By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The armed struggle launched by Tamil militant groups to achieve the objective of a separate Tamil state caused massive loss of life and bloodshed. Many of those killed were victims of internecine conflict and fratricidal warfare. Among the many who were killed was Subathiran alias Robert, a charismatic personality with a colourful history. …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj President Ranil Wickremesinghe has commenced a series of discussions with Parliamentarians from the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka with the objective of resolving the Tamil national question. Currently talks are underway with Tamil MPs from the five Northern and three Eastern administrative districts. These MPs are from both the Government …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) on 21 May 1991. He was killed at a place called Sriperumbhudur in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Death came in the form of Dhanu a young Tamil woman from Sri Lanka. Dressed in …
Continue reading ‘The Killing of Former Indian Prime Minister of Rajiv Gandhi on 21 May 1991’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The lengthy brutal war between the armed forces of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) came to an end in May 2009. Even as the 14th anniversary of the war’s end is being observed, the Island nation continues to grapple with the consequences of the conflict. The causes that led …
Continue reading ‘13 May 2006: Night of Terror for Civilians in the Northern Islands’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The demise of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran occurred fourteen years ago. The tigers as the LTTE was known were defeated militarily by the armed forces of Sri Lanka in May 2009. Prabhakaran’s dead body was found on the shores of the Nandhikkadal lagoon in Mullaitheevu district on 19 May …
Continue reading ‘Little-known Facts About Legendary LTTE Leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The focus of this two part article is former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) deputy military chief Kandiah Balasegaran alias “Brigadier “Balraj regarded as the finest commander the tigers ever had. Balraj was a much admired military tactician reputed for leading from the front.He died of a heart attack fifteen years ago on …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Devoting the first Saturday article in each month to a film, film personality or film-related topic is a practice being followed by this column. As such this week’s column focuses on a Sri Lankan actor who made a name for himself in radio plays, stage dramas and movies. The actor known popularly as …
Continue reading ‘Hindu Brahmin Actor Ramdas Became Famous for his Muslim “Marikkar” Role’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Let me begin this article by relating a little known incident that occurred in 2003. The peace process facilitated by Norway prevailed then between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE). The LTTE Deputy military chief at that time was Kandiah Balasegaran alias “Col”Balraj. The legendary tiger military …
Continue reading ‘“Brigadier” Balraj was the Finest Military Commander the LTTE ever had’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former President Ranasinghe Premadasa was killed 30 years ago on 1 May 1993 at 12:45 p.m. along with 17 others in a bomb explosion that also injured 38 more persons at the Grandpass Road – Armour Street junction in Colombo. He was inspecting a May Day procession of the party. The assassin was …
Continue reading ‘Ranasinghe Premadasa’s Rocky Road to Sri Lankan Presidency’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The nasty,brutish and lengthy ethnic conflict has resulted in a large number of deaths and disappearances. Among these victims were several Catholic priests. Clergymen like Fr. Mary Bastian. Fr. Wenceslaus, Fr. Chandra Fernando , Fr. Nicholaspillai Packiyaranjith and Fr. Xavier Karunairatnam have been killed. Others like Fr. Herbiet, Fr. Selvarajah and Fr. Jim …
Continue reading ‘Revisiting the Killing of Catholic Priest “Kili Father” by the Army’s LRRP’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This Article was written in 2018 after the demise of Maestro Lester James Peries on 29 April 2018. It is being reposted here without any changes to commemorate the ace filmmaker’s fifth death anniversary) It is with great sorrow that I write of the death of Sri Lanka’s greatest film director Lester James …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Five years have passed since anti-Muslim violence erupted in Amparai/Ampara town in February 2018. Soon afterwards in the first week of March, there was anti- Muslim violence in Digana.Thereafter it spread to other areas in Kandy district like Teldeniya, Pallekalle, Katugastota, and Akurana. The damage in Amparai was very much less when compared …
Continue reading ‘How the “Wanda Pethi” Canard Fomented Anti-Muslim Violence at Amparai in 2018’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Sri Lanka’s eighth executive president and United National Party(UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has a remarkable capacity for generating innovative, out of the box ideas. His creative mind is an inexhaustible mine emitting a number of plans and proposals to cope with crises or surmount problems. The latest in this regard is President …
