Monthly Archives: November 2020

A Tribute to 240 MaaVeerars (Great Heroes)

by Sachi Sri Kantha, November 25, 2020 The 240 MaaVeerar (Great Heroes), to whom I pay tribute have been already recognized in the Sooriya Puthalvargal (November 2003) booklet, published as a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam memorial souvenir. Previously on June 23, 2004, I contributed a review of this souvenir. In it, I had listed… Read more »

Glimpses of Nagas & Tamil in Eastern Sri Lanka

Compiled by Eng. Dr. K. Vigneswaran, Nov. 2020 Glimpses of Nagas & Tamil in Eastern Sri Lanka Cover Page Glimpses of Nagas & Tamil in Eastern Sri Lanka From the Compiler — “…Yet, the Government has appointed a Task Force for the management of archaeological remains in the Eastern Province, dominated by former military officials…. Read more »

PTA: Terrorising Sri Lanka for 42 Years

Socio-economic and psychological impact on families of PTA detainees following the Easter Sunday Attacks by Marisa de Silva, Law & Society Trust, Colombo, November 2020 PTA_Terrorising-Sri-Lanka-for-42-years-English “When I was in prison, I met and spoke with other Tamil PTA prisoners, some who had been there for 10 years, with their files not even taken up… Read more »

Autobiography of Kamala Devi Harris

A book review by Sachi Sri Kantha, November 17, 2020 Kamala Harris – The Truths We Hold – An American Journey, Penguin Press, New York, 2019, 318 pp. The back cover blurb for this book states, “An engaging read that provides insights into the influences of [Harris’s] life – most of all, her mother Shyamala… Read more »

TG: Righting Wrongs

Tamil Guardian editorial, London, November 13, 2020  13 November 2020 The prospect of a Biden-Harris administration at the White House has brought both hope and trepidation around the world. In Sri Lanka, some in Colombo’s polity are nervous. Amongst the Tamils, there is both wariness and tempered optimism about what the new administration may bring…. Read more »

Padma Lakshmi: VP-Elect Kamala Harris Moved Me to Tears

Imagine how wide the ripples of impact can be when a woman of color is vice president. By Padma Lakshmi, The New York Times, Nov.13, 2020 Ms. Lakshmi is the host and executive producer of “Taste the Nation” and “Top Chef.” I was on a hike in Garrison, N.Y., when I heard the news of Kamala… Read more »

‘Funny Boy’ and the Indian Tamil Gaze on Ilankai Tamils

by Sharanya Manivannan, Medium, November 15, 2020 I had first known that there was a film adaptation of Shyam Selvadurai’s iconic novel Funny Boy when I had heard about closed screenings of it in Colombo sometime in mid-2020. The story is a bildungsroman about a queer, upper-class Tamil teenager, culminating in the Black July riots of 1983 that… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.1, Chap. 37 Heroic Death of Seelan

by T. Sabaratnam; published April 15, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 36 Original index of series Dear Readers, With this Chapter I am concluding the first of this 3-volume series. Pirapaharan has entered the scene. From the Thirunelveli ambush Pirapaharan asserts his superiority and gives a new direction to the struggle. At this stage I seek your… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.1, Chap. 36 Breaking Heads

by T. Sabaratnam, April 7, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 35 Original index of series Unguarded Remark David Selbourne was a British journalist who worked for the Manchester Guardian freelanced for many other journals. He had been at Oxford University with Lalith Athulathmudali. He visited Sri Lanka in June 1982 and was introduced to President Jayewardene, Gamini… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.1, Chap. 35 Tamil Blood Boils

by T. Sabaratnam, March 31, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 34 Original index of series Eyewitness Account I was in Trincomalee on 27 November 1982 with Daily News presidential reporter Norton Weerasinghe and photographer Sena Vithanagama to cover the foundation-laying function of the Mitsui Cement Factory the next morning. We met Trincomalee Member of Parliament Rajavarothayam Sampanthan at… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.1, Chap. 34 Tamils Follow Militant Leadership

by T. Sabaratnam, March 25, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 33 Original index of series Traitors The decision taken by the TULF Working Committee at its meeting on 11 May 1983 at its Nallur office to contest the local government election fixed for 18 May, despite the opposition of the militants, caused the political eclipse of… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.1, Chap. 33 Knocking Out the Base

by T. Sabaratnam, March 15, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 32 Original index of series Grabbing Land A joint police and army team led by police detectives raided the Pankulam settlement of Tamils of the Indian origin on the orders of Vavuniya Assistant Government Agent at 10 a.m. on 6 April 1983 and set fire to… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.1, Chap. 32 The Return of Pirapaharan

by T. Sabaratnam; published March 3, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 31 Original index of series Filling the Vacuum Pirapaharan landed near Valvettithurai before dawn on 18 February 1983, one and a half years after he left for Tamil Nadu. When he left on midnight of 6 June 1981, six days after he witnessed the burning… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol., Chap. 31 The Death of the First Hero

by T. Sabaratnam, February 25, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 30 Original index of series Shooting of Shankar Rajani, who was on the verandah of the main house, saw the army jeep entering their compound. She ran through the house to the back door and shouted, “Nirmala Akka, army jeep is coming.” She warned her elder… Read more »

Pirapaharan, Chapter 30 LTTE Guerrillas in Action

by T. Sabaratnam, February 11, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 29 Original index of series Nelliady Ambush Pirapaharan’s wish to raise an LTTE army on the lines of Subash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army was natural because he had already gathered a group of active and committed cadres. He had trained over 25 youths and a… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.1, Chapter 29 The Indian Interest

by T. Sabaratnam, February 4, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 28 Original index of series| Trincomalee Problem The interest RAW officials showed in the Trincomalee harbour helped Pirapaharan to figure out the puzzle. He knew that New Delhi was concerned about its security and its aspiration to become the regional power. Its interest in the Sri… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.1, Chap.28 RAW Meets Pirapaharan

by T. Sabaratnam, January 28, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 27 Original index of series Pondy Bazaar Shootout With unbridled power concentrated in his hands, President Jayewardene set out to stifle the fledgling Tamil militancy. But the tools he used- state terrorism and weakening of the moderate leadership – were counterproductive. Police and army atrocities, in… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.1, Chap. 27 Amirthalingam Taken for a Ride

by T. Sabaratnam, January 22, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 26 Original index of series Tamil Votes Amirthlingam was perplexed when President Jayewardene told him that he would need the Tamil votes to win the presidential election. “You have two more years. Why are you talking about the election now?” Amirthalingam queried. Jayewardene then made his… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.1, Chap.26 The First Attack on the Army

by T. Sabaratnam, January 16, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 25 Original index of series Seelan’s Saga When the news of the attack on the army by a group of LTTE cadres led by Seelan reached the Jaffna University Campus its vice chancellor Prof. K. Kailasapathy remarked: “They have crossed the border.” Before that, Tamil militant… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol., Chap. 25 Parliament Discusses Ways to Kill Amir

by T. Sabaratnam, January 7, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 24 Original index of series| The Unnoticed Messages Tamils, through the DDC election, gave two clear messages to the Sinhala leaders, Sinhala people and the world. The Tamils told them unambiguously, that the Tamils were for a separate state which would restore their racial rights, dignity,… Read more »