Mar 23-29: "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past." William Faulkner (1897 – 1962) American author, Nobel Laureate
Tigers Get Ready to Face the Mechanized Infantry of the Army in North
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
An important militaristic development is unfolding in the Northern theatre of war!.
The 57, 58 and 59 divisions of the army continue to battle it out with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) within the Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitheevu districts in the North - west, south and South - east of the Northern Province while the 53 and 55 divisions are engaging in combat along the Kilaly - Muhamaalai - Nagar Kovil axis inside the Jaffna peninsula. [TC]
Credibility of Batticaloa Local Authority Polls Amidst Culture of Fear
by D.B.S.Jeyaraj
A proud claim by President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government during its military offensive in the Eastern province was that the armed forces were liberating Tamil civilians from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The Rajapakse regime also boasted that no civilian was harmed when the security forces moved into the regions dominated by the tigers. [TC]
The “Illegitimate” Appointment of the North-East Governor
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Provincial council elections for the Eastern Province are scheduled for May 10th this year. According to gazette notification on March 13th, nominations for Eastern provincial polls will be accepted from March 23rd to April 3rd. It appears that the eastern provincial stakes would attract more political parties than the recently concluded local authority polls for Batticaloa district.
An Easter Message to the Nation
from the Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera, Bishop of Colombo
Easter is the Christian festival that celebrates the Raising of Christ after His death. This historic event known as the Resurrection, declares the defeat of all evil forces of greed, violence and destruction that culminated in the death of Christ, and proclaims a higher plane of life in which there is liberation from these evil tendencies. [TC]
Two languages: For a better tomorrow
“Do you want two languages and one nation or one language and two nations? Parity, Mr. Speaker, we believe is the road to the freedom of our nation and the unity of its components. Otherwise two torn little bleeding states may arise from one little state.” -Dr Colvin R. de Silva speaking after the Sinhala Only Act was passed in 1956, making Sinhala the national language of Sri Lanka
The Muthur Massacre: Are we any closer to the truth?
By Poornima Weerasekara
The thirteen men and four women who were killed in the deadliest attack on aid workers in Sri Lankan history would not have even thought for a moment that they were walking into a death trap. It is difficult to fathom what final thoughts crossed their minds while watching their colleagues being shot. [TC]
Newly resettled IDPs dream of life without war
The last 18 years of Kanavathipillai Thangarasa’s life have been in constant flux. The 62-year-old man and his family have been displaced from their home on numerous occasions since 1990 by fighting in eastern Sri Lanka between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). [FI]
LRRP: D.B.S. Jeyaraj Responds to Brigadier V.U.B. Nanayakkara
Clarification on feature ‘LRRP Infiltration Demolishes Impregnable Tiger Terrain Myth’ in your March 12, 2008 issue:
Your kind attention is drawn to the above article written by Mr. D.B.S Jeyaraj, in which he has compiled a catalogue of killings and retaliatory attacks that have been attributed to a so-called ‘Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol of the Army.’ [TC]
‘We are better off without the LTTE’
S C Chandrahasan is the son of Samuvel Selvnayagam, a Tamil leader who was known as the Mahatma Gandhi of Sri Lanka. After the island-nation’s ethnic conflict began in 1983, Chandrahasan founded the Organisation For Eelam Refugees’ Rehabilitation. [TC]
by Qadri Ismail
Human rights is the last resort of the hopeless.
Its liberal advocates don’t see it that way. They find it heroic, the foundation of a new international order that will, when established universally, guarantee secure lives for everyone, everywhere ‘rom Tibet to Timbuktu. But would the subaltern, the oppressed ‘the target of human rights’ ‘necessarily agree ? [TC]
The 13th Amendment, Anti-Indianism and Sri Lanka’s Security Imperatives
by Dayan Jayatilleka
One of the most laughably absurd of all the criticisms directed against the incumbent administration, is that its commitment to the full and immediate implementation of the 13th amendment which makes for provincial autonomy, is somehow a betrayal of the election mandate of President Rajapakse as contained in his manifesto. This criticism, levelled by radical ultranationalists, betrays triple ignorance: ignorance of a Constitution and its role in the polity; ignorance of the election manifesto and mandate of the incumbent President; and ignorance of forms of government and systems of state. [FI]
‘After all, they are only arresting Tamils’
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardena
My neighbour confided to me in an aside the other day, that she was not sure what the fuss was all about anyway. “After all’ she said ‘they are only arresting Tamils, are’nt they.’ And after all, as she went on to say, heedless of the varying expressions on my face ranging from immediate anger, strong indignation to utter annoyance ‘most of them have sympathies with the LTTE, don’t they?” [FI]
Anura Bandaranaike: Up Close and Personal
by Gamini Gunaratne
My relationship with the Bandaranaikes started from the time of my father, K D Chandrapala, who was Village Council Chairman for Dompe and who maintained close links with S W R D Bandaranaike, Sirimavo Bandaranaike and, later, with Felix Dias Bandaranaike. [TC]
By Remy Herbert
The right to use one’s own language within their own country is not only an internationally recognized human right; it is also an important issue that has led to protracted conflict in several countries. [FI]
As Fighting Flares in Civil War, Key Buddhist Shuns Nonviolence
Draped in his burnt-orange robe, Athurliye Rathana strolled onto the veranda of a posh hotel here one recent evening and an entire wedding party adorned in fine silks knelt as one, in a gesture of respect and honor to one of the country's best-known monks.
"I guess I'm popular," said a slightly surprised Rathana, 45, rubbing his shaved head. "I knew our Sri Lankan people love monks. But I didn't know they loved the 'Parliament Monk.' " [Washington Post]
Arts - Culture - Heritage
On YouTube via Ootru.com ~ Song by Paventhar Bharathithasan:
Paventhar Bharathithasan (1891-1964), initially worked as a Teacher of Tamil language in the French territory of Karaikal. After interactions with Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar, he followed many of his traditions. Yet unlike Bharathiyar, Bharathithasan rarely used words derived from Sanskrit in his works.
Namakkal Kavignar Ramalingam has explained the ‘literary policy’ of Bharathithasan in a poem as follows: “Bharathithasan considered service to Thamizh as his mission in life; save the purity of his mother tongue; lead a virtuous life; change the idiosyncrasies arising from old traditions; and use new formats to convey revolutionary ideas."
Paventhar Bharathithasan wrote poetry in Tamil on an array of socio-political topics and also in praise of nature.
One such poem, ‘Virintha Vane’–(Opened sky) is presented here in YouTube.
In Pictures: Historic Naagathambiraan Temple Festival, Kilinochchi
Annual March Pongkal festival at the historic Naagathambiraan Temple in Puliyampokkanai near Kilinochchi was held Friday March 21st and continued throughout night to early hours Saturday morning, sources in Vanni said. [TW]
by K.S.Sivakumaran
There is a physician by name Dr.S.Sivathas attached to the Mental Hospital, Angoda. He is in charge of two units there. A Graduate from the University of Yaalpaanam, Sivathas has a purpose as far as his profession is concerned: [TW]
The Rajya Sabha Member, Kanimozhi, on Saturday launched a short film featuring Tamil writer K. Raja Narayanan, whose life and story telling moments have been captured to educate the younger generation on the importance of upholding values in life. [Hindu]
The quintessential psychopathic baddie of Tamil cinema, the man who gave villainy on screen a good name, Raghuvaran died here at a private hospital after battling personal demons and a few other debilitating physical problems. [NewsToday]
Farewell, Raghuvaran! [Redif]