(Full Text of an Open Appeal to Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe by Journalist D.B.S. Jeyaraj) President Ranil Wickremesinghe 19 April 2023 Dear President Wickremesinghe I write to you in my professional capacity as a journalist writing on Sri Lankan affairs for newspapers published in Sri Lanka about an issue of deep concern to all …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Dudley Shelton Senanayake known as Dudley Senanayake and Dudley passed away 50 years ago om 13 April 1973 at the age of 61. . The former leader of the United National Party(UNP) served as Prime Minister (PM) of Sri Lanka known then as Ceylon four times.In those pre-executive presidency days the Prime …
Continue reading ‘Ranasinghe Premadasa’s Revolt and Dudley Senanayake’s Demise’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This Article Written in April 2015 is re-posted here without any changes to denote the 107th birth anniversary of the World’s first Woman Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike on 17th April 2023) Friday April 17th was the 99th Birth Anniversary of Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike who created history as the world’s first woman Prime …
by D.B.S.Jeyaraj Leader of the opposition Sajith Premadasa and his party the Samagi Jana Balawegaya(SJB) are very much in the news lately. There have been many reports in the mainstream as well as social media that a large number of MPs from the SJB are planning to join the ranks of the Ranil Wickremesinghe Govt …
Continue reading ‘Gathering Political Storm Threatens Sajith and the SJB’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The first three decades of post-independence Sri Lanka known then as Ceylon witnessed a prolonged struggle by the Tamils to have their lost rights restored and to achieve political equality through acceptable power sharing arrangements. This struggle was conducted within the ambit of democratic dissent.It’s singular hallmark was the adoption of …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Friday March 24 was the 74th birthday of Ranil Sriyan Wickremesinghe. The Sri Lankan president was born in Colombo on 24 March 1949. This Birthday would have been a delighful one for Ranil for two reasons. This is the first birthday he celebrated as the executive president of Sri Lanka. The other reason …
Continue reading ‘With IMF Boost, Ranil is Confident of Winning the 2024 Presidential Election’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj ( Former “Sunday Leader”Editor and my Friend Lasantha Wickrematunge was born on 5 April 1958. This article published in January 2023 is re-posted here to commemorate his 65th birth anniversary) Friends,Family members, colleagues, schoolmates and admirers of Lasantha Wickrematunge converged on Sunday January 8th at the Kanatte cemetery in Borella. . They gathered …
Continue reading ‘Lasantha Wickrematunge: The Fearless Editor who Spoke Truth to Power’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This Article published in May 2022 is re-posted here without any changes to denote the 104th Birth anniversary of my favourite Sinhala film Director Lester James Peries on 5 April 2023.) This column focuses this month on my favourite Sinhala film director Lester James Peries and his award winning film “Gamperaliya” . Lester’s …
Continue reading ‘Lester James Peries and the Double Gold Winning “Gamperaliya”’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Jeyaraj’s Jottings US President Joe Biden has signed into law the historic “Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act” giving the US Department of Justice (DOJ) jurisdiction to prosecute persons present in the U.S. for war crimes committed anywhere in the world regardless of the nationality of alleged perpetrator or victim. This law, …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (Peoples Liberation Front)led Jathika Jana Balawegaya (National Peoples Power) has gone to courts seeking elections to local government bodies. A fundamental rights petition was filed in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka by Parliamentarian Dr.Harini Amarasuriya, former MP Sunil Hadunneththi and National Peoples Power (NPP) secretary Dr. Nihal Jayasinghe …
Continue reading ‘JVP led National Peoples Power Scents the Sweet Smell of Electoral Success.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) formed in May 1976, conducted a 33 year long armed struggle until May 2009 , to establish a separate state in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. Although the LTTE known as the “tiger organization ” was basically a guerilla outfit, it adopted positional warfare …
Continue reading ‘“Brigadier” Theepan; Heroic Saga of a Northern Warrior’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Sri Lanka is experiencing a tremendous economic crisis. Several knowledgeable persons describe the current period as the worst ever phase in the Island nation’s post-Independence history. Many acts of omission and commission are being faulted for this calamity. Mercifully none have blamed Lanka’s national anthem as the cause so far. This however was …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Many Sri Lankan political leaders have been assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) in the past. Several of these LTTE victims were known to me in my professional capacity as a journalist. Some of them had over the years become personal friends. I remember them all with sadness and feel their …
