tamilweek.com

Former “Virakesari” Editor-in-Chief K. Sivapragasam Passes Away Peacefully in Virginia

by

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

It is with great sadness that I write for the first time on my Blog after the advent of the April traditional new year “Hevilambi”! My first post for the new year is the last post for the Editor who first recruited me as a journalist.

Kandasamy Sivapragasam , Former Editor -in – chief of the “Virakesari” Group of newspapers published by the Express Newspapers (Ceylon)Ltd in Sri Lanka breathed his last on April 14th at the age of 81 in the USA. He passed away peacefully with his children and family members by his side on Friday April 14 just prior to noon EST in Fairfax, Virginia. [DBSJ]

Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada for Puthandu

Ottawa, Ontario
April 12, 2017
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement for Puthandu:

“Today, Tamils in Canada and around the world will welcome the New Year, known as Puthandu.

“On this occasion, families and friends will come together to feast, celebrate, and visit holy sites in a spirit of hope and optimism for the year to come. [http://pm.gc.ca/]

Lester James Peries, The Legendary Pioneer Of Authentic Sri Lankan Cinema

By
D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The doyen of Sinhala cinema celebrated his 98th birthday on 5 April 2017.

IF I were to pose the question “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the best Lankan filmmaker of them all?” to my personal magic mirror, the answer would be in three words – Lester James Peries! [DBSJ]

GMOA is Treating the Poor People of Sri Lanka as Expendable Civilians like the LTTE and ISIS

by Dr A.C.Visvalingam

Towards the end of its war to establish an independent state, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) did not allow civilians to move out of those areas from which it was attacking the Sri Lanka Army. It has been accused of deploying these hapless fellow citizens as human shields so as to discourage the security forces from firing in their direction or dropping bombs in their vicinity. The LTTE took advantage of the fact that the government was bound by its inherent obligations to its own people and in line with international humanitarian law. The net effect was that the LTTE treated the lives of the residents of the North as an expendable commodity in the prosecution of its political and military aims. [DBSJ]

Tamil Nationalist Politics and the Process of “Traitorization” in Sri Lanka

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Octogenarian leader of the opposition Rajavarothayam Sampanthan in a hard hitting Parliamentary speech made four weeks ago drew attention to the prevailing practice of persons being condemned as Traitors (Drohi/Thurogi) within the sphere of Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalist Politics. The Trincomalee district MP who is also the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader made specific reference to the recent attacks on TNA Jaffna district MP Mathiaparanam Abraham Sumanthiran by defeated political rivals. [DBSJ]

Tamils Have no Choice But to Accept Incremental Gains and Continuing to Engage With Sinhala Community

By
M.Sooriasegaran

The Constitution of Sri Lanka must fulfil the aspirations and needs of the Sinhalese, the Tamils, the Muslims, the Burghers and the Plantation Tamils in order to unify them.Unity in diversity should be the guiding principle. It needs to be inclusive, guaranteeing equal rights and opportunities to all Sri Lankans without any form or shape of discrimination. Only under these conditions Sri Lanka as country can prosper without conflicts and wars. Sinhala, Tamil and English must be made national and official languages.All religions i.e. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity must be equally recognized. Children in all schools in Sri Lanka must be taught all 4 religions and all three languages. [DBSJ]

The Crown Prince of Sri Lankan Politics who was Never Crowned as King

by
D.B.S. Jeyaraj

“Politics is a blood sport” was a famous saying by former Sri Lankan president Junius Richard Jayewardene. In the cut-throatish competitive world of Sri Lankan politics there have been many casualties who aspired to high office but failed to fulfil their ambition. Even people with powerful bloodlines in Sri Lanka’s dynastic political realm fell or were felled in this blood sport arena.One such striking political personality was Anura Bandaranaike who passed away nine years ago on March 16th 2008 [DBSJ]

Lost Her Arms in Shelling But Teaches Visual Basic Operating Computer With Her Toes

