By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Sivaji Ganesan, M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and Gemini Ganesan comprised the triumvirate that dominated Tamil cinema in India from the fifties to the seventies of the 20th century. The most senior of the trio was M.G.Ramachandran who was born in 1917. MGR passed away in 1987. Gemini Ganesan born in 1920 breathed his last …

Continue reading ‘Sivaji Ganesan Made Many Tamils Appreciate Their Vibrant Language More’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj 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 hours of the evening on the same day. It continued to other parts of the Island in the following days. The …

Continue reading ‘JR Jayewardene, the Kanatte Mass Funeral and the July 1983 Anti-Tamil Pogrom’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (Dr.Neelan Tiruchelvam was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of tamil eelam(LTTE)22 years ago on July 29th 1999. This article was originally written to commemorate the 70th birth anniversary of Dr. Tiruchelvam on January 31st 2014. It is being re-posted here without any changes to denote Neelan’s 22nd death anniversary) January 31st is the …

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

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Basil Rohana Rajapaksa was sworn in as Finance minister in the Government of Sri Lanka by his brother President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on July 8th 2021. The appointment was hailed by Basil’s supporers who project the new Finance minister as the “saviour” who would liberate Sri Lanka from the economic morass into which …

Continue reading ‘“Medamulana Rajapaksa Dynasty”: Four Sons and Three Grandsons of Don Alvin Rajapaksa’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Very little is known or remembered by the younger generation of Sri Lankans about the nature of the non – violent Tamil political struggle for equal rights that preceded the violent armed struggle. Indeed for many the history of Tamil political resistance to what was perceived as majoritarian hegemony commences only from “Black …

Continue reading ‘Memories of Leonine Tamil Leader Murugesu Sivasithamaparam’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj ( On July 13th 1989 The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam assassinated Mr. Appapillai Amirthalingam the former Opposition Leader and Secretary -General of the Tamil United Liberation Front in Colombo. This article written in July 2019 is re-posted without any changes to commemorate the 32nd death anniversary) The cruelly tragic killing of five …

Continue reading ‘How The LTTE Assassinated Senior Tamil Leader Amirthalingam In Colombo Thirty Years Ago….’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Arumadura Lawrence Romelo Duminda Silva known as Duminda Silva was the fortunate recipient of a munificent Presidential pardon on Poson Poya day. The convict on death row was released as a result of the Poson Poya pardon. Duminda Silva, a former Parliamentarian and ex-Provincial Councillor, was involved in a shooting incident in October …

Continue reading ‘The Legal Prosecution, Judicial Conviction and Presidential “Absolution” of Duminda Silva.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj There was considerable political excitement some days ago when a meeting was scheduled between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Tamil National Alliance(TNA). This was to be the first formal discussion between the President and the TNA after Gota was sworn in as President 19 months ago. This aroused great expectations.The meeting however was …

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Talks With the Tamil National Alliance and Release of Tamil Political Prisoners.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Today (23 June) is the 97th birth anniversary of former Sri Lankan Prime Minister and President Ranasinghe Premadasa. He served as Prime Minister from 1978 to 1988 and as President from 1989 to 1993. Premadasa was assassinated by a Tiger suicide bomber on 1 May 1993. The political ascendancy of Ranasinghe Premadasa in …

Continue reading ‘“Keselwatte Kolla” Ranasinghe Premadasa’s Remarkable Political Rise.’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Life and Times of Dynamic “Thamby” Arumugan Thondaman – 1 “Thamby”in Tamil means younger brother. It is also used widely as a pet name for male kids in many Tamil households.In many instances the pet name Thamby remains in use even after the children mature into adults. In recent times there have …

Continue reading ‘The Political Advent of “Thamby” Arumugan Thondaman.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) formed on 14 May 1976 contested the 21 July 1977 Parliamentary Elections adopting a secessionist platform. The TULF demanded a separate state for the Sri Lankan Tamils named Tamil Eelam comprising the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the island. The TULF contesting under the sun symbol sought …

