Casino cat and mouse

Editorial-April 26, 2014,

The cat and mouse game clearing the way for up-market casinos in Colombo to attract high spending gamblers to Sri Lanka continues unabated and some major steps in this direction were taken in parliament last week. Both President Rajapaksa and his government are clearly taking the public for suckers with their hollow denials on this issue. Only the very naïve will believe the oft-repeated assurance that no new casinos will be permitted. Neither John Keells Holdings, the country’s biggest business conglomerate, that has begun work on its mega integrated resort project in the Slave Island area where it owns valuable real estate, nor James Packer, the Australian gambling mogul who was warmly received here by the investment promotion minister not so long ago, will be flushing their money down the toilet if gambling will not be permitted in the so-called mixed development projects they are undertaking.

JKH Chairman Susantha Ratnayake is firmly on record saying his company will not operate casinos because that is not their business. But they will be renting out space in the luxury resort now being built to casino operators maintaining the highest international standards, he has indicated. Packer’s Crown Resorts website is full of their plans for Colombo. Dhammika Perera, whose fortune is rooted in casino operations, and Ravi Wijeratne, also big (by Sri Lanka standards) in that business, are firm favourites of the government and its leaders with whom they maintain very close and cordial links. Perera who controls many big quoted companies including Hayleys and the big ceramic companies, performs both executive and non-executive functions in the various businesses he has interests in. Curiously, he is also the Secretary to the Transport Ministry, no doubt handpicked for the job by no less than the president. He was once the head of the Board of Investment. Will the government deny its friends, nay bosom buddies, opportunities that could be good not only for themselves but also for the economy? Not likely.

Undoubtedly gambling is socially undesirable as also drinking and smoking. As we commented in this space last week, liquor and tobacco are among the biggest revenue generators for the government. Despite some laws and the price deterrents imposed on smoking and drinking, the government is more than happy to receive the mega taxes paid by these industries into its coffers. Dhammika Perera’s and Ravi Wijeratne’s casinos as well as a few others have been in business for many years now. The UNP which is today attempting to project a holier than thou attitude on this matter permitted them to operate and even encouraged them during their watch. We do not think that the planned high-end casinos are going to attract the indigent who will gamble away money that should feed their families within their luxurious portals. People in that economic stratum will not be able to afford to come within sniffing distance of such places. Instead they will creep into the bookies that abound in the urban centers and even in the more remote parts of the country and place their bets on horses racing in England. In so doing they will be enriching, among others, at least one government parliamentarian!

What is particularly odious about the manner in which the government is setting about this whole business is its total lack of transparency. Instead of saying that Sri Lanka wishes, like some other countries in the region, to benefit from a high-end gambling industry and getting on with the job of permitting respectable operators, be they Packer or any other to come in on their own or in partnership with locals, there is great pretence that nothing on these lines are afoot. Why then the changes in various gazettes on these projects, postponements, references to `associated facilities’ and other footwork that certainly cannot be called nifty. Clumsy would be the better word.

Even the government’s own partners do not believe its mealy-mouthed prevarications. The JHU voted against the government of which it is a member on Friday. Ven. Ratana said that they did not seek to topple the government but was keen on putting it right where it was going wrong. We are sure that Minister Champika Ranawake will not give up his cabinet ministry if he can help it. His party also knows that it is not going to poll as many votes paddling its own canoe against running for election under the UPFA umbrella. Despite the government whip, many members of the ruling party did not turn up at voting time. This included members of the Muslim Parties, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress of Minister Rauf Hakeem and Minister Rishard Bathiudeen’s Makkal Congress. Mr. Wimal Weerawansa and his National Freedom Front also made no show. None of these parties, their leaders or MPs will endanger their positions by breaking ranks on an issue like casinos. Nor is the president going to break-up the UPFA coalition by kicking out those who flouted the party whip.

