Devolution and conflict resolution
By Dr. S. Narapalasingam
Since early this year, the present government has been announcing
frequently that it is in favour of ‘maximum’ devolution. The LTTE leader
Velupillai Prabhakaran has for several years been justifying [Contd.]
Banning, the PTA etc.
By Jayadeva Uyangoda
Once a ban is imposed on
the LTTE, it would then be
very difficult for the
government to resume [Contd]
Feeding Jaffna
By Major-General J. B. Pagoda (Retd.)
The media reported a few days back that
the LTTE is against the opening up of the
A9 route for the transport of food to Jaffna.
Provincial Councils duplicate and complicate system of governance
By A. Kandappah
Many have commented that the Provincial Council system should be reviewed. Other than the gigantic
cost it imposes on the National Treasury, in many cases, it duplicate and complicate the earlier system
of governance. This is felt mostly in the Western Province where even senior officials of the
Municipalities are confused and the ratepayers even more so.
The people have neither gained nor has the process made business transaction between them and the
government more convenient and less costly.
Tamil Americans celebrate Heroes day in New Jersey [TamilNet]
More than 500 Tamil Americans attended a packed auditorium for the Heroes Day event held Saturday
evening at South Brunswick Middle School in New Jersey. Tamils from York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Delaware and Maryland attended the event, the second biggest after the largest turnout in 1999,
attendees said.
Royal Waste of Time [indi.ca]
Today Mahinda had to go somewhere so Colombo had to stop. His convoy closed the road from Temple
Trees to wherever not in stages but entirely, so the traffic at 4pm was snarled. I was trying to travel from
Thumulla to Ward Place and the traffic just stopped. People got out of their cars, walked out of buses to
see what was going on. Apparently King Mahinda had to go somewhere (presumably to congratulate
himself on seeing one year ahead) and decided to close every road between here and there. This
effectively shut Colombo down so his convoy could travel. Not only that, he has spent millions of rupees
on billboards to his glory which we have to see when the traffic is moving. And Galle Road is closed in
front of his house. And the A9, so they’re lacking food in Jaffna. Oh yeah, and 3,000 people have died.
Government asked to guarantee distribution of Tamil newspapers in east of country [RSF]
Reporters Without Borders today called on media and information minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa to
act quickly to ensure that all Tamil newspapers can circulate freely in areas controlled by the government.
A pro-government militia led by Tamil warlord Karuna has reimposed a ban on the Sunday edition of the
newspaper Virakesari, with the result that the last two issues were unable to circulate in the east of the
country. This means the Sunday editions of all three Tamil dailies - Thinakural, Virakesari and Sudar Oli
- cannot circulate because of threats to distributors by the militia.
Sri Lanka’s Nightmare
by Dr. A.R.M. Imityaz
Written in response to a Washington Times op-ed article:
The Tamil Tigers unquestionably are deadly elements of Sri Lankan society. However, the birth of the
Tamil Tigers has roots in Sri Lanka’s history. They are the byproduct of decades-old failed politics and
policies of the Sinhalese political class. There was not an overnight decision among the ordinary Tamils
to approve the agendas of the Tamil Tigers. The failure of the Sri Lankan polity to meet the demands of
the Tamil moderates was a key foundation for the origin of Tamil extremism in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka invokes anti-terror law [Sandheshaya]
Sri Lanka's cabinet has announced sweeping anti-terror measures after months of worsening violence
between security forces and Tamil Tiger rebels.
Ministers stopped short of banning the rebels but tightened existing emergency laws which have been
dormant since a 2002 ceasefire that is now in shreds.
Security forces will have wide-ranging powers to search, arrest and question.
Last week the rebels said the truce was defunct. They have yet to respond to Wednesday's cabinet
announcement.
More than 3,400 people have been killed in Sri Lanka since late last year, the authorities say.
'Excessive'
The government said the far-reaching measures, which do not mention the Tamil Tigers by name, would
take effect immediately.
Contravention of these regulations carries penalties... varying from imprisonment from 10 to 20 years, or
five to 10 years
Plantation workers continue agitation for wage increase [TamilNet]
Hill country workers as part of their on going agitation for reasonable increase in daily wages began
striking since Tuesday morning . Thousands of workers from tea estates in Norwood, Puliyawatte,
Dickoya, Bogawantalawa, Saami Malai, Maskeliya, Norton Bridge, Wattawala,Kottagala, and Talawakelle,
belonging to various trade unions, setting aside policy differences, joined hands to voice their protest,
paralyzing tea production in the island.
Elsewhere, workers from Dayagama West, Chandirikamam, Wawelli, Goodwill, Hamwood, New Portmore,
Torrington, Albion, and Belmoral wearing black wrist bands, having obtained police permission, staged
peaceful protests at key road intersections raising slogans relating to their demand for pay raise. Black
flags were hung across the estates in the area, sources in the area said.
Ceylon an Honour, Sri Lanka a Shame
By S. Thambyrajah
[Colombo 3]
Ceylon gained Independence in 1948. At that time it had the highest living standard in Asia next only to
the Philippines. Japan was devastated after the second world war. Slums then and even now are known
as ‘Koreawa’, as Korea was a very backward country. Ceylon Rs. 3 was the value of a Sterling Pound.
Learning each other’s language
By Sydney Knight
[Rajagiriya]
The NAWF has gone public in defending their stand on the recently slain MP Nadaraja Raviraj. In their
statement, given publicity by the media, they say, “Raviraj was a special friend of the NAWF”.
