The People get their Galle Face Green Back
by D.B.S.Jeyaraj
" The Galle Face Green should be maintained as a public utility, in
continuance of the dedication made by Sir Henry Ward. The necessary
resources for this purpose, should be made available by the government of
Sri Lanka, the successor to the colonial governor, who made the dedication
referred to," the Supreme Court said in a judgement.
It's a period of trial for Lankan leaders
by PK Balachandran
It looks as if Sri Lanka's top leaders are on trial now, facing grave challenges
and an uncertain future. The list includes the newly elected President,
Mahinda Rajapaksa; the defeated United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil
Wickremesinghe; former President Chandrika Kumaratunga; and the LTTE
Supremo, Vellupillai Prabhakaran. Having come to power on the basis of his
personal charisma bordering on the messianic, President Rajapaksa has a
huge and varied agenda to fulfill.
A dangerous way to help [Torornto Star]
Growing up in Richmond Hill, Cheryl Perera often assumed she'd go into
sciences. After all, it's what her parents expected. And she likely would have
continued on that path if it hadn't been for a particular civics class in high
school. Being of Sri Lankan descent, she figured the only way her parents
would allow her to go on such a fact-finding mission was to propose a trip to
the old country — which has earned the infamous distinction of being a
pedophile's paradise with nearly 40,000 child prostitutes.
Also see [www.one-child.ca]
TNA to boycott general elections
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is unlikely to participate in a future general
election given the latest decision by the LTTE to exclude and boycott the Sri
Lankan polity and its power system in the future.
LTTE Chief Velupillai Pirapaharan in his Maveerar Day speech said the
Tamils have reached a historic turning point in the struggle for self
determination and that the ruling elites of southern Sri Lanka will never
recognise the Tamil people’s right to self determination. "The Tamil’s right to
self-determination will never find space in the entrenched majoritarian
constitution and in the political system built on that constitutional structure.
Did LTTE infighting in Australia lead to the crack
down of Melbourne Tigers?
by Hector Kulendraraja
A major crack down on alleged LTTE activity by the Australian Federal Police
has caused much excitement within the Sri Lankan diaspora here.
Tamil political circles were shell - shocked as the AFP in a swift, surgical strike
surrounded the homes and offices of Tamils with suspected links to the LTTE
and took into custody some prominent tiger activists for questioning.
New Organization for Tamil Democracy formed in
Britain
by Mrinalini Raghavendhra
In what may prove to be a significant development in the sphere of Eelam
Tamil politics a group of dedicated people has come together in London to
form a new organization called the Tamil democratic Congress or Tamil
Jananayaka Kangiras in Tamil.
Ranil – the Sinhala leader for whom Tamils risked
their lives
In Batticaloa alone nearly 100,000 Tamils defied a Tiger
boycott to vote for him
The fact that Ranil Wickremesinghe was going to be defeated in the south –
in the largely Sinhala Buddhist areas – became evident towards the last few
weeks of the election campaign. The swell in the tide towards Mahinda
Rajapakse was felt by a few, while the majority of the analysts, who based
their calculations on ‘independent’ polls, predicted otherwise.
After the Presidential Elections: A wake-up call to
all!
By Sathya
The outcome of the Presidential Election with all the excitement and
disappointments of a one-day match is in the opinion of Sathya a wake up call
to all, including Sathya whose hibernation was once again rudely disturbed.
N. Ram:
First Indian
National to get
"Sri Lanka
Rathna" award
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The Highest national
honour conferred by Sri
Lanka on non - nationals
is the "Sri Lanka Rathna "
award.Narasimhan Ram
the Editor in chief of four
chennai based
publications became the
first Indian national to be
awarded that honour on
Nov 14th. Apart from the
fact that "The Hindu", "
Frontline" "Business Line"
and "The Sports Star" are
very familiar to Sri Lankan
readers there were other
reasons too for the sixty
year old Tamil Brahmin of
Iyengar stock to be made
Sri Lanka Rathna.
Predominant among them
is the abiding interest he
shows in Sri Lankan
affairs and his
contribution to the
resolution of the ethnic
conflict here.
[Contd.]
|
The LTTE’s challenge to the new Govt.
