By

Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene

The National Peoples’ Power (NPP) Government may well have achieved the impossible by a clumsily handled arrest and remanding of former Executive President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe this Friday (August 22nd 2025) over alleged misuse of public property in expending LKR 16.6 million on a ‘diversionary’ transit in the United Kingdom while returning from state visits to the United States and Cuba as a sitting President at the time.

Speaking to the public gallery

That diversion was to attend the conferral of an honorary professorship on the former President’s spouse by a (somewhat less distinguished) British university with some of the expended costs during this one and a half day transit reportedly going towards supporting security and personal staff. Some have yawned that this is a meaningless controversy when measured against grand political corruption in Sri Lanka.

On the other hand, others expound in stupefied tones on the ‘incredible’ wastage of funds on a passing transit. That includes the state law officer tasked with handling the case against Mr Wickremesinghe who reportedly held forth to the public gallery in the Fort Magistrate’s Court to the effect that such sums had been expended by the former President while Sri Lanka was undergoing a foreign exchange crisis after declaring bankruptcy in 2022.

These sentiments cannily evoke all the inflammatory trigger points of the ‘elites against the rest’ which is the NPP’s rallying cry. But the legal point in question is hardly that. It matters not that LKR 16.6 million, LKR 6.6 million or LKR 66 was allegedly spent by the former President. Billions, multi millions or millions as the case may be, even if a single rupee was spent out of state funds for purposes ‘not authorized by law’, the offence is the same in regard to ‘dishonest misappropriation of property.’

Continue reading ‘When a President travels whether to Anuradhapura to see his mother , or to London to accompany his spouse , does the law expect the head of state to discard the security trappings of that office?’ »

A coalition of Opposition party leaders yesterday held a press briefing in Colombo to denounce the arrest of ex-President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Gathering under the banner “Let’s Defeat the Constitutional Dictatorship,” the speakers accused the administration of weaponising the legal system against political rivals. Party leaders argued that Wickremesinghe’s detention was part of a wider attempt to erode democratic institutions and suppress dissent.

Ex-President Maithripala Sirisena said he was disappointed and distressed by the arrest and called on all political parties and civil society organisations to condemn the arrest and defend democracy. Former MP Patali Champika Ranawaka speaking at the press conference said the arrest of Wickremesinghe was the Government’s attempt to squash dissent towards establishing a single-party State.

Separately, Sri Lanka’s main Opposition party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), denounced the arrest of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, calling it a politically motivated move aimed at silencing dissent.

Continue reading ‘Coalition of Opposition Party Leaders Mobilise Under Slogan “Let’s Defeat the Constitutional Dictatorship ” and Denounce Arrest of Ex- president Ranil Wickremesinghe; Accuse JVP-led NPP Govt of weaponising the legal system against political rivals’ »

Cabinet Minister Bimal Ratnayake stated that while the charges for which former President Ranil Wickremesinghe was recently arrested may seem trivial, he

Ratnayake cited several incidents, including the post-election violence of 1977, the burning of the Jaffna library in 1981, and the 1983 riots, as reasons for which Wickremesinghe should have been held accountable during his time in Government.

Continue reading ‘Bimal Ratnayake says Charges on which Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested May seem Trivial and that the Former President should have been brought to justice decades ago for “far more serious allegations.”’ »

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna(JVP)led National People’s Power(NPP) Government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake known as AKD , has been in the saddle for close upon a year now. Given the JVP-NPP’s 159 members of Parliament and the victories registered in the local authority polls, the chances of being dislodged from that saddle soon seem remote.

Yet many opposition leaders seem to think otherwise. These hopes are hinged around two possibilities.Some are hopeful that the economy will eventually deteriorate, resulting in a crisis situation of availability and affordability along with shortages of fuel,electricity, gas and essential food items. This in turn would cause an “Aragalaya” type of situation that would topple the AKD regime.

The other line of thought is about internal dissension within the ruling party. There are tensions between the hardcore JVP old guard and the new reformist NPP. Many of the NPP parliamentarians resent the JVP domination and would break away is a fond belief. Furthermore there is personal rivalry among some top JVP’ers. This too may lead to a split in the party hopes the opposition.

Rumour mills work overtime in this regard. It is being said that two senior ministers are eying the Prime minister post. Hence there is a cold war being fought against Prime minister Harini Amarasuriya. According to the rumour mongers, Harini may have been compelled to quit as PM by the internal forces arrayed against her, but for the solidarity and support extended by President AKD.

It is not the intention of this column to probe the real or imaginary power play within Govt upper echelons at this juncture. However this column focuses this week on a bizarre turn of events concerning Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, Trade, Cmmerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development minister Wasantha Samarasinghe and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna(SLPP) Hambantota district Parliamentarian D.V. Chanaka. Their three way exchange has created a controversy fuelling many conspiracy theories. Also it has strengthened the opinion that there is serious dissension within the Govt.

Continue reading ‘Premier Harini’s Blunder about Chichi’s Rocket and Minister Wasantha’s Damage Control Statement.’ »

By

Lihini Fernando

(The writer is an Attorney-at-Law and member of the Moratuwa Municipal Council)

A President of a country cannot separate his private life from public life. The moment one assumes the office of Head of State, he ceases to be a private individual. His security, movements, and even his day-to-day engagements are under the control of the State.

The Presidential Security Division (PSD) is duty-bound to accompany him at all times, whether he is attending a state meeting, a private function, or even traveling abroad. A specific budget is allocated for this purpose, and his security detail has no discretion to abandon him simply because he is engaged in a personal activity.

Even if a President attends a private wedding, funeral, or visits a sick relative, the PSD must accompany him. His official vehicle too is part of the security protocol. Therefore, in practice, there is no clear distinction between public and private life for a sitting President.

This brings us to the case of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Continue reading ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Arrest: “Sri Lanka’s Presidency at Risk: The Blurred Line Between Public Duty and Private Life”’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

ஜனாதிபதி அநுர குமார திசநாயக்கவின் ஜனதா விமுக்தி பெரமுன (ஜே.வி.பி.) தலைமையிலான தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தி அரசாங்கம் பதவியில் இப்போது ஒரு வருடத்தை நெருங்குகிறது. ஜே.வி.பி. — தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தியின் 159 பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்களையும் உள்ளூராட்சி தேர்தல்களில் தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தி பெற்ற வெற்றிகளையும் அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்டு நோக்கும் போது விரைவாக அவர்களின் அரசாங்கத்தை பதவியில் இருந்து அகற்றுவதற்கு அண்மைய எதிர்காலத்தில் சாத்தியமில்லை என்றே தோன்றுகிறது.

இருந்தாலும், பல எதிர்க்கட்சிகளின் தலைவர்கள் வேறு விதமாக நினைக்கிறார்கள் போன்று தெரிகிறது. இந்த எதிர்பார்ப்புகள் இரு சாத்தியப்பாடுகளில் தங்கியிருக்கின்றன. நாளடைவில் பொருளாதாரம் சீர்குலைந்து எரிபொருள், மின்சாரம், எரிவாயு மற்றும் அத்தியாவசிய உணவு வகைகளுக்கு தட்டுப்பாடும் மக்களினால் அவற்றை கொள்வனவு செய்வது கட்டுப்படியாகாத நிலை ஏற்பட்டு நெருக்கடி நிலைவரமும் தோன்றும் என்று சிலர் எதிர்பார்க்கிறார்கள். அநுரவின் அரசாங்கத்தைக் கவிழ்த்துவிடக்கூடிய ” அறகலய ” போன்ற கொந்தளிப்பான நிலைவரம் ஏற்படும் என்பது இவர்களின் நம்பிக்கை.

ஆளும் கட்சிக்குள் உட்பிளவுகள் ஏற்படும் என்பது இன்னொரு வகையான சிந்தனை. கடும்போக்குடைய பழைய ஜே.வி.பி. தலைவர்களுக்கும் புதிய சீர்திருத்தவாத தேசிய மக்கள் சக்திக்கும் இடையில் பதற்றம் ஏற்பட்டிருக்கிறது.தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தயின் பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்களில் பலர் ஜே.வி.பி.யின் மேலாதிக்கத்தை எதிர்த்து பிரிந்து போவார்கள் என்பது விருப்பமான ஒரு நம்பிக்கை. மேலும், ஜே.வி.பி.யின் உயர்மட்ட தலைவர்கள் சிலருக்கிடயிலான தனிப்பட்ட போட்டி மனப்பான்மையும் கூட கட்சியின் பிளவுக்கு வழிவகுக்கலாம் என்பது எதிர்க்கட்சிகளின் எதிர்பார்ப்பு.

இது தொடர்பில் வதந்திகள் வேகமாகப் பரவிவருகின்றன. இரு சிரேஷ்ட அமைச்சர்கள் பிரதமர் பதவியில் கண் வைத்திருப்பதாகவும் கூறப்படுகின்றது. அதனால், பிரதமர் ஹரிணி அமரசூரியவுக்கு எதிராக பனிப்போர் ஒன்று மூண்டிருக்கிறது. வதந்திகளைப் பரப்புபவர்கள் கூறுகின்றவற்றின் பிரகாரம் பார்த்தால் ஜனாதிபதி அநுரவின் ஆதரவும் ஒருமைப்பாடும் இல்லாமல் இருந்திருந்தால், தனக்கு எதிராக அணிதிரண்ட உட்சக்திகளினால் ஹரிணி பதவிவிலக நிர்ப்பந்திக்கப்பட்டிருக்கக்கூடும்.

அரசாங்கத்தின் உயர் மட்டத்திற்குள் மூண்டிருப்பதாக கூறப்படுகின்ற மெய்யான அல்லது கற்பனையான அதிகாரப் போட்டியை ஆராய்வது இந்த பத்தியின் நோக்கமல்ல. ஆனால், பிரதமர் ஹரிணி அமரசூரிய, வர்த்தக, வாணிப, உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் கூட்டுறவு அபிவிருத்தி அமைச்சர் வசந்த சமரசிங்க, ஸ்ரீலங்கா பொதுஜன பெரமுனவின் அம்பாந்தோட்டை மாவட்ட பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர் டி.வி. சானக்க ஆகியோரை மையப்படுத்திய நிகழ்வுகளின் விசித்திரமான திருப்பம் ஒன்று குறித்து பத்தி கவனம் செலுத்துகிறது. அவர்கள் மூவருக்கும் இடையிலான கருத்துப் பரிமாற்றங்கள் பல சதிக்கோட்பாடுகளை மூளவைத்த ஒரு சர்ச்சையை தோற்றுவித்திருக்கின்றன. அத்துடன் அரசாங்கத்துக்குள் பாரதூரமான கருத்து முரண்பாடுகள் ஏற்பட்டிருக்கிறது என்ற அபிப்பிராயத்தையும் அது பலப்படுத்தியிருக்கிறது.

Continue reading ‘சுப்றீம்சற் ( SupremeSAT) ‘சிச்சீ’ யின் ரொக்கெட் :அறியாமையால் பிரதமர் ஹரிணி செய்த தவறும் சேதத்தை சீர்செய்த அமைச்சர் வசந்தவின் அறிக்கையும்’ »

The medical condition of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was admitted to the prison hospital on the night of 22 August 2025 following a remand order, is reported to he unstable.

A prison official said Wickremesinghe was first brought to the Magazine Prison, where doctors who examined him recommended a transfer to the Welikada Prison Hospital after his blood pressure and sugar levels were found to be elevated.
However, it was reported that his blood pressure further increased by this afternoon.

The Former President was transferred to the National Hospital in Colombo due to health concerns.

Continue reading ‘Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe Transferred to National Hospital from Prison Hospital due to Unstable Health Condition. Intensive Specialist care provided after steeo rise in Blood Pressure and Blood sugar levels’ »

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe was yesterday ( Aug 22 ) remanded by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court for four days until 26 August.

Wickremesinghe was arrested earlier in the day by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) after appearing before the sleuths to record a statement.

The arrest follows an investigation into allegations that Wickremesinghe used State funds for a private visit to London in September 2023 to attend a university ceremony with his wife, Prof. Maithree Wickremesinghe.
The trip coincided with his return from the Group of 77 (G77) Summit in Havana, but was not classified as an official engagement. Investigators allege that Government resources, including security, were misused.

Continue reading ‘Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe Arrested on August 22 by CID for alleged misuse of State funds for personal UK trip in 2023 and Remanded by Colombo Fort Magistrate Until Aug 26’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

A symbolic hartal was observed on Monday [August 18, 2025] across Sri Lanka’s north and east, where a majority of the island’s Tamil-speaking people live, against militarisation that continues 16 years after the civil war ended.

Many commercial and trading establishments in the Northern Province and Eastern Province remained closed during the morning hours, protesting the recent killing of 32-year-old Ethirmanasingham Kapilraj of Mullaitivu district, allegedly by military men. Sri Lanka police arrested three soldiers in connection with the incident last week.

Soon after, prominent Tamil party Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) called for a hartal and wrote to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, demanding an “unhindered, thorough investigation” and justice for Mr. Kapilraj’s death. In the letter dated August 10, 2025, the party also sought to highlight the “oppressive conduct and excessive presence of the military” in the north and east.

Continue reading ‘Hartal Called by prominent Tamil party Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi held in Sri Lanka’s north and east in protest of the recent killing of a Tamil youth, allegedly by the military, and the continuing military presence in Tamil-majority areas’ »

By

Tisaranee Gunasekara

“The question’s what happened to Israeli people. How they allowed themselves to be so debased. How they become so inured to pain and suffering. How they have become oblivious to their own horrific past. And these images which remind you of their own horrific past… for Israeli people to let this happen in this name is despicable… The shame of this for Israel, the shame… What are we living in?”
Bob Geldof (Interview with Irish national news – 24.7.2005)

On 15 July 2025, a group of Jewish Israeli teens gathered in Tel Aviv to burn their draft papers. Israel has a conscript army and every Israeli Jewish citizen over 18 years has to undergo fixed-term military service and remain as reservists until the age of 40. The teens burning their draft papers face imprisonment, but for them the alternative is infinitely worse. As one of them said, “There is a genocide. You don’t enlist into an army that is committing genocide” (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9zzbb_Ac-W8).

The war in which these teens are refusing to participate is killing an average of 28 Palestinian children a day (including babies and infants), according to UNICEF. It has also birthed a new acronym: WCSF – Wounded Child; no Surviving Family.

10-year-old Amir was one of the (on-average) 28 children killed on 28 May 2025. He was seeking food from an aid station run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a shadowy organisation entrusted by the US and Israel to deliver uncooked food (but no water) to starving Palestinians in Israeli-blockaded Gaza. Amir belongs in another UN statistic – the almost 1000 Palestinians killed in the vicinity of the GHF sites while seeking food aid. As Bob Geldof told the Sky News, “They are dangling food in front of starving, panicked, exhausted mothers and while they arrive for this tiny amount of foods, this pantomime outfit the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, Humanitarian Front I would call it, then they are shot…”

Amir’s death in this real life Hunger Game came to light thanks to an unlikely whistle-blower. Lt. Col. Anthony Aguilar is a US army retiree, a Special Forces veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. This year, he was hired by a military contractor to provide security for GHF’s aid distributing sites in Gaza. Mr. Aguilar was at Site Number 2 when Amir came seeking food. “He seems about 6 or 7… He doesn’t have a bag. He’s got some rice, some small items that he picked off the ground… He walked up to us and he just extended his hand…You see, the contractor standing next to me, and he (Amir) kissed his hand and then he kissed my hand. And then I knelt by him, put my hand on his shoulder, to comfort him… And he set down the items that he had and he placed his hands on my face, and his hands were very frail. His fingernails were dry and cracked…his skin tight and dehydrated… He then kissed me and he said Thank you in English and stepped back… He joined the rest of the group that was leaving. At that point the contractors began the inherited practice of pushing the civilians off the site with tear gas and pepper spray and stun grenades” (https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/whistleblower-10-year-old-palestinian-boy-gunned-down-after-receiving-food-aid-244262469741).

The IDF had a position nearby. They shot at the panicked civilians fleeing the aid site. Little Amir was among the dead. His family is yet to find his body.

Continue reading ‘“If Israel gets away with this genocide, that fact will convey a sense of impunity to powerful nations, placing smaller, weaker countries, countries without super-power patrons in danger.”’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

இலங்கையின் முன்னாள் வெளியுறவு அமைச்சர் லக்ஸ்மன் கதிர்காமர் சூதறியாத அவரின் அயலவர் ஒருவரின் வீட்டுக்குள் மறைந்திருந்து விடுதலை புலிகள் நடத்திய சினைப்பர் தாக்குதலில் 2005 ஆகஸ்ட் 12 ஆம் திகதி கொல்லப்பட்டார். தனது வீட்டில் உள்ள நீச்சல் தட்கத்தில் வழமையான 1000 மீட்டர்கள் நீச்சலை அவர் முடித்துக்கொண்டு வெளியேறியபோது கொலைஞர் தாக்குதலை நடத்தினார். விதிவசமான அந்த தினத்துக்கு பிறகு இரு தசாப்தங்கள் கடந்து விட்டன. ஆனால், அவர் பற்றிய நினைவுகள் இன்னமும் நீடிக்கின்றன. இலங்கையின் தலைசிறந்த வெளியுறவு அமைச்சர் என்று பலராலும் கருதப்பட்ட அந்த மனிதரின் 20 வது நினைவு தினத்தை முன்னிட்டு இந்த கட்டுரை எழுதப்படுகிறது.

அவரது ஒரேயொரு மகள் அஜிதா தனது தந்தையாரைப் பற்றி வேறு எந்த பத்திரிகையாளரை விடவும் டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜே மிகவும் கூடுதலாக எழுதியிருக்கிறார் என்று தந்தையார் குறித்த தனது நூலில் குறிப்பிடுகின்ற அளவுக்கு லக்ஸ்மன் கதிர்காமரை பற்றி பல வருடங்களாக நான் விரிவாக எழுதியிருக்கிறேன். லக்ஸ்மன் கதிர்காமரை பற்றி சிறந்த வாசிப்புக்குரிய அஜிதா கதிர்காமரின் நூலுக்கு ” The Cake That Was Baked At Home ” என்று தலைப்பிடப்பட்டிருந்தது. அதன் புதிய பதிப்பு கதிர்காமரின் 20 வது நினைவு தினத்தை முன்னிட்டு இவ்வருடம் வெளியிடப்பட்டது.

எனது கட்டுரைகளில் இருந்து வரிகளும் பந்திகளுமாக 78 குறிப்புகளை அஜிதாவின் நூல் கொண்டிருக்கிறது. அதன் ஒரு பக்கத்தில் அவர் ‘ லக்ஸ்மன் கதிர்காமரின் உத்தியோகபூர்வமற்ற சுயசரிதையாளர் ” என்று என்னை பெரும்பாலும் குறிப்பிடலாம் என்று கூறியிருக்கிறார். அதனால், இந்த பின்புலத்தில் எனது முன்னைய எழுத்துக்களையும் அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்டு உதவியுடன் லக்ஸ்மன் கதிர்காமர் என்ற பன்முக ஆளுமை பற்றி எழுதுகிறேன்.

Continue reading ‘இலங்கையின் தலைசிறந்த வெளியுறவு அமைச்சர் என்று பலராலும் கருதப்பட்ட “பன்முக ஆளுமை” லக்ஸ்மன் கதிர்காமரின் ஆன்மீகப் பரிமாணம்’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Former Sri Lankan Foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was killed on 12 August 2005 by a sniper of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) concealed in the house of an unsuspecting neighbour. Kadirgamar had just completed his customary 1000 metre swim at the pool in his residence, when the assassin struck. Two decades have passed since that fateful day but the memory of Kadirgamar lingers still in the hearts and minds of the nation. This column focuses on the man regarded by many as Sri Lanka’s finest foreign minister even as Lakshman Kadirgamar.s 20th death anniversary draws near.

I have written extensively about Lakshman Kadirgamar over the years, so much so that his only daughter Ajita has stated in her book about her father that D.B.S. Jeyaraj has written about LK possibly more than any other journalist. Ajita Kadirgamar’s eminently readable book about Lakshman Kadirgamar is titled “The Cake That Was Baked At Home.” A new edition of the book has been released this year to denote Kadirgamar’s 20 th death anniversary.

According to Ajita, the book has 78 references to lines and passages from my articles. She even says on one page that she ‘would almost term me as ‘LK’s unofficial biographer’. It is against this backdrop therefore that I write on the multi-faceted personality ,Lakshman Kadirgamar drawing on some of my earlier writings also.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s Finest Foreign Minister and Multi-faceted Personality Lakshman Kadirgamar’s Spiritual Dimension.’ »

By Ranil Wickremesinghe

In Sathkunanathan v. Attorney General and related cases, the Supreme Court (Fernando CJ and Kodagoda J) held that the Proclamation of Emergency issued on July 17, 2022, by me as Acting President infringed the petitioners’ Fundamental Rights. Concurrently, Obeyesekere J held that the fundamental rights of the petitioners guaranteed by Article 12(1) of the Constitution have not been impugned by the making of the said Proclamation. This judgment raises significant questions on the relationship between emergency powers, fundamental rights and Parliament’s powers (including its privileges). Given the importance of this case and in light of certain observations made by Counsel during the proceedings, it is appropriate to clarify the rationale, context and constitutional basis for a decision taken during a grave period in post-Independent Sri Lanka.

The dealing with the important constitutional issues as well as the facts will be discussed and debated in the years to come. The case rested mainly on the argument that I, as President, failed to submit an affidavit explaining the reasons for issuing the proclamation.
Mr. Saman Ekanayake, my secretary during the presidency, has included all relevant facts and specified the reasons relating to the proclamation in his affidavit. I had no other information to be added to a sworn affidavit. Hearings are not restricted to affidavits as per Article 126 of the Constitution.

In issuing the impugned proclamation, I had taken into consideration the report submitted by the then Inspector General of Police and the advice given by the then Secretary Defence and the then Secretary of Public Security. This was attested to by Mr Saman Ekanayake. In addition, C.D. Wickramaratne, then Inspector General of Police; General Kamal Guneratne, then Secretary of Defence; and S. Hettiarachchi, then Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, were all respondents in the cases. The documents filed in court by these parties also contained some of the requisite information. Furthermore, all the facts relating to these incidents were highlighted during the parliamentary debate on the Proclamation and are contained in the Hansard of July 27, 2022, which is a public document. The said proclamation was approved by the Parliament of Sri Lanka in accordance with Article 155 of the Constitution. In view of the importance of the case and the allegations made against me by some counsel, I wish to place the following facts on record in addition to what has been stated above.

The incidents at Polduwa Junction have been aptly described in the judgement. The march to Parliament on July 13, 2022, took place while party leaders were meeting in Parliament to discuss the crisis and the next steps to be taken. Groups of people converged from different areas of Colombo. The march disrupted the meeting since the party leaders had to vacate the building. In addition, over 20 members of the Army were badly injured and had to be treated at the Army Hospital. Two Army rifles were stolen. The intense combing of the area by the Armed Forces for the snatched rifles resulted in their disposal in a canal nearby. There was intelligence that some of the protesters were actively searching for arms.

The violence that led up to the incidents of July 13 included the slaying of one MP and a brutal attack on another; the annihilation of over 90 houses throughout the country by arson on May 9; the siege on the Presidential Secretariat and President’s House; the unlawful entry into the Prime Minister’s Office and Residence; and the burning of my own personal residence on July 9. Aside from which, there were continuous agitations and threats against the democratically elected Members of Parliament during this period.

Continue reading ‘“I, as the Acting President, made the impugned proclamation to uphold the powers and privileges of Parliament to enable the Parliament to sit on July 20, 2022, to permit the election of the President. These facts were known to the entire country.”- Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The provincial councils scheme , implemented since 1988, has seen a number of chief ministers being elected by the various provincial councils over the years. Although the norm has been for each province to have a single chief minister, there has been a notable exception in the past.

In November 1988, elections were held together for the temporarily merged Northern and Eastern Provinces. Annamalai Varatharaja Perumal of the Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front(EPRLF) was elected as the first chief minister of what was then called the North -Eastern Provincial Council.

Varatharaja Perumal known generally as Perumal and Varathar, served as North -Eastern Chief minister from 10 December 1988 to 1st March 1990. It was indeed creditable that Perumal took the bold step of accepting the office of Chief Minister in the newly set-up North-Eastern Council then. The leadership qualities he displayed at the time, though controversial, were commendable. Had he not taken the plunge and become the pioneering North Eastern Chief Minister under very difficult circumstances, all the positive gains of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord may not have accrued to Sri Lankan Tamils.

Perumal’s tenure as Chief Minister between December 1988 and March 1990 was quite unenviable. On the one hand, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) considered him a traitor to the Tamil cause and began targeting him. The Tigers also sabotaged all efforts by the North-Eastern Council to address the day-to-day problems of Tamils.

On the other hand, Sinhala hawks, including the then President Ranasinghe Premadasa, portrayed Perumal as an Indian puppet. There was marked hostility towards Perumal and the North-Eastern Council on the part of the southern political establishment and bureaucracy. All attempts at achieving meaningful devolution under the Provincial Council scheme were stymied.

Caught between the devil and the deep sea, Perumal found himself being rendered increasingly ineffective. Moreover, the continuing military conflict between the Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF) and the LTTE was causing hardship to the people of the North-Eastern Province. Matters came to a head when Premadasa struck a deal of sorts with the LTTE and demanded the withdrawal of the IPKF. In a last-ditch stand, Perumal raised the Civilian Volunteer Force, also known as the Tamil National Army, to resist the LITE while the IPKF was de – inducting itself in stages. It was a futile effort.

A beleaguered Perumal called it a day in March 1990 and left Trincomalee in an Indian aircraft. Before doing so he dropped a bombshell by getting the North-Eastern Council to pass a resolution declaring unilaterally an “intention” to promulgate Tamil Eelam if certain conditions regarding devolution were not met within a year by Colombo. Premadasa depicted the resolution as a “unilateral declaration of Tamil Eelam ” by the North -Eastern Council, and used it as an excuse for its dissolution. This was at the behest of the LTTE.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s first,last and only North -Eastern Province Chief Minister A. Varatharaja Perumal Embarks on Political Project to Boost Provincial Councils.’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

1988 ஆம் ஆண்டு முதல் நடைமுறைப்படுத்தப்பட்ட மாகாணசபைகள் முறை, பல வருடங்களாக வெவ்வேறு மாகாண சபைகளுக்கு மக்களால் தெரிவுசெயயப்பட்ட பல முதலமைச்சர்களை கண்டுவந்திருக்கிறது. ஒவ்வொரு மாகாணத்துக்கும் தனியொரு முதலமைச்சர் என்பதே நியமமாக இருந்த போதிலும், கடந்த காலத்தில் ஒரு குறிப்பிடத்தக்க விதிவிலக்கும் இருந்தது.

தற்காலிகமாக இணைக்கப்பட்ட வடக்கு, கிழக்கு மாகாணங்களுக்கு 1988 நவம்பரில் தேர்தல் நடத்தப்பட்டது. வடக்கு — கிழக்கு மாகாணசபை என்று அன்று அழைக்கப்பட்ட சபையின் முதலாவது முதலமைச்சராக ஈழமக்கள் புரட்சிகர விடுதலை முன்னணியைச் சேர்ந்த அண்ணாமலை வரதராஜப் பெருமாள் தெரிவு செய்யப்பட்டார்.

பெருமாள் அல்லது வரதர் என்று பொதுவாக அறியப்பட்ட வரதராஜப் பெருமாள் 1988 டிசம்பர் 10 ஆம் திகதி முதல் 1990 மார்ச் முதலாம் திகதி வரை வடக்கு — கிழக்கு முதலமைச்சராக பதவி வகித்தார். புதிதாக அமைக்கப்பட்ட வடக்கு — கிழக்கு மாகாணசபையின் முதலமைச்சராக அன்று பெருமாள் பதவியை ஏற்றுக்கொள்வதற்கு துணிச்சலுடன் முன்வந்தது உண்மையில் பாராட்டத்தக்கது. சர்ச்சைக்குரியதாக இருந்த போதிலும், அந்த நேரத்தில் அவர் வெளிக்காட்டிய தலைமைத்துவப் பண்புகள் மெச்சத்தக்கவை. மிகவும் நெருக்கடியான சூழ்நிலைகளின் கீழ் அவர் துணிச்சலுடன் முன்வந்து வடக்கு — கிழக்கு மாகாணத்தின் முன்னோடி முதலமைச்சராக வரவில்லை என்றால், 1987 ஜூலை இந்திய — இலங்கை சமாதான உடன்படிக்கையின் நேர்மறையான சகல பயன்களும் இலங்கை தமிழர்களுக்கு கிடைக்காமல் போயிருக்கக்கூடும்.

1988 டிசம்பர் தொடக்கம் 1990 மார்ச் வரை பெருமாளின் முதலமைச்சர் பதவிக்காலம் நெருக்கடிகள் நிறைந்ததாகவே இருந்தது. ஒரு புறத்தில், தமிழரின் இலட்சியத்துக்கு ஒரு துரோகியாக அவரைக் கருதிய தமிழீழ விடுதலை புலிகள் இலக்கு வைக்கத் தொடங்கினர். தமிழர்களின் அன்றாடப் பிரச்சினைகளை தீர்த்து வைப்பதற்கு வடக்கு — கிழக்கு மாகாணசபை எடுத்த சகல முயற்சிகளையும் விடுதலை புலிகள் குழப்பியடித்தனர்.

மறுபுறத்தில், அன்றைய ஜனாதிபதி ரணசிங்க பிரேமதாச உட்பட சிங்களக் கடும் போக்காளர்கள் பெருமாளை இந்தியாவின் கைப்பொம்மை என்று வர்ணித்தனர். பெருமாள் மீதும் வடக்கு — கிழக்கு மாகாணசபை மீதும் தென்னிலங்கை அரசியல் நிறுவனமும் உயர்மட்ட அதிகாரிகளும் கடுமையான பகைமையுணர்வைக் கொண்டிருந்தனர். மாகாணசபை முறையின் கீழ் பயனுறுதியுடைய அதிகாரப் பரவலாக்கத்தை சாதிப்பதற்கான சகல முயற்சிகளும் தடுக்கப்பட்டன.

இருதலைக் கொள்ளி எறும்பாக என்ன செய்வதென்று தெரியாமல் பெருமாள் செயற்பட முடியாத நிலை தோன்றியது. மேலும், இந்திய அமைதிகாக்கும் படைக்கும் விடுதலை புலிகளுக்கும் இடையில் தொடர்ந்துகொண்டிருந்த இராணுவ மோதலின் விளைவாக வடக்கு — கிழக்கு மாகாண மக்கள் பெரும் இடர்பாடுகளை அனுபவித்தனர். விடுதலை புலிகளுடன் உடன்பாடொன்றுக்கு வந்த ஜனாதிபதி பிரேமதாச இந்திய அமைதிகாக்கும் படை வெளியேறவேண்டும் என்ற கோரிக்கையை முன்வைத்ததை அடுத்து நெருக்கடி ஒரு உச்சநிலைக்கு வந்தது. இறுதி முயற்சியாக பெருமாள் விடுதலை புலிகளை எதிர்த்து நிற்பதற்காக தமிழ் தேசிய இராணுவம் என்றும் அறியப்பட்ட சிவில் தொண்டர்கள் படைக்கு ஆட்திரட்டல் செய்தார். அதேவேளை, இந்தியப் படைகள் கட்டங்கட்டமாக வெளியேறத் தொடங்கின. அதனால் பெருமாளின் முயற்சி பயனற்றதாகிப் போனது.

முற்றுகை நிலைக்குள்ளான பெருமாள் இறுதியில் 1990 மார்ச்சில் இந்திய விமானத்தில் திருகோணமலையை விட்டுக் கிளம்பினார். அவ்வாறு வெளியேறுவதற்கு முன்னதாக, அதிகாரப் பரவலாக்கல் தொடர்பாக குறிப்பிட்ட சில நிமந்தனைகளை கொழும்பு ஒரு வருட காலத்திற்குள் நிறைவேற்றாவிட்டால் தமிழீழத்தை ஒருதலைப்பட்சமாக பிரகடனம் செய்யும் ‘ நோக்கத்தைக் ‘ தெரிவிக்கும் தீர்மானம் ஒன்றை வடக்கு — கிழக்கு மாகாணசபையை நிறைவேற்றச் செய்து பெருமாள் ஒரு ‘ குண்டைப் ‘ போட்டார். அந்த தீர்மானத்தை பிரேமதாச வடக்கு — கிழக்கு சபை ‘ ஒருதலைப்பட்சமாக தமிழீழத்தைப் பிரகடனம் ‘ செய்ததாக வர்ணித்து அந்த சபையை கலைப்பதற்கு ஒரு சாட்டாக பயன்படுத்தினார். இதை விடுதலை புலாகளின் வேண்டுகோளின் பேரிலேயே செய்தார்.

