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 »
Posts Categorized: Sri Kantha
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 »
A Tribute to 240 MaaVeerars (Great Heroes)
by Sachi Sri Kantha, November 25, 2020 The 240 MaaVeerar (Great Heroes), to whom I pay tribute have been already recognized in the Sooriya Puthalvargal (November 2003) booklet, published as a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam memorial souvenir. Previously on June 23, 2004, I contributed a review of this souvenir. In it, I had listed… Read more »
Autobiography of Kamala Devi Harris
A book review by Sachi Sri Kantha, November 17, 2020 Kamala Harris – The Truths We Hold – An American Journey, Penguin Press, New York, 2019, 318 pp. The back cover blurb for this book states, “An engaging read that provides insights into the influences of [Harris’s] life – most of all, her mother Shyamala… Read more »
MGR Remembered – Part 58
Bharath Award – for Artiste or Politician? by Sachi Sri Kantha, November 4, 2020 Part 57 For the contents of the previous part 57, my friend and fellow MGR biographer R. Kannan, had offered the following comments, in his email of Sept. 17th. “Another well-documented piece. As for how Indira viewed MGR I would still… Read more »
Sundarambal and Kittappa
MGR’s annotations on the elite Carnatic Music Couple Revisited by Sachi Sri Kantha, October 24, 2020 October 15th marked the 40th death anniversary of Carnatic diva K.B. Sundarambal (1908-1980). I wonder how many had watched the 29 minutes documentary on Sunderambal – the Legend, available in You Tube. It was posted two years ago. Narration… Read more »
Black Tiger Day Remembrance – Part 3
by Sachi Sri Kantha, October 11, 2020 Part 2 Front Note by Sachi Sri Kantha I provide below, a balanced portrayal on the activities of the Black Tigers, described by Prof. Mario Ferrero, in 2006 in an article comparing “diverse instances of public-spirited suicide.” In approximately 1,150 words, salient points emphasized by Ferrero include, (1)… Read more »
Lyricist Maruthakasi’s Autobiographical Notes
An English translation by Sachi Sri Kantha, September 15, 2020 Front Note by Sachi Last year, I contributed a short memorial item on Aiyamperumal Maruthakasi (1920-1989), famed Tamil lyricist. on his 30th death anniversary. I had provided my English translations to three of his immortal movie lyrics. https://sangam.org/remembering-aiyamperumal-maruthakasi-1920-1989/ This year marks Maruthakasi’s birth centenary…. Read more »
MGR Remembered – Part 57
Expulsion from DMK by Sachi Sri Kantha, August 27, 2020 Part 56 I provide the exchange I had with friend and fellow MGR biographer R. Kannan. In his email of June 24th, he had noted, “Dear Sachi, Read chapter 56 with interest and could imagine why this must have been difficult without all the source… Read more »
Black Tiger Day Remembrance – Part 2
Devotion of Black Tigers by Sachi Sri Kantha, August 13, 2020 Part 1 Front Note Twenty five years ago, Prof. Michael Roberts [a Sri Lankan historian cum anthropologist of Sinhalese-Burgher descent, who is currently managing the informative tuppahi blog https://thuppahi.wordpress.com/about/ in his current domicile in Australia] published a short commentary on Black Tigers, in the… Read more »
Black Tiger Day Remembrance – Part 1
The Prime Reason for the Origin of LTTE’s Black Tigers by Sachi Sri Kantha, July 22, 2020 July 5th marked Black Tiger Day for Eelam Tamils. It was on July 5, 1987 that Capt. Miller (birth name Vallipuram Vasanthan, born on January 1, 1966 in Karaveddi) created history in the annals of Sri Lankan warfare,… Read more »
‘Perennial Number 2’ Nedunchezhiyan (1920-2000)
Birth Centenary Remembrance by Sachi Sri Kantha, July 8, 2020 For the past 20 years, as a ‘distant observer’ (literally and figuratively) I have been chronicling the lives of Dravidian Front leaders in this site. C.N. Annadurai’s (Anna, 1909-1969) activities were covered in four parts during his birth centenary year in 2009. [https://www.sangam.org/2009/09/Anna_Centennial_4.php?uid=3688]. MGR’s story… Read more »