“From Minute Hands can an Ongoig ‘Edifice’ be built”– Thupphiyaaa
AN APPEAL ON EMAIL from THE GUARDIAN
Category Archives: press freedom & censorship
Introducing A Cutting Edge Journal: SOUTH ASIA
Michael Roberts
SOUTH ASIA has been a form of Australian exploration — in the plural form of manifold journeys and investigations — in South Asia for several decades. I was a small cog in this cluster of activities some 20 years back; but, alas, fell away. Some old partners in arms are still part of the Editorial Advisory Board; but its a fresh and bright team that is bringing the Indian subcontinent into the Aussie arena. Sri Lankan scholars and readers need to take note of this work and chip in with their own ‘commentary’ — whether in article form or as avid readers.
Check https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/csas20 …. AND/OR write to shameem.black@anu.edu.au ……….. OR ……………………….. priya.chacko@adelaide.edu.au
Filed under ancient civilisations, australian media, British imperialism, Buddhism, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, cultural transmission, economic processes, electoral structures, ethnicity, European history, governance, heritage, Hinduism, historical interpretation, Indian General Elections, Indian Ocean politics, Indian religions, Indian traditions, land policies, landscape wondrous, life stories, literary achievements, migrant experiences, modernity & modernization, parliamentary elections, patriotism, pilgrimages, plural society, politIcal discourse, Portuguese imperialism, Portuguese in Indian Ocean, power politics, Presidential elections, press freedom & censorship, racism, Rajiv Gandhi, religiosity, riots and pogroms, security, self-reflexivity, terrorism, transport and communications, working class conditions, world events & processes, zealotry
An Epitaph For Lasantha Wickrematunge
Sabanayagam Varagunam in Daily Mirror, 8 January 2024, where the title reads “Lasantha Wickrematunge: A National Hero’s Enduring Legacy” … with highlighting here being the imprint of The Editor, Thuppahi
Wickrematunge’s courage was not merely a product of his profession; it was an intrinsic part of his being
January 8 marked a dark and somber day in Sri Lanka’s history, as our thoughts went back to Lasantha Wickrematunge, the fearless journalist and an indefatigable champion of human rights, who fell victim to a brutal assassination. Sixteen years have passed since his untimely demise, but Wickrematunge’s adherence to justice and human rights cemented his status as a national hero that continues to inspire generations.
Filed under accountability, atrocities, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, citizen journalism, communal relations, cultural transmission, democratic measures, Eelam, electoral structures, ethnicity, governance, life stories, LTTE, martyrdom, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power politics, press freedom & censorship, security, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, war crimes, war reportage, world events & processes
Ranil’s Hand in the Batalanda Killings?
VISIT this item sent to me by a Richmondite Medic residing in Britain with this note:
I recently heard Ranil W’s name linked to Batalanda but did not know what it was about. This blog reveals all, what a murderer R is,as well as what crimes most of the political leaders before him also did. Watch and make your mind up. Author Nandana [Weerarathne] is an investigative journalist who had self-exiled himself until the fall of RW from power.…………….. Shocking!
Filed under accountability, atrocities, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, Colombo and Its Spaces, conspiracies, disparagement, governance, historical interpretation, human rights, legal issues, life stories, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power politics, press freedom & censorship, slanted reportage, sri lankan society, taking the piss, trauma, vengeance, world events & processes
The Personnel Behind THE CEYLON JOURNAL
Thuppahi is pleased to present a photo of the key personnel located in Sri Lanka who were involved in launching the new cutting/edge academic venture known as THE CEYLON JOURNAL this year.
Filed under accountability, art & allure bewitching, British colonialism, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, cultural transmission, democratic measures, demography, discrimination, economic processes, education, ethnicity, female empowerment, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, human rights, Indian Ocean politics, island economy, landscape wondrous, language policies, Left politics, legal issues, life stories, literary achievements, modernity & modernization, patriotism, performance, photography, politIcal discourse, power politics, press freedom & censorship, racist thinking, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, Sri Lankan cricket, sri lankan society, Tamil civilians, travelogue, unusual people, women in ethnic conflcits, working class conditions, world events & processes
Facing Wokism in Britain Today
Matthew Said, whose title in The Sunday Times reads “If you think we’re past peak woke, we may not even be halfway up that hill” …. with highlighting imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi
Unconscious bias training and cancellation are mainstream for the young. Just wait until they’re in charge.
Here’s what ‘woke’ means and how to respond to it
In the Second World War, the Allied bomber command had a problem. Aircraft were flying missions over Germany and being shot down in ever greater numbers. The top brass decided that they needed additional protection in the most vulnerable areas (it would be impossible to cover the entire aircraft, as it would be too heavy to take off). But where to place the armour? The good news is that they had plenty of data from craft that had returned to base, and they showed a clear pattern: there were lots of bullet holes in the wings and fuselage, but not so many on the cockpit and tail. The answer seemed obvious: put armour on the wings and fuselage.
Filed under accountability, art & allure bewitching, Britain's politics, centre-periphery relations, cultural transmission, democratic measures, economic processes, education, fundamentalism, governance, heritage, life stories, modernity & modernization, politIcal discourse, power politics, press freedom & censorship, rehabilitation, teaching profession, the imaginary and the real, unusual people
THE CEYLON JOURNAL is launched: Seeking to Elucidate the Past & the Present
The Ceylon Journal is finally out
On August 2, 2024, the inaugural volume of The Ceylon Journal was launched at the Sri Lanka Medical Association Auditorium. This new publication by Heritage Publications is spearheaded by young historian Avishka Mario Senewiratne, features 15 articles exploring various facets of Sri Lankan history, including politics, architecture, folklore, and more. Inspired by Charles Ambrose Lorenz’s Young Ceylon, the journal aims to deepen understanding of Sri Lanka’s heritage and inspire progress.
Filed under accountability, art & allure bewitching, cultural transmission, democratic measures, economic processes, education, ethnicity, heritage, historical interpretation, human rights, language policies, Left politics, legal issues, life stories, literary achievements, modernity & modernization, nationalism, parliamentary elections, patriotism, pilgrimages, plantations, plural society, political demonstrations, politIcal discourse, power politics, press freedom & censorship, reconciliation, refugees, religiosity, self-reflexivity, social justice, Sri Lankan cricket, Sri Lankan scoiety, Tamil migration, tamil refugees, teaching profession, theatre world, tourism, transport and communications, welfare & philanthophy
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
James Hunter’s Depressing Dissection of American Political Culture Today
Michael Sean Winters, where the chosen title is “From ‘culture wars’ to ‘cultural exhaustion’: James Davison Hunter diagnoses our cultural ills”
Friday, we began a review of James Davison Hunter’s vitally important book Democracy and Solidarity: On the Cultural Roots of America’s Political Crisis with a focus on his historical survey. I stopped with his provocative thesis that the marginalization of religion as a force in cultural politics begins with the close of the Civil War, but he continues his narrative, through Dewey and Niebuhr, the world wars, the Civil Rights Movement, etc. You’ll need to get and read the book to access Hunter’s fine historical sketch of the shifting cultural landscape.
For Muralidhar Reddy: Thoughts on Eelam War IV in late 2009
ONE: Preamble by Michael Roberts
I was in Colombo from mid-April 2009 to early June and observed the local coverage of Eelam War IV at its bitter end. I was invited by Muralidhar Reddy[i] to write articles for Frontline on aspects of the politics surrounding the war. Though Frontline is a magazine produced by The Hindu consortium, I was not a regular follower of that newspaper on web — even though I had once been introduced to its owner and chief executive, N. Ram, way back in time by Chandra Schafter and had also had an extended chat with him in Delhi in 1995.[ii]
Thus, the receipt of a Hindu report on President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s thoughts in mid-2009, expressed in an extended session with him conducted by N. Ram serves up new material from my position. In step with my policy of raising significant episodes in the course of Eelam War IV to public notice,[iii] I hasten to present this exchange in the public domain.
Filed under accountability, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, counter-insurgency, disparagement, Eelam, ethnicity, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, human rights, IDP camps, Indian Ocean politics, insurrections, law of armed conflict, life stories, LTTE, military strategy, nationalism, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power politics, prabhakaran, press freedom & censorship, Rajapaksa regime, rehabilitation, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, tamil refugees, Tamil Tiger fighters, terrorism, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, war reportage, world events & processes