Continue reading ‘மாகாண சபைகளை மேம்படுத்தும் அரசியல் செயற்திட்டத்தில் இறங்கியிருக்கும் இணைந்த வடக்கு — கிழக்கு மாகாணசபையின் முதலும் கடைசியுமான ஒரேயொரு முதலமைச்சர் ஏ. வரதராஜப் பெருமாள்.’ »

By

Bishop Duleep de Chickera

When Trump arrogantly suggested that the neighbouring Arab States should absorb the Gaza population as a solution to Israel’s decimation of Gaza, he announced what discerning persons the world over, had already perceived. The earliest Zionist Israeli arrivals, courtesy Lord Balfour, had come to take it all.

From a toehold then, to a freehold today, Israel has turned international law, UN mechanisms for a safer world and street ethics, on its head. It demolishes Palestinian homes and occupies their lands, detains and kills, as it pleases; and then along with its allies, accuses those who object, of anti-Semitism.

Terror reinvented

The multiple, horrific acts of humiliation and cold blooded murder of children, women and men, wallowing in the Gaza dust for scraps of food, have played and replayed before a stunned world today; and predictably tomorrow.

Beyond Palestine, picking and choosing independent sovereign nations to bomb and assassinate at will, Israel warns its neighbours and others to keep off, while it perfects the art of genocide on dying humans half buried in the rubble.

There is no need for covert crime as Israel goes about its deadly mission of ‘all of Palestine, for Israel only.’ Big brother US, ensures her impunity through a fine-tuned scheme of rewards and punishments, while British and EU ‘leaders,’ cringing before Trump, expertly reconcile their vacant, performative ‘expressions of public concern’ with a resolute defence of these same atrocities at global assemblies.

Continue reading ‘From a toehold then, to a freehold today, Israel has turned international law, UN mechanisms for a safer world and street ethics, on its head.’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara

“The story you tell eventually, as a professional historian, is not just what you find in the documents. It is not just the facts. It has a lot to do with your moral positions, your ideological orientation, the time in which you write, and your personality. They are all factors that influence the story you finally tell.” – Ilan Pappé (History is relevant: The Israeli New History and its legacy)

It took almost four decades and tens of thousands of deaths for Sri Lanka to adopt a language policy matching national and international realities. Sinhala and Tamil are official languages, English the link language. There’s political and societal consensus that the Sinhala Only policy of 1956, which relegated Tamil to secondary status and turned English into the preserve of a privileged few, was a pivotal error.

Only a miniscule minority on the Sinhala-Buddhist extremist fringe oppose this broad consensus. Yet it is their version of history that is being taught to Lankan students as History in the Grade 11 textbook.

Take the section dealing with the Government of SWRD Bandaranaike, titled 1956 Election and the Social Change: “It is believed that a social revolution was made by that government because several new forces were rallied round Mr Bandaranaike to follow a policy of valuing the native language, religion, and culture… Even after obtaining independence, English language held a special position and it became problematic for the vernacular scholars. Because of that, those who rallied round the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna had already accepted Sinhala naming (sic) as the state language as a policy (sic)… During his administration, the policy that valued the nationality (sic) and the attempt to solve the unsolved problems of the general public were significant landmarks” (https://govdoc.lk/view?id=7119&fid=6417fc32c433c – emphasis mine).

In this version of history, native (desheeya in the original Sinhala text) is a synonym for Sinhala; native language is Sinhala, native religion is Buddhism, and native culture is Sinhala-Buddhist culture. Vernacular (swabhasha) is also Sinhala, so is nationality (desheeyatvaya). Since Sinhala is the only native language, Sinhala Only was the right policy. Tamil, like English, is non-native and thus deserving of secondary status or none.

Continue reading ‘It is the Sinhala-Buddhist extremist fringe oversion of history that is being taught to Lankan students as History in the Grade 11 textbook. A history textbook which validates Sinhala-Buddhist supremacism’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Tamil cinema fans like this writer who grew up on a diet of Tamil movies were deeply saddened when veteran South Indian actress B. Saroja Devi passed away some days ago on 14 July 2025. The octogenarian Saroja Devi after performing her daily 30 minute pooja in the mornings was seated on a sofa watching TV when she collapsed suddenly with a groan.The unconscious Saroja Devi was taken by ambulance to hospital where she was pronounced dead upon arrival. She was 87 years old.

Among actresses in Tamil movies , Saroja Devi has been a favourite of mine since boyhood. In a screen career spanning more than five decades, Saroja Devi has acted in 209 films. Of these she played the heroine or leading lady in 161 films. She was cast in supportive actress roles or character actor roles in the other movies. In the early stages of her career, Saroja made brief appearances as a dancer too.

In those days the success of a film was judged by the number of weeks it was screened uninterruptedly in a cinema theatre. Out of the 161 films in which Saroja Devi acted as the heroine, 103 ran for more than a hundred days .Some celebrated silver jubilees running for more than 25 weeks at a stretch. A few were Golden jubilee hits running for more than 50 weeks.

Sivaji Ganesan, M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and Gemini Ganesan comprised the triumvirate that dominated Tamil movies from the fifties to the seventies of the 20th century.The top thespian trinity of that vintage in Tamil cinema were Sivaji, MGR and Gemini. They ruled the roost in ‘Kollywood’ as the Tamil Nadu film industry is referred to in lighter vein.

Tamil Cinema “Moovaenthar”

The triple dynasties in Tamil history are the Cheras, Chozhas and Pandyas. They were known as the “Moovaenthar” or three Kings. Sivaji, MGR and Gemini were often referred to as the Moovaenthar of Tamil cinema. Several actresses like Bhanumathy, Anjali Devi, Padmini, Savithri , Devika, Jamuna Sowcar Janaki, K.R.Vijaya, Jayalalithaa and Vaanishree have acted opposite them as their leading ladies.

However it is only Saroja Devi who has paired with the trio in near equal number of films.She has acted in 26 films with MGR, 22 with Sivaji and 17 with Gemini. Furthermore she has also acted in many films with SS Rajendran a contemporary of MGR,Sivaji and Gemini.In that context , it could be said that Saroja Devi reigned as the uncrowned queen of Tamil cinema in the early and mid-sixties of the last century .

Saroja Devi was hugely popular with Sri Lankan movie audiences too. Apart from Tamil and Muslim Film fans, the actress had many Sinhala fans too especially women. This became widely known when Saroja Devi accompanied MG Ramachandran (MGR) on a tour of the Island in 1965. Both were mobbed by fans wherever they went. It was obvious that the chief magnet attracting the fans was MGR. However Saroja Devi herself drew crowds in her own right. When Tamil newspapers interviewed these fans,it was found that many were Sinhalese fans rooting for Saroja Devi.

Continue reading ‘B.Saroja Devi: Sparkling Actress Hailed as the “Kannadathup Painkili” (Kannada Parrot) was also Praised as the “Abhinaya Saraswathi” (Goddess of Expression)’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

History was made 65 years ago in July 1960 when 44 year old Sirimavo Bandaranaike assumed office as the prime minister of Sri Lanka known then as Ceylon. Sirimavo shattered a glass ceiling by becoming the world’s first elected woman Prime minister. It is said that the British press coined a new word “stateswoman” after Sirimavo became PM.

The first paragraph of a news report in the prestigious British newspaper ‘Guardian’ dated 22 July 1960 stated as follows: “Mrs. Sirima Bandaranaike, Leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, made history today when she became the world’s only woman Prime Minister. She is the sixth Prime Minister of Ceylon since independence in 1947. Her party secured 75 of the 151 elected seats and will be supported by eight other elected members and six appointed members. This will give her an absolute majority in the House of Representatives.”

When Sirimavo assumed office on 22 July 1960, large crowds lined up along the streets of Colombo to cheer the smiling lady as she was driven from her residence Tintagel at Rosemead place to the then Governor-General’s mansion Queen’s House in Fort. After being sworn in by the Governor -General, Sir Oliver Goonetiilake, she was driven to Temple Trees, the prime minister’s official residence in Kollupitiya.

There was no TV then but the newspapers were full of details and pictures about the historic event. Everyone seemed to be thrilled that the country had produced the world’s first woman prime minister. There was a festive air all over. It is in this context therefore that I recount – with the aid of earlier writings – the unique Sri Lankan story of Sirimavo Bandaranaike becoming the world’s first woman premier 65 years ago.

Continue reading ‘Sirimavo Bandaranaike: The “Weeping Widow” who Became the World’s First Woman Prime Minister 65 Years ago.’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

” சேர் டொனால்ட் ஜோர்ஜ் பிரட்மன் கிரிக்கெட் வரலாற்றில், உண்மையில் சகல பந்து விளயாட்டுக்களின் வரலாற்றில் எந்த கேள்விக்கும் இடமின்றிய மகத்தான ஒரு ஆளுமை.” இவ்வாறுதான் பிரபல்யமான பத்திரிகையாளரும் ஒக்ஸ்போர்ட் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் வருகைப் பேராசிரியருமான மத்தியூ ஏஞ்செல் , விஸ்டென் கிரிக்கெட் நாட்காட்டியில் ( Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack ) பிரபல அவுஸ்திரேலிய கிரிக்கெட் வீரர் டொன் பிரட்மனை பற்ற குறிப்பிட்டார். ‘கிரிக்கெட்இன்ஃபோ’ வின் (Cricketinfo ) பிரகாரம் “அவுஸ்திரேலியாவின் சேர் டொனால்ட் பிரட்மன் எந்த வாதத்துக்கும் அப்பால், இதுகாலவரையில் உலகம் கண்ட தலைசிறந்த துடுப்பாட்டவீரரும் இருபதாம் நூற்றாண்டின் மகத்தான கிரிக்கெட் வீரருமாவார்.”

டொன் பிரட்மன் இருபதாம் நூற்றாண்டின் நடுப்பகுதியில் கிரிக்கெட் உலகில் ஒரு பிரமாண்டமான ஆளுமையாக உலாவந்தவர். 1930 ஜனவரியில் குயின்ஸ்லாந்துக்கு எதிராக நியூசவுத் வேல்ஸுக்காக விளையாடியபோது எவராலும் முறியடிக்க முடியாத 452 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்ற பிறகு அவர் அன்றைய பிரிட்டிஷ் சாம்ராச்சியத்தில் கிரிக்கெட் இரசிகர்களின் ‘ வாழ்த்துப் பானத்துக்கு ‘ ( Toast of cricket lovers) உரியவராக மாறினார். முதல்தரமான கிரிக்கெட்டில் ஒரு இனிங்ஸில் மிகவும் அதிகமான ஓட்டங்களாக அன்று ஒரு உலக சாதனையாக அந்த ஓட்டங்கள் விளங்கின.

பிரட்மன் கிரிக்கெட் விளையாட்டில் தனது முத்திரையைப் பதித்தபோது இலங்கை பிரிட்டிஷ் ஆட்சியின் கீழ் இருந்தது. இங்கிலாந்துக்கு சுற்றுலா சென்ற அவுஸ்திரேலிய கிரிக்கெட் அணியை ஏற்றிக்கொண்டு ” ஒக்ஸ்போர்ட் ” கப்பல் 1930 ஏப்ரில் 2 ஆம் திகதி கொழும்பு துறைமுகத்துக்கு வந்த போது இலங்கையில் பெரும் பரபரப்பு. உண்மையில், டொன் பிரட்மனே நட்சத்திரக் கவர்ச்சிக்குரியவராக விளங்கினார். 1930 ஏப்ரில் 3 ஆம் திகதி மெயிற்லண்ட் பிளேஸில் கொழும்பு கிரிக்கெட் கழகத்தின் ( Colombo Cricket Club — CCC) மைதானத்தில் அவுஸ்திரேலிய அணி இலங்கைக்கு எதிராக விளையாடியது.

அதுவே 22 வயதான டொன் பிரட்மன் அவுஸ்திரேலியாவுக்கு வெளியே விளையாடிய முதலாவது கிரிக்கெட் போட்டியாகும். மிகவும் திறமையாக விளையாடி ஓட்டங்களை குவித்து அவர் பார்வையாளர்களை சிலிர்க்க வைத்தார். நீல் ஜோசப் பந்து வீச அழைக்கப்பட்டபோது பிரட்மன் 40 ஓட்டங்களை எடுத்திருந்தார். பழைய றோயல் கல்லூரி கிரிக்கெட் வீரரான ஜோசப் சர்வதேச கிரிக்கெட்டில் தனது முதலாவது பந்து வீச்சில் பிரட்மனை ( Hit wicket ) ஆட்டமிழக்கச் செய்தார்.

இங்கிலாந்தில் அவுஸ்திரேலிய அணி குறிப்பிடத்தக்க ஒரு வெற்றியை பெற்றது. ஆஷஸ் என்று அழைக்கப்படும் அவுஸ்திரேலியாவுக்கும் இங்கிலாந்துக்கும் இடையிலான போட்டியில் ஐந்து டெஸ்ட் தொடர்களில் 2/1 வெற்றியை அவுஸ்திரேலியா பெற்றது. அந்த கிரிக்கெட் சுற்றுலாவில் டொன் பிரட்மன் கிரிக்கெட்டில் வரலாறு படைத்தார். டெஸ்ட் தொடரில் அவர் 974 ஓட்டங்களை குவித்தார். 8, 131, 254, 1, 334, 14 , 232 என்று அவரின் ஓட்ட எண்ணிக்கை அமைந்திருந்தது.

மூன்றாவது டெஸ்ட் போட்டியில் முதல்நாள் ஹெடிங்லே பிரட்மன் 309 ஓட்டங்களை பெற்றார். அவரது இறுதி ஓட்ட எண்ணிக்கை 334 ஆகும். அதன் மூலம் முன்னைய டெஸ்ட் சாதனையை (287) அவர் முறியடித்தார். அந்த சுற்றுலாவில் டொன் பிரட்மனும் 2960 ஓட்டங்களை குவித்தார்.

டொன் பிரட்மனின் இந்த சாதனைகள் எல்லாம் பத்திரிகைகளில் வெளியாகின. இலங்கையில் கிரிக்கெட் இரசிகர்கள் அவற்றை மிகுந்த ஆர்வத்துடன் வாசித்தார்கள். ஆஸி. கிரிக்கெட் வீரர்கள் 1930 அக்டோபர் 28 ” ஒறொன்சே” கப்பல் மூலமாக அவுஸ்திரேலியா திரும்பினர். மேற்கு அவுஸ்திரேலியாவின் ஃபிறெமென்ரல் துறைமுகத்துக்கு செல்லும் வழியில் அந்த கப்பல் 1930 அக்டோபர் 20 ஆம் திகதி கொழும்பில் தரித்து நின்றது. பிரட்மனை பாராட்டவும் சாத்தியமானால் அவரை பார்ப்பதற்கும் துறைமுகத்தில் மக்கள் பெரும் எண்ணிக்கையில் கூடினர். பிரட்மன் கொழும்புக்கு வருகை தந்தது பற்றிய செய்திகள் பத்திரிகைகளில் விபரமாக வெளியாகின.

” பிரட்மன்மேனியா ” சூழ்நிலை

இத்தகைய ” பிரட்மன்மேனியா” சூழ்நிலையில் பிரட்மனையும் அவுஸ்திரேலிய கிரிக்கெட் வீரர்களையும் ஏற்றிக்கொண்டு ” ஒறொன்சே ” கொழும்பு துறைமுகத்துக்கு வந்த அதே தினமே (அக்டாபர் 20 ) கொழும்பில் ஒரு ஆண்குழந்தை பிறந்தது.அதன் பெற்றோர் டொன் பிரட்மனின் தீவிர இரசிகர்கள். அதனால் அவர்கள் புதிதாக பிறந்த தங்கள் மகனுக்கு புகழ்பெற்ற அந்த கிரிக்கெட் ஜாம்பவானின் பெயரைச் சூட்டினர்.

பிரட்மனின் பெயரைக் கொண்ட அந்த பையன் தனது பாடசாலை நாட்களில் ‘ ஃபெஸ்ட் லெவினுக்காக ‘ விளையாடிய போதிலும், கிரிக்கெட்டில் சர்வதேசப் புகழைப் பெறவில்லை. ஆனால் , அவன் வளர்ந்து இலங்கையின் ஒன்பது பிரதமர்கள், ஜனாதிபதிகளின் கீழ் பணியாற்றிய தலைசிறந்த சிவில் சேவை அதிகாரியாக பிரபலமானான்.

Continue reading ‘ஒன்பது பிரதமர்கள், ஜனாதிபதிகளுடன் பணியாற்றிய தலைசிறந்த சிவில் சேவை அதிகாரி பிரட்மன் வீரக்கோன்’ »

By

Krishantha Prasad Cooray

Donald Trump’s tariffs shook the world. Financial markets around the world plunged. The US stock market registered its largest two-day loss in history. Businesses and politicians were in panic.

No one could understand what was happening or why.

Sri Lanka was one of the worst affected. The Trump tariffs would have increased the cost of Sri Lankan exports to the US by 44% overnight. Equally catastrophically, the tariffs imposed on other countries were lower. Our exports would have faced the sixth highest tariff in the world. India was at 27%, Bangladesh 37% and Pakistan 30%. Sri Lanka’s hard earned recovery was about to be reversed. Tens of thousands of jobs were in jeopardy.

Sri Lanka’s cards were weak, very weak. We export far more to the US than we import. We have some of the highest effective tariff rates in the world. Unlike China we do not have rare earths. Unlike the EU we do not have a large market to threaten retaliation.

And the poker table was a complex one, where players’ chips were not only the standard currency of trade deals. This negotiation encompassed all aspects of high politics and high economics. It was fast paced, personal and transactional. There was no rule book to follow.

Enter the man from Thambuttegama. He had never negotiated a trade-deal before. He had never handled a global crisis. His cabinet was the least experienced in Sri Lankan history. But the man knew how to play as well as any of the masters. Instead of a 44% tariff, Sri Lanka today faces a 20% tariff. This makes Sri Lanka’s exports no less competitive than its peers and is actually better than India’s.

Continue reading ‘Instead of 44% , Sri Lanka today faces a US 20% tariff! President Disanayake has proved that he can actually get into the ring and win!’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The first part of this article titled “Black July; Anatomy of an Anti-Tamil Pogrom” was a brief overview of the horrific anti-Tamil violence that engulfed the Sri Lankan nation in July 1983. The second part of this article focuses primarily on how “Black July”began in 1983. This detailed article is written with the aid of earlier writings to denote the 42bd anniversary of the 1983 July anti-Tamil pogrom.

As stated earlier the anti-Tamil violence of July 1983 was not a spontaneous mass uprising of the Sinhala people against the Tamil people. Prior to the outbreak of violence, there existed a pre-planned conspiracy to launch a widespread attack against Tamil life, limb and property on a massive scale. All it required was a powerful incident to be the provocative pretext to justify such an attack.

The ambush of an Army patrol in the north on the night of Saturday 23 July by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) resulting in the killing of 13 soldiers by the Tigers provided the excuse to trigger off the violence , beginning from Sunday 24 July. The LTTE’s attack itself had been in the pipeline and was expedited due to a successful Army attack on 15 July that resulted in the death of a key Tiger operative. The violence in July 1983 was in a sense a tale of an attack on the LTTE by the army and an ambush of the army by the tigers followed by an Anti-Tamil pogrom.

Continue reading ‘Beginning of “Black July “; 15 July Meesalai Army Attack and 23 July Thinnavely LTTE Ambush.’ »

By

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. In Sri Lanka “all changed” and “changed utterly” for the Tamil people 40 years ago.The catastrophic events of July 1983 drastically altered the lives of large numbers of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

As is well-known , widespread anti-Tamil violence erupted forty -two years ago during the fourth week of July in 1983.Although the tragic history of post-independence Sri Lanka records that the Tamils of Sri Lanka were subjected to mass –scale mob violence in the years 1956, 1958, 1977, 1981 and 1983, the anti-Tamil violence of July 1983 was the most horrible of them all.

Around 3500-4000 Tamils and some Muslims -mistaken for Tamils- were killed. Thousands were injured. Some of the injured were killed in hospitals. There were over 200,000 displaced persons as a result. 130,000 were housed in makeshift refugee camps. More than 2500 business enterprises ranging from huge factories to petty boutiques were damaged or destroyed. The number of houses and dwellings damaged or destroyed has not been fully estimated yet.

The mass scale deaths, destruction, displacement, deprivation and despair suffered by the Tamils both Sri Lankan and Indian made them characterise those days in July as a dark period in their lives.The extent to which the Tamils were diminished in that month made them call it “Black July”.

The tragic happenings remain vividly etched in memory even after 40 years as the “Black July” of 1983. I have written about the dark events of July 1983 extensively in the past. However, I intend re-visiting the events of that cruel month with the aid of such writings in these columns to denote the 42nd anniversary of the”Black July” terrible pogrom.

Continue reading ‘“Black July”: Anatomy of the July 1983 Anti-Tamil Pogrom.’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Chemmani, a sparsely populated area in the northern peninsula of Jaffna has in recent times acquired a somewhat dubious image. Just as Nallur in Jaffna is associated positively in public perception with the famous Kandasamy temple, Chemmani is associated negatively with mass graves. The long war between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) has resulted in innumerable instances of enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings. The mass graves uncovered in Chemmani are symbolic proof of those disappearances and killings.

In July 1998, Corporal Somaratne Rajapaksa and some other soldiers were convicted for the rape and murder of a Jaffna schoolgirl Krishanthi Kumaraswamy and the killing of her family. Rajapaksa revealed at his sentencing that between 300 and 400 Tamil civilians killed in 1996 were buried in the Chemmani area.

This disclosure resulted in excavations in 1999 that yielded fifteen skeletons, two of which were identified as of youths made to disappear in 1996. Despite forensic confirmation of assault and execution, there was no follow up prosecution.Justice was not meted out. The uncovered human remains taken to the University of Glascow for analysis are still in Scotland.

On February 13 this year, construction workers uncovered human skeletal remains at the Sithuppaathi Hindu cemetery in the Chemmani area. They were engaged in a project to re-develop the Cemetery. The Jaffna Magistrate’s Court formally declare the site a mass grave and ordered a court-supervised excavation under judicial scrutiny.

67 skeletons including those of infants and children have been exhumed so far. Several personal artefacts such as a schoolbag, a toy doll, bangles, sandals and fragments of clothing have also been discovered. Currently excavation has ceased but will be resumed from 21st July.

The discovery of skeletal remains of over 60 people including infants and children along with the discovery of artefacts like a school bag and toy doll have made a profound impact on the Tamil people. It appears that the skeletal remains are those of Tamil civilians. Many Sinhalese too have expressed their horror over the discoveries. It is believed that the human remains being uncovered at Chemmani belong to the hundreds of civilians made to disappear in 1996. The Chemmani earth is speaking out again after so many years!

Continue reading ‘The Krishanthi Kumaraswamy Tragedy and the Chemmani Mass Graves Phenomenon.’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

யாழ்ப்பாணக் குடாநாட்டில் மக்கள் செறிந்து வாழாத செம்மணி அண்மைய நாட்களாக ஐயத்துக்குரிய ஒரு பிரபல்யத்தை பெற்றிருக்கிறது. மக்களின் எண்ணத்தில் யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் நல்லூர் பிரபல்யம் வாய்ந்த நல்லூர் கந்தசாமி கோவிலுடன் நேர்மறையாக நோக்கப்படுகின்ற அதேவேளை, செம்மணி மனிதப் புதைகுழிகளுடன் எதிர்மறையான எண்ணத்தில் நோக்கப்படுகின்றது.

இலங்கை ஆயுதப் படைகளுக்கும் விடுதலை புலிகள் இயக்கத்துக்கும் இடையிலான நீண்ட போரின் விளைவாக ஆட்கள் காணாமல் போன சம்பவங்களும் சட்டத்துக்கு புறம்பான கொலைகளும் பெருமளவில் இடம்பெற்றன. அந்த கொடூர சம்பவங்களின் அடையாளபூர்வமான சான்றாக செம்மணியில் கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்ட மனிதப் புதைகுழிகள் விளங்குகின்றன.

1998 ஜூலையில் யாழ்ப்பாண மாணவி கிருசாந்தி குமாரசவாமியை பாலியல் வல்லுறவுக்கு உட்படுத்தி கொலை செய்தமைக்காகவும் அவளது குடும்பத்தினரை கொலை செய்தமைக்காகவும் கோர்பரல் சோமரத்ன ராஜபக்சவும் ஏனைய சில படை வீரர்களும் குற்றவாளிகளாக காணப்பட்டனர். 1996 ஆம் ஆண்டில் கொல்லப்பட்ட 300 — 400 தமிழ்க் குடிமக்கள் செம்மணி பகுதியில் புதைக்கப்பட்டதாக ராஜபக்ச தனக்கு தீர்ப்பு வழங்கப்பட்ட தினத்தன்று நீதிமன்றத்தில் கூறினார்.

அவர் வெளியிட்ட தகவலைத் தொடர்ந்து 1999 ஆம் ஆண்டில் அந்த பகுதி தோண்டப்பட்டபோது 15 மனித எலும்புக்கூடுகள் கண்டெடுக்கப்பட்டன. அவற்றில் இரு எலும்புக்கூடுகள் 1996 ஆம் ஆணடில் காணாமல் போகச் செய்யப்பட்ட இளைஞர்களினுடயவை என்று அடையாளமும் காணப்பட்டது. அவர்கள் இருவரும் தாக்ககுதலுக்கு உள்ளாக்கப்பட்டு கொல்லப்பட்டார்கள் என்று தடயவியல் விசாரணைகளில் உறுதிப்படுத்தப்பட்ட போதிலும், வழக்கு தொடுப்பதற்கு மேற்கொண்டு நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படவில்லை. நீதி வழங்கப்படவில்லை. கண்டெடுக்கப்பட்ட மனித எச்சங்கள் பகுப்பாய்வுக்காக கிளாஸ்கோ பல்கலைக்கழகத்துக்கு கொண்டு செல்லப்பட்டன. அவை இன்னமும் ஸ்கொட்லாந்திலேயே வைக்கப்பட்டிருக்கின்றன.

இவ்வருடம் பெப்ரவரி 13 ஆம் திகதி செம்மணி பகுதியில் சித்துப்பாத்தி இந்து மயானத்தில் நிர்மாணப் பணியாளர்கள் மனித எலும்புகளை கண்டெடுத்தனர். மயானத்தை புனர் நிர்மாணம் செய்யும் பணிகளில் அவர்கள் ஈடுபட்டிருந்தனர். அந்த பகுதியை ஒரு மனிதப் புதைகுழி என்று முறைப்படி பிரகடனம் செய்த யாழ்ப்பாணம் மாஜிஸ்திரேட் நீதிமன்றம் அதன் மேற்பார்வையில் அகழ்வுப்பணிகள் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட வேண்டும் என்று உத்தரவிட்டது.

இதுவரையில் குழந்தைகள், சிறுவர்கள் உட்பட 67 பேரின் எலும்புக்கூடுகள் மீட்கப்பட்டிருக்கின்றன. புத்தகப் பை, விளையாட்டுப் பொம்மை, வளையல்கள், செருப்புக்கள் மற்றம் உடைகளின் துண்டுகள் என்று பல்வேறு தனிப்பட்ட பொருட்களும் புதைகுழிகளில் இருந்து கண்டெடுக்கப்பட்டன. இரு வாரங்களுக்கு முன்னர் தற்காலிகமாக இடைநிறுத்தப்பட்ட அகழ்வுப் பணிகள் மீண்டும் ஜூலை 21 திங்கட்கிழமை முதல் தொடங்கப்பட்டிருக்கின்றன. மேலும் எலுப்புக் கூடுகள் மீட்கப்படுகின்றன.

புத்தகப் பை, விளையாட்டுப் பொம்மை போன்ற பொருட்களுடன் குழந்தைகள், சிறுவர்கள் உட்பட 60 க்கும் அதிகமான எலும்புக் கூடுகள் கண்டெடுக்கப்பட்டிருப்பது தமிழ் மக்கள் மத்தியில் பாரிய தாக்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்தியிருக்கிறது. எலும்புக்கூடுகள் தமிழ்க்குடி மக்களினுடையவை என்று தோன்றுகிறது. கண்டெடுக்கப்படுபவை தொடர்பாக பல சிங்களவர்களும் அதிர்ச்சியும் கவலையும் வெளியிட்டிருக்கின்றனர். செம்மணியில் கண்டெடுக்கப்படும் மனித எச்சங்கள் 1996 ஆம் ஆண்டில் காணாமல் போகச்செய்யப்பட்ட நூற்றுக்கணக்கான குடிமக்களினுடையவை என்று நம்பப்படுகிறது. பல வருடங்களுக்கு பிறகு செம்மணி மண் பேசத் தொடங்கியிருக்கிறது.

Continue reading ‘சுண்டிக்குளி மகளிர் உயர்பாடசாலையின் 18 வயது மாணவி கிருசாந்தி குமாரசுவாமியின் துன்பக் கதையும் செம்மணி மனிதப் புதைகுழிகளும்’ »

By

Tisaranee Gunasekara

“We seek to make Sri Lanka a loyal supporter of Israel in International Fora. We also champion the cause of recognising the inalienable right of Israel and the Jewish people to her Ancient Indivisible Capital of Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria.” Israel Sri Lanka Solidarity Movement

Place: Egypt. Time: Summer of 1954. Targets: British and American civilian assets. Perpetrators: Islamists, Communists or Nationalists.

On July 2, action began. Over the next several days, targets in Cairo and Alexandria were bombed, including the libraries of the American Information Centre and a British owned theatre. None of the bombers were Islamists, Communists or Nationalists. They were Israeli intelligence agents and a handful of Egyptian Jews.

The plan was hatched in Israel by the head of Aman, Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate, with the blessings of Defence Minister Pinhas Lavon. Named Operation Susannah (after an Old Testament character), it entered history under another name: Lavon affair. Its purpose was to prevent Egypt from gaining control of Suez Canal by persuading the British not to cede control and the Americans to back Britain’s continued colonising.

The bombing was supposed to “make it clear to the whole world that Egypt’s new rulers were nothing but a group of foolhardy extremists, unreliable and unworthy of taking charge of an asset as important as the Suez Canal”.

When the real perpetrators were caught and the whole affair blew up, Israel did what it does whenever it’s caught breaking laws and norms: denied (like when the IDF bombed the last standing Catholic church in Gaza this week). It didn’t work. Defence minister Lavon was forced to design, probably to assuage American and British anger at being made fools by their supposed ally. Israel accepted the truth only in 2005 when the country’s president presented certificates of appreciation to surviving agents of the Lavon affair.

False flag operations are not uncommon. Israeli ones are in a class of their own because of their propensity to betray allies and patrons including the US. For example in 2007 and 2008 Mossad operatives met up with members of an anti-Iranian and hardline Sunni-Salafi armed group called Jundallah based in Balochistan, an organisation on the US’s terrorism list.

Using US passports and pretending to be CIA officials, Mossad operatives recruited Jundallah members to carry out terrorist operations within and outside Iran. According to an expose in the Foreign Policy magazine, US officials were ‘stunned by the brazenness of the Mossad’s efforts.’ An American intelligence official interviewed on the matter said, “It’s amazing what the Israelis thought they could get away with… Their recruitment activities were nearly in the open. They apparently didn’t give a damn what we thought”.

None of this should interest us Sri Lankans except at a purely academic level had it not been for the rapid growth of Israel’s footprint Sri Lanka.

Continue reading ‘If we fail to disentangle ourselves from Israel’s toxic web, a new round of ethno-religious strife might be our unavoidable future. And for the Rajapaksas, the resurgence of Muslim Enemy will be an unmixed blessing, a straight path to power’ »

By

Veeragathy Thanabalasingham

There is a widespread perception that the Government is in no hurry to hold the Provincial Council Elections following a significant drop in the votes of the National People’s Power (NPP) at the recent Local Government Elections.

The Government leaders, who claim that the system of Provincial Councils will remain in place until a new constitution is brought in, are not interested in ensuring that the Provincial Councils are administered by representatives elected by the people at least till then.

It has been the position of the southern polity and the people in general and the Sinhalese nationalist forces in particular that the Provincial Council system was imposed on Sri Lanka by our big neighbour India.

The Provincial Council system introduced by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution following the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord of July 1987 should have been implemented by the then Government only in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. But the then Government set up Provincial Councils across the country to show the Sinhalese people that it was not giving anything exclusively to the Tamils in the two provinces.

The Provincial Councils system should have been introduced in the north and east where the devolution of power was demanded, and given to the people of the north and east who demanded a political solution to the national question, but by implementing the system in southern Sri Lanka, the then President forced the Sinhalese people to accept it.

Continue reading ‘Former Chief Minister of merged North Eastern Province Annamalai Varadaraja Perumal says he will tryto create awareness among Tamils about the need to protect the provincial governance system’ »

By

Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Not only our actions, but also our inactions, become our destiny.”
Heinrich Zimmer (The King and the Corpse)

Mohamad Suhail was arrested twice in one day, first under normal law, then under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The first ‘crime’ of this 21-year-old student was walking down the road outside the Chabad House in Dehiwala. The Chabad House (a religio-political-social institution belonging to the Chabad-Lubavitch Movement, a Jewish-fundamentalist sect – think of Bodu Bala Sena with way more brains and cash), reportedly an illegal construction, continues to thrive under the benign gaze of law enforcement officers. Yet the same law enforcement officers arrested Mr. Suhail, a Lankan citizen, for being near a structure built to serve Israeli tourists.

