Author Archives: thuppahi

About thuppahi

Sri Lankan and Australian nationality; student of Sri Lankan society and politics; sociology of cricket;
July 17, 2020 · 5:17 pm

Amplifying Antiquity within the Galle Fort with Imaginative Restoration

Smrti Daniel, in Sunday Times, 12 July 2020, with this title “Fortifying Galle Fort. A massive project aims to restore the defence works from our colonial past”

As restrictions around the pandemic eased this month, a team of workers returned to Galle Fort. They are in the middle of a two-year restoration project that has them clambering over the great bastions, excavating echoing underground chambers and clearing out an ancient drainage system – all part of an ambitious effort to restore this UNESCO World Heritage Site to its full glory.

Conservation of the gun platforms of the Neptune Bastion

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Filed under British colonialism, cultural transmission, European history, heritage, historical interpretation, landscape wondrous, life stories, meditations, Portuguese in Indian Ocean, sri lankan society, tourism, transport and communications, travelogue, unusual people, world events & processes

July 17, 2020 · 1:22 pm

Battleships Down: Early Signs in the Decline of British Imperial Power across the Span of the Indian Ocean

Michael Roberts

Prince of Wales (left, front) and Repulse (left, behind) under attack by Japanese aircraft. The destroyer Express in the foreground.

The crew of the sinking Prince of Wales abandoning ship to the destroyer Express. Moments later, the list on Prince of Wales suddenly increased and Express had to withdraw. Observe the barrels of the 5.25 in guns, which were unable to depress low enough to engage attackers due to the list.

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Filed under authoritarian regimes, British colonialism, British imperialism, centre-periphery relations, electoral structures, ethnicity, governance, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, island economy, law of armed conflict, life stories, military strategy, nationalism, politIcal discourse, power politics, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, transport and communications, world events & processes, World War II

July 16, 2020 · 12:41 pm

Wunderbar! Twin Elephant Calves born at Minneriya

…. and Brian Almeida and yours truly were there yesterday 15th July to snap the herd from as close as one is permitted …. though mother elephant and a coterie of aunts made it difficult for amateurs with ordinary cameras to secure a clear shot of the twins huddled together under the mother’s broad back and tummy

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Filed under heritage, island economy, life stories, meditations, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, tourism, travelogue, unusual people, wild life, world events & processes

July 16, 2020 · 11:41 am

Four Beach Icons at Nilaweli

Four ICONS in front of my chalet at TRINCO BLU Hotel at Nilaweli Beach

* stray dog

* ancient anchor

* palm tree

* palmyrah tree

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Filed under life stories, performance, sri lankan society, tourism, travelogue, unusual people, working class conditions, world events & processes

July 13, 2020 · 2:33 pm

Momentous Changes in Ceylon instituted by the Donoughmore Commisison

Leelananda de Silva, in Sunday Times, 5 July 2020

The Donoughmore Commission which came to Sri Lanka in the late 1920s made far reaching and far seeing recommendations, which changed the political, economic and social landscape of Ceylon. The present generation is largely unaware of its role and it is time that they refresh their understanding of the tremendous changes brought in by Donoughmore.

The Earl of Donoughmore

It was a commission consisting of three Britons — the Earl of Donoughmore, Drummond Shields and Burrows. They were political personalities well known in Britain at the time and were not colonial civil servants. They had the political and social vision to overcome the objections of both the colonial masters in Sri Lanka and the local dominant political personalities who were also not in favour of radical reforms.

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Filed under British colonialism, communal relations, constitutional amendments, democratic measures, devolution, education, electoral structures, governance, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, island economy, landscape wondrous, language policies, life stories, modernity & modernization, parliamentary elections, politIcal discourse, power politics, self-reflexivity, social justice, sri lankan society, Uncategorized, unusual people, world events & processes

July 13, 2020 · 1:09 pm

Zoom-Boom: US Cyber Warfare vs China via Allegations re Zoom

VISIT this You Tube video on ZOOM entitled “Is China Spying? on Us?. Shocking Details in This Video.” …. c602c1a3-8f92-4b61-b4ea-f63b8c01315a

Because the speaker’s voice is that of an (Asian) Indian albeit one with traces of an American background, my suspicions were immediately aroused: was this not cunning US media warfare? So I sent it on toe an Aussie who speaks Chinese and Malaysian for critical readings (below). This does not mean that China does not indulge in subterranean political games, but that US agencies are masters at war games and covert games; while the US Pacific Fleet has ringed east Asia with an array of armed bases ever since 1945; and that in the present world order India is on its side because of recent spats with China.

Note map and details in …… Jenny Awford: “US readies for war with China with 400 bases of ships and nukes to create ‘perfect noose’ around superpower rival,” 5 Dec 2016, https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2331190/us-readies-for-war-with-china-with-400-bases-of-ships-and-nukes-to-create-perfect-noose-around-superpower-rival/

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Filed under accountability, american imperialism, australian media, authoritarian regimes, China and Chinese influences, disparagement, doctoring evidence, economic processes, Indian Ocean politics, law of armed conflict, life stories, military strategy, news fabrication, politIcal discourse, power politics, security, self-reflexivity, slanted reportage, the imaginary and the real, transport and communications, truth as casualty of war, world events & processes

July 12, 2020 · 7:16 pm

Ubiquitous Beings in Sri Lanka

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Filed under pulling the leg, self-reflexivity, slanted reportage, sri lankan society, taking the piss, travelogue, wild life, working class conditions

July 12, 2020 · 2:40 pm

Free Education for Ceylon: Tales Missing

Prabhath de Silva, in Island, 11 July 2020, where the title is “Unsung And Forgotten Heroes of Free Education and Sri Lanka’s Missed Opportunities”

Much has been said and written about Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara for his role in the introduction of the Free Education Bill in the State Council (Sri Lanka’s legislature under the Donoughmore Constitution from 1931 to 1947) and implementation of the free education policy here. The nation owes a debt of gratitude to him but there are other unsung and forgotten heroes behind this story.

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Filed under accountability, British colonialism, cultural transmission, democratic measures, education, education policy, governance, historical interpretation, language policies, life stories, politIcal discourse, social justice, sri lankan society, teaching profession, world events & processes

July 11, 2020 · 6:27 pm

A Chinese Lankan Aussie Chef stimulates Appetites in Darwin

News Item in Daily News, 11 July 2020, with this title  “A serendipitous taste of SL, China and Australia”

The celebrity chef turned television presenter originally from Sri Lanka now making waves in Darwin gives Jordan Kretchmer of Gourmet Traveller a taste of the Top End and shares his love of rare seafood delicacies.

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Filed under Australian culture, australian media, China and Chinese influences, commoditification, cultural transmission, economic processes, education, ethnicity, heritage, life stories, travelogue, unusual people, world events & processes

July 11, 2020 · 6:05 pm

Hang Aluthgamage to Dry for his Dirty Politics

Lucien Rajakarunanayake, in Island, 11 July 2020, where the title is “Playing Cricket against rogues in politics”

“I am Tamil, Sinhalese, Muslim and Burgher. I am a Buddhist, a Hindu, a follower of Islam and Christianity. I am today, and always, proudly Sri Lankan” – Kumar Sangakkara

The Elections Commissioner has said the Vote is your right, your voice, your power and your future. How can the voters show their real power through the ballot? The answer today comes from the game of Cricket.

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Filed under accountability, disparagement, life stories, politIcal discourse, power politics, propaganda, world events & processes