by Sachi Sri Kantha, September 7, 2021 University of Vavuniya was the 17th public university to be established in Sri Lanka in Aug 1, 2021. With a total of 17 universities in Sri Lanka now, an earned Ph.D degree is now dime a dozen (figuratively at least) among Sri Lankans. But 70 years ago (in… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Sri Kantha
Reflections on K. R. Ramasamy (1914-1971)
The Singing Star of the ‘40s and ‘50s by Sachi Sri Kantha, August 19, 2021 The name Ramasamy had a good omen among Tamil cinema actors. According to my count, at least five actors carried this name. In chronological order of birth, they are ‘Pulimootai’ (Tamarind-sack) T.R. Ramasamy Aiyar (1912 – ?), ‘Friend’ Ramasamy (1914-1971),… Read more »
One Hundred Influential Sri Lankan Tamils of the 20th Century – Revisited
by Sachi Sri Kantha, August 9, 2021 Prelude Twenty five years ago (when internet was in its infancy period), I prepared a list of One Hundred Influential Sri Lankan Tamils of the 20th Century. This list appeared in my self- published short book of 114 pages – ‘MGR Movies Revisited: and Other Essays’ (1995). Originally… Read more »
From Sachi’s Files – Chapter 18
An interesting overview by Prof. Shelton Kodikara of ‘Family Planning in Ceylon’ by Sachi Sri Kantha, July 20, 2021 Family Planning in Ceylon (1973) by Prof. S.U. Kodikara Prof. Shelton Upatissa Kodikara (1927-1994) was an authentic Sinhalese academic, whom I respected very much. Sadly, as of now, there is no Wikipedia entry about his contributions… Read more »
The Pirabakaran Phenomenon
by Sachi Sri Kantha, reposted from May 2001 – February 2003 Original index at The Pirabakaran Phenomenon We have been re-posting histories of the period leading up to the war, including Prabakaran’s early life to make sure that they are more readily available. The biography by T. Sabaratnam is at ‘Pirapaharan,’ Volume 1 & 2… Read more »
MGR Remembered – Part 61
Political Activities, Travels to USSR and USA by Sachi Sri Kantha, July 2, 2021 Fellow MGR biographer R. Kannan’s expert comments on the previous chapter Part 60, received by email of Mar 29, 2021, are as follows: “ I read your well-researched article with interest. MGR had much respect for Kamaraj and Kamaraj had defended MGR’s… Read more »
The Pirabaharan Phenomenon, Part 45
The Scenario of the Eastern Front by Sachi Sri Kantha, October 18, 2002 D.S. Senanayake’s notorious Lebensraum (Living Space) strategy: a synopsis To analyze the dilemma faced by Pirabhakaran at the Eastern Front of Eelam in mid-1980s, I need to review the sinister significance of the Sinhala-Buddhist Lebensraum strategy which occurred in the first half… Read more »
Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Trial: Supreme Court Verdict of May 11, 1999
by Sachi Sri Kantha, June 27, 2021 The Indian Supreme Court verdict on the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Trial delivered on May 11, 1999 was historic. When I was writing V. Prabhakaran’s biography to this site during 2001-2003, I made use of the three electronic files – then posted in the web pages of Central Bureau… Read more »
Book Review: Karunanidhi – A Life, by A.S. Panneerselvan
by Sachi Sri Kantha, June 11, 2021 Penguin Random House India Pvt. Ltd, Gurgaon, Haryana, 2021, 450 pp. Prelude to the Review The dictionary defines realpolitik as ‘n. politics based on realities and material needs, rather than on morals or ideals’. Tiruvaroor Muthuvel Karunanidhi (1924-2018) was an unparalleled Indian master of realpolitik and pungent repartee… Read more »
From Sachi’s Files – Chapter 17
My Participation at the Madurai Tamil Research Conference (January 3-11, 1981) by Sachi Sri Kantha, May 1, 2021 Front Note Forty years ago, I made my first (and as of now, only) trip to India, as a Sri Lankan Tamil delegate to the 5th International Tamil Research Conference, held in Madurai, between Jan. 5 and… Read more »