Since Mr. Suhail’s real ‘crime’ would have earned them a magisterial reprimand, Dehiwala police accused him of not having an identity card. The magistrate refused to remand him and released him, pointing out that being in a public space without an identity card was no crime. Case closed. Or so it seemed.

Mr. Sohaila went home to Mawanella with his father that evening. In the night, a team from the Dehiwala police went to his home and arrested him again under the PTA, effectively preventing the magistrate from giving him bail. His ‘crime’ this time was having anti-Israel posts on his social media.

That was 24 October 2024. He spent the next 8 months and 3 weeks in remand prison. He would have vegetated behind bars for many more months, or even years, had not his incarceration made it to the news in June 2025, resulting in an outcry.

This week, the police informed the court that Mr. Sohaila can be released on bail since he had committed no wrongdoing under the PTA. Incomprehensibly, despite this total lack of evidence, the case against him is to continue. Even harder to comprehend is the reason for his arrest. After all, being critical of Israel (or of any other country including Sri Lanka) is not a crime even under normal law let alone the PTA.

Continue reading ‘It is not hard to envisage NPP/JVP leaders being detained under the PTA by a future Namal Rajapaksa dispensation, maybe for the crime of threatening the president’s second cousin! After all, the NPP/JVP in government has set a new record in abusing the PTA.’ »

By

B. Kolappan

Mu. Ka. Muthu, the eldest son of the late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and half-brother of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, died in Chennai on Saturday (July 19, 2025). He had been ailing for a long time. He was 77 and is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

Mr. Muthu was born to Karunanidhi’s first wife Padmavathi, daughter of Chidambaram Padagasundaram Pillai, a renowned musician and composer. His maternal uncle, C.S. Jayaraman — a playback singer — rendered many songs for Sivaji Ganesan-starrers, including his debut film Parasakthi.

The way Mr. Muthu styled himself after MGR, even affecting a physical resemblance, was a source of some discomfort for his family. Mr. Muthu was promoted as an actor by Karunanidhi’s family to produce a home-grown hero, as there was always tension between the DMK and film stars associated with the party. Actors like Sivaji Ganesan, M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), and poet Kannadasan were all once close to Karunanidhi.

Continue reading ‘Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin’s Brother Mu.Ka. Muthu Passes Away in Chennai at the age of 77; DMK leader Kalaigner Karunanidhi’s eldest son Muthu was a Singer and Film Actor Who Tried to Emulate ADMK Leader M.G.Ramachandran.’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

A mass grave site in Sri Lanka’s northern Jaffna district,which has drawn domestic and international attention, is putting to test the Anura Kumara Dissanayake government’s pledge to address Tamil people’s grievances.

The site was discovered by accident in February this year when workers, who were readying land in Chemmani — located in the outskirts of Jaffna, a former war zone — to build a Hindu crematorium, stumbled upon what appeared to be human bones. They immediately alerted authorities, prompting the Jaffna Magistrate Court to order excavation and further investigation.

A team of experts, comprising a senior archaeologist, assisted by students at the University of Jaffna, and Judicial Medical Officers (JMOs, including forensic pathologists and those specialising in forensic anthropology), has since been excavating the site that is now protected with restricted access. According to official sources familiar with the excavation, about 65 skeletons, including some believed to be children, have been found so far, at times with what appeared to be school bags and other personal belongings.

The growing count, amid recurring headlines of more bones being unearthed every day, is agonising for locals, especially families of disappeared persons, who have been chasing the truth about their missing loved ones for years. Their resolve continues till date, 16 years after the bloody civil war ended with the state armed forces crushing the LTTE, while tens of thousands of civilians were massacred.

Continue reading ‘The Chemmani mass grave site in Jaffna district,which has drawn domestic and international attention, is putting to test the Anura Kumara Dissanayake government’s pledge to address Tamil people’s grievances.’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

“Sir Donald George Bradman was, without any question, the greatest phenomenon in the history of cricket, indeed in the history of all ball games”. This was how well-known journalist and visiting professor at Oxford University Mathew Engel referred to Don Bradman in an essay about the famous Australian cricketer in the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. According to “Cricketinfo”, “ Sir Donald Bradman of Australia was, beyond any argument, the greatest batsman who ever lived and the greatest cricketer of the 20th century”.

Don Bradman bestrode the world of cricket like a Colossus in the mid-twentieth Century. He became the toast of Cricket lovers in the then British Empire after he scored an unbeaten 452 for New South Wales against Queensland in January 1930.This was a world record then for scoring the highest number of runs in an innings in First-Class cricket.

Sri Lanka known earlier as Ceylon was under British rule when Bradman made his mark in Cricket.. There was much excitement when the “Orford”sailed into Colombo harbour on 2 April 1930 with the Australian cricket team touring England. Don Bradman was of course the star attraction .On 3 April 1930, Australia played a one day match against Ceylon at the Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) grounds in Maitland Crescent.

This was the first match played by 22 year old Don Bradman outside Australia. Bradman thrilled the spectators with sizzling strokeplay as he piled up the runs. Bradman was on 40 when 24 year old Neil Joseph was called to bowl. The old Royalist with his first ball in International cricket got Bradman out -hit wicket!

The Australian team had a remarkable season in England, regaining the Ashes 2/1 in a 5 Test series. Don Bradman made Cricket history in that tour. Don Bradman scored 974 runs in the Test series. His scores were 8, 131, 254, 1, 334, 14 and 232. In the 3rd Test match at Headingley Bradman scored 309 n.o. on the first day. His final tally of 334 runs beat the previous highest Test record score of 287.Don Bradman also scored 2960 runs on the tour at an average of 98.86.

All these feats of Don Bradman published in newspapers were eagerly lapped up by cricket fans in Ceylon. The Ausiie cricketers returned to Australia by the “ Oronsay” on 28 October 1930. Enroute to Fremantle,the ship docked in Colombo on 20 October 1930. Huge crowds gathered at the harbour to cheer Bradman and get a glimpse of him if possible. News of Bradman sailing into Colombo was published in detail in the newspapers.

Continue reading ‘Bradman Weerakoon : The Man for all Seasons who Served Nine Sri Lankan Premiers and Presidents with Dedication.’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The first major assassination of a prominent political leader in Sri Lanka known formerly as Ceylon was in September 1959. The Country was shocked when the serving Prime minister SWRD Bandaranaike was shot dead by a Buddhist monk Talduwe Somarama Thera. In later years there were many more assassinations of political leaders on either side of the ethnic divide. The political violence unleashed by various Tamil militant groups including the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE), the Janatha Vikumthi Peramuna(JVP)’s political violence and the counter violence of the state and its organs has resulted an a very large number of political leaders being killed over the years.

An important chapter in the saga of political assassinations in Sri Lanka is the killing of well-kown Tamil political leader Appapillai Amirthalingam on 13 July 1989. Hailing from Pannaaham in Jaffna, Appapillai Amirthalingam was born on August 26, 1927. He was a charismatic and dynamic politician who served for many years as the chief lieutenant of the respected Tamil leader S.J.V. Chelvanayagam known as the Gandhi of Eelam.

Amirthalingam was a lawyer by profession and had been the Illankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) MP for Vaddukoddai from 1956 to 1970 and the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) MP for Kankesanthurai from 1977 to 1983. He held office as opposition leader from 1977 to 1983. In 1989, he was appointed MP on the TULF National List.

Continue reading ‘The Abominable Assassination of Tamil Political Leader Appapillai Amirthalingam on 13 July 1989.’ »

By

P.M.Amza

(The writer is former Sri Lanka Ambassador to EU, Belgium, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and former Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai.)

For successive Sri Lankan Governments and the people of Sri Lanka, the subject of Katchatheevu has long been viewed as conclusively resolved through two bilateral agreements signed with India in 1974 and 1976. However, the issue continues to resonate in Tamil Nadu, where political and emotional sensitivities remain.

As someone who served as Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai from 2006 to 2009, a period that coincided with the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka, I witnessed firsthand the heightened sentiments in Tamil Nadu. The military offensive in the North of Sri Lanka provoked strong reactions, including nearly a dozen incidents of self-immolation in protest. The Katchatheevu issue, often confined to Tamil Nadu’s political discourse, resurfaced as opposition parties such as the AIADMK and its allies blamed the DMK for “handing over” (tharaivarthal) the island to Sri Lanka.

During my tenure, I observed very limited discussions on the issue beyond Tamil Nadu. In my understanding, those in New Delhi had viewed the Katchatheevu matter as settled, much like the view held in Colombo.

Against this backdrop, it was surprising—both to me and many others familiar with Indian politics—when, during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders reignited the issue. They even released archival documents to support their claim that the Congress government had acted against national interests in “ceding” the island.

Continue reading ‘Is the BJP Govt in India Re-opening the Katchatheevu Issue to Undermine its Political Rivals the Congress and DMK or to Pressure or Checkmate Sri Lanka and Increase Leverage Over the Colombo Govt?’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

இலங்கையில் முக்கியமான அரசியல் தலைவர் ஒருவர் கொலை செய்யப்பட்ட முதல் சம்பவம் 1959 செப்டெம்பரில் இடம்பெற்றது. பதவியில் இருந்த பிரதமர் எஸ்.டபிள்யூ. ஆர்.டி. பண்டாரநாயக்க, தல்துவ சோமராம தேரோ என்ற பௌத்த பிக்குவினால் சுட்டுக்கொலை செய்யப்பட்டபோது நாடு அதிர்ச்சியில் உறைந்தது. அதையடுத்து வந்த வருடங்களில் இனப்பிளவின் இருமருங்கிலும் மேலும் பல அரசியல் படுகொலைகள் இடம்பெற்றதை காணக்கூடியதாக இருந்தது. தமிழீழ விடுதலை புலிகள் உட்பட பல்வேறு தமிழப் போராளிக் குழுக்களினால் கட்டவிழ்த்துவிடப்பட்ட அரசியல் வன்முறை, ஜனதா விமுக்தி பெரமுனவின் ( ஜே.வி.பி.) வன்முறை மற்றும் அரசினாலும் அதன் அமைப்புக்களினாலும் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்ட எதிர் வன்முறைகளில் பல வருடங்களாக பெரும் எண்ணிக்கையான அரசியல் தலைவர்கள் படுகொலை செய்யப்பட்டார்கள்.

தமிழ் அரசியல் தலைவர் அப்பாபிள்ளை அமிர்தலிங்கம் 1989 ஜூலை 13 ஆம் திகதி கொல்லப்பட்ட சம்பவம் இலங்கையின் அரசியல் படுகொலைகளின் வரலாற்றில் முக்கியமான ஒரு அத்தியாயமாகும்.

யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் பண்ணாகத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவரான அமிர்தலிங்கம் 1927 ஆகஸ்ட் 26 ஆம் திகதி பிறந்தார். ஈழத்துக்காந்தி என்று அறியப்பட்ட — பெருமதிப்புக்குரிய தமிழ்த் தலைவரான எஸ்.ஜே.வி. செல்வநாயகத்தின் பிரதம ‘ தளபதியாக ‘ பல வருடங்கள் செயற்பட்ட அமிர்தலிங்கம் மக்கள் வசீகரமும் ஆற்றலும் கொண்ட ஒரு அரசியல்வாதியாவார்.

சட்டத்தரணியான அமிர்தலிங்கம் 1956 ஆம் ஆண்டு தொடக்கம் 1970 ஆம் ஆண்டு வரை இலங்கை தமிழரசு கட்சியின் வட்டுக்கோட்டை தொகுதி பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினராகவும் 1977 ஆம் ஆண்டு தொடக்கம் 1973 ஆம் ஆண்டுவரை தமிழர் ஐக்கிய விடுதலை கூட்டணியின் காங்கேசன்துறை தொகுதி பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினராகவும் பதவி வகித்தவர். 1977 ஆம் ஆண்டு தொடக்கம் 1983 ஆம் ஆண்டு வரை எதிர்க்கட்சி தலைவராகவும் பதிவி வகித்த அவர், 1989 ஆம் ஆண்டில் தமிழர் ஐக்கிய விடுதலை கூட்டணியின் தேசியப்பட்டியல் பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினராகவும் நியமிக்கப்பட்டார்.

Continue reading ‘தமிழ் அரசியல் தலைவர் அப்பாபிள்ளை அமிர்தலிங்கம் 1989 ஜூலை 13 ஆம் திகதி கொல்லப்பட்ட சம்பவம்’ »

Veteran actor B Saroja Devi, known for her work in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu cinema, breathed her last at the age of 87 on Monday (July 14) in Bengaluru.. The actor was reportedly suffering from age-related illness.

An actor who starred in many memorable films alongside veteran southern Indian superstars such as MG Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, and NT Rama Rao, Saroja Devi also shared screen space with Hindi stars such as Dilip Kumar (Paigham, 1959), Rajendra Kumar (Sasural, 1961) and Sunil Dutt (Beti Bete, 1964). The news about her death has sent shockwaves across Indian cinema, drawing reactions from members of the film fraternity and fans.

Continue reading ‘Legendary Actress B. Saroja Devi Passes away in Bengaluru at the age og 87. Tributes Pour in for the Star known as “Abhinaya Saraswathie” and “Kannadathup Paingkili”’ »

The Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK)known in English as the Federal Party(FP) has in a letter sent to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed profound concern regarding the on-going exhumation of human remains at Chemmani in Jaffna. The premier political party of the Sri Lankan Tamils of the northern and eastern provinces has called upon the President Anura Kumara Dissanayak to take urgent and decisive action to uncover the truth, ensure forensic protocols meet internationally recognized standards, and bring perpetrators to justice. The Letter dated 11 July 2025 has been jointly signed by the ITAK president CVK Sivagnanam and Secretary MA Sumanthiran. The full text of the letter is as follows –

11th July 2025

His Excellency
Anura Kumara Dissanayake
President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Colombo

The Imperative of Truth Seeking, International Collaboration, and Justice in the Chemmani Mass Grave Investigation

Your Excellency,

We write on behalf of Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi to express profound concern regarding the on-going exhumation at Chemmani. We urge urgent and decisive action to uncover the truth, ensure forensic protocols meet internationally recognized standards, and bring perpetrators to justice.

Chemmani has come to represent Sri Lanka’s unresolved legacy of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings extending into the mid-1990s.

In 1998, Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapakse convicted for the rape and murder of Tamil schoolgirl Krishanthi Kumaraswamy and family members, revealed at his sentencing hearing that between 300 and 400 Tamil civilians had been buried there.

This disclosure prompted excavations in 1999 that yielded fifteen skeletons, two of which were identified as disappearances from 1996. Despite forensic confirmation of assault and execution, prosecutions stagnated and no meaningful justice was delivered to this day.

Continue reading ‘The Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK)wants President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take urgent and decisive action regarding the exhumation of human remains at Chemmani in Jaffna.’ »

To

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Retiring Supreme Court Judge Gamini Amarasekara made several important observations while addressing court recently. According to newspaper reports, Justice Amarasekara emphasised that while external threats to judicial independence could be collectively resisted, internal challenges posed a far more insidious danger. The eminent judge reportedly stated “A judge with the right convictions can resist external pressure, but when the threats come from within the system, they are harder to confront.”

The pertinent point made by Justice Amarasekara about an internal threat being more dangerous than an external challenge is widely applicable . There are many such instances. Currently in Sri Lanka the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK)known in English as the Federal party is experiencing the wisdom ingrained in Justice Amarasekara’s words. The premier political party of the Sri Lankan Tamil people is currently facing challenges from within and without. While the party has withstood external challenges, threats of a more dangerous nature seem to be emerging internally.

The ITAK has in recent times fared well in elections despite facing formidable political odds. In the presidential elections of September 2024, the ITAK threw its weight behind Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya(SJB) in spite of a common Tamil presidential candidate being fielded by a number of Tamil political parties and civil society organizations. Sajith Premadasa came second to Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the national level. However on a regional level , It was Sajith Premadasa strongly backed by the ITAK who topped in the Northern and Eastern districts.

The Parliamentary elections of November 2024 saw the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)led National People’s Power(NPP) winning 159 seats in a Parliament of 225 members. Of these seven were Tamil MPs from the North and East. Again the ITAK was the only Sri Lankan Tamil political party to effectively combat the “compass”party in the North and East .The ITAK tally of seven elected MPs equalled the number of Tamil MPs from NPP elected from the North and East. The ITAK got an additional seat on the national list and became the third largest party in Parliament with eight MPs.

In the recently concluded Local Authority elections of May 2025, the ITAK came first in 35 of the councils (municipal,urban &divisional) it contested in the North and East. The ITAK came second in about a dozen Tamil majority councils and also won wards in ten more Muslim and Sinhala dominated councils. Moreover the ITAK was able to form viable administrations in 34 councils with the aid of some Tamil and Muslim parties and independent groups.

Despite these commendable successes in the electoral sphere against rival Tamil political parties, the ITAK is in bad shape as far as the party’s internal political situation is concerned. The prime cause for this is the controversial conduct of the ITAK Jaffna district MP and leader of the party’s parliamentary group ,Sivagnanam Shritharan. This former school principal has been conducting an insidious campaign -overtly and covertly-against the ITAK central working committee in general and leading office-bearers in particular.

Continue reading ‘“Thamizh Arasuk Katchi” in Trouble : Jaffna MP Sivagnanam Shritharan’s Insidious Campaign Against his own party ITAK.’ »

.

By Sakuna M. Gamage

Chemmani is Speaking Again !

“At the foot of the Kaneru flower tree
You fell down and bled from your chest
You were lost to me
Not to this country

Where indeed can people go when justice itself has been buried? Who will speak for them?

These lines, written by Rathna Sri Wijesinghe in a sinhala poem during a time of unspeakable war, return today with even more disturbing resonance. On the seventh day of the second phase of re-excavations at Chemmani in July 2025, I stood before a shallow grave where skeletal remains of a child were found, still carrying a UNICEF school bag, and within it, a tiny doll. This is not merely a memory of war. It is the brutal continuity of impunity. What we hear from Chemmani is not the echo of the past, it is the present breaking open. It is the soil itself rejecting silence.

What emerges from Chemmani is more than evidence; it is indictment. It is the collapse of conscience. It is a searing reminder that beneath this island’s surface lies not just bones, but stories systematically silenced, voices smothered by a state that built its post-war peace on amnesia.The return to Chemmani is a confrontation with memory. It is reckoning with silence. It is an accusation against a justice system constructed not to remember, but to forget.

In 1996, the gang rape and murder of Krishanthi Kumaraswamy led to the uncovering of the Chemmani mass graves. Now, nearly three decades later, her story and the countless unnamed who disappeared into these soils, resurfaces to haunt a nation that has mastered the art of erasure. Because the silence is not accidental. It is orchestrated. Deliberate. Loud in its denial. And still unbroken.

Continue reading ‘Chemmani is more than a grave. It is a mirror. It reflects not just the brutality of a past war, but the moral decay of the present. The bones beneath Jaffna’s soil are not bones of the enemy. They are citizens. Children. Loved ones. They are the responsibility of a state that promised to protect all’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

It is no secret that US president Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are both members of an exclusive mutual admiration society. Posting recently on his Truth Social platform,Trump praised Netanyahu lavishly saying there was “no one that I know who could have worked in better harmony” with him. Netanyahu responded “We will continue to work together to defeat our common enemies, free our hostages, and quickly expand the circle of peace.”

Trump also waded into a controversial area to take up cudgels on behalf of Netanyahu. Referring to the on going cases of corruption in Israeli courts against the Israeli premier, Trump demanded that Netanyahu be let off the hook. According to news reports,Trump wanted the cases against Netanyahu to be “cancelled immediately” or he should be given a pardon, adding that he learned Netanyahu was due to appear in court on Monday. Trump described the case against Netanyahu as a “witch hunt”. Trump described his long-time ally as a “great hero, who has done so much” for Israel, and a “warrior”.

Another western media analyst observed thus –“Netanyahu’s trials have been taking place against the backdrop of the conflicts Israel has been engaged in since the deadly and unprecedented 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, leading to delays in the legal proceedings.In particular, the length of the war against Hamas in Gaza has led to claims by some that Netanyahu wants to prolong the fighting to delay elections and the conclusion of his trials.”

Cruel Genocidal War.

It is against this backdrop that this column focuses this week on the court cases concerning corruption charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Even as Netanyahu continues to unleash a cruel genocidal war against the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, The Damoclean sword of legal proceedings hangs above him. Legal circles opine that if convicted Netanyahu could face imprisonment up to ten years. Netanyahu has denied any wrong doing and emphasised his innocence.

Continue reading ‘Will Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be Convicted on Corruption Charges of Bribery,Fraud and Breach of Trust or Simply be let off the Hook?’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Captain Miller” is the name of an Indian film released on 12 January 2024. The blockbuster Tamil movie had popular actor Dhanush acting in the lead titular role of Captain Miller. The film was a fictional tale about a heroic rebel who fought against British colonial rule. Reports state that the film is the highest ever grossing film starring Dhanush.

One reason for the film’s success was its title which evoked much interest and curiosity. “Captain Miller” was the nom de guerre of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber who drove an explosive laden truck into an army camp in the north on 5 July 1987. This was the first time the LTTE had deployed a suicide bomber called “Black Tiger” or “Karumpuli” in a military attack. The name of Capt. Miller the first “Black Tiger” strikes a responsive chord among many Tamils. 5 July was annually observed as Black Tigers Day by the LTTE till May 2009.

It is against this backdrop that this column focuses on the first ever Black Tiger attack launched by the LTTE. The LTTE is no more and Black Tigers Day fades into memory nowadays. Nevertheless the birth and growth of the Black Tigers is an important element in the military annals of guerrilla warfare in general and the military campaign history of the LTTE in particular. I shall begin with a brief outline of the first Black Tiger operation.

Continue reading ‘“Capt. Miller” the LTTE’s first Black Tiger suicide bomber: 5 July 1987 Nelliaddy attack gave birth to the Black Tigers’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga – who celebrates her 80th birthday on 29 June 2025 – made history in November 1994 when she was elected as Sri Lanka’s first female executive president. Kumaratunga known popularly as Chandrika and CBK, won the 1994 election with 62% of the votes polled.Subsequently she was re-elected President in December 1999 with 51% of the votes. Chandrika Lumaratunga has served for eleven years as Sri Lanka’s president from 1994 November to 2005 November .

Prior to being elected President, Chandrika served as Prime Minister for three months. Her election as Prime Minister in August 1994 was another significant world record. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was the first ever prime minister whose parents were also prime ministers. Her father SWRD Bandaranaike was prime minister of Sri Lanka then known as Ceylon from 1956 to 1959 .Her mother Sirimavo Bandaranaike was Prime Minister from 1960 to 1965 and 1970 to 1977.

Chandrika Kumaratunga is a colourful yet controversial political personality who evoked mixed reactions in people. She was admired and loved by some.She was despised and hated by others. There is no denying that Chandrika was guilty of several negative acts of omission and commission. This is true of almost every political leader who assumes office after a popular election. Campaigning is in verse but governance is in prose!

Chandrika was hailed as an angel of peace when she was elected to power in 1994. She had campaigned on a platform of peace and reconciliation. President Kumaratunga was expected to end the cruel war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) and usher in lasting peace through a negotiated settlement. Sadly war erupted again after a brief respite. This phase of the long war dubbed as a “war for peace” brought in its wake many deaths and much destruction. Chandrika was criticized as a peace dove turned battle hawk. I too have critizised her on those lines in the past.

Despite this past criticism , I have always regarded Chandrika favourably and positively. I was one of her ardent admirers in the years before she was elected president and strongly supported her peace endeavours. I was extremely critical of the LTTE for violating the ceasefire and resuming war in April 1995. I paid a price for this as the LTTE camp followers and fellow travellers in Canada conducted a hostile campaign against me and the Tamil weekly owned and edited by me in Toronto As a result I had to shut down the paper in April 1996.

Things however changed as the war escalated. War has a cruel logic and deadly momentum of its own. The war fought in the pre-dominantly Tamil speaking regions of the north and east brought about much suffering to ordinary Tamil civilians. As such I became very critical of the then President Kumaratunga.

Continue reading ‘Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga: Sri Lanka’s Daughter of Destiny, Celebrates her 80th Birthday on June 29th.’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara

“While Sri Lanka’s economy is bouncing back stronger than expected, a significant portion of the population—about a third—remains in poverty or is at risk of falling back into poverty. To ensure this recovery works for everyone, especially those who have been hit hardest, Sri Lanka can focus on policies that create jobs and support the poor.”
The World Bank – Sri Lanka Development Update April 2025

It is known as the Axiom of Aristotle, though Parmenides might have been the actual discoverer: nature abhors a vacuum.

So does politics.

In 2024, the NPP/JVP filled the vacuum in the Lankan oppositional space, and won the presidential and parliamentary elections, bypassing Sajith Premadasa and the SJB. Less than a year later, the NPP/JVP Government is haemorrhaging support. Between November 2024 and May 2025, the Government lost 2.3 million votes, as much of a Lankan record as the NPP’s vaulting from 3% to power in five years.

2024 was characterised by twin crises – a crisis in Government and a crisis in Opposition. The crisis in Government ebbed after Presidential election and began to re-flow in 2025. The crisis in the Opposition never ended.

In general, voters unhappy with the Government move over to the Opposition. That didn’t happen at the Local Government election of 2025. Most of the 2.3 million voters who opted not to vote for the Government also opted not to vote for the Opposition. Their abstention signified a lack of confidence in the Government and the Opposition.

If the Government manages to contain its tendency for self-harm and improve its performance, many of these disgruntled voters are likely to return to the NPP fold. But what if the Government’s failures continue to be matched by the inadequacies of the Opposition?

In a recent piece in The Atlantic, columnist David Graham observed that President Trump’s growing unpopularity and the incompetence of his administration have created a favourable terrain for the opposition Democratic Party and added a rider – “But if anyone can figure out how to fumble the situation, it’s the Democratic Party.” He asked the question, “Why aren’t these boom times for America’s opposition party,” and answered by pointing out the blue party’s state of unpreparedness, its uninspiring politics, and its lacklustre leaders (The Democratic Party slides into irrelevance).

All of these ills assails Lanka’s Opposition as well, especially the democratic opposition – from which the Rajapaksa-owned SLPP is excluded by its anti-democratic nature.

Continue reading ‘If the SJB continues to blunder and dither, come 2029, it will find itself outsmarted again, this time by a rejuvenated SLPP and a Candidate Namal who appeals to the primordial fears of a disenchanted electorate.’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

தமிழீழ விடுதலை புலிகளுக்கும் 2025 ஜூன் 9 ஆம் திகதி காலமான பிரபல ஆங்கில நாவலாசிரியர் ஃபிரெடரிக் ஃபோசைத்துக்கும் ஒரு தொடர்பு இருக்கிறதா? இந்த கேள்விக்கான எளிதான பதில் ‘இல்லை ‘ என்பதேயாகும். ஆனால், ஃபோசைத்தினால் எழுதப்பட்ட நாவல் ஒன்றில் விபரிக்கப்பட்ட.உபாயம் ஒன்றை விடுதலை புலிகள் ஆட்களை கொலைசெய்வதற்கு பிரதிபண்ணினார்கள் என்று கொஞ்சக்காலம் ஊகங்கள் நிலவியது என்பதை நிச்சயம் சொல்லத்தான் வேண்டும்.

அதுவெல்லாம் இந்தியாவின் தமிழ்நாடு மாநிலத்தில் ஸ்ரீபெரும்புதூரில் 1991 மே 21 ஆம் திகதி முன்னாள் இந்திய பிரதமர் ராஜீவ் காந்தியை விடுதலை புலிகள் கொலை செய்வதுடன் தொடங்கியது. காங்கிரஸ் கட்சியின் தலைவரான ராஜீவ் காந்தி கட்சியின் வேட்பாளர் மரகதம் சந்திரசேகருக்கு ஆதரவாக நடைபெற்ற தேர்தல் பிரசாரக் கூட்டத்தில் உரையாற்றுவதற்காக ஸ்ரீபெரும்புதூருக்கு வருகை தந்தார்.

அப்போதுதான் ‘ தனு ‘ என்ற பெயரால் அறியப்பட்ட இலங்கை தமிழ் யுவதி ராஜீவ் காந்திக்கு நெருக்கமாக சென்றார். செம்மஞ்சள் மற்றும் பச்சை நிறத்திலான சுறிதார் அணிந்திருந்த — மூக்குக்கண்ணாடி போட்ட அவள் ராஜீவ் காந்தியின் பாதங்களை தொடுவதற்காக மரியாதையுடன்குனிந்தாள். தனது உடம்பைச் சுற்றிக் கட்டியிருந்த பட்டிக்குள் மறைத்து வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த குண்டை அவள் வெடிக்க வைத்தாள். ராஜீவ் காந்தியும் கொலையாளி தனுவும் குறைந்தது வேறு 18 பேரும் அந்த குண்டுவெடிப்பில் கொல்லப்பட்டனர். 42 பேர் படுகாயமடைந்தனர்.

இந்தியாவை உலுக்கிய அந்த கொலை உலகம் பூராவும் அதிர்ச்சி அலைகளை ஏற்படுத்தியது. அதுவே வெடிபொருட்கள் நிரப்பப்பட்ட ஒரு ‘ தற்கொலைப்பட்டி ‘ கொலைமுயற்சி ஒன்றுக்கு பயன்படுத்தப்பட்ட முதல் சந்தர்ப்பமாகும். வெடிபொருட்கள் நிரப்பப்பட்ட வாகனங்கள் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டிருக்கின்றன, ஆனால், தற்கொலைப்பட்டி பயன்படுத்தப்பட்ட முதல் சம்பவமாக இது பதிவாகியது. அடுத்து வந்த வருடங்களில் விடுதலை புலிகள் ‘ கரும்புலிகள் ‘ என்று அறியப்பட்ட தற்கொலைக்குண்டு போராளிகளை பல தாக்குதல்களில் பயன்படுத்தினர். அது விடுதலை புலிகளின் முத்திரையாக மாறியது.

Continue reading ‘பிரெடரிக் ஃபோசைத் (Frederick Forsyth) ஒருவரில் நால்வர் ; விமானி, பத்திரிகையாளர், உளவாளி, எழுத்தாளர். அவருக்கும் விடுதலை புலிகளுக்கும் இடையில் என்ன தொடர்பு?’ »

ITAK MP for Batticaloa Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam recently called on the international community to pressure the Government to give serious attention to protecting the Chemmani mass grave site with 33 skeletons.

He said if the Government fails to give any importance to protecting the site from rain, which is expected within the next few days, providing proper security, and installing CCTV cameras, vital evidence regarding missing persons would be destroyed.

“We have been receiving a large number of telephone calls and messages by citizens and concerned parties raising concern regarding the current situation of the Chemmani mass grave site,” Rasamanickam said addressing the media at the Batticaloa Press Club.

Explaining the protection given to the Kokkuththoduvai site, where temporary structures were erected to shield the graves from direct rainfall and water runoff, he said the Chemmani site only has a basic shelter providing shade.

“If this continues, these skeletons will be further deteriorated,” he said, urging the Government to take immediate steps to put up temporary structures at the site.

Continue reading ‘Shanakiyan Rasamanickam MP Wants international community to pressure Govt to give more protection to Chemmani mass grave site; Reveals suspected move about attempts to remove some skeletons from site.’ »

The main Opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Mujibur Rahman yesterday alleged the Government was concealing the findings of a critical Customs inquiry, warning that failures to follow mandatory scanning procedures for high-risk cargo could have jeopardised the country’s security, revenue, and public health.

Speaking in Parliament, he charged that the administration had deliberately withheld the Inquiry Committee’s report from the legislators, prompting him to formally table it on the House floor.

The said committee was appointed based on the comments made by the Sri Lanka Customs Department to the media on 18 January 2025 regarding the release of 323 high-risk customs containers identified as ‘red’ by the Risk Management System from the Customs premises without physical inspection. Thereafter, a four-member committee, headed by a Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, was appointed by the Secretary to the Treasury dated 30 January 2025 to examine the process of releasing the said containers and submit a report.

The report details serious lapses in the handling of 309 ‘red-labelled’ containers identified as high-risk under the Customs Risk Management System, which, according to Rahman, were released without mandatory inspection.

“Of the 151 red-labelled containers that were required to undergo scanning, 37 were released without any scan whatsoever,” he told Parliament.

He added that another 103 containers subject to scanning requirements were also released without following proper procedures.

Continue reading ‘Customs Inquiry Report Reveals that 999 red-classified containers were released on 13 occasions without proper screening or follow-up since July 2024 says Opposition MP Mujibur Rahman in Parliament.’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Jeyaraj’s Jottings.

My close friend and journalistic colleague Sinnathurai Thillainathan celebrates his 75th Birthday on 29 June 2025. Thillainathan known popularly as “Thillai” has devoted 57 years of his life to journalism as a career. Journalism to Thillai is not merely a profession but a dedicated vocation.

To many Tamil newspaper readers in the Vadamaratchy sector of the Jaffna peninsula, the term “Reporter” is synonymous with that of S.Thillainathan. He has received many awards and accolades over the years for his journalistic achievements.