Continue reading ‘Remembering Jaffna MP Yogeswaran who was Popular Among Tamil Youths.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Members of a dozen Sri Lankan Tamil families gathered in the evening at the residence of a fellow Tamil in Switzerland in early November 2022. They had all been ardent sympathisers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when the tigers were militarily active in Sri Lanka. Most of them were from …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (Popular Tamil film actor M. N. Nambiar who excelled in playing “villain”roles on screen was born on March 7th 1919. This article appearing in the “Spotlight” cinema Column of the “Daily FT” on November 28th 2015 is being re-posted here with minor changes in the first paragraph to denote the 103rd birth anniversary …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former Tamil Nadu state legislator and leader of the Tamil Nationalist Movement (Thamizh Thesiya Iyakkam) Pazhaniyappan Nedumaran created a stir on February 13 by making a sensational announcement. The 89 year old Tamil politician ( turns 90 on March 10) held a press conference in Thanjavur on Monday and attempted to resurrect Liberation …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Tamil Nadu Chief Minister muttuvel Karunanidhi Stalin known as M.K.Stalin celebrates his 70th Birth Anniversaty on Wednesday March 1st 2023. Described as “Thalapathy”(commander)by his ardent followers and supporters, the “septuagenarian”Stalin is the leader of the Dravidian Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) known as the Dravidian Progressive Federation in English. Stalin is the son of legendary …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (Ms.Jayalalithaa Jayaram was born on February 24th 1948. This article originally written in 2016 for the “Spotlight”film affairs column in the “Daily Financial Times” is being re-posted here with slight changes to denote “Amma”s 75th Birth anniversary on 24 Feb 2023) The demise in 2016 of alluring actress turned powerful politico Jayalalithaa Jayaram …
Continue reading ‘When actress Jayalalithaa reigned as uncrowned Queen of Tamil cinema’ »
by D.B.S.Jeyaraj Jaffna City the capital of Sri Lanka’s predominantly Tamil speaking northern province was described as the cultural capital of the Tamils of Sri Lanka during its halcyon days. The escalation of the ethnic conflict along with the advent of armed conflict transformed life for Jaffna residents as it did for most Tamils of …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Tamil Nadu in South India is geographically the closest Indian state to Sri Lanka. Tamil Nadu meaning Tamil country has a population of 72,147,030 according to the 2011 Census. The state has spawned many colourful political personalities. Standing out among these figures is actress -politico Jayalalithaa Jayaram who was elected as Tamil Nadu …
by D.B.S.JEYARAJ 40 years ago on 13 February 1983, a privately owned Lear Jet plane flew out of Malaysia’s Subang Airport at 8.41 PM with six persons on board.It was expected to reach Colombo by 9.45 pm that night. 15 minutes after taking off, the plane lost radio contact with the airport.The final message received …
Continue reading ‘Upali Wijewardene: Much-loved Business Magnate with the “Midas” Touch.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ is the title of a long tale written by Rudyard Kipling in 1888. This very popular story was made into a successful film starring Sean Connery, Michael Caine and Christopher Plummer by the well-known director John Huston in 1975. The objective of this article however is not …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This article was first written in 2018 for the “Spotlight” column in the “Daily Financial Times” to commemorate the 30th death anniversary of popular actor-politician Vijaya Kumaratunga. It was subsequently posted on my blog. The article is being re-posted without any changes to denote the 35th death anniversary of Vijaya on Feb 16th …
Continue reading ‘Evergreen Memories of Actor-Politician Vijaya Kumaratunga’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The 1962 Coup Conspiracy – Part Two This is the second in a new intermittent series of articles by this column about the 1962 coup conspiracy. Last week’s article provided an outline of the coup conspiracy that aimed at seizing power through a well coordinated exercise codenamed “ Operation Holdfast”. A large …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Favourite Film Songs – 8 “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 The resplendent Island of Sri Lanka celebrates her seventy-fifth anniversary of Independence from Britain today – February 4th 2023. Earlier there was some hope in the air that the contours of a political settlement to the Tamil national question would be publicised by President Ranil Wicremesinghe on this 75th freedom day. It was …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (“Unrepentant Maoist” Nagalingam Sanmugathasan known to all as “Comrade Shan”passed away on 8th February 1993. This article written in July last year is reposted without any changes to denote the Communist party leader’s 30th death anniversary) Mao Zedong widely referred to as Chairman Mao was the revolutionary communist who played a pivotal role …
Continue reading ‘Memories of Pro-China Communist Party Leader Comrade “Shan”’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The 1962 Coup Conspiracy – Part One Sri Lanka formerly known as Ceylon is about to celebrate its 75th anniversary of independence from Britain on February 4th. The Island nation has in its 75 year post-independence period experienced several troubles and upheavals ranging from communal pogroms to internal civil wars.In spite of …
