by Saravan, October 20, 2004 The article ‘An Indictment of the Sri Lankan Government‘ is the first time, to my mind, where I have come across a comprehensive list of discrete actions on the part of the Sri Lankan state at causing genocide of Tamils. Unfortunately, these events have been reported from time to time,… Read more »
Of Cranky Letters and Political Knaves
by Sachi Sri Kantha, October 20, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/612.html It seems that some kind of virus strain is turning Tamil politicians like Douglas Devananda and Veerasingham Anandasangaree into letter writers. Early this year, it was revealed that Minister Devananda wrote 16 letters to the Sri Lankan Commissioner of Elections on the ‘irregularities’ he experienced as a… Read more »
Basketball Tournament to Benefit NorthEast children
San Diego, October 30 Dear Friends, My name is Greg Buie, and I had an article posted on the Sangam website recently entitled “Inspiration and Hope: The Youth of Sri Lanka.” I would like to tell you about a charity event I am planning for the end of this month in San Diego, California. All… Read more »
Short Biography of Velupillai Pirapaharan
by T. Sabaratnam, October 19, 2004 ‘Pirapaharan,’ Volume 1 & 2 by T. Sabaratnam Reposted – Ilankai Tamil Sangam sangam.org/articles/view2/610.html On numerous occasions the detailed biography that Mr. Sabaratnam has been writing, and which is being posted on the Sangam website, is too much material, particularly when dealing with non-Tamils. We, therefore, requested Mr. Sabaratnam… Read more »
Let the Tamils Go 2
sangam.org/articles/view2/609.html Along with an article ( http://www.sangam.org/articles/view2/?uid=594 ) a few days ago by Mr. V. Navaratnam, the editor asked for a picture of Mr. Navaratnam. As usual, Sachi Sri Kantha comes through: Yesterday was Mr. Navaratnam’s 94th birthday. He was born on October 18, 1910. Regards, Sachi
Memories of My Jaffna Days
by Maya Jayasinghe Abeywickrama in Daily News, Monday, 11 October 2004 Note by the Sangam member who sent us the article: This is by a Sinhala western music teacher who was in Jaffna as a school girl in 1961-63 ( I was there during that time, just returned from university abroad. Col Udugama lead the… Read more »
The ISGA: an Exile’s View
by Neville Chinivasagam, October 18, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/607.html Every right-thinking Sri Lankan, domiciled or exiled, and regardless of whether Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Moslem or Atheist, laments seeing the Peace Process faltering on the brink of wreckage led by Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunge. Her non-commitment to the Peace Process is a political sop to nations like… Read more »
The Game of Sound Bites
by B.J. Alexander, October 18, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/606.html The launching of a new liberation-oriented political party in Colombo by the hide-and-seek former Colonel is not at all a surprising stunt. This was expected of him. It has happened however, with astonishing speed. Without the aid of the governing elite such a recognition could not have occurred…. Read more »
Reporting from Vanni: A Melancholy Episode
by K. Mylvaganam, October 17, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/605.html Part 1 I wrote in my earlier insertion that I was giving classes for the boys and girls in the LTTE cadre. This has enabled me to get to know them quite well. With time they, too, are more relaxed with me, unlike the reservations they exhibited at… Read more »
Ethnic Routes to Becoming American
Book review in News-India Times, October 15, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/604.html Rudrappa points out the inherent contradiction in Indian Americans having to use ethnicity as a base as a sort of authenticating factor, which, at the same time, limits their operating space within the national mainstream. Ethnic Routes to Becoming American by Sharmila Rudrappa, Published by Rutgers University Press, N.J…. Read more »
Hindi-English Bhai-Bhai
The Hindu editorial, Chennai, October 14, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/603.html IT IS BY now accepted wisdom that the diversity of India is best represented by a government that is itself an alliance of divergent political, cultural, and linguistic currents. The advent of coalition governance has done much to bring together elements previously thought to be irreconcilably inimical…. Read more »
An Appreciation of ‘Unsculptured Thought’
An Appreciation of ‘ciRpi cetukkAta cintany’ – Unsculptured Thought by Poet Dr. T Koventhan, October 12, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/602.html A new book by ‘jAzhan’ Shanmugalingam ‘peRRa tAjum piRanta ponnAdum NaRRava vAninum Nani ciRaNtanavE’- (Bharathy) ‘jAzhan’s’ interpretation: Biological mother and the golden birth place Excel in stature over the multi-blessed sky. Here, mother plays a dual role. … Read more »
Pirapaharan 2, Chapter 20: Violence Brought to the Fore
by T. Sabaratnam, October 15, 2004 (Volume 2) sangam.org/articles/view2/601.html Shift in Allegiance 1984 is a milestone in the Tamil freedom struggle. In that year, Tamils finally abandoned their faith in non-violence and peace talks. In that year, they shifted their allegiance from the ‘non-violent leaders’ to the ‘violent boys.’ And as I noted in the last… Read more »
Tamil Genocide, as ‘The Hindu’ Reported It – 20 Years Ago
by Sachi Sri Kantha sangam.org/articles/view2/600.html 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 in its ‘Talk of the Town’ pages. … Read more »
An Indictment of the Sri Lankan Government
by S. Makenthiran, B.A., FCCA sangam.org/articles/view2/599.html The Sinhalese-dominated Sri Lankan government stands indicted of genocide and other crimes against humanity against the minority Tamils who are some of the original inhabitants of the island. The following facts from the date of independence, prove beyond doubt the ethnic cleansing and efforts to eliminate the Tamil presence… Read more »
PICAR Sri Lanka Problem-Solving Project
by Donna Hicks and William Weisberg, US Institute for Peace, Washington, DC, date unclear sangam.org/articles/view2/598.html Has anything changed in the past 10 years or are we right back where we started? Note iPostn particular points boldfaced below — Editor Since 1994, Harvard University’s Program on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution (PICAR) has been working to… Read more »
Why We Needn’t Feel Insulted
By that insult Eelam Tamils should realise their potential and continue to work as a cohesive and united people to achieve their goals. No need to worry about our size! — Editor Janadas Devan, Straits Times, Singapore, October 10, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/597.html JEAN-JACQUES Rousseau in his Essay On The Origin Of Language cited this parable to illustrate the… Read more »
THE ISGA PROPOSALS: THE COURSE TO TAKE
In the face of government intransigence by S. Muthu Cumaraswamy sangam.org/articles/view2/596.html The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have advanced the proposals regarding the creation of an Interim Self Governing Authority for the NorthEast of the island of Sri Lanka so that an effective administration could be set up in that area. The aim is… Read more »
Fear of the Demand for One Country, Two States
And equal individual opportunity By Professor Alvappillai Veluppillai, The Journal of Buddhist Ethics, Volume 10 2003 ISSN 1076-9005 sangam.org/articles/view2/595.html Introduction In my view a common thread running through the history of the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict in the post-independence period is the Buddhist fear of the Tamil demand for sharing as one nation, two states,… Read more »
Let the Tamils Go
Make Up Your Mind Forthwith to Let the Tamils Go by V. Navaratnam, Daily Mirror, Colombo, October 7 and 8, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/594.html People used to cite the trio: Professor G. L. Peiris, President Bill Clinton, and Premier Bob Rae, all contemporary Rhodes Scholars at Oxford, as examples for high level of intellectual calibre among national… Read more »