Thillai born in Manthigai in Point Pedro completed his secondary education at the Puloly Methodist Mission Tamil Mixed School. After winning an essay prize in a competition held by the “Seithy” newspaper published in Kandy, Thillai became the Pt. Pedro correspondent of the same newspaper in 1968. He was 18 years old when he entered the field of journalism as a correspondent.

In 1969 ,Thillainathan was appointed as the Nelliaddy Correspondent of the Jaffna based newspaper “Eezha Naadu”. K.Sivapragasam the then editor of the Colombo based Tamil daily “Virakesari” recruited Thillai as the newspaper’s Puloly Correspobdent in 1972.

The Vadamaratchy area of Jaffna peninsula gained national and international importance after “Operation Liberation”was conducted by the armed forces in 1987. The “Virakesari” too acknowledged these changed circumstances by upgrading Thillainathan as the Vadamaratchy correspondent. After the Armed forces re-captured Jaffna through “Operation Riviresa” in 1996, Thillainathan was made Jaffna Correspondent in 1997 by the “Virakesari” .

Continue reading ‘Veteran Tamil Journalist Sinnathurai “Thillai” Thillainathan Celebrates his 75th Biirthday on 29 June 2025.’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Is there a connection between popular English novelist Frederick Forsyth who breathed his last on 9 June 2025 and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) that was militarily defeated by the Sri Lankan armed forces in May 2009? The answer to this question would be a simple “no”. However It must be said that for a while there was intense speculation that a device featured in a novel written by Frederick Forsyth had been copied by the LTTE known as the tigers to assassinate people!

It all began with the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE on 21 May 1991 at Sriperumbudhoor in the Tamil Nadu state of India. Rajiv Gandhi the leader of India’s Congress party was in Sriperumpudhoor to address an election propaganda meeting in support of Congress party candidate Maragatham Chandrasekhar.

It was then that a Sri Lankan Tamil girl known by the name of “Dhanu” got close to Rajiv Gandhi and gave him a sandalwood garland. The be-spectacled girl in an orange and green churidar then bent down respectfully to touch Rajiv’s feet. She set off an explosive device concealed in a belt that was strapped to her body. Rajiv Gandhi, the assailant Dhanu and at least 18 others were killed in the blast. 42 were seriously injured.

The assassination rocked India and caused shock waves around the world. This was the first instance of an explosive-packed “suicide belt” being used in an assassination attempt.Explosive-laden vehicles had been used but the Rajiv assassination was the first recorded incident where a suicide belt was used. In later years the LTTE was to use suicide bombers known as “Black Tigers” in many attacks .It became a hallmark of the LTTE.

“The Negotiator”

It was but natural for the Rajiv Gandhi assassination to become a hot topic of media discussion in India. Many theories were floated. One such theory which caused much excitement was that the tigers had got the idea of an explosive-laden suicide belt from the Frederick Forsyth best-seller “The Negotiator”published in 1989. In that fictitious novel the bad guys use a bomb belt to kill the son of a US president.

Continue reading ‘Did the LTTE get the Idea of Suicide Bombers Using an Explosive Packed Belt from Author Frederick Forsyth’s Novel ” The Negotiator”?’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Shanmuganathan Sivashankar alias “Pottu Ammaan”, the former intelligence chief of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is a keen topic of discussion these days within a Europe based segment of the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora. Although the much feared head of the tiger intelligence division died during the final phase of the war in May 2009, there is a clique of ex-LTTE members based in Europe spreading “fake news” that Pottu Ammaan is yet alive and that he would emerge soon and revive the LTTE and continue with the armed struggle against the Sri Lankan state.

It is learnt that the group behind this “Pottu Ammaan is alive” myth is the same one that earlier engaged in the fake news campaign about LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran’s daughter Duvaraka being alive. The group also propagated the myth that Prabhakaran and wife Madhivadhani were also alive. Several persons including Madhivadhani’s siblings in Europe and prominent supporters of the LTTE in Tamil Nadu like P. Nedumaran and Kasi Anandan lent support to this ‘being alive”canard.

The move to conjure up a counterfeit Duvaraka, Prabhakaran and Madhivadhani was part of a deceptive exercise engineered by Europe based ex-tigers to collect funds from gullible tiger supporters for “Thalaiver”’s family. I have written about this in detail in the “Daily Mirror” of 04 March 2023 (“Fake news fraud using Prabha and family”).This fraudulent exercise that began with a powerful bang has now petered out into a pathetic whimper. The “Duvaraga”pretender -having got cold feet perhaps- has reportedly fallen out of the public eye.

Having duped a number of foolish feline fellow travellers into parting with their euros, francs,kroners and sterling pounds, the fraudsters are unwilling to let go of the golden egg laying goose. They have now latched on to Pottu Ammaan who they say is holed up in Ukraine. The stage is being set for a Pottu Ammaan “return” and consequent fund raising. However some intelligent , concerned members of the Tamil Diaspora are trying to debunk this charade in their own way.

Continue reading ‘How Tiger Intelligence Chief “Pottu Ammaan” , His Wife and their Three Sons Died in the Final Phase of the War.’ »

By

Tisaranee Gunasekara

“A war on Iraq is a good choice, the right choice…” Benyamin Netanyahu (Testimony before the US Congress, 12.9.2002)

“A forever war is beneficial to Netanyahu. People feel like they are always in danger like they always need him. There’s always some huge threat. I think that helps him remain prime minister.” Gili Schwartz, 20 year-old resident of Kibbutz Be’eri (The Bibi Files)

An American president becomes embroiled in a sex scandal. To divert public attention, his advisors recruit a Hollywood producer to invent a war against Albania.

That was the plot of the US feature film Wag the Dog, released in December 1997.

Reality caught up a month later. In January 1998, Bill Clinton-Monika Lewinski scandal exploded. On the day Ms Lewinski was to testify before the grand jury investigating the affair, President Clinton ordered a missile attack on the al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Sudan. He claimed it was an Al Qaida facility manufacturing chemical weapons.

In actuality, it produced medicines for humans and animals. Due to its destruction, tens of thousands of poor Sudanese might have died from lack of basic medicine, Werner Daum, German ambassador in Sudan, wrote.

The Bibi Files is an American documentary. Produced by Jewish-South African filmmaker, Alexis Bloom, it is about the real life investigation of three corruption allegations against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu. The film’s opening shot shows Mr. Netanyahu sitting at his desk facing police interrogators. One official asks from a colleague, “Is it working?” referring to the video camera. It was. Those tapes, leaked by an unknown source via Signal, constitute the meat of the documentary.

Continue reading ‘Netanyahu can hypnotise Israelis for the same reason Adolf Hitler could hypnotise Germans, Trump Americans, Modi Hindus and the Rajapaksas Sinhalese. A process of “making the community more fanatical and exploiting the resulting fanaticism”’ »

By

Sonia Gandhi

(Sonia Gandhi is the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party)

On June 13, 2025, the world has, once again, witnessed the dangerous consequences of unilateral militarism when Israel launched a deeply troubling and unlawful strike against Iran and its sovereignty.

The Indian National Congress has condemned these bombings and targeted assassinations on Iranian soil, which represent a dangerous escalation with grave regional and global consequences. As with so many of Israel’s recent actions, including its brutal and disproportionate campaign in Gaza, this operation was executed with utter disregard for civilian lives and regional stability. These actions will only deepen instability and sow the seeds of further conflict.

That such an attack should come at a time when diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States were showing signs of promise makes it all the more distressing. Five rounds of negotiations had already taken place this year, with a sixth that was scheduled for June. And, as recently as in March 2025, the Director of National Intelligence of the United States, Tulsi Gabbard, clearly testified to Congress that Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapons programme, and that its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had not authorised its resumption since its suspension in 2003.

Continue reading ‘New Delhi’s silence on the devastation in Gaza and now on the unprovoked escalation against Iran reflects a disturbing departure from our moral and diplomatic traditions. This represents not just a loss of voice but also a surrender of values. It is still not too late. India must speak clearly, act responsibly.’ »

By Bhadri Durghabakshi

Would you believe that a humble lumpy brown bulb could transform into one of the world’s most photographed wonders? In the Netherlands every spring millions of tulips burst into bloom turning vast farmlands into living art and attracting travelers from all over the world. While Amsterdam’s canals, art museums, and stroopwafels are legendary, it’s the tulip that steals the spotlight from March to May—painting the city in vibrant hues. This humble tulip bulb has not only changed the Dutch landscape, but it has reshaped its economy, culture and identity over the years.

Having grown up watching Bollywood films, the iconic scene from Silsila, of lovers dancing through endless tulip fields, is etched in my memory. So, visiting the Keukenhof Gardens in April, felt like stepping into that dream.

Tulip Season

Keukenhof Gardens is the ideal place to immerse yourself in the beauty of the tulip season, where every turn unveils a new explosion of breathtaking color. Covering 79 acres, this floral paradise is also referred to as the ‘Garden of Europe.’ Walking through its meticulously manicured gardens, you will encounter not just tulips, but a dazzling array of flowers in every shade imaginable. Hyacinths, daffodils, and lilies blend together in a symphony of color and fragrances.

Whether you are strolling through the carefully curated gardens or stopping to admire the panoramic views, you feel like you are part of a living painting.Be prepared to pause in awe, marveling at the wonders of nature and the artistry with which it has been thoughtfully arranged.

While Keukenhof is not the only breathtaking garden in Holland, it remains the most famous. To make these gardens come alive in all its spectacular glory, many Dutch flower farmers and researchers come together to plan and plant the gardens a full year in advance.Their collective effort ensures that the gardens bloom in perfect harmony each spring.

Continue reading ‘The tulip steals the spotlight from March to May, painting Amsterdam city in vibrant hues. This humble tulip has not only changed the Dutch landscape, but it has reshaped its economy, culture and identity over the years.’ »

By Sunela Jayewardene

(The writer is an Environmental Architect, Regenerative Land-use Specialist & Author)

On the avenues of Colombo, an intricate pattern of flickering shade has dappled her road surfaces, for almost two centuries. You don’t have to look up to know of leaves dancing in a wind in the high canopies. On roads that stretch east -west, evenings promise a spectacular kaleidoscope in a west-facing Gothic arch; an arch of old amazon trees, with their boughs meeting over roadways to frame sunsets, fading from gold and garnet to amethyst and sapphire blue.

Colombo’s avenue system is the modern city’s only saving environmental grace. What remains, is a vital green lung and aerial highway for urban wildlife. When Colombo became the capital of the new British colony of Ceylon and commerce grew, the elite moved out of the congested real estate that clustered around the harbour. To create new neighbourhoods for the gentry, native forests were felled and the extensive wetlands of the Kelani River delta, were filled.

Though urban tree planting was initiated by Dutch colonists, the British, after a few attempts at erasing their predecessors presence, eventually, seeing the value of shading the city, stopped felling. Large plots of real estate were laid out along avenues.

By the end of the 19th century, mansions were built for the new lords of Lanka: British corporate management and government administrators along with local land proprietors and the occasional, successful local professional.

The avenues of the new neighbourhoods were lined with the finest trees, from across the global sweep of European Empires. Most commonly, the avenues were planted with South American species of, Brazilian Rain Trees, rows of Tabebuia with their seasonal floral extravaganzas of sherbet pink and Jacaranda with clusters of tight purple buds, which us children of Colombo, popped on our forehead, with the same joy that children of today burst plastic bubble wrap…. Yellow poinciana from Indo-China and Andaman redwoods, with showers of bright yellow flowers and sturdy African Spathodea with fleshy orange florescence, which has now disappeared from even from the road named in its honour.

These natural air filters, noise barriers and oxygen suppliers, remain a rare treasure, amidst the environmental degradation that our British colonisers left behind.

Continue reading ‘The Garden City of Colombo is gasping its last breath, but what remains, is still, a capital city with more charm and character than many. All it needs to revive, is a cocktail of vision and sincerity.’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham

Interestingly, there were three similarities between the Opposition political parties in southern Sri Lanka and the Tamil political parties in the north and east at last month’s Local Government (LG) Elections.

The first similarity is that the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) is considered the common political enemy by both sides. The second is the inability of the parties in both regions to come together to take on the ruling party. Thirdly, more than one month after the elections were concluded, these parties are still holding talks and trying to jointly form administrations in the local bodies.

The NPP also continues to face problems in the formation of administrations in most of the local councils, except for the ones where it has an absolute majority. The NPP has a problem in forming administrations jointly with parties it accused of misrule and corruption in the past. But it has no problem seeking the support of elected members from independent groups even if they are former members of the same corrupt parties.

The leaders of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) will, in due course, be compelled to understand the practical difficulty of continuing the old practice of projecting themselves as an ‘exclusive’ party in electoral politics.

Some members of the Opposition parties are said to have supported the NPP in the secret vote to elect chairpersons in some local councils and Opposition parties have accused the Government of trying to lure their members with money. The accusation comes in the backdrop of the ruling party’s insistence on holding a secret ballot to elect chairpersons in the disputed local bodies.

Continue reading ‘Tamil parties have started a give-and-take approach in the formation of local authorities, keeping in mind their individual interests.’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

இலங்கை அரசினாலும் அதன் நிறுவனங்களினாலும் தனியாருக்கு சொந்தமான நிலங்கள் கையகப்படுத்தப்பட்டு வருவது அண்மைக்காலமாக வடக்கு, கிழக்கு மாகாணங்களில் தமிழ் மக்களின் ஆழ்ந்த விசனத்துக்குரிய ஒரு சர்ச்சையாக இருக்கிறது. இராணுவம், கடற்படை, விமானப்படை, பொலிஸ் ஆகியவற்றினாலும்் தொல்லியல், வனப்பாதுகாப்பு, கரையோரப் பாதுகாப்பு , கரையோரப் பாதுகாப்பு முகாமை திணைக்களங்கள் போன்ற அரச நிறுவனங்களினாலும் பல்வேறு காரணங்களின் கீழ் ஆயிரக்கணக்கான ஏக்கர்கள் நிலங்கள் கையகப்படுத்தப்பட்டிருக்கின்றன.

இது விடயத்தில் காணி நிர்ணய கட்டளைச் சட்டத்தின் ( Land Settlement Ordinance ) 4 வது பிரிவின் கீழ் 2025 மார்ச் 28 ஆம் திகதி வெளியிடப்பட்ட 2430/25 ஆம் இலக்க வர்த்தமானி அறிவித்தல் பிந்திய அதிர்ச்சியாக வந்திருக்கிறது. இந்த காணி நிர்ணய அறிவித்தலின் பட்டியலில் இலக்கங்கள் இலக்கங்கள் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருக்கும் — 5617 (யாழ்ப்பாணம் ), 5618 ( யாழ்ப்பாணம் ), 5619 (கிளிநொச்சி), 5620 (முல்லைத்தீவு ), 5621 (முல்லைத்தீவு), 5622 ( முல்லைத்தீவு), 5623 ( மன்னார் ) காணிகளில் எந்த ஒன்றுக்கும் 2025 மாரச் 28 ஆம் திகதியில் இருந்து மூன்று மாதங்களுக்குள் உரிமை கோரப்படாத பட்சத்தில் அவை காணி நிர்ணய கட்டளைச் சட்டத்தின் கீழ் அரசுடைமையாக்கப்படும் என்று பிரகடனம் செய்யப்பட்டிருக்கிறது.

ஏழு பட்டியல்களிலும் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருக்கும் காணிகளின் மொத்த பரப்பளவு 5941ஏக்கர்களாகும். இவற்றில் 3668 ஏக்கர்கள் யாழ்ப்பாண மாவட்டத்திலும் 1703 ஏக்கர்கள் முல்லைத்தீவு மாவட்டத்திலும் 515 ஏக்கர்கள் கிளிநொச்சி மாவட்டத்திலும் 54 ஏக்கர்கள் மன்னார் மாவட்டத்திலும் இருக்கின்றன. வடமாகாணத்தில் நிலத்தால் சூழப்பட்டிருக்கும் ஒரே மாவட்டமான வவுனியாவுக்கு வர்த்தமானி அறிவித்தலில் விலக்கு அளிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கிறது.

வர்த்தமானி பட்டியலில் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருக்கும் பெரும்பாலான காணிகள் இந்த மாவட்டங்களின கரையோரப் பகுதிகளில் இருப்பவையாகும் என்பது முக்கியமாக கவனிக்கப்பட வேண்டியதாகும். நாட்டின் வடமேற்கில் மன்னார் மாவட்டத்தில் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருக்கும் காணிகள் முசலி உதவி அரசாங்க அதிபர் பிரிவில் உள்ளதாகும். வடக்கிலும் வடகிழக்கிலும் யாழ்ப்பாணம், கிளிநொச்சி, முல்லைத்தீவு மாவட்டங்களில் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருக்கும் காணிகளை ஒன்றாக எடுத்துப்பார்த்தால் புவியியல் ரீதியில் அவை வடமராட்சி கிழக்கு உதவி அரசாங்க அதிபர் பிரிவில் இருந்து கரைதுறைப்பற்று உதவி அரசாங்க அதிபர் பிரிவு வரை கரையோரமாக வியாபித்திருக்கின்றன.

இதனால் இந்த காணிகள் வடக்கில் தமிழர்கள் வாழும் பகுதிகளில் காலூன்றுவதற்கு விரும்பும் வல்லமை பொருந்திய ஏதாவது ஒரு அமைப்புடன் தொடர்புடைய எதிர்கால திட்டங்களுக்காக வஞ்சகத்தனமான முறையில் அடையாளம் காணப்பட்டிருக்கின்றனவா என்ற சந்தேகம் எழுகிறது.

Continue reading ‘வடக்கில் 5941 ஏக்கர்கள் நிலப்பிரச்சினை வர்த்தமானி தொடர்பாக நீதிமன்றத்தை நாடிய தமிழரசு கட்சியின் பொதுச்செயலாளர் சுமந்திரன்’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Leading Tamil film actor Kamal Haasan -who is no stranger to Sri Lankan film fans – is very much in the news lately, for three reasons. Firstly the actor-politico will be elected in July to the Indian “Rajya Sabha”or upper house from Tamil Nadu state. Secondly the eagerly awaited film “Thug Life” directed by ace film maker Mani Ratnam has been released worldwide Kamal is the lead actor and co-producer and co- script writer for the film . Thirdly the film “Thug Life” is caught up in a controversy due to views expressed publicly by Kamal Haasan .A battle between the Tamil and Kannada languages has been ignited and the film has not been screened in India’s Karnataka state. In short Kamal Haasan is in the eye of a politico-cinematic storm!

It is against this backdrop therefore that this column focuses on the actor turned politician this week . Kamal Haasan known popularly as Kamal , is arguably the finest actor in Tamil cinema today. He is also acknowledged as one of India’s foremost thespians.The multi-faceted artiste is a film director, producer, screenwriter, film lyricist, poet, dancer, choreographer and playback singer. The 70 year old actor whose screen debut was in 1960 as a child artiste has acted in 234 films and won many awards and laurels. His adulatory fans hail their idol as “Ulaga Naayagan” or global hero.

The actor -politico’s latest film “Thug Life” was released on Thursday June 5th 2025. The film is directed by renowned film director Mani Ratnam who is married to Kamal’s niece, Suhaasini Haasan. She is an award -winning actress herself . In 1987 ,Kamal Haasan had acted in the lead role of Mani Ratnam’s milestone movie”Naayakan”. The artistically acclaimed epic film was a commercial success earning laurels for the actor and director .The film was adjudged by the prestigious “TIME”magazine as one of the 100 best films ever made.

“Thug Life”

After a lengthy gap of 38 years , Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam were associated in a film together with the making of Thug Life . The film was expected to create new box-office records. This however did not happen .

There are many who opine that Kamal Haasan has a penchant for saying or doing something that creates a stir around his newly released film .Kamal’s latest “Thug Life”seems to be no exception .The film tipped to be a pan – India box – office hit is mired in controversy in the South Indian state of Karnataka. The film was not released in Karnataka state on June 5 th because of the controversy.

Continue reading ‘Actor – Politico Kamal Haasan in the eye of a Tamil -Kannada “Thug Life” Storm.’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The evolution and growth of the armed struggle for the goal of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka saw many Tamil militant groups emerge across the politico-military horizon. There was a time when 34 known outfits – big and small – existed. Among all these, the single organization that kept the Tamil armed struggle alive for many years was none other than the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) led by Velupillai Prabhakaran from Valvettithurai in the Jaffna peninsula. The LTTE under Prabhakaran fought on relentlessly towards its avowed objective of a separate Tamil State until the very end.

The month of May is significant in the history of the Tamil secessionist armed struggle in Sri Lanka. It was on May 5, 1976, that a section of militant Sri Lankan Tamil youths re-organized themselves into the LTTE with the goal of establishing a separate Tamil State on the Island through an armed struggle. It was on May 14, 1976, that the chief political configuration of the Sri Lankan Tamils re-named itself as the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and adopted a resolution demanding the creation of a Tamil State called “Tamil Eelam”comprising the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the Island.

Decades later in May 2009, the LTTE suffered a total military defeat at the hands of the Sri Lankan armed forces in the Mullaitheevu district of Sri Lanka’s northern province. Four days in May from May 15 to May 18 were of crucial importance in this regard. On May 19, 2009, South Asia’s longest war came to an end with the official announcement that the LTTE leader Thiruvengadam Veluppillai Prabhakaran was dead. His body was recovered on the banks of the Mullaitheevu lagoon known as “Nandhikkadal”. The LTTE formed in May 1976 was militarily annihilated after 33 years in May 2009.

It can be seen therefore, that the month of May has proved to be of great significance in the Tamil armed struggle for Tamil Eelam spearheaded by the LTTE known as the Tigers. It is against this backdrop that this column , in this third week of May , focuses on Prabhakaran and the rise and fall of the LTTE with the aid of earlier writings.

Continue reading ‘From Valvettithurai to Nandhikkadal ; The Rise and Fall of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’ »

by

Meera Srinivasan

Sri Lanka and China have signed two Memorandae of Understanding to set up a working group on trade facilitation, and on industrial and supply chain cooperation, the Chinese Embassy in Colombo said

“China and Sri Lanka have taken steps to deepen economic and trade cooperation, signing key agreements and exploring additional investment opportunities during the eighth meeting of the China-Sri Lanka Joint Trade and Economic Commission held on May 29th in Colombo,” the Embassy said on social media platform ‘X’ on Sunday.

The meeting was jointly chaired by China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Sri Lankan Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe. “Both sides exchanged in-depth views on advancing high-quality Belt and Road Initiative cooperation, expanding trade and investment, and safeguarding the multilateral trading system,” the Chinese Embassy’s post said.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka and China sign two Memorandae of Understanding to set up a working group on trade facilitation, and on industrial and supply chain cooperation, says the Chinese Embassy in Colombo meeting was jointly chaired by China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Sri Lankan Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe.’ »

By

Chandani Kirinde

(Chandani Kirinde traces the close friendship between Emperor Asoka and King Devanampiyatissa that led to the introduction of Buddhism to this land)

India’s Emperor Asoka and King Devanampiyatissa of Lanka never met in person, but their long-distance friendship paved the way for the introduction of the teachings of Lord Buddha to this island nearly 2,000 years ago.

Their friendship had begun many years before Arahant Mahinda stepped on Mihintale rock and delivered the first Buddhist sermon to King Devanampiyatissa, the epoch-making event in the country’s history which is commemorated on Poson Poya day each year.

Much of what we know of the connection between the Emperor Asoka who ruled from Pataliputra (present day Patna in the state of Bihar in India) and King Devanampiyatissa who ruled from Anuradhapura is derived mainly from the two ancient Lankan chronicles, the Dipavamsa and the Mahavamsa, the same sources that many historians turn to for clues on their relationship.

Some writers have compared them to pen pals, others describe them as allies brought together by common strategic interests while others call it a predestined friendship that would make them the greatest patrons of Buddhism in the world.

‘These two monarchs, Dewananpiatisso and Dammasoko, though they were not personally known to each other, were united by the ties of friendship, from a long period,” according to the Mahavamsa. However, there is no clarity on when this friendship started.

Given the growing influence of Emperor Asoka particularly after his conquest of Kalinga after a protracted war, it is likely the word of his prowess on the battlefield had reached far and wide beyond the region of his conquests.

Continue reading ‘The Long Distance Friendship Between Emperor Asoka of Pataliputra (Patna) and King Devanambiyatissa of Anuradhapura Began Many Years Before the Arrival of Mahinda on Mihintale on Poson Poya’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham

Even though a month has passed since the Local Government (LG) Elections, political parties have been unable to form administrations in the majority of local councils. The ruling National People’s Power (NPP) and the Opposition parties, particularly the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, are busy trying to attract members of other parties and independent groups to their side.

Government leaders have rejected the Opposition’s accusation that the NPP, like previous governments, is engaged in ‘horse-trading.’ As a political analyst put it last week, one wonders whether the NPP Government is changing the system or vice versa.

Changing stances

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK ), which came first in the majority of the councils in the predominantly Tamil areas of the north and east, is also facing problems in the formation of local councils, just as the NPP is in southern Sri Lanka.

This is mainly due to the fact that many Tamil political leaders, who had promised the people before the elections that their parties would cooperate in the formation of administrations in councils in the Tamil areas, have now taken a different stance to suit political expediency.

Fearing that the unprecedented victory of the NPP at the Parliamentary Elections would pose a great danger to their political future, the Tamil politicians asked the Tamil people to vote only for Tamil parties at the local elections to ensure the existence of Tamil nationalism and to prove that their people had not lost the spirit of nationalism. They insisted that Tamils should not vote for any national (Sinhalese) party from the south.

Continue reading ‘The anti-Sumanthiran hysteria that has prevailed in northern politics for many years is an impediment to unity among the Tamil polity.’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

“பிரிகேடியர்” பால்ராஜ் என்ற தமிழீழ விடுதலை புலிகள் இயக்கத்தின் பிரதி இராணுவத் தளபதி கந்தையா பாலசேகரன் அந்த இயக்கத்திடம் இருந்த மிகவும் சிறந்த இராணுவ தளபதியாக கருதப்பட்டவர். பால்ராஜ் போர்க்களத்தின முன்னரங்கத்தில் நின்று தலைமைதாங்குவதில் புகழ்பெற்ற, மிகவும் மெச்சப்பட்ட இராணுவ மதியூகி.

1965 ஆம் ஆண்டில் பிறந்த பால்ராஜ் 17 வருடங்களுக்கு 2008 மே 20 ஆம் திகதி மாரடைப்பால் காலமானார். அவரது 60 வது பிறந்ததினம் இவ்வருடம் நவம்பர் 20 ஆம் திகதி நினைவு கூரப்படும். இந்த கட்டுரை எனது முன்னைய எழுத்துக்களின் அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்டு பால்ராஜையும் அவரது போராட்ட வரலாற்றின் பக்கங்கள் மீதும் கவனம் செலுத்துகிறது.

இராணுவக் களத்தில் விடுதலை புலிகளின் தலைவர் வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரனுக்கு அடுத்ததாக இரண்டாவது தளபதியாக விளங்கிய பால்ராஜ் வலிந்து தாக்கும் போர்முறையிலும் தற்காப்பு போர்முறையிலும் அபார திறமையை வெளிக்காட்டியவர். பால்ராஜின் இராணுவ ஆற்றலை இலங்கை ஆயுதப்படைகளில் உள்ள அவரது எதிராளிகள் கூட மெச்சினார்கள். ஆயுதப்படைகள் பால்ராஜை விடுதலை புலிகள் இயக்கத்தில் மிகவும் சிறந்த மதியூகிப் போராளியாக (தலைவர் பிரபாகரனுக்கு மேலாகக்கூட ) கருதியதாக கூறப்படுகிறது.

ஒரு சந்தர்ப்பத்தில், முன்னரங்க நிலையில் இருந்து தலைமையகத்துக்கு அனுப்பப்பட்ட ” பால்ராஜ் களத்தில் நிறக்கிறார்” என்ற இராணுவச் செய்தியை விடுதலை புலிகள் இடைமறித்துக் கேட்டனர். அதற்கு தலைமையகத்தில் இருந்து ” மிகவும் எச்சரிக்கையாக இருங்கள்.பால்ராஜ் பிரபாகரனை விடவும் மிகவும் ஆபத்தானவர் ” என்றே பதில் அனுப்பப்பட்டது. இடைமறித்துக் கேட்கப்பட்ட அந்த செய்தியை அறிந்தபோது பிரபாகரன் மகிழ்ச்சியடைந்தார். கூச்ச சுபாவமுடைய பால்ராஜிடம் பிறகு பிரபாகரன் ” இப்போது உன்னை முதல் எதிரியாக இராணுவம் கருதுகிறது. அதனால் எனக்கு ஆபத்தில்லை” என்று கூறிக் குறும்பு செய்தாராம்.

பால்ராஜ் தொடர்பில் பெரிதாக தெரியவராத இன்னொரு சம்பவம் 2003 ஆம் ஆண்டில் இடம்பெற்றது. இலங்கை அரசாங்கத்துக்கும் விடுதலை புலிகளுக்கும் இடையில் நோர்வே அனுசரணையுடன் சமாதான முயற்சி முன்னெடுக்கப்பட்டுக் கொண்டிந்த நாட்கள் அவை. இருதய நோயினால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டிருந்த பால்ராஜுக்கு சிங்கப்பூரில் அவசர சத்திரசிகிச்சை செய்ய வேண்டியிருந்தது.

Continue reading ‘” பிரிகேடியர் ” பால்ராஜ் ; விடுதலை புலிகள் இயக்கத்தில் மிகவும் சிறந்த மதியூகிப் போராளி- இராணுவத்தினரும் கூட மெச்சிய மிகவும் சிறந்த தளபதி’ »

By
D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The first Sinhala language feature film “Kadawunu Poronduwa”(Broken Promise) premiered on 21 January 1947 at the Kingsley theatre in Colombo. Four months after that historic event ,on 30 April 1947, a baby girl was born in a Sinhala speaking family living in the Colombo suburb Peliyagoda. A few weeks later the parents went to an astrologer to cast a horoscope for the new arrival. They were astounded when the astrologer said their daughter would be a queen someday according to the planet configuration at the time of her birth.

Sri Lanka known as Ceylon became free of colonial rule under the British monarchy on 4 February 1948. There were no Kings or Queens in Independent Ceylon/Sri Lanka. Yet the astrologer’s prediction did come true. The little girl did become a queen – a moviedom Queen! She took to acting and reigned for many years as the Queen of Sinhala cinema.

The Sinhala cinema queen I am referring to is oof course Malini Fonseka who breathed her last on 24 May 2025 at the age of 78. In an illustrious career spanning six decades, Malini acted in many stage plays,films and teledramas. The multi-faceted Malini has even produced and directed films and teledramas. Her remarkable achievements led to her innumerable admirers and aficionados dubbing Malini as the Queen of Sinhala cinema.

Lester James Peries

The doyen of Sri Lankan filmmakers and the director who pioneered authentic Sinhala cinema Lester James Peries was foremost among those who acknowledged her as queen. On 30 April 2003,her birthday, a felicitation ceremony named “Maliniye”was held at the BMICH to mark four decades of Malini’s thespian contribution. On that occasion Lester stated “you are called the Queen of the silver screen by the masses and I too accept that fact. If I had a crown, I would have surely crowned you here”.

Continue reading ‘Malini Fonseka : Why the “Queen of Sinhala Cinema” Became a UPFA National List Parliamentarian.’ »

By
D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna(JVP) led National People’s Power(NPP) recorded a landslide victory at the Parliamentary elections held in November 2024. The personal popularity of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake embodied in the form of an electoral wave described as the “Anura Ralla” was deemed responsible for the JVP led NPP winning 159 seats in a 225 member Parliament.

Island wide Local Government elections held on May 6th was perceived as a twin test to gauge whether the NPP/JVP Govt still retained it’s popularity and whether the Anura wave had lost its vigour or not. The results showed that the Anura wave was somewhat ebbing while the NPP was losing its sheen. Nevertheless the Local authority elections proved clearly that the JVP led NPP was still the top political party in Sri Lanka and that the Anura wave had not receded completely yet.

The NPP polled 4 ,503,930(43.26%)votes in the Local authority polls and finished on top in 265 local councils. 3,926 councillors were elected from the NPP to the Municipal,urban and Divisional councils. When contrasted with the 2024 parliamentary poll in which the JVP led NPP polled 6,863,186(61.56%0 votes, the Local poll result shows a huge vote drop in just 6 months.

However when compared with the JVP performance in the 2018 local poll results, the 2025 local govt election results are a gigantic leap for the party. In 2018 the JVP polled only 710,932(5.75%) votes obtaining 434 councillors. It failed to capture a single council.

Continue reading ‘Success of Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) at the North-Eastern Local Govt Elections Vindicates Party Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran.’ »

By

Veeragathy Thanabalasingham

While addressing the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) at the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo on 14 May, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) spoke highly of the conscience that guided their movement. He said that throughout history, their conscience had shown them the right path and had given them the courage to face future challenges as well, adding that they were dedicated to protecting that conscience.