Continue reading ‘Objective of 1962 Coup Conspiracy was Overthrowing the SLFP Govt Overnight.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and Nuwara-Eliya district MP Jeevan Kumaravel Thondaman was inducted as cabinet minister into the Government headed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe last week. He was sworn in as the minister in charge of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development by the President on 19 January 2023.Known popularly as Jeevan, the …
Continue reading ‘Jeevan Thondaman Sets a Record as Sri Lanka’s Youngest – Ever Cabinet Minister’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj “Naghaichchuvai Mannan” (King of Comedy) Nagesh passed away in Chennai on Jan 31st 2009. His 14th death anniversary is being commemorated this year. He was born on September 27th 1933.His 90th birth anniversary will be celebrated later this year. Nagesh was the undisputed king of comedians in Tamil cinema from the early …
Continue reading ‘“Nagaichuvai Mannan” Nagesh: The Comedy King of Tamil Cinema’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which is the premier political configuration of the Sri Lankan Tamils in the Northern and Eastern Provinces is currently fragmented. The chief constituent Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) is on one side while the other two constituent parties namely the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization(TELO( and Peoples Liberation Organization …
by D.B.S.JEYARAJ These are trying times for Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s former President and Ex-Defence secretary.Faced with a massive wide-spread peoples protest last year , the then President known popularly as Gota, deserted post and went abroad from where he relinquished office. Finding himself unwelcome in most countries,Gota returned home. Thereafter he has been …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Over the past four decades, the people of Sri Lanka have suffered a great deal due to the armed conflict, economic and political instability, and gross violations of human rights. Canada is steadfast in its support to attain peace, reconciliation, justice and accountability on the island. Canada has taken decisive action today to …
Continue reading ‘Canada’s Targeted Sanctioning of Sri Lankan Ex-presidents Gotabaya and Mahinda.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Tamil National Alliance(TNA)with 10 seats in Parliament is currently facing an internal crisis.. The premier political configuration of the Sri Lankan Tamils in the Northern and Eastern provinces is being plagued by intra-party rivalry within its constituent parties. The Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK), the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) and the …
Continue reading ‘TNA was Born in 2001 Due to Elections Shock of 2000’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This article written last year is re-posted here without any changes to denote the 106th Birth anniversary of well -known actor and Former Tamil Nadu chief minister M.G.Ramachandran on 17 January 2023) India is Sri Lanka’s closest neighbour. Among the Indian states, it is the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu that is …
Continue reading ‘How Actor MGR Became Chief Minister: Cinematic Politics of M.G.Ramachandran’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Talks are currently on between the Government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Tamil National Alliance(TNA)led by veteran Trincomalee district MP Rajavarothayam Sampanthan. This round of Govt-TNA talks commenced on 9 Jan.Earlier talks between the Govt and TNA delegations were scheduled for days four days at a stretch from Jan 10 to 13. …
Continue reading ‘Suspension of Govt-TNA Talks and the Power Sharing Quest of Sri Lankan Tamils.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader and Colombo District MP,Mano Ganesan received a telephone call from Ranil Wickremesinghe on 19 July 2022. It was a day before the Presidential election where the members of Parliament were scheduled to vote and elect a new executive president to fill the vacancy created by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s …
by D.B.S.Jeyaraj 15th Death Anniversary of Shanmuganathan Ravishankar alias Col Arulventhan a.k.a Charles (Shanmuganathan Ravishankar alias Col Arulventhan a.k.a Charles of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE)was killed on January 5th 2008. This article written within a week of his death in Jan 2008 is reproduced here on account of his fifteenth death anniversary) The …
Continue reading ‘“Col Charles”: The”tiger” Mastermind Behind LTTE Attacks Outside North-East’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This article written last year is re-posted without changes to mark the 17th anniversary of the gruesome killings) A solemn, low key memorial event was held in Trincomalee town on Sunday January 2nd. Relatives and friends laid flowers and lit candles and lamps in memory of five Tamil youths killed in Trincomalee town …
Continue reading ‘Killing of Five Tamil Students in Trinco Town: Emblematic Case of Impunity’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Favourite Film Songs – 7 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 MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERY ONE! COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON TO ALL!! It’s Christmas season again! An integral part of Christmas is the singing of Christmas carols in churches as well as at events celebrating Christmas. The Many Faces of Christmas – Shaped Wooden Puzzle from Sri Lanka ~ Photographed at an exhibit of …
