Bradman Weerakoon, Rendering Unto Caesar, Vijitha Publications, Colombo, 2004, 396 pp. Reviewed by Sachi Sri Kantha, December 19, 2004 Of the millions of Sri Lankans born in the 20th century, Bradman Weerakoon is the only fellow to be blessed uniquely. He was blessed for the first time in the year of his birth (1930), when his police… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Sri Kantha
Reminiscences on Directing M.S.
The Musician-Movie Star by Ellis R. Dungan Front Note by Sachi Sri Kantha M.S. Subbulakshmi (the supreme musician of 20th century Tamil Nadu and known to millions simply by her initials, M.S.) bid farewell to us on December 11th at the age of 88. She is on route to moksha – the everlasting celestial palace of angels, dancers and… Read more »
Score One Again for Karma
by Sachi Sri Kantha, November 30, 2024 It is considered somewhat a bad etiquette to speak ill or criticise a deceased individual. This is especially so if that individual suffered a violent death. That the criticised individual cannot defend his or her past deeds seems to be the main reason behind this prevailing etiquette. Should… Read more »
For Pirabhakaran, the Future Begins at Fifty
A birthday greeting by Sachi Sri Kantha, November 26, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/662.html Having reached fifty, what is in store for LTTE leader Pirabhakaran? While his admirers would wish him a ‘long life’, his adversaries (both local and non-local varieties) would dream of something different from his admirers. Thus, it is opportune to review how five of… Read more »
The Stories of Guru Paramarta
Seventh Story of Falling off the Horse by Fr.Costanzo Beschi [aka, Veera MaMuni] sangam.org/articles/view2/654.html Front Note by Sachi Sri Kantha The seventh story in the Guru Paramarta series describes the obstinacy of his five dummy disciples, who were short on common sense and would do only what was instructed specifically. In this story, the Guru… Read more »
General Pirabhakaran’s Critics
An Alphabetical Assembly by Sachi Sri Kantha, November 19, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/646.html I was tempted to compile this list after I read an essay penned by R. K. Narayan entitled, ‘The Enemies.’ First I quote an excerpt from this humorous essay in which Narayan introduced his motivation for a list of the ‘enemies of society’: “…I… Read more »
General Pirabhakaran in the Foot-steps of General Washington
by Sachi Sri Kantha, November 15, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/636.html Fourteen years ago, in the pages of now-defunct Asiaweek (Hong Kong) magazine, I engaged in a ‘duel’ with a spineless, anonymous correspondent on the purported ‘anti-social’ activities of the LTTE. In my letters to the magazine editor, I compared the LTTE’s performance as a peoples’ militia as nothing different… Read more »
Twenty Books on Eelam Tamils
For reference and research by Sachi Sri Kantha, November 4, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/632.html This list was originally prepared by me to aid one young reader of my writings in the Sangam site. Early this year, he solicited my choices for study on the history and politics of Eelam Tamils. For convenience, I have arranged my selections… 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 »
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
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 »
Remembering Mahatma Gandhi on his 135th Anniversary of Birth
by Sachi Sri Kantha, October 1, 2004 https://www.sangam.org/articles/view2/578.html During the past 40 years, I have read hundreds of popular articles, reasearch papers and a dozen books on Mahatma Gandhi. Among all the portrayals made of this great human being by academics, acquaintances, politicians and journalists, I suppose if I’m asked what I consider as the… Read more »
Is Uncle Sam’s ‘No Fly List’ a Net to Supress Voice?
Elicited Responses by Sachi Sri Kantha, October 1, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/574.html Introduction It seems that my Turin travelogue, “I Got Trapped in the Secret ‘No Fly List’ of the Transportation Security Administration” (posted on September 1) hit a nerve among quite a number of Eelam Tamils and non-Tamils. I very much appreciate the phone calls and… Read more »
The Stories of Guru Paramarta: Sixth Story
The Stories of Guru Paramarta: Sixth Story of the Brahman’s Prophecy by Fr. Costanzo Beschi [aka, Veera MaMuni] Front Note by Sachi Sri Kantha, September 29, 2004 sangam.org/articles/view2/568.html The sixth story in the Guru Paramarta series describes how the Guru Paramartha interpreted a Brahman’s prophecy about his impending death, as heard from one of his… Read more »
Warped Aryans against Peace
The Warped Aryans against Peace in Sri Lanka (WAPS) flopped in Oslo by Sachi Sri Kantha, September 17, 2004 Last month there was quite a bit of publicity in the Colombo press and websites (including those handled by some demented Tamils who work against the Tamil interests), about a freak show which was scheduled for… Read more »
Random Thoughts on the Political Tovil
by Sachi Sri Kantha For Sinhalese, the word ‘tovil’ symbolizes something very intimate. Some are too ashamed to openly discuss it. Others consider it as a panacea for the ills afflicting them. For foreign tourists, it is a ‘burlesque show of the male natives.’ For foreign anthropologists, it is a ‘notable cultural tradition which is… Read more »
Twenty-Five Types of Government in the World
by Sachi Sri Kantha, September 8, 2004 In early 1999, I read a humorous syndicated commentary by Gary Borders (then the editor and publisher of the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel, Texas). It was so thought-provoking for its humor and simplicity, that I put it away safely in my file of notable collections for reference. My last month’s… Read more »
Topless Dance of a Transmuted Karuna
by Sachi Sri Kantha, August 20, 2004 A week ago, the voice of Karuna – the sacked LTTE colonel – was heard again, in the Bangkok-based blog sheet Asian Tribune [dated Aug.10, 11 and 12]. One reader requested me to comment on these interviews. My one sentence answer is nothing but: “Karuna shows some flare for a… Read more »
Vignettes on Three Black Tiger Heroes
In the Battlefield by Sachi Sri Kantha, August 17, 2004 After the posting of my review of the Sooriya Puthalvargal 2003 Memorial Souvenir in the Sangam website [June 23, 2004], I received two appreciatory emails for the details I had provided on Black Tigers. One was from American academic Dr. Robert Pape, Associate Professor in Political Science,… Read more »
Shameless Somersault on the POTA Issue by The Hindu
Exposing the shameless somersault on the POTA issue by The Hindu editorialist by Sachi Sri Kantha, August 10, 2004 Why does the Hindu newspaper establishment of Chennai spew venom on Eelam Tamil nationalism since 1983? How about the following answers? (1) By tradition, The Hindu is conservative, and places India’s interests in its head; [which means, they think supporting separatism in a… Read more »