By K. Godage
Whoever becomes the next Foreign Minister, succeeding in fact the late
Lakshman Kadirgamar, has a hard act to follow and I wish him well. His most
important priority would of course be the management of the external
dimension of the peace process.
Mr. Kadirgamar in an earlier period (1995—2002) paid with his life for the
tremendous effort he put in to inform the world that the policy of the
government of 1994 was different to the policies that had been followed by the
UNP governments that held office from 1977 and that the new government
was one that sought a negotiated solution to the ethnic problem and
respected Human Rights.
Did LTTE have secret deal with Mahinda to enforce
boycott?
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Speculation is rife in Colombo political and diplomatic circles about a possible
secret deal, prior to the Presidential poll of Nov 18th , between Mahinda
Rajapakse and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to have the new
President elected through an enforced boycott in the Tamil majority regions of
the North - East!
Ranil must not
bid farewell to
politics at this
time by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Ranil Wickremasinghe is
an honourable politician.
People with principled
politics are a rare breed
in Sri Lanka fast
becoming extinct. Such
politicians usually say
what they mean and
mean what they say.
They do not for example
put down certain things in
black and white in their
manifesto and then try to
win support from interest
groups saying "Dont
worry about those".
|
LTTE supported Rajapakse presidency? [BBC]
The decision of the Tamil Tiger rebels to force the Tamil voters in the North
and East of Sri Lanka to boycott Thursday’s presidential elections has led to
international condemnation.
Only 8524, just over one percent (1.21%), out of 701,938 registered voters
exercised their democratic right in the Jaffna district.
Sporadic violence such as grenade attacks and burning of tyres were
reported in the rebel-held areas.
Soldier shot dead in Jaffna [BBC]
Security officials in Sri Lanka say a soldier was killed and four more sustained
injuries after a hand grenade attack in the Jaffna district.
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) tractor was attacked at Mantai on Point Pedro road,
officials said.
SLA soldier Ruwan Dharmapriya was killed on the attack.
Meanwhile, a group of Tamils have sustained injuries in a separate shooting
incident in Jaffna. The injured accused the Sri Lanka Army of shooting them
while decorating the city for Sunday’s annual speech by LTTE leader
Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Sri Lanka gets a
"Hawk" as
President and
an "Eagle" as
Prime Ministe
Sri Lanka got a Sinhala
hawk as president when
Southern hardliner
Mahinda Rajapakse was
elected as its fifth
exeucutive President.
Now with the appointment
of another Sinhala
hardliner Ratnasiri
Wickremanayake as
Premier by Rajapakse
the Country has a
chauvinist Eagle as
Prime Minister.
|
RSF slams Mahinda on media freedom [BBC]
Newly appointed president Mahinda Rajapaksha should be criticised for not
doing enough to protect journalist says Reporters without borders (RSF)
Reporters Without Borders today urged Commonwealth heads of government
to see that people killing journalists because of their work were duly punished,
so the Commonwealth could become “a true home of democracy and
freedom.”
Kalkat to be nominated to Rajya Sabha
The Indian Government is likely to nominate retired Army general H.R.S.
Kalkat, who served as the IPKF Commander in Jaffna, to Rajya Sabha, The
Hindu reported.
The paper said that his nomination may be in the eminent persons category.
Abducted Indian driver found dead [BBC]
The body of a kidnapped Indian man has been found in southern
Afghanistan, Afghan and Indian officials say.
Ramankutty Maniyappan, a driver with India's state-run Border Roads
Organisation, went missing in the province of Nimroz on Saturday.
Court moves to protect Khushboo [BBC]
The high court in south India's Tamil Nadu state has moved to prevent
violence in protests against film actress Khushboo.
The south Indian film star's comments on pre-marital sex landed her in
controversy and sparked off demonstrations across the state.
She said that no educated male should expect his bride to be a virgin.
The court has asked the police to submit a report on what action they are
taking to keep the protests peaceful.
Khushboo made the comments while responding to a survey on sexual habits
of Indians
Poetry: "only the sea keeps"
The Second Tide
Marguerite Bouvard
Parents and grandparents vanished into the giant maw,
she wanders with nothing between her and the sky
no roof,no arms to enfold her,
no clatter of pots as when mother bent
Arts - Culture - Heritage
Honour for Aishwarya
"Aishwarya is a real international symbol for diversity"
Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai was on Thursday honoured by the European
Union for her contribution to diversity.