Continue reading ‘Last of the TULF Leaders Anandasangaree’s Courageous Historic Role in Defying the LTTE’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Rise and Fall of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -Part 2 “The successful growth of the LTTE came at huge cost to the Tamil people of Sri Lanka. Vertically the LTTE ascended, but horizontally the Sri Lankan Tamils descended. This was the unpleasant and inconvenient truth that the LTTE and acolytes …

Continue reading ‘The Downfall of the LTTE Led by Prabhakaran at Mullivaaikkaal’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Stalin Thaan Varraaru, Namakku Vidivu Tharraaru”(Stalin is only coming and will give us a Dawn) was the key slogan around which the Indian political party” Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam”(DMK) conducted its election campaign for the Tamil Nadu State Assembly polls held this year. The message conveyed by the slogan was that the DMK led …

Continue reading ‘“Thalapathy” (Commander) M. K. Stalin Takes Over in Tamil Nadu as DMK Chief Minister’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Renowned Sri Lankan Film Maker Lester James Peries passed away three years ago at the age of 99. Among the many who paid homage to the Maestro at that time was Asoka Handagama who is one of the two brightest directorial stars in the Sinhala film firmament of today.(the other is Prasanaa Vithanage). …

Continue reading ‘Lester James Peries the Emancipator of Sinhala Cinema’ »

By D.B.S.JEYARAJ All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader and ex-Cabinet Minister Rishad Bathiudeen is a prominent Sri Lankan politician who is very often in the news for the wrong reasons. The 48-year-old Bathiudeen hailing from Dharapuram in the Mannar District is an engineer by profession. Known widely as Rishad, he was first elected to Parliament …

Continue reading ‘Cardinal’s Candid Comments and and the Bathiudeen Brothers Brouhaha’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj On April 12th, two days before the advent of the “Pilava” April New Year , Colombo Chief Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala released 11 suspects who had been in custody for two years since early 2019. These included well-known underworld figure Sanjeewa Samararatne alias Ganemulla Sanjeewa a.k.a. Malingamuwe Sanjeewa and ten others who were …

Continue reading ‘Govt Removed STF Security For Sumanthiran Despite Intensified Life Threats Faced by TNA Jaffna MP’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Easter Sunday bombings of April 21st 2019 and its consequences have caused a profound impact on the body politic of Sri Lanka. A significant feature of his fall-out has been the bold initiative taken by the Catholic Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith. Immensely disappointed by the slow and tardy …

Continue reading ‘Bishop Rayappu Joseph like Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith Sought Justice for Victimised People’ »

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj ( The World’s first Woman Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike was born on April 17th 1916. This article published in 2019 July is being re-posted here without any changes to commemorate her 105th Birth Anniversary) Germany’s defence minister Ursula von der Leyen has been elected president of the European Union (EU) Commission following a …

Continue reading ‘From Housewife in “Tintagel” To “Prime Minister At “Temple Trees”: Contours of Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s Political Journey’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Sinhala cinema’s pioneering director Lester James Peries is the Sri Lankan filmmaker I like, admire and respect most. The master movie maker’s 102nd birth anniversary falls on April 5. Sri Lankan Superstar Gamini Fonseka remains my favourite actor on the Sinhala silver screen since childhood. The Movie monarch’s 85th birth anniversary was on …

Continue reading ‘Cinematic Links Between Director Lester and Actor Gamini’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj ‘Is Sri Lanka fighting a lost battle in Geneva?’ was the heading of the article by this writer in these columns a fortnight ago. The answer became known conclusively as events unfolded at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on 23 March. In spite of Sri Lanka’s strong opposition, the resolution titled …

Continue reading ‘Setback in Geneva For Sri Lanka at UNHRC Despite Strong Fightback’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the Easter Sunday attacks was handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa by the Chairman of the Commission Supreme Court judge Janak de Silva at the Presidential Secretariat on February 1st 2021. Former President Maithripala Sirisena appointed the Commission of Inquiry on September …

Continue reading ‘Zahran Hashim, Kattankudy and the Islamic State in Sri Lanka.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This is an Updated Version of an Article written for the “DBS Jeyaraj ” Column in the “Daily Mirror ” of Feb 20th 2021.) The flower bud is the accredited electoral symbol of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) which is ruling Sri Lanka. However the image of that flower bud resembles the …

