Thuppahi's Blog

James Phelan  in USA **

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Colombo — The evening of 11th April 2026, marked the launch of Professor
Sivasubramanium Pathmanathan’s groundbreaking research, Glimpses of an Ancient
Civilization, Society and Culture in Jaffna 300 BC–AD 500. Distinguished academics,
legal luminaries, and members of civil society gathered at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel for an evening of celebration of the seminal new book. The event was graced by President’s Counsel Mr Kanag-Isvaran, who served as the Chief Guest and Dr J.M. Swaminathan, Dr B.A Hussainmiya and Dr Jehan Perera who participated as the distinguished speakers.

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Jehan Perera, reviewing the new book by Professor  Pathmanathan … entitled Glimpses of an Ancient Civilisation: Society and Culture in Jaffna (300 BC to AD 500)  SSSR Investments Pty Ltd, Australia, 2026 ,,,, 370 pp……

In reflecting on the work of Professor S. Pathmanathan, my mind goes back to the difficult years of war, when fear and mistrust had entered almost every sphere of national life. Those were times when it was easier, and often safer, to remain on one side than to reach across to the other. Yet what I remember most about him from those years is not only the depth of his scholarship, but the steadiness of his convictions and the generosity with which he engaged those who differed from him. At a time when history was often invoked to divide, he remained committed to using it to illuminate and connect. It is with that memory in mind that I read his latest work, Glimpses of an Ancient Civilization.

Pathmanathan- Glimpses of an Ancient Civilzation Book Cover

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Lauren Zitsch, in an article entitled “Mingalaba Myanmar! …Or is it Burma?”

Let me begin with a disclaimer (I’m a law student, after all):  Some of you may be wondering, as I did, how to appropriately refer to this country—Is it Burma or Myanmar? Technically, its official name is the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. In an effort to cut colonial ties, the military junta changed the country’s name from Burma to Myanmar in 1989. It also disposed of a number of city names including Rangoon (now Yangon) and Pagan (now Bagan). To this day, the name change is a politically contentious issue.

ETHNO-LINGUISTIC

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Colombo …. The evening of 11th April 2026, marked the launch of Professor Sivasubramanium Pathmanathan’s groundbreaking research, Glimpses of an Ancient Civilization, Society and Culture in Jaffna 300 BC–AD 500.

Distinguished academics, legal luminaries, and members of civil society gathered at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel for an evening of celebration of the seminal new book. The event was graced by President’s Counsel Mr Kanag-Isvaran, who served as the Chief Guest and Dr J.M. Swaminathan, Dr B.A Hussainmiya and Dr Jehan Perera who participated as the distinguished speakers.

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Desert Wanderer

Trump has posted an image of himself as Jesus Christ, and another of himself as the Pope.  He believes he is God’s messenger on Earth doing divine work when in fact he is the Anti-Christ.

Meanwhile a new lego music video called the “Hormuz Hustle” has emerged with better artwork than Dickhead Trump’s  presetation of self. Watch it at:  https://x.com/RyanRozbiani/status/2043526369854820442

                                       &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Michael Roberts

A recent exploration via statistical criteria of the best cricketers in recent centuries*** has drawn the meaningful note that we may be wandering into terrain that compares incomparables!! Errol Fernando has inserted this useful set of thoughts.

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Dr. B. A. Hussainmiya,  Text of a  book review talk delivered by Dr B. A. Hussainmiya during Professor Pathmanathan’s book release ceremony held at the Ivy Room at the Colombo Cinnamon Grande Hotel on the evening of 11 April 2026… with highlighting emphasis by the Editor, Thuppahi

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed scholars, and honoured guests,

It is both a privilege and a profound pleasure to stand before you today to reflect on a work of remarkable scholarly depth and significance—Glimpses of an Ancient Civilization: Society and Culture in Jaffna (300 BC – AD 500) by Emeritus Professor S. Pathmanathan.

This volume is not merely a book; it is the culmination of decades of meticulous research, intellectual discipline, and an unwavering commitment to uncovering a continuum the early history of the Tamil people. Spanning over 366 pages and enriched with an impressive array of archaeological illustrations—inscriptions, monuments, and numismatic evidence—it represents a landmark contribution to South Asian historiography. First published in Tamil in 2023 and now thoughtfully expanded in English, this edition brings new insights and a broader scholarly reach to an already foundational work.

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Michael Gleeson: “A Sprinting Golden Age Arrives on Seismic Weekend for Australian Athletics”

The national championships were supposed to be a showdown; they turned into a showcase. Gout Gout and Lachie Kennedy were supposed to go head-to-head; instead they went stride for stride, record for record. This isn’t a rivalry, it’s an era.

Gout is now the greatest junior of all time. His 19.67 seconds run on Sunday, when he became the first Australian ever to break 20s, gave him the record for the fastest man under the age of 20 the world has ever seen over 200 metres.

Australia had never had one person break 20; suddenly there were two. Not only did Gout become the first Australian to break 20 seconds in the 200m final, Aidan Murphy become the second. In the same race, Murphy ran 19.88s. And so an extra rivalry, or more importantly, an extra leg of a sprint relay team, also emerges.

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Desert Wanderer  … with  highlighting imposed by The  Editor, Thuppahi

SEE https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/04/08/ceasefire-deal-iran-us-israel-war-trump/ 

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