TamilWeek_Dec_04

Sixteen soldiers killed
as Shadow war escalates in Jaffna

By D. B. S. Jeyaraj

The fourth of December was a bloody Sunday for soldiers serving in Jaffna as
nine of their comrades-at-arms were killed in three separate incidents in the
northern peninsula. Eight soldiers were injured in the same three incidents.
Around 20 other soldiers suffered injuries in a spate of attacks conducted for
three days in Jaffna from December 2 to 4.

The most serious attack was the landmine ambush at Kondavil on Sunday.
Ten soldiers from the 51 - 1 brigade camp near the Thirunelvely farm school
were travelling along the Palaly road to the 55 - 1 brigade camp at Atchuvely.

The vehicle used was a tractor with trailer. The vehicle had passed the
Kondavil junction and proceeded about 150 metres southwards when a
claymore mine concealed on a tree was triggered by a remote controlled
device. The explosion occurred at 1.10 pm in broad daylight.
The driver and two other men seated alongside the mudguards and three
others seated on the front of the trailer were killed instantly.

Anton Balasingham speaks at London Alexandra Palace

LTTE Chief Negotiator Anton Balasingham spoke on Nov
27th at the commemorative meeting for LTTE Great Heroes
Day held at the London Alexandra Palace. Following is the
translation of his interesting and insightful speech made in
Tamil: [Contd.]

"No matter how much we scrape this pot, an empty pot
cannot deliver any "peace" rice from it" - Pathmini
Sithamparanathan MP, TNA Parliamentarian in NJ

by K.T. Kumaran

"The recently concluded Sri Lankan Presidentail Election was an empty pot.
There was no cooked rice called "peace" in it. And the results have shown that
no peace would have been fetched by using a "vote" spoon in it" said Pathmini
Sithamparanathan MP, TNA Parliamentarian speaking at the commemorative
meeting for LTTE Great Heroes Day held on December 3 in New Jersey.

The endless games we play

By: Dr.Rajasingham Narendran

Sri Lanka had come to the crossroads with regard to possible solutions to the
Sinhala-Tamil and Majority-Minority conflicts in the months preceding the
presidential elections, and has chosen to take a reverse direction with the
election of Mahinda Rajapakse as the new president, which anyone with
foresight would consider unwise.

Detour to Tamil Eelam via the Presidential Poll Boycott?

By Dr. S. Narapalasingam

There are many contradictions in the results of the November 17 Presidential
elections viewed from both the nationally aspired peace with unity and
development goals. Even the much touted ‘honourable peace’ of the newly
elected President Mahinda Rajapakse seems very conceptual in the prevailing
conditions in Sri Lanka. There are many basic requirements for achieving
‘honourable peace’.

The People get
their Galle Face
Green Back

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Galle Face Green
adjacent to the Indian
Ocean along the
Colombo coast has
been a public
promenade since
early British colonial
times. One end of it is
in the Fort area and
the other in
Kollupitiya. The green
as we know it now was
much larger earlier
and so too was the
stretch of Galle Road
running through it. A
swathe of land
however was taken
away from the Green
in the sixties for
commercial
expansion. A few
colonial heritage type
buildings on the land
side were also
demolished. This
happened when
protection of
environment and
heritage had not
become a major
concern of public life.

In search of the kurahan saatakaya

By Malinda Seneviratne

If something new entered the lexicon of local politics in the course of the
run-up to the last Presidential election, it is the kurahan saatakaya, the piece
of cloth that came to symbolize Mahinda Rajapakse.

On the plus side it became the metaphoric rallying point to all those for whom
nation and national identity were too important to be subsumed by the sterile
economic in this election. Indeed there were many who saw the kurahan
saatakaya as a metaphor amenable to multiple application, so much so that
even the economy could be wrapped, so to speak, in that elegant piece of
fabric.

Promise that Ranil must keep

By Jehan Perera

President Mahinda Rajapakse’s policy statement to Parliament emphasized
his commitment to the pursuit of peace and the rejection of war as the means
to resolve the ethnic conflict.

Both in opposition and in government the President did not stand amongst the
hawks who urged war as the solution to the ethnic conflict. But after his
electoral alliances with hardline Sinhalese parties, the newly elected President
has felt himself obliged to repeatedly say that he will not lead the country to
war but to peace.

"LTTE Engineered boycott, virtually guaranteeing
Rajapakse election" - Ambassador Schaffer

"The election of Mahinda Rajapakse as Sri Lanka’s president puts the
country’s already fragile peace efforts at a watershed. By engineering a
boycott of the election, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) virtually
guaranteed Rajapakse’s election, but also served notice that their position
has hardened." says former US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Teresita Schaffer.