Continue reading ‘The “Maravanpulavu” Man Behind Moves to Form the “BJP” in Sri Lanka’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This is an Enhanced Version of an Article written for the DBS Jeyaraj Column in the “Daily Mirror” of Feb 13th, 2021.) The “Pottuvil to Poligandy” (P2P) Protest that ended successfully last week was a watershed moment in the political history of Sri Lankan Tamils. The Five day “P2P” protest march began in …

Continue reading ‘Tamil “Satyagraha” Paralyses Administration in North and East 60 Years Ago’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The five-day-long ‘Pottuvil to Poligandy’ (P2P) protest that began in the East on Wednesday 3 February concluded in the north on Sunday 7 February on a triumphant note. Thousands of Tamils marched on foot and proceeded in vehicles from Pottuvil in the Amparai District to Poligandy in the Jaffna District. Tens of thousands …

Continue reading ‘Sarath Weerasekara and the Withdrawal of STF Security For Sumanthiran After P2P’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj There has been a lot of political excitement in the Tamil speaking areas of the Eastern Province for the past two days (Feb 3rd and 4th) due to the launching of a protest demonstration named “Pottuvil to Poligandy” or “P2P”. This was to be a long march on foot and in vehicles from …

Continue reading ‘“Pottuvil to Poligandy” Protest March Covers Over 250 km in Two Days To Reach Trincomalee’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj “Naghaichchuvai Mannan” (King of Comedy) Nagesh passed away in Chennai on Jan 31st 2009. His 12th death anniversary is being commemorated this year. He was born on September 27th 1933. Nagesh was the undisputed king of comedians in Tamil cinema from the early sixties to mid-seventies of the previous century. After a …

Continue reading ‘“Nagaichuvai Mannan” Nagesh: The Comedy King of Tamil Cinema’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj On January 12th 2021, a three judge bench of the Supreme Court imposed a sentence of four years rigorous imprisonment on Sadda Vidda Rajapakse Palanga Pathira Ambakumarage Ranjan Leo Sylvester Alphonsu alias Ranjan Ramanayake finding him guilty of the offence of Contempt of court. Prior to being taken away in a prisons dept …

Continue reading ‘“Pillayan Out. Ranjan In”: Arrest and Release of TMVP Leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan Alias “Pillayan”’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj An overwhelming feeling of relief has descended upon the world – not merely the US- after the Presidential elections of the United States of America ended. Joseph Robinette Biden jnr known as Joe Biden is the new US President-elect. Biden’s creditable, credible electoral triumph has ensured that decency, dignity and decorum will once …

Continue reading ‘US Vice President – Elect Kamala Harris’s Key Sri Lankan Tamil Aide Rohini Lakshmi’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj A news report in the “Daily Mirror” last August stated that the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol(LRRP) of the Sri Lankan army’s Special Forces has been ranked the third most dangerous Special Forces in the world by the military ranks.info. The United States Navy SEALs was ranked as the most dangerous Special Forces Unit …

Continue reading ‘Army’s LRRP Ambush of LTTE’s Military Intelligence Chief Col. Charles.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This article written for the “DBS Jeyaraj Column” appeared first in the “Daily Mirror” of Jul 23, 2016.It was subsequently posted on this blog and is being re-posted here again without any changes to the original heading or content. This article recounts in detail the clashes that took place in the Jaffna campus …

Continue reading ‘Jaffna Varsity Violence: What Really Happened and Why!’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Tamil National Alliance(TNA) is the premier political configuration representing the Tamils of North -Eastern Sri Lanka. The TNA comprising the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK),Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization(TELO) and Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam(PLOTE) has ten MP’s in the present Parliament. Of these nine are elected parliamentarians while one was appointed as …

Continue reading ‘Jaffna Mayor Election Defeat Triggers Crisis in TNA-ITAK’ »

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

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

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The recent announcement by Tamil Cinema Superstar Rajinikanth that he would be forming a political party to contest all 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly at the forthcoming May 2021 elections has led to much speculation and excitement. An immediate consequence of Rajinikanth’s political announcement was the inevitable comparison with the …

Continue reading ‘M.G.R.: From Tamil Film Hero to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.’ »

