Michael Roberts
Given the humid and rainy conditions, why the Sri Lankan management chose to bat on winning the toss is a major issue for deate after the collapse for 5 runs in the face of some excllent seam and swing bowling from Siraj, Bumrah and Pandya.
Notwithstanding the quality of the Indian bowling, the techniques and batting of the Sri Lankan batsmen [yes bastmen] left much to be desired.
The earthquake in the Marrakesh area of Morocco has wrought enormous damage and taken many lives … at least 0000 known cases thus far. The famous Portuguese socccr player, Christiano Ronaldo, happens to be the owner of huge hotel complex in Marrakesh … ………….. and has immediately made this set of luxury premises available for the treatment of survivors. Reports thus far indicate that at least 2900 people have died.
Captain Kumar Kirinde, SLAF Retd, whose facored title runs as “THE DESTROYED TOWERS OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE OF NEW YORK: THE AFTEMATH OF 9/11 REMEMBERED IN PICTURES” .…. Sources: http://www.quora.com (posts by Ann Longmore-Etheridge), ……………………………………………………………………………….. https://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/world-trade-center-slurry- wall.htm and Google Images
Constructing the World Trade Center (1970)
Pic: https://www.ba-bamail.com/baba-recommends/history-in-pictures-25- amazing-images-of-the-past/ ….
Filed under 9/11 Attacks, accountability, Al Qaeda, centre-periphery relations, fundamentalism, historical interpretation, landscape wondrous, life stories, martyrdom, photography, politIcal discourse, power politics, security, self-reflexivity, suicide bombing, terrorism, the imaginary and the real, trauma, unusual people, vengeance, world events & processes
Michael Roberts
On the 27th of January 1985 The lsland newspaper presented a cartoon sketch of a lion being confronted by a cockroach possessing the same physical scale as the lion under the caption “Hoisting the Flag for Lansi Eelam.” The lion denoted the Sinhala people, that is, the Sinhala nation in all its deep history and majesty. The cockroach signified the Burgher people of Sri Lanka, namely the “lansi.” The cartoon was supported by a letter attributed to a “Sharm De Alwis.”
Voila! So, it has come, but sooner than I expected: the call for a unified Lansieelam.
When I anticipated such a move I did tell a friend that were I the President I’d give the Burghers the Bambalapitiya Flats with the sea frontage thrown in for good measure. They would then be free to harness their intrinsic but long-forgotten skills in reclaiming the sea and build derricks to Mozambique or even Rotterdam.
But what bugged me was when my friend took me at my word and produced the next day the visual of the Lansieelam map. Not that I would have any objections to the apt depiction of the cockroach but that the pest had assumed the same proportions of the Sinhala Lion.
My friend re-assures me that what she has in mind is not a separate state but an isolated plot fully integrated with the Sinhala state and the cockroach, large as it now is, gives ample muscle aid to the Lion to combat other opposing factors.
Sharm de Alwis, 82/1, Kandy Road,, Kiribathgoda
Filed under accountability, atrocities, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, chauvinism, communal relations, cultural transmission, demography, devolution, discrimination, disparagement, education policy, Eelam, electoral structures, ethnicity, governance, historical interpretation, Islamic fundamentalism, legal issues, life stories, LTTE, martyrdom, nationalism, politIcal discourse, power politics, prabhakaran, religiosity, security, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, terrorism, trauma, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, vengeance, working class conditions, world events & processes, zealotry
SOME IMMEDIATE RESPONSES
“Amazing that Irene also had a premonition that the Matildas would lose 3-1” ….. Ralph Shlomowitz caressing his partner
“Poor Roberts he was asking for it. Shall I organize some Pretzels 
for the Spectators ?” …. Herbert Perera from Deep in Germany
The Investigation launched by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has in accordance with its terms of reference probed the period of time from the 2002 February ceasefire until the end of the war in May 2009 to ascertain whether war crimes, crimes against humanity and human rights violations occurred in Sri Lanka during the final phase of the war as alleged. The focus on these particular years has naturally led to the overlooking of many other terrible incidents which happened in the years preceding 2002. Notable among these horrors is the mass expulsion of Muslims from the North by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE).
Filed under accountability, anti-racism, atrocities, centre-periphery relations, charitable outreach, communal relations, discrimination, ethnicity, governance, historical interpretation, human rights, legal issues, life stories, LTTE, Muslims in Lanka, politIcal discourse, power politics, rehabilitation, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, terrorism, trauma, truth as casualty of war, vengeance, welfare & philanthophy
From the MIRROR
Surviving Kidnapping: When Stephanie Slater was kidnapped by killer Michael Sams back in 1992, he kept her captive in a lockable wheelie bin. But rather than murder her – as he had done with his previous victim Julie Dart – he demanded a ransom and let her go after it was paid. But why did Sams release her? In a fascinating new revelation about the case, it seems the Mirror’s own health expert Dr Miriam Stoppard played a key part. Stephanie had read Dr Miriam’s advice book on how girls can deal with dangerous situations including how to build a rapport if you find yourself in a vulnerable situation. Sams was later jailed for life for murdering Julie and abducting Stephanie. Dr Miriam says: “I have never expected anything I have written to have such a big effect on somebody’s life.”
Stephanie Slater
Professor Chandre Dharmawardena
According to The Island newspaper, 25 of July 2023 [1], the Canadian High Commissioner Eric Walsh in Colombo has barged into the controversy on the Kurundi archeological site. The Canadian HC had met T. Raviharan, a politician who spearheads the protests at the Kurundi site. HC Walsh’s explanation is that “Meeting people in different parts of the country, to better understand their priorities and perspectives, is a normal part of a High Commissioner’s role.” These words ring hollow if he does NOT meet anyone from the “other side”, or the Archaeological Commissioner and other technical people.
Filed under accountability, ancient civilisations, Canadian politics, centre-periphery relations, cultural transmission, discrimination, disparagement, ethnicity, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, legal issues, life stories, LTTE, politIcal discourse, propaganda, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, Tamil migration, trauma, travelogue, world affairs
From Mervyn Weerasooriya, my old Aloysian Mate
A man goes into a pet shop and tells the owner he wants to buy a pet that can do everything. The shop owner suggests a faithful dog. The man replies, “Come on, a dog?” The owner says, “How about a cat?” The man replies, “No way! A cat certainly can’t do everything. I want a pet that can do everything!” The shop owner thinks for a minute, then says, “I’ve got it! A centipede!” The man says, “A centipede? I can’t imagine a centipede doing anything, but okay… I’ll try a centipede.” He gets the centipede home and says to the centipede, “Clean the kitchen.” Thirty minutes later, he walks into the kitchen and… it’s immaculate! All the dishes and silverware have been washed, dried, and put away. The counter-tops have been cleaned and the appliances are sparkling. Even the floor was waxed. He’s absolutely amazed.
thuppahi
