Category Archives: self-reflexivity

How the ICES – the International Centre of Ethnic Studies – Arose

A Note by the Late SWR de Samarasinghe penned in 2021 and presented now in his Honour, albeit against his wishes then.

 Dear Michael:

I will have a look at the document when you place it on Thuppahi.

BTW, I noticed that you mention the names of KM, Neelan and Radhika as the three people responsible for the establishment of ICES. Factually, Neelan got the initial grant from the Ford Foundation, KM got permission from JR to set it up. JR also instructed the then Finance Minister Ronnie de Mel to facilitate the process. Neelan invited Radhika [Coomaraswamy] to join as Associate Director and KM invited me to join as the Associate Director.  

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That Magic Moment at Lords: India’s Last Wicket

Lam Seneviratne … in Colombo, July 2025… “Was Siraj blameless”

The last ball of the Lords Cricket Test match was not just Siraj getting bowled and England winning the match, it was a prolonged gripping drama stranger than fiction. Siraj was not required to score runs, but just defend his wicket which he had done assuredly for 12 overs. 

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Extra! Extra! Aussie Cricket Headlines Today 16 July

HOT HOT Cricket NEWS –Australian

Fraser-McGurk dropped, Owen earns maiden T20I call-up

Maxwell retires from ODI cricket, available for T20 World Cup

 Smith retires from ODI cricket, remains committed to Tests

 Stoinis makes shock decision to retire from ODIs

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In Maureen Hingert’s Memory via Paul Robeson

Charles Schokman

It was in the early fifties at the age of twenty-one I used to ride my bicycle from Dematagoda all the way to Bambalapitiya to visit friends living down Lorensz Rd. It was quite a distance but worth the ride.

Vale Maureen Hingert – mrober137@gmail.com – Gmail

Down that street lived Maureen Hingert and whenever she saw me pass her home, she never failed to greet me with a smile or say hello.

She, though a mere stranger, was happy to make her acquaintance with me. This kind gesture of hers and endearing ways left a lasting mark in my life.

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Biographical Paths in Sri Lankan History … via Hits in Thuppahi  

A NOTE from Michael Roberts, 15 July 2025

Biographical tales are one of the paths in historical investigation.  Such tales attract many readers because they flesh out lifeways and resonate with personal recollections. The WORD PRESS website provides the Thuppahi-Editor with figures on the HITS which the site receives every day,

Because of the ‘picture’ óf READER INTEREST served up by such figures the “TALE” may interest some readers. If interested in a particular item just copy the title … ADD “thuppahis.com” and search the web.

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Hard Yards in Medical Learning at Colombo University in the 1960s

Dr Nihal D Amerasekera, in The Island, 6 July 2025, …where the title reads  “Going through Colombo Medical School” ... with highlighting emphasis imposed y ThE Editor, Thuppahi

Some real-life experiences:  I am looking at the events of the 20th century with 21st century spectacles. Hence there are no hard feelings or anger except a fervent hope the situation has changed for the better.

My first introduction to the Medical Faculty was on registration day. It started with virtual ‘road blocks’ by seniors to round up the freshers. This was the beginning of the rag to usher in the new recruits and introduce them to a new brand of nastiness, a tradition that has prevailed since the very beginning of the institution.

Photo here  This infamous ritual has become more outrageous with time. This kind of harassment went on for a further fortnight after we joined. What an introduction to a supposed sanctuary of like-minded scholars!! I look back at this behaviour — a set of practices was accepted by many of the staff in the Faculty andeven encouraged by some of them.

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Prussian Lutheran Migration to Australia in the 19th Century

Keith Conlon in Linked In

A momentous exodus of ‘0ld Lutheran’ religious refugees to South Australia began hashtagOTD 8 July 1838. Families from Klemzig in Prussia (now Poland) sailed down the Oder River to Hamburg, their departure point for the new reformist colony of South Australia. The ‘Paradise of Dissent’ offered freedom of religion.

A 1938 memorial for their leader Pastor August Kavel at Langmeil Church in the Barossa Valley credits him as‘The founder of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Australia’.

Kavel Memorial Monument Australia

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THE GUARDIAN in UK seeks reader-support

“From Minute Hands can an Ongoig  ‘Edifice’ be built”– Thupphiyaaa

AN APPEAL ON EMAIL from THE GUARDIAN

 

 

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Biographical Paths to Lankan History via ‘Hits’ on TPS

A MEMO From Michael Roberts as Editor, Thuppahi,  July 2025

The Word Press system keeps me informed about the HITs on TPS items everyday and also assembles figures for each week. Reviewing these details provides one with a glimpse of internet viewers and their interests. As an exercise with this objective I provide figures of HITS on items carrying biographical tales.

HEREWITh, then, are the figures of such hits — HITS on bio-tales –– during the past week.

 

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Amidst the LTTE’s Many Killings THAT of Dr. Rajani Thiranagama

Rajan Hoole …. being chap 3 in PALMYRAH FALLEN …. the chapter that details the killing of Rajani Thiranagama in September 1989 …. just one among a long list of the LTTE atrocities in their pursuit of powr via a Tamil state.

Chapter 3:  Some Crucial Pieces of the Jigsaw

 To everything there is a season…A time to be born and a time to die…A time to weep and a time to laugh: a time to mourn and a time to dance…I know that whatsoever God doeth it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it.– The Book of Ecclesiastes.


 

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