One wonders whether the strain of conscience was the reason for President Dissanayake’s hesitation in taking a firm decision in advance regarding his participation in the 16th National War Heroes’ Commemoration Ceremony held in Battaramulla five days later on 19 May. It cannot be said that he would have taken a principled decision to avoid the annual event to honour war heroes.

However, one does not know how many people believed the Government, which first announced that President Dissanayake and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya would not attend the commemoration event and that it would be led by Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara representing them, when it later denied that the announcement had been a result of miscommunication in the face of severe criticism from the Opposition and social media.

In the end, the President could not avoid attending the commemoration. The JVP has always boasted that it encouraged and supported the Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to wage war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in full swing. As such, it is difficult to understand the reason for the initial reluctance of the present Leader of the JVP who is the Executive President of the country and the Commander-in-Chief of the three armed forces to participate in the event honouring soldiers.

Why the dilemma?

Although the late Somawansa Amarasinghe was the Leader of the JVP when it supported the war, there is no record that Dissanayake had a different view of the war’s escalation. It must be remembered that it was under his leadership that organisations of retired soldiers and Police officers were formed in the National People’s Power (NPP).

At the same time, given the approach and actions of the JVP-led NPP Government in handling the problems of the minority communities during the last six months after it came to power, it is difficult to believe that the President would have shown any reluctance to participate in the War Heroes’ Commemoration in order to avoid hurting the sentiments of the Tamil people, who have suffered more than any other community as a result of the three-decade war.

In any case, there is no doubt that the President changed his mind in the face of criticism from nationalist forces. The events of the past week are the latest evidence of the extent to which the President will be forced to bow to the opposition of nationalist forces in dealing with the problems of minority communities, including the possible attempts at a political solution to the national ethnic problem in the future.

Against a backdrop where Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism has become intertwined with triumphalism after the end of the civil war, it is politically untenable for either the President or the Government to do anything that might appear to insult the memory of the war heroes, whom the people of the majority community revere as those who sacrificed their lives to protect the country’s unity and territorial integrity. It is, therefore, a matter of great mystery as to why the President has subjected himself to such impropriety in attending the war heroes’ commemoration.

Strong opposition

Last year, the 15th National War Heroes’ Commemoration was held under the patronage of then Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. President Ranil Wickremesinghe was not present, but his absence created not even a ripple. President Dissanayake’s reluctance, however, has provoked strong opposition from nationalist forces.

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya Leader and former Minister Udaya Gammanpila even claimed that it was because of pressure from the Tamil diaspora and communal political forces that the President had first decided to refrain from participating in the war heroes’ commemoration.
Rajapaksas grab the opportunity

The Rajapaksas, for the first time since stepping down from power, held a separate commemoration of the war heroes on behalf of their Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) titled ‘True Independence of the Motherland’.

The Rajapaksas during their rule first engaged in majoritarian mobilisation using war, and after the end of the war, they did the same using war triumphalism. They will not miss out on any opportunity to whip up communalism that comes their way as they have no option but to resort to majoritarian mobilisation to return to power.

The Rajapaksas are entertaining a belief that the Sinhalese people are indebted to them because the war was brought to an end during their rule. They also believe that no one has the ‘legitimate right’ to war victory except their family and the party. Despite losing popular support due to their misrule, the Rajapaksas still enjoy the confidence of Sinhalese nationalist forces.

Alienating minorities

Although Government leaders have been declaring that they will never allow racism and religious extremism to take hold again, it is obvious that their actions are beginning to alienate them from minority communities.

The Tamil nationalist parties in the north and east campaigned with the message that there was no difference between previous governments and the NPP Government in dealing with problems of minority communities, and the changed situation allowed them to win back support of the Tamil people at the local elections.

However, while the NPP Government is facing popular discontent considerably over its inability to deliver on its election-time promises, it is careful not to alienate nationalist forces in southern Sri Lanka when dealing with minority issues.

It is possible that Opposition parties and nationalist forces, unable to mobilise the masses against the Government on issues affecting all communities, including the economic crisis, may seek to embark on strategies against the NPP on the basis of communal politics. The criticism of the President in connection with the commemoration of the war heroes is proof of this.

Dissecting Dissanayake’s speech

In any case, President Dissanayake’s speech at the National War Heroes’ Commemoration Ceremony is certainly to be commended. It seems that he is of the view that the event should not be treated as a celebration of war victory like the Rajapaksas did. But the nationalist Opposition and social media have been harsh on him in their criticism, the claim being that President Dissanayake has reduced war heroes to ordinary soldiers.

The President eloquently spoke on the tragedy of the war and stressed that the highest form of justice the country could provide for those who gave their lives was to create enduring peace in this nation.
“This commemoration is not merely a remembrance of the war’s conclusion but also a pledge to unite all communities in building a nation rooted in brotherhood and harmony, rather than allowing divisions to reignite.

“War is a tragedy. As a nation that has endured this immense sorrow, it is our duty to ensure that such a conflict does nor arise again. We must strive to build a society characterised by peace, unity, and compassion, replacing suspicion, anger, and hatred with brotherhood and love.

“Not only in the south, but also in the north, people hold up photographs of their husbands and children on the streets and mourn their deaths. To every parent, their child is precious. So, as a country that has faced such a massive tragedy, our responsibility is to prevent such a war from happening again.

“This memorial reminds us that true homage lies in forging unity. Let us vow never to permit division again. Instead, let us build a society where brotherhood triumphs over enmity. True freedom of our homeland remains elusive; even after ending the war, we have yet to fully secure the complete liberation of our motherland.

“We must build a society where our children will no longer live in fear of war. This is an incredibly difficult task, yet it is one we must successfully accomplish. Although this may not be the ideal moment, I feel compelled to say that in both the north and the south, the flames of ethnic conflict have been rekindled, fuelled not by any cause other than the struggle for power,” the President stated.
While honouring and remembering the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to end the war, the President’s avoidance of mention of the war victory sets last week’s event apart from other memorial events so far. While Sinhalese nationalist forces have strongly condemned his speech, it is unfortunate that Tamil political forces did not welcome it. The President’s message must be properly understood: 19 May is not a day to celebrate war. It comes from a Sri Lankan President for the first time.’

Courtesy:Sunday Morning

By

Kishali Pinto- Jayawardene

A measure of unholy joy is exhibited by Sri Lankans following a dissolute duo of Rajapaksa Ministers being handed down long term rigorous imprisonment sentences by the Colombo High Court for causing a gigantic loss of more than 53 million rupees to the State in a politically motivated purchase of carrom and draught boards for distribution to sports clubs in the runup to the 2015 Presidential Elections.

Former Ministers in the crosshairs of anti-corruption investigators

There is wild public exultation about the two corrupt former Ministers, one a former Minister of Sports (seemingly) not being given special treatment inside the prisons; both were allocated a mat and a pillow along with standard issue jumpers as per gleeful media reportage. This is in contrast to the privileged treatment of Sri Lanka’s politically powerful crooks whose arrest and detention are generally for the benefit of television cameras.

Once the fuss dies down, the privileges quietly return. It remains to be seen if this will be the case this time around as well. Some of us who have unpleasantly long if not jaded memories may be forgiven therefore for abstaining from this unseasonable excitement that seems to have gripped the public in one way or another.

That said, the sight of the former Ministers escorted and shackled by officers from the court premises before being carted off to the prison, was undoubtedly pleasing.

Supposedly, a long line of former Ministers are in the crosshairs of the national anti-corruption body, awaiting indictments to be served against them in the coming days. Certainly, the closure of this particular prosecution by Sri Lanka’s Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) has resulted in well-deserved penal punishments of those accused. That must go to the credit of the prosecutors.

Continue reading ‘SrI Lankans Dislay Public Exultation about the Long Term Rigorous Imprisonment Terms of Two Corrupt Ministers of the Rajapaksa Regime Over the Purchasing of Carrom and Draughts Boards’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

A 75-year-old Sri Lankan Tamil refugee, who returned from India after decades of displacement during the civil war, was on Thursday (May 29, 2025) detained by Sri Lankan authorities at the Palaly airport in the northern Jaffna district, on charges of having left the country without a valid passport.

Subsequently, a magistrate court in Mallakam town remanded him to custody for a week, despite him obtaining necessary clearance from relevant agencies and being certified a “refugee” by the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), according to a social media post by senior lawyer and former Jaffna MP M.A. Sumanthiran, who appeared for the man. “Is this a move by the government to frighten 10k others who’ve registered to return?” he asked on X.

Continue reading ‘75 Year old Sri Lankan Tamil Refugee in Tamil Nadu who Returned to Jaffna After Obtaining Necessary Clearances is Arrested and Remanded’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated 34 years ago by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) on May 21st 1991. The date of Rajiv Gandhi’s death has poignant significance for me personally. May 21st is the date of my birth. Rajiv’s death occurred 37 years after I was born. My birth and his death are intertwined in my consciousness. Rajiv’s memory looms large as each birthday approaches. It is against this backdrop that I re-visit Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination with the aid of my earlier writings.

Rajiv Ratna Gandhi who was India’s Prime minister from 31st October 1984 to December 2nd 1989 was not serving as premier at the time of his demise.. An election campaign was underway then to elect a new Lok Sabha or Parliament. The Congress led by Rajiv was the front runner in that race then.

Rajiv as he was generally known was at a place called Sriperumbudur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu to address a propaganda meeting in support of Congress party candidate Ms. Maragatham Chandrasekhar. The 47 year old Indian ex –premier was then immersed in a hectic political campaign to win the Indian Parliamentary elections.

It was then that a Sri lankan Tamil girl known by the name of “Dhanu” got close to Rajiv Gandhi and gave him a sandalwood garland. The be – spectacled girl in an orange and green churidar then bent down respectfully to touch Rajiv’s feet. She set off a concealed explosive device that was strapped to her body. Rajiv Gandhi, the assailant Dhanu and at least 18 others were killed in the blast instantly. 42 were seriously injured.

A few of the injured also succumbed to their wounds in hospital later on.The “human bomb” assassination that was soon to become a hallmark of the tiger organization rocked India and shocked the world.

The politico-military chutzpah of the LTTE in deploying an assassination squad across the seas to eliminate a former and potential future prime minister of the regional super power on his home turf, raised many an eyebrow after Rajiv Gandhi was murdered. The Rajiv Gandhi assassination committed on Indian soil was an act of international terrorism that placed the LTTE on the index of global terrorists.

Many security affairs analysts have in the past evinced great interest in how this assassination was executed. The decision to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi was taken by LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran and tiger intelligence chief Shanmugalingam Sivashankar alias “Pottu Ammaan”..

Continue reading ‘Rajiv Gandhi, the Indo-Lanka Accord and the Sriperumbhudur Assassination.’ »

By

Tisaranee Gunasekara

“What sheer unfeeling idiocy”. Rolf Hochhuth (The Deputy)

May 2024 marked the 15th anniversary of the ending of the long Eelam War. Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardana presided over the annual “war heroes” commemoration. Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was among the attendees.

Not President Ranil Wickremesinghe though. He wasn’t present. His absence created not even a ripple.

One year later, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake seemed to have decided to follow his predecessor’s example and stay away from an event which is “national” only if nation is Sinhala. It was a sensible decision but, as usual, the government bungled it.

The news of President Dissanayake’s non-attendance created a media/social-media backlash. Within days, the government walked back its own decision, declaring that President Dissanayake always meant to attend the event. It was all a matter of miscommunication.

A sorry excuse no one believed.

The government’s inability to stand its ground on President Dissanayake’s non-attendance is comprehensible given the seminal role retired military personnel played in the NPP/JVP’s path to power. The Rajapaksas had set the trend of politicising the military, soon after the war.

The NPP/JVP took this to a dangerous new level through Aditana. For the first time, retired military personnel were organised as ex-military with a separate identity, leaders and an organisational structure spread across the island except the North. A new pressure group was thus created, a mono-ethnic, largely mono-religious entity that could be especially vulnerable to extremist appeals by politicians, monks and men in uniform.

In 1956, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike made the cardinal error of bringing monks into politics as an organised entity. Mr. Bandaranaike, that arch opportunist, clearly had no intention of allowing monks to dictate policy to him. He merely planned to win the election with their help, then side-line them with a bagful of honours. Reality worked differently; the tail wagged the dog, the abrogation of the B-C Pact being the best case in point. In less than four years, Prime Minister Bandaranaike would be killed by a monk in a conspiracy masterminded by another monk.

Almost seven decades later, another Sri Lankan leader too became a victim of his own opportunism. Having won elections by using retired “war heroes” as a force multiplier, President Dissanayake couldn’t resist the pressure to attend the May 19 commemoration. In his speech, he made a praiseworthy effort not to valorise war and to focus on common losses and the need for healing. But the speech failed to have much of an effect; it was upstaged by the drama surrounding his attendance.

Mr. Dissanayake’s flip-flopping gave an opportunity for the Rajapaksas to hype up their public adoration of “war heroes”. In another first, the SLPP held its own separate commemoration titled The True Freedom of the Motherland attended by Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The message was obvious. Under Rajapaksa rule “war heroes” reigned supreme. They would do so again, once the Rajapaksas return to power.

The Rajapaksas feted and honoured, invoked and venerated the “war hero” in the abstract. Flesh and blood soldiers were quite another matter. From 2010 to 2015, “war heroes” planting grass, pulling weeds, sweeping sidewalks and carrying garbage were common sights.

Continue reading ‘The Rajapaksas Publicly Praised the “War heroes” While Utilising Army and Navy Personnel as Drivers, Domestic Aides and Personal maids Serving them and Family Members.’ »

By Chandani Kirinde

In her last appearance a couple of weeks ago, Malini Fonseka, arguably the queen of Sinhala cinema echoed the words of one of her most famous films ‘awa soya adare’. “I have come looking for love,” she said. She spoke a few words, faltering at times, but they were emotionally charged that it moved many in the audience to tears.

When she passed away early Saturday at the age of 78, Malini Fonseka did so, having won the love and adulation of millions of her fans which helped her remain the most beloved actress in the country, in a career spanning nearly six decades.

Born on April 30, 1947, Malini Senehelatha Fonseka’s beginnings were humble but earlier on there were indications that she was born for great things. A few days after her birth, her parents had visited an astrologer to have her horoscope cast only to have him predict that she was destined to be a queen one day, according to her official website. It might have sounded whimsical for her parents at the time, but an early talent for acting put her on her way to stardom.

Continue reading ‘Queen of Sinhala cinema Malini Fonseka :The face on the silver screen that captured hearts’ »

By Meera Srinivasan

Renowned Sri Lankan actor Malini Fonseka — who played the female lead in the Tamil film ‘Pilot Premnath’ [1978] starring Sivaji Ganesan — passed away in Colombo on Saturday (May 24, 2025). She was 78.
Having begun her acting career in the early 1960s in Sinhala theatre, Ms. Fonseka went on to become a sought-after artiste and film star, winning several awards.

She became familiar to Indian audiences with her role in ‘Pilot Premnath’, a joint Indo-Sri Lankan production directed by A.C. Trilokachander, which was filmed across many scenic locations on the island. In a 2023 piece on actor Sivaji Ganesan, senior journalist D.B.S. Jeyaraj pointed to the lively song ‘Udarata Menike’ in the film, sung by L.R. Easwari and A.E. Manoharan, based on Sri Lanka’s popular musical form ‘Baila’. The film was a hit in both countries.

Continue reading ‘Renowned Sri Lankan actress Malini Fonseka who played the female lead in the Tamil film ‘Pilot Premnath’ starring Sivaji Ganesan passes away in Colombo on Saturday (May 24, 2025) at the age of 78.’ »

By

Tisaranee Gunasekara

“…if this isn’t happening, what is?”
Carolina De Robertis (The President and the Frog)

José Mujica, the poorest president in the world, died this week. As a young activist he had joined the Marxist Tupamaros guerrilla movement and was imprisoned for 14 years, most of it in a hole in a ground where he befriended ants and a frog to stay sane. During his five years as Uruguay’s president, he continued to live in his ramshackle farmhouse-home with his wife and three-legged dog Manuela, went about driving his old Volkswagen car, and donated most of his salary to charities.

Since Uruguayan constitution does not permit consecutive presidential terms, Mr. Mujica bowed out in 2015. Despite a 70% popularity rate, he didn’t consider another presidential run. In one of his final interviews, he criticised left-wing presidents of Nicaragua and Venezuela for clinging to power and wondered at comeback attempts by Cristian Kirchner of Argentina and Evo Morales of Bolivia. “How hard it is for them to let go of the cake,” he marvelled (https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20241129-we-re-messing-up-uruguay-icon-mujica-on-strongman-rule-in-latin-america).

Not wanting to ‘let go of the cake,’ is a political norm in today’s Sri Lanka. “Politicians never retire from politics,” Mahinda Rajapaksa said in 2024 (https://www.instagram.com/dailymirrorlk/reel/DBLMDBtsP82/). He had done more than most to set that trend in motion. Up until 2005, presidents retired after completing their two terms. President Rajapaksa removed the two-term provision in 2010, contested for a third term in 2015, lost, and, instead of retiring, contested the general election becoming an ordinary parliamentarian.

Continue reading ‘Will the ineptitude of the Anura Kumara Dissanayake administration open the door to a Future Namal Rajapaksa presidency?’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) deputy military chief Kandiah Balasegaran alias ‘Brigadier’ Balraj is regarded as the finest military commander the tigers ever had. Balraj was a much admired military tactician, reputed for leading from the front. Born in 1965, Balraj died of a heart attack 17 years ago on 20 May 2008. Balraj’s 60th Birthday will be commemorated on 27 November this year. This article based on previous writings focuses on Balasegaran alias “Brigadier” Balraj and facets of his fighting history.

Balraj, regarded as second in command to LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran in the military sphere, excelled in both offensive and defensive positional warfare. The military capability of Balraj was appreciated even by his opponents in the Sri Lankan armed forces. It is said that the armed forces regarded Balraj as the finest tactician-fighter in the LTTE and ranked him above his leader Prabhakaran in that respect.

On one occasion, the LTTE intercepted an army message from the frontline to headquarters saying that Balraj was in the field. The response was “Be careful. Balraj is more dangerous than Prabhakaran”. Later when Prabhakaran heard about this intercept, the LTTE chief was amused. He reportedly teased the shy Balraj about it saying, “The Army regards you as the No. 1 enemy now. So I am safe.”

Continue reading ‘“Brigadier” Balraj was the finest military commander the tigers ever had. Balraj’s military skills were appreciated even by his opponents in the Sri Lankan Army..’ »

டி.பி.எஸ் ஜெயராஜ்

சாமுவேல் ஜேம்ஸ் வேலுப்பிள்ளை (எஸ். ஜே.வி.) செல்வநாயகத்தின் 48 வது நினைவுதினம் ஏப்ரில் 26 ஆம் திகதி வந்துபோனது. தந்தை செல்வா என்று அறியப்பட்ட செல்வநாயகம் இலங்கை தமிழரசு கட்சியை 1949 டிசம்பரில் வேறு தலைவர்களுடன் சேர்ந்து ஆரம்பித்தார். இலங்கையின் வடக்கு, கிழக்கு மாகாணங்களின் தமிழர்களின் பிரதான அரசியல் கடசி என்று கருதப்படும் தமிழரசு கட்சி தற்போது அதன் வைரவிழாவைக் கண்டிருக்கிறது.

செல்வநாயகம் சிங்கள பெரும்பான்மையின மேலாதிக்கத்துக்கு எதிரான தமிழ் அரசியல் எதிர்ப்பியக்கத்தை பல வருடங்களாக முன்னெடுத்தார். அவர் தனது அரசியல் அணுகுமுறையில் போராட்டமும் பேச்சுவார்த்தையும் கலந்த தந்திரோபாயத்தைக் கடைப்பிடித்தார். தமிழரசு கட்சி ஒருபுறத்தில், பல்வேறு அகிம்சைப் போராட்டங்களை முன்னெடுத்த அதேவேளை, மறுபுறத்தில் சந்தர்ப்பம் வாய்க்கின்ற வேளைகளில் எல்லாம் அரசாங்கங்களுடன் பேச்சுவார்த்தைகளிலும் ஈடுபட்டார்.

பண்டா — செல்வா ஒப்பந்தம் என்று பொதுவாக அறியப்பட்ட இணக்கப்பாட்டில் கைச்சாத்திட்டது செல்வநாயகம் தலைமையிலான தமிழரசு கட்சியினால் தமிழ் தேசியப் பிரச்சினைக்கு தீர்வைக் காண்பதற்கு மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்ட பல முயற்சிகளில் ஒன்று. அது அதிகாரப்பகிர்வு கோட்பாட்டின் அடிப்படையில் அன்றைய பிரதமர் சொலமன் வெஸ்ற் றிட்ஜ்வே டயஸ் பண்டாரநாயக்கவுக்கும் செல்வநாயகத்துக்கும் இடையிலான ஒரு ஒப்பந்தமாகும். பாரிய ஆற்றலைக் கொண்டிருந்த வரலாற்று முக்கியத்துவம் வாய்ந்த ஒப்பந்தம் நடைமுறைப் படுத்தப்படுவதற்கு அனுமதிக்கப்படாதது துரதிர்ஷ்டவசமானது. அதன் ஆயுள் மிகவும் குறுகியதாகவே இருந்தது. இந்த பின்புலத்தில், இந்த கட்டுரை எனது முன்னைய எழுத்துக்களின் உதவியுடன் பண்டா — செல்வா ஒப்பந்தம் 68 வருடங்களுக்கு முன்னர் ஏன், எவ்வாறே கைச்சாத்திடப்பட்டது என்பதில் கவனம் செலுத்துகிறது.

Continue reading ‘எஸ். டபிள்யூ. ஆர்.டி பண்டாரநாயக்கவும் எஸ். ஜே.வி செல்வநாயகமும் 1957 ஆம் ஆண்டில் பண்டா — செல்வா ஒப்பந்தத்தில் ஏன், எவ்வாறு கைச்சாத்திட்டார்கள் ?’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

This article is the third and final of a trilogy about the coordinated attacks by suicide bombers on the Easter Sunday of 21 April 2019. Young men with explosives targeted three Churches and three Luxury hotels in what has come to be known as Sri Lanka’s easter bombings .The explosive attacks in Colombo,Negombo and Batticaloa resulted in 269 persons including 45 foreign nationals being killed and over 500 sustaining injuries.

Various conspiracy theories have been in circulation for many years about the Easter bombings. Chief among these is the one which alleges that an official or officials of Sri Lanka’s intelligence services had manipulated the misguided Muslim youths into launching the attacks with the ulterior objective of facilitating the return to power of former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa as President.

This conspiracy theory received a tremendous boost in 2023 when Britain’s Channel 4 TV aired the documentary “Sri Lanka’s Easter bombings” in its “Dispatches” program on Tuesday 5 September 2023. Tamil Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TMVP) leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyaan’s former secretary and ex-TMVP spokesperson Mohammed Milhilar Mohammed Hanzeer alias Azad Maulana was the whistleblower who made the controversial disclosures about his erstwhile boss

The Oxford dictionary defines a whistleblower as a “source who makes public information about alleged wrongdoing, typically by or within the organisation in which they are employed. A person blowing the whistle to journalists”. The Cambridge dictionary describes a whistleblower as “a person who tells someone in authority about something illegal that is happening, especially in a government department or a company.”

Whistleblower Azad Maulana (spelled as Mowlana and Moulana also) hailing from Maruthamunai in the Eastern province had reportedly fled to Europe and sought political asylum in Switzerland.

Appearing on TV in 2023 , Azad Maulana made some startling disclosures against former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, State Intelligence Service head Maj-Gen Suresh Sallay and Rural Road Development State Minister Chanthrakanthan known widely as Pillaiyaan. Several allegation were levelled s in the documentary concerning the April 2019 Easter bombings and the murders allegedly committed by the Govt sanctioned killer squad “Tripoly Platoon”. Gotabaya, Suresh and Pillaiyaan have all denied the allegations. Furthermore Maulana has been accused of concocting a false story to help him gain political asylum abroad.

In recent times there has been a lot of interest in the man known as Azad Maulana . There is much speculation in the media that Azad Maulana is being interviewed by Sri Lankan officials regarding the Easter bombings. It is also being suggested that he would soon give evidence in Sri Lanka regarding the Easter bombings.

It is against this backdrop that this column -with the aid of earlier writings – has been focusing on Azad Maulana in this trilogy.The first article was published on 18 April 2025 under the heading “ TMVP leader Pillaiyaan’s arrest, 2019 Easter bombings and Azad Maulana’s revelations”. The second article was published under the heading “Easter bombings conspiracy theories and importance of Azad Maulana’s testimony”. In this third article the focus would be on on how and why Azad Maulana allegedly left Sri Lanka and became a refugee in the West.

Continue reading ‘Why Channel 4 TV Whistleblower Azad Maulana Fled from Sri Lanka Via India to Seek Asylum in Switzerland.’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The co-ordinated suicide bomber attacks by a group of misguided Muslim zealots against three Churches and four Luxury hotels in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa on Easter Sunday (21st April) in 2019 brought in its wake several conspiracy theories. Chief among these was the one which suspected that an official or officials of Sri Lanka’s intelligence services had manipulated the Muslim youths into launching the attacks with the objective of facilitating the return to power of former defence seceratary Gotabaya Rajapaksa as President. 269 persons including 45 foreigners were killed and over 500 injured in the attack.

This conspiracy theory received a tremendous boost in 2023 when Britain’s Channel 4 TV aired the documentary “Sri Lanka’s Easter bombings” in its “Dispatches” program on Tuesday 5 September 2023. Tamil Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal(TMVP)leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyaan’s former secretary and ex-TMVP spokesperson Mohammed Milhilar Mohammed Hanzeer alias Azad Maulana was the whistleblower who made the controversial disclosures about his erstwhile boss.

The Oxford dictionary defines a Whistleblower as a “source who makes public information about alleged wrongdoing, typically by or within the organization in which they are employed. A person blowing the whistle to journalists”.The Cambridge dictionary describes a whistleblower as “a person who tells someone in authority about something illegal that is happening, especially in a government department or a company.”

Whistleblower Azad Maulana (spelled as Mowlana and Moulana also) hailing from Maruthamunai in the Eastern Province, fled to Europe and sought political asylum in Switzerland. Azad Maulana alleged that Pillaiyaan and former State Intelligence Service chief Maj-Gen Suresh Sallay had links with the Easter bombers and were involved in the conspiracy. Both Pillaiyaan and Sallay immediately denied the allegations.

Continue reading ‘Easter Bombings Conspiracy Theories and the Importance of Azad Maulana’s Testimony.’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

இலங்கை தமிழ் அரசியல் களத்தில் தலைமைத்துவம் தொடர்பான அக்கறைகள் அண்மைக்காலமாக உத்வேகம் பெறும் முக்கியமான ஒரு பிரச்சினையாக இருக்கிறது. தற்போதைய தமிழ் அரசியல்வாதிகள் மத்தியில் யார் எதிர்கால தமிழ் அரசியல் தலைவராக மேன்மைப்படுத்தக்கூடியவராக இருப்பார் என்பது உள்ளூராட்சி தேர்தல்களுக்கு பிறகு விவாதத்துக்குரிய ஒரு விடயமாக இருக்கும்.

வெவ்வேறு காலப்பகுதிகளில் வெவ்வேறு கட்டங்களில் செல்வாக்குமிக்க தலைவர்கள் வெளிக்கிளம்பி ஆதிக்கம் செய்த தோற்றப்பாடு இலங்கை தமிழ் அரசியல் வரலாற்றின் எடுத்துக்காட்டான ஒரு அம்சமாகும். பொன்னம்பலம் சகோதரர்கள் இராமநாதனும் அருணாச்சலமும், அருணாச்சலம் மகாதேவா , ஜீ.ஜீ. பொன்னம்பலம், எஸ்.ஜே.வி. செல்வநாயகம், அப்பாபிள்ளை அமிர்தலிங்கம் ஆகியோர் வெவ்வேறு காலப்பகுதிகளில் செல்வாக்குச் செலுத்திய ஜனநாயக தலைவர்களாக விளங்கினர். தமிழ் ஆயுதப் போராளிகளின் எழுச்சி மற்றும் வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரனின் தலைமைத்துவ தோற்றப்பாடு இவற்றில் இருந்து முற்றிலும் வேறுபட்ட நிகழ்வுப் போக்குகளாகும்.

மேற்குறிப்பிட்ட அளவுகோலின்படி உள்நாட்டுப் போரின் முடிவுக்குப் பின்னர் 2010 ஆம் ஆண்டு தொடக்கி 2024 ஆம் ஆண்டுவரை இராஜவரோதயம் சம்பந்தனின் தலைமைத்துவக் காலப்பகுதி என்று கருதப்படுகிறது. இறுதி ஒரு சில வருடங்களில் அவரின் பிடி தளர்ந்துவிட்ட போதிலும், சம்பந்தன் உயர்த்தியிலும் அடையாள அடிப்படையிலும் கேள்விக்கு இடமின்றிய இலங்கை தமிழ் தலைவராக விளங்கினார். அவரது வாழ்வின் அந்திமக் காலத்தில் சம்பந்தன் ” பெருந்தலைவர் ” என்று அழைக்கப்பட்டார்.

கடந்த வருடம் சம்பந்தனின் மறைவுக்கு பிறகு தமிழ்த் தேசியவாத அரசியலில் தலைமைத்துவ வெற்றிடம் மிகவும் முனைப்பாக தெரிந்தது. மதுபான அனுமதிப் பத்திர சர்ச்சைக்கு பிறகு கடந்த வருடம் சி.வி. விக்னேஸ்வரனின் அரசியல் ஓய்வு மற்றும் இவ்வருட தொடக்கத்தில் சோமசுந்தரம் மாவை சேனாதிராஜாவின் மறைவு ஆகிய காரணிகள் தலைமைத்துவ வெற்றிடம் மேலும் விரிவடைவதற்கு பங்களிப்புச் செய்தன.

இத்தகைய சூழ்நிலையில், தமிழ்த் தேசியவாத தலைமைத்துவ ” சம்மாசனத்துக்கு ஆர்வப்படும் ஒருவரை மேம்படுத்துவதற்கு தன்னல அக்கறைச் சக்திகளும் கட்சிகளும் ஒன்றுபட்டுத் திட்டமிட்டு தீவிர முயற்சிகளை முன்னெடுப்பதை காணக்கூடியதாக இருக்கிறது. அது வேறு எவருமல்ல, சட்டத்தரணியும் பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினருமான கஜேந்திரகுமார் பொன்னம்பலமேயாவார். கஜன் என்று பொதுவாக அறியப்படும் அவர் அகில இலங்கை தமிழ் காங்கிரஸின் பொதுச் செயலாளராகவும் தமிழ் தேசிய மக்கள் முன்னணியின் தலைவராகவும் இருக்கிறார். முதலில் 2001 ஆம் ஆண்டு தொடக்கம் 2010 ஆம் ஆண்டுவரையும் யாழ்ப்பாணம் மாவட்ட பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினராக இருந்த கஜேந்திரகுமார் பொன்னம்பலம் 2020 ஆம் ஆண்டில் மீண்டும் பாராளுமன்றத்துக்கு தெரிவாக தற்போதும் தொடருகிறார்.

Continue reading ‘கஜேந்திரகுமார் பொன்னம்பலம் இலங்கை தமிழர்களின் எதிர்கால அரசியல் தலைவராக வருவாரா?’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Island-wide local authority elections are scheduled for 6th May 2025. At the national level ,the local authority polls will provide the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna(JVP)led National People’s Power(NPP) Government an opportunity to prove it is as popular as it was at the time of the Parliamentary elections in November 2024. It will also be a test to gauge whether the Anura “Ralla”oe wave has receded or not.

On another level, the local poll results will demonstrate clearly the standing of the Anura Kumara -led Government vis a vis the ethnic minority communities of Sri Lanka. At the 2024 Parliamentary elections, the JVP-led NPP was the Party that elected the most number of Muslim and “Malaiyagath Thamizhar”(Hill Country Tamils). The NPP also tied with the Ilankiai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) in electing the highest number of Sri Lankan Tamil MPs from the northern and eastern provinces.Both parties elected seven Tamil MPs each from the north and east.

Under these circumstances the north -eastern local polls in Tamil areas will be the determining factor in three important issues. Firstly the results will show whether the Tamils of the north and east are still supportive of the JVP led NPP or not. After the 2024 Parliamentary poll, the JVP has been triumphantly proclaiming that the North -eastern Tamils have rejected the traditional Tamil nationalist parties and opted for the “Thisaikaatty” or compass. The may 6th poll can either prove or disprove this claim.

Secondly the local polls will also provide the Tamil nationalist parties another chance to deny the JVPled NPP claim. Even though the JVP-NPP won several seats in Tamil areas, the Tamil parties were deeply divided.Their votes were fragmented. Tamil parties have explained that their comparatively poor showing at the 2024 parliamentary poll was due to this disunity in Tamil ranks. Arithmetical arguments have been propounded that if the Votes polled by different Tamil parties&independent groups were heaped together, they would be double the number of JVP/NPP votes in the north and east They even say that Tamil voters punished them for their lack of unity by voting for the compass.