The former Miss World was presented with the "Global Diversity Award" at a
one-day conference on "Celebrating Diversity in the European Union" at
Lord's Cricket Ground here.
"It is very humbling. I shall cherish this award for all times to come," Ms. Rai
said after receiving the award. She thanked the Indian community for
supporting her in all her ventures.
"I will also like to thank God and people at large for appreciating my
contribution, particularly as a woman and as an Asian."
Keith Vaz, MP and Co-Chair of the conference, on Wednesday said Ms. Rai
was a symbol of what Asian women could achieve and a real international
symbol for diversity."
Sinhala film's line of destiny [Filmalaya]
By D. B. S. Jeyaraj
Consensus is perhaps an elusively unattainable word in the Sri Lankan
political lexicon. Mercifully, there are however several things about which there
is a national consensus cutting across race, religion, caste and creed.
One such phenomenon would be in appreciating the creative genius of Sri
Lanka's foremost film director Lester James Peries. With a remarkable career
spanning five decades it could be said that he has now become a national
icon identified with the sphere of cinema.
Lester James Peries is acknowledgedly the pioneer of authentic Sinhala
cinema. It was he who created in every sense of the term an indigenous
cinema in both substance and style. Also it was he who first gained worldwide
recognition for Sinhala cinema.
He was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 31st
International Film Festival of India that concluded last January in New Delhi.
Last year it was awarded to Italian film maker Bernardo Bertrolucci.
It was in India that he was catapulted to fame 36 years ago. His Gamperaliya
(Village Upheaval) received the Golden Peacock award for Best Film then.
The first Sinhala movie was Kadawunu Poronduwa (Broken Promise). Made in
Madras, it was released in 1947. Most Sinhala films in the first decade were
heavily influenced by Hindi and Tamil masala movies.
Passion for Tamil
Pa. Vijay makes compromises while writing lyrics but his love for Tamil is
ardent.
I want to concentrate on literature along with movie lyrics. Pa. Vijay
Pa. Vijay has made a mark for himself through his talent and hard work in the
highly competitive cine world in a comparatively short period. He was in
Tiruchi recently as the chief guest for a function organised by Lions Club.
"It was the love for language I had right from my young age that has elevated
me to this level in the industry," he said, during a chat with The Hindu. Once
he admits that, the next obvious question would be the use of English words in
his songs. But he has an explanation. "Those days love scenes were shot in a
park or a beach and the songs were beautifully written in Tamil. But now the
lead pair in the films meets at pizza corner or at a coffee shop and hence the
need for foreign words to suit the scene." Though at times he compromises
and writes to the taste of youngsters, his passion for Tamil is explicit.
Steeped in classical values [Hindu]
She has won awards, titles and honours galore. But Vedavalli constantly
strives to further her contribution to Carnatic music.
On November 9, Sangita Kalanidhi R. Vedavalli completed the biblical span of
three score and ten. She begins the eighth decade of her life, a life ever since
she was merely a child that has been totally dedicated and committed to the
muse.
Vedavalli was born in 1935 to Ramaswamy Iyengar and Padmasani Ammal in
Mannargudi also called the Dakshina Dwaraka. The unmatched, striking
beauty of Lord Rajagopala, the presiding deity at the temple, has been
extolled by many composers. Pachimiriyam Adiappiah's Ata tala varnam that
portrays the divine charm of this Lord Supreme is a masterpiece. It is but
appropriate that Vedavalli's rendering of this varnam with its `anubandham'
that is seldom sung in concerts, is the acme of lakshana and lakshya
perfection.
Tamil Film Review: Quietly defying norms
ABCD
Genre: Romance
Director: Sharavana Subbiah
Cast: Shaam, Sneha, Nandana, Aparna
Storyline: Three girls are in love with Anand and he has to make a choice.
Bottomline: A love story decently told.
Through the years Tamil cinema has never been too bold as far as the
chastity of the heroine is concerned. She may have a wastrel or a philanderer
for a husband, but that she has to grin and bear it, has been the norm. Now
without making much ado or crying from the rooftops about feminism and
fidelity, director Sharavana Subbiah very quietly makes a poignant point —
that the woman need not be a doormat. OST Films' `ABCD' (How come
nobody objects?) is the story of a man Anand (Shaam) and three young
women Bharati (Nandana Kumar), Chandra (Sneha), and Divya (Aparna).
