HITS !! Biographical Tales in Thuppahi VISITED Today 13 May 2026

Michael Roberts, venturing into the STATS in his Website to ascertain items that received HITS  one day in May ….. and discovering Items he did know to exist!

 

 

  • The Parsi’s of Sri Lanka: A Small but Vibrant Community
  • Beyond Imagination – Chandra Schaffter’s Life of Servi
  • Eduard Hempel Flourishes in Galle and Lanka
  • The “Colombo Bharathas”: A Merchant Community

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Stripping Rohan Gunaratna Like an Onion: Propaganda, Bias and the Singapore Nexus

Rohan Gunaratna’s recent security analysis presented in Thuppahi represents a deeply biased, methodologically flawed interpretation of contemporary global conflict. In pulling back the layers of a self-proclaimed independent academic, we can see his deep ties to the Singaporean university establishment and, by extension, the state security apparatus. Rather than offering an objective exercise in counterterrorism, his work functions as a calculated piece of state-aligned propaganda designed to advance a specific pro-Israeli and pro-Western ideological agenda. Gunaratna frames a new “third stream of terrorism”—allegedly driven by Iranian state-sponsored propaganda—by weaponizing isolated incidents, such as the 1 March 2026 mass shooting in Austin, Texas, perpetrated by Ndiaga Diagne. His proposed solution relies on heavy-handed state surveillance and the aggressive censorship of social media platforms by tech conglomerates. However, this thesis fundamentally misreads history, utilizes language as a weapon of propaganda, and operates within a closed geopolitical vacuum that ignores the structural architectures under which Gunaratna himself operates.

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Captains for Sri Lanka in Near Future: Rumour Mill

Hiran Hewavisenti in FB

The rumour mill is busy at work with DDS expected to retain the test captaincy and Kusal Mendis all but appointed to lead the two white ball squads – and lately, news that Kamindu Mendis is being considered as vice captain of the test and T20 sides. Which leaves the job of deputy of the ODI team pending, with Charith or Pathum being frontrunners to fill it?

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Remarkable ‘ASIDES’ When Dehil Capitals beat Punjab Kings

Michael Roberts

Yesterday’s IPL match, where the Delhi Capitals beat the Punjab Kings  in a high-scoring match with a tense finish, was remarkable in many ways.

A: …  with a No 9 batsman walking in and hitting a six and afour to secure a victory for the Delhi Capitala — his name being Auqib Jabi  [whose strike rate therefore notched 500!]

B: ,,,, with the losing side bowling as many as  17 wides and overreaching the winners who bowled ONLY 11 wides !! … SO THAT one can say that the losers “outwided the winners” !@#

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Gunaratna’s Conservative, Pro-American Reading of Today’s Political Confrontations

Rohan Gunaratna, whose chosen title is “The New Global Wave of Terrorism”

Introduction

Today, the world is influenced by the heightened threat environment in the Middle East. In the past, the global terrorism environment was largely influenced and shaped by propaganda disseminated by affiliates of Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. In addition to the continuing threat by Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, the threat today is shaped by another hostile actor – Iran.

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Indrani Perera: Captivating Lankan Cricketing Personnel ….

An  Item in  Facebook from Roshan Abeysinghe ….. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JLGYX1wiP/

We were honoured to meet this great lady with one of the most beautiful voices one could imagine! Indrani Perera in the three sisters group and then as a solo singer was always a favourite of ours. Her song ” Amma” made me emotional and reduced me to tears every time I heard it on the digital platforms. Today on a day dedicated to a mother to have her perform in person with her son at the People’s Church, the very song Amma made me even more emotional. Was so happy to meet her.

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Analysing Jaffna’s Ancient Civilization

Dr Rajiva Wijesinha, reviewing a book by Prof S Pathmanathan, in an essay entitled  “Glimpses of an Ancient Civilization Society and Culture in Jaffna (300 BC –AD 500)”

It was an honour to have been asked last month to the launch of this impressive tome by a former colleague, Prof Pathmanathan. Indeed I think of him as an old friend, for he had been Vice-Chairman of the University Grants Commission while I was in charge of the pre-University General English Language Training Course.

He had been at Peradeniya during my brief tenure there and, though I could not remember him very well, he and the Chairman first appointed by Prof Kumaratunga, treated me as a great ally. They had been part of the opposition to the partisan establishment of my time there, represented most horrendously by Kingsley de Silva, and so they had been delighted when I resigned my position over the deprivation of Mrs Bandaranaike’s Civic Rights.

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The Provoked Crisis: Operation Epic Fury and the Myth of Iranian Initiation

Desert Wanderer, …. in A Critique of  Dr Harold Goonetileka’s Essay “Geopolitical Ramifications …”

Michael, thanks for sharing that piece. After reading through it, I find that it fundamentally misses the forest for the trees by failing to explain the true causes of the conflict or recognizing that the Strait of Hormuz was open and free before the current crisis. The text ignores the reality that the United States initiated this war on 28 February 2026 with Operation Epic Fury, a move that directly led to the closure of the Strait. By omitting the central roles of Israel and the US, the piece reflects a significant pro-Western bias by omission, and its main claim—that Iran is inflicting suffering on its own people to the point of collapse—simply is not supported by current evidence.

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A Timeless Love in a Changing World: MOTHERS Then and Now

Riyaz Aluher

Motherhood has never changed in its essence. A mother’s love, sacrifice, care, and silent strength remain the same across generations. What has changed is the world around her. As society evolves, the role of a mother too has adapted to meet new realities, new responsibilities, and new expectations.

Side view close-up of pregnant woman touching her belly. Pregnancy health & wellbeing concept.

The mothers of yesterday lived in a simpler world, yet their lives were far from easy. Many dedicated themselves entirely to their homes and children, often placing their own dreams aside without complaint. They woke up before everyone else and slept after everyone else. They managed households with limited resources, raised children with discipline and values, and carried enormous emotional strength in silence. Their parenting came through personal attention, storytelling, family bonding, and deep human connection. Children spent more time around their parents, and mothers became the first teachers of life, culture, religion, and manners.

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Sir David Attenborough reaches 100th Year … & Receives Soiled Message From King Charles

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/ce3pqvdl1zlo

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-09/david-attenborough-turns-100-as-friend-pays-tribute/106655770 Continue reading

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