Remembering George Turnour: Scholar & Administrator Extraordinary

Hugh Karunanayake

Thirty seven years ago, on 13 April 1985, the British Prime Minister of the day  Mrs Margaret Thatcher during her visit to Sri Lanka to open the Victoria Dam, said  in an address to the Parliament of Sri Lanka  “The remains of an ancient civilization are visible in many parts of your island. Two thousand years ago, your irrigation system far exceeded in scale and sophistication anything existing in Europe. That great chronicle the Mahavamsa, has passed down to us the story of your island’s development.”

 The Mahavansa and the history it contained would probably  have been lost in the mists of antiquity if not for the  indefatigable efforts of a Civil Servant by the name George Turnour.

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At Last! Sri Lankan Women’s Cricketers beat Indian Women … at Dambulla

ESPNCricinfo Report

Sri Lanka 141 for 3 (Athapaththu 80*, de Silva 30) beat India 138 for 5 (Harmanpreet 39*, Rodrigues 33, Ranasinghe 1-13) by seven wickets
Sri Lanka had lost their last 12 T20Is against India, and had never beaten them in a home game. But all that was put to rest as their captain Chamari Athapaththu led them to a seven-wicket win in the final match of the three-match T20I series in Dambulla. The hosts managed to salvage pride after conceding the series with back-to-back defeats.

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Sri Lankan Crisis: A Call for Debt Cancellation

STATEMENT ON THE CRISIS IN SRI LANKA. Southern Voices to be Heeded: A Call for Debt Justice, Debt Jubilee and Debt Cancellation  

The Coalition for Economic Democracy in Sri Lanka (CEDSL) is a group of concerned academics, activists, agricultural, fisheries and industrial workers, students, business persons, trade unionists, and professionals based ‘in country’ and overseas, including the diaspora, who uphold the values of economic rights and justice in public policy making.

 

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St. Josephs College in Colombo: Its Multi-faceted Achievements over 125 Years

Lynn Ockersz, in The Island, 13 June  2022, where the title runs thus St. Joseph’s College, Colombo – a dignified 125 years”

One hundred and twenty-five years into its existence, St. Joseph’s College, Colombo remains dignified and spiritually-focused in the Sri Lankan school system. Its achievements have been numerous and multidimensional over the decades but if one were to sum up the essential identity of the College, then, spiritual development would be the phrase to choose.

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Sanga: Rex in Q and A with Kumar for The Island in 2015

Kumar Sangakkara Talks Candidly About Many Things in Exhaustive Interview, 20 August 2015

The Island: By your own admission, you were an average cricketer at school while your contemporaries like Thilan Samaraweera, Mahela Jayawardene and Aviskha Gunawardene were way ahead. How have you been able to finish with a Test average of 58?

Sangakkara: I think there’s a lot of things that go into it. When you look back upon the game of cricket and your own career, you always realise that these are not things that you do alone. There are so many other contributions that enrich your career along the way that you learn from, you build upon and that will help you with your game. In my case, I had so many people – friends, family, coaches, teammates, opposition players that really lifted my game when I played. All of these factors contribute. And when I look back upon my career, I feel extremely blessed and extremely lucky to have been playing this game for so long and to have played it in the best manner that I could. I think it is important to play it with a sense of wonderment, like childhood wonder, because if you don’t enjoy the game and you don’t thrive in an environment where you are supposed to have fun, and also compete and perform at the highest level, it’s hard to be successful. I have just been in an environment that continually pushed me to get better.

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Only in Australia: Meaningful Roadsigns

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Misreading the Tamil Tigers: An American Scholar in 2017

Paige Ziegler, in The Bridge, 13 April 2017, where the title is “Learning from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam” …. reproduced here in Thuppahi, a site which has presented umpteen articles on Eelam War IV, in order to indicate [see THUPPAHI EDITOR’s NOTE at the end] how young American scholars present essays without extensive research. 

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were a highly successful terrorist organization who were famous for successfully forming a fully functional military. Their fight for separation from the Sri Lankan government lasted a quarter century, and parallels can be drawn between the Sri Lankan conflict and the current situation in the Middle East (and elsewhere). With civilian casualties reaching staggering numbers and negotiations leading nowhere, Sri Lanka had elected a new government and, with it, a new approach. By leveraging popular support, utilizing external countries to manage the conflict, and employing strategic military measures, the new Sri Lankan government recovered its country. Duplicating similar political actions and military maneuvers as those that proved successful for the Sri Lankan government may usher in peace for the Middle East.

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Hail the Sri Lankan Cricket Fans: Joe Paiva’s Pictorial Applause from Adelaide:

Joe Paiva’s Colourful Applause from Adelaide

Congratulations the People of Lanka for welcoming the Aussies with open arms and warm hospitality. This is the Sri Lankan way.

 Cricket Australia take special note and reciprocate, when overseas teams grace our  great, multicultural continent…. Australia. In the past Australia has treated foreign team shabbily. That now must change. It is sport not war. Sri Lanka despite its dire situation has shown the world how it should be done.

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General Custer’s Last Stand: Annihilation by the Sioux, 25 June 1876

David Graham, in Quora, …. https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-of-the-most-epic-last-stands-in-history/answer/David-Graham-149 

On June 25, 1876, after a stumbling night march that exhausted men and horses, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and the 7th U.S. Cavalry attacked Sitting Bull’s village on the banks of the Little Bighorn River in southeastern Montana.

What happened next: Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne warriors under the war chiefs Crazy Horse, Gall and Two Moon wiped out all 210 officers and men in the five companies of cavalry under Custer’s immediate command. 

  Custer marker on Last Stand Hill | Photo: David Graham

 

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Memories are Made of This: The Agar-Hewawissa-Plunkett-Forbes Lineages of Ceylon

Charles Schokman

This picture brought back memories. I knew Ashton Agar’s Great Grandfather from way back in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Mr. Plunkett worked at Walker Sons & Co Ltd as a car salesman and resided at Negombo. He had two daughters Sheila and Carmaline. (Bubbles). Sheila was married to Nala Hewawissa and Carmaline to Ron Forbes.

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