Category Archives: reconciliation

September 8, 2025 · 2:05 am

AKD: ‘Palm Leaves’ For Tamils & Jaffna

Rajan Philips in    7 September 2025, where the title runs thus: “Crowded agenda includes Cricket but no visit to Chemmani”  … wth highlights imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

The President goes to Jaffna! ... President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made yet another visit to Jaffna last week. With all good intentions, he may be on course to set a record for visiting Jaffna more times than all his predecessors combined. There is no Lyn Ludowyk among us to make a political satire of presidents going to Jaffna, reversing the time honoured old trope – “He Comes from Jaffna!”.

Foundation for Cricket Stadium

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August 11, 2025 · 1:14 am

Neelan Tiruchelvam: An Appreciation of His Mediatory Politics

Kagusthan Ariaratnam in Groundviews, 8 August 2025, where the title  reads “Neelan Unsilenced …” while highlights here have been added by The Editor, Thuppahi

Photo courtesy of Pitasanna Shanmugathas

NEELAN: UNSILENCED is a compelling and vital documentary that successfully situates the life of Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam within the turbulent history of the Sri Lankan conflict. Its greatest achievement is providing a nuanced entry point into the war by focusing on the non-violent, intellectual and pluralistic dimensions of Tamil resistance – a perspective often eclipsed by the narrative of armed struggle. By foregrounding Neelan’s journey, the film illuminates a leader who dedicated his life to constitutional reform and reconciliation.

   Photo courtesy of Pitasanna Shanmugathas

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April 8, 2025 · 5:40 pm

Linguistic Bombs Within A Cross-Cultural Marriage

Courtesy of NIMAL DIAS JAYASINHA in Facebook, April 2025

A Polish man married an American woman, and even though his English wasn’t perfect, they got along just fine.
One day, he bursts into a lawyer’s office, looking panicked.
Man: “I need divorce! Please help!”
Lawyer: “A divorce? Well, that depends on your situation. Do you have any grounds?”
Man: “Yes, yes! One acre and nice little house.”
Lawyer: “No, I mean—what’s the foundation of your case?”
Man: “Oh! Made of concrete.”
Lawyer: sighs “Sir, do you and your wife have a grudge?”
Man: “No need! We have carport!”
Lawyer: “Let’s try again… what are your relations like?”
Man: “All still in Poland.”
Lawyer: “Sir, has there been any infidelity in your marriage?”
Man: “Oh yes! We have hi-fidelity stereo and good DVD player.”
Lawyer: “No, I mean… does your wife ever beat you up?”
Man: “No, no, I wake up before her every day!”
Lawyer: getting frustrated “Then why do you want a divorce?”
Man: “Because she try to kill me!”
Lawyer: “What?! What makes you think that?”
Man: “I have proof! She buy bottle at drugstore… put in bathroom!”
Lawyer: “And what did the bottle say?”
Man: “Right on label… ‘Regular Polish Remover!'”
May be an image of flower
                            &&&&&&&&&&&&&&

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March 8, 2025 · 10:29 pm

Mehdi Hasan’s U-Tube Interview with Ranil Wickremasinghe

Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa, in Groundviews, …. https://groundviews.org/2025/03/07/sentiment-analysis-of-ranil-wickremesinghes-al-jazeera-interview-with-mehdi-hasan/

Renowned journalist Mehdi Hasan interviewed the former president Ranil Wickremesinghe on a programme of Head to Head, produced by Al Jazeera. The programme was released to YouTube and first broadcast on March 6.

At the time I studied 5,144 comments in response to it, the video had been watched over 218,620 times and liked over 8,000 times. Comments, views and likes are increasing at pace, which means that by the time this is read, the sentiments, trends and patterns analysed are not going to fully or accurately capture additional sentiment. What follows must be read as a study of the sentiments in the comments published at the time of writing this post.