Recant Or Else
A scent of feminism, but moral lynchmobs kill it [OutlookIndia]
It was another show of chappals and brooms in Tamil Nadu. Actress
Khushboo faced these symbols of ‘Tamil culture’ in September, and now, it is
the turn of Suhasini Mani Ratnam. At a film festival, Suhasini—an ’80s star
who now anchors Ladies Junction, a feminist TV programme—dismayed over
how Khushboo’s views on safe pre-marital sex in the context of HIV and AIDS
were misinterpreted, expressed solidarity with Khushboo.
She wondered if the Tamils had developed horns and apologised to
Khushboo on their behalf. A moved Khushboo hugged Suhasini. "But given
that Suhasini too had to apologise for ‘hurting the sentiments of Tamils’, it
seems they are indeed horned creatures," says a filmmaker not wishing to be
named lest he be thrown out of the state for being a ‘non-Tamil’.
Briefly: Tamil Cinema [TamilGuardian]
Lawyers get their way
The controversy surrounding Vijay’s latest film ‘Sivakasi’ appears to have
come to an amicable ending. Several cases had been filed in courts around
Tamil Nadu against the producer A.M. Rathnam, director Perarasu and actor
Vijay claiming that the film portrayed lawyers in the film as idiots. The
advocates were so upset that they even burned effigies of Vijay in protest. At
a court hearing in Tiruchy, the Council for A.M. Rathnam agreed to remove
the controversial scenes from the film before November 29 and the case was
then postponed till December 2. Following the incident, Vijay issued a
statement that he never intended to hurt the sentiments of the advocates.
Short Story:
The great battle of the clocks
On the morning of September 19, 2005, Western Railways discovered to its
horror that someone had shifted their main computer clocks to 10 minutes in
advance. The simple time-shift resulted in thousands of early bookings, many
via the Internet. Many of these tickets will be resold for sums of money higher
than the actual price, much like scrips in a stock exchange.
Kalpana Verma wrote in the Indian Express ("Mumbai Newsline", October 9,
2005) that the error in Western Railways was only noticed when someone who
was issued a ticket at 8.03 a.m. had it re-issued for some reason immediately
after the time was reset. This resulted in the same ticket printed at 7.56 a.m.,
which is not legal by the railway's own rules. "...it is not clear why the booking
clerks opened early when they could have verified the time from other
sources, even if the computers came on at 7.50 a.m. instead of 8.00 a.m.,"
writes Verma.
Canada outlines native cash deal [BBC]
Canada has unveiled a C$5bn (US $4.3bn; £2.4bn) programme to fight
poverty in native communities, at the end of an unprecedented two-day
summit.
Prime Minister Paul Martin said gaps in wealth, health and education between
aboriginal and other Canadians were "not acceptable in the 21st Century".
Mr Martin, provincial leaders and native groups have been debating the deal
at the summit in British Columbia.
Canada: Immigration Minister Announces
Significant Investment in Fixing Canada's
Immigration System
The Honourable Joe Volpe, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today
announced the Government of Canada will invest an additional $700 million
over five years to make important improvements to the federal immigration
system. These improvements include funding to start reducing the current
inventory of applications at Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and a new
process to allow immigrants with Canadian experience or Canadian education
to apply for permanent resident status under the new In-Canada Economic
Stream in 2007.
USA: 2007 Diversity Visa Program (DV-2007)
State Department Web site for the 2007 Diversity Visa Program (DV-2007) is
now open. The application submission period for DV-2007 is from 12:00PM
EST (GMT -5) on October 5, 2005 to 12:00PM EST (GMT -5) on December 4,
2005. The application form will only be available for submission during this
period and this period only. Applications will not be accepted through the U.S.
Postal Service.
The 2007 Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery where 50,000 individuals worldwide
will be selected has been formally declared open in Washington, the US
embassy in Colombo said.
Standard
Disclaimers
Applicable
"There are two things born from mountains, shining so brilliantly that the great bow down, driving
darkness from earth circled by roaring waters. One is the flaming sun, single wheel bright as
lightning, the other is Tamil that has no like." — from the taNTiyalankârum [Berkeley Tamil]
