Posts Categorized: Biography

John H. Reed, Former US Ambassador, Dies

Mr. Reed was U.S. ambassador to the Indian Ocean island republic of Sri Lanka and the Maldives in 1976-77 and again from 1981 to 1985, serving the first stint under President Gerald R. Ford and his second under President Ronald Reagan.

At the time, the Sri Lankan government reportedly was seeking U.S. military equipment to combat the Tamil rebels who were fighting for an independent state in the northern part of the country. The bloody guerrilla war began in 1983 and lasted 26 years, until the government defeated the so-called Tamil Tigers. Tens of thousands of lives were lost on both sides in addition to environmental and economic destruction.

Obituary for P.A. Subramaniam

PA often differed from me and others regarding compromises between nationalistic tendencies and socialistic strategies, we nevertheless always recognised his positions were always anchored in his fundamental beliefs. PA said it clearly:
“For me oppression (whether it is violent or non-violent, armed or unarmed) is terrorism. Opposing oppression in any form is not terrorism and I am always at home to be on the side of resistance, whether enlightened by Marxism or not.”

A Man of Straw

by V Gunaratnam, September 6, 2005 “All of us who are concerned for peace and triumph of reason and justice must be keenly aware how small an influence reason and honest good will exert upon events in the political field.” – Albert Einstein on Peace 1879-1955 Death comes to most of us without warning, but… Read more »

The Construction of Kadirgamar

Lakshman Kadirgamar: How the South Constructed Him, the Tamils Saw Him by J. S. Tissainayagam, Northeastern Monthly, September 1, 2005 “The LTTE has wreaked havoc so many times and now killed the best foreign minister this country ever had. It was he who changed the international opinion of this Island, which was hitherto referred to… Read more »

Pride and Prejudice

by Chandi Sinnathurai, September 3, 2005 THE LATE Mr. Kadirgamar prided himself solely as a Sri Lankan while distancing himself as a Tamil.  The harsh reality of it all is that the Tamils around the world have refused to mourn the death of this prodigal son who with style and finesse betrayed his own roots. Many… Read more »

Comment on Kadirgamar

by Brian Senewiratne, Brisbane, Australia, August 25, 2005 I note that the Editor of Sangam adds what amounts to an apology for publishing the poem by Rajendra and the well-researched article by Satchi Sri Kantha on Sri Lanka’s worst ever Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar. I think the apology is misplaced.  I am aware of the… Read more »

Reply to an Offensive Tribute

by Roy Ratnavel, August 25, 2005 Mr. Gunaratne, No doubt, to lose a friend in this manner is a tragic event.  I never met Mr. Kadirgamar.  However, reading all the tributes tells me, despite my opposing views about him, that he was an intellect, splendid orator and would have been an interesting person to sit-down… Read more »

TG: Fresh Promise

by Tamil Guardian editorial, London, August 24, 2005 The welcome decision last week by the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government to hold direct talks on the implementation of the February 2002 ceasefire has given a desperately needed boost to the Norwegian peace process.  The talks are to centre on the implementation of the truce.  There… Read more »

Letter to Hindustan Times

about Assassination by M. Thiru, August 16, 2005 Dear Mr. Balachandran, Please refer to your article ‘ Sombre mood in Lanka augurs well for peace.’ In that article you have not mentioned about the upcoming Presidential elections, the pending court case on when the current presidential term ends, what will be the effect of FM… Read more »

Kadirgamar and the Tamils

by Rajendra, August 15, 2005 Many readers will consider this poem and its sentiments in somewhat bad taste because they do not speak well of someone who has passed on.  The editor is of the opinion that one must look at a life honestly and acknowledge the good and the bad.  The feelings expressed in… Read more »

Remembering a Martyr

Who Died in the Defense of Justice by Rev B.J. Alexander, August 9, 2005 THE DISAPPEARANCE of Fr. Herbert happened on August 15, 1990.  As in the cases of a multitude of disappearances in the NorthEast Tamil areas, Fr. Herbert’s remains still an unsolved mystery! Eugene John Herbert, S.J. was born in Jennings, Louisiana, USA, on October… Read more »

Prof. Sundaralingam Killed by Tsunami

OSU Professor, Wife Reportedly Killed By Tsunami Professor Sundaralingam received the Sangam’s Honorary Award at our Annual General Meeting this past November. — Editor Massive Waves Hit Sri Lanka’s Coast COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio State University professor and his wife were reportedly among those who died after a tsunami crashed into the coast of… Read more »

Pirapaharan 2, Chapter 30: Jaffna Police Station Attack

by T. Sabaratnam, December 24, 2004 (Volume 2) The Kokkilai attack of 13 February 1985, which Jayewardene acknowledged had changed the character of the Tamil armed struggle and had been timed to coincide with the Rajiv – Gandhi – Athulathmudali meeting, was not a total success.  It failed to achieve the target Pirapaharan had set:… Read more »

Pirapaharan 2, Chapter 29: JR’s Trap for Rajiv Backtracking

by T. Sabaratnam, December 17, 2004 (Volume 2) Indira Gandhi’s assassination on 31 October 1984 provided President Jayewardene an opportunity to wriggle out of the peace process and pursue the military option he had carefully mapped out.  He abruptly discontinued the All Party Conference on 26 December 1984 and gave the go-ahead to the armed… 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 »

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 »

Inventor of the Yellow Fever Vaccine and Jaffna

by National Library of Science’s Profiles in Science, Washington, DC, accessed October 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/614.html Wilbur Sawyer started college at the University of California, Berkeley.  He transferred to Harvard University in his second year, and got his AB there in 1902.  He attended Harvard Medical School, received his MD in 1906. In 1908, Sawyer returned to… 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 »

Pirapaharan 2, Chapter 14: JR’s Three Track Policy

by T. Sabaratnam, September 3, 2004 (Volume 2) Building a Military Machine President Jayewardene, his fans and critics readily admit, was a grandmaster in political chess. He schemed three moves ahead when his opponent planned only two. He played the same game with Indira Gandhi. He countered her double track policy with three. Jayewardene’s three tracks… Read more »

Pirapaharan 2, Chapter 13: The Love Story

By: T. Sabaratnam,  (Volume 2) Adele’s Influence The third and fourth matters on which Pirapaharan’s attention was focused during the closing months of 1983 were interestingly intertwined.  They involved the theoretical issue of the role of women in the freedom struggle and Pirapaharan’s personal life. The general issue of women’s emancipation and the freedom struggle was… Read more »