“Taraki” Sivaram: From Gun Toting Militant to Pen Wielding Journalist

The tenth death anniversary  of  well-known columnist  D.P. Sivaram  who wrote under the  pseudonym  of “Taraki” falls this week.

The“Weeping Widow” who became World’s First Woman PM

Friday April 17th was the 99th birth anniversary of Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike who created history as  the world’s first woman Prime Minister. The 55th anniversary of her  being appointed as the then Ceylon’s Premier falls on.....

History of Sri Lanka’s National Anthem mired in controversy

A very effective message regarding the contentious  issue of the National Anthem being sung in Tamil was...

Singing the National Anthem in Tamil Hailing “Mother Lanka” as “Sri Lanka Thaaye”

Once upon a time there was a Beautiful Island with wonderful people  that  was  regarded as God’s own country.

Recurring Phenomenon of “Traitorization” in Tamil Nationalist Politics

The phenomenon of “Traitorization” in Tamil Nationalist Politics has raised its ugly head again.

Imperative Need to Support Tamil Moderates in the Struggle Against Extremists

The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) was formed in 1949 by a dissident faction....

Tamil “Extremists” target Sampanthan and Sumanthiran of the TNA as “Traitors”

Tamil National Alliance(TNA) leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan MP and TNA ...

FSP leader Kumar Gunaratnam fought a Guerilla war against the Indian army

Leading Politbureau member of Frontline Socialist Party(FSP) Kumar Gunaratnam....

How Sri Lankans United Briefly After the 2004 Tsunami

Ten years ago on December 26, 2004 a series of giant  tsunami waves engulfed the coasts  and littoral  areas  in different parts of Sri Lanka.

How C.P. de Silva Crossed Over With 13 MP’s From SLFP Governmenton Dec 3rd 1964

Fifty years ago on December 3rd 1964 ,Charles Percival de Silva the Minister of Land, Irrigation and Power in the SLFP-LSSP Coalition Government of Prime Minister  Sirima Bandaranaike...

CP de Silva’s crossover in 1964 and that of Maithripala Sirisena in 2014

The spectacular  crossover of Senior Minister  Pallewatte Gamaralalage Maithripala Yapa Sirisena  from the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government  headed by Mahinda Rajapaksa...

Life and Times of Tiger Supremo Veluppillai Prabhakaran

If Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Thiruvengadam Veluppillai Prabhakaran was alive now, he would have celebrated his  60th birth anniversary on November 26th.

JVP Leader and Revolutionary Rohana Wijeweera’s demise 25 years ago

Patabendi Don Nandasiri Wijeweera  known to the world at large as Rohana Wijeweera  was killed twenty five years ago on November 13,1989.The  revolutionary leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) or the Peoples Liberation Front was 49 years old at the time of his death. 

LTTE-enforced boycott lost Ranil the presidency in 2005

Karl Marx expanded famously  on  Friedrich Hegel’s remark about “history”occurring twice and stated that history  repeats  firstly as tragedy and secondly as farce.

Slaying of Kingsley Rasanayagam by LTTE ten years ago

The assortment of political parties  known as the Tamil National Alliance(TNA) is regarded as the premier  political configuration representing the Sri Lankan Tamils in Parliament, ....

Phenomenal influence of cinema on politics in India’s Tamil Nadu state

The  South Indian state of Tamil Nadu has been ruled alternately by two “Dravidian” political parties since 1967.

The incident that rocked Ceylon 55 Years Ago The Assassination of Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranai

The  three-decade period of intense conflict from 1983 to 2009  has resulted in  hundreds of political assassinations in Sri Lanka.

Why Narendra Modi insists on 13th Amendment for Sri Lanka

Astute observers following the erratic course of Sri Lankan Tamil politics were in for a pleasant surprise last week. The premier political representatives of the Sri Lankan Tamil people, configured .......

Five years after the capture of Ex-LTTE Chief KP Malaysia

It was five years ago on August 5th 2009 that Selvarasah Pathmanathan alias “KP” the chief of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)was captured in Malaysia...

Attempt to absolve LTTE In the aftermath of Amirthalingam assassination

An official delegation representing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) was engaged in negotiations with the Government of President Ranasinghe Premadasa in Colombo when Former Leader of the opposition Appapillai Amirthalingam and his colleague Vettivelu Yogeswaran were assassinated by a............

Tamil Leader Appapillai Amirthalingam’s assassination by the LTTE 25 Years Ago

July 13, 1989 was the date on which the well-known Sri Lankan Tamil leader Appapillai Amirthalingam was assassinated  by the LTTE.The former leader of the Opposition was a national list MP of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) at the time he was gunned down in Colombo.

BIRTH AND GROWTH OF NEXUS BETWEEN THE TNA AND THE LTTE

The suggestion made  in this column last week that the Tamil National Alliance(TNA)should promote truth, accountability and reconciliation by  taking the lead in presenting evidence before the investigation to be  conducted by the UN.......

TNA must take lead in presenting evidence about ltte violations at the un probe

Out going UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Navanetham Pillay known as Navi. Pillay has presented a “fait accompli” as her parting gift to an unreceptive Sri Lanka After weeks of speculation and expectation the UN Human rights chief has formally announced the setting up of an investigative panel to...........

‘Imbulgoda Veeraya’ with us no more

SD Bandaranayake,one of Sri Lanka’s  colourful political personalities passed away on June 3, 2014 at the ripe old age of 97. The funeral of the man who represented the Gampaha Constituency for thirty years in Parliament will be conducted on Saturday June 7 at the......

Lankan Defence Officials elated

It was in April this year that this column  exclusively reported for the “Daily Mirror” about how Subramaniam Kapilan alias Nanthagopan had been deported on March 6, 2014 to Sri Lanka from Malaysia with the assistance of law enforcement authorities in Iran and Malaysia.

Comrade Bala Tampoe - Trade Union Firebrand

May 23 was the 92nd birthday of Sri Lanka’s unique trade union leader Philips Balendra Tampoe known generally as Bala Tampoe. Bala or comrade Bala as he was popularly called has been at the helm of the Ceylon......

ATTEMPT TO REVIVE THE LTTE Aborted

The arrest and detention of Jeyakumari Balendra resulted in a huge outcry strongly critical of the Government. The fact that Jeyakumari and her daughter were well-known participants in protest demonstrations placed the arrest in a negative light.

Thwarting an attempt to revive the LTTE in North

Preliminary information gleaned by the Police in Pallai from 34-year-old Kumarasingham Kulasankar alias Muhunthan and 28-year-old Augustine Gnanaseelan alias Gnana revealed vague details of a plot to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)......

Third abortive Diaspora-backed attempt to revive the LTTE

{jcomments off}“Mazhai Nindraalum Thooral Nitkavillai”is a saying in Tamil meaning Though the rain has ceased the drizzle is not over.

AN ABORTIVE ATTEMPT TO REVIVE THE LTTE

The traditional April new year named ‘Jaya’ or Victory dawned on a positive note this year for Sri Lanka. A massive security operation launched by the Sri Lankan armed forces had resulted in the deaths......