Elections: Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mahinda
Rajapakse and Siritunga Jayasuriya

By Professor Karthigesu Sivathamby

Sri Lanka has had elections changing governments before. But there has
seldom been such political dislocation emerging through the exercise of the
franchise as is happening after the recent polls. Every major political
organisation of the south is grappling with internal problems and none of the
groups in coalition are working in unison after 17 November.

The country now faces a completely new set of challenges and the three
contestants mentioned in the headline symbolise the change that is occurring
in Sri Lanka.

The growing
significance of
the "Great Heroes
Day"

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The Isthmus of Elephant
pass linking the
peninsula and mainland
is of great significance to
the Tamil people in a
historical, geographical,
economic, social, cultural
and political sense. Now
it has acquired a military
dimension too. The
LTTE staging its GHD
meeting at Elephant
pass this year is an
event of immense politico
- military symbolism.

Sri Lanka foes rattle sabres [BBC]

A week after Sri Lanka's new president assumed office, the two sides in the
country's long-running ethnic conflict have drawn their lines in the sand.
Mahinda Rajapakse, the country's new president who is backed by hardliners
opposed to any concession to the Tamil Tiger rebels, stated his position to the
stalled peace process in his first speech to parliament on Friday.

He rejected outright any demands for a separate Tamil homeland and also
indicated that he would look to renegotiate a ceasefire that has been in place
since February 2002.

Chandrika denies mansion story [BBC]

President Chandrika Kumaratunge has categorically rejected that she has
bought a mansion in the UK as reported by the Evening Standard of
December 1st,2005 published in the UK.

The article appeared in the column 'Londoner's Diary' under the caption, "Is
Prince Andrew's Southyork mansion going to Sri Lanka?"

It says President Chandrika Kumaratunge has bought the Sunninhill Park
mansion belonging to Prince Andrew, the second son of the Queen.

Rs.29 million for CBK [BBC]

Chief justice Sarath N Silva has expressed his disappointment in open courts
as to how a large sum of money has been allocated from next year's budget
for former President Chandrika Kumaratunge.
Rs.29 million has been allocated for President Kumaratunge front the budget
for 2006.

Chief Justice aired his views when he took up a petition filed by President
Mahinda Rajapakse asking to verify the legality of the supplementary budget
with relevance to the budget for 2006.

Chief Justice Sarath N.Silva said he was surprised to see Rs.29 million is set a
part to former president alone where as only Rs.29 million is allocated for the
ten judges of the Supreme Court

Tamil Tigers illegally fundraising in Toronto [CBC]

Members of Toronto's large Tamil community say they're being hit up for
money by door-to-door fundraisers for the Tamil Tigers.

Community members said they were told to make an immediate cash
contribution of $2,500, and that those who didn't contribute would not be
allowed to travel in Tamil-controlled parts of Sri Lanka when they returned for
visits.

"They started giving each family a PIN number, so whenever somebody visited
to the LTTE-controlled areas of Sri Lanka, they would be told to provide the
PIN number, and only then would they be allowed to go into the territory," said
one man who didn't want to be named for fear of retribution.

Enterprising immigrant from Sri Lanka gives youths
a voice and a sense of place [Globe and Mail]

At a time when some community centres in troubled neighbourhoods are
being closed for safety reasons, city officials are also grateful.

At a downtown office tower last night, the Toronto Community Foundation
showed its gratitude to 26-year-old Neethan Shanmugarajah, who works out
of the Malvern Family Resource Centre as manager of youth programs, with a
Vital People award worth $5,000 to be used for training or development.
Eleven other Torontonians received the grant, which recognizes the
accomplishments of community leaders who make the city a better place to
live.

"There's so much potential here," Mr. Shanmugarajah said earlier yesterday
while sitting in a food court in a Malvern mall.

On a regular basis, about 1,000 young people flock to the neighbourhood
centre on Neilson Road near Sewells Road, which operates on an annual
budget of about $250,000 that is funded by all three levels of government.

Mr. Shanmugarajah, a Tamil who came to Canada 10 years ago, grew up
amid the political turmoil of Sri Lanka. He said that experience motivates him
to keep going during the 70 hours a week he logs working in the community.

One Year after
tsunami:
Ground Reality [LBO]

Nearly one year after, Sri Lanka’s tsunami survivors are stewing in
uncertainty while tsunami recovery stagnates in politics.

One year into recovery, very little has changed.
The duplication, confusion, corruption, political interference, poor
communication and lack of consultation that UN agencies and local institutions
warned about, are thriving.

Around 250,000 men, women and children, living in cramped transitional
shelters and nearly 500,000 crowding it out in relatives’ homes – are not
thriving.

