December 28, 2023 · 2:25 pm

Overlordship & Land Adjudication in the NCP of Lanka in the Recent Past

Professor Amarasiri De Silva in Book Review in Daily Mirror, 27 December 2023, of Lokubanda Tillakaratne: Rata Sabhawa of Nuwarakalaviya – Judicature in a Princely Province: An Ethnographical and Historical Reading, 2023,  322 pages, ISBN 9798218157654,  …. with highlights imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

In antiquity, Sri Lankan Kings wielded authority not only as sovereigns, but also as architects of legal frameworks and systems of justice. Their edicts [were] often articulated verbally or inscribed on enduring rock surfaces, [and] gave rise to fields of law and administration that permeated the kingdom. However, the distant corners of the country, secluded from the immediate influence of royal decrees, presented a different reality.

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December 27, 2023 · 8:10 pm

Sri Lankan Cricket Team’s Test Matches vs Netherlands and vs Denmark in 1975

Sri Lanka did not secure ICC cricket status till mid-1981. An important step in the progress towards this entitlement was the tour of England in mid-1975 with KMT Perera as Manager and Anura Tennekoon as skipper. The details of this tourcan be found in Michael Roberts & Alfred James: Crosscurrents. Sri Lanka and Australia at Cricket, Sydney, Walla Walla Press & Mobitel, 1998, pp. 88-94.

Seated l-to-r

David Heyn, Anura Tennekoon, KMT Perera. Mihael Tissera, Ranjit Fernando

Standing l-to-r Duleep Mendis, Lalith Kaluperuma,  Sunil Wettimuny,  Tony Opatha, HSM Pieris,  DS de Silva, Dennis Chanmugam, Anura Ranasinghe, Bandula Warnapura

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December 26, 2023 · 11:29 pm

Thomian Cricketers in Cricketing Hurrah at the SSC in Colombo, 17 December 2023

Mevan Pieris … whose article has received highlighting emphasis from The Editor, Thuppahi

The historic lunch of Thomian legends held at the SSC in Colombo on  the 17th December 2023 was hosted by the Rudra brothers of whom Ravi Rudra residing in New Zealand is a livewire who has reminisced a lot on athletics and cricket recently. His research is praiseworthy.

Of those who attended the lunch the Tissera brothers were the oldest. Vernon Tissera opened batting for STC in 1949, and at 90 years was a delight to have with us. I was invited to speak, and mentioned that I entered STC in 1954, after two enchanting years at Ladies College, not to mention a few naughty stories I related. Continue reading →

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December 26, 2023 · 12:37 am

X’mas Gatherings: Thomian Cricket Legends and Dilmah Plantation Execs

Dilmah Night of Plantation Veterans” .. …. in The Island, 24 December 2023… with highlighting imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

Jayantha, Anura & Vernon

Anura Gunasekera 

The elegant Dutch Burgher Union premises was the venue for the annual Planters’ Christmas Dinner, hosted by Dilmah, following a tradition set in place in 2017 by its patriarch, the late Merrill J Fernando. A man with a life-long passion for Pure Ceylon Tea, which contributed much to the success of Dilmah, the hosting of this gathering was his way of honouring the contribution to the industry made by the men, often convenientl

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December 25, 2023 · 8:42 pm

Pro-Palestinian Rallies on US Campuses

Daniel Arkin, in NBC News,  26 October 2023  where the title runs thus: “Israel-Hamas war continues to roil American colleges, sparking walkouts”

The war has raised the temperature on some campuses, giving rise to social environments that mirror the country’s similarly polarized politics. Dozens of U.S. colleges and universities are increasingly riven by tensions over the war between Israel and Hamas, offering a window into how a rising generation perceives the conflict in the Middle East and the U.S. government’s foreign policy in the region.

                    Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest at Columbia University in New York on Oct. 12… Yuki Iwamura / AP  

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December 25, 2023 · 7:38 pm

Political Dogfight Looming in 2024 General Elections in Sri Lanka

Uditha Devapriya,  in The Diplomat,  December 2023, where the title runs thus  “Political and Electoral Uncertainty in Sri Lanka Ahead of the 2024 Elections”

Wickremesinghe wants to keep his job; the SLPP wants to mount a comeback. Sri Lanka voters seem to want radical change.

In Sri Lanka, political parties are getting ready for presidential elections scheduled for some time next year. Many of them have named their candidates; others are preparing to do so. The country is constitutionally mandated to hold presidential polls in 2024, and the president himself has hinted that he will go ahead with them.

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December 24, 2023 · 6:02 pm

Galgiriya Mountain and Its Unique Monastic Ruins

Prageeth Sampath Karunathilaka, in Daily Mirror, 20 December 2023, where the title reads thus: “Longest mountain in Sri Lanka: How Saliya-Asokamala shaped the history of Galgiriya Mountain” ….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Galgiriya mountain seen from afar

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December 24, 2023 · 9:38 am

For the People of GAZA … “Little Drummer Boy”

Web Item conveyed by Dr Firazath Hussain of Wellawatte, Colombo

From Ramallah Friends School to the world, we share our version of the timeless “ Little Drummer Boy.” Our hearts come together in prayer for the safety of the children in Gaza. May our shared prayers echo for peace and justice, weaving a tapestry of hope that goes beyond borders, embracing the shared humanity we all hold dear……… 162,402 views Dec 4, 2023   ….. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsEbIVJy0Gg    

 

 

 

 

 

A NOTE from One Thuppahi, 24 December 2023:   

“I cried ….. tears came naturally …. especially when the WEB decided on its own to present a rendering of DANNO BUDUNGE sung by Kishani Jayasinghe …..  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plaKsOtC3b8    

….   then more tears welled.

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December 24, 2023 · 12:01 am

A Suppository FOR An Innocent’s Arse in England

A Suffering Ignoramus

About half a century back I was driving with my wife to Bath when I found myself struggling to breathe. We drove immediately to the Bath hospital where I joined the Emergency queue. The same problem persisted: fit and well but couldn’t breathe! I quickly saw that the others in the queue were far worse off than I was. One had a deep gash in his neck; another a badly wounded arm, etc, etc. My non-breathing was trivial to everyone except myself!

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December 23, 2023 · 7:25 pm

Palestinian Muslims & Israeli Jews in ‘Concert Unity’ at Haifa in Mid-2020

Item sent to Thuppahi by Jayantha Somasundaram, A Sri Lankan Friend in Canberra, December 2023

Matthew Paul Miller, known by his Hebrew and stage name Matisyahu, is an American Jewish reggae singer. In this concert in Haifa he asked 3,000 Muslims and Jews (none of whom had met before) to come together and learn the song “One Day” by Matisyahu in under an hour.  They learned how to sing and harmonise the lyrics in three different languages.

The resulting concert, which was made in collaboration with Beit HaGefen, the Haifa Municipality, and the Port of Haifa, is a breathtaking display of unity and beauty. 

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