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj (Popular Tamil Nadu Film Actor cum Political Leader M.G.Ramachandran known as “MGR” passed away in Chennai on December 24th 1987.. This article written earlier for the “Spotlight” Column of “Daily Financial Times” is reproduced here to denote MGR’s 35th Death anniversary) There was a time when the magical initials MGR were a …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This Article written in December 2020 is re-posted without changes to denote the 17th death anniversary of former Batticaloa MP Joseph Pararajasingham) ‘Murder in the Cathedral’ is a drama written in verse by the great poet, essayist and playwright Thomas Stearnes Eliot known to the literary world as T.S. Eliot. It is based …
Continue reading ‘Murder in the Cathedral: Christmas Killing of TNA MP Joseph Pararajasingham’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Favourite Film Songs – 6 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 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) supremo Veluppillai Prabhakaran along with many senior LTTE leaders was killed in the military confrontation with Sri Lanka’s armed forces in May 2009. With that military debacle in the Mullivaaikkaal area of Mullaitheevu district, the LTTE – known as the tigers – ceased to be a functional entity …
Continue reading ‘Sivashankar alias “Pottu Ammaan” the LTTE’s Much -Dreaded Intelligence Chief’ »
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj Favourite Film Songs – 5 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 (This Article written last year is re-posted here with slight changes to denote the 16th death anniversary of former LTTE political strategist Anton Stanislaus Balasingham on 14 December 2022) The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ‘Arasiyal Madhiuraignar’ (Political Adviser) Anton Stanislaus Balasingham passed away 16 years ago at his South London residence …
Continue reading ‘LTTE Political Adviser Anton Balasingham:Up, Close and Personal.’ »
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 -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 (This Article written two years ago is re-posted here without any changes) Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the Presidential Elections on 16 November 2019. He was formally sworn in as President two days later at the Ruwanweliseya in Anuradhapura. Today 18 November is the first anniversary of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa assuming office. Incidentally the …
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 Tamil National Alliance (TNA)leader and Trincomalee district MP, Rajavarothayam Sampanthan wrote a politically important letter to President Ranil Wickremesinghe on 14 September 2022. In that detailed missive the veteran Tamil MP pinpointed several measures being enacted under the current regime affecting the Tamil people. Chief among these was the alleged move to construct …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This article written in May 2020 is re-posted here WITHOUT ANY CHANGES to denote the 68th birth anniversary of LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran on November 26) The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed 11 years ago in combat with the armed forces of Sri Lanka on 19 May …
Continue reading ‘Tale of a Tiger: Facets of LTTE Supremo Veluppillai Prabhakaran’s Life.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This article written in 2021 is being reposted without any changes to denote the 33rd LTTE Great Heroes Day of 27 November 2022) ‘Maaveerar Naal’ or Great Heroes Day (GHD) is observed on 27 November by sections of Sri Lankan Tamils regarded as being generally supportive of the Tigers. It is the day …
Continue reading ‘Great Heroes Day (Maaveerar Naal) was a Partisan Event Of, For and By the LTTE.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Popular Tamil cinema actor Gemini Ganesan whose 102nd birth anniversary was on November 17th , is regarded widely as the greatest romantic lover in Tamil cinema . In a career spanning more than five decades Gemini Ganesan made his mark in Tamil films as the romantic hero par excellence. In fact he was …
Continue reading ‘“Kaadhal Mannan” Gemini Ganesan: On- screen Romancer and Off-screen Casanova.’ »
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj (Legendary “Villain”actor of Tamil cinema M.N.Nambiar passed away fourteen years ago in Chennai on November 19th 2008. I wrote an article about him then which was published in the “Daily Mirror”of Colombo. I am reproducing a slightly edited version of that article on my blog now to commemorate his 14th death anniversary. …
Continue reading ‘M.N. Nambiar: Legendary “Villain” of Tamil Cinema’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) has ceased to exist as a functioning entity after its military defeat on the shores of Nandhikkadal lagoon in May 2009. The LTTE at its heyday was a very powerful politico-military organization that controlled extensive swathes of territory in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Patabandi Don Nandasiri Wijeweera known to the world at large as Rohana Wijeweera was killed 33 years ago on 13 November 1989.The revolutionary leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) or People’s Liberation Front was 49 years old at the time of his death. The mastermind behind two bloody insurrections – in 1971 …
