by Sachi Sri Kantha; published January 8, 2004 This year, in November, Velupillai Prabhakaran – the leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) reaches 50 years. Come November, there will be cautious appraisals, left-handed compliments, snide editorials and even vapid curses from his political adversaries and critics who prostrate at the feet of these adversaries…. Read more »
Review of ‘Elusive Mind’
by Shan Ranjit; from Circle Digest, Tuesday, December 30 2003, Volume 2001 : Number 3311 INSIDE AN ELUSIVE MIND ; BOOK REVIEW OLD WINE IN A NEW BOTTLE The latest book by Narayan Swamy (henceforth referred to as NS) on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and its chief, Vellupillai Pirabakaran is a disappointment. I would… Read more »
Pirapaharan, Chapter 25: Parliament Discusses Ways to Kill Amir
by T. Sabaratnam; published January 7, 2004 25: Parliament Discusses Ways to Kill Amir 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 »
Fiscal Federalism
by Taraki; Daily Mirror, Colombo, January 7, 2004 Lankan leaders providing political building blocks for the LTTE? Money and resources are at the bottom of almost all problems and conflicts of humanity. The conflict in Sri Lanka too can be explained from this perspective. The LTTE negotiators did not understand the nature of this fundamental problem… Read more »
Film on US Detention of Asylum Seekers
In New York Jan. 15 Invitation to Sneak Preview and Discussion New Film Shines a Light on U.S. Detention of Asylum Seekers You’re invited to a sneak preview of Chasing Freedom, a new Court TV movie inspired by a Lawyers Committee for Human Rights asylum case. Chasing Freedom stars Juliette Lewis as a corporate lawyer who takes on… Read more »
Kumar’s Calling to Tamil Intellectuals
by Father S.J. Emmanuel; originally published January 5, 2004 Kumar’s calling to Tamil Intellectuals and Professionals On the 4th anniversary of the death of our beloved Kumar Ponnambalam, when the Tamils in and out of Sri Lanka, salute him as a Great Man – Maamanithar –, as a courageous Prophet, who stood up and spoke out in defence… Read more »
The Sri Lanka Scene
by T. Sabaratnam; originally published January 5, 2004 Weekly Review 4 -1-2004 Sri Lanka Scene Last week I highlighted the return of Buddhist extremism to the centre of the Southern Sri Lankan political stage and indicated the ensuing danger. As I said, the government bent backwards to please the Buddhist monks. Buddha Sasana Minister W. J…. Read more »
Re-evaluating Concepts of Sovereignty
by Ana Pararajasingam; South Asia Analysis Group paper No. 879, January 1, 2004 India’s former Prime Minister, Nehru and Sri Lanka’s former Prime Minister Bandaranaike shared a common Westernised background and an education at Oxford and Cambridge respectively- England’s oldest and prestigious universities. But, the similarities ended right there. By heeding the sentiments that led to… Read more »
US Presidential election 2004
Received from a Sangam member: I encourage Sangam members to get involved in the US 2004 presidential elections. I think now is a good time throw our support behind a candidate and engage our community to get involved locally around US. The relationships we build now with local supporters and party officials can help us… Read more »
Indonesia’s Secret War
by New York Times editorial; January 3, 2004 Do the tactics of Indonesia in Aceh sound quite familiar to Sri Lankan Tamils? In fact, where did the Indonesians learn from? We wonder why the Times is concerned about these tactics in Aceh, but had no concern for the NorthEast. Must have something to do with oil…!… Read more »
Aiding the Devil
by Saravanan Suresh Kumar, Bangalore; published January 3, 2004 By providing military aid to Sri Lanka, India is weakening further the current troubled peace process. We still seem to have not realized that the Sri Lankan problem is not one that can be solved militarily. We are creating new problems and not solving the existing one…. Read more »
First Canadian Tamil Film Festival Jan. 2 & 3
published January 3, 2004 Film Arts Society of Toronto (FAST) invites you to a milestone event in the history of Canadian Tamils. Recent years has seen an enormous increase in our community’s involvement in various Film related Arts. To recognize, showcase and encourage these growing talents in our community, Film Arts Society of Toronto is… Read more »
Tamil Folktales in Oral Tradition
by Reet Hiiemäe; IUP Publications, India, originally posted January 3, 2004 Moral Fictions: Tamil Folktales in Oral Tradition Would readers send us a few of their favorite Sri Lankan Tamil folktales for publication? sangameditor /A_T/ hotmail /D_O_T/ com by Stuart Blackburn, edited by Lauri Honko Moral Fictions. Tamil Folktales in Oral Tradition. (FF Communications 278.)… Read more »
Celebration of a ‘Death’
by S. Rameswaran; published December 29, 2003 Celebration of a ‘Death’; a war-theme short story by S.Rameswaran Introduction by Sachi Sri Kantha War-theme fiction in Tamil language is a new genre which arose in Sri Lanka, since the Black July 1983 holocaust. This particular genre could not have been generated in other lands (Tamil Nadu, Malaysia… Read more »
Queens, NY Immigrants
by Corey Kilgannon; New York Times: December 29, 2003 Authors Never Left Queens on Three-Year Trip Around the World http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/29/books/29ETHN.html At a certain subway station in Queens [a borough of New York City], a highly decorated dancer from Tajikistan runs a Bukharan dance studio. At a Jackson Heights table tennis club, a former member of the… Read more »
ISGA Proposals and Precedence
by Arvalan; originally published December 28, 2003 sangam.org/articles/view2/561.html On October 31, 2003 the LTTE, on behalf of the Tamil people, announced their proposal for an Interim Self-Governing Administration (ISGA) of the Northeast of the island called Sri Lanka. This proposed ISGA is a significant step toward a peaceful resolution of the decades-long conflict between the Tamil… Read more »
Christmas Message from Father Emmanuel
Christmas 2003 May the Birthday of this Universal Liberator Enliven the Hope of our own LiberationThe time of Liberation was at hand. Joseph and Mary, destined to carry the divine Liberator into this world Journeyed faithfully into their own land of Bethlehem, They came in obedience to the laws of the Ruler, but the Ruler… Read more »
Federal Solutions Amidst Chaos
by Dr. Robert C. Oberst; Daily Mirror, Colombo, December 19, 2003 Federal solutions amidst government chaos in Lanka Over the last 20 years, neither side in the Sri Lankan civil war has shown a willingness to negotiate the conflict with the other side. Until Norwegian mediation, there were few direct meetings between the two sides and… Read more »
Good Cop, Bad Cop
by R. Cholan; originally published December 19, 2003 Good Cop… Bad Cop… The drama being played in Sri Lanka reminds me of a tactic employed by Police Departments all over the world, during interrogation of crime suspects. Usually, at these interrogations, there are two Policemen present. One acts ‘kindly’ towards the suspect and the other acts… Read more »
Asian Balance & the Subcontinent
by C. Raja Mohan; The Hindu, December 18, 2003 Note from the person who kindly brought this article to our attention: Singapore journalist/academic Cherian George (born and bred Singaporean keralite)wrote an article a few years back titled “Replacing British Empire [in India] with an East Asian Empire.” In my view it can happen with the help… Read more »