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year Friends! It’s Christmas season again! Only this year the COVID-19 Pandemic has restricted the fun,frolic and festivity. Let us all hope and pray that the world withstands and recovers as soon as possible. The Christmas spirit however will remain despite the changed situation. An integral …

Continue reading ‘Five of my Favourite Christmas Carols – How they Originated and Became Widely Popular’ »

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj Anton Stanislaus Balasingham the political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) and political adviser to tiger leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran died 14 years ago in his South London residence, His death was not unexpected as it was known, the doctors had given him four to six weeks to live. Bala ‘Annai’ (elder …

Continue reading ‘Life and Times of Anton Stanislaus Balasingham the LTTE Political Strategist’ »

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). The LTTE and its leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran are no more after the military defear of the tigers in May 2009. Yet the Great Heroes Day(GHD) continues to commemorated on …

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Govt’s Pre-emptive Strike Against LTTE “Maaveerar Naal”’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj 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 President’s elder brother, former President and current Prime Minister Mahinda Percy Rajapaksa …

Continue reading ‘LTTE’s Abortive Attempt to Assassinate Gotabaya Rajapaksa 14 Years Ago.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj More than eleven years have passed since the War between the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) organization concluded. The lengthy conflict described at one time as South Asia’s longest war came to an end after the military defeat of the LTTE in May 2009. Many of the military …

Continue reading ‘When the LTTE’s “Smiling Cobra” Thamilselvan was Targeted by the SLAF in an Air Strike’ »

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa achieved a significant victory last week when the 20th Constitutional Amendment was passed in Parliament with 156 MP’s voting in support and 65 Voting against. The 20th Amendment which has now become law restores full-fledged powers to the executive presidency. Earlier the 19th Constitutional Amendment passed in …

Continue reading ‘Murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and Conviction of Duminda Silva’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The controversial 20th Amendment to the Constitution has been passed with a two-thirds majority. 156 MP’s voted in favour while 65 voted against. Among those who voted for 20 A were eight MP’s from the opposition. Widespread speculation about the possibility of some dissidents within Govt folds voting against it and preventing a …

Continue reading ‘From JR’s 2nd to Gota’s 20th: A Tale Of Two Constitutional Amendments’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj 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 I liked, admired and respected very much. He was a man who envisaged the transformation of Sri Lanka into an inclusive, multi-ethnic, egalitarian and …

Continue reading ‘Charismatic Actor -Politician Vijaya Kumaratunga: 75th Birth Anniversary Tribute’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Charles Percival de Silva known as CP de Silva or CP was a mercurial personality who strode across the Sri Lankan -known then as Ceylon- political scene like a colossus. He passed away on October 9th 1972. CP de Silva was a former Civil servant and cabinet minister who was worshipped by thousands …

Continue reading ‘How CP de Silva Voted Against the “Unadulterated Totalitarianism” of His Own SLFP-led Government.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Sixty-one years ago on September 25th 1959 Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (SWRDB) the Prime Minister 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. Therefore September 26th 1959 got etched as …

Continue reading ‘Murder Most Foul: Assassination of Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj (This article was first published six years ago to commemorate the 25th death anniversary of Dr.Rajini.It is re-posted here without any changes to denote her 31st 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 …

Continue reading ‘Rajini Rajasingham Thiranagama: Unforgettable Symbol of Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tragedy’ »

டி.பி.எஸ்.ஜெயராஜ் (This is the Tamil Version of the English Article “Life and Times of Dynamic Tamil Leader Appapillai Amirthalingam” by D.B.S.Jeyaraj in the “Political Pulse” Column of the “Daily FT” on August 26th 2020) அமிர் அல்லது அமுதர் என்று வாஞ்சையுடன் அழைக்கப்பட்ட நன்கு பிரபல்யம் வாய்ந்த இலங்கை தமிழ் அரசியல் தலைவர் அப்பாப்பிள்ளை அமிர்தலிங்கத்தின் 93ஆவது பிறந்த தினம் அண்மையில் (ஆகஸ்ட் 26) …

