Thuppahi's Blog

Featured  by Adilah  Ismail of the SUNDAY TIMES of Sri Lanka in January 2016….under this title “Colourful history of a historian” 

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Assassinations & Coffee, … with highlighting emphasis imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

SEE ….  https://youtube/ZXDWh3faH_Y?si=8WSx_UD6NyosGvKl

While accurate, these arguments lack originality and have been more sharply detailed by figures like John Mearsheimer, Jeffrey Sachs, and Alastair Crooke. The inevitable decline of US global leadership is well-documented; however, the transition is set to be exceptionally volatile and painful for the world—a direct result of the current agendas of the US and Israeli governments.

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Charitha Senanayake & Bhatiya Perera in FACEBOOK, April 2026

Many former cricketers and athletes leave our shores because they feel they have little more to offer here, or that their contributions are not fully appreciated. Taking that next step in life and moving overseas is never easy, especially when trying to rebuild and make a career in a new environment.

Yet, many of them continue to shine, no matter where they go.

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David Colin-Thome in 2003 …. being an item in  THE HISTORY OF CEYLON NEWSLETTER, August 2021, …. now selected for TPS on invitation by David Schokman of Perth

“You will think I write a lot about the scenery, but if you saw it you would not think I said too much” – James Taylor (Pioneering tea planter describing Ceylon in a letter to his father in Scotland in 1858)

In Sri Lanka, the relevance of tea to the game of cricket extends further than that of a twenty-minute break that separates lunch and the end of a day’s play. And while tea to the Western world is but a tiny item in a crowded shopping trolley of groceries, in Sri Lanka, it is the trolley itself.

For over a century, ‘Ceylon Tea’ has been the backbone of the country’s economy and to many individual Sri Lankans, its significance looms even larger. To the poorest of the poor, a cup of tea is often the substitute for a solid, but unaffordable meal.

In the present context, the game of cricket is no less important. While Sri Lanka has been competing at the highest level for just over two decades, cricket has truly evolved, if not quite into a national game, then surely into a national past-time. Its value cannot be solely measured by the vast amounts of foreign currency the game generates for Sri Lanka (relative to the country). In times of hardship and trouble, and Sri Lanka has had its share of both, and then some, cricket is the soothing balm of the common soul; their anaesthetic from the copious doses of an unsympathetic reality.

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Michael Roberts

An English University couple, Mary and Trevor Lowe, both served Sri Lanka as Lecturers in the Science Faculty at PERADENIYA UNIVERSITY for several years from 1969. My wife and I sustained a warm friendship with both and made several trips to spots in Lanka during their stay. We have also visited them subsequently at their home in Taunton, England.

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NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season [has now begun]. All 10 franchises have [finalised] their coaching setups and support staff ahead of the new campaign. The tournament  [began] on March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Teams have assembled a mix of experienced international names and former players in their backroom staff.

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An Eminent Theologian, Rev. Fr. Aloysius Peiris S. J., Passes Away, March 25, 2026

Fr. Aloysius Peiris S. J. who passed away recently was a student at St. Aloysius College, Galle from 1949 (at around the age of fifteen) to 1953. He resided first at the College Boarding House and thereafter at the St. Xavier’s Seminary, Kalegana. Some of the Jesuit priests with whom he came into contact were, the Rector, Rev. Fr. Vito Perniola, historian and Pali Scholar; Rev. Fr. S. G. Perera, historian; Rev. Fr. Aloysius de Mattia, his spiritual advisor; Rev. Fr. Cyril Ponnamperuma, world renowned scientist, who was then a Sub Prefect; Rev. Fr. L. Cramer, Botanist;  Rev. Fr. Paul Casperz, an Oxford Scholar; Rev. Fr. Thomas Kuriacose, then a Sub Prefect; Rev. Fr. Julius Pogany (then learning English along with us and later teaching Physics to us in the HSC Form); and a number of other well-known Belgian, Neapolitan and Ceylonese Jesuits.

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An Item sent to TPS by Darini Rajasingham Senanayake, ** …entitled Before you study the economics, study the economists!’ ….. e-Con e-News 22-28 March 2026

•  ‘The [USA] wanted to bring 2 warplanes armed with 8 antiship missiles from a base in Djibouti… We turned down the request to maintain Sri Lanka’s neutrality’, he added to applause… Dissanayake said he had received another request that same day, on Feb 26, from Iran to seek permission for 3 naval vessels to make a goodwill visit to Sri Lanka: ‘With 2 requests before us, the decision was clear,’ – see ee Sovereignty, SL says it denied US request to land 2 aircraft at Mattala airport
•  ‘It is unclear as to why the request made by one countrywas made public earlier & the other 2 weeks  later. So far there has been no comment from the US side on their request made to Sri Lanka.’– Sunday Times (see ee Sovereignty,… QR code & West Asian war…)
• 

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SEE https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pn_0PMNR9TM

ALSO SEE …. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Kirsten

Gary Kirsten

Kirsten in 2009
Personal information
Born	23 November 1967 (age 58) Cape Town, Cape Province, South Africa
Nickname	Gazza
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off break
Role	Opening batsman
Relations	Paul Kirsten (brother) Peter Kirsten (half-brother)
International information
National side	South Africa
Test debut (cap 257)	26 December 1993 v Australia
Last Test	30 March 2004 v New Zealand
ODI debut (cap 28)	14 December 1993 v Australia
Last ODI	3 March 2003 v Sri Lanka
ODI shirt no.	1
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1987–2004	Western Province
Head coaching information
Years	Team
2008–2011	India
2011–2013	South Africa
2024	Pakistan (ODI and T20I)
2026–	Sri Lanka
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 101 185 221 294 Runs scored 7,289 6,798 16,670 9,586 Batting average 45.27 40.95 48.31 36.58 100s/50s 21/34 13/45 46/79 18/58 Top score 275 188* 275 188* Balls bowled 349 30 1,727 138 Wickets 2 – 20 3 Bowling average 71.00 – 41.80 37.33 5 wickets in innings 0 – 1 0 10 wickets in match 0 – 0 0 Best bowling 1/0 – 6/68 1/25 Catches/stumpings 83/– 61/1 171/– 97/1
Medal record
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 28 December 2009

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The Border Inquisitor

A very useful video recounting how George had a difficult time entering the UK. He was detained under an act featuring some of the finest Kafkaesque language used by democratic countries today—a stark reminder that fascism comes with a pat on the back.

https://youtu.be/c6bjRCysuv4?si=eSkokoPHIojLq_0V

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