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 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 …
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 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 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 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 “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 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’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “All changed,changed utterly” – The memorable lines from Irish poet Yeats came true on the morning of July 2nd 2016 for Dr.Indrajit Coomaraswamy after he received a telephone call at 6. 30 am. The early caller was none other than Malik Samarawickrama the minister of Development Strategies and International Trade.Indrajit Coomaraswamy was functioning …
Continue reading ‘Inside Story About Indrajit Coomaraswamy Becoming Central Bank Governor’ »
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj The Central bank Governor crisis has been dominating the political landscape at a national level for the past few weeks. However other issues too have surfaced at sub – national level. For instance the question of Muslim political leadership has been causing much controversy at a regional level in the Eastern province. …
Continue reading ‘Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem Faces Political Challenges in East’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Kollanta Pavement, Kellanta Garment” was a humorous saying frequently repeated during the days of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa. It was an allusion made in lighter vein about the proliferation of garment factories employing girls in most parts of the country during President Premadasas’s rule. The inference was that while young women were being …
Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s “Textile Revolution” Ushered in by Ukku Banda Wijekoon’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (Former National List MP and Prominent Academic – Author Rajiva Wijesinha has a reputation for speaking out forthrightly on issues affecting the nation at large. In this exclusive interview with the “Daily Mirror” Prof.Wijesinha responds to questions on a number of matters including the track record in governance of the present Govt, ethnic …
By D.B. S. Jeyaraj Asoka Handagama’s latest film ‘Let Her Cry’ is currently being shown in theatres on a limited run from 13 May to 10 June. The director apparently preferred to utilise the gap in between already-scheduled releases and screen his film rather than wait for 16 more months in the queue to get …
Continue reading ‘An ‘affair’ of the mind between a nubile undergrad and her ageing professor’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj ( Dan Brown’s best selling novel “The Da Vinci Code”published in 2003 created much controversy. Ron Howard’s block buster film based on the novel with the same name was also equally controversial. “The Da Vinci Code” starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou was banned in Sri Lanka in May 2006 by then …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Jayalithaa “Amma” has done it again! The supreme leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (AIADMK)has triumphed at polls held for the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Elections were conducted on May 16th 2016 for 232 out of 234 Constituencies in the state legislature known as the Legislative Assembly. The …
Continue reading ‘AIADMK Leader “Amma” Jayalalithaa Has Tamil Nadu At Her Feet Again’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Rajiv Ratna Gandhi – India’s Prime minister from 31st October 1984 to December 2nd 1989 – was assassinated at Sriperumbudur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu exactly twenty – five years ago on May 21st 1991. Rajiv Gandhi as he was generally known was in Sriperumbudur to address a propaganda meeting in …
Continue reading ‘“One-eyed Sivarasan” The Mastermind Behind Rajiv Gandhi’s Assassination’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Twenty – Five years ago on this day (May 21st) Rajiv Gandhi was killed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil eelam(LTTE). The date of Rajiv Gandhi’s death has poignant significance for me personally. May 21st is the date of my birth. My birth and his death, which happened thirty – seven years later, …
Continue reading ‘Remembering Rajiv Gandhi on the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of his Death’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former Sri Lankan army commander Sarath Fonseka came out with a bombshell statement some days ago in Parliament. The ex –army chief now a Cabinet minister in the Sirisena – Wickremesinghe Government accused his erstwhile comrade -at – arms and former Secretary of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa of having “stage managed” an assassination attempt …
Continue reading ‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, The “Pithala Handiya” Explosive Attack And Sarath Fonseka’ »
