“The Cultural, the Nominal, and the Secular: The Social Reality of Religious Identity Among Sri Lankan Tamil Youth in Canada” by Amarnath Amarasingam

You could find below a link to download Amarnath Amarasingam’s chapter on “The Cultural, the Nominal, and the Secular: The Social Reality of Religious Identity Among Sri Lankan Tamil Youth in Canada.”

via: https://www.academia.edu/9919491/The_Cultural_the_Nominal_and_the_Secular_The_Social_Reality_of_Religious_Identity_Among_Sri_Lankan_Tamil_Youth_in_Canada

“Diabolical Plot of Opposition Paves way for International Probe on “War Heroes” in the guise of a Domestic Inquiry” by C.A.Chandraprema

“The most diabolical and fiendishly clever policy position that the common opposition has taken is that they will not allow our war heroes to be tried by any international war crimes tribunal, but that any allegations of war crimes will be looked into by a domestic tribunal. The common opposition candidate himself has come before the people and pledged publicly that no international war crimes tribunal will be allowed to try any war hero. However he has given a statement which was carried in The Hindu and the Indian Express to the effect that a domestic mechanism would be set up to look into allegations of war crimes. This was later confirmed by Champika Ranawaka. The people of this country have got used to the idea that what is bad is an international inquiry into war crimes. By the mere addition of the word ‘domestic’ most people would be lulled into a sense of false security on the assumption that since such an inquiry will be conducted by ‘our people’ the war heroes will not face any problems.”

via: http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/36676

““Mob” Attacks Beruwela House Where Chandrika and Hirunika were Having Dinner While Police and STF Assigned for Security Flee from Spot” by Maheen Senanayake

“A house in which former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and UPFA rebel Provincial Councilor, Hirunika Premachandra, were dining was attacked by UPFA supporters at about 10pm on Friday at Peenawala in Beruwela, Manjula Gajanayake, National Co-ordinator, Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) said yesterday.”
via: http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/36681

“Presidential Election 2015 Pre Election Opinion Poll: Top Line Report” by Social Indicator

Social Indicator, the survey research unit of the Centre for Policy Alternatives conducted an island wide pre election opinion poll with the objective of identifying Sri Lankan voter perceptions and attitudes on key topics being discussed in the lead up to the election and thereby contribute to the current political discourse.

via: http://www.cpalanka.org/presidential-election-2015-pre-election-opinion-poll-top-line-report/

““Present The Proof!” – Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu” by The Sunday Leader

Many local election monitors have observed grave incidents of election law violations and violence ahead of the Presidential Election whereas some government ministers have directed a number of accusations at local election observers of being biased towards the opposition common candidate Maithripala Sirisena. Speaking to The Sunday Leader, Executive Director of Centre for Policy Alternatives Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu said that those are very loose accusations directed against the local observers given that the accusations are being directed by the government, the very people who are engaged in misusing and abusing state powers and resources.

via: http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2014/12/28/present-the-proof-dr-paikiasothy-saravanamuttu/

“State-Nation-Hero: A Clarification On Rajiva’s Observations” by Dayan Jayatilleka

“As my dear friend Rajiva Wijesinha would recall, I have, even at my most acerbically critical of the policies, ideological doctrine, structures, policy process and personalities of Govt and State, always and explicitly exempted Mahinda Rajapaksa from that critique, except for his sins of omission. As such I have never advocated the defeat/removal of Mahinda Rajapaksa and would have done so only if it represented a step forward, which would have been the case ONLY with a Sajith-Karu ticket (i.e. with Sajith or Karu as candidate, and the other as PM). At no time would I have thought positively or charitably of a post-Mahinda dispensation in which the dominant personalities were Ranil and CBK. I regard such a prospect as a dangerously reactionary retrogression.”

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/state-nation-hero-a-clarification-on-rajivas-observations/

“Friday Forum Wants EC To Insist “That 152 Riot Squads” Be Deployed Under Him” by Colombo Telegraph,

“The Friday Forum considers it essential that the role and mandate of the Police and others involved in providing security for the elections are explained to them, particularly the Officers In Charge of police stations island wide so that those breaking the law would be dealt with impartially. We note with concern the incidents already in the news, particularly the on-going saga in Wanduramba. It is also ominous to note the deployment of 152 riot squads and setting up of road blocks in the run up to the Elections to quell any unrest, as stated in the Daily Mirror newspaper of 24th December, quoting the Police Media Spokesman. We call upon you to insist that they be deployed under you and get their instructions from you, as the common purpose seems to be to ensure a ‘peaceful election’.”

read more:https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/friday-forum-wants-ec-to-insist-that-152-riot-squads-be-deployed-under-him/

“Don’t Insult Singapore” by Nishthar Idroos

The administration’s goal is to make Singapore a land of opportunity, a home loved by all its residents, a community all belong to, and a country which all are proud to call their own. This is for all Singaporeans, the Chinese, Malays and the Tamils unlike Sri Lanka.