In spite of their assertion that disunity was the cause of their decline in 2024, the Tamil parties have not been able to form a singular,united front. The premier political party of the Sri Lankan Tamils is the ITAK known in English as the Federal Party(FP). The ITAK is facing the local polls alone under its House symbol. The ITAK/FP position is that given the voting system of 60% directly elected Ward members and 40% members based on Proportional representation, it would be better for political parties to contest separately. The Tamil parties could unite after polls to either form a stable administration or prevent the JVP/NPP from forming an administration. The ITAK/FP claims that it is not being too critical of rival political parties during the election campaign to keep options for inter-party unity open in a post-election scenario.

Of the other Tamil nationalist parties there are two broad alliances. One is the Democratic Tamil National Alliance(DTNA) contesting under the Sangu or conch symbol. The other is the Thamil Theseeya Paeravai contesting under the Ahila Ilankai Tamil Congress Symbol of Cycle. The DTNA consists of parties like the EPRLF, TELO,PLOTE, Crusaders for Democracy and Samathuvak Katchi. The Tamil National People’s Front -led Thamil Theseeyap Peravai has parties like the Thamil Theseeyak Katchi, Pasumaith Thaayaga Iyakkam and Jananaayagath Thamil Arasuk Katchi in their ranks.

In addition to the ITAK and the two broad alliances, several other smaller political parties and independent groups are also in the electoral fray. Among these are the Thamil Makkal Koottamaippu, Kizhakku Thamizhar Koottamaippu and Independent groups backed by maverick Tamil MP Dr. Ramanathan Aruchchuna.

It could be seen therefore that the local authority polls in the Tamil areas of the North and East are an arena where two sets of electoral battles are being fought. In one the JVP led NPP is pitted against Tamil nationalist parties and groups. In the other, Tamil political parties are competing among themselves to be recognized as the numero uno among Tamil nationalist parties.

Continue reading ‘The 2025 Local Authority Poll and the Attempt to Project Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam as the Future Tamil Political Leader.’ »

The National People’s Power led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Wednesday (May 7, 2025) emerged as the largest party in 265 out of 339 local municipal councils across Sri Lanka.However, the National People’s Power (NPP) party’s ability to form administrations in those 265 bodies is in doubt as the combined Opposition groups have more members than NPP in multiple councils, official results issued by the independent election commission has shown.

The election commission data showed that the ruling NPP garnered over 4.5 million votes or 43% of the votes, drastically down from the 68% polled at the parliamentary election held in November last year. It also had a thumping win in the presidential polls prior to that.

The main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) won just 14 of the 339 councils earning 21% vote.
More than 70% of the registered voters exercised their franchise on Tuesday (May 6, 2025) in the local council polls, which were postponed in 2023 following the economic crisis in the island nation.
In the battle for the coveted Colombo local body, the NPP won just 48 out of the 117 seats with the opposition parties combined having more.

Continue reading ‘President Anura Ku7mara Dissanayake led National People’s Power (NPP) Garnering 4.5 Million ($3%)Votes leads in 265 out of 339 Local Authorities in Election. Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) Coms First in 43 of 58 Councils Contested in North and East’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Over 17 million Sri Lankan voters will on Tuesday (May 6, 2025) get to vote in the local government elections — the island nation’s third election in seven months — to elect representatives to as many as 336 local bodies.

The voters will choose members and chairs of Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, and Pradeshiya (rural) Sabhas in the first electoral contest after a popular wave propelled President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his National People’s Power (NPP) coalition to power last year.

With successive wins in Sri Lanka’s crucial presidential and parliamentary polls in 2024, the leftist NPP consolidated power, securing a two-thirds majority in the legislature. The local government elections assume significance also because the former Ranil Wickremesinghe administration postponed holding them in 2023, citing “lack of funds” for polls owing to the economic crisis.

Over the past few weeks, the ruling NPP has been campaigning hard, with President Dissanayake addressing public rallies across the country, including in the Tamil-majority Jaffna district where the NPP outdid traditional Tamil nationalist parties in the general elections.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Local Govt Elections : Ruling NPP is looking to gain control of local bodies to deliver on pledges at the local level; while opposition parties are trying to regain lost political capital’ »

The Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party(FP) has expressed strong opposition to recent moves by the National People’s Power (NPP) Govt of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to acquire extensive tracts of land belonging to the Tamil people of the Northern and Eastern provinces.

Former Kaffna district MP and ITAK General -Secretary MA Sumanthiran PC has in a letter written to President Dissanayake ,Urged him to revoke the Gazette No: 2,430 in which a notice dated 28 03 2025 has been under section 4 of the Land Settlement Ordinance.

The letter to President Dissanayake by the ITAK Gen Secy Sumanthiran states as follows –

Continue reading ‘NPP Govt Attempt to Grab Tamil Owned Lands in North-East under Section 4 of Land Settlement Ordinance; President Anura Kumara Dissanayake urged by ITAK Gen Secy MA Sumanthiran to revoke Gazette no 2430 Immediately’ »

By Bhadri Durghabakshi

Some kinds of magic never leave us. As a child I chased fireflies – fleeting flickers of light darting through the warm night. Now, I chase sunsets with the same awe and feeling of magic.
I still remember the first time I saw the Maldives in a travel magazine with its image of a sunset spilling gold into the ocean. That image stayed with me and it wasn’t long before my sister and I decided to experience it for ourselves.

Just a short plane ride from Colombo, both Sri Lanka and the Maldives have been trending on travel feeds, showcasing the natural beauty of these locations.

Landing in Malé, is unlike any other airport experience. You feel like James Bond arriving on a mission — except instead of spies and gadgets, you’re dodging sea planes and hovering over boats and yachts. The airport is on its own island called Hulhule, surrounded by an expansive stretch of clear turquoisewater.

Once you retrieve your luggage and wander to your resort’s check-in desk, the realization hits that the ocean engulfs you with its endless blue. The speedboat transfer was smooth in stark contrast to the choppy waters we navigated during our 30-minute ride to Centara Ras Fushi, located on the island Giravaru.

The Maldives has about 1,200 islands, out of which around 160 are resorts. These resorts range from ultra-luxurious overwater bungalows to more budget-friendly options, offering a wide variety of experiences for all types of travellers. We decided to stay in an overwater bungalow. The villa blended in perfectly with its surroundings – weathered wood, soft linen and the soothing rhythm of the waves tapping against the stilts beneath. Occasionally, you can feel your bed rocking when the winds are strong, adding an unexpected twist to the otherwise tranquil experience.

Continue reading ‘Maldives: an escape from the daily grind, a serene space to unplug, breathe deeply, and simply ‘be.’’ »

By

Kishali into-Jayawardene

President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka’s ringing claim during the National People’s Power (NPP) May Day rally at the Galle Face Green this Thursday that his Government had ‘established the Rule of Law in Sri Lanka’ would be exceedingly funny if it was not so bizarre.

Positively primitive scenes

That claim is refuted particularly by the uncouth sight of NPP party cadre, ferried in by buses to Colombo for the May Day rally, parking on the Southern Expressway and having their lunches with gusto while camping on the side of the expressway lane.

These surreal visual images with law enforcement officers standing idly by, could not have contrasted more strongly with the President’s lofty sentiments.

Basic law and order seems to be disregarded in the NPP’s brave new world of a ‘thriving nation and a beautiful life,’ forget about the Rule of Law.

Where did the party cadre summon up the chutzpah to do this if not from the protective cover that the President, the Prime Minister and all their merry ministers afford them?

Up to now, it is not reported that NPP party men and women who violated highway laws with impunity, have been disciplined. If the Rajapaksas had allowed the Medamulana rabble to run riot in this same way, the same voices who shrug their shoulders at ‘minor infractions’ would have said, ‘well, the Rajapaksas built the Expressway, what is the harm in letting them do what they like?’

This slavish mentality, this forsaking of critical judgment, this typically easy excusing of inexcusable political behavior, characterises our polity.

Perhaps this is due to the boasted (why this boast, pray?) origins of the Sinhalese from some stray troublesome Aryan prince banished from India with his ruffian followers. Or perhaps it emanates from decades of kingly and then colonial rule where serfdom was baked into the genes of the subjects.

Whatever the reasons, national slavishness combined with racism and communalism has marked most of Sri Lanka’s post-independence history.

Continue reading ‘President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s National People’s Power (NPP) Govt survives and is sustained only by the weakness of the collective Opposition.’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

April 26th is the 48th death anniversary of res[pected Tamil political leader Samuel James Veluppillai (SJV)Chelvanayagam. Chelvanayagam known as SJV and Chelva was the co founder and long time leader of the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party (FP). The ITAK/FP launched in December 1949 is currently celebrating its diamond jubilee year. The ITAK/FP is regarded as the premier political party of the Sri Lankan Tamils in the Northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.

SJV Chelvanayagam spearheaded Tamil political resistance to perceived Sinhala majoritarian hegemony for many years. He adopted an agitation cum negotiation strategy in his political approach. The ITAK/FP engaged in several non -Violent protest campaigns on the one hand while opting to negotiate with the Governments in power whenever the time was opportune.

Among the many attempts by the Chelvanayagam -led ITAK to resolve the prickly Tamil national question was the signing of an agreement known generally as the Banda -Chelva pact or B-C pact. This was an agreement based on power sharing principles between the then Prime minister Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike and Chelvanayagam. It was a historic pact possessing great potential.Unfortunately The B-C pact was Not allowed to work and was short-lived. It is against this backdrop that this column -with the aid of previous writings – focuses this week on how and why the Banda- Chelva pact was signed 68 years ago.

Continue reading ‘How and Why the Banda – Chelva Pact was Signed by SLFP Leader SWRD Bandaranaike and FP Leader SJV Chelvanayagam.’ »

By

M.A.Sumanthiran

(M.A. Sumanthiran is a President’s Counsel practising at Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court, a former Member of Parliament of Jaffna, and the General Secretary of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi)

In the many cycles of violence in Sri Lanka’s troubled history, “terror” has been a running theme. While the state — that has repeatedly demonstrated a majoritarian tendency — has never held a mirror to itself to acknowledge the violence that it has unleashed on civilians, it has often sought to justify using draconian measures to “counter” or “crush” anything that it deems “terror”.

If there is one law in Sri Lanka that has received constant attention over the last half century in this regard, it is the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) passed in 1979, during the presidency of J.R. Jayawardene. It was modelled on South African legislation from the Apartheid era and British laws against Irish militancy, and replaced another law titled Proscribing of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and Other Similar Organizations Law of 1978.

The intention was very clear: to eradicate the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and other organisations that sought to create a separate Tamil state on the island. Originally envisaged as a temporary provisions law for a period of three years, it became a permanent fixture in Sri Lanka’s statute books in 1982.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s NPP Govt Must Implement Its Pre-election Promise of Repealing the Draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act(PTA)’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

” நான் நல்ல போராட்டத்தை போராடினேன். ஓட்டத்தை முடித்தேன். விசுவாசத்தை காத்துக் கொண்டேன்.”( I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”) – அப்போஸ்தலர் புனித பவுல் ( Apostle St.Paul ) தீமோத்தேயுவுக்கு‌ எழுதிய இரண்டாவது கடிதத்தில் (2 Timothy 4.7) உள்ள இந்த வாசகங்கள், முன்னாள் மன்னார் கத்தோலிக்க ஆயர் அதிவண. இராயப்பு யோசப்பின் வாழ்வுக்கும் சேவைக்கும் மிகவும் பொருத்தமான புகழாஞ்சலியாகும். ஏப்ரில் 16 அவரது 85 வது பிறந்த தினமாகும். தனது 81 வது பிறந்த தினத்துக்கு 15 தினங்கள் முன்னதாக 2021 ஏப்ரில் முதலாம் திகதி அவர் காலமானார்.

ஆயர் இராயப்பு யோசப் ஆண்டகையை நினைவுகூரும் இந்த கட்டுரை பாதகமான சூழ்நிலைக்கு மத்தியிலும் விளைவுகளைப் பொருட்படுத்தாமல் அதிகாரத்துக்கு உண்மையை உரைத்து தனது மக்களுக்காக உறுதிகுலையாமல் நின்ற ஒரு கத்தோலிக்க மதகுருவுக்கான அஞ்சலியாக அமைகிறது.

ஆயர் இராயப்பு யோசப் 1992 ஆம் ஆண்டு தொடக்கம் 2016 ஆம் ஆண்டு வரை 23 வருடங்களுக்கும் அதிகமான காலமாக மன்னார் ஆயராக சேவை செய்தவர். அவரது சேவைக்காலத்தில் இலங்கை ஆயுதப் படைகளுக்கும் விடுதலை புலிகளுக்கும் பயங்கரமான போர் 17 வருடங்கள் நீடித்தது. அந்த போர் வடக்கு, கிழக்கில் தமிழர்கள் பெரும்பான்மையாக வாழும் பிராந்தியங்களை மூன்று தசாப்தங்களுக்கும் அதிகமான காலமாக நிர்மூலம் செய்தது.

மன்னார் கத்தோலிக்க மறைமாவட்டம் வட மாகாணத்தின் வவுனியா, மன்னார் நிருவாக மாவட்டங்களை உள்ளடக்கியது. போர்க் காலத்தில் மன்னார் மறை மாவட்டத்தின் கீழ் வரும் பகுதிகள் படுமோசமாக பாதிக்கப்பட்டன.பல தேவாலயங்கள் சேதமடைந்தன. மக்கள் கொல்லப்பட்டார்கள், காணாமல் போனார்கள் ஆயிரக் கணக்கானவர்கள் தங்கள் வீடுவாசல்களை இழந்து இடம்பெயர்ந்தார்கள். கத்தோலிக்க மதகுருமார் சிலரும் பாதிக்கப்பட்டார்கள். மடுமாதாவின் திருவுருவச்சிலை கூட ஒரு தடவை பாதுகாப்பாக வைத்திருப்பதற்காக தேவாலயத்தில் இருந்து வேறு இடத்துக்கு எடுத்துச் செல்லப்பட்டது.

அத்தகையதொரு சூழ்நிலையில், பாதிக்கப்பட்ட அந்த மறைமாவட்டத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர்கள் நிவாரணத்துக்காக, மன ஆறுதலுக்காக , வழிகாட்டலுக்காக தங்களது ஆயரை நாடுவது இயல்பானதே. அந்த நிலைவரத்தை மெச்சத்தக்க துணிச்சலுடன் ஆயர் இராயப்பு யோசப் எதிர்கொண்டார். மன்னார் மக்களின் பிரதான மேய்ப்பராக அவர் வலிமையான தைரியத்துடன் அதிகாரத்தில் இருந்தவர்களுக்கு உண்மையை உரைத்தார். அதனால், அவர்களுக்கு ஆத்திரத்தை ஏற்படுத்தினார்.

உண்மையை பேசியதன் மூலமாக ஆயர் ‘ அதிகாரத்தின்’ சீற்றத்துக்கு ஆளானார். ஒரு ‘ புலி ஆயராக’ அவர் செயற்படுவதாக குற்றஞ்சாட்டி ஊடகங்களில் திட்டமிட்ட முறையில் பிரசாரங்கள் செய்யப்பட்டன. இராயப்பு யோசப் சர்ச்சைக்குரிய ஒரு ஆயராக அடிக்கடி வர்ணிக்கப்பட்டார். புலிகளின் ஒரு ஆதரவாளராகவும் மதகுருவின் ஆடை அணிந்த ஒரு புலி என்றும் நேய்மையற்ற முறையில் அடிக்கடி அவர் குற்றஞ்சாட்டப்பட்டார். இந்த த்க்குதல்களுக்கு மத்தியிலும் அவர் குரலற்றவர்களின் குரலாக விளங்கினார்.

Continue reading ‘முன்னாள் மன்னார் கத்தோலிக்க ஆயர் இராயப்பு யோசப் ;பாதகமான சூழ்நிலைக்கு மத்தியிலும் விளைவுகளைப் பொருட்படுத்தாமல் அதிகாரத்துக்கு உண்மையை உரைத்த குரலற்றவர்களின் குரல்’ »

டி. பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

” சாமுவேல் ஜேம்ஸ் வேலுப்பிள்ளை செல்வநாயகம் இபோவில் பிறந்தார்…. மலேசியாவில் மிகவும் தூய்மையான நகரம் என்று பெயரெடுத்தது இபோ. அதனால்தான் போலும் செல்வநாயகத்தின் வாழ்வு சமகால அரசியலில் அறியப்படாத ஒரு தூய்மையைக் குறித்து நின்றது.” — எஸ். ஜே.வி. செல்வநாயகத்தின் மறைவுக்கு அனுதாபம் தெரிவிக்கும் பிரேரணை மீது 1977 செப்டெம்பர் 6 ஆம் திகதி பாராளுமன்றத்தில் உரையாற்றிய அன்றைய வர்த்தக அமைச்சர் லலித் அத்துலத் முதலி இவ்வாறு கூறினார்.

அந்த அனுதாபப் பிரேரணை மீது உரையாற்றிய அன்றைய பிரதமர் ஜே.ஆர். ஜெயவர்தன, ” செல்வநாயகம் உங்களை கைவிட்டு விடக்கூடியவர் அல்லது ஏமாற்றிவிடக்கூடியவர் என்று கூறிய ஒருவரை எனது சமூகத்திலோ அல்லது வேறு எந்த சமூகத்திலோ நான் சந்தித்ததில்லை” என்று கூறினார். இந்த கருத்துக்கள் ” நலிந்த உடலைக் கொண்டவரான செல்வநாயகம் வடக்கின் முடிசூடா மன்னாகவே அறியப்படுகிறார். அவரின் நேர்மைக்கு அவரின் எதிரிகளும் மனமுவந்து சான்றுரைப்பார்கள் “ என்று பிரபல பத்திரிகையாளர் மேர்வின் டி சில்வா 1963 ஆம் ஆண்டில் எழுதியதை அங்கீகரித்து நின்றன.

சாமுவேல் ஜேம்ஸ் வேலுப்பிள்ளை செல்வநாயகம் மலேசியாவின் இபோ நகரில் 1898 மார்ச் 31 ஆம் திகதி பிறந்தார். கடந்த மார்ச் 31 ஆம் திகதி அவரது 127 வது பிறந்த தினமாகும். அவர் யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் தெல்லிப்பழையை சேர்ந்தவர். அவரது தந்தையார் விஸ்வநாதன் வேலுப்பிள்ளை மலேசியாவில் ஒரு வர்த்தகர். தாயார் ஹரியட் அன்னம்மாவின் கன்னிப்பெயர் கணபதிப்பிள்ளை.

பிள்ளைகள் சிறந்த கல்வியைப் பெறவேண்டும் என்பதற்காக செல்வநாயகத்துக்கு நான்கு வயதாக இருந்தபோது தந்தையாரை தவிர, குடும்பம் தெல்லிப்பழைக்கு குடிபெயர்ந்தது. புரட்டஸ்தாந்து கிறிஸ்தவரான செல்வநாயகம் தெல்லிப்பழை யூனியன் கல்லூரி, யாழ்ப்பாணம் சென். ஜோன்ஸ் கல்லூரியிலும் இறுதியாக கல்கிசை சென். தோமஸ் கல்லூரியிலும் ( அப்போது அது கொழும்பு முகத்துவாரத்தில் இருந்தது) தனது கல்வியைப் பெற்றார். அவரது ஒன்றுவிட்ட சகோதரர் ஆனந்தநாயகம் பின்னர் ஒரு கட்டத்தில் சென்.தோமஸ் கல்லூரியின் வார்டனாக (அதிபர்) பணியாற்றினார். செல்வநாயகமும் எஸ். டபிள்யூ. ஆர்.டி. பண்டாரநாயக்கவும் அந்த கல்லூரியில் ஏககாலத்தில் படித்தவர்கள். ஆனால், பிறகு அரசியலில் மோதிக்கொண்டார்கள்.

செல்வநாயகம் முதலில் லண்டன் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் வெளிவாரி மாணவனாக படித்து (பி.எஸ்.சி. ) பட்டதாரியானார். அதையடுத்து அவர் சென். தோமஸ் கல்லூரியில் ஆசிரியராக பணியாற்றினார். பிறகு கொழும்பு லெஸ்லி கல்லூரியிலும் படிப்பித்த அவர் ஆசிரியராக இருந்துகொண்டு சட்டக்கல்வியை தொடர்ந்தார். அதில் சித்தியடைந்ததும் உயர்நீதிமன்றத்தின் வழக்கறிஞராக சேர்ந்து கொண்டார். பிரதானமாக சிவில் வழக்குகளுடன் தனது சட்டத்தொழிலை மட்டுப்படுத்திக்கொண்ட அவர் அதன் மூலமாக நன்கு சம்பாதித்தார். நன்கு மதிக்கப்ட்ட ஒரு சிவில் வழக்கறிஞரான அவர் நாளடைவில் இராணி அப்புக்காத்து (கியூ.சி.) ஆனார்.

செல்வநாயகம் 1927 ஆம் ஆண்டில் தெல்லிப்பழையின் மணியகாரர் ( நிருவாகப் பிரதானி ) ஆர்.ஆர். பார் குமாரகுலசிங்கியின் மகள் எமிலி கிறேஸ் பார் குமாரகுலசிங்கியை திருமணம் செய்து கொண்டார். ஆங்கிலக் கல்வியைப் பெற்ற அன்றைய மேட்டுக்குடியினர் வழக்கமாக அணியும் மேற்கத்தைய பாணி உடைக்குப் பதிலாக செல்வநாயகம் தனது திருமணத்தின்போது தமிழ்த்தேசிய ஆடையான வேட்டி, சால்வையை அணிந்தார்.

தமிழ்மொழி மற்றும் தமிழ்க் கலாசாரம் மீதான செல்வநாயகத்தின் பாசம் அரசியல் நோக்கங்களுக்காக செயற்கையான முறையில் ஏற்படுத்திக் கொள்ளப்பட்ட ஒன்று அல்ல. அது ஆழமான இயல்புணர்ச்சியின் விளைவானது. அரசியலில் ஈடுபடுவதற்கு முன்னதாக அவர் தன்னை யாழ்ப்பாணத்தவர் என்றே எப்போதும் சொல்வார். வீட்டில் சாத்தியமான அளவுக்கு அவர் வேட்டியையே கட்டியிருப்பார். சட்ட அல்லது உத்தியோகபூர்வ அலுவல்கள் அல்லது பல்வேறு சமூகத்தவர்கள் கலந்துகொள்ளும் ஒன்றுகூடல்களை தவிர மற்றும்படி செல்வநாயகம் தமிழர்களுடன் தமிழில் தான் உரையாடுவார். ஒரு தமிழ்க் கல்விமானாக இல்லாவிட்டாலும் கூட பண்டைய தமிழ் இலக்கியங்களுடன் நன்கு பரிச்சயமானவராக விளங்கிய அவர் கர்நாடக சங்கீதத்தையும் பரதநாட்டியத்தையும நன்கு இரசிப்பார்.

Continue reading ‘எஸ். ஜே.வி. செல்வநாயகம் ; மதத்தால் கிறிஸ்தவராகவும் கலாசாரத்தால் இந்துவாகவும் விளங்கிய ‘ காந்தியவாத’ தமிழ் அரசியல் தலைவர்’ »

By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”. These words written by St. Paul in his epistle to Timothy (2.Timothy 4.7) are a fitting epitaph to the life and service of former Catholic Bishop of Mannar. the Most Rev. Rayappu Joseph whose 85th birth anniversary was on April 16 this year. Bishop Rayappu Joseph passed away on April 1st 2021 just 15 days before his 81st birthday. This commemorative article re-visits the life and mission of Bishop Joseph as tribute to a Catholic prelate who stood by his flock steadfastly in an adverse environment and spoke truth to power regardless of consequences.

Bishop Joseph Rayappu served as the Bishop of Mannar for over 23 years from 1992 to 2016. The terrible war between the Sri Lankan Armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) raged on for over 17 years during this period. The war had ravaged the pre-dominantly Tamil regions of the north and east for decades.

The Catholic Diocese of Mannar consists of the administrative districts of Mannar and Vavuniya in the Northern Province. Areas coming under the diocese of Mannar suffered terribly during the conflict. Several churches were damaged. People were killed, maimed or went missing. Thousands were displaced from their homes. Hundreds were arrested . Some members of the Catholic clergy too were affected. Even the venerated statue of Our Lady of the Rosary had to be taken away from the Madhu Church for safekeeping at one time.

In such a situation it was but natural for affected parishioners to turn to their Bishop for relief, succour, solace and guidance. To his credit Bishop Rayappu Joseph rose to the occasion with commendable courage. As the premier shepherd of the flock in Mannar, the prelate spoke truth to power with formidable temerity.By doing so he irritated the powers that be.

The Catholic prelate incurred the wrath of “power” by speaking the truth. Orchestrated media attacks were launched accusing him of being a “Koti Bishop” (Tiger Bishop). Rayappu Joseph was frequently described as being a controversial bishop. He was often accused unfairly of being a Tiger sympathiser and a cassock-wearing feline. Despite these attacks, he continued to be the voice of the voiceless.

Neduntheevu

Rayappu Joseph was born in the northern island of Neduntheevu known as Delft on 16 April 1940. His family later relocated to Ilavaalai in the Jaffna peninsula and subsequently to Cheddikulam in Vavuniya District. Rayappu Joseph studied at St. Patrick’s College in Jaffna and St. Joseph’s College in Anuradhapura. After entering priesthood he was enrolled at St. Martin’s Seminary in Jaffna and later the National Seminary in Ampitiya, Kandy.

Rayappu Joseph was ordained as a priest in December 1967. He obtained a Doctorate in Canon law from the Pontificial Urbaninana University in Rome. This resulted in him being appointed as a professor at the St. Francis Xavier Seminary in Colombothurai, Jaffna. Rayappu Joseph was consecrated as Bishop of the Mannar diocese at St. Sebastian’s Cathedral on 20 October 1992.

Mannar and Vavuniya

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mannar encompasses the Northern Province Districts of Mannar and Vavuniya which formed part of the Jaffna diocese earlier. According to the 2012 Census, Christians numbering 56,932 comprise 57.48% of the Mannar administrative district population. It is the only district in Sri Lanka that has a Christian majority. Vavuniya administrative district has 22,820 Christians or 13.31% of the population, according to the 2012 Census. Catholics are over 90% of the Christians in the two districts.

The Mannar diocese came into being on January 24, 1981. The diocese comprises an area of 3,998 sq km. According to Church estimates updated in 2018, the Mannar Diocese has 88,112 Catholics. There are 46 parishes,100 priests (65 diocesan, 35 religious), 214 lay religious (52 brothers, 162 sisters) and 28 seminarians. There are seminaries, convents, elders’ homes and children’s homes in the diocese. Above all, the Mannar diocese is home to the renowned Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu with a history of over 400 years.

Our Lady of the Rosary

Bishop Rayappu Joseph faced many problems in Mannar caused by the war. The Marian Shrine situated in Marudhamadhu known as Madhu is regarded by many as the holiest Catholic Shrine in the island.Events pertaining to the Madhu Shrine where even the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary got temporarily displaced were testing times for Bishop Rayappu Joseph. He came in for heavy criticism for his conduct at that time. What happened then was this.

During the early 2008 phase of the war the Army was steadily advancing in the Mannar District and retaking areas controlled by the LTTE. The Tigers resisted but were gradually compelled to retreat.

In this climate of war Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph tried very hard to safeguard and protect the Madhu Church from harm. The Bishop made repeated requests to both the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE that Madhu area be declared a zone of peace.

By the end of March 2008 an order was issued in Colombo that Madhu should be “taken” by April new year. The armed forces made a determined military drive from Periya Pandivirichaan and Sinna Pandivirichaan towards Madhu through the Madhu sanctuary jungle terrain.

Even as the security forces intensified military efforts the LTTE also changed tactics. The Tigers began setting up positions inside the Madhu Church sanctuary jungle areas. The LTTE also came into the outer precincts of the Church. The Tigers were not inside the Church or Church compound but began using the Church camping area which technically is classified as Church precincts. This is more than 70 acres in extent.

When Church authorities objected, the LTTE said: “Ask the Army not to proceed further in this direction. We will go away.” The security forces in turn insisted that the LTTE move away first with their artillery and mortars. Both sides were intransigent. Thus Madhu Church environs got militarised.

Madhu Church Precincts

Fighting escalated and shells began raining. Shells began falling inside Madhu Church precincts and camping areas for pilgrims. Shells fell on the clergy quarters, outer premises of the Church and a drinking water well. The Church did not suffer a direct hit but window panes cracked due to explosion impact. A barrage of shells landed on the outlying road to Palampitty.

All civilians evacuated. The skeleton staff took refuge in bunkers, popping out during lulls, to engage in evacuation work. With the LTTE moving into the Madhu Church vicinity and the security forces advancing, Church authorities realised that Madhu Church was going to be directly caught up in fierce fighting. This prompted them to leave.

Even as the Madhu Church precincts became increasingly vulnerable, charges and counter – charges began flying. The LTTE accused the security forces of making war on sacred ground and charged that Army shells were falling inside Church premises. The Army denied the charges and pointed the finger back at the LTTE. The Tigers were accused of using Church premises as a mortar launching pad. These charges in turn were vehemently denied by the LTTE.

Bishop’s Public Appeal

Bishop Rayappu Joseph who had been unsuccessfully imploring both sides to make Madhu a peace zone now made a last-ditch effort to prevent impending disaster and preserve Church sanctity and safety. He issued a public appeal on Tuesday 1 April 2008 urging that both sides keep the Church and vicinity as a peace zone. Excerpts from the Bishop’s appeal to protect the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu are as follows:

“The Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu is a much respected and venerated Shrine to Catholics all over Sri Lanka. For more than 400 years Catholics and as well as non-Catholics have gathered around Our Lady of Madhu as a unique Shrine that has served the spiritual needs of Sri Lankans from different walks of life, different ethnicities, different religions and different areas of the country. For more than two decades, in the midst of the conflict and mass displacement, Madhu Shrine also served as a place of refuge for all affected people. Madhu Shrine has been recognised locally and internationally as a ‘safe haven’ and ‘place of refuge’ for people fleeing in the face of war and destruction.

“The Catholic Bishops Conference of Sri Lanka, the Bishop and the priests of Diocese of Mannar have been appealing to the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Army to refrain from using the area gazetted as the Madhu Church Reservation under the ‘Pilgrimage Ordinance’ in 1982 for military and political purposes and to respect its sacred and humanitarian nature. Appeals have been made to the President of Sri Lanka to declare the Madhu Shrine as a ‘Zone of Peace’ through a special gazette notification in order to ensure that the Shrine can continue to serve as a religious and humanitarian space.

“Today, as military operations are taking place very close to the Shrine, we are compelled to make an urgent appeal to both the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to respect the Madhu Shrine and the area mentioned above as a Zone of Peace, keep away from the Shrine areas and to ensure that the area remains completely and solely under the administration of the Church. At this crucially difficult juncture, we appeal to all Catholics, all Sri Lankans, particularly those who have a deep sense of belonging and devotion to Our Lady of Madhu as well as all religious leaders and the International community to join in our efforts to safeguard the sacred and humanitarian character of this very special place of worship.”

Special Prayer Service

“For this intention, we will hold a special prayer service in Mannar tomorrow, 2nd April stating from 9:30am at the St Sebastian s Cathedral. We Invite all our Catholics and people of goodwill to join in our cry addressed to both the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to completely desist from using the Madhu Shrine for their military and political purposes.We also invite all faithful and devotees to fast and pray on Fridays and pray the rosary every Saturday for this purpose and for peace in our dear land.May our Lady of Madhu, the dear Mother of the people of this land bless our country with peace through politically negotiated settlement”

.
Consequent to the Bishop’s appeal thousands of catholics gathered on April 2nd at the St. Sebastians Cathedral in Mannar for a special service of worship to pray for our lady of Madhu church. Bishop Rayappu Joseph himself conducted the service.

Thereafter the Bishop along with hundreds of religious dignitaries, and devotees of all religions engaged in a peace march from the cathedral through St. Sebastian and Bazaar streets and reached the District Secretariat located on Mannar Main Street The Bishop handed over an appeal to the then Mannar District Secretaty/Government Agent A. Nicholas Pillai.Mannaar Bazaar remained shut down, public offices and private businesses did not function for more than 3-hours, during the prayer and procession.

Bishop Rayappu’s fervent efforts were no match for the cruel logic of war which gathered momentum. Conflict in the Madhu area intensified. Escalating military activity meant that the Church could soon be in the line of direct fire . In that context damage to the Church was a strong possibility.

The greatest treasure of Madhu was the sacred statue of Mother Mary and baby Jesus. The risk of the statue being damaged was very much there. Thus the painful decision to re-locate the statue was taken.

Earlier it was planned to bring the statue to St. Sebastian’s Cathedral in Mannar. But the LTTE objected as it was in a Government controlled area. The Tigers wanted the statue to be brought to the Tiger heartland of Mullaitheevu District. Church authorities including the Bishop refused. After heated arguments there was a compromise and the statue was taken to Thevanpitty in Mannar district that was adjacent to Mulangaavil in Kilinochchi district.

