The Story of Green Shoots of Hope behind Barbed-Wire Fence
A few weeks ago, in the town of Kilinochchi in the North of Sri Lanka, I visited a large factory. An exciting visit to Kilinochchi, because just six years ago, the likes…
Author: Mahesan Niranjan
Counter-Thuggery Doesn’t Pay
Out there, in the Northern parts of post-war Sri Lanka, anyone who cares to look will see a difficult situation prevailing. There live people who have not been re-settled in places they…
The Story of a Meditating Sri Lankan Man
The other day, on the banks of the Diyawanna waterfront close to the Sri Lankan Parliament, I noticed a man sitting in meditation. What a surprise? He is none other than my…
The Story of a Sri Lankan Constant
Have you ever observed Physicists? They are usually searching for constants, and separating them from variable quantities aren’t they? You must have heard of Plank’s constant, gravitational constant, the speed of light…
Pursuit of Revenge is Not Path to Justice
Photo courtesy BBC In our favourite bar on the afternoon of the 21st this month, I was having a beer with my usual drinking partner, the Sri Lankan Tamil fellow, Sivapuranam Thevaram. “That…
The Importance of Working With
Image courtesy “Machan, I hope a couple of UPFA guys get elected, too!” said my drinking partner, the Sri Lankan Tamil fellow Sivapuranam Thevaram. It is a warm and beautifully sunny day…
Sumanthiran’s Choice
I have two Tamil friends. Their names are SriLankan Tamil and Tamil Sri Lankan. “Aren’t they the same?” you ask. No, the order in which the identifiers appear is significant, and is…
Encounters with Upper Echelons
“What is the similarity between President Mahinda Rajapakse and our former President Dingiri Banda Wijetunge?” the Sri Lankan Tamil man, Sivapuranam Thevaram, of whom I have told you much in these pages…
Don’s Diary II: A Flying Visit to Jaffna
In early December 2010, I made a short visit to Sri Lanka, spending two days in Colombo and three in Jaffna. Sunday: A day of perfect rest. My cousin and nephew visit.…
The Story of Learning Lessons by Counting Costs
One morning last week, as I sat in my armchair reading the report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliations Commission (LLRC), I saw a man dressed only in a sarong running along…
The Story of a Drunken Tamil Man’s Diary
Assume, like me, you are one of those expatriate Sri Lankans, living far away from home, often feeling the remorse of a guilty thief. You took a lot from there, particularly in…
The Story of the Hypocrite in a Tamil Man
Reaction to the recent programme by UK’s Channel 4, , has great variety, ranging from “Ah, didn’t we tell you all along, the Sinhalese and their army are nasty people,” from the…
The Tamil Man’s Genes
My Tamil DNA, inherited from generations before, and the genes lined up along it, have now been analyzed: 99.99 percent the same as a Sinhala fellow’s 99.90 percent the same as a…
The Offer from a Sri Lankan Tamil Man
My King! I propose a deal with you COMPATIBLE with my Membership of our country I hold so dear which you do not wish to deny. My King! Here is your part:…
Student Unrest in Universities
Unhappy university students are marching in the Island of Brinka, and I met my good old friend Sivapuranam Thevaram at a pub in the ancient university city of Cowford to discuss this…