2005
By D. B. S. Jeyaraj
Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan alias Marshall is the replacement for Kausalyan in the
East. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam leader Velupillai Pirapakaran
has selected the affable native of Arumugathankudiyiruppu in the Eravoor
area as his new "arasiyal poruppalar" or political commissar for the
Batticaloa - Amparai districts. The formal announcement was made by
tiger political chief Suppiah Paramu Thamilselvan at a meeting of LTTE
officials in Kokkatticholai held prior to his departure from the region. [Contd.]
all humanity is my
fraternity”
 |
 |
 |
 |
Phenomenon
By D. B. S. Jeyaraj
What goes around comes around! When John F Kennedy was
assassinated in 1963 Black American leader Malcolm X observed
that "the chickens have come home to roost" implying that the US
having exported political violence including assassinations abroad
was now faced with it domestically. Violence however is corrosively
contagious and some years later the very same Malcolm X was
assassinated.
The spectre of political violence has loomed large over Sri Lanka in
many ways. One of its most virulent manifestations has been in the
Tamil community. The arms raised proudly at one time in defiance of
the "oppressive" Sinhala state later turned inward. The militant
groups engaged in internecine warfare that debilitated the Tamil
polity. Sadly this ecology of intra - Tamil violence continues to this
date. [Contd.]
Tamil Press by S. Selvakumar
Five Sri Lanka Naval personnel who were sent to the US for training
have disappeared, the Sudaroli said on Monday. The SLMM said the
Ceasefire Agreement between the government and the LTTE was in
jeopardy following the Welikanda attack on LTTE cadres in which
Tiger Batticaloa-Amapara Political Head E. Kaushalyan and five
others were killed.
The LTTE complained to the SLMM that government troops had
carried out a grenade attack on their Mannar political office, the
Thinakkural said in a front page story.
The military suspects that anti-aircraft missiles had been placed at
the LTTE runway in Iranaimadu where two aircrafts of the LTTE had
been stationed. Batticaloa District Parliamentarian S.
Jayanandamoorthy (TNA) in a statement said that he was thoroughly
opposed to President Chandrika Kumaratunga's visit to Batticaloa on
February 20 to lay a foundation stone and commence reconstruction
work to tsunami hit areas.
The Thinakkural on Tuesday led with the story that President
Kumaratunga refused to meet with JVP leaders but had a near two
hour discussion with Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe when
the latter attended a meeting summoned by the President to discuss
tsunami related relief operations.
The tsunami's silent victims [CBC News View Point]
By Siva Swaminathan
"Woman and children are the real victims of the tsunami," stated a
local Hindu priest.
Natarajan, a priest at a Shiva temple in Nagapattinam (Nagai) has
been witnessing first hand the challenges faced by people affected
by the waves. I asked him why. He answered, "Fishermen are at
least getting compensation or a loan to start again, but there has
been nothing done to address the welfare of women or children."
In their forthcoming visit, former presidents of the USA, Bill Clinton
and George H.W. Bush would not be visiting the tsunami hit areas
in the North and the East. According to a statement issued by the
US embassy in Colombo, the ex-presidents will mainly be visiting the
Southern areas of the island.
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels say there is no truth in a UN report
that they have recruited 4,700 child soldiers since 2001.
"We totally reject accusations about recruiting children for war," a
rebel leader was quoted as saying.
it gives them some kind of hope..because they have lost
everything." [NPR Audio]
Host Jennifer Ludden checks in with Maryland doctor Sinnarajah
Raguraj, who has just returned from a mission to help tsunami
victims in his native Sri Lanka.
"Mamanithar" award
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam awarded its highest civilian
honour posthumously to former Amparai district Parliamentarian
Chandranehru Ariyanayagam who was gunned down along with
Kausalyan the tiger political chief for Batticaloa - Amparai and four
others along the A - 11 highway on February 7th. Chandranehru
became the first Eastern Tamil recipient of the "Maamanithan" or
"Great Person" hounour conferred by LTTE supremo Velupillai
Pirapakaran.
Chandranehru known generally as Chandra and/or Nehru was the
latest casualty caught up unfortunately in the crossfire of a dirty
war between the LTTE and its former Eastern commander
Vinayagamoorthy Muraleetharan alias Karuna. He had gone by van
to help out Kausalyan returning home from the Wanni. Nehru had
met the LTTE political head for the east and his comrades at
Polonnaruwa and was transporting them back when assassins
struck fatally at Pillaiyaarady about five km from the Welikande
Army camp. His death was a tragic instance of being in the wrong
place at the wrong time. [Contd.]
Nearly two months after a powerful tsunami ravaged the coastlines
of 11 countries, a million people remain homeless. NPR's
Madeleine Brand speaks with NPR's Phillip Reeves about the
progress of recovery and rebuilding efforts in Sri Lanka.
Million [VOA News]
The United Nations says December's Indian Ocean tsunami caused
around $520 million in damage to fishing industries in seven of the
worst hit countries.
sad that a lot of people were killed on that day"
- Wave of Hope - Pictures by Dushiyanthini
Kanagasabapathipillai.
aftermath
in quotes “ ”
[Click] - updated daily........
are the largest urban community of Tamils in the
world." [tsunamiaftermath.blogspot.com]
In her latest column for the BBC News website, Bollywood star Preity
Zinta describes escaping two brushes with death.
The first incident happened on a balmy night in the Sri Lankan
capital, Colombo, on 11 December.
Special Task Force (STF) is targeting innocent Muslims under the
guise of cracking down unlawful elements, a newly formed human
rights organisation said. Three Muslims suspected of murders have
been arrested and killed by the police during the last couple of
weeks, Mohideen Thaslim, deputy secretary of the Human Rights
Organisation of the Colombo Central Civilians Council (HROCCC)
told BBC Sandeshaya.
1447, Gerrard Street,
Toronto
Tel: 416-778-4542
shining so brilliantly that the great bow down,
driving the darkness from the earth circled by roaring waters.
One is the burning sun, a single wheel glowing like lightning,
and the other is Tamil that has no like. [Berkeley Tamil]
Prizes ought to be announced for viewers who spot some relevance in
the title of this NIC Arts production, named "Ji"! "Anandham" was a
fresh family drama that made you sit up and take notice of its
writer-director, Lingusamy. His second "Run" proved that he was
capable of making fast paced action flicks.
 |
 |
applicable