Category Archives: Sinhala-Tamil Relations

July 29, 2025 · 2:10 am

FIRE AND STORM analyses Sinhala-Tamil Confrontations Over the Decades

Neil Jayasekera introduces FIRE AND STORM by Michael Roberts … printed by Vijitha Yapa Publications in 2010 …. ISBN 978955-665-14-8  ….presenting 28 articles & an Amalgamated Bibliography …. Posted by  Feb 28, 2023 

Unique JewelsAnonymous Reviewer in Sunday Times, 21 July 2013,  where the title runs “Important contribution towards a dialogue on Lankan polity. Book facts”

When Michael Roberts left Peradeniya in the late seventies, he was part of an exodus of intellectuals from the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, arguably one of the best universities at that time. The exodus of academics at that time was compelled by the economic difficulties faced by university dons. It was the second wave of such emigration that diminished the intellectual life of the university and country.

Unique Jewels

Pirapāharan and leading Tiger Commanders at the Indian sponsored training camp at Sirimalai in 1984

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, atrocities, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, counter-insurgency, disparagement, Eelam, electoral structures, ethnicity, governance, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, insurrections, island economy, language policies, Left politics, legal issues, liberation tigers of tamil eelam, life stories, LTTE, martyrdom, military strategy, modernity & modernization, nationalism, parliamentary elections, patriotism, photography, pilgrimages, politIcal discourse, power politics, prabhakaran, propaganda, racist thinking, Rajapaksa regime, Rajiv Gandhi, religiosity, security, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, slanted reportage, social justice, sri lankan society, suicide bombing, Tamil civilians, Tamil migration, tamil refugees, Tamil Tiger fighters, terrorism, trauma, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, vengeance, violence of language, war crimes, war reportage, women in ethnic conflcits, zealotry

July 29, 2025 · 1:07 am

James T. Rutnam (1905-1988): A Radical Activist in Ceylon Politics

Sachi Sri Kantha, ... with highlighting imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

 Introduction: Previously, I had studied the electoral performance of three prominent Sri Lankan Tamil politicians, namely Ganapathipillai Gangesar Ponnambalam (1901-1977), Appapillai Amirthalingam (1927-1989) and Murugesu Sivasithamparam (1024-2002). All three were electorally successful in most of their attempts, though suffering defeats intermittently.

E.W.-Abeyegunasekera-Rutnams-formidable-rival-in-1931-and-1936.jpg

 

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, British colonialism, communal relations, demography, education, electoral structures, ethnicity, historical interpretation, language policies, Left politics, life stories, patriotism, performance, politIcal discourse, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, Tamil civilians, Tamil migration, unusual people

July 25, 2025 · 7:17 pm

Cold War Proxies in Conflict: Ceylon & Palestine

Darini Rajasingham Senanayake,** at IDN-InDepthNews,… 24 July 2025, …. being Part II of an extended article with this title “From Ceylon to Palestine: Ethnic Conflict and Its Role in Cold War Proxy Dynamics” …. This is the second of a two-part series. Click here to read part one  .. .. with highlighting imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

There are remarkable patterns of history, organised violence, and disinformation between events leading to the pogrom and forced population displacements in Sri Lanka in 1983, and British occupied Palestine 35 years earlier as the Nakba unfolded amid Cold War escalating in Europe between the Allies and Soviet Union or Axis Powers.

Map indicating locations of Palestine and Sri Lanka. CC BY-SA 4.0 – Photo: 2025

 

 

Continue reading →

3 Comments

Filed under accountability, Americna imperialism, atrocities, authoritarian regimes, British imperialism, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, discrimination, disparagement, ethnicity, Fascism, fundamentalism, governance, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, Jews in Asia, JVP, law of armed conflict, life stories, LTTE, Middle Eastern Politics, Muslims in Lanka, politIcal discourse, power politics, racism, security, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, slanted reportage, terrorism, travelogue, truth as casualty of war, war reportage, world events & processes

July 23, 2025 · 1:01 pm

A Pathway to History: Biographical ‘Hits’ in Thuppahi, 22 July 2025

Michael Roberts

Biographical tales and investigations serve as one pathway to historical enquiry.  Because they resonate with readers interest in their own personal journeys this fascination seems to evoke continuous appeal. The WORD PRESS record of readers hits on items in THUPPAHI confirm this fact. Let me, therefore, provide TPS readers with a list of some of the items that drew at least one reader …. that is one HIT …. today/yesterday.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, art & allure bewitching, British colonialism, charitable outreach, communal relations, cricket selections, cultural transmission, discrimination, disparagement, economic processes, education, ethnicity, female empowerment, foreign policy, fundamentalism, governance, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, island economy, landscape wondrous, Left politics, life stories, literary achievements, LTTE, military strategy, modernity & modernization, patriotism, performance, photography, plural society, political demonstrations, politIcal discourse, population, power politics, prabhakaran, press freedom, religiosity, Royal College, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, slanted reportage, social justice, Sri Lankan cricket, sri lankan society, Tamil migration, Tamil Tiger fighters, teaching profession, terrorism, transport and communications, truth as casualty of war, unusual people

July 20, 2025 · 2:17 pm

Political Complexities in Jaffna & the Killing of Rajani Thiranagama

BEING Chapter 3 of Palmyra Fallen, from Rajani to War’s End, by Rajan Hoole ….. Published 2015 …. a book printed and bound by Global Printing Works, 5 Stork Place, Colombo 10 …. a chapter entitled “Some Crucial Pieces of the Jigsaw” … [with the highlights here –– except for those in black — being impositions by The Editor, Thuppahi]

 “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

Dayapala & Rajani Thiranagama in 1984 .. . well before her assassination in late 1989

Dayapala in later years

 

3.1 The Sands Run Out

More recently, we have been able to put together more detailed information about Rajani’s killing. Given that much water has since flowed under the bridge, we felt that while placing the truth about her murder on a record that adequately traces its manner, purpose and the parties involved, it would also be appropriate to bring out a publication that allows today’s reader to see her relevance to the present. As is evident from our account, Rajani’s killing was well planned, mobilising a network of LTTE contacts and agents. Here in Chapter 3, we detail the cold-blooded murder and cover-up by the LTTE and the names of those who were involved at the time. In Chapter 4, we discuss who within the LTTE was involved.

