2013 TEDx talk on social activism — Shanthi Sachithanandam – Visionary Of Social Change & Beautiful Human Being By Visakha Tillkeratne, ‘Colombo Telegraph,’ August 29, 2015 You went too soon………….. Shanthi, was the quintessential human being, multi-talented, multi-faceted and multi-tasking. A sparkling jewel, in looks and thought. A mother who had time to bring up… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Biography
Learning Politics from Sivaram
‘Taraki’ aka D. Sivaram was killed on April 28, 2005. In his memory, we urge all interested in Sri Lanka to read his biography by an American anthropologist, ‘Learning Politics from Sivaram.’ Book Review of Learning Politics from Sivaram by Michele Ruth Gambard, Portland State University in The Journal of Asian Studies Excerpt from book at http://new.sangam.org/2007/10/Sivaram_C-I_1.php Selected… Read more »
Prabu Somanaidu MMA Fighter
‘Never back down’ is Prabu’s philosophy in life. He believes that mixed martial arts is about consistency, hard work, and discipline. Prabu’s ultimate dreams are to be amongst the top 10 UFC champions in the world and to become one of the top MMA coaches in Malaysia. His aspiration is to make his country proud,… Read more »
WTO Expresses its Deep Sympathy on the Passing Away of Mr. A. P. Venkateswaran
World Thamil Organization expresses its deep sympathy on the passing away of Mr. A. P. Venkateswaran http://worldthamil.org/?p=467 World Thamil Organization is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing away of Mr. A. P. Venkateswaran, Former Foreign Secretary of the Indian Government. Mr. Venkateswaran was one of the rare, very few Indian Government officials… Read more »
Loss of Past President JM Rajaratnam (1928-2014)
from the Booklet of Sangam’s 26th Annual General Meeting in 2003, when Mr. Rajaratnam was given a Lifetime Achievement Award: Mr. J.M. Rajaratnam, a graduate of University of Ceylon, was the winner of a five year open government Scholarship for studies in Accounting in the UK. He was the CEO and Chairman, Board of Directors… Read more »
100 Most Influential – Muruganantham
Arunachalam Muruganantham TIME’s 100 Most Influential People : The entrepreneur who is an unlikely health crusader TED talks: How I Started a Sanitary Napkin Revolution BBC News Magazine: The Indian sanitary pad revolutionary
The Disappearance of an Academic
Six years after, for many, it’s a forgotten matter shrouded in the past. But for his family, the pain endures. The following article was written one month after he was abducted.
Amnesty’s appeal follows.
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.”
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 »
Pirapaharan 2, Chapter 9: The Indira Doctrine
By: T. Sabaratnam, July 6, 2004 (Volume 2) India’s Solution The Sixth Amendment produced two immediate results. Firstly, Indira Gandhi made her second telephone call within 12 hours of its passage. Secondly, the TULF decided the next day, 6 August, to quit parliament and take refuge in India. These results had a profound effect on… Read more »
Pirapaharan 2, Chapter 7: JR Seeks Arms
By: T. Sabaratnam (Volume 2) Indian Factor President Jayewardene realized on Wednesday evening, after answering Indira Gandhi’s telephone call, that the riots had spawned unintended results. Firstly, it had, while weakening the Tamils, also weakened him and the Sinhala people, mainly by damaging their international image. Secondly, the riots had provided India a chance to… Read more »