Our Lady of Madhu a Refugee

It was indeed a sad moment to listen to the voice of Bishop Rayappu as he stated sorrowfully over the BBC Tamil service ‘Thamilosai’ that the statue was being relocated and that Our Lady of Madhu had become a refugee in her own land. It was for Bishop Rayappu Joseph a personal tragedy as the much misunderstood and much-maligned prelate had struggled very hard to prevent this disaster.

Bishop Rayappu had tried hard to preserve and maintain the sanctity of Madhu. He wanted to avoid military action that would damage the Church. But now like Job of the Old Testament, the thing that he had greatly feared had come upon him.

The statue of Our Lady of Madhu joining the fellowship of the displaced Placed Bishop Rayappu Joseph in an unenviable position. He was criticised unfairly as an agent of the LTTE for authorising the transportation of the blessed statue to Thevanpitty in Tiger-controlled territory. Many feared that the sacred statue was lost forever. Mercifully that never happened.

Pope Francis in Madhu

The day of light dawned after the night of darkness. The holy statue of Our Lady of Madhu did return to her home again. The terrible war ended and an uneasy peace emerged. Normalcy returned gradually to Madhu. It was with immense joy that Bishop Rayappu Joseph welcomed Pope Francis to Madhu in January 2015.

Pope Francis himself participated at a Marian prayer service in Madhu on 14 January 2015 where he entreated, “Through the intercession of Our Lady of Madhu, may all people find here inspiration and strength to build a future of reconciliation, justice and peace for all the children of this beloved land.” Bishop Joseph had been vindicated at last.

.There are many, many experiences and events during Bishop Rayappu Joseph’s lengthy record of service that are worthy of detailed narration. However, I have focused on the Madhu Church crisis alone in a bid to highlight the extremely difficult environment and times in which Rayappu Joseph discharged his duties as the Catholic Bishop of Mannar diocese. The Madhu incident is an illustrative example of the predicament faced by Bishop Rayappu Joseph and the courage shown by him to do what he felt was right in the sight of the almighty.

Emeritus Bishop

Bishop Joseph celebrated his 75th birth anniversary on April 16, 2015. Thereby he reached the retiring age of 75 for a Catholic Bishop. On January 14, 2016, Bishop Rayappu Joseph stepped down from the pastoral care of the diocese of Mannar. Emeritus Bishop Rayappu Joseph entered a state of blissful retirement after many years of dedicated service to God, Church and Humanity.

He took up residence as Emeritus Bishop in a section of Bishop’s House, Mannar. Even as the retired Bishop reflected on his life and times, he received a steady stream of visitors over the years who were appreciative of his dedicated priesthood and service.

Due to failing health, the Emeritus Bishop was taken in early 2021 to the Holy Cross Health and Wellbeing Centre run by the Catholic Church in Colombothurai, Jaffna. He breathed his last and passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning on April 01, 2021 just 15 days before his 81st birthday.

Deeply Saddened

The Sri Lankan Tamil people in general and Catholics in particular were deeply saddened by his loss. Having served as Bishop for over two decades in Mannar, the prelate was immensely popular with his flock and fellow shepherds. Moreover the outspoken Bishop had endeared himself to the Tamil people at large by speaking out courageously on issues affecting the community

There was spontaneous grief and widespread mourning. Thousands paid their respects to Bishop Joseph lying in repose at the chapel adjoining the Jaffna Bishops House. The respected and much loved Bishop’s body was brought in procession from Jaffna to Mannar. Thousands paid their respects when it lay in repose at the Mannar chapel and later the Cathedral.

The Mannar Emeritus Bishop’s funeral was held on Monday, 5 April 2021 , at the St. Sebastian’s Cathedral in Mannar. Almost all the Sri Lankan Catholic Bishops including Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith participated in the requiem mass. The remains of the former Mannar Bishop were laid to rest within the hallowed precincts of the St. Sebastian’s Cathedral.

Day of Mourning

The entire Mannar district observed 5 April 2021 as a day of mourning. Black and white flags were flown all over. In Mannar town, all businesses remained closed. Subsequeently a statue of Bishop Joseph was unveiled in the heart of Mannar town.

Many years ago in a newspaper interview Bishop Rayappu Joseph was assailed with questions regarding various allegations against him. Replying to the compounded questions, the Bishop set the record straight by rejecting the unfounded allegations and clarifying matters. He clearly articulated his position by stating as follows –

Chief Shepherd’s Primary Role

. “I am also the Bishop of the diocese of Mannar, comprising districts of Mannar and Vavuniya. I have taken as my primary role as speaking on behalf of the people of the diocese, particularly as they were facing severe repression. I do care about all others in Sri Lanka and beyond, even though what I have been able to do and say may have been limited, being preoccupied with the suffering of the people where I have been made the Chief Shepherd.”

Bishop Rayappu Joseph was the voice of the voiceless of the Mannar Diocese who fearlessly spoke truth to power.

D.B.S.Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com

This article appears in the “DBS Jeyaraj Column”of the “Daily Mirror”dated 19 April 2025.It can be accessed here –

https://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/Bishop-Rayappu-Joseph-was-the-Voice-of-the-Voiceless-Who-Spoke-Truth-to-Power/172-306870

******************************************************************************

டி.பி.எஸ்.ஜெயராஜ்

உள்ளூராட்சி தேர்தல்கள் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டதை அடுத்து கிழக்கு மாகாணத்தில் புதியதொரு தேர்தல் கூட்டணி தோன்றியது. பிள்ளையான் என்ற சிவநேசதுரை சந்திரகாந்தன் தலைமையிலான தமிழ் மக்கள் விடுதலை புலிகள் கட்சியும் சதாசிவம் வியாழேந்திரன் தலைமையிலான தமிழர் முற்போக்கு கழகமும் சேர்ந்து கிழக்கு தமிழர் கட்டமைப்பை அமைத்தன. ஒரு சில வாரங்களுக்குள் கேணல் கருணா என்ற விநாயகமூர்த்தி முரளிதரன் தலைமையிலான தமிழர் ஐக்கிய சுதந்திர முன்னணி இணைந்து கொண்டதை அடுத்து புதிய கூட்டணி பலமடைந்தது.

கிழக்கு தமிழர் கூட்டமைப்பு அதன் உள்ளூராட்சி தேர்தல் பிரசாரங்களை உற்சாகத்துடன் கிழக்கில் தொடங்கியது. யாழ்ப்பாண தலைமைத்துவத்துடனான தமிழ்க்கட்சிகளின் போதாமை மற்றும் கிழக்கில் முஸ்லிம் விஸ்தரிப்புவாதம் என்று சொல்லப்படுவதன் விளைவான பிரச்சினைகள் மீது கவனத்தை குவித்து கிழக்கு தமிழர்களின் வாக்குகளை கவரும் நம்பிக்கையை கூட்டமைப்பு கொண்டிருந்தது.

கிழக்கு தமிழர் கூட்டமைப்பின் பிரசாரங்கள் உத்வேகம் அடைந்துகொண்டிருந்த நிலையில், பிள்ளையான், கருணா, வியாழேந்திரன் என்ற “மும்மூர்திகளுக்கும் ” அனர்த்தம் ஏற்பட்டது. இலஞ்ச குற்றச்சாட்டு ஒன்றின் பேரில் கைது செய்யப்பட்ட வியாழேந்திரன் விளக்கமறியலில் வைக்கப்பட்டு பின்னர் பிணையில் விடுவிக்கப்பட்டார். அடுத்து விடுதலை புலிகளுக்கும் இலங்கை ஆயுதப்படைகளுக்கும் இடையிலான போரின்போது மனித உரிமைமீறல்களுக்கு உடந்தையாக இருந்ததாக கூறப்பட்டு முரளிதரனுக்கு எதிராக ஐக்கிய இராச்சியம் தடைகளை விதித்தது.

இறுதியாக, கிழக்கு பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் முன்னாள் துணை வேந்தர் பேராசிரியர் சுப்பிரமணியம் இரவீந்திரநாத் 2006 டிசம்பரில் கடத்தப்பட்டு காணாமல்போன சம்பவத்துடன் தொடர்பிருந்ததாக சந்தேகத்தின் பேரில் பயங்கரவாத தடைச்சட்டத்தின் கீழ் பிள்ளையான் கைது செய்யப்பட்டார்.

பயங்கரவாத தடைச்சட்டம்

Continue reading ‘2019 ஈஸ்டர் ஞாயிறு குண்டுத் தாக்குதல்கள், பிள்ளையான் கைது,சனல் 4 தொலைக்காட்சி விவரணத் தொகுப்பில் அசாத் மௌலான வெளியிட்ட தகவல்கள் அறிக்கை.’ »

On Easter Sunday 2025, Pope Francis did not deliver his speech in person, though he briefly greeted the faithful with a brief “Brothers and Sisters, Happy Easter”.

“Urbi et orbi” means “To the city [of Rome] and to the world.” It is a special apostolic blessing given by the pope every year on Easter Sunday, Christmas, and other special occasions.

Here is the full text of the pope’s message:

Christ is risen, alleluia!

Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!
Today at last, the singing of the “alleluia” is heard once more in the Church, passing from mouth to mouth, from heart to heart, and this makes the people of God throughout the world shed tears of joy.
From the empty tomb in Jerusalem, we hear unexpected good news: Jesus, who was crucified, “is not here, he has risen” (Lk 24:5). Jesus is not in the tomb, he is alive!

Love has triumphed over hatred, light over darkness and truth over falsehood. Forgiveness has triumphed over revenge. Evil has not disappeared from history; it will remain until the end, but it no longer has the upper hand; it no longer has power over those who accept the grace of this day.

Sisters and brothers, especially those of you experiencing pain and sorrow, your silent cry has been heard and your tears have been counted; not one of them has been lost! In the passion and death of Jesus, God has taken upon himself all the evil in this world and in his infinite mercy has defeated it. He has uprooted the diabolical pride that poisons the human heart and wreaks violence and corruption on every side.

The Lamb of God is victorious! That is why, today, we can joyfully cry out: “Christ, my hope, has risen!” (Easter Sequence).The resurrection of Jesus is indeed the basis of our hope. For in the light of this event, hope is no longer an illusion. Thanks to Christ — crucified and risen from the dead — hope does not disappoint! Spes non confundit! (cf. Rom 5:5). That hope is not an evasion, but a challenge; it does not delude, but empowers us.

All those who put their hope in God place their feeble hands in his strong and mighty hand; they let themselves be raised up and set out on a journey. Together with the risen Jesus, they become pilgrims of hope, witnesses of the victory of love and of the disarmed power of Life.

Continue reading ‘“There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others.Nor is peace possible without true disarmament! – 2025 Easter Message From Pope Francis’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham

The upcoming Local Government Elections will see unprecedented fierce campaigning by all Tamil political parties in the Northern and Eastern Provinces where Tamils are the predominant community.

For the first time in Sri Lankan history, the Tamil parties will be up against a Sinhala-led national party, the National People’s Power (NPP), which emerged as a force in the north and east at the last Presidential and Parliamentary Elections.

If a comment made by Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) Leader, Parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam during an interview with the Colombo correspondent of The Hindu, Meera Srinivasan recently is anything to go by, Tamil parties seem to be fighting a political battle to avoid an ‘electoral disaster.’

The unprecedented achievement of the ruling NPP by bagging more seats in the Northern and Eastern Provinces than the Tamil parties at the November 2024 Parliamentary Elections raised questions about the future of Tamil nationalist politics in Sri Lanka.

The support extended by the Tamil people to the NPP, led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which has a history of adopting a negative stance on finding a political solution to the national ethnic problem through devolution, unsettled the Tamil polity.

There is no doubt that, after almost 16 years since the end of the civil war, the Tamil people turned substantially to the NPP merely because of their disgust with the Tamil parties, which had failed to adopt a practical and sensible approach to finding solutions to their problems as the situation demanded.

Continue reading ‘Tamil politicians are again simply resorting to utopian nationalist slogans with no interest in changing their hitherto held political stance. Their future as Tamil nationalists are at stake at the Local Government Elections.’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The advent of the Local Authority elections in 2025 saw the emergence of a new electoral alliance in Eastern Sri Lanka. The Tamil Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TMVP) led by Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (spelled as Santhirakanthan also) alias “Pillaiyaan” and the “Thamilar Mutpoakku Kazhagham (TMK) led by Sathasivam Viyaalendran came together and formed the “Kizhakkuth Thamizhar Koottamaippu” (KTK). The new alliance was strengthened further when the ‘Thamizhar Aikkiya Suthanthira Munnani’(TASM)led by Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias “Col”Karuna joined the new alliance.

The Kizhakkuth Thamizhar Koottamaippu means Eastern Tamil Alliance(ETA) in Tamil. The new alliance commenced its local poll campaign enthusiastically in the east. The alliance hoped to attract the votes of Eastern Tamils by focusing on the inadequacy of Tamil parties with a Jaffna Tamil leadership and the problems caused by alleged Muslim expansionism in the east.

Even as the Eastern Tamil Alliance campaign gathered momentum , disaster struck the triumvirate of leaders -Pillaiyaan, Karuna and Viyaalendran. Viyalendran was arrested on a charge of bribery, remanded and subsequently released on bail. Then came the Sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom (UK) on Muralitharan for alleged complicity in human rights violations during the war between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE). Finally Chandrakanthan alias “Pillaiyaan” was arrested under the prevention of Terrorism Act(PTA) on suspicion of being linked to the abduction and disappearance of former Eastern University vice-chancellor Prof. Sivasubramaniam Raveendranath in December 2006.

Continue reading ‘TMVP Leader Pillaiyaan’s Arrest under PTA, 6th Anniversary of 2019 Easter Bombings and Channel 4 TV Whistleblower Azad Maulana’s Revelations.’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The 4 K restored version of the award winning Sinhala movie “Nidhanaya”(Treasure) directed by Sri Lanka’s renowned film maker Lester James Peries was screened in Colombo at the National Archives auditorium on 7 April 2025. National Archives Director-General, Dr.Nadeera Rupesinghe said that over 200 people were present at the screening. “It is one of the biggest audiences we have have had for a film screening at the National Archives,”said Dr.Rupesinghe.

This was the first time that a 4 K restored version of “Nidhanaya” was screened in Sri Lanka. 4K restoration is a process that revitalizes older films by scanning their original film elements (negatives or high-quality prints) at a 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels), repairing damage, and enhancing the image and sound for a more immersive, high-quality viewing experience.

“Nidhanaya” was restored in 2013 by Cineteca di Bologna/L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, in association with The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project and the Lester James and Sumitra Peries Foundation. The restored version premiere was at the 2013 Venice International Film Festival.

The screening in Colombo was made possible by The Film Foundation and Cineteca di Bologna, with special thanks to the Dr Lester James Peries and Sumitra Peries Foundation and the Film Heritage Foundation of India. It was screened on the opening day of “Archiving the Image: From Conservation to the Screen” – a workshop on Film Programming and Photograph & Film Conservation. Incidentally the National Film, Television and Sound Archives was opened by Lester James Peries himself at the Sri Lanka National Archives on 5 April 2014.

‘Nidhanaya’ made in 1970 was entered for the 1972 Venice International Film Festival where the film won the Silver Lion of St. Mark award. It also received a certificate as one of the outstanding films of the year at the London Film Festival. ‘Nidhanaya’ was also included in the global list of 100 best films to be ever made that was compiled by the Cinematheque Institute of France to mark the World Film Centenary.

The film won the award for being the best Sinhala movie in 50 years , at Sri Lanka’s Golden Jubilee of Independence in 1998 It has also won critical acclaim globally as one of the 10 top Asian films for all time.

I have declared on more than occasion that Lester James Peries is my favourite Sinhala film director. Lester’s 106th birth anniversary was on 5 April 2025.I have written about Lester and his films in the past. It is against this backdrop that this column deviates from its customary focus on politics and beams the spotlight -with the aid of earlier writings – on “Nidhanaya” and its creator Lester James Peries this week.

Continue reading ‘Maestro Lester James Peries and his Movie Masterpiece “Nidhanaya” (Treasure).’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi’s week-end visit to Sri Lanka proved to be quite a success according to print and electronic media reports. The highlights of the two day trip from Friday 4 April to Sunday 6 April were the signing of a Memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation that recognized the inter-linked nature of national security of both countries and the conferment of the ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana’ award upon the Indian Prime minister by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on behalf of the Sri Lankan people.

The only note of discord struck in an environment of concord was the issue of Indian fisherfolk from Tamil Nadu and Puducheri(Pondicheri) poaching in Sri Lanka’s northern waters in large numbers and destroying marine life through pernicious practices such as bottom trawling. One is not aware of how exactly this issue was discussed by the two leaders but their media statements illustrate the “divergence”of perspectives on the question.

President Dissanayake emphasised that a “cooperative approach for a sustainable solution” to the problem was necessary. He further said “recognising the serious environmental damage caused by bottom trawling……we called for decisive measures to halt this activity and to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.”

The Indian Prime minister Modi on the other hand was more sanguine. Describing it as a matter of livelihood , Narendra Modi said that the Sri Lankan president and he had agreed on a “humane approach”, being adopted towards the issue. The Indian PM underscored the need for the immediate release of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody and their seized boats.

Subsequently Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told the media that the two countries had agreed to intensify institutional discussions and facilitate talks between fishermen associations from both sides in the near future. “It is something that has remained a constant feature of discussions at all levels including high levels between the two sides.” said the Foreign secretary

Addressing members of the fourth estate at a media briefing held at the Taj Samudra Hotel, Indian Foreign secy Misri said the fishing issue was discussed in considerable detail by both sides. “Prime Minister emphasised that at the end of the day, it is a daily livelihood issue for fishermen and certain actions that have been taken in recent times could be reconsidered,”

Continue reading ‘Should Sri Lanka adopt the “humane” approach proposed by India and not arrest the Tamil Nadu fishermen poaching “ en masse” in Northern waters?’ »

.

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The United Lingdom (UK) has imposed sanctions on four Sri Lankans allegedly responsible for serious human rights abuses and violations committed during the war between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE). The UK sanctioned quartet are former Army commander Jagath Jayasuriya, Ex- Navy commander Wasantha Karannagoda, former army commander Shavendra Silva and Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias “Karuna, the former LTTE eastern regional commander.

Sri Lanka’s one and only field marshall and former Army chief, Sarath Fonseka has publicly aired some comments about the three service chiefs who were sanctioned. According to news reports , Field Marshall Fonseka has said that sanctions imposed on Shavendra Silva were “unreasonable”. However the ex-army chief has stated that the sanctions against Wasantha Karannagoda and Jagath Jayasuriya were “reasonable”

Fonseka went on to allege that Karannagoda and Jayasuriya had abused their powers while in office and that there was crucial evidence was available to prove that.. “I have spoken in Parliament about these two “said Fonseka. The former army commander further said that he had even initiated an inquiry into Jayasuriya who had served under him earlier.

Sarath Fonseka’s criticism of the former Navy and army commanders did not come as a major surprise because the field marshall’s animus against both was well-known. Fonseka’s antagonism towards both was amply demonstrated many times during the war years. This tendency continued even after the war ended with Fonseka taking pot shots publicly against both on several occasions. Karannagoda and Jayasuriya too have been publicly critical of Fonseka

While the ill-will and rancour between Fonseka and Karannagoda was mainly due to an ego clash fuelled by inter-service rivalry, the hostility between Fonseka and Jayasuriya is qualitatively different. It is deep-seated and serious. There is a history behind the feud.

Continue reading ‘Politicization of the Military,Rajapaksa Family’s Divisive Politics and the Sarath Fonseka- Jagath Jayasuriya Feud’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

இந்திய பிரதமர் நரேந்திர மோடியின் வார இறுதி இலங்கை விஜயம் பெருமளவுக்கு வெற்றிகரமாக அமைந்ததாக பத்திரிகைகள் மற்றும் இலத்திரனியல் ஊடகங்கள் மூலமாக அறியக்கூடியதாக இருக்கிறது ஏப்ரில் 4 வெள்ளிக்கிழமை தொடங்கி ஏப்ரில் 6 ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமை வரையிலான அவரின் விஜயத்தின் முக்கிய அம்சங்களாக இரு நாடுகளினதும் தேசிய பாதுகாப்புக்கு இடையிலான பிணைப்பின் தன்மையை அங்கீகரிக்கும் பாதுகாப்பு ஒத்துழைப்பு தொடர்பான புரிந்துணர்வு உடன்படிக்கை, இலங்கை மக்களின் சார்பில் ஜனாதிபதி அநுர குமார திசநாயக்கவினால் இந்திய பிரதமருக்கு வழங்கப்பட்ட ‘ ஸ்ரீலங்கா மித்ர விபூஷண ‘ விருது ஆகியவை அமைந்தன.

இணக்கபூர்வமான ஒரு சூழ்நிலையில் முரண்பாட்டுக்குரியதாக அமைந்தது வடபகுதி கடற்பரப்பிற்குள் பெரும் எண்ணிக்கையில் அத்துமீறிப் பிரவேசித்து தமிழ்நாடு மற்றும் புதுச்சேரி மீனவர்கள் மீன்பிடிப்பிடிப்பதுடனும் இழுவைப்படகுகளை பயன்படுத்துவது போன்ற கெடுதியான நடைமுறைகள் மூலமாக கடல்வாழ் உயிரினங்களை நிர்மூலம் செய்து வருவதுடனும் தொடர்புடைய பிரச்சினை மாத்திரமேயாகும். இரு தலைவர்களும் எந்தளவுக்கு இந்த பிரச்சினை குறித்து விரிவாக ஆராய்ந்தார்கள் என்பது திட்டவட்டமாக தெரியவில்லை. ஆனால், அவர்களின் ஊடக அறிக்கைகள் இந்த பிரச்சினை தொடர்பில் வேறுபட்ட மனப்பான்மைகளைக் கொண்டிருப்பதை வெளிக்காட்டின.

இந்த பிரச்சினைக்கு ” நிலைபேறான தீர்வொன்றைக் காண்பதற்கு ஒத்துழைப்பு அணுகுமுறை ஒன்று தேவை என்று திசநாயக்க வலியுறுத்தினார். ” இழுவைப்படகுகளினால் சுற்றுச்சூழலுக்கு ஏற்படுகின்ற பாரதூரமான சேதத்தை தடுத்து நிறுத்துவதற்கும் சட்டவிரோதமாக மீன்பிடிப்பதை தடுப்பதற்கும் தீர்க்கமான நடவடிக்கைகள் தேவை என்று நாம் கோருகிறோம்” என்று அவர் மேலும் கூறினார்.

ஆனால், மறுபுறத்தில் இந்திய பிரதமர் மோடி பெருமளவுக்கு நம்பிக்கையுடனான ஒரு அணுகுமுறையை கடைப்பிடித்தார். இந்த பிரச்சினை வாழ்வாதாரத்துடன் தொடர்புடையது என்று வர்ணித்த அவர் மனிதாபிமான அணுகுமுறை ஒன்று கடைப்பிடிக்ககப்பட வேண்டும் என்று இலங்கை
ஜனாதிபதியும் தானும் இணங்கியிருப்பதாக குறிப்பிட்டார். இலங்கையில் தடுத்து வைக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் இந்திய மீனவர்களும் கைப்பற்றப்பட்ட அவர்களது படகுகளும் உடனடியாக விடுவிக்கப்பட வேண்டும் என்று அவர் வலியுறுத்தினார்.

அதை தொடர்ந்து இந்திய வெளியுறவு செயலாளர் விக்ரம் மிஸ்றி நிறுவன ரீதியான கலந்தாலோசனைகளை தீவிரப்படுத்துவதற்கும் அண்மைய எதிர்காலத்தில் இரு நாடுகளினதும் மீனவர் சங்கங்களுக்கு இடையில் பேச்சுவார்த்தைகளுக்கு வசதி செய்வதற்கும் இணக்கம் காணப்பட்டதாக ஊடகங்களுக்கு கூறினார்.” இரு தரப்புகளுக்கும் இடையிலான உயர்மட்டங்கள் உட்பட சகல மட்டங்களிலும் பேச்சுவார்த்தைகளில் தொடர்ச்சியான ஒரு அம்சமாக இது இருந்து வருகிறது ” என்று அவர் குறிப்பிட்டார்.

Continue reading ‘வடபகுதி கடற்பரப்பில் அத்துமீறி மீன்பிடிக்கும் தமிழ்நாட்டு மீனவர்கள் கைது செய்யப்படக்கூடாது எனபதும் அவர்களது படகுகள் கைப்பற்றப்படக்கூடாது என்பதுமே இந்தியா விரும்புகின்ற மனிதாபிமான அணுகுமுறை.’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Former Eastern regional commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan is very much in the news again. Muralitharan whose nom de guerre in the LTTE was “Karuna” is among four Sri Lankans sanctioned last week by the United Kingdom (UK) for alleged human rights violations and abuses committed during the civil war. The other three sanctioned are former Navy commander Wasantha Karannagoda and ex-army commanders Shavendra Silva and Jagath Jayasuriya. It is indeed noteworthy that a leader of a regional Tamil armed group has been equated with three Sinhala defence service national commanders by the UK in imposing sanctions.

Muralitharan who is known as Karuna, Karuna Ammaan and “Col”Karuna broke away from the LTTE in 2004 and led a rebel group known as the “Karuna” faction. against the mainstream LTTE .This outfit was later converted into a political party named “Thamil Makkal Viduthalaip Pulligal”(TMVP). Karuna who collaborated with the Sri Lankan armed forces in combatting the LTTE has been accused of several human rights violations in the past.

Karuna took to politics when Mahinda Rajapaksa was president and entered Parliament The Rajapaksa regime projected Karuna’s transformation as a success story of a former guerilla turning into a politician. On one occasion in 2020 during an election campaign, Karuna boasted about his militant past and said he was more dangerous than the “Corona” pandemic. (Naan Coronaavai vida Payangaramaanavan). His Tamil political rivals responded by saying Karuna was a Corona that had afflicted the Tamil people. (thamil makkalaip Peeditha Corona Thaan Karuna). The epithet “Corona” rhyming with the name Karuna has stuck since then.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has issued a hard-hitting statement condemning the UK sanctions. In that Mahinda makes a pointed reference to Karuna. This what the ex-president says – “Imposing sanctions on Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan a.k.a Karuna Amman who broke away from the LTTE in 2004 and later entered democratic politics is a clear case of penalizing anti-LTTE Tamils so as to placate the dominant segment of the Tamil diaspora in the UK.”

The UK sanctions have aroused much interest and curiosity in the man called Karuna.It is against this backdrop that this column focuses on Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias “Col”Karuna this week. The objective is to briefly outline the chequered history of Karuna with the aid of earlier writings.

Continue reading ‘“Corona”Karuna: The Chequered History of an Eastern Warlord.’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Colombo on Friday (April 4, 2025) night for a weekend visit focused on bilateral discussions and the signing of several key agreements between India and Sri Lanka
Mr. Modi travelled to Sri Lanka after attending the BIMSTEC summit in Thailand, where his engagements included discussions with regional leaders such as Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

Mr. Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka — on the invitation of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake — marks the first visit by a foreign leader to Sri Lanka after the island nation witnessed a dramatic political shift last year, with the ascent of the leftist leader and his National People’s Power [NPP] alliance to power. Months after his election win, President Dissanayake visited New Delhi, marking his first state visit abroad in December 2024, when India and Sri Lanka issued a joint statement laying out the main areas of cooperation.

Both leaders took to social media platform ‘X’ on Thursday [April 3, 2024] ahead of the visit, and said they looked forward to strengthening the partnership and exploring new avenues for cooperation. A total eight MoUs will be signed during Mr. Modi’s visit, spanning energy, digital infrastructure, health and defence sectors, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath in an interview to The Hindu earlier this week.

Continue reading ‘Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Colombo on a Weekend Visit for Bi-lateral talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Signing of Key Agreements’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The United Kingdom(UK) announced on 24 Narch 2025 that sanctions have been imposed on four individuals from Sri Lanka who were allegedly responsible for serious human rights violations and abuses during the civil war. A press release issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Office stated that the sanctions aim to seek accountability for serious human rights violations and abuses, committed during the civil war, and to prevent a culture of impunity. The sanctions against targeted individuals include measures such as travel bans to the UK and asset freezes.

The four Sri Lankans sanctioned by the UK are former Head of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, Shavendra Silva, former Navy Commander, Wasantha Karannagoda, former Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, Jagath Jayasuriya and former military commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan known as Karuna Amman. As is well known Muralitharan broke away from the LTTE and formed the paramilitary Karuna Group, which worked on behalf of the Sri Lankan Army during the war.

The inclusion of Muralitharan alias “Col”Karuna in the list of sanctioned individuals has aroused much interest mainly due to two reasons. This is the first time that a Tamil person from Sri Lanka has been sanctioned by a western nation.Earlier sanctions by the USA and Canada targeted individuals belonging to the majority Sinhala community. However it must be noted that those being sanctioned are not being targeted on grounds of ethnicity. They are being sanctioned for alleged involvement in human rights abuses, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The second reason for the interest shown by people in the sanctions by the UK against Karuna is based on recent history. Muralitharan alias “Col”Karuna is a person who was arrested, detained,prosecuted,imprisoned,released and deported back to Sri Lanka several years ago. He had allegedly entered the UK posing as a Sinhalese on a diplomatic passport. Ironically the passport was a genuine one issued by Sri Lankan authorities.

After the UK sanctions were imposed the Tamil newspaper “Thamilan” interviewed Karuna about it. Karuna was dismissive saying that the UK sanctions would not affect him or his politics in any way. Karuna denied that he was responsible for any human rights violation. Speaking further he said that if he was guilty of any human rights violation, the UK could have penalised him when he sought refugee status there. “why didn’t they do it then?instead they sent me back home safely”pointed out Karuna. He went on to say that he was not bothered by the UK sanctions.

It is indeed ironic that a man who was deported from the UK 17 years ago has now been forbidden from travelling to the UK due to the sanctions imposed in a different context. Is Karuna being honest in saying that the UK authorities deported him instead of penalising him for alleged human rights violations because he was not guilty of any such offence? What were the circumstances under which he went to the UK 17 years ago and what exactly happened to him then?

I have been getting several queries from readers seeking clarity on what happened then.Karuna’s arrest in the UK was an issue about which I had written in detail in the 2007-’08 period. It is against this backdrop therefore that I re-visit -with the aid of earlier writings- those events of the past concerning the arrest of Karuna in the UK by British officials. They were quite dramatic!

Continue reading ‘How Gotabaya Rajapaksa Enabled Ex-LTTE Eastern Leader Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias “Col”Karuna to go to Britain on a Diplomatic Passport Posing as a Sinhalese named Kokila Dushmantha Gunawardena’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The Parliamentary election held on 22 March 1965 was an important turning point in the post-independence history of Sri Lanka known as Ceylon then. It was this election held sixty years ago that led to the formation of a seven party national Government under Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake after the signing of an agreement (Dudley-Chelva pact) with Tamil leader SJV Chelvanayagam. This column focuses on the March 1965 poll and what happened thereafter in this article.

The term National Government first came into usage in Ceylon – as Sri Lanka was called earlier – in 1965 when the then UNP leader Dudley Senanayake formed a seven-party coalition government. It was called a national government then. The seven members of the 1965 National Government were the United National Party (UNP), Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), Sri Lanka Freedom Socialist Party (SLFSP), All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP), Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC). The JVP in that Government is different to the JVP of now. The Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna was founded by K.M.P. Rajaratnae while the founder of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna was Rohana Wijeweera.

Though a coalition government in essence, Dudley named it a national government in 1965. There were some who argued then that Dudley Senanayake’s government could not be described as a national government because all the major political parties represented in Parliament were not in it. The chief opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and its leftist allies the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and Communist Party (CP) were not members of that national Government.

There was however a very good reason for Dudley Senanayake to call his Government a national Government. This was because there was once again a member of the Sri Lankan Tamil nationality in the cabinet after a lengthy absence of nearly 10 years. Former solicitor-general and eminent Lawyer Murugeysen Tiruchelvam represented the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) – called the Federal party in English – in Dudley’s cabinet as Minister of Local Government.

Thus when Murugesysen Tiruchelvam became a minister in Dudley Senanayake’s cabinet in 1965, the Sri Lankan Tamils were making a re-entry into Government after an absence of almost 10 years. Politically Tiruchelvam’s inclusion in cabinet as a representative of the ITAK/FP was symbolic of ethnic reconciliation.

Dudley Senanayake’s no. 2 and the then State Minister J.R. Jayewardene summed up the prevailing mood of the time in a speech made to the Federal Party youth front in Kankesanthurai. JR who was chief guest said: “Since the formation of the national government an unfortunate chapter in the relationship between the Sinhalese and the Tamils has ended… The Federal party is the saviour of democracy because they not only supported us but also stood shoulder to shoulder with us in forming the national govt.”

