Statement of Purpose: This book will explore the hypothesis that there is a common dynamic underlying enemy creation. While cultural contexts and historical situations differ (and are often complex), warfare may arise out of a fundamental template revolving around the identification of an enemy perceived to be a threat to one’s nation or ideology. To defend or rescue the sacred ideal, the class of persons designated as enemy must be defeated, eliminated or destroyed. Continue reading
Author Archives: thuppahi
Aussie youth not that enamoured by democracy
Rowan Callick and Sophie Gosper, in The Australian, 5 June 2012, here the title is “What’s democracy done for me lately, asks Generation Y”
WINSTON Churchill probably said it best: “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” The great statesman knew a thing or two about the value of political freedom, having fought for it on occasion. But it seems the lessons of the past are fast being forgotten, with a new Lowy Institute survey showing that many Australians, particularly the younger generation, do not believe democracy is paramount. Continue reading
Lessons for the present from Handy Perinpanayagam and the Jaffna Youth Congress of yesteryear
Tissa Jayatilaka, in The Island, 6 June 2012 where the title reads “Fragrant memories of Jaffna Youth Congress in these bleak times”
A revised edition of Handy Perinbanayagam A Memorial Volume & The Jaffna Youth Congress edited by Santasilan Kadirgamar, published by Kumaran Publishers, Colombo, was released under the auspices of the Indo-Lanka Foundation on the 4th of March, 2012 at the Saraswathy Hall in Colombo. The first edition of the above publication, also edited by Santasilan Kadirgamar, was produced and distributed by the Handy Perinbanayagam Commemoration Society in Jaffna on 28 June, 1980.
A noteworthy feature of the present revised edition of the publication is its availability in all of the three national languages – Sinhala, Tamil and English. It was the editor’s determination to make the ideals and vision of the late Handy Perinbanayagam, the founder of the Jaffna Youth Congress (JYC), accessible to all Sri Lankans that made him bring out the volume in all three languages. He endured the delay thus involved in bringing out the revised edition because of his motivation to release all three versions of the book simultaneously. It is both fitting and proper he should have done so. For Handy Perinbanayagam the Ceylonese nationalist (not, please note, a narrow ethnic nationalist) would not have wanted it any other way. Continue reading
Kim Phuc recovers her poise from the scars of war …. as a Vietnamese Canadian
In this iconic June 8th 1972 photo, children, including 9-year-old Kim Phuc, center, run down Route 1 near Trang Bang, Vietnam after an aerial napalm attack on suspected Viet Cong hiding places as South Vietnamese forces from the 25th Division walk behind them. A South Vietnamese plane accidentally dropped its flaming napalm on South Vietnamese troops and civilians. From left, the children are Phan Thanh Tam, younger brother of Kim Phuc, who lost an eye, Phan Thanh Phouc, youngest brother of Kim Phuc, Kim Phuc, and Kim’s cousins Ho Van Bon, and Ho Thi Ting. (AP Photo/Nick Ut).
Margie Mason of Associated Press, an article which has appeared under various title including “Iconic ‘napalm girl’ photo that shocked the world turns 40″
In the picture, the girl will always be 9 years old and wailing “Too hot! Too hot!” as she runs down the road away from her burning Vietnamese village. She will always be naked after blobs of sticky napalm melted through her clothes and layers of skin like jellied lava. Continue reading
The FUTURE: stress electric trains not expresssways for densely-peopled Lanka
Chandre Dharmawardena, courtesy of Sunday Leader … ALSO SEE http://dh-web.org/place.names/posts/dev-tech-2009.ppt
” Unfortunately, the VIPs always think of expressways with the freedom to horn their hubris and launch their luxury limousines. Even the train service from the Katunayaka airport to Colombo has been killed by the unreasonable fares, when it should have been under Rs 100 (less than a dollar!) per person. While there is every justification for a good road network, especially for a country striving to promote tourism, it has an even stronger over-arching need for an intelligent, fast, cheap mass transport system.”