Continue reading ‘ஆற்றல் மிகு தமிழ்த் தலைவர் அப்பாப்பிள்ளை அமிர்தலிங்கத்தின் வாழ்வும் காலமும்’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj A concerted move by five (four+One) stalwarts of the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) – the chief constituent of the Tamil National Alliance(TNA) – to remove the party General- Secretary K. Thurairajasingham from his post through a no confidence motion ended in a dismal failure at a conclave held in Vavuniya on Saturday August …

Continue reading ‘Attempt by “Gang of Four” to Remove Thurairajasingham From Gen-Secy Post Through No Confidence Motion Foiled At ITAK Committee Meeting in Vavuniya’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The “Mathiya Seyal Kuzhu” (central working committee) of the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) also known as the Federal Party will be meeting today (Aug 29) in Vavuniya. The committee is generally referred to as “Mathiya Kuzhu”(Central committee). The Central Working committee is the key representative body of the ITAK. It comprises representatives elected …

Continue reading ‘Internal Strife Within Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) Takes Disturbing Turn’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The recently concluded Sri Lankan parliamentary election resulted in the defeat of several veteran politicians. Among these was well-known Northern Tamil leader Somasundaram”Maavai” Senathirajah who had been representing Jaffna district in Parliament for 20 successive years since 2000. Very often the electoral defeat of a long established political leader causes political convulsions in …

Continue reading ‘Future Course of Defeated ITAK Leader “Maavai” Senathirajah.’ »

டி.பி.எஸ்.ஜெயராஜ் (This is the Tamil Version of the English Article “Future Course of Defeated ITAK Leader “Maavai” Senathirajah by D.B.S. Jeyaraj in the “Daily Mirror” Of August 22nd 2020) அண்மையில் முடிவடைந்த பாராளுமன்றத் தேர்தலில் பல மூத்த அரசியல்வாதிகள் தோல்வி கண்டிருக்கிறார்கள். அவர்களில் நன்கு பிரபலமான வடபகுதி தமிழ்த் தலைவர் சோமசுந்தரம் மாவை சேனாதிராஜாவும் ஒருவர். அவர் 2000ஆம் ஆண்டு தொடக்கம் தொடர்ச்சியாக 20வருடங்கள் பாராளுமன்றத்தில் …

Continue reading ‘தேர்தல் தோல்விக்கு பின் தமிழரசுக் கட்சியின் தலைவர் மாவை சேனாதிராஜாவின் எதிர்கால செல்வழி’ »

By D.B.S.JEYARAJ The one word answer to the question “Did M. A. Sumanthiran of the Tamil National Alliance win in the Jaffna Electoral district by “stealing” the preference votes cast for another TNA candidate Ms. Sashikala Raviraj? is NO! Yet the 2020 Parliamentary poll in the Jaffna electoral district comprising the Kilinochchi and Jaffna administrative …

Continue reading ‘Failed Attempt To De-legitimize Sumanthiran’s Election Victory In Jaffna’ »

-டி.பி.எஸ்.ஜெயராஜ்- ஆங்கில மூலம்: டெய்லி மிரர் ‘தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பின் எம்.ஏ.சுமந்திரன் அதே கட்சியின் இன்னொரு வேட்பாளரான சசிகலா ரவிராஜுக்கு அளிக்கப்பட்ட முன்னுரிமை விருப்பு வாக்குகளை ‘களவாடியதன்’ மூலம் யாழ்ப்பாண தேர்தல் மாவட்டத்தில் வெற்றி பெற்றாரா?’. இந்தக் கேள்விக்கான ஒரு சொல் பதில் இல்லை என்பதேயாகும். இருந்தாலும், கிளிநொச்சி நிர்வாக மாவட்டத்தையும் யாழ்ப்பாண நிர்வாக மாவட்டத்தையும் உள்ளடக்கிய யாழ்ப்பாண தேர்தல் மாவட்டத்தின் 2020 பாராளுமன்றத் தேர்தல் சசிகலாவின் விருப்பு வாக்குகளை தனக்கு அனுகூலமான முறையில் சுமந்திரன் ‘மாற்றியிருந்தார’ …