Nevertheless he has received a clear message that not everybody under his wing will say ehei hamaduruwaney (yes, your lordship) to all that is demanded of them. The country has in recent years invested enormously in the leisure industry and the hotel rooms that have already been built, now under construction or in the pipeline must be filled. A well run gambling industry, it is believed with good reason, will attract visitors particularly from India and China. What is necessary is that such an industry must be tightly regulated. Singapore had for a long time resisted the establishing of casinos in the city state but more recently changed that policy. However, like it does in all matters, that industry now earning a pretty penny for the country, is very well regulated. Our track record on this score, as in many others, is unfortunately dismal. If it is the government’s wish to earn gambling revenues, it should set about honestly securing that objective without pretending it is not but ensure that the operation is tightly regulated. Foreigners may be welcomed to gamble on our soil but we certainly must not allow our people to lose their grocery money at roulette tables or be drawn into ancillary vices.

India’s 16th National Elections And Its ‘Behaviour’ Towards Sri Lanka

By Rajan Philips -April 27, 2014 

Rajan Philips

In last Saturday’s (19 April 2014) Island, Gunadasa Amarasekara, the venerable veteran of ‘patriotic nationalism’, alerted the readers to ‘India’s behaviour’ as a critical factor in asking the question: “Has a new approach been developed to divide the country following the Geneva session.” The article is all about the Geneva resolution and India’s non-voting on it, and has nothing at all about what seems to have happened after the resolution to raise alarm in Sri Lanka. In fact, nothing much has happened after the Geneva resolution except of course the plethora of speculations and analyses. Even the “new approach” that seems to be causing concern is nothing other than the much maligned 13^th Amendmentand the unfortunate misunderstanding that its implementation will ultimately divide the country. The strategic patriotic thinking is that by abstaining on the vote in the resolution, India (with US connivance) has positioned itself to quietly coax, rather than overtly confront, the electorally invincibleMahinda Rajapaksa to implement the 13^th Amendment in full. Otherwise, it is asked, what business has 13A in a human rights resolution? As if the patriots would have accepted a pure human rights resolution if it was not sullied by 13A at India’s behest. The supreme patriotic task now is to make sure that the President is not deceived by this ‘new approach’. In other words, make sure that 13A is rejected before India or anyone else tries to revive it. What is new here?

What is new – can lead to a different discussion three weeks from now when the results of India’s 16^thnational elections would be known, and a different government would likely take office in Delhi. India’s elections did not figure at all in Dr. Amarasekara’s article probing into ‘India’s behaviour’. He may have thought it was premature to comment on the elections that were not even half way through when he wrote his piece. There was no such hesitation in the weekly political commentary that appeared the next day (The Sunday Island, 20 April) – the familiar mishmash of hurriedly read and ill digested information – this time on Indian federalism, paranoia about the dangers to Sri Lanka lurking in the outcome of India’s elections, and a wrap-up call for a defence agreement between Sri Lanka and China. The only reason why we should not laugh this off as lunatic journalism is that it might really be a scoop into the thinking of someone substantial in the government. That does not make such thinking less absurd, but it should warn us to the danger of insanity in politics and in policy.

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No one can take law into their hands; no 

casinos - President

Friday, April 25, 2014

Commenting on the recent fracas involving five UNP MPs in Hambanthota, President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing media heads yesterday at Temple Trees said that when the Speaker was repeatedly set upon and pelted with stones over the good work he did with regard to Deduru Oya, the press reported the incident in a different way.

He also said that the press reported the attack on Minister Jeevan Kumaratunge as if Kumaratunge was at fault whereas the reportage on the recent Hambanthota incident despite the provocations by the UNP MPs, has been from a totally different perspective.

The President said that politicians from Colvin R de Silva to others such as himself have been attacked before, but added that culture of offensive politics must end and that the police will do the needful in the case of the Hambanthota incident.

No one can take the law in to their own hands he said both with reference to vigilante groups such as BBS, and party politicians allegedly going on the warpath in Hambanthota.

However, these politicians provoked the crowds by saying the Hambanthota harbour would be made a swimming pool and making similar uncalled for statements. A special police unit would be established to swoop in and take necessary action if complaints about 'vigilante' action by various groups are correct, said the President.

In recent times such vigilante action has allegedly been directed in some instances at those involved in religious activity. With regard to the encroachment of the Wilpattu Nature Reserve as alleged by the Bodu Bala Sena, the President said that it has to be first established if indeed there is an encroachment of the Park. Minister Rishard Bathiudeen has alleged that in fact there is no such encroachment and that the settlers are now in a buffer zone.

