Commemorating Thileepan: Political Capital TODAY …..

Shamindra Ferdinando, in The ISLAND, 23 September 2026, where the title reads “Thileepan’s fast unto death: An authentic narrative that many missed”

The controversial commemoration will continue till 26 September, 2026. The SLPP led the attack against the backdrop of accusations that the former ruling party promoted the LTTE ideology, by accommodating maverick Jaffna District Independent lawmaker Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna, a truly qualified medical doctor on its political platform. Dr. Archchuna also never shies away from calling a spade a spade, irrespective of any consequences.

Almost four decades after his death, controversy still surrounds the circumstances leading to the former Jaffna Hindu College student, and Jaffna University undergraduate, launching the fast unto death.

MY Apologies  … All the PHOTOs are on strike !!!

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A Lament ….. Sri Lanka’s Cricketing Shambles Today

Hiran Hewavisenti…..in FACEBOOK ….https://www.facebook.com/

Matters of the cricketing mind🇱🇰

Sri Lankan cricket – which is a passion for some and a religion for others like yours truly – is in shambles. It can’t be anything else when our highest ranking across the three formats is No. 7. Emulating our world champion teams of 1996 and 2014 has thus become a distant dream… because those who have run the show paid lip service to a golden rule of nurturing talent, which we’ve had – and still have – in abundance.

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False Hopes For Sri Lanka …..

Darshanie Ratnawalli, whose title reads“The Illusion of Recovery: The Three Fault Lines Threatening Sri Lanka’s Future,”  cast in September 2026

Introduction
The official narrative surrounding Sri Lanka’s economic recovery is optimistic and up-beat. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has repeatedly assured the public that the nation, which faced catastrophic bankruptcy in 2022, is finally entering "safe waters." This political optimism is backed by data from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL [1]), which projects an annual economic growth rate of approximately 5%, bolstered by the country’s recent structural upgrade to “middle-income” status. On paper, the macroeconomic indicators suggest a remarkable turnaround.

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Galle Fort and Environs in Rare Historical Shots

SENT To Me by Dr Yassus de Silva of Richmond College now in UK

https://share.google/NcN9N2y73syF2Nptb

also see GALLE AS QUIET AS ASLEEP….

book by Norah Roberts
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A Confusing Supreme Court Judgement in Sri Lanka

Darshanie Ratnawalli

One of the most unclear and unconvincing aspects of the recent five bench judgement on the 22nd amendment to the Constitution, presided over by CJ Surasena has to do with how it has interpreted an obiter dictum statement from a previous Supreme Court judgment given in 2022.
 Here’s that statement which, while not binding coz it’s obiter, is certainty persuasive because it was made by an illustrious bench comprising Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Murdu N.B. Fernando and Janak De Silva.
👇👇👇
// “Any Constitutional amendment to the retirement age or the period of office impacting on incumbent judges, whether directly or indirectly, will impinge on the independence of the judiciary and violative of Article 3 which requires a Referendum.” //

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Academia Analytics Report on Visits to Thuppahi ???

30-day Views

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Forging An Inclusive Sri Lankaness in Today’s World

Professor Sasanka Perera. in The Island, 30 August 2026 where the title reads “Why Sri Lanka needs an Inclusive Civic Nationalism – urgently”

The frenzied online actions of thousands of Sri Lankans responding to the Canadian actress, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, calling herself an Eelam Tamil and opting not to identify herself with Sri Lanka has gone viral.  Many of these were ‘Sinhalas’ from the country and the diaspora. An equal number of people spoke in support of the actress too, most being diasporic and local Tamils. Much of the latter was driven by a sense of online-Eelam nationalism. The liberal-woke types from Lanka claimed the Canadian actress as our own despite Ramakrishnan having made it very clear she does not want to be identified as such.  The first two of these expressions are clear examples of ways in which nationalism should not manifest, usually as a divisive and exclusionary force. The liberal third expression is simply silly, irrelevant and sad. This said, I have never considered nationalism as useless or dangerous if it can be intelligently and inclusively fashioned to serve the nation. This is very different from my friends in the Sri Lankan Left, who have generally rejected all forms of nationalism.

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A Profound Scholar & Friend: Gerald H Peiris, RIP

Michael Roberts

Gerald H. Peiris and I go back a long way. When I entered Peradeniya University in 1957 …. [://thuppahis.com/2023/08/10/study-fellowship-sport-at-peradeniya-campus-1956-60/], Gerry was in the same hall, namely Ramanathan Hall; and we happened to be seated at the same dining room-table to which I was assigned as a Fresher …. With Mano Ranjan, Mohan G and as sharp-witted and lively bunch of seniors as one could dream of.

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Deciphering the Peoples of Sri Lanka …. Over TIME ….

ASIFF HUSSEIN’s Pathbreaking Investigation … entitled “Zeylanica. A Study of the Peoples and Languages of Sri Lanka” …..  A comprehensive study of the origins of the peoples and languages of Sri Lanka.

The author has employed a multi-disciplinary approach in this work to trace the origins of the races which have made Sri Lanka their home over the centuries and millennia, adducing evidence from historical geography, physical anthropology, archaeology, linguistics and even the exciting new science of genetics.The ethnic groups covered in this survey include both the major communities as well as minor groups who have made Sri Lanka their home over the centuries including the Veddahs, Sinhalese, Tamils, Moors, Malays, Memons, Portuguese and Dutch Burghers, Kaffirs and Ahikuntaka.

 

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“Pacha Kathaaaa …” …. From Peradeniya Campus in Lanka

Thalif Deen, in ,…,  whose preferred title is  “The lighter side of life at the Peradeniya campus”

The university campus at Peradeniya has long been a community of closed living. Going back to the 1950s and 60s, the university had its own social life, its own sense of values, its own medium of conversation, and most importantly, its own anecdotes and legendary stories—both on and off-campus.

When we graduated after a three- or four-year stint, some of us left behind a trail of sweet memories, broken hearts—and unpaid canteen bills.

The university entrance exam was one of the toughest. If you were in the field of liberal arts, the four most popular subjects were European History, Ceylon History, Government and English.

Sketch generated by Microsoft Copilot (AI), 2025.

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