Continue reading ‘யாழ்ப்பாண மாவட்ட கூட்டமைப்பு வேட்பாளர்களின் விருப்பு வாக்குகள் தொடர்பான சர்ச்சை: தனது வெற்றியை மகிழ்ச்சியாக அனுபவிக்க இயலாத நிலையில் சுமந்திரன்’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Mahendra Percy Rajapaksa known to the world as Mahinda Rajapaksa has been sworn in as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for the fourth time at a grand ceremony held within the precincts of the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara. The Kelaniya Buddhist temple is venerated by Sri Lankan Buddhists who believe Lord Buddha visited …

Continue reading ‘Fascinating Features of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Early Life.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The long awaited 2020 Parliamentary Elections has concluded with a 71% Voter turnout despite the difficulties imposed by the COVID -19 Pandemic threat. Appropriate health procedures were followed by the authorities with enthusiastic cooperation of the people. Voter feedback is generally positive about the efficient manner in which the polls were conducted. The …

Continue reading ‘TNA Suffers Electoral Setback In North and East Polls.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Rajapalsa regime is all out to get a two-thirds majority in Parliament through the forthcoming elections on August 5. The avowed objective of such a steam -roller majority is to promulgate a new Constitution or enact Constitutional amendments unilaterally. According to Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna(SLPP) ideologue Prof. Gamini Lakshman Peiris a strong …

Continue reading ‘Tamils Desiring a Silk “Verti” May Lose Even Their Cotton “Verti”.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The hills of Nuwara – Eliya are vibrantly alive with the hectic sounds of Parliamentary electioneering! Nuwara – Eliya district with its picturesque landscape and salubrious climate elects eight members in the 225 member Parliament of Sri Lanka. 577,717 registered voters in the district are eligible to cast their ballots at the forthcoming …

Continue reading ‘Jeevan Thondaman, Ceylon Workers Congress and The Tamils of Nuwara- Eliya District’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The China of today is vastly different to the China that I knew of in my younger days. Thinking about the China of those times evokes memories of many things like the cultural revolution, red guards, the great leap forward, the red book of Chairman Mao’s thoughts and above all Mao Zedong himself …

Continue reading ‘Comrade Shan and the Tamil Militant Armed Struggle; A Birth Centenary Tribute To Nagalingam Sanmugathasan’ »

by D.B.S.JEYARAJ Vinayagamoorthy Muraleetharan alias “Karuna Amman” a.k.a. “Col” Karuna has got himself into hot water by shooting his mouth off at an election meeting in the East. The former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) commander for the Batticaloa and Amparai districts who defected from the tigers after revolting against former LTTE supremo Veluppillai Prabhakaran …

Continue reading ‘How “Col” Karuna’s Eastern Tiger Revolt Was Crushed By LTTE Chief Prabhakaran’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Mathiaparanan Abraham Sumanthiran was in the eye of a raging political storm some weeks ago due to a YouTube interview given by the 56-year-old President’s Counsel cum politician to the “Truth with Chamuditha” show. A few of the questions and answers in Sinhala were picked up by a Tamil TV – reportedly aligned …

Continue reading ‘The Plot Within the TNA Targeting Party Spokesman Sumanthiran’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) leader and Cabinet minister of Livestock and Rural Community Development, Savumiamoorthy Arumugan Ramanathan Thondaman died of a cardiac arrest on Tuesday May 26th 2020. The 55 year old political leader known as Arumugan and Thonda would have celebrated his 56th birthday on May 29th but fate decreed otherwise. Arumugan …

Continue reading ‘When Arumugan Thondaman Clashed With Mahinda Rajapaksa.’ »

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is the premier political configuration representing the Sri Lankan Tamils of Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka. The booming question that has been looming large on the Tamil political horizon during the past week or more is whether the TNA was created by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) …

Continue reading ‘Was The Tamil National Alliance Formed By The “Tigers” In 2001?’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former Jaffna District Parliamentarian and Spokesperson of the Tamil National Alliance(TNA) and Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK), Mathiaparanan Abraham Sumanthiran is currently in the eye of a political storm. The you tube interview given by the 56 year old Presidents counsel cum politician to the “Truth With Chamuditha” show conducted by senior journalist Chamuditha …