On the Strategic Development Projects Act the President said categorically that no casinos are to be established in the hotel complex that is to come up in D R Wijewardene Mawatha. He said the UNP protests are ill informed and are in the main due to a lack of issues they can deal with.

On other issues and questions raised the President commented:

-- If under aged girls are statutorily raped and the sexual act was however with consent, it may be good to have legislation that allows the perpetrator to marry the 'victim' with her consent. He said that this is because this kind of case generally concerns couples in a common law marriage, and that British or other legal systems we import law from, does not necessarily cover these situations.

-- With regard to the death penalty he said that the Government is in a dilemma and that cultural imperatives and the cause of crime prevention are at cross purposes on this issue. Cabinet will however have to decide whether the death penalty will be implemented in this country he said.

-- On the issue of so called UNHRC probes into alleged human rights violations, he said that the Disappearances Commission is now in session and that its results will determine the course of how these issues will be addressed. However he faulted foreign missions for not providing the requisite information on missing persons when necessary.

-- On the issue of funding of foreign NGOs the President instructed Minister G L Peiris to look into the issue of formulating laws with regard to the proper auditing and accountability for such funding and proper monitoring of the entire process so that these organizations do not act in a manner that is inimical to the State. 

- See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=local/no-one-can-take-law-their-hands-no-casinos-president#sthash.1Cng7sAG.dpuf

Assaulted passenger to file an FR

By admin on April 27, 2014

An innocent passenger who was allegedly assaulted by the police during a protest at the Fort railway station last week is to file a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition against the police over the incident.

Duminda Happuarachi claims he was assaulted by the police when he got caught between the police and the mob during last week’s protest.

Happuarachi said that his wife and children are in shock after the incident and he had been advised to file an FR case.

Television footage showed Happuarachi bleeding from his head after the assault and being dragged away by the police despite saying he was in pain and that he was an innocent bystander.

Meanwhile a police investigation has been launched into the assault on Happuarachi by the police during the protest at the Fort railway.

The police said that the investigation is being led by a senior police officer and action will be taken if any policeman is found guilty.

Report by Indika Sri Aravinda

The incident at Hambantota involves some Ministers - Speaker

Friday, 25 April 2014 

The  thug  attack on visiting  UNP MPs at Hambantota harbour is the responsibility of  some ministers, ministry officials & heads of institutions, the Speaker said at the parliament on Thursday. He further added that he is very guilty on the  fatal incident  which took place at  the Hambantota harbour , within  the electorate Thissamaharama where he  is the SLFP organizer.

He said that he firmly believes that opposition  MPs  should have a fair  right to  visit the  government's development drives and monitor their activities  as was practiced by himself when he was in the  opposition. The speaker emphasised that everyone should  admit the rights of opposition  MP s and the incident should have been avoided.

Korean growth experience and its relevance to Sri Lanka today

Sunday 27th April 2014

Learning by sharing experiences with KDI School
Professor Jin Park of the KDI School of Public Policy and Management, a reputed research and higher learning institution in South Korea, recently delivered a lecture under Global Development Learning Network or GDLN Seminar Series on Lessons from Korea’s Development to participants in a host of Asian countries including Sri Lanka.

Korean Growth Experience and Its Relevance to Sri Lanka Today by nelvely

South Korean prime minister resigns over ferry disaster

SUNDAY 27 APRIL 2014

South Korea's prime minister resigns over his government s response to the ferry disaster in which more than 300 people have died or are missing, presumed dead.

Prime Minister Chung Hong-won resigned on Sunday saying that staying in his post was "too great a burden on the administration".

"On behalf of the government, I apologise for many problems from the prevention of the accident to the early handling of the disaster," he said.

"There are too many irregularities and malpractices in parts of society that have been with us too long and I hope those are corrected so that accidents like this will not happen again."

The resignation needs to be accepted by South Korea's president.

In the early stages of the crisis, the government announced that everyone had been rescued from the ferry. The confirmed death toll from the 16 April disaster now stands at 187 – and is expected to rise.

Many of those missing or dead were students and teachers from the Danwon high school on the outskirts of Seoul, who were on a field trip.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education sent text messages to parents that "All Danwon High School students are rescued" in the hours after the disaster, media reported.

'Too tardy'

The Sewol ferry, carrying 476 passengers, sank on a routine trip from the port of Incheon, near Seoul, to the southern