|
Category Archives: constitutional amendments
Nationalisms in Sri Lanka: A Bibliography Cast in 2014..
bull-mascot-team-logo-design-longhorn-133746227 Presented here at ……………………………………………………….. https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/nationalism-the-past-and-the-present-the-case-of-sri-lanka/…. & thus in need of updating.; while being dedicated to a Peradeniya University buddy -alas deceased– with whom I shared notes and thoughts during undergraduate days and thereafter in the 1970s & 1980s in Chicago: namely, Ananda Wickremeratne …
Amunugama, Sarath 1979 ‘Ideology and class interest in one of Piyadasa Sirisena’s novels: the new image of the “Sinhala Buddhist” nationalist’ in M Roberts (ed.) Collective identities, nationalisms and protest in modern Sri Lanka, Colombo:: Marga Institute, pp 314-36
Anderson, Benedict 1983 Imagined communities. Reflections on the origin and spread of Nationalism. London: Verso
Filed under accountability, authoritarian regimes, British colonialism, Buddhism, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, constitutional amendments, cultural transmission, demography, devolution, discrimination, Dutch colonialism, economic processes, education policy, Eelam, ethnicity, governance, hatan kavi, heritage, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, insurrections, island economy, Kandyan kingdom, language policies, Left politics, legal issues, life stories, LTTE, martyrdom, modernity & modernization, Muslims in Lanka, nationalism, patriotism, power politics, racism, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, Tamil civilians, Tamil migration, tamil refugees, Tamil Tiger fighters, transport and communications, vengeance, war reportage, world events & processes, zealotry
Dr Narendran Rajasingham: A Grounded Sri Lankan Tamil Patriot
Michael Roberts
Naren Rajasingham was a trifle junior to me at Peradeniya University when he pursued a Vet/Science Degree before proceeding to postgraduate qualifications in the same field. It was only when I was fully enmeshed in researching the Eelam Wars and visiting Colombo with some frequency that I got to know him. My memory is imprecise in its notation of time; and I cannot fix precise dates to our exchanges.
Filed under accountability, anti-racism, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, constitutional amendments, economic processes, education, Eelam, ethnicity, governance, historical interpretation, human rights, IDP camps, law of armed conflict, life stories, LTTE, military strategy, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power politics, prabhakaran, Rajapaksa regime, refugees, rehabilitation, security, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, tolerance, travelogue, truth as casualty of war, world events & processes
Kumar Sangakkara’s Ecumenical Patriotic Outreach
Michael Roberts
Kumar Sangakkara’s recent step as a front-personage for tourism in Sri Lanka (see https://thuppahis.com/2024/09/29/kumar-sangakkara-for-tourist-trips-to-sri-lanka/) calls to mind his bold steps on behalf of ethnic compromise and reconciliation in Sri Lanka in the 200os. In these efforts he was joined at diferent moments by Murali and Mahela [tsunami relief tours) and his wife Yehali (visit to St Patricks College in Jaffna, 2009).
These instances underline the weight of the messages in an article from my pen which was presented in GROUNDVIEWS by Sanjana Hattotuwa and Co towards the end of THE YEAR 2012.
Standing now in the year 2024 this essays — as well as the comments it attracted — may serve as useful points of departure for meaningful commentary.
Filed under accountability, anti-racism, art & allure bewitching, British colonialism, centre-periphery relations, Colombo and Its Spaces, communal relations, constitutional amendments, cultural transmission, democratic measures, economic processes, education, ethnicity, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, landscape wondrous, language policies, legal issues, life stories, literary achievements, modernity & modernization, nationalism, patriotism, plural society, politIcal discourse, power sharing, press freedom, reconciliation, Royal College, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, tolerance, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, world events & processes
Noel Nadesan’s Critical Reflections on the Sri Lankan Tamils’Armed Struggle
Rajeswary Balasubramaniam, reviewing Odyssey of War by Noel Nadesan **
The ‘Odyssey of War’, a novel by Dr. Noel Nadesan published by Sarasavi Publishers, reflects the struggle for the liberation of Tamils in Sri Lanka (1977-2009) and the failure of interwoven world politics. The novel illustrates how upper-class Tamils overcame caste, religion, and regions and united for the liberation of Tamils, but went beyond the spirit of liberation, migrated, and eventually made the liberation struggle of Tamils a profitable business.
Filed under accountability, anti-racism, asylum-seekers, atrocities, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, constitutional amendments, counter-insurgency, demography, discrimination, Eelam, ethnicity, governance, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, insurrections, language policies, life stories, LTTE, military strategy, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power politics, prabhakaran, refugees, security, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, Tamil migration, tamil refugees, Tamil Tiger fighters, terrorism, trauma, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, vengeance, war reportage, world events & processes
Vale: An Appreciation of Malathi De Alwis … Researcher & Writer
Geethika Dharmasinghe, in Colombo Telegraph, 23 January 2021, where the title reads as “Our Malathi”… presented here with emphasis imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi
She was the first woman in Sri Lankan politics after Kumari Jayawardena to build an awareness on the role of woman and of her ‘traditional’ position, uniting academic work and politics. She is an anthropologist, and a feminist activist. Her activism and scholarly interests were in understanding militarization, motherhood, and the role of memories in the context of nationalist histories.