Sabaratnasinghe Thananjayarajasingham (1933- 1977)
Tamil linguistic scholar by Sachi Sri Kantha, April 27, 2021 If there is one academic who had contributed to the understanding of linguistics of Jaffna Tamil, only one name can be stated with distinction. It is, Sabaratnasinghe Thananjayarajasingham! – Quite a mouthful. Due to this long, polysyllabic name (even by Tamil standards) with 21 English… Read more »
K. Thavamani Devi (1924-2001)
A pioneer Eelam Tamil actress, dancer and singer by Sachi Sri Kantha, April 19, 2021 As of now, I had profiled the careers of five Eelam Tamil women on this website. Dr. Grace Rajamalar Barr Kumarakulasinghe (1908-2013) https://sangam.org/dr-grace-rajamalar-barr-kumarakulasinghe-1908-2013/ Dr. Siva Chinnatamby (1923-2000), https://sangam.org/dr-siva-chinnatamby-20-years-after-her-death/ Dr. Manorani Saravanamuttu (1930-2001), https://sangam.org/dr-manorani-saravanamuttu/ Prof. Mano Sabaratnam (1931-2014), https://sangam.org/professor-mano-sabaratnam-1931-2014/ and Dr…. Read more »
Marco Polo’s Visit to Medieval Eelam
by Sachi Sri Kantha, April 9, 2021 Front Note in April 2021 The following solicited essay was originally written in 2000, for publication in the 80th Birthday Felicitation volume of Eelam Tamil activist and barrister at law, Krishna Vaikunthavasan (1920-2005). Using the record left by Marco Polo’s of 13th century, I challenged the ‘Prof. K…. Read more »
Gen. Krishnaswamy Sundararajan (Sundarji) [1928-1999]
Prabhakaran’s battlefield adversary from India by Sachi Sri Kantha, April 5, 2021 Introductory Note I provide a dossier of six items on Gen Krishnaswamy Sundararajan (aka Sundarji). He was a Tamilian by birth. Born in 1928 at Chingleput, Tamil Nadu, Sundarji’s 93rd birthday falls on April 28th. When the Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF) was dispatched… Read more »
Tamil Genocide as ‘The Hindu’ Reported It
– 20 Years Ago by Sachi Sri Kantha, reposted from June 2004 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… Read more »
MGR Remembered – Part 60
Tackling rivals Karunanidhi – Kamaraj and tending Sridhar by Sachi Sri Kantha, March 15, 2021 Part 59 Fellow MGR biographer R. Kannan’s comments on the previous chapter Part 59, which I received by email of Jan. 22, 2021, are as follows: “A well-documented piece again. The Malayali police officer who was quoted in Junior Vikatan… Read more »
Dr. Manorani Saravanamuttu
A dossier by Sachi Sri Kantha, February 21, 2021 The dictionary defines a dossier as ‘set of documents, esp. record of information about a person or event.’ Here, I have compiled a brief dossier on Dr. Manorani Saravanamuttu, based on materials in my files and internet search. The prime reason being, as of now, there… Read more »
From Sachi’s File – Chapter 16
Usage of Slang at the Peradeniya Campus in 1980 by Sachi Sri Kantha, February 5, 2021 A Presentation at the 36th Annual Sessions of SLAAS in 1980 Forty years have passed since I made a presentation on the usage of slang by the Peradeniya University undergraduates. The occasion was at the 36th Annual Sessions of… Read more »
MGR Remembered – Part 59
The Risk Taker by Sachi Sri Kantha, January 4, 2021 Part 58 I provide fellow MGR biographer R. Kannan’s comments on the previous chapter Part 58, which I received by email of Nov.15, 2020. “I think the story of MGR’s angst on the insinuations is well brought out in the way the story is told… Read more »
From Sachi’s File – Chapter 15
Sexuality Studies at the Peradeniya Campus in 1980 by Sachi Sri Kantha, December 14, 2020 Presentation script for 1980 Ceylon Studies Seminar Ragging at Peredeniya 1980 Published paper Report on Sexual Aspects of Hazing at University Residence in Sri Lanka 1986 Recently while searching for details on Sri Lankan universities, I came across a Ph.D dissertation (313… Read more »