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj A widespread security crackdown has been underway in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. Over 20 former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)organization have been reportedly taken into custody over the past weeks in a staggered security operation spearheaded by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID)of the Police.Almost …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The “Good Governance” Government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has embarked upon a historic exercise to enact a new Constitution for Sri Lanka. The consensual approach being adopted will see Parliament convening as a Constitutional Assembly as and when required to engage in Constitution making. The Speaker Karu Jayasuriya …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj A 44 year old Kandyan Sinhalese widow of aristocratic “Radala” lineage gained global fame for her country in 1960 when she became the world’s first woman prime minister. She was none other than Sirimavo Bandaranaike who was sworn in as Prime minister of Sri Lanka known then as Ceylon on July 21st 1960. …
Continue reading ‘“Stateswoman” Sirimavo Made History As World’s First Woman Prime Minister’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “If we adopt the Auteur theory to look at the body of work of Lester what stands out is his humanism, we are here concerned mostly about humanism as it developed in western society after the Renaissance and became a strong influence on Lester James Peries” – Dr.Sarath Amunugama (2012 Lester James Peries …
Continue reading ‘“Maestro” Lester James Peries: Doyen Among Sinhala Film Directors .’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Mangaiyarkkarasi Amirthalingam known widely among Tamils at one time as “Mangai Akka”(elder sister Mangai) passed away at the age of 82 in Britain where she had been residing for the past 27 years. She was taken ill and admitted to the Royal borough of Kingston upon Thames Hospital in Surrey on Tuesday March …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Our sister paper “Sunday Times”revealed details last week about an incident of friction between a senior cabinet minister and a senior military official that had occurred in Jaffna a few weeks earlier. The Sunday Times Political column scored a scoop by referring to an exchange of words between Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs minister …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The Birth Centenary of Sri Lanka’s third Executive President Dingiri Banda (DB) Wijetunga was celebrated last week. DB Wijetunga was born during British rule on February 15th 1916.He passed away on September 21st 2008 at the age of 92.DB as he was popularly known served as President from May 1st 1993 to …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Gardihewa Sarath Chandralal Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s one and only Field Marshall is very much in the news these days. The former army chief who was once described as the “world’s best military commander” by former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is now a national list Parliamentarian of the United National front for Good Governance …
Continue reading ‘Revisiting the Forcible Arrest of Sarath Fonseka by the Army on Feb 8th 2010’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj If Philip Upali Wijewardena was among the living he would have reached the Seventy-seven on February 17th. Alas, this was not to be as he disappeared 32 years ago on Feb 13th , just four days before his 45th birthday . This article written years ago is updated and posted here as …
Continue reading ‘Upali Wijewardena: Memories of Sri Lanka’s Unforgettable Indigenous Tycoon’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Sri Lanka Thaayae, Nam Sri Lanka, Namo, Namo, Namo, Namo Thaayae…” (Sri Lanka Mother, our sri Lanka, We Salute, Salute, Salute, Salute Thee) – Sri Lankan National Anthem in Tamil Sri Lanka known as Ceylon gained Freedom from Britain on February 4th 1948. I was born six years later in Independent Ceylon on …
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj An adorable actress with lovely looks being swept off her feet into a grand wedding by an efficacious entrepreneur with dashing features is the romantic stuff modern fairy tales are made of. No wonder then that Indian newspapers were full of news stories last week about the wedding between the Punjabi Hindu …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The premier political configuration representing the Tamils of Sri Lanka in the Northern and Eastern provinces is the Tamil National Alliance(TNA). According to newspaper reports the TNA seems to be disappointed over perceived delay in setting up an appropriate mechanism to draft a new Constitution for Sri Lanka. It is also worried about …
Continue reading ‘Power Sharing Quest of Sri Lankan Tamils After Independence’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj A news report from the Vatican Information Service(VIS) datelined January 14th 2016 stated that His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation presented by Bishop Rayappu Joseph upon reaching the age limit, from the pastoral care of the diocese of Mannar, Sri Lanka.The VIS report further said that Pope Francis has appointed Bishop …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj For more than two decades the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress(SLMC) has remained the foremost political party of the Sri Lankan Muslims. The SLMC co-founded and led by the legendary MHM Ashraff is headed by Rauff Hakeem who succeeded him as party leader after Ashraff’s demise in 2000. In recent times the dominant position …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “A thousand and one objections could be raised against the system, but when the objections are dissipated, I am convinced that some form of Federal Government will be the only solution’” – S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike in 1926. “We suggest the creation of a federal state as in the United States of America” – Kandyan National …