Dr. James T. Rutnam - A true scholar

ICES Colombo is commemorating and celebrating the 100th birth anniversary
of Dr. James T. Rutnam, scholar, politician, trade-unionist, humanist on 'Dec.
2nd at ICES auditorium. This article appeared in the "Lanka Guardian" of July
1, 1985 on his 80th birthday:

James Thevathasan Rutnam turns eighty today. The four score years of his
life so far spans an important period in the history of modem Sri Lanka - an
epoch beset by changes more radical, more rapid and, towards the end, more
painful, than in any preceding age in recent centuries.

He was born at a time when Pax Britannica was reigning supreme and British
rule in this tropical island seemed unshakable. The background against which
he grew up could hardly have been more stable. Then came the changes. And
today, as he begins his ninth decade, the land he loved is in turmoil and
slipping inexorably towards the abyss of civil strife.

Having raised his voice against the British as a mere lad and later associated
himself with political organizations and leaders with a desire to lead the
country out of bondage, he must indeed be a sad man today.

The Portuguese advent in Sri Lanka [DailyNews]

The first Portuguese to have visited Sri Lanka was Don Lourenco de Almeida.
Driven by adverse winds, he reached Sri Lanka's coast near Galle in 1505
(more correctly, 1506).

He might have exclaimed ebulliently, "Vive-Veeva" (a Portuguese form of
greeting) to the Lankans he first encountered.

But what unfolded subsequently with the Portuguese advent in Sri Lanka was
an acrimonious chapter in the island history.

A nation always divided chronically on ethnic, religious and caste rivalries,
became a fertile ground for the Portuguese to convert many Sinhalese and
Tamils to the Catholic religion.

Visakha Utsav 2005: A Tourits's Paradise [FrontLine]

The Andhra Pradesh government aims to place Visakhapatnam on the global
tourism map.

Visakhapatnam with its myriad names such as City of Destiny, Vizag, Waltair,
Port City and Steel City, is today in the process of transforming itself into a
world-class city.

Once a fishermen's village, the city's has undergone a sea change over a
relatively short period. It has grown immensely in terms of size, population
and, most important, number of industries. Now, high on the agenda of the
Andhra Pradesh government is a plan to put the city on the tourism map of
the world.

Aptly called the `City with a Future', Visakhapatnam can boast of having many
notable tourist locations. The picturesque city is situated on the east coast of
India with a natural protective harbour. Its environs are endowed with rich
mineral, water and forest resources. The city's landscape is a feast to the
eyes. It has several hillocks, golden beaches, shopping malls and gardens.
The Visakhapatnam railway station (originally known as Waltair station) forms
part of the newly formed East Coast Railway - and is an important junction on
the Coromandel coastline.

Nose for talent, eye for detail

Prakashraj is all excited about his latest production, `Kanda Naal Mudhal,'
that hit the screens yesterday.

... it's a different journey, a search to identify myself with good cinema.
Prakashraj

On the day you settle down for a chat with actor-producer Prakashraj, his
`Kanda Naal Mudhal' is on its censorship round.

The actor talks cheerily about his tryst with quality fare and his constant urge
to carve a niche for himself as a producer associated with astute thinkers in
cinema.

The exchanges, punctuated with the characteristic Prakashraj guffaws, reveal
the man's passion for the celluloid medium.

"But my passion doesn't make me reckless. I'm no stupid gambler. It's just that
when I spot talent I can't let it go. And that's what made me turn to production.
Five years down the line I shouldn't regret having let worthy technicians slip
through," says Prakashraj.

Action, romance and melody

`Tomboy' Meera Jasmine and Vishal team up to offer some spirited action for
``Sandakozhi."

The unit was busy on ECR, the stretch after VGP but G.K.Film Corporation's
"Sandakozhi" starring Vishal and Meera Jasmine seems to be almost complete.

Having just returned from Mauritius, the director, Lingusamy was engaged in
patch up work. The fight cocks, and that's what the title means, are Meera and
Vishal. Adding oil to the fire will be Rajkiran and Lal (Malayalam directors
Siddik-Lal).

``For the first time, Lal is doing a villain's role and he has done a good job.
The film is a commercial venture, full of action and sentiment with
entertainment value, said the director

The song started to play and both Vishal and Meera Jasmine danced for a
while, with master Raju Sundaram supervising the moves. Vishal thinks it is
one of the best films of director Lingusamy. "I feel that it is a mixture of his
earlier films `Run' and `Anandam.' I earned a very good name in `Chellame'
mainly because of the songs and dances. Here, the climax fight will be a
highlight. `Kanal' Kannan has done a wonderful job. We used a new type of
camera for nearly ten days with four industrial cranes. The casting is good
and it will be a different kind of experience," he said. A neat screenplay is the
strength of the film, feels the director. ``The first half has some good songs
tuned by Yuvan Shankar Raja and the second half will be action-oriented," he
elaborated.