Continue reading ‘The March 1965 Elections , Signing of the Dudley-Chelva Pact and the Formation of the “Hath Haula” National Govt’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

1965 மார்ச் 22 ஆம் திகதி நடைபெற்ற பாராளுமன்ற தேர்தல் சுதந்திர இலங்கையின் வரலாற்றில் முக்கியமான ஒரு திருப்புமுனையாக அமைந்தது.60 வருடங்களுக்கு முன்னர் நடைபெற்ற இந்த தேர்தல் தமிழ் தலைவர் எஸ். ஜே வி. செல்வநாயகத்துடன் உடன்படிக்கை ஒனறை கைச்சாத்திட்ட பிறகு ( டட்லி — செல்வா உடன்படிக்கை ) பிரதமர் டட்லி சேனநாயக்க தலைமையில் ஏழு கட்சிகளை உள்ளடக்கிய தேசிய அரசாங்கம் ஒன்று அமைக்கப்படுவதற்கு வழிவகுத்தது. இந்த கட்டுரை 1965 மார்ச் தேர்தலை பற்றியும் அதற்கு பிறகு நடந்தவை பற்றியும் விபரிக்கிறது.

அன்றைய பாராளுமன்றம் மக்களால் தெரிவு செய்யப்படும் 151 உறுப்பினர்களையும் ஆறு நியமன உறூப்பினர்களையும் கொண்டதாக இருந்தது. 1965 மார்ச் தேர்தல் முடிவுகள் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டபோது எந்தவொரு கட்சிக்கும் அதன் சொந்தத்தில் சாதாரண பெரும்பான்மை ஆசனங்கள் கிடைக்கவில்லை. ஐக்கிய தேசிய கட்சி 1,590,929 ( 39.31 சதவீதம் ) வாக்குகளைப் பெற்று 66 ஆசனங்களை கைப்பற்றியது. ஸ்ரீலங்கா சுதந்திர கட்சி 1,221, 437 ( 30.18 சதவீதம் ) வாக்குகளுடன் 41 ஆசனங்களைப் பெற்று இரணாடாவது பெரிய கட்சியாக வந்தது. இலங்கை தமிழரசு கட்சி 14 ஆசனங்களை கைப்பற்றி மூன்றாவதாக வந்தது. அதற்கு 216, 914 ( 5.38 சதவீதம் ) வாக்குகள் கிடைத்தன. லங்கா சமசமாஜ கட்சி 302, 095 ( 7.4 சதவீதம்) வாக்குகளுடன் பத்து ஆசனங்களைப் பெற்ற அதேவேளை, இலங்கை கம்யூனிஸ்ட் கட்சி 109, 754 (2.71 சதவீதம் ) வாக்குகளுடன் நான்கு ஆசனங்களை தனதாக்கியது.

ஆசனங்களை பெற்றுக்கொண்ட மற்றைய கட்சிகளில் ஸ்ரீலங்கா சுதந்திர சோசலிஸ்ட் கட்சியும் ஒன்று அது 130, 429 வாக்குகளுடன் ஐந்து ஆசனங்களைப் பெற்றது. இந்த சுதந்திர சோசலிஸ்ட் கட்சி சி.பி.டி. சில்வா தலைமையில் ஸ்ரீலங்கா சுதந்திர கட்சியில் இருந்து பிரிந்த குழுவினரும் டபிள்யூ. தகநாயக்கவின் பிரஜாதந்திரவாதி பக்சயவும் (ஜனநாயக கட்சி) சேர்ந்து அமைத்த ஒரு கூட்டு ஆகும். அகில இலங்கை தமிழ் காங்கிரஸ் 98, 746 ( 2.44 சதவீதம் ) வாக்குகளுடன் மூன்று ஆசனங்களை பெற்றது.பிலிப் குணவர்தன தலைமையிலான மக்கள் ஐக்கிய முன்னணியும் கே.எம்.பி. ராஜரத்ன தலைமையிலான ஜாதிக விமுக்தி பெரமுனவும் ஒரு பொது முன்னணியை அமைத்து கூட்டாக போட்டியிட்டன. பிலிப் குணவர்தனவும் குசுமா ராஜரத்னவும் மாத்திரமே பாராளுமன்றத்துக்கு தெரிவாகினர்.

அங்கீகரிக்கப்பட்ட அரசியல் கட்சிகளைச் சேர்ந்த இந்த பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்களை தவிர, 1965 தேர்தலில் சுயேச்சை வேட்பாளர்களாக போட்டியிட்ட ஆறு பேரும் பாராளுமன்றத்துக்கு தெரிவாகினர். எம்.ஏ. அப்துல் மஜீத் (பொத்துவில் ), பிறின்ஸ் குணசேகர (ஹபராதுவ), எம்.எஸ். காரியப்பர் ( கல்முனை ), பேர்ஸி சமரவீர ( வெலிமடை ) மற்றும் முதியான்சே தெனானக்கோன் ( நிக்கவரெட்டிய ) ஆகியோரே அவர்களாவர்.

Continue reading ‘தமிழ் தலைவர் எஸ். ஜே வி. செல்வநாயகத்துடன் டட்லி — செல்வா உடன்படிக்கை கைச்சாத்திட்ட பிறகு பிரதமர் டட்லி சேனநாயக்க தலைமையில் ஏழு கட்சிகளை உள்ளடக்கிய தேசிய அரசாங்கம்’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Canada’s new Liberal party leader Mark Carney assumed office as the 24th Prime Minister of Canada on 14 March 2025. Carney born on 16 March 1965 is a well-known economist who has served as the eighth Governor of the Bank of Canada for five years (2008-2013) and the 120th Governor of the Bank of England for seven years (2013 -2020). He graduated from Harvard University in 1988 with an economics degree and went on to obtain a doctorate from Oxford University in 1995.

Mark Carney who succeeded Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister has appointed a cabinet of 24 ministers comprising 13 men and 11 women. Carney has retained the core team of his predecessor Trudeau while dropping 18 members of the former prime minister’s cabinet. Carney’s first cabinet was sworn in alongside him in a ceremony at Rideau Hall, Ottawa on 14th March.

Among the new cabinet ministers sworn in was Jaffna born Gary Anandasangaree the son of veteran Sri Lankan Tamil politician Veerasingham Anandasangaree the secretary-general of the Tamil United Liberation Front(TULF). Gary Anandasangaree was appointed Justice Minister and Attorney-General of Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs minister in the Carney cabinet.

The minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Canada called MoJAG is a dual – role portfolio in the Canadian cabinet of ministers. The officeholder in the role of minister of justice serves as the minister of the Crown responsible for the Department of Justice and the justice portfolio and in the role of Attorney-General litigates on behalf of the Crown and serves as the chief legal adviser to the Government of Canada.Several past holders of this prestigious dual-role cabinet portfolio have later become prime ministers. These include David Thompson, Pierre Trudeau, John Turner, Kim Campbell and Jean Chretien

Previously in the Justin Trudeau cabinet , Gary Anandasangaree was minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. Earlier he served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. Incidentally Gary Anandasangaree made history as Canada’s first Sri Lankan Tamil Cabinet minister when he was first appointed by Trudeau in 2023.

Continue reading ‘Jaffna Born Tamil Canadian Gary Anandasangaree Appointed as Minister of Justice / Attorney-General by Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene

As predicted, the combined result of an enterprising Al Jazeera journalist hunting for a sensational angle to trip the target of his interrogation and the eccentric ramblings of an ex-President of Sri Lanka on a twenty seven year old human rights atrocity that is the ‘Batalanda torture camp,’ has created an eagerly applauded diversionary red herring for the National Peoples’ Power (JVP led-NPP) Government.

‘Dangerous precedents’ and the Deep State

The emergence of the long hibernating ‘Batalanda ghost’ has conveniently lessened public heat on the Government’s failure to keep hugely important campaign promises to transform Sri Lanka’s Deep State. That failure includes the continued use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) against selective targets and hee-hawing over a narrowly drafted counter-terror law.
This week, the public focus was divided between the continuing fall-out of ‘Batalanda’ and the scandal of a fugitive Inspector General of Police (IGP) who failed to move the appellate court to prevent his arrest. This was following an open warrant issued by the Magistrate’s Court of Matara over his implication in a fatal shooting incident in 2023.

The Appeal Court admonished the IGP in failing to ‘comply and complain’ and bewailed the ‘dangerous precedent’ in evading and undermining the very legal system that he is supposed to uphold. That order must be compulsory reading for all police officers in Sri Lanka. After several days in hiding, Mr Tennekoon surrendered to court and was remanded with the Magistrate’s Court refusing bail.

Continue reading ‘The ‘Batalanda torture camp,’ atrocity has created a diversionary red herring for the JVP led-NPP Govt. The ” Batalanda ghost’ has conveniently lessened public heat on the Govt’s failure to keep hugely important campaign promises’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

கனடாவின் லிபரல் கட்சியின் புதிய தலைவரான மார்க் கார்னி அந்நாட்டின் 24 வது பிரதமராக 2025 மார்ச் 14 ஆம் திகதி பதவியேற்றார். 1965 மார்ச் 16 ஆம் திகதி பிறந்த பிரபல்யமான பொருளாதார நிபுணர் கனடா வங்கியின் எடடாவது ஆளுநராக ஐந்து வருடங்களும் ( 2008 — 2013) இங்கிலாந்து வங்கியின் 120 வது ஆளுநராக ஏழு வருடங்களும் ( 2013 — 2020) பணியாற்றினார். அமெரிக்காவின் ஹார்வார்ட் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் 1988 ஆம் ஆண்டில் பொருளாதாரத் துறையில் பட்டம் பெற்ற அவர் 1995 ஆம் ஆண்டில் ஒக்ஸ்போர்ட் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் கலாநிதிப்பட்டத்தைப் பெற்றார்.

ஜஸ்ரின் ட்ரூடோ பதவிவிலகியதை அடுத்து பிரதமராக நியமிக்கப்பட்ட மார்க் கார்னி 24 பேரைக் கொண்ட அமைச்சரவையை நியமித்தார். அவர்களில் 13 பேர் ஆண்கள், 11 பேர் பெண்கள்.ட்ரூடோவின் அமைச்சரவையில் இருந்த மையக் குழுவினரை தொடர்ந்தும் வைத்திருக்கும் கார்னி 18 பேரை நீக்கினார்.கார்னியும் அவரது முதலாவது அமைச்சரவையும் மார்ச் 14 ஆம் திகதி ஒட்டாவாவில் றிடியூ மண்டபத்தில் இடம்பெற்ற வைபவத்தில் பதவியேற்றுக் கொண்டனர்.

பதவியேற்றுக்கொண்ட புதிய அமைச்சர்களில் இலங்கையின் முதுபெரும் தமிழ் அரசியல் தலைவரான தமிழர் ஐக்கிய விடுதலை கூட்டணியின் செயலாளர் நாயகம் வீரசிங்கம் ஆனந்தசங்கரியின் மகன் கரி ஆனந்தசங்கரியும் ஒருவர். அவர் நீதியமைச்சராகவும் கனடாவின் சட்டமா அதிபராகவும் பழங்குடியினர் உறவுகள் மற்றும் வடக்கு விவகாரங்கள் அமைச்சராகவும் நியமிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கிறார்.

கனடாவின் நீதியமைச்சர்/சட்டமா அதிபர் பதவியில் இருப்பவர் அமைச்சரவையில் இரட்டைப் பாத்திரத்தைக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார். நீதியமைச்சர் என்ற வகையில் அவர் நீதி திணைக்களத்துக்கான முடியாட்சிப் பொறுப்பைக் கொண்டவராகவும் சட்டமா அதிபர் என்ற வகையில் முடியாட்சியின் சார்பில் வழக்குத் தொடுப்பவராகவும் கனடா அரசாங்கத்தின் பிரதம சட்ட ஆலோசகராகவும் பணியாற்றுவார். மதிப்புமிக்க இந்த இரட்டைப் பாத்திர அமைச்சர் பதவியை முன்னர் வகித்தவர்களில் பலர் பின்னர் பிரதமராகவும் வந்தனர். டேவிட் தோம்சன், பியரி ட்ரூடோ, ஜோன் ரேர்ணர், கிம் காம்பல் மற்றும் கிரேசியன் ஆகியோர் அவர்களில் சிலர்.

முன்னதாக ஜஸ்ரின் ட்ரூடோவின் அமைச்சரவையில் கரி ஆனந்தசங்கரி பழங்குடியினர் உறவுகள் மற்றும் வடக்கு விவகார அமைச்சராக இருந்தவர். வடக்கு விவகார அமைச்சு கனடாவின் வடபிராந்தியத்தின் பொருளாதார அபிவிருத்தி நிறுவனத்துக்கு பொறுப்பானதாகும்.2023 ஆம் ஆண்டில் ஜஸ்ரின் ட்ரூடோவினால் முதன்முதலாக அமைச்சராக நியமிக்கப்பட்டபோது கரி ஆனந்தசங்கரி கனடாவின் அமைச்சரவையில் முதலாவது இலங்கைத் தமிழ் உறுப்பினர் என்ற பெருமையைத் தனதாக்கி வரலாறு படைத்தார்.

1983 ஆம் ஆண்டில் ஒரு பத்து வயது அகதியாக கனடாவுக்கு வந்த கரி இன்று அந்த நாட்டின் அமைச்சரவையில் ஒரு உயர்மட்ட அமைச்சர். இது ஒரு குடியேற்றவாசியின் முதன்மைவாய்ந்த வெற்றிக் கதையாகும். தனது வேர்களைப் பற்றி பிரக்ஞை கொண்டவராகவும் இலங்கையில் உள்ள தனது மக்களின் துன்பங்களைப் பற்றி அக்கறை கொண்டவராகவும் இருப்பது கரியை பொறுத்தவரை மிகவும் பாராட்டத்தக்க ஒரு குணாதிசயமாகும். அவர் வெளிப்படையான தமிழ்த் தேசியவாத உணர்வுகளைக் கொண்ட ஒரு தமிழ்க் கனடியன். கடந்த காலத்தில் அவரைப் பற்றி நான் எழுதியிருக்கிறேன். இத்தகைய பின்புலத்தில் இன்றைய கட்டுரை எனது முன்னைய எழுத்துக்களின் உதவியுடன் கரி ஆனந்தசங்கரி மீது கவனத்தைக் குவிக்கிறது.

Continue reading ‘யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் பிறந்த தமிழ்க் கனடியர் கரி (Gary)ஆனந்தசங்கரியை கனடாவின் நீதியமைச்சர் / சட்டமா அதிபராக நியமித்த கனடாவின் புதிய பிரதமர் மார்க் கார்னி’ »

(Text of Press Release issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Office on 24 March 2025)

the UK sanctions former Sri Lankan commanders and an ex–Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) commander responsible for serious human rights violations and abuses during the civil war
sanctions aim to seek accountability for serious human rights violations and abuses, committed during the civil war, and to prevent a culture of impunity.UK is committed to working with new Sri Lankan government on human rights, welcoming their commitments to national unity

The UK government has imposed sanctions on 4 individuals responsible for serious human rights abuses and violations during the Sri Lanka civil war, including extrajudicial killings, torture and/or perpetration of sexual violence.

The individuals sanctioned by the UK today include former senior Sri Lankan military commanders, and a former LTTE military commander who later led the paramilitary Karuna Group, operating on behalf of the Sri Lankan military against the LTTE.

The measures, which include UK travel bans and asset freezes, target individuals responsible for a range of violations and abuses, such as extrajudicial killings, during the civil war.

Continue reading ‘The UK Sanctions Former Army Commanders Shavindra Silva and Jagath Jayasuriya , Ex-Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and Former LTTE and TMVP Commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias “Col”Karuna for serious human rights violations and abuses during the civil war in Sri Lanka.’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்

” தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தி யாழ்ப்பாண மாவட்டத்தில் உள்ள 17 உள்ளூராட்சி சபைகளிலும் வெற்றி பெற்று நிருவாகங்களை அமைக்கும்.” கடந்த வியாழக்கிழமை ( மார்ச் 13) யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் ஊடகவியலாளர்கள் கிளப்பிய கேள்விகளுக்கு பதிலளித்தபோது கடற்தொழில், நீர்வள அமைச்சர் இராமலிங்கம் சந்திரசேகர் மிகுந்த நம்பிக்கையுடன் கூறினார். எதிர்வரும் உள்ளூராட்சி தேர்தல்களில் போட்டியிடவிருக்கும் தேசிய மககள் சக்தி வேட்பாளர்களின் கட்டுப்பணத்தை செலுத்துவதற்காக அவர் யாழ்ப்பாணம் தேர்தல் செயலகத்துக்கு சென்றிருந்தார். அவருடன் தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தியின் யாழ்ப்பாண மாவட்ட பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள் மூவரும் பிரதேச அமைப்பாளர்களுடன் கூட இருந்தனர்.

யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தியின் முக்கியமான ஆள் அமைச்சர் சந்திரசேகர் என்பது எல்லோருக்கும் தெரிந்ததே. பதுளை மாவட்டத்தின் பண்டாரவளையை சேர்ந்தவராக இருந்தாலும், சந்திரசேகரிடம் யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் அரசியல் விவகாரங்களை யேற்பார்வை செய்து ஒருங்கிணைக்கும் பொறுப்பு ஒப்படைக்கப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. அவரே யாழ்ப்பாணம், கிளிநொச்சி நிருவாக மாவட்டங்களின் ஒருங்கிணைப்புக் குழுவின் தலைவராகவும் இருக்கிறார். இந்த இரு மாவட்டங்களையும் உள்ளடக்கியதே யாழ்ப்பாணத் தேர்தல் மாவட்டமாகும். சந்திரசேகர் தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தியின் தேசிய பட்டியல் பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினராக நியமிக்கப்பட்டார்.

தேர்தல்களில் போட்டியிடும் சகல அரசியல் கட்சிகளும் வேட்பாளர்களும் குறிப்பாக ஊடகங்களுடன் பேசும்போது வெற்றியில் நம்பிக்கையை வெளிப்படுத்தவதாக தெரிகிறது. தேர்தல் வெற்றி மீதான நம்பிக்கை அரசியல்வாதிகளுக்கு சாசுவதமாக பீறியெழும். அது வழமையாக எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுவதே. நூற்றுக்கணக்கான வாக்குகளைப் பெற இயலாத வேட்பாளர்களும் கூட தேர்தலுக்கு முன்னதாக தங்களுக்கு வெற்றி நிச்சயம் என்று தம்பட்டம் அடிப்பார்கள். யதார்த்தமாக நோக்கும்போது தேர்தல்கள் இடம்பெறுவதற்கு முன்னதாக தாங்கள் வெற்றி பெறுமாட்டார்கள் என்று எந்த வேட்பாளரும் கூறுவார்கள் என்று எதிர்பார்க்கமுடியாது. தேர்தலில் தோல்வியடைந்த பின்னரும் கூட பலர் தங்களுடன் போட்டியிட்டவர்கள் வாக்கு மோசடிகளில் ஈடுபட்டதாக அல்லது வாக்குகள் எண்ணும் செயன்முறைகளில் தலையீடு செய்ததாக குற்றஞ்சாட்டி ஆர்ப்பாட்டம் செய்வார்கள்.

இந்த பின்புலத்தில் பார்க்கும்போது, ஜனதா விமுக்தி பெரமுன (ஜே.வி.பி. ) தலைமையிலான தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தி சந்திரசேகர் எதிர்வு கூறுவதைப் போன்று உண்மையில் பெரிய வெற்றியை பெறுமா அல்லது அவரது நம்பிக்கை நடைமுறைக்கு ஒத்துவராதா என்ற கேள்வி எழுகிறது. ஒரு வருடத்துக்கு முன்னர் சந்திரசேகர் இவ்வாறு கூறியிருந்தால், அவர் கேலி செய்யப்பட்டிருப்பார். தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தி போன்ற சிங்கள ஆதிக்கத்திலான ஒரு தேசியக்கட்சி யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் சகல உள்ளூராட்சி சபைகளையும் கைப்பற்றக்கூடியதாக இருக்கும் என்பது நம்பமுடியாதது.

ஆனால், கடந்த வருடத்தைய பாராளுமன்ற தேர்தல் முடிவுகள் நிலைவரத்தை முற்றாக மாற்றிவிட்டது. குறிப்பிடத்தக்க ஒரு அரசியல் திருப்பமாக யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தி பெரும்பாலான வாக்குகளைப் பெற்றது. போனஸ் ஆசனம் ஒன்றுக்கும் அது உரித்துடையதாக இருந்தது.

Continue reading ‘“அநுர அலை” சூழ்ந்து, தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தி யாழ்ப்பாண உள்ளூராட்சி தேர்தல்களில் பெரிய வெற்றியை பெறுமா?’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham

A compilation of Tamil translations of political essays written recently by D.B.S. Jeyaraj, a veteran journalist and prominent political analyst living amongst the expatriate Tamil community, has been published as a book titled ‘Arasiyal Athikarathin Varkka Maatram’ (‘Class shift in political power: Sri Lanka’s first Left President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’).

The book contains six articles on President Dissanayake’s (AKD) early life and political rise after he took office and three articles on the historic victory of the National People’s Power (NPP) at the Parliamentary Elections in the Northern and Eastern Provinces last year.

Jeyaraj’s book is a must-read both for its content and the fact that it is in Tamil. However, some reviewers have raised the question of whether Dissanayake’s rise could be described as victory of a ‘class struggle’ in the Marxian sense.

Knowing in advance that such a book was about to be published, political activists and journalists familiar with Jeyaraj’s writings asked the publishers (Kumaran Book House, Colombo) if he had written a class-based study of the change of regime in Sri Lanka from a Marxist perspective. The question was also raised at the book launch held two weeks ago at the Colombo Tamil Sangam.

Social, political, and human rights activist Swasthika Arulingam, in particular, made a somewhat critical comment on the title of the book, noting that Dissanayake’s assumption of the executive presidency or the formation of the Government by the NPP could not be, by any means, viewed as a class change of political power.

Identifying herself as a Leftist, Arulingam seems to have intended to say that the NPP’s assumption of power should not be interpreted as the coming to power of the working class by defeating the bourgeoisie in Sri Lanka. It is obvious that the title of the book has confused many.

When Jeyaraj was informed that the book was to be published with the title of ‘Class shift in political power,’ he said that he did not see the rise of Dissanayake and the NPP from the perspective of class and that such a title would make him uncomfortable. For Jeyaraj, the appropriate title for the book is ‘The life and politics of Anura Kumara Dissanayake.’

Continue reading ‘“President Anura Kumara Dissanayake symbolises a dramatic shift in the class bases of political power from a privileged minority of Colombo-centric, Westernised elites to a broad coalition of non-elite social forces.”’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

“The national people’s power will win all 17 local authorities in the Jaffna district and form administrations” was the confident assertion of Ramalingam Chandrasekar in Jaffna on Thursday(Mar 13). The minister of Fisheries and Aquatic and Ocean resources stated so while replying to questions by Jaffna journalists. The minister was at the elections office in Jaffna to pay the deposits for candidates contesting the forthcoming local authority polls. It was only upon arrival that the minister realised that it was not possible to pay the deposits as it was a Poya day holiday. Chandrasekar who was accompanied by a group consisting of the three NPP Jaffna district parliamentarians and divisional organizers were on their way out when accosted by journalists.

As is well known caninet minister Chandrasekar is the point man of the NPP in Jaffna. Though hailing from Bandarawela in the Badulla district, Chandrasekar has been tasked with the responsibility of overseeing and coordinating political matters in Jaffna. He is the chair of the consultative committees for the Jaffna and Kilinochchi administrative districts. Both districts together form the Jaffna electoral district. Chandrasekar was appointed as a national list MP to Parliament.

All Political parties and candidates contesting elections are seemingly confident of victory especially when talking to the media. The hope of electoral victory springs eternal for politicians.It goes with the territory. Even candidates who are not able to garner votes in three digits boast of imminent victory on the eve of an election. Realistically one cannot expect a candidate to say he or she will not win before the election takes place. Even after losing, many engage in protests accusing their rivals of vote fixing or tampering with the counting. prior to voting.

Viewed against this backdrop, the question that arises is whether the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna(JVP) led National people’s power (NPP) will really perform well as predicted by Chandrasekar or whether the cabinet minister’s claim has to be taken with more than a pinch of salt. Had Chandrasekar made a statement like this a year ago, he may have been laughed at. It was unbelievable that a Sinhala dominated national party like the JVP led NPP could have captured all the local authority polls in Jaffna.

However last year’s Parliamentary election results have changed all that. In a remarkable political twist, the NPP known as the Theseeya Makkal Sakthi in Tamil obtained the most number of votes in Jaffna. This entitled it to a bonus seat. Thus the NPP won three seats in Jaffna. The NPP polled 80,830 (24.85%) votes in Jaffna.

The JVP led NPP got the better of Tamil nationalist parties such as the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK), the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) and the Ahila Ilankai Tamil Congress (AITC).These parties were able to garner only 63,327(19.47%), 22,513 (6.92%) and 27,986 (8.60%) respectively.

Continue reading ‘Will the Anura “Alai”(wave) Enable the JVP led NPP to do well in the Seventeen Local Authority Elections of Jaffna District ?’ »

By

Shreen Saroor

(Shreen Saroor is a peace and women’s rights activist and runs the Women’s Action Network (WAN) in Sri Lanka, a collective of women’s groups that empowers and advocates for women and women survivors of war, violence and other injustices)

A large van with four wheels, equipped with ambulance-style lights, pulled over to the side of the hardware store we were in, on the Pottuvil main road. The store owner, who had been worried about not having customers, suddenly brightened up. He said, “Ah, this guy is from Belgium, and he’s building a hotel here. Let me go and attend to him. At least I have a customer before I close for breaking my fast”.

Earlier, he had been complaining about slow business, following the deportation of about 90 tourists who had stayed in Arugam Bay illegally. After the October 2024 US embassy security alert, he felt that the number of tourists constructing and renovating hotels, houses, surfing schools, and restaurants had significantly decreased.

Another individual who runs a travel business told us, “We couldn’t extend the visas for about 98 tourists who overstayed, and now there are penalties. Yesterday, four of my clients had to leave because I couldn’t get their visas renewed as I used to. It’s difficult now because immigration officials are strictly adhering to the law.”

However, he noted that Israelis typically hold dual citizenship or long-term US visas, making it easier for them to obtain a long-term Sri Lankan residence visa, either as investors or employees in already registered foreign hotels and restaurants. “This also allows them to establish their businesses. Although many approvals are required, if they stay long enough and register a company with a local partner, they can legally run their businesses here,” he added.

Last year’s evacuation of tourists, based on the US embassy security alert, followed by the Sri Lankan police and Israel’s Security Council alert of an imminent attack on the anniversary of the Gaza war, led to hundreds of police and intelligence officers flooding the town, setting up patrols and roadblocks. We saw four checkpoints on the main road that Israelis dominate.

The checkpoints were somewhat consolidated and manned by armed forces. Following the security alert there have been four arrests under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The arrests were made from different locations. The government justified the use of the PTA based on the US-led travel advocacy, and more recently, Islamic extremism has also been used as a justification for its use.

Continue reading ‘Influx of Israeli Tourists Leading to Intensified Security in Eastern Arugam Bay area Creates Fresh Problems for the Local Residents’ »

by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,
There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.
He always has an alibi, and one or two to spare:
At whatever time the deed took place – MACAVITY WASN’T THERE!”
TS Elliot (Macavity: The Mystery Cat)

In Sri Lanka, the borderline between fact and fiction, hard reality and wild fantasy is often porous. So in 2020, the authorities announced that a cat was caught smuggling drugs into the Welikada Prison. Photographs were released of police inspecting the offending feline and the incriminating evidence. “The feline delinquent was detained last week with two grams of heroin, two memory cards, and a memory chip hidden in a plastic bag tied to its collar,” explained The Daily Beast. But within days, the cat did a jail-break, never to be seen again. The cat escaped, revealed VICE, when the guards entered the cell with food. It was Macavity brought to life, the feline master-criminal created by TS Elliot in the poem Macavity: The Mystery Cat and popularised by Andrew Lloyd Weber in the musical, Cats.

From the mystery of the drug-smuggling cat to the mystery of the vanished IGP. On 28 February, the Matara Magistrate Court issued a warrant for the arrest of (temporarily suspended) IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon over the December 2023 shooting incident at WI5 Hotel in Weligama. When CID officials went to his private residence on the same day, they found him gone. Like Elliot’s Macavity, who was “the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s despair,” the IGP has been eluding the police ever since.

In July 2024, the Supreme Court issued an interim order preventing Deshabandu Tennakoon from functioning as the IGP due to the allegedly irregular nature of his appointment. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake appointed an acting IGP in September of that year, but Mr. Tennakoon remains the country’s top-cop until he resigns or is removed. Perhaps this nebulous state has addled official minds – for even on 28 February 2024 (more than seven months into his temporary suspension), Mr. Tennakoon retained his state-provided and public-funded 10-member security detail, four from the STF and six from the MSD.

So, not just a fugitive IGP but also a colluding system. Who permitted Mr. Tennakoon to keep such a large security detail, especially at a time when all VIP security is being stringently re-evaluated? Were the political authorities aware of this fact? The NPP/JVP in opposition would have screamed to high heaven about this abuse (and rightly so), but is silent about it in government.

Deshabandu Tennakoon “ran a criminal network, allegedly exploiting police officers under his command for unlawful activities…” (and) turned police officers into a ‘paramilitary force’, the AG’s Department has informed the Appeal Court. This, after all, is the meat of the charge against him, that he used officers from the Colombo Crime Division to attack a hotel owned by a personal enemy. Providing such an individual with a 10-member security team (four of them from the STF) would be foolhardy at best. It also turns the saga of the missing IGP from one individual’s depredations into systemic failure.

Continue reading ‘IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon “ran a criminal network, allegedly exploiting police officers under his command for unlawful activities and turned police officers into a ‘paramilitary force”.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene

Has anyone spotted the very large elephant in the ‘Batalanda’ torture chamber, I wonder?

The ruse of ‘tabling’ the Commission Report

To be perfectly clear, this is not simply a word play on the United National Party’s (UNP) party symbol and its ruthless state-terror tactics to quell the South’s second youth uprising (1987-1989). That included employing the Batalanda Housing Scheme to torture suspected ‘Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna’ (JVP) insurrectionists. Rather, the question speaks to systemic impunity that also visits the National Peoples’ Power (NPP) Government led by a now rebranded JVP.

For those yet confounded by the tortuous intricacies of how Sri Lanka persistently evades and politicises accountability, we may pose a further probing question. What is the one factor in common between the shrill cries of the NPP Government which tabled the Batalanda Commission of Inquiry Report in Parliament with a predictably partisan flourish and former President and the UNP’s party leader, Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe?

Mr Wickremesinghe, as Minister of Industries at that time, was found ‘indirectly responsible’ in that Report for the Batalanda abuses. In short, that common factor is the singular insistence of both that the Commission of Inquiry report must be ‘tabled’ for its findings to proceed further.

This is an entirely wrong premise. No wonder that the Cabinet spokesman awkwardly stammered when asked to explain this stand by journalists a few days ago.

Continue reading ‘The tabling of the Batalanda Report by the NPP Govt is a transparent tactic with the dual motive of gathering maximum political mileage and potentially eliminating a political opponent’ »

By Ragavan

(The writer is a Tamil activist based in London)

This article explores Archuna Ramanathan’s derogatory remarks about women, and how it has inspired an ethnic nationalist discourse; and how Archuna re-enables a disinformation campaign of sexual slurs against women by invoking LTTE’s ethnic nationalism.

Archuna Ramanathan, an elected Member of Parliament from Jaffna district, made a parliamentary speech in which he referred to a woman from Ramanathapuram as a ‘prostitute’. This remark was widely condemned by individuals and organisations.

On 15 March 2025, Swasthika Arulingam, a human rights lawyer and activist, wrote a Facebook post condemning Archuna Ramanathan’s remarks and accused Archuna of using parliamentary privilege to harass women. Archuna Ramanathan responded to Swasthika’s post, mentioning her by name and made derogatory remarks about her. Subsequently the post was removed, maybe he was advised that there was a risk of a lawsuit. But that day itself he published another longer post without naming Swasthika. But his references made it obvious that he was targeting her.

He focused on an opinion expressed by Swasthika nearly a year and a half ago which stated that the LTTE was an outfit with fascist tendencies. He shared a post by Vanni Oolal Ethirppu Ani (Vanni anti corruption movement) which directly mentioned that Swasthika had discredited the LTTE. They soon began posting slanderous and misleading content about Swasthika. They posted Swasthika’s photo with the title ‘The LTTE is a ruthless fascist organisation – Swasthika’. The same image was also used by the Tamil nationalists when she was prevented from speaking at the University of Jaffna.

Archuna’s post itself is a strongly worded attack on Swasthika, a woman political activist, framed in nationalist and misogynistic rhetoric. It starts with the following:

“She insulted our national leader…She insulted 44,000 martyrs. She insulted my brothers who sacrificed their lives, bodies, and blood for the Tamil people

My brothers, who stood by my leader, Now ask from their graves. ‘Brother, you are still alive, aren’t you?’ The one who called my leader’s movement a fascist framework. Time has kept her alive until now. Doesn’t that bother you, brother?”

Continue reading ‘Archuna Ramanathan’s Attack on Swathika Arulingam: The re-enabling of a disinformation campaign of sexual slurs against women by invoking LTTE’s ethnic nationalism.’ »