Continue reading ‘TNA Spokesperson Sumanthiran In The Eye Of a Political Storm’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj When Seven major opposition parties made an offer of responsible cooperation in return for restoration of Parliament to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa they were rudely rebuffed. When his brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa invited all former MP’s of the dissolved Parliament for a political conference, he was rebuffed (but not rudely) by all opposition …

Continue reading ‘TNA Scores Politically By Responding To PM Mahinda’s Invitation Positively’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj June 20th 2020 is the D-day for Sri Lankan Parliamentary Elections. The Election Commission has fixed June 20 as the new date for the postponed election of April 25. However a question mark looms large over the holding of polls on the said date as scheduled. At least eight fundamental rights petitions have …

Continue reading ‘Will President Gotabaya Rajapaksa be More Flexible Due to Mounting Legal Challenges and Relent or Continue to Remain Rigidly Intransigent?’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj ‘Responsive cooperation’ was at one time a popular phrase in the political lexicon of Ceylon as Sri Lanka was known in the past. It came into vogue through G.G. Ponnambalam, the mercurial leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), founded in 1944. The G.G. Ponnambalam-led Tamil Congress demanded a political system based …

Continue reading ‘Responsible Cooperation In Return For Restoration of Parliament: Opposition Parties Seek Responsive Cooperation From President’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The world including Sri Lanka is undergoing a pandemic crisis of colossal proportions. The Island nation however is in double jeopardy as it is in the grip of two crises siumultaneously. One of course is the Covid-19 Health crisis inflicted globally by nature. The other experienced by Sri Lanka is the Constitutional crisis …

Continue reading ‘Politics of Postponing Parliamentary Elections Amidst a Pandemic’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj June 20th 2020 is the new D-day for Sri Lanka’s postponed parliamentary elections. The three – member election commission that met in Colombo on April 20 has decided that fresh elections to the now dissolved parliament could be held on June 20. A notification to this effect has been duly gazetted. The parliamentary …

Continue reading ‘Gota’s 71st Birthday is New Election Day! Can Sri Lanka Emulate South Korea on June 20?’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj * People MUST Go Out as well as Stay at Home!Not just Stay at home only. * No election can be held while exercising ‘Social Distancing’. Electioneering is the very anti-thesis of social distancing. * An election held before the virus is completely eradicated, will only heighten the risk of a fresh outbreak. …

Continue reading ‘Covid-19 Pandemic’s Impact On Sri Lanka And Potential Implications: An Informative Conversation With TNA Spokesperson MA Sumanthiran’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The deadline for the 2020 Parliamentary elections nominations scheduled for April 25 ended at Noon on Thursday March 19th. Two hours later Sri Lanka’s Chief Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya announced that elections would be indefinitely postponed due to the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 Virus Pandemic in the Island. Mahinda Deshapriya explained to …

Continue reading ‘Coronavirus Pandemic, Postponed Elections and the Tamil National Alliance’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Gedara Hitiya Rosa Kekula Rosa, Rosa” was the opening line of a lilting Baila song in Sinhala that was hugely popular in the seventies of the last century. The toe-tapping number which became known as the “Rosa ,Rosa” song was from the film “Lasanda” released in 1974.”Lasanda” was based on a story written …

Continue reading ‘Sajith’s Father Ranasinghe Premadasa’s “Citizens Front” Revolt Against UNP Leader Dudley Senanayake’ »

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj In October last year, twelve Malaysian Nationals of Tamil origin were arrested by the Malaysian Police over suspected links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and alleged involvement in terrorist activity. The head of Malaysian Police Special Branch Counter-Terrorism division Deputy Commissioner Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay went to town with claims …

Continue reading ‘How and Why Twelve LTTE Suspects Were Arrested and Released in Malaysia’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “May you live in interesting times.” is a saying that is believed to be an ancient Chinese curse. Many writers and speakers often use this expression or phrase and attribute Chinese origins to it. In spite of the widely held belief about Chinese links, recent studies by Etymologist scholars and linguistic researchers have …

Continue reading ‘Was Recent US Action Against Army Chief Shavendra Silva Due to Sri Lanka’s Problematic Chinese “Connection”?’ »