The Southern Expressway is an example of the government’s policy “to ensure that all segments of the country receive the dividends of development”, as stated in the Daily News article announcing the “Gateway to Wonder” (Daily News 26-11-2011). The integrity and governability of a nation depends on its transport system. The Romans knew it. The British were quick to build roads and railways, to move troops and haul commercial products to imperial markets. Since then, Sri Lanka’s roadways stagnated at the level of the British era, while the gross population quadrupled. Continue reading
Egypt’s Next Leader Won’t Be A Creature of Tahrir Square
Fouad Ajami, courtesy of The Wall Street Journal
Pic courtesy of Deutsche Welle
The prevalent view that this week’s presidential election is Egypt’s first experiment with the ballot box is only partly true. Egyptians of a certain age knew parliamentary life and the competition of political parties. This was during the liberal interlude between 1923, when the country became independent from British rule, and 1952. In that year a cabal of young military officers led by Muhammad Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser upended the old order, abolished the monarchy—and delivered Egypt into six decades of authoritarianism. Continue reading
Michael Roberts held captive in a journalist’s gunsight
Pearl Thevanayagam, in the Sri Lanka Guardian, 30 May 2012 with title “Michael Roberts Inc. — academics living in cloud cuckoo land”
By the time readers go through the likes of Michael Roberts, Dayan Jayetillaka and other long-winded social and political scientists’ essays (what science has got to do with social studies remains a mystery) in the newspapers and websites the world would have moved on faster than a scud missile. Yet, these writers insist the readers should take their seminal works very seriously indeed. Quite literally they are inept at comprehending that the shelf-life of a newspaper is less than 24 hours and those of websites few hours if not minutes. Newspapers are now a luxury to the average person and they had better have their money’s worth and news which are easily digestible rather than reaching for Roget’s Thesaurus. Continue reading
Channa-Upuli troupe earn accolades
SEE http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.327977123922131.83338.261136130606231&type=1
“Channa-Upuli troupe dance their way to fame” By K Prasad in Daily News, 31 May 2012
The Channa – Upuli Performing Arts Foundation Dance Troupe which brought fame to Sri Lanka by being placed first in a Carnival of Culture in Berlin, Germany was given a rousing welcome at the Bandaranaike International Airport on arrival yesterday. Ravi Bandu Vidyapathi of the Cultural Department’s Dance Sub Committee, musician Jananath Warakagoda, Airport and Aviation Services Ltd vice chairman Kamal Ratwatte and manager H S Hettiarachchi were on hand to receive them at the airport’s VIP lounge.
The Foundation’s director, Channa Wijewardene said they notched this achievement by competing with 99 international dance troupes comprising 5,000 dancers. The achievement was all the more significant and unique because they were able to win with a limited number of dancers in the troupe.
He said the troupe first participated in a procession depicting cultural items and later gave a 90- minute separate performance depicting Sri Lanka’s traditional dances synchronised with international culture.
****
Sri Lanka wins the historical First Place in one of the greatest Pageants in the World, Carnival of Cultures in Berlin, beating 100 Countries Sri Lanka won the first place for Ensemble out of more than 5000 dancers, drummers and musicians took part from more than 100 countries at the 17th Carnival of Cultures in Berlin on Sunday, 27th May 2012. Sri Lankan pageants led by the renowned Channa Upuli Dance Group and members of the Sri Lankan community in Berlin representing ethnic Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim presented a colourful and impressive formation in the parade. This is the first time that Sri Lanka has participated at this event since 2007. The Sri Lanka Association Berlin with the support of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Berlin arranged Sri Lanka’s participation at the parade. The parade provided a prime opportunity for Sri Lanka to portraits peace, harmony and ethnic reconciliation in the post-conflict era of the country depicting a rich picture of Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage. For its exceptional performance, the Sri Lanka Association in Berlin as the organiser of Sri Lanka’s participation was awarded the First Prize in the Full Formations Category of the Parade with a price money of 1000 Euro by the jury of the Carnival of Cultures. Carnival of Cultures is one of the most colourful and impressive traditional parades taking place every year in Berlin, the capital of Germany. Considerable numbers of Berliners have celebrated the 17th Carnival of Cultures this time for four days during the weekend in Berlin. Like every year, the traditional parade on Sunday, 27th May, where Sri Lanka won the first Price for Ensemble, was the climax of the festival. It was estimated that more than 700 000 viewers watched the parade, while the parade was lively telecasted in major German channels and prominent TV channels across Europe for millions of viewers. Sri Lanka Embassy Berlin28 May 20126
Filed under cultural transmission, heritage, world affairs
“Rajapaksa is not Sri Lanka” — Eran Wickramaratne
Is “Democracy” a term which can still be applied to Sri Lanka by Eran Wickramaratne 2 months 2 days ago
Eran speaks at a Rotary meeting… Follow Add to… Stats Download
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ALSO REFER to Michael Roberts: ” Mahinda Rajapaksa: Cakravarti Imagery and Populist Processes”http://thuppahis.com/2012/01/28/mahinda-rajapaksa-cakravarti-imagery-and-populist-processes/
Boat People: direct from Lanka to Australia with WHAT?
Paige Taylor, in The Australian, 30 May 2012, where the title reads “Tamils cut out middlemen and sail straight here” ….. SEE select bibliography at End.
SRI Lankans are again seeking asylum from Australia by boat in large numbers and they are bypassing people-smugglers in Indonesia, instead sailing direct to Christmas Island. Immigration authorities believe the 88 Sri Lankans offloaded at Christmas Island yesterday were the latest in recent months to embark on the perilous boat trip of more than 3000km from Sri Lanka to the Australian territory of Christmas Island.
Pic from Australian
The number of Sri Lankans seeking asylum by boat in Australia so far this year is already more than double last year’s total; since January 1, 586 Sri Lankans have reached Christmas Island. Last year, there were 211. Continue reading