Continue reading ‘Sensational Capture and “Unofficial” Execution of JVP Leader Rohana Wijeweera.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The election of Mahinda Rajapaksa as Sri Lanka’s fifth executive president in November 2005 saw the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) intensifying. The new president appointed his US citizen younger brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the all-powerful secretary of Defence. Gotabaya retired colonel of the Sri Lankan army his erstwhile …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Fifteen years ago on 2nd November 2007, the former political wing chief of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTEE), Thamilselvan (spelled also as Tamilselvan and Thamilchelvan) was killed along with some other tiger operatives in an airstrike conducted by the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF). The incident grabbed worldwide attention when it …
Continue reading ‘When an Air Force “Giant Bomb” Killed the LTTE’s “Smiling Face” 15 Years ago.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The course of contemporary politics in Sri Lanka has created a situation where federalism or the federal idea is identified with the political aspirations of the Tamils of Sri Lanka. The “IlangathThamizhar”or Lankan Tamils whose areas of historic habitation in the Island are the predominantly Tamil speaking Northern and Eastern provinces have for …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj This article was written in 2015 to mark the Twenty – Fifth Anniversary of Muslim Mass Expulsion From North by the LTTE.It is being re-posted without any changes to denote the 32nd annivrsary of the tragic event The Investigation launched by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has …
by D.B.S.JEYARAJ 17 October 1972 was a Tuesday. Fifty years ago on that auspicious day , a new political party was launched in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The founder and pioneering leader of that party – which celebrated its golden jubilee a few days ago- was the well known film actor turned …
Continue reading ‘How and Why Actor “MGR” Launched the ADMK Party 50 Years ago’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Well-known Hindi film actor Amitabh Bachchan celebrated his eightieth birthday on October 11th. The veteran thespian continues to be active , playing a variety of roles in films. As a “rasika” who relishes his performances, it is with great pleasure that I write about him this week. It has been the practice of …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This 75th Birthday Tribue to Vijaya Kumaratunga written in 2020 is being re-posted here without any changes to commemorate the actor-politico’s 77th birth anniversary.) Kovilage Vijaya Anthony Kumaratunga, known to the world as Vijaya Kumaratunga, was born in Seeduwa on 9 October 1945. Vijaya was an endearing personality with an enduring vision whom …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Prime Minister was the most poweful person in Sri Lanka known earlier as Ceylon during the first three decades of independence from Britain. The post of Prime minister lost its sheen after the Executive presidency was introduced in 1978. Until then the prestigious PM POST was a position much coveted by politicians.. …
Continue reading ‘How C.P. de Silva did not Become Prime Minister Due to “Salagama” Caste Factor.’ »
by D.B.S.Jeyaraj October 10th 2022 is the 22nd death anniversary of the world’s first woman prime minister Mrs.Sirima Bandaranaike. I am therefore reproducing on my blog an article written about her by me 22 years years ago. It was published in the Indian news-magazine “Frontline” of Aug 19th – Sep 01st 2000 (Vol 17-Issue 17) …
Continue reading ‘Sirimavo Bandaranaike: The Grand Old Lady of Sri Lankan Politics’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The book launch of “Rana Bimaka Panhinda” (Notes from the battlefield) written by Former “Lankadeepa” journalist Ratnapala Gamage took place at the J.R.Jayewardene centre in Colombo on September 13th.The Lankadeepa’s ex- defence correspondent now domiciled in Switzerland has in the book recounted many of his experiences while reporting on the long war between …
Continue reading ‘The Army Thought Prabhakaran had Died when “Col” Shankar was Killed’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (The Doyen of Tamil Film Actors “Nadigar Thilagham” Sivaji Ganesan was born on 1 October 1928. This article was written last year to commemorate Sivaji’s 20th death anniversary.It is being reposted without any changes to denote his 94th Birth Anniversary) Sivaji Ganesan, M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and Gemini Ganesan comprised the triumvirate that dominated …
Continue reading ‘Sivaji Ganesan Made Many Tamils Appreciate Their Vibrant Language More’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Sixty-three years ago on September 25th 1959 the Prime Minister Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (SWRDB) of Sri Lanka known as Ceylon then was shot and seriously wounded by a Buddhist monk. Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike succumbed to his injuries and passed away the following day. Thereafter September 26th 1959 got etched as …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj (This article was first published eight years ago to commemorate the 25th death anniversary of Dr.Rajini.It is re-posted here without any changes to denote her 33rd death anniversary) It was 25 years ago on September 21st 1989 that Dr. Rajini Thiranagama nee Rajasingham was killed in Jaffna. She was 35 years old …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj On the fateful morning of 16 September 2000, Mohammed Hussein Muhammad Ashraff(MHM Ashraff) boarded a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Mi-17 helicopter at the Police grounds in Bambalapitiya. The time was 9.30 am. The legendary leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) was at that time, the Cabinet Minister in charge of …