“But we either believe in democracy or we not. If we do, then, we must say categorically, without qualification, that no restraint from the any democratic processes, other than by the ordinary law of the land, should be allowed… If you believe in democracy, you must believe in it unconditionally. If you believe that men should be free, then, they should have the right of free association, of free speech, of free publication. Then, no law should permit those democratic processes to be set at nought.” – Lee Kuan Yew

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/dont-insult-singapore/

“Something Tells Me Mahinda May Pull It Off” by Marlon Dale Ferreira

“Those opposing President Mahinda Rajapaksa should stop for a moment and perhaps reflect on a few good things that he has done so far in office.

He no doubt has got more than what it takes to be just another politician and let’s be honest here, he pulled off the 2005 Presidential Elections when the whole country felt that Ranil Wickremesinghe was going to win. The abstention of the Tamil vote was at the end of the day a brilliant stunt he pulled off with the help of Vellupilai Prabhakaran the then Tamil terrorist leader.

Four years later in May of 2009, he got the support of the entire nation behind him and sent everyone into ruptures of delight, lighting fireworks, moreover when announcing that peace is here to stay at last.

This is when he pulled the wool over the eyes of the ‘Tiger Head’ and annihilated him and his entire terrorist army of soldiers in manner, vanquishing any thought of them taking up arms ever again.

Then again in the run up to the next Presidential Elections in 2010, when every mother hen and goose said that they had voted for Sarath Fonseka to be the next President, lo and behold he pulled off another stunner. ‘Computer Jilmart’ or not, he pulled it off and did not relinquish his seat continuing to remain in power.”

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/something-tells-me-mahinda-may-pull-it-off/

வெள்ளக்காடாக இலங்கையின் பல பகுதிகள் : 7 லட்சம் பேர் பாதிப்பு

மட்டக்களப்பு மாவட்டத்தில் 3 பேரும் அம்பாறை மாவட்டத்தில் ஒருவரும் என 4 பேர் மரணமடைந்துள்ள அதேவேளை திருகோணமலை மாவட்டத்தில் ஒருவர் வெள்ளத்தில் மூழ்கி காணாமல் போயுள்ளார்.
நாட்டின் பல பகுதிகள் வெள்ளத்தின் பிடியில் சிக்கியுள்ளன. இதன் காரணமாக சுமார் ஏழு லட்சம் மக்கள் நலன்புரி முகாம்களில் தங்கவைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாக அரச அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.

via: http://www.bbc.co.uk/tamil/sri_lanka/2014/12/141224_lankafloods_eastnorth

“Reading Election Manifestos” by Sumanasiri Liyanage

“Let us review the election manifestos of the candidates. At the moment, I have three manifestos with me. I will focus first on the Manifestos of Candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR) and candidate Maithripala Sirisena (MS). It is not uncommon to have some degree of rhetoric in election manifesto.”

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/reading-election-manifestos/

“Crossover Politics, Political Class and the Craving for Positions (tanaturu)” by Dr. Siri Gamage

“At present there is much drama regarding the cross overs from the ruling coalition to the opposition and vice versa on the political stage. On one hand these cross overs have generated much interest in the political campaign in general and anticipation about who would cross next kind of mentality on the other. Little we realise that these cross overs are happening within the same ‘political class’ which has been formed primarily during the post independence politics in the country-though some players have lineage to historical political figures who were active in politics during the pre 1948 period. One aspect of these cross overs relates to the concepts of positions (tanaturu) and privileges (vara prasada). These have to be examined in the country’s historical and sociological context for a better understanding.”

via: http://groundviews.org/2014/12/27/crossover-politics-political-class-and-the-craving-for-positions-tanaturu/

“These Men Do Not Deserve Public Office” by Helasingha Bandara

“If the opposition can get Rosy Senanayake, Chandrika Kumaratunga, Hirunika Premachandra and perhaps Susanthika Jayasinghe on one stage to talk about their personal grievances against some of the powerful politicians of this government, they can launch a genuine but serious attack on some of the perverts who are protected by Mahinda Rajapaksa.”

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/these-men-do-not-deserve-public-office/

“Before The Elections – I” by Izeth Hussain

“There is now a very wide consensus in Sri Lanka that the victor at the Presidential elections, either Rajapaksa or Sirisena, will barely scrape through, and that the decisive factor would be the minority vote. In other words the economic factor may not weigh all that much. I can think of two possible reasons for this.”

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/before-the-elections-i/

“How the People of Sri Lanka United Briefly to Help Each Other After the Tsunami 10 years Ago” by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

“Ten years ago on December 26th 2004 a series of giant Tsunami waves engulfed the coasts and littoral areas in different parts of Sri Lanka. It was a terrible tragedy that resulted in tremendous loss of human life,limb and property.Until the destructive waves rolled over our shores on that fateful day most Sri Lankans were unaware of the Japanese word Tsunami. Today it has entered the vocabulary of the Sri Lankan people in everyday life.”

via: http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/36352