Bishop Rayappu Joseph was the Voice of the Voiceless Who Spoke Truth to Power

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”. These words written by St. Paul in his epistle to Timothy (2.Timothy 4.7) are a fitting epitaph to the life and service of former Catholic Bishop of Mannar, the Most Rev. Rayappu Joseph whose 85th birth anniversary was on April 16 this year.

Should Sri Lanka not Arrest Tamil Nadu Fishermen Poaching in Northern Waters?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s week-end visit to Sri Lanka proved to be quite a success according to print and electronic media reports. The highlights of the two-day trip from Friday 4 April to Sunday 6 April were the signing of a Memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation that recognised the inter-linked nature of national security of both countries and the conferment of the ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana’ award upon the Indian P

‘‘Corona’’Karuna: The Chequered History of an Eastern Warlord

Former Eastern regional commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is very much in the news again. Muralitharan, whose nom de guerre in the LTTE was “Karuna”, is among four Sri Lankans sanctioned last week by the United Kingdom (UK) for alleged human rights violations and abuses committed during the civil war.

March 1965 Elections, Dudley-Chelva Pact and the “Hath Haula” National Govt.

The Parliamentary election held on March 22, 1965 was an important turning point in the post-independence history of Sri Lanka known as Ceylon then.

Will The Jvp-Led Npp Do Well In The Jaffna Local Authority Elections?

“The national people’s power will win all 17 local authorities in the Jaffna district and form administrations” was the confident assertion of Ramalingam Chandrasekar in Jaffna on Thursday (Mar 13).

Gamini Fonseka was an artistically acclaimed, commercially valued actor

Gamini Fonseka has been my favourite Sinhala film actor since childhood. Gamini entered my life when I was about eight years old.

Virakesari’s ‘News King’ Sellathurai was the doyen of Jaffna journalists

Sri Lanka, known earlier as Ceylon, has produced many journalists of a high calibre in the past. These excellent scribes writing for Sinhala, Tamil or English newspapers acquired a large readership and made their mark over the years. Some were bi-lingual too.

Was Ganemulla Sanjeewa involved in a Plot to Murder M.A. Sumanthiran?

Notorious drug trafficker and criminal gang leader Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne known as ‘Ganemulla Sanjeewa,’ was shot dead in the No. 5 Magistrate’s Court within the Hulftsdorp Court Complex this week. The suspected assassin was arrested in the Paalaavi area of Puttalam. It was announced first that the arrested person was 34-year-old Mohamed Azman Sherifdeen. Subsequently Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala disclosed that the suspected kil

Singing the National Anthem in Tamil is Being Sri Lankan and Being Tamil

The first part of this article published last week briefly outlined the history of Sri Lanka’s national anthem being sung in Tamil. In this second and final part, the focus would be on the regress and progress of the national anthem rendition in Tamil over the years. As stated earlier the Tamil national anthem issue is in a sense symptomatic of the escalating ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka.

“Sri Lanka Thaayae”: History of the National Anthem Being Sung In Tamil

Sri Lanka celebrated seventy-seven years of gaining independence from British rule last Tuesday (Feb 4).

Senior ITAK Leader “Maavai” Senathirajah was a Symbol of Tamil Political Resistance

Veteran Tamil political leader Somasundaram Senathirajah popularly known as “Maavai” Senathirajah breathed his last on 29 January 2025.

“Col” Kittu, comrades kill themselves to prevent capture by Indian Navy

The life and times of former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) military chief for Jaffna district, Sathasivampillai Krishnakumar, has been the focus of this extended article.

How Tiger ‘Col’ Kittu lost a leg when a bomb was thrown at him in Jaffna

Former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Jaffna District Commander Sathasivamillai Krishnakumar alias ‘Col’ Kittu was regarded as the uncrowned king of Jaffna in the mid-eighties of the twentieth century.

How Tiger “Col” Kittu Disappointed Vijaya Kumaratunga and Deceived Lalith Athulathmudali

In the first part of this article on Sathasivampillai Krishnakumar alias “Col” Kittu published last week in the “Daily Mirror”, I had written about my interviewing the LTTE Jaffna district commander for the Indian news magazine, “Frontline” in November 1986. It was at that time the first conversation with Kittu published in an English journal.