Continue reading ‘MHM Ashraff; From Sectarian Muslim Leader to Visionary National Statesman.’ »
D.B.S.Jeyaraj “All changed, changed utterly” is a powerful line from “Easter, 1916”, the famous poem of William Butler Yeats. The poem by W.B .Yeats was about the Irish easter uprising in 1916 , its cruel suppression and how all changed utterly in Ireland.”A terrible beauty is born”says Yeats. In Sri Lanka “all changed” and “changed …
Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka was Utterly Changed by JR Jayewardene in Three Important Spheres.’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Part One – The Tamil Factor in Sri Lanka’s First UNP- led “National” Govt of Premier Dudley Senanayake When the March 22nd 1965 election results were announced no single party had obtained a simple majority on its own. It was a hung parliament. As stated in the first part of this article …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Blessed are those Sri Lankans who have lived in different parts of the country, travelled widely within its borders and interacted with all people cutting across ethnic and religious barriers during times of peace and tranquillity in the past. Those who have had such broad experiences unsullied by narrow sectarianism know that …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Sri Lanka’s nearest neighbour and closest friend, India celebrated her 75th anniversary of gaining freedom from British rule on the 15th of this month.. “Incredible” India also made history last month by electing a woman from a tribal community as the Republic’s 15th President . 64 year old Droupadi Murmu was sworn …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Reaching a viable agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and forming an inclusive cabinet are currently the twin urgent priorities of the Government headed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. On the economic front both President Wickremesinghe and Central Bank Governor Dr.Nandalal Weerasinghe have been optimistic about reaching …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Friday August 26th was the 95th birth anniversary of well-known Sri Lankan Tamil political leader and one-time leader of the opposition Appapillai Amirthalingam. The ‘enfant terrible ‘of the “Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi”(ITAK) who later metamorphosed into the elder statesman of the Tamil United Liberation Front(TULF), strode across the Tamil political stage for nearly …
Continue reading ‘Appapillai Amirthalingam: From Enfant Terrible of ITAK to TULF Elder Statesman’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The people’s protest mass movement known as the “Aragalaya” or struggle has concluded after 124 days.The “Gota Go Home”protest launched at Galle Face Green on 9 April 2022 came to an end on 11 August 2022. The Aragalaya that captured huge media attention during its peak did succeed in its original objective …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Leon Trotsky famously observed , “Politics is more like algebra than like elementary arithmetic, and still more like higher rather than elementary mathematics”. The recent election of President Ranil Wickremesinghe by Sri Lankan members of Parliament appears to be an illustrative example of Trotsky’s statement about Politics being more like Algebra than Arithmetic. …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj ‘There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries.” – William Shakespeare – “Julius Caesar” (Act 4 Scene 3) There were many in Sri Lanka and abroad who thought the …
by D.B.S.JEYARAJ Devoting the first Saturday article of each month to a film, film personality or film-related topic is a practice being followed by this column in recent times This week’s article therefore will focus on versatile filmmaker Vasantha Obeysekera’s milestone movie “Dadayama” (the Hunt). I have written about the film and filmmaker before and …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This article written last year is being re-posted without any changes to commemorate the 17th death anniversary of former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who was assassinated in Colombo by the LTTE on August 12th 2005) Former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated in Colombo by the Liberation Tigers of …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Last week’s article was about the guerilla war fought by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna(JVP) against the Indian Army in the Trincomalee district. The JVP campaign in Trinco was then led by Kumar Gunaratnam alias “Gemunu”. Gunaratnam later split from the JVP and co-founded the Frontline Socialist Party(FSP). Kumar Gunaratnam alias Kumar/Kumara is currently …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in Mankind,” wrote the metaphysical poet John Donne.The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has extracted a heavy human toll. In my personal capacity as a Sri Lankan Tamil and in my professional capacity as a journalist , I have lost count of the number …
