Alagappan Muthu’s Discerning Analyses of the First Two IPL finals

Alagappan Muthu, 23 May 2023, with this title  “CSK squeeze the Titans to enter their tenth IPL final” 

Chennai Super Kings 172 for 7 (Gaikwad 60, Conway 40, Shami 2-28) beat Gujarat Titans (Gill 42, Jadeja 2-18) by 15 runs
MS Dhoni has led Chennai Super Kings to their tenth IPL final. He’s had the whole country wrapped around his fingertips without even trying, and nights like these are the reason why. Even the umpires couldn’t win against him.
He met Gujarat Titans on a pitch that he likes – the kind that used to greet international teams during his reign as India captain – and turned their comfort zone into anything but. A team that likes batting second lost for only the fourth time in 18 chases.
Deepak Chahar had Shubman Gill caught on the long-leg boundary for 42Getty Images

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Another ‘Slingster’ Sensation: Matheesha Pathirana of Trinity and Lanka

Rex Clementine, in The Island, 24 May 2023, where the title reads: “Matheesha: Cricket’s Latest Sensation….…. with highlighting imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

We’ve heard it from cricket’s supremo M.S. Dhoni that young fast bowling sensation Matheesha Pathirana should get nowhere near red ball cricket. There would have been quite a furore had Kumar Sangakkara or Mahela Jayawardene said it. Remember the reaction when they echoed similar sentiments in the case of Lasith Malinga all those years ago. But with talents like Matheesha and Malinga it seems a sensible move. After all, Sanga and MJ rarely get their facts wrong.

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Caste & Politics in the Sri Lankan Tamil World

Robert Siddharthan Perinpanayagam, in Groundviews, 22 August 2011, where the title reads “Caste And Politics” …. An article that drew 19 comments including some responses from “Sid”… reproduced here with highlighting imposed by The Editor in circumstances where my friend “Sid” from Peradeniya  days is no longer around to dispute matters … as he surely would have.

Over the years, the claims of the Tamil people for justice, equalty and dignity have been rejected with a variety of specious arguments. It is not necessary to go into these exercises here again. However, the latest attempt in this direction is to raise the issue of caste in Jaffna society. Former civil servants, who spent three or four years being de facto kings of the North, have sought to comment on this issue in many recent hero-stories that they have published in the newspapers. In these hero-stories they report not only how they defeated one departmental head or another or humiliated a hapless village headman, but how they vanquished the evil designs of the Tamils as well. Indeed everything seems to become grist to the mill of Tamil-bashing. Even a casual remark made in a cricket match is used by a famous historian to claim that the Tamils of Jaffna are cravenly caste-conscious. Off-the-cuff social commentators as well as the tribalist pundits in the newspapers have also got into this act. The implication of these commentaries is that the Sinhalese do not have the problem of castism and only Tamils do. One recent commentator is so ignorant of the political history of the island as to invoke Ponnambalam Ramanathan’s castism! It was indeed the fear of Karava ascendancy by the Goigamas that elevated Ramanathan to high stature by making him the representative of the “Educated Ceylonese” in the Legislative Council.

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Studies of Caste in Sinhala Society over the Centuries

The presentation of an essay in the Sinhala language on “Caste in Sinhala Society”[1] in April 2017 within Thuppahi came to the attention of Thomas Fernando in UK recently. Tommy promptly took up the challenge and is now proceeding to address the article and topic. This is his NOTE to me: “however laborious it is to plough through the Sinhala text, I hope to have a good look at this article on caste in SL as I have not read a good description on this important topic which has a very significant impact on life even today in SL.”

Batgam kulayey nivasak

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Sri Lanka Part of EducationaL Forum … Zoom Meeting in Adelaide This Tuesday

Date & Time: ……….May 23, 2023 07:00 PM  in
Description: ………. Education Forum Sri Lanka (EFSL) is pleased to invite you to topical webinar on Meeting the social demand for higher education: Strategies from Australia, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.” Governments worldwide are struggling to meet the social demand for free or subsidized higher education while steering student choices towards the demands of the workplace and balancing other demands on public expenditure. What can we learn from current practices in education policymaking and funding in Australia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting Registration

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The CR&FC Rugby Side in 1965: A Classic Picture

Presented here courtesy of Dr Deepal Lecamvasam of STC, University of Ceylon & Adelaide 

 

 

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Papua New Guinea drawn into Aussie-US War Plans against China

Paul Gregoire in Sydney with “Sydney Lawyers” at masthead and this title =  “AUKUS power are militárising Papua New Guinea in Preparation for War with China,” 16 May 2023, … ………………………. https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/aukus-powers-are-militarising-papua-new-guinea-in-preparation-for-war-with-china

Journalist John Pilger’s 2017 documentary The Coming War With China warned that the US had established a “perfect noose” of 400-odd military bases surrounding China, while former Australian PM Paul Keating recently asserted that the AUKUS deal makes us part of this “containment policy”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Combating The Damages of War & Accident: Artificial Limbs for One & All … In Lanka

CHRONOLOGY BACKWARDS

https://thuppahis.com/2021/07/24/dr-susiri-weerasekera-a-sturdy-servant-of-humankind/

https://thuppahis.com/2019/10/04/dr-susiri-weerasekera-a-man-for-all-seasons/

Dr Weerasekera standing 2nd from right facing us with a visiting dignitary at the Friend-in-Need Society building in Colombo Continue reading

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Memories of Peradeniya University Campus Sparked by A Visit in 2012

Rex Olegasegaram, whose favöured title runs thus: “Peradeniya Campus – A Visit Down Memory Lane

In November, 2012 when I drove into the Peradeniya University along with my wife Navaranjini, it was indeed a wonderful visit down memory lane covering my very enjoyable undergraduate spell in 1955/59. Then known as the Peradeniya campus of the University of Ceylon, it has indeed seen a number of physical changes in the interim period with new Halls of Residence, some significant changes to existing buildings (e.g. the old tinned roof of the Economics Department replaced with new modern structures), new approaches etc. Notwithstanding, a number of features that obtained at that time still continue: the older Halls of Residence, some lecture theatres, the library including the “pilloring” area, the gymnasium and the sport venues.

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Hashish, Heroin, Sea Cucumber & Migrants: Sri Lanka Navy’s Seizures Today

Items in The Island, 19 May 2023 ….

ONE: https://island.lk/navy-takes-hold-of-smuggled-dried-sea-cucumber-and-contraband-in-kalpitiya-seas/

A search operation conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy off Sinnaarichchalai, Kalpitiya on Thursday night, led to the apprehension of 02 suspects with about 193kg of dried sea cucumber and several other contraband items which were being smuggled.

Among the recovered items were; about 193kg of dried sea cucumber, 33600 shampoo packets (6ml each), 198 balm vials (50g each), 1 A/C plant and 1 Voltage Stabilizer (230 V). The suspects, contraband items and the dinghy were taken into naval custody and were handed over to the Customs Preventive Office in Katunayake for onward legal action.

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