Dr. Malathi de Alwis
Dr. Kumari Jayawardena
Filed under accountability, anti-racism, art & allure bewitching, British colonialism, centre-periphery relations, commoditification, communal relations, constitutional amendments, cultural transmission, democratic measures, economic processes, electoral structures, ethnicity, female empowerment, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, island economy, language policies, Left politics, life stories, modernity & modernization, nationalism, parliamentary elections, politIcal discourse, power politics, press freedom & censorship, racism, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, war reportage, welfare & philanthophy, world events & processes
Launch of “Lawmaking in Dutch Sri Lanka” by Dr. Nadeera Rupesinghe
Tambapanni Academic Publishers invites the public for the launch of ‘Lawmaking in Dutch Sri Lanka: Navigating Pluralities in a Colonial Society’, written by Dr. Nadeera Rupesinghe.
Prof. Dinesha Samararatne and Dr. Gehan Goonetilleke will discuss the book with Dr. Rupesinghe, at an event to be held at the auditorium of the National Archives, No. 7, Philip Gunewardena Mawatha on 22 July at 4 p.m. All are welcome.
Filed under authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, constitutional amendments, cultural transmission, Dutch colonialism, economic processes, ethnicity, European history, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, island economy, landscape wondrous, legal issues, life stories, politIcal discourse, power politics, Uncategorized, VOC, world events & processes
ITIHAS Launched …. and Spreads Its Wings
Go to …. https://itihas.lk/contact/ … Note that the presentation here is a re-cast selection by The Editor of Thuppahi who has also imposed his colourings on the text
Mission: What we hope to achieve
Itihas aims to equip Sri Lankan youth with the ability to think critically about their past, present, and future. It specifically aims to debunk mythological understandings of history that afford to particular ethno-religious groups a sense of superiority or authenticity over others. Rather than acting as a gatekeeper of knowledge, Itihas seeks to empower future generations of students, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to learn about, research, and make informed decisions on divisive issues such as conflict, discrimination and violence in a manner that advances a more inclusive Sri Lanka.
Photo by Tashiya De Mel
Itihas – Advancing history education reform in Sri Lanka
Filed under accountability, anti-racism, art & allure bewitching, British colonialism, British imperialism, Buddhism, caste issues, centre-periphery relations, Colombo and Its Spaces, communal relations, constitutional amendments, cultural transmission, democratic measures, Dutch colonialism, economic processes, education, education policy, ethnicity, European history, female empowerment, foreign policy, gender norms, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, human rights, Indian Ocean politics, insurrections, Islamic fundamentalism, island economy, land policies, landscape wondrous, language policies, law of armed conflict, Left politics, legal issues, life stories, literary achievements, LTTE, medical marvels, military strategy, modernity & modernization, Muslims in Lanka, nationalism, parliamentary elections, patriotism, photography & its history, pilgrimages, plantations, plural society, political demonstrations, politIcal discourse, population, Portuguese imperialism, power politics, power sharing, prabhakaran, Presidential elections, press freedom & censorship, racist thinking, Rajapaksa regime, refugees, religiosity, riots and pogroms, security, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, social justice, Sri Lankan cricket, sri lankan society, suicide bombing, Tamil civilians, Tamil migration, tamil refugees, teaching profession, transport and communications, truth as casualty of war, vengeance, war crimes, war reportage, working class conditions, world events & processes, World War II and Ceylon, zealotry
King Abdullah Speaks Out: A “Two-State Solution” for Palestine Arena
Item in Washington Post, 14 November 2023
King Abdullah of Jordan penned an op ed for the Washington Post yesterday. It can be found at, …. https://www.washingtonpost.
Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein is king of Jordan. For more than a month now, the war in Gaza has been dividing the world, with the deepening split aggravated by intense emotions. Two narratives, Palestinian and Israeli, have pitted demonstrators, media outlets, religions, peoples and regions against each other. In the process, the moral clarity that we should and must share about basic human values has turned into moral confusion.
Filed under accountability, american imperialism, arab regimes, British imperialism, centre-periphery relations, constitutional amendments, democratic measures, demography, devolution, governance, historical interpretation, Jews in Asia, legal issues, life stories, Middle Eastern Politics, nationalism, politIcal discourse, power politics, security, self-reflexivity, terrorism, tolerance, unusual people, war reportage, world events & processes, zealotry
Sinhala Monarchical Imagery in Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Past Political Pitch
Michael Roberts .… reproducing an article presented earlier in the COLOMBO TELEGRAPH in the year 2012…. an article bearing a different title: viz. “Populism And Sinhala-Kingship in the Rajapaksa Regime’s Political Pitch” … an article that also appeared under a differeTn title in GROUNDVIEWS in January that year
On 4th December 2011 the Sunday Island carried a headline: “Mahinda ready to meet General Fonseka’s family over pardon” — with a picture alongside showing President Mahinda Rajapaksa seated in an armchair perusing an official document – a document in royal red and marked by a recognisable state seal. It is the juxtaposition of the headline and image that drew my interest. In my reading as an analyst attentive to indigenous cultural threads, this combination suggested several interrelated motifs, namely, that
- President Rajapaksa is the epitome of sovereign power, vested with the rights of clemency on high, just like Sinhalese kings of the past who could be supplicated by condemned subjects who crawled on their knees to the palace gates (mahāvāsala) and begged for pardon for their evil-doings or crimes;[i]
- President Rajapaksa is akin to a manorial lord of the past, a patrimonial figure who is readily accessible on his verandah to subordinate officials, tenants and other people seeking favours from this font of noblesse oblige;
- President Rajapaksa is a son of the soil, native to core. After all, what can be more native than a hansi putuva? He is, therefore, as personable as approachable.
Filed under authoritarian regimes, communal relations, constitutional amendments, economic processes, electoral structures, governance, historical interpretation, landscape wondrous, language policies, legal issues, life stories, nationalism, parliamentary elections, performance, politIcal discourse, power politics, Rajapaksa regime, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society