Continue reading ‘Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam, his Devolution Package and the LTTE’ »
by D.B.S.JEYARAJ The India – Sri Lanka Accord was signed by former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and ex-Sri Lanka president Junius Richard (JR) Jayewardene on July 29th 1987 in Colombo. The 35th anniversary of the pact known generally as the Indo-Lanka accord will be observed this Friday (July 29). The Rajiv-JR accord was signed …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This article was published last year and is being re-posted without any changes to denote the 39th anniversary of “Black July”) July 24th 1983 was the day on which a destructive spree of anti-Tamil violence commenced in Jaffna in the early hours of the morning and began spreading to Colombo in the later …
Continue reading ‘JR Jayewardene, the Kanatte Mass Funeral and the July 1983 Anti-Tamil Pogrom’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Gota Go Home” was the clarion call aroind which the people launched their “Aragalaya” or Struggle many weeks ago. It has now achieved its primary goal. Gota has been made to go , but to which permanent home remains an unanswered question still.It is also unclear as to whether he would be able …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The “Tamil Times” (TT) was a monthly newsmagazine published in the United Kingdom(UK) for more than 25 years from October 1981 to December 2006. It was a political journal that focused on news, views and reviews pertaining to Sri Lanka in general and the Tamil People of Sri Lanka in particular. At it’s …
Continue reading ‘Rajanayagam: From Trotskyite Lawyer to “Tamil Times” Editor.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “London Bridge is falling down, Falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, My fair lady.” – Nursery Rhyme When Basil Rohana Rajapaksa was in a rn in as Finance Minister by his brother President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July 2021, the appointment grabbed the attention of the world’s influential media. It was …
Continue reading ‘Is the Medamulana “House of Rajapaksa” Falling Down, Falling Down?’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Vikram,Vikram” is the Mantra being chanted by many a film fan these days. The Tamil action thriller “Vikram” along with its dubbed versions in Hindi,Telugu,Malayalam and Kannada was released worldwide in over 5000 Screens on June 3. It has proved to be a box office blockbuster since then. Vikram is having a successful …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Return of Ranil : Remarkable Resilience of Premier Wickremesinghe. -Part Three Let me rewind back to my boyhood when I first read the fable about the scorpion and frog which I believe is of Russian origin. The scorpion which cannot swim wanted to cross the river. So the scorpion begged the frog to …
Continue reading ‘Gotabaya, Ranil and the Fable of the Scorpion and Frog 🐸 🦂 📖’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (June 24th is the 94th birth anniversary of popular music composer Manayangath Subramanian Viswanathan (MSV) who along with Tiruchirappalli Krishnaswamypillai Ramamurthy (TKR) blazed a musical trail together in Tamil films for a period of 13 years. MS Viswanathan and TK Rammmurthy were known popularly as the “Mellisai Mannargal” (Monarchs of light music).This Article …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj On May 19 this year, the Panama-registered general cargo vessel “Tan Binh 99” departed at 8.28 am from the Chennai harbour in India with 9000 tons of rice, 200 tons of milk poweder nd 24 tons of essential medicines. Its destination was Sri Lanka’s Colombo port. This was the first consignment of a …
Continue reading ‘Tamil Nadu’s DMK Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Sri Lanka’ »
by D.B.S.JEYARAJ In what has been described as a historic ruling, the Sri Lankan Supreme Court on May 31st 2022, issued an Interim Order suspending the operation of the Presidential Pardon granted by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to Arumadura Lawrence Romelo Duminda Silva known as Duminda Silva. The former parliamentarian and ex- provincial councillor had been …
Continue reading ‘Hirunika’s Letter to Gotabaya After the Presidential Pardon of Duminda Silva’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj ( Eight years have passed since violence was unleahed by Bodhu Bala Sena (BBS)instigated goons against the Muslims of Aluthgama and Beruwela on Sunday June 15th 2014. This article was written by me shortly after the incidents in the ensuing week in 2014.It is being re-posted without any changes to denote the eighth …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The first part of my article on Ranil’s return was published in the “Daily Mirror”of May 21st 2022. In that I made a brief reference to the song “Que Sera Sera” sung by the American singer com actress Doris Day. This was in the context of speculation about Ranil Wickremesinghe’s political future. This …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The death of any member of the journalistic fraternity is distressing. More so when a scribe is gunned down in broad daylight by ‘unknown’ assassins for the ‘crime’ of writing something that displeased people with pretensions of power. The sadness is even more acute when the journalist was someone known to you for …
Continue reading ‘Assassination of Journalist Aiyathurai Nadesan in Broad Daylight 18 Years ago’ »