Continue reading ‘Tamil Leaders Opposed When Sinhalese Leaders Proposed Federalism’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The new year has dawned on a note of hope and optimism for Sri Lanka! On January 9th 2016 President Maithripala Sirisena is scheduled to present a resolution in Parliament that proposes to convert Parliament into a Constitutional Assembly. The envisaged Constitutional Assembly is different to the Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1972 …
Continue reading ‘Political Settlement Based on the “Federal Idea” in a “New” Sri Lanka’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge and I were colleagues at The Island in the eighties of the last century. We were also residents of Kotahena then. Later I was for many years a columnist at The Sunday Leader writing from Canada. Above all “Lassie Boy” as I called him was a friend in every …
Wishing Everyone a Happy, Peaceful,Bright and Prosperous New Year – D.B.S.Jeyaraj
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj Blessings of Christmas are once again upon us all!Even as we immerse ourselves in this universal season of peace and great joy, my thoughts hark back to a terrible incident which marred the spirit of Christmas and sanctity of a Church a decade ago. It was an instance of murder most foul …
Continue reading ‘Murder Most Foul of a Tamil MP In Church During Christmas Worship’ »
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERY ONE AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! From D.B.S.Jeyaraj
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “How do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? How do you find the word that means Maria? A flibbertijibbet! A will-o’-the wisp! A clown!” “Many a thing you know you’d like to tell her Many a thing she ought to understand But how …
by D.B.S.Jeyaraj An intergral part of the Tamil Film tradition has been humour. While a few films have been devoted to comedy alone the bulk of Tamil movies have had actors playing out amusing roles evoking mirth and laughter. These roles are generally supplementary to the main roles of the hero and heroine. The actors …
Continue reading ‘“Nagaichuvai Mannan” Nagesh: Monarch of Humorous Actors in Tamil Movies’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar’s angel.Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar lov’d him!This was the most unkindest cut of all;For when the noble Caesar saw him stab, Ingratitude, more strong than traitors’ arms,Quite vanquish’d him: then burst his mighty heart” – William Shakespeare “Julius Caesar”(Act 3 Scene 2) Political tensions …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Mahendra Percy Rajapaksa known to the world at large as Mahinda Rajapaksa reached the magical age of 70 on November 18th 2015. The age of seventy or three score and ten regarded as the span of life has a special aura about it. The Bible (psalm 90 verse 10) says “ The days …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Thamil Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TMVP) leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias “Pillaiyaan” is currently being detained and interrogated by the Police over his suspected involvement in the twin assassinations of Tamil National Alliance(TNA) Parliamentarians Joseph Pararajasingham and Nadarajah Raviraj in December 2005 and November 2006 respectively. Chandrakanthan who made history in 2008 as the first …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Human Rights Investigation report on Sri Lanka compiled by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released last month has revealed much information about the alleged activities of the Sri Lankan armed forces, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and state affiliated para – military outfits such …
Continue reading ‘Tragic Phenomenon of Forcible Recruitment of Tamil Civilians by the LTTE’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Yaarlpaanam” (Jaffna/Yapanaya) regarded by many as the cultural capital of the “Ilangai Thamizhar” of Sri Lanka hosted an international film festival from 15 to 21 September. Jaffna, the capital city of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, is probably the only city in the world named after a musical instrument. The Tamil name ‘Yarlpanam’ is …
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka, known generally as Gamini Fonseka – the uncrowned monarch of Sinhala cinema – passed away at the age of 68 on 30 September 2004. Gamini was one of my favourite actors since the age of eight when I first saw ‘Ranmuthuduwa,’ a film starring him at the Gamini …
Continue reading ‘Gamini Fonseka, Lester James Peries and the Milestone Movie ‘Nidhanaya’’ »
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj The long awaited UN report on Sri Lanka compiled by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released last week has predictably evoked much excitement and controversy. The UN investigation report on Sri Lanka abbreviated as OISL has provided much information about the alleged activities of the Sri …