Posts Categorized: Sri Kantha

MGR Remembered – Part 62

Two Peculiar Thought Balloons: Annaism and Tattoos by Sachi Sri Kantha, September 30, 2021 Fellow MGR biographer R. Kannan’s expert comments on the previous chapter Part 61, received by email of July 7, 2021, are as follows: “Sachi, Read your piece with interest. MGR’s use of the interchangeable spelling of his names in the initial… Read more »

Memoriam: Poet Pulamaipithan

A die-hard Eelam supporter dies at 86 by Sachi Sri Kantha, September 12, 2021 Renowned die-hard Eelam supporters in Tamilnadu, who could courageously express their views in public platforms, are not that many now. In these days of political sycophancy to rulers in power at the New Delhi for personal gains, it is not so… Read more »

Notes on Four pre-1950 Ph.D Recipients among Eelam Tamils

by Sachi Sri Kantha, September 7, 2021 University of Vavuniya was the 17th public university to be established in Sri Lanka in Aug 1, 2021. With a total of 17 universities in Sri Lanka now, an earned Ph.D degree is now dime a dozen (figuratively at least) among Sri Lankans. But 70 years ago (in… Read more »

Reflections on K. R. Ramasamy (1914-1971)

The Singing Star of the ‘40s and ‘50s by Sachi Sri Kantha, August 19, 2021 The name Ramasamy had a good omen among Tamil cinema actors. According to my count, at least five actors carried this name. In chronological order of birth, they are ‘Pulimootai’ (Tamarind-sack) T.R. Ramasamy Aiyar (1912 – ?), ‘Friend’ Ramasamy (1914-1971),… Read more »

From Sachi’s Files – Chapter 18

An interesting overview by Prof. Shelton Kodikara of ‘Family Planning in Ceylon’ by Sachi Sri Kantha, July 20, 2021 Family Planning in Ceylon (1973) by Prof. S.U. Kodikara Prof. Shelton Upatissa Kodikara (1927-1994) was an authentic Sinhalese academic, whom I respected very much. Sadly, as of now, there is no Wikipedia entry about his contributions… Read more »

The Pirabakaran Phenomenon

by Sachi Sri Kantha, reposted from May 2001 – February 2003 Original index at The Pirabakaran Phenomenon We have been re-posting histories of the period leading up to the war, including Prabakaran’s early life to make sure that they are more readily available.  The biography by T. Sabaratnam is at ‘Pirapaharan,’ Volume 1 & 2… Read more »

MGR Remembered – Part 61

Political Activities, Travels to USSR and USA by Sachi Sri Kantha, July 2, 2021 Fellow MGR biographer R. Kannan’s expert comments on the previous chapter Part 60, received by email of Mar 29, 2021, are as follows: “ I read your well-researched article with interest. MGR had much respect for Kamaraj and Kamaraj had defended MGR’s… Read more »

The Pirabaharan Phenomenon, Part 45

The Scenario of the Eastern Front by Sachi Sri Kantha, October 18, 2002 D.S. Senanayake’s notorious Lebensraum (Living Space) strategy: a synopsis To analyze the dilemma faced by Pirabhakaran at the Eastern Front of Eelam in mid-1980s, I need to review the sinister significance of the Sinhala-Buddhist Lebensraum strategy which occurred in the first half… Read more »

Book Review: Karunanidhi – A Life, by A.S. Panneerselvan

by Sachi Sri Kantha, June 11, 2021 Penguin Random House India Pvt. Ltd, Gurgaon, Haryana, 2021, 450 pp. Prelude to the Review The dictionary defines realpolitik as ‘n. politics based on realities and material needs, rather than on morals or ideals’. Tiruvaroor Muthuvel Karunanidhi (1924-2018) was an unparalleled Indian master of realpolitik and pungent repartee… Read more »