A freedom at stake ...

... protests in Tamil Nadu over Kushboo's views on premarital sex appear to
be largely a combination of personal animosity and politics.

"The argument was that Kushboo's remarks were offensive and could breach
public peace and order."

Personal animosity, business rivalry, and politics have combined to whip up a
controversy in Tamil Nadu over some innocuous remarks made by actor
Kushboo on pre-marital sex. Frenzied protests, organised with the support of
political parties, especially the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the Dalit
Panthers, now seem symptomatic of a growing intolerance in the State of
liberal views on sex and marriage.

Cuisine ... in sync

"Everything from video games, phones, TV shows, computers, banking,
railways to airline services have turned interactive. So why not food?"

A Toque-Ed chef furiously rustles up southeast Asian delicacies at the hotel's
interactive counter .... Mouthwatering Thai curries, rice soup with tofu and
shrimps, Burmese bowl noodle soup, Curry Laksa .... Luminous
vegetables/herbs/flavourings lie in natty piles before him even as sauces — of
all hues and textures — wink back from gleaming vials. The chef picks and
chooses his ingredients, chats up the guests, shares recipes with the lunching
ladies, all with remarkable showmanship.

The guests — meanwhile — are gorging on achingly fresh food cooked
before them in a carnival-esque ambience ....
Welcome to the world of interactive cuisine! An exciting, new form of dining
which has curried enormous favour with hotels and restaurants across the
country. Walk into any dining establishment and chances are that you'll
encounter at least one "interactive" restaurant or counter. And while the
choice of cuisine on offer may vary bewilderingly from traditional south Indian
to exotic Greek, Italian, Mexican or Spanish, the "interactive" recipe will usually
be the same — live counters, a vivacious atmosphere and custom-made food.

Diabetes control: Work together

Control of diabetes and prevention of complications related to the disease
involve team work between the doctor and the patient.

Diabetes is becoming increasingly more common in India. Once diabetes
affects the nerves or blood vessels, it is often not possible to bring the
patients back to a normal state. All that can be done is to minimise further
damage. Hence the cornerstone of preventing diabetic amputations or other
diabetic complications is to prevent the development of these complications.

It has now been conclusively proved that good control of diabetes can prevent
most diabetic complications. If you have diabetes, keeping blood sugar values
at or below the recommended target values is the most important thing you
can do to protect your feet and indeed all the other organs like eyes, kidneys
and heart nerves.

Researchers shed new light on widely prescribed
Antilipid drugs [COH]

Every day, millions of people suffering from high blood cholesterol and
triglyceride levels take drugs called fibrates to lower their blood lipids. Now,
research conducted at City of Hope Cancer Center has revealed that these
fibrates also turn off a process inside cells that causes serious complications
of diabetes. This discovery could help scientists develop advanced
therapeutic agents to combat these diabetic complications.

Results from the study, led by Ganesaratnam K. Balendiran, Ph.D., assistant
professor, Division of Immunology, City of Hope, appear in the November 25
edition of Biochemical Pharmacology. The study reveals that several different
kinds of fibrate molecules effectively shut off aldose reductase (AR), a cell
enzyme that converts blood sugar (glucose) into a sugar alcohol called
sorbitol.

When blood glucose is high, as with diabetes, sorbitol molecules accumulate
inside cells, causing harm to the cell’s integrity. Ultimately, such damage can
lead to major complications including blindness (retinopathy and cataracts),
nerve damage (neuropathy) and life-threatening kidney failure (nephropathy).

“For the first time, we have evidence that fibrate-like compounds shut off the
aldose reductase enzyme,” said Balendiran. “As fibrates are already accepted
as effective lipid-lowering drugs, this discovery has significance for millions of
diabetics, who commonly suffer from high blood lipids as well.”

S Asian businesswomen make US strides [BBC]

Meeta Vyas was the only Indian woman in the company when she began her
career in 1984 as a portfolio manager in an investment firm in New York City.

She was also the first Indian woman to lead a Nasdaq-listed company - a
one-off in corporate America in her time.

Now the presence of South Asian women in business leadership roles is no
longer a rarity in the US, at least not in New York.

The South Asian Women's Leadership Forum is a non-profit making
organisation working to promote South Asian women professionals.

It is indicative of the growth of South Asian women professionals in the
American business world.

Toronto: "New York, run by the Swiss"

...........from high-rise apartments overlooking the harbor to town houses
and lofts being built near the recently redeveloped Historic Distillery District,
that demonstrate the city's real vitality, and evidence that Toronto - once
described by the actor Peter Ustinov as "New York, run by the Swiss" - has
been truly reborn.