MGR: From Tamil Film Hero to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister

The recent announcement by Tamil Cinema Superstar Rajinikanth that he would be forming a political party to contest all 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly at the forthcoming May 2021 elections, has led to much speculation and excitement.

LTTE Political Strategist Anton Stanislaus Balasingham

Anton Stanislaus Balasingham the political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and political adviser to Tiger leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran died 14 years ago in his South London residence.

Gotabaya Govt’s pre-emptive strike against LTTE Maaveerar Naal

November 27th 1989 was the day on which the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) first observed its annual “Maaveerar Naal” or Great Heroes Day (GHD). The LTTE and its leader Veluppillai Prabakharan are no more after the military defeat of the tigers in May 2009.

US Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris’s Key Sri Lankan Tamil Aide

An overwhelming feeling of relief has descended upon the world-not merely the US- after the Presidential elections of the United States of America ended.

How the SLAF killed the LTTE’s “Smiling Cobra” in an air strike

More than eleven years have passed since the war between the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organisation concluded.

Killing of Premachandra and conviction of Duminda Silva

The Government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa achieved a significant victory last week when the 20th Constitutional Amendment was passed in Parliament with 156 MP’s voting in support and 65 Voting against.

From JR’s 2nd Amendment to Gota’s 20th Amendment

How C.P. de Silva voted against the “Totalitarianism” of his own Government

Charles Percival de Silva known as C.P. de Silva or CP was a mercurial personality who strode across the Sri Lankan - known then as Ceylon- political scene like a colossus.

Murder most foul

Sixty-one years ago on September 25, 1959 Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (SWRDB) the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka known as Ceylon then was shot and seriously wounded by a Buddhist monk. Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike succumbed to his injuries and passed away the following day. Therefore September 26, 1959 got etched as an important date in the post-independence history annals of Sri Lanka.

Internal strife within ITAK takes disturbing turn

The “Mathiya Seyal Kuzhu” (central working committee) of the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) also known as the Federal Party will be meeting today (Aug 29) in Vavuniya. The committee is generally referred to as “Mathiya Kuzhu”(Central committee). The Central Working committee is the key representative body of the ITAK. It comprises representatives elected by each district as well as ex-officio members. The ITAK is the premier political party

Future course of defeated ITAK leader “Maavai” Senathirajah

The recently concluded Sri Lankan parliamentary election resulted in the defeat of several veteran politicians.

Did Sumanthiran Win In Jaffna By “Stealing” Sashikala’s Votes?

The one-word answer to the question “Did M. A. Sumanthiran of the Tamil National Alliance win in the Jaffna Electoral district by “stealing” the preference votes cast for another TNA candidate Ms. Sashikala Raviraj?

TNA suffers electoral setback in North and East polls

The long awaited 2020 Parliamentary Elections has concluded with a 71% voter turn out despite the difficulties imposed by the COVID -19 Pandemic threat. Appropriate health procedures were followed by the authorities with enthusiastic cooperation of the people.

TNA Must Seek India’s Help To Protect 13th Amendment

The Rajapaksa regime is all out to get a two-thirds majority in parliament through the forthcoming elections on August 5. The avowed objective of such a steam-roller majority is to promulgate a new Constitution or enact Constitutional amendments unilaterally.

CWC, Jeevan Thondaman and Nuwara- Eliya Tamils

The hills of Nuwara Eliya are vibrantly alive with the hectic sounds of parliamentary electioneering! Nuwara Eliya district with its picturesque landscape and salubrious climate elects eight members in the 225 member parliament of Sri Lanka. 577,717 registered voters in the district are eligible to cast their ballots at the forthcoming elections scheduled for August 5.

Comrade Shan and the Tamil Militant Armed Struggle

The China of today is vastly different to the China that I knew of in my younger days.

“Col” Karuna’s Eastern Tiger Revolt Against LTTE Chief Prabhakaran.

inayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias “Karuna Amman” a.k.a. “Col” Karuna has got himself into hot water by shooting his mouth off at an election meeting in the East. Currently Karuna Ammaan is the chief candidate on the Amparai District list of the ‘AhilaIlankai Thamizh Maha Sabha’ (All Ceylon Greater Tamil Council). With an intense election campaign being conducted, political party speakers and propagandists are engaged in banter and riposte with ea

Plot within TNA targeting party spokesman Sumanthiran

Mathiaparanan Abraham Sumanthiran was in the eye of a raging political storm some weeks ago due to a YouTube interview given by the 56-year-old President’s Counsel cum politician to the ‘Truth with Chamuditha’ show.

When Thondaman clashed with MR…

Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) leader and Cabinet Minister of Livestock and Rural Community Development, SaumiyamoorthyArumugam Ramanathan Thondaman died of a cardiac arrest on May 26.

Did the Tigers form TNA in 2001?

Former Jaffna District Parliamentarian and Spokesperson of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Illankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), Mathiaparanan Abraham Sumanthiran is currently in the eye of a political storm. The YouTube interview given by the 56-year-old President’s Counsel cum politician to the “Truth with Chamuditha” show conducted by senior journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrama is the reported cause of the controversy.

Will President Gazette a Fresh Date For Convening a ‘New’ Parliament If Elections Are Postponed Again?

The Elections Commission has scheduled June 20 as the new date for the postponed election of April 25. Eight Fundamental Rights petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court regarding the holding of elections on June 20.

Politics of Postponing Parliamentary Elections Amid a Pandemic

The world including Sri Lanka is undergoing a pandemic crisis of colossal proportions. The Island nation however is in double jeopardy as it is in the grip of two crises simultaneously.

Despite Covid-19, can Sri Lanka conduct safe elections like South Korea?

Sri Lanka’s Election Commission, comprising former Commissioner of Elections Mahinda Deshapriya, retired Legal Draftsman Nalin Abeyesekera PC and Ex-Jaffna.....

’’We must abandon the idea of elections anytime soon’’- Sumanthiran

Former Jaffna District Parliamentarian and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Spokesman M. A. Sumanthiran PC engaged in an informative conversation with the “Daily Mirror”...

How Will the TNA fare at Parliamentary Election?

The deadline for the 2020 Parliamentary Elections nominations scheduled for April 25 ended at noon on Thursday, March 19th

Ranasinghe Premadasa’s “Citizen’s Front” revolt in UNP

“Gedara Hitiya Rosa Kekula Rosa, Rosa” was the opening line of a lilting Baila song in Sinhala that was hugely popular in the seventies of the last century.

Arrest, detention and release of ‘Tiger Twelve’ in Malaysia

In October last year, twelve Malaysian nationals of Tamil origin were arrested by the Malaysian Police over suspected links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and alleged involvement in terrorist activity.

SL’s Chinese connection and Pompeo’s designation of Shavendra Silva

“May you live in interesting times” is a saying that is believed to be an ancient Chinese curse. Many writers and speakers often use this expression or phrase and attribute Chinese origins to it. In spite of the widely-held belief about Chinese links, recent studies by etymologist scholars and linguistic researchers have revealed that there is no evidence of this saying having a Chinese origin.

Charismatic actor-politician may have changed the nation’s destiny

The political landscape of Sri Lanka seems gloomy and desolate. Most of the actors who strut about the political stage posing as visionaries and leaders are in actuality empty vessels devoid of substance. Proverbial wisdom tells us empty vessels make most sound.

Tamils want to sing national anthem in their mother tongue

This is my third and final column in the trilogy of articles about the singing of Sri Lanka’s national anthem in Sinhala and Tamil languages. I would have very much liked to write about hot topics like Ranjan Ramanayake’s voice recordings or President Gotabaya’s policy speech or internal troubles of the UNP,