Thuppahi's Blog

Sanjeewa Jayaweera, whose Vale is entitled “The day my father climbed a tree to watch Sir Garfield Sobers bat – The Island”

Picture depicting Sir Garfield coming out to bat at the Sara Oval

He was forty years old, a respected public servant, and the father of four children at the time. Yet, when he discovered that tickets for the third day’s play of the West Indies versus Ceylon match at the P. Sara Oval had sold out, he accepted the offer of a group of younger spectators to help him climb a tree overlooking the ground so that he could watch his hero perched on a branch. (cf . the PIX  in Roberts: Incursions & Excursions in …. SL Cricket, 2011, which presents a stunning photo of the crowd under and within the trees of the  Colombo Oval watching the Aussies on 30 March 1938).

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PZSceIao53PaSbqIdlY4IRa9Z7mkJG3D/view

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Dr. Chamila S. Talagala ... with highlighting imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

For some time now, I have been recording my thoughts on matters that I have encountered along the way. But I have also felt that, perhaps, it is time to record something more personal, some of my own experiences. Whether they will be of interest to anyone who happens to read them, if indeed anyone does, I leave to the reader.

This is about a place that occupies a rather special corner of my life, my alma mater, Ananda College, Colombo.

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Dylan Wave, … …. seconded by Riyaz Aluher

Michael Roberts began his academic journey at the University of Peradeniya where he studied history and the social sciences His early research focused on agriculture economic history and political thought Yet the deeper he looked into Sri Lanka’s past the more he realized that history was not only about governments and policies It was also about ordinary people their communities and the forces that shaped their lives.

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Charles Suamarez Smith: “Sir Christopher Ondaatje obituary,” in The Guardian, 7 August 2026,

By 1988, the businessman Christopher Ondaatje had made a great deal of money as a publisher and stockbroker on the Canadian stock exchange. As he later described it to Sue Lawley on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs in 2002, while on holiday in Tanzania he decided to give up his business interests and devote himself to “having fun” – travelling, writing, spending time with his family, and giving large chunks of his wealth away.

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Michael Roberts …. presenting a CV compiled about ten years back in response to a personal request, while directed by the fact that he is about to enter the 90s in age

A young scholar recently sought information on my career and publications. As I enter the last atage of my life, it may be useful to look at my publications. My memory is full of holes now and I was/am surprised by a few items in the list.

Let me encourage readers to read specific essays and to provide critical readings in the light of events and processes subsequent to the specific date of publication. The flow of time and events does provide commentary on readings.

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Michael Roberts 

I came across a high-class paperback booklet of photographs in Black & White produced by The British Council, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2000 (95 pp) in my stock. Running to 95 pages it has six sections, viz …. PREFACE ………. NINETEENTH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHY IN CEYLON ..…. …..  NINETEENTH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES ……….. PLATES   …….. ILLUSTRATED LIST OF WORKS ,,,,, ………. BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF NINETEENTH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS IN CEYLON

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Saroja Wettasinghe: VALE ….. Mr. G.P.S.H de Silva (1933-2026)

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Daya Somasundaram

Individuals, families, and communities in Sri Lanka, particularly in the North and East, have undergone 30 years of war trauma including displacement, injury, detention, torture, and the loss of family, homes, employment, and livelihoods. In addition to the increase in individual mental health problems, the protracted conflict has had a significant impact on family dynamics and community structures.
Our studies found dysfunctional families with a higher proportion of members with suicidal thoughts, mental health issues, alcohol and drug abuse, poor income, lack of essential facilities & dissatisfaction with family life. Over the course of the war, social capital had eroded; collective efficacy & institutional trust had weakened.

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VERITE RESEARCH in  Colombo, Item entitled “Power on Parade: Government Keeps Kavadi on the  Road”

Over the past week, Sinhala media focused on reported security concerns surrounding the kavadi segment of the 769^th annual Esala Maha Perahera (procession) of the Uthpalawanna Sri Vishnu Maha Devalaya in Devinuwara (also known as Dondra in the Matara District)—see box for explanation of kavadi. The issue gained traction across the Sinhala press, television and social media. Social media narratives and conversations were monitored and analysed using specialised digital tracking tools.[1]

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