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under accountability, asylum-seekers, atrocities, authoritarian regimes, caste issues, centre-periphery relations, citizen journalism, communal relations, disparagement, education, Eelam, ethnicity, governance, historical interpretation, human rights, insurrections, language policies, life stories, LTTE, nationalism, patriotism, political demonstrations, politIcal discourse, power politics, prabhakaran, racism, security, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, social justice, sri lankan society, Tamil civilians, Tamil migration, tamil refugees, Tamil Tiger fighters, teaching profession, terrorism, trauma, world events & processes, zealotry

July 18, 2025 · 2:44 pm

The Killing of Fr. Saverimuttu Selvarajah in 1990

Ruki Fernando in Groundviews,  11 July 2025, where the title reads “Getting Rid of A Troublesome Priest” ... with the highlighting emphasis being the workd of The Editor, Thuppahi

 

Photo courtesy of Ruki Fernando

July 11, 2025 marks 35 years since the disappearance of Fr. Saverimuttu Selvarajah, a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Batticaloa. Known as Fr. Selva, he was 30 years at that time and serving as the parish priest and administrator of Holy Cross Shrine in the remote village of Sorikalmunai in the Ampara district.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, atrocities, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, citizen journalism, communal relations, counter-insurgency, disparagement, ethnicity, governance, historical interpretation, insurrections, JVP, law of armed conflict, Left politics, life stories, LTTE, martyrdom, Muslims in Lanka, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power politics, racism, religious nationalism, security, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, Tamil civilians, terrorism, the imaginary and the real, trauma, travelogue, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, vengeance, war crimes, war reportage, zealotry

July 15, 2025 · 11:37 am

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.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, Colombo and Its Spaces, communal relations, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, Sri Lankan cricket, Sri Lankan scoiety, Tamil civilians, Tamil Tiger fighters, the imaginary and the real, travelogue, unusual people

July 10, 2025 · 9:21 pm

Professor Sinnappah Arasaratnam: Historian Outstanding

Michael Roberts

Sinnappah Arasaratnam was one of my inspirational teachers in History at Peradeniya University in the late 1950s. In chancing upon a printed copy of one of his articles — entitled “Sri Lanka’s Tamils under Colonial Rule,” (date ??), I have been inspired to remind new generations, as well as older ones. of his contributions to scholarship in Lanka, Malaysia/Singapore and Australia.

It was to my benefit that I was able to interact with him on occasions after he moved to Malaysia and Australia. Alas, the details of these exchanges have not taken root in my fading memory.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, authoritarian regimes, Britain's politics, British colonialism, caste issues, centre-periphery relations, commoditification, communal relations, cultural transmission, demography, Dutch colonialism, economic processes, ethnicity, European history, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, Indian traditions, island economy, land policies, language policies, Left politics, life stories, modernity & modernization, nationalism, parliamentary elections, patriotism, plural society, political demonstrations, politIcal discourse, Portuguese in Indian Ocean, power politics, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, Sri Lankan scoiety, Tamil civilians, teaching profession, transport and communications, world events & processes

July 4, 2025 · 7:26 pm

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.

 

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, art & allure bewitching, authoritarian regimes, British colonialism, Buddhism, centre-periphery relations, charitable outreach, communal relations, cricket selections, cultural transmission, disparagement, economic processes, Eelam, ethnicity, European history, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, insurrections, island economy, landscape wondrous, language policies, Left politics, legal issues, life stories, literary achievements, modernity & modernization, nationalism, performance, politIcal discourse, population, power politics, S. Thomas College, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, slanted reportage, Sri Lankan cricket, sri lankan society, Tamil Tiger fighters, teaching profession, theatre world, unusual people, world affairs, world events & processes

April 6, 2025 · 1:10 am

Fermenting Divisions, Favouring the Mighty … in the North & the East of Lanka

Tisaranee Gunasekara in Financial Times 2 April 2025 …. where the title reads “Cauldron-stirring time, again?” … while the highlighting is the work of The Editor, Thuppahi [with a caveat noted at the end of this presentation]

 “Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble…

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth, boil and bubble.” – Shakespeare in Macbeth

In the run up to the 2019 Presidential election, there was Muhudu Maha Viharaya. While Candidate Gotabaya, reassuring in his moderate mask, did the kovil and mosque rounds, his official and unofficial surrogates busied themselves stirring the extremist cauldron. In the Pottuvil Muhudu Maha Viharaya, Muslim extremists are destroying statues depicting the Buddha’s eighty great disciples, social media posts claimed. These statues, built by the Rajapaksa administration in 2013, are being razed to the ground under the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration in 2019. If that Government is re-elected, the same horrendous fate will befall the Samadhi statue, the Tholuwila statue and the statues in Gal Viharaya.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, anti-racism, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, discrimination, disparagement, economic processes, ethnicity, governance, historical interpretation, land policies, legal issues, life stories, Muslims in Lanka, politIcal discourse, power politics, Rajapaksa regime, religiosity, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, slanted reportage, social justice, sri lankan society, travelogue, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, zealotry