Michael Roberts
Because my sister Estelle’s birthday fell in early May, I visited Sri Lanka from late April 2009 to circa July 2009 when the Sri Lankan armed forces were on the verge of overcoming the LTTE and its Eelam struggle. It so happened that the journalist representing the important Tamilnadu publishers of The Hindu and Frontline was none other than Muralidhar Reddy (in residence near Thurstan Rd). I had met Reddy once at Sanjay Srivastava’s home in Delhi (1995?) and he sought me out with requests for articles to be placed in Frontline.
This initiated a fruitful set of exchanges. It also brought me friendship with another Indian journalist, Kanchan Prasad — whose photographic skills have provided me with some invaluable war ‘tales’ in camera-mode: so that all the four photos of Murali-in-the war-zone are shots snapped by this intrepid lady …. a Lyse Doucet in Asian mould.
So, it is with an immense depth of sadness that I heard of Murali’s demise at a relatively early age via an email from Kanchan. This essay is a testimonial to Muralidhar Reddy’s honesty of purpose and rejection of coloured testimony directed by partisan political slant. MURALI ….. This is one warm hug and embrace for your dedication to truth in reportage.
In counterpoint to your own rejection of the camera, it is going to be a set of tales that includes camerawork. My apologies, good mate.
Murali seated with overall SL Army commander Shavendra Silva in the operational HQ at some point in early 2009 …. evidence of the trust in his reportage which encouraged the SL Army to take him to the Nandhikadal seashore arena everyday in the last 8-9 days of the war in May.
Murali outside a captured LTTE bunker hospital on te Nandhikadal foreshore … and a pictorial insight within that site … 
Murali outside one of the few buildings that had not been reduced to nix
SOME CONTEXTUAL SHOTS of the ARENA ….
A MAP of the arena where the Tamil Tigers made their last stand followed by some battlescene scenarios ….
However, the narrative used by many writers and those who are pushing the claim of a genocide is that this was a “war without witnesses or correspondents”, so that atrocities could be hidden.
Deep-seated political and ethno-political BIAS is a widespread phenomenon all over the world — witness the literature on the Gaza-Palastine issue today and the Russian-Ukraine war today. SRI LANKA and its migrant arms are no different.THUPPAHIYA
EMAIL NOTE from HIRAN HALANGODE, Retd-Sri Lankan Army Officer, 25 June 2024;
”Wonderful effort Michael. I am sad I have nothing to add to this great collection of photographs. Wish you all success in promoting the TRUTH and the efforts of a journalist who had similar sentiments.
Michael,
Thanks for the announcement that Muralidhar Reddy had died at a ‘relatively early age’. And also for your concern that ‘Deep-seated political and ethno-political BIAS is a widespread phenomenon all over the world’.
Sure, the Hindu group of publications, represented by Muralidhar Reddy, was/is NOT immune from such BIAS as well. Here is an example. Did Mr. Reddy publish anything about the ‘Tamil National Army’ (TNA) militia, set up by the RAW skunks, with the imprimatur of Rajiv Gandhi, during 1989-90. If you have any reports on this TNA militia written by Mr Reddy, I’ll be happy to hear about it.
Thanks very insightful
Your explanation related to war and the inevitable stances by several parties, some heavily jaundiced and some with little knowledge, is valid and true Michael. The inevitable bias remains unavoidable.