By
Meera Srinivasan

Few students in Vadamarachchi, part of Sri Lanka’s northern peninsula, had heard of Visual Basic until Sebastian Selvanayagi started offering a course in it at her modest computer centre. [DBSJ]

Current Hostility Between Police and Intelligence Agencies is Weakening Effort to Combat Overseas LTTE

By
D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Case No B 85/17 concerning the assassination attempt targeting Tamil National Alliance (TNA)Jaffna district MP Mathiaparanam Abraham Sumanthiran was taken up at the Kilinochchi courts before Kilinochchi district judge A. A. Anandarajah on February 27th 2017. Five former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) were again produced in courts as the chief suspects by the Police Terrorism Investigation Department(TID). The five ex-tigers are suspected of being involved in a plot instigatedmdevised and financed by overseas LTTE operatives to assassinate TNA parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran. [DBSJ]

Police Report Filed in Court States Definitely About Attempt to Assassinate MA Sumanthiran MP

By
Rajavarothayam Sampanthan

We want the country to be stable; we want the country to be calm. But, our people are complaining; our people are suffering. My Friend Mr. Sumanthiran has been accused of being traitorous by some Tamil Leaders who have been resoundingly rejected at the last Parliamentary Elections, some persons whose party polled around 15,000 votes. Mr. Sumanthiran got four times that number of votes in Jaffna.

I have got the particulars with me. That whole party did not poll 15,000 votes. Mr. Sumanthiran polled four times that vote by himself – preference votes. Today, he is being called a “traitor” because he is working with the Government. We look upon Mr. Sumanthiran as a very useful Member of Parliament performing valuable service on behalf of the people, and we want that to be recognized. But, he is being attacked. He is being attacked because these persons who were resoundingly rejected by the people in 2015 are using your failure to do what you must do by the people as the ground for attacking people like Mr. Sumanthiran and me and others too, even Mr. Senathirajah. [DBAJ]

Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) is Real Target of Orchestrated Protests in Kaeppaapilavu and Vavuniya

By P.K.Balachandran

Factionalism within the multi-party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has been at the root of the on-going agitations in Kepapilavu and Puthukudiyiruppu in Mullaitivu district and the just concluded stir on the issue of disappearances in Vavuniya, sources in the TNA told Express on Sunday.

The Vavuniya agitation was directed by the Eelam People Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) led by Suresh Premachandran and Sivasakthi Anandan against the current leaders of the TNA, especially M.A.Sumanthiran and Charles Nirmalanathan of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), and Selvam Adaikalanathan of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO). [DBSJ]

Many Attempts By Diaspora Tigers To Foment Violence In Sri Lanka

By
D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The ongoing investigation conducted by the Police Terrorism Investigation Department(TID) into the assassination plot targeting Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district MP Mathiaparanam Abraham Sumanthiran has unearthed more details about the conspiracy hatched by “tigerish” elements in the Global Tamil Diaspora. [DBSJ]

A succession battle engulfs the Indian state of Tamil Nadu

Two claimants fight for the mantle of the deceased chief minister

On the night of February 7th, however, OPS embraced the sort of melodrama he has so long eschewed. Sitting cross-legged before a flower-strewn memorial to Jayalalithaa, he spent 40 minutes in silent meditation, as television crews assembled and news alerts set smartphones bleeping.

Two claimants fight for the mantle of the deceased chief minister [The Economist]

Upali Wijewardene: Sri Lanka’s Beloved Home-Grown Tycoon

By
D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Upali Wijewardene known widely as Upali was arguably Sri Lanka’s first home-grown tycoon of the post – Independence years who captured the popular imagination of the people at large. The Island nation has produced several indigenous business magnates and industrialists of great repute but there was none quite like Upali Wijewardene. He interacted on a higher plane with transnational captains of industry and commerce on equal terms. Yet he retained the loyalty and affection of his employees and workers who simply adored him. More importantly the Sri Lankan masses despite being exposed to left -wing rhetoric for decades loved this high -profile capitalist.Upali was a beloved indigenous tycoon. [DBSJ]