What caught my eye in that response were the words “…he was a friend of the Sinhalese. He was one of
the few Tamil politicians who made the effort to learn the Sinhala language…”
My response is, how many Sinhala politicians know the Tamil language? Herein I see our nation’s
tragedy.
Sri Lankan government brings down a war budget [WSWS]
By Saman Gunadasa
Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse, who also functions as finance and defence minister,
presented his government’s 2007 budget on November 16. It was a war budget, allocating huge
additional funds to the military and the intensifying war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE), at the expense of the pressing social needs of working people.
A new life for tsunami widowers in Sri Lanka [UNICEF]
Thangaiah Simson, 59, a small, slight man with an intense, weather-beaten face, has four sons. One of
them is married and has moved away from home, two are fishermen and the youngest, Satharsan, is 12
years old and still goes to school.
Like thousands of other Sri Lankans, Mr. Simson had his life changed forever on 26 December 2004,
when the Indian Ocean tsunami struck.
He and his family saw the waves coming towards their village in Batticaloa Province on Sri Lanka’s east
coast. They started running. The children managed to climb trees, but his wife was swept away. Her body
was never recovered.
Blessedly blind
By Kumutu Amarasingham
Are you colour-blind? Jeevan Thiagarajah is. He’s also culturally and racially
sightless. He recognises no divisions amongst humanity: cannot seem to identify
any. There’s the mass of humankind – and that’s it. He, and everyone else, is
simply equal parts of the whole.
“Responding to the Challenge of STIs and AIDS”
By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapthipillai
“It is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance” - Elizabeth Taylor –
American Actress
According to the latest figures published on November 21st 2006, by UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic
Update, an estimated 39.5 million people are living with HIV.
UK firms 'exploiting Bangladesh'
Textile workers in Bangladesh get paid as little as five pence an hour to make cheap clothes for UK
companies Tesco, Asda and Primark, a report says.
Diwali Barbie report [The World]
Reporter Lonny Shavelson has the story of a controversy in the blogging world over the new Barbie doll.
Called Diwali Barbie, it's named after the most important Hindu festival. But some Indian-American
bloggers claim Mattel got this Barbie all wrong.
Stripping is art, Norway decides [BBC]
A Norwegian appeals court has ruled that striptease is an art form and should therefore be exempt from
value-added tax (VAT).
The owners of the Diamond Go Go Bar in Oslo had refused to pay VAT of 25% on entry fees as tax
authorities demanded.
The local authority had taken the club to court over its refusal to pay tax.
Arts - Culture - Heritage
Month of purity and devotion
By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai
“Karthigai” is a month of purity and devotion. Hindu devotees in Sri Lanka
celebrated the festival of “Karthigai Deepam” in the temples and houses.
There is a story linked between “Karthigai” and lamps according to religious
references. Brahma- The Creator, and Vishnu- The Preserver had a dispute
between them as to who was greater, and who was the supreme.
Making a point poignantly -- Mann [Hindu]
Adolescence, sexual awakening, carnal pleasure and subsequent betrayal
aren't unusual themes. Yet treatment can make the essential difference.
Cine Range Films' `Mann' (`Earth') (U/A) shot entirely in the Tamil territories
of Northern Sri Lanka lends insight into the feudal set-up prevalent among
the Tamils, and is a sincere attempt to throw light on little known issues.
Sathyaraj gets what his heart wants
Sathyaraj is a patient man, and that is why he getting his dreams fulfilled one
after another. It was his desire to play the role of the rationalist leader
Periyar. Thanks to director Gnanarajasekaran, he got his dream fulfilled.
The actor was also yearning to play the character of an upright election
commissioner since T N Seshan days. Now his lucky mascot, director Raj
Kapoor, has cast him in the role of an election commissioner in a movie titled
Vambu Sandai. Talking about his role, a thrilled Sathyaraj, says 'I play a
strict election commissioner called Jeevan in Vambu Sandai. I bring all bad
politicians to book. However I have not imitated anyone'.
Arumukhanam - for different strokes
Arumukhanam is a percussion instrument designed by S. Gopakumar,
mridangam lecturer, Bharathiar Palkalaikoodam, Puduchery.
The instrument was first demonstrated in December 2001, before the Chief
Minister of Puduchery, N. Rangasamy, and scholars. The Chief Minister
lauded the novel attempt and announced that the instrument was being
adopted as belonging to the region.
Arumukhanam is the name given by Gopakumar because it has six faces.
The unique instrument has six individual pieces assembled together in a
semi-circled frame.
It is very easy to assemble or dismantle the heads.
Non Profit Organizations:
Humanitarian Crisis in Sri Lanka:
Operation USA Responds
Operation USA is collecting funds and pushing the US Government and the
UN to take firm action to help re-open humanitarian corridors, enabling our
partners on the ground to provide goods and services to the affected
Internally Displaced People(IDP’s) and to ensure the safety of tsunami
development programs.
Viluthu:
Centre for Human Resource Development
This organization arose as a response to the specific situation of a war torn
community which had suffered loss of lives, brain drain and destruction of
education & administrative infrastructure; the complete lack of agency within
civil society organizations instigated by the fear of unabated violence for
several decades; the effects of a foreign remittance dependant economy
and the associated consumer culture.
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earth circled by roaring waters. One is the flaming sun, single wheel bright as lightning, the other is Tamil that has no
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