Posts Categorized: Biography

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

by T. Sabaratnam, December 31, 2003 Volume 1, Chapter 23 Original index of series| DDC Elections President Jayewardene wanted to show the world, through the District Development Council election of 4 June 1981, that the majority of the Tamils did not approve the separate state which the TULF was demanding. He succeeded in showing just… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, December  17, 2003 Volume 1, Chapter 22 Original index of series| Who Gave the Order? Who set the fire? Three questions arise about the burning of the Jaffna Public Library. Who burnt it? How was it burnt? Who gave the order? Pirapaharan watched with defiant, angry eyes the leaping flames that consumed… Read more »

by  T. Sabaratnam, December 11, 2003 Volume 1, Chapter 21 Original index of series| President Jayewardene thought that Brigadier Weeratunga’s Operation Round Up had sufficiently weakened Tamil militants and decided to consolidate his position .”through political process by implementing the proposals of the Presidential Commission on District Development Councils, which he had appointed on 8… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, December 3, 2003 Volume 1, Chapter 20 Original index of series| The Uma – Urmila Affair Pirapaharan could not believe his ears when his colleagues told him that Uma Maheswaran was having sex with Urmila. When convinced, he thundered: The chairman is flouting the code of conduct he is expected to strictly… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, November 24, 2003 Volume 1, Chapter 19 Original index of series| State Terrorism in Action Jaffna tasted state terror on a gruesome scale for the first time on the night of 13 July 1979. Around midnight that dark night two vehicles without number plates left the Jaffna Residency, which had been hurriedly taken… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, November 17, 2003 Volume 1, Chapter 18 Original index of series| Chat Session #217 November 2003 Dear Readers, I think we have struck the correct wavelength. I received three mails, on 28, 29 and 30. In the second, A. Mylvaganam from Toronto, Canada pointed out the slip I made about the author of… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, November 12, 2003 Volume 1, Chapter 17 Original index of series| Lost Faith in Judiciary Police Inspector Gurusamy was killed by TELO as punishment for the role he played in the police cover game of the events connected to the August 1977 anti- Tamil riots. His assassination was the signal of the loss… Read more »