Tamils in Independent Ceylon by S. Makenthiran CONTENTS Chapter 1: Ceylon Independence The dawn of Independence Paradise gained and lost Ceylon Tamils, the original inhabitants Immigrants to Ceylon Chapter 2: Ceylon on the eve of colonialism Childhood recollections My recollections of early politics Second World War recollections Teenage recollections Recollections as an undergraduate Chapter 3:… Read more »
Monthly Archives: November 2004
‘Tamils in Independent Ceylon’ Cover
Tamils in Independent Ceylon by Suppiramaniam Makenthiran Tamils in Independent Ceylon A history of the Tamil struggle for survival Copyright: Author All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form without the written permission of the author. Acknowledgment: Some of the pictures in this book are from… Read more »
Score One Again for Karma
by Sachi Sri Kantha, November 30, 2024 It is considered somewhat a bad etiquette to speak ill or criticise a deceased individual. This is especially so if that individual suffered a violent death. That the criticised individual cannot defend his or her past deeds seems to be the main reason behind this prevailing etiquette. Should… Read more »
R Shanmugalingam Obituary
About Ramalingam Shanmugalingam 1934 – 2004 [see also 1. US Tamil Activist Dies ; 2. ciRpi cetukkAta cintany Unsculptured Thought by R.Shanmugalingam ; 3. Selected Writings – R.Shanmugalingam] Ramalingam Kichi Yazhan Shanmugalingam was born on September 29th 1934 to Ramalingam Karthiravel and Pakiam, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. He was lovingly known as’ Kichi’ by his family and friends. Kichi was… Read more »
Letter from a Youth to the LTTE
Dear Mr V. Prabakaran, Mr S.P Thamilchelvan and the other Officials of the East and North of the LTTE, This is a statement of a student, age 18 (Social Juridical Worker / Low Lawyer) of the Royal Kingdom of The Netherlands. At the first place I want to congratulate all of you with achieving and… Read more »
Rebuttal to H.L. de Silva’s views on the ISGA
I in ISGA is for Interim Self-Governing Authority by Prof. C. Suriyakumaran, Sunday Observer, Colombo, November 21, 2005 sangam.org/articles/view2/670.html H.L. de Silva PC, in his denunciations of the LTTE-proposed ISGA on the occasion of the launching of S.L. Gunasekera’s ‘Abomination’, has allowed the ‘authorship’ of the ISGA and the politics of its follow up, like… Read more »
Hope Dawns in the Vanni
by Dr. Sam Muthuveloe, Sri Lanka, October 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/669.html “Thank you for coming to our remote village, to meet us and give us comfort through your medicines and the gift of spectacles,” said an old lady named Letchumi. It was dusk and as the sun was rapidly disappearing over the horizon and the gentle warm… Read more »
We Have to Live a Language to Use it
by Janadas Devan, The Straits Times, Singapore, November 29, 2004 ‘THO’ I call them Mine, I know that they are not Mine.’ The English critic F.R. Leavis liked to cite that remark of William Blake about his works to point to the essential impersonality of literature: Blake ‘meant that when the artist is creatively successful,… Read more »
Response to Reuters Article on Prabakaran Turning 50
Media Bias is hurting the peace process between Sri Lanka and Tamils by R Shanmugananthan, Australia, November 28, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/666.html Nowadays, when you read news supplied by international news wires, one automatically looks for the other side of the story. Such is the one-sided nature of news reports. The old adage that there are two sides… Read more »
Annual Heroes’ Day Speech by Pirapaharan
from LTTE Peace Secretariat, November 27, 2004 “TAMIL TIGERS WILL LAUNCH FREEDOM STRUGGLE IF PEACE TALKS ARE FURTHER DELAYED” – LTTE LEADER The leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr Velupillai Pirapaharan, in his annual statement marking Heroes’ Day, cautioned the Sri Lanka government that his organisation would be compelled to launch the… Read more »
Jeyendra Saraswathi: Brahmin Reformer or Murderer?
by Shan Ranjit, November 28, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/667.html July 1994, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu: Maha Periaval (Sri Chandrasekar Saraswathi , the predecessor of the present Mutt head, Sri Jayendrar Saraswathi , who is accused in a murder case) had attained Maha samadhi ( permanent liberation) only a few months before. He was cremated inside the mutt itself in Kanchipuram. … Read more »
Maveerar Naal in the US
November 27th Saturday – New York December 4th Saturday – New Jersey December 4th Saturday – Los Angeles December 4th Saturday – Chicago December 4th Saturday – Florida December 4th Saturday – San Francisco December 4th Saturday – Seattle December 5th Sunday – Ohio For more information and directions please call: 718 657 9463 or… Read more »
Velupillai Pirapaharan Turns Fifty Today
Ethnic Politics By Taraki (aka D. Sivaram), Daily Mirror, Colombo, November 26, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/663.html It is not my intention here to interrupt the unceasing labours of those who love to hate him. There is little I can add to the invectives that Sinhala nationalist politicians, academics, opinion makers and editorialists relentlessly heap on the LTTE… Read more »
For Pirabhakaran, the Future Begins at Fifty
A birthday greeting by Sachi Sri Kantha, November 26, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/662.html Having reached fifty, what is in store for LTTE leader Pirabhakaran? While his admirers would wish him a ‘long life’, his adversaries (both local and non-local varieties) would dream of something different from his admirers. Thus, it is opportune to review how five of… Read more »
Letter from Singapore
by Pranay Gupte, November 19, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/661.html Why am I sceptical that there isn’t exactly going to be an exodus from India to Singapore? Precisely because of what that Indian cabinet minister told me. Singapore can attract all the cheap coolie labour it might want, but the word has gotten around in the Indian professional… Read more »
Boston Tamil Association Christmas Party Dec. 4
Dear Members and Well-Wishers, This is your friendly reminder to mark your calendar and join us for the BTA (Boston Thamil Association of Ilankai/Sri Lanka Tamils) Annual Christmas Party. Date: Saturday, 4th of December 2004 at 6:30PM Location: Sons of Italy Hall, 117 Swanton Street Winchester, Massachusetts Members: $12.00 Kids : Free Non-Members: $20.00 Kids: $5.00 Christmas… Read more »
‘In the Name of the Buddha’ in New York Dec. 5
The controversial film is at another film festival in New York City – the South Asian International Film Festival and is sponsored by India Abroad and Salaam Theater. It will be showing at Chelsea Clearview Cinema at 12:00 noon on Sunday, December 5. For more information check http://www.saiff.org/program/program_day5.asp [The Sangam is most gratified that India Abroad, a New York… Read more »
Pirapaharan 2, Chapter 26: Foundation for Tamil Eelam
by T. Sabaratnam, November 25, 2004 (Volume 2) sangam.org/articles/view2/658.html Three Factors 1984 is a milestone in the life of Pirapaharan and in the history of Tamil freedom struggle. In that year, as I indicated in Chapter 21, Pirapaharan switched over from hit-and-run guerrilla combat to sustained guerrilla warfare, and commenced the process of transforming the… Read more »
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is an American harvest holiday devoted to family gatherings and remembering our blessings on the last Thursday of November.
Sri Lankan Writes for Canada’s Memory Project
Pullikattil Simon Research Microbiologist Country Of Origin: India/Sri Lanka Home Town: Vancouver Home Province: British Columbia sangam.org/articles/view2/656.html In 1956 when the race riots took place in Sri Lanka, I was right in the middle of it and escaped death many times. What caused the race riots? Several factors. First, the government of Sri Lanka introduced… Read more »