From Sachi’s Files – Chapter 17

My Participation at the Madurai Tamil Research Conference (January 3-11, 1981) by Sachi Sri Kantha, May 1, 2021  Front Note Forty years ago, I made my first (and as of now, only) trip to India, as a Sri Lankan Tamil delegate to the 5th International Tamil Research Conference, held in Madurai, between Jan. 5 and… Read more »

Sabaratnasinghe Thananjayarajasingham (1933- 1977)

Tamil linguistic scholar by Sachi Sri Kantha, April 27, 2021 If there is one academic who had contributed to the understanding of linguistics of Jaffna Tamil, only one name can be stated with distinction. It is, Sabaratnasinghe Thananjayarajasingham! – Quite a mouthful. Due to this long, polysyllabic name (even by Tamil standards) with 21 English… Read more »

K. Thavamani Devi (1924-2001)

A pioneer Eelam Tamil actress, dancer and singer by Sachi Sri Kantha, April 19, 2021  As of now, I had profiled the careers of five Eelam Tamil women on this website. Dr. Grace Rajamalar Barr Kumarakulasinghe (1908-2013) https://sangam.org/dr-grace-rajamalar-barr-kumarakulasinghe-1908-2013/ Dr. Siva Chinnatamby (1923-2000), https://sangam.org/dr-siva-chinnatamby-20-years-after-her-death/ Dr. Manorani Saravanamuttu (1930-2001), https://sangam.org/dr-manorani-saravanamuttu/ Prof. Mano Sabaratnam (1931-2014), https://sangam.org/professor-mano-sabaratnam-1931-2014/ and Dr…. Read more »

Marco Polo’s Visit to Medieval Eelam

by Sachi Sri Kantha, April 9, 2021 Front Note in April 2021 The following solicited essay was originally written in 2000, for publication in the 80th Birthday Felicitation volume of Eelam Tamil activist and barrister at law, Krishna Vaikunthavasan (1920-2005). Using the record left by Marco Polo’s of 13th century, I challenged the ‘Prof. K…. Read more »

Gen. Krishnaswamy Sundararajan (Sundarji) [1928-1999]

Prabhakaran’s battlefield adversary from India by Sachi Sri Kantha, April 5, 2021 Introductory Note I provide a dossier of six items on Gen Krishnaswamy Sundararajan (aka Sundarji). He was a Tamilian by birth. Born in 1928 at Chingleput, Tamil Nadu, Sundarji’s 93rd birthday falls on April 28th. When the Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF) was dispatched… Read more »

Tamil Genocide as ‘The Hindu’ Reported It

– 20 Years Ago  by Sachi Sri Kantha, reposted from June 2004 One of the English words which had depreciated in value drastically is ‘genocide’.  This is a pity, since it’s a relatively ‘new’ word, coined only 60 years ago, in 1944.  The New Yorker of May 3, 2004, carried a short column on the genocide theme… Read more »

MGR Remembered – Part 60

Tackling rivals Karunanidhi – Kamaraj and tending Sridhar by Sachi Sri Kantha, March 15, 2021  Part 59 Fellow MGR biographer R. Kannan’s comments on the previous chapter Part 59, which I received by email of Jan. 22, 2021, are as follows: “A well-documented piece again. The Malayali police officer who was quoted in Junior Vikatan… Read more »

Dr. Manorani Saravanamuttu

A dossier by Sachi Sri Kantha, February 21, 2021 The dictionary defines a dossier as ‘set of documents, esp. record of information about a person or event.’ Here, I have compiled a brief dossier on Dr. Manorani Saravanamuttu, based on materials in my files and internet search. The prime reason being, as of now, there… Read more »

From Sachi’s File – Chapter 16

Usage of Slang at the Peradeniya Campus in 1980 by Sachi Sri Kantha, February 5, 2021 A Presentation at the 36th Annual Sessions of SLAAS in 1980 Forty years have passed since I made a presentation on the usage of slang by the Peradeniya University undergraduates. The occasion was at the 36th Annual Sessions of… Read more »