we watched. President Mahinda Rajapaksa attended a summit meeting of the hitherto little heard of ‘Conference on Interaction and Confidence building measures in Asia,’ an organization with the acronym CICA. Everybody has heard of the Non-Aligned Movement, of NATO, …
“The Nation” newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief Malinda Seneviratne was awarded the Gratiaen Prize 2013 for Creative Writing in English for his collection of poetry: ‘Edges’. The winner of the 2013 prize was announced this evening.
By D P Satish New Delhi: Dr Subramanian Swamy, a senior BJP leader and a strong critic of the LTTE, has asked the Prime Minister elect Narendra Modi to bring all our neighbours together on the day of his swearing-in. Speaking to ibnlive, Dr Swamy said, “it is a masterstroke. It is a Modi masterstroke. …
(Full Text of a Statement Issued on behalf of the Tamil National Alliance by its leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan M.P.It was released to the press by the TNA Media office) The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) wishes to unequivocally condemn the recent action taken by the Government of Sri Lanka to designate several Tamil diaspora organisations and …
(Text of a letter sent by Tamil National Alliance Leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan M.P. to India’s Prime minister elect Narendra Modi.Letter was released by the TNA Media office) Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, Prime Minister’s office, New Delhi, Dear Prime Minister I write to you as the leader of the Tamil National Alliance, the political formation …
by Tahir Mehdi In Pakistan, apprehensions are rife about Narendra Modi’s flamboyant success. But fervent Modi supporters in the Indian middle classes prefer to place him in the economic governance arena. Dawn recently talked to renowned Indian writer, Arundhati Roy, in Delhi to explore what Modi’s rise means for India. “The massive, steeply climbing GDP …
Continue reading ‘“India has a Democratically Elected Totalitarian Govt Now” Says Arundhati Roy’ »
By Dharisha Bastians In an apparent bid to reach out to the Tamil National Alliance, President Mahinda Rajapaksa invited the Northern Chief Minister to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Indian Premier designate Narendra Modi, but the former Supreme Court Judge has declined the overture. “I am pleased to extend to you an invitation to be …
Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Proposes Trip to New Delhi but CV Wigneswaran Disposes.’ »
BY MEERA SRINIVASAN The Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran, on Friday declined to join a delegation headed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday.Responding to a letter from Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris — who wrote to Mr. Wigneswaran …