Life and Times of LTTE’s Ex-Jaffna Commander “Col” Kittu

Nowadays the 33 year long war between the armed forces of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is slowly receding into memory. The LTTE,

The JVP-led NPP Govt.’s Envisaged Constitution and the 13th Amendment

Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has successfully concluded his first state visit to India from December 15 to 17. The optics of the three day visit to New Delhi has been hailed positively. President Dissanayake known popularly as AKD is the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna as well as the JVP-led National People’s Power (NPP).

Is ‘the Writing on the Wall’ for the 13th Constitutional Amendment?

“The Writing on the Wall” is a figurative expression derived from the story of Daniel in the old testament of the Bible.

LTTE Political Strategist Anton Balasingham: A Personal Account.

The current controversy surrounding Speaker Ashoka Sapumal Ranwala’s higher educational qualifications evoke memories of an earlier controversy of a similar nature concerning a prominent person associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE).

Premier Tamil party ITAK is on top in Batticaloa but down in Jaffna

“Mata Allanda Bariwune,Madakkalappuwa vitharai” (I was unable to capture only Batticaloa) were the words with which President Anura Kumara Dissanayake smilingly greeted “Mattakkalappu” MP Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam in Parliament on November 21. The president was mingling with the parliamentarians at the inaugural session of the tenth parliament. Anura was of course alluding to the November 14 parliamentary election in which the AKD

Jaffna victory is the prized jewel in NPP electoral crown

The Anura “Alai” or wave that engulfed the Tamil nationalist stronghold of Jaffna was the focus of this column published last week.

Anura “Alai”(Wave) Engulfs Tamil Nationalist Stronghold of Jaffna

The National People’s Power (NPP) known in Sinhala as Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB) and Theseeya Makkal Sakthi (TMS) in Tamil has recorded a historic victory in the Parliamentary elections held on 14 November 2024.

How AKD won the presidency in a fourteen fold quantum leap

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the National People’s Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake contested the 2019 presidential election under the compass symbol.

How Anura Scented the Sweet Smell of Success in 2024 Presidential Race

The Presidential election of November 2019 and the Parliamentary elections of August 2020 proved to be huge disappointments to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and its leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD).

Anura Dissanayake and the Formation of the National People’s Power

This is the fourth part of an extended article focusing on Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. In the first part of this article, the early years of Anura’s eventful life were delved into in some detail. In the second part, AKD’s steady growth as a political leader within the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was related to some extent. In the third part, Anura’s rise to the leadership position of the JVP was recounted.

When “Comrade”Anura Became the Fifth JVP Leader in 2014

The year was 1969. A 31-year-old mother sought the services of a prominent astrologer to draw up the horoscope of her six-month-old son.

Anura Kumara’s Ascendancy Within the JVP and Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s newly elected ninth Executive President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) continues to be the focus of this column. In the first part of this article published last week, the early years of Anura’s eventful life were delved into in some detail. In this week’s second part, AKD’s steady rise as a political leader within the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) will be related to some extent.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake; “Leftist” Star Rises Over Sri Lanka

The heading of this article is inspired by the title of Edgar Snow’s book, “Red Star Over China”.

Weaponising Non-Violence: Tiger Leader Thileepan’s Fast Unto Death

September 26th is of particular significance to a substantial number of Sri Lankan Tamils. For it was on this day in 1987 that a senior member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thileepan died in Nallur after undertaking a fast unto death.

Why Ranil is so Confident of Winning the Presidential Election

Sri Lanka’s ninth presidential election will take place one week from now on 21 September 2024. Among the 38 contestants, three are regarded as the top contenders.

Who will get the bulk of Tamil votes in the 2024 Presidential Poll?

The Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) regarded as the premier political party of the Sri Lankan Tamils has declare its support for Samagi Jana Sandhanaya (SJS) leader Sajith Premadasa in the Presidential election scheduled on 21 September 2024.