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February 27, 2025 · 12:22 am

A Vibrant Debate around A Vibrant Singer –Kishani

Darshanie Ratnawalli

 Controversies surrounding new renditions of popular songs do have a sociological basis…or rather a basis which owes something to sociological factors. But it’s silly to think it’s all sociological. Enjoyment of music is a function of individual taste which is unpredictable and cannot be slotted so easily into neat sociological cubbyholes. Why did some people react so violently to Kishani’s rendition? Why did a Sinhala TV morning show host liken it to a screeching of a female cat in heat? It’s because a powerful operatic voice trained to hit top notes can sound too powerful for ears used to and raised on Hindustani based music. But no……. even that is not right. Popular music lovers of any country may find opera outside their groove zone. See this video of Whitney Houston, Sting and Elton John attempting to sing an opera aria with Pavarotti …… (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2mMPz_a4vY)…..

YOUTUBE.COM 

Whitney Houston, Pavarotti, Sting, Elton John – La Donna e Mobile 1994

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February 5, 2025 · 12:36 pm

Offensive Racist Place-Names face Offensive

A News Item in Australia, Today, February 2025

Black Gin Creek and Little Uncle Tom mountain are among the 43 place names in Queensland containing racial slurs with a traumatic history.

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December 13, 2024 · 1:03 am

Three Promising Young Tamils in Present Sri Lankan U19 Squad

Information from Prakash Schaffter of Janashakthi Insurance in response to my Request, December 2020 ….. Editor, Thuppahi

Sharujan Shanmuganathan, born on April 25, 2006, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, is a promising left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman representing the Sri Lanka Under-19 cricket team. He gained early recognition for his elegant stroke play, drawing comparisons to former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara. At just five years old, during a 2011 Test match between Sri Lanka and Australia, Shanmuganathan was spotted playing a graceful cover drive, earning him the nickname “Little Sanga” from commentator Tony Greig.

Shanmuganathan honed his cricket skills at St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena, and further developed his talent under the guidance of coach Nelson Mendis at the CCC School of Cricket. He showcased his potential by scoring 1,000 runs in the U19 Division One Interschools Two-Day Cricket Tournament for the 2022/23 season.

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December 12, 2024 · 11:49 pm

Seeking Ethnic Reconciliation Through Commemoration of the Dead-in-War

Capt Prasanna Rajaratne, SLN … in DAILY FT, 6 December 2024, ….. where the title reads “National security only through national harmony“
They may still feel trapped in the same plight, and unless that perception is acknowledged, addressed, and their aspirations realised, the resurgence of dissent is not merely possible but inevitable

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November 17, 2024 · 12:32 pm

Joachim’s Letter to AKD in Sri Lanka: An Earnest Appeal

Your chance to re-write history Mr. President! A second letter to AKD……. – by Aubrey Joachim**

Dear Mr. President,

Your victories have been stunning to say the least. Winning the top job was good enough. Your virtual clean sweep of the legislative chamber is more than impressive. However, unprecedented is your victory in the North where for the first time in modern political history a Sinhalese Buddhist has been given a mandate by the Tamil Hindu populace. Let this be the last time that Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans have to be referred to by race or religion. You have ensured that our great country is but one nation of people who can achieve greatness.

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October 12, 2024 · 12:29 am

A Travelling History Museum in Mannar, Lanka

ITEM in the DAILY MIRROR, September 2024 …… https://www.dailymirror.lk/news-features/In-Mannar-from-Sept-4-11-Its-About-Time-you-visited-the-travelling-history-museum/131-290977

For many Sri Lankan students, history is a boring subject. It’s About Time is a travelling history museum that can change how most of them feel. This unique museum challenges how we as students and adults who once studied history think about the subject. Having visited Kandy, Kurunegala, Badulla, and Batticaloa It’s About Time Travelling History Museum will travel to Mannar from September 4- 11. Entrance to the museum at the Mannar Town Hall will be free for visitors.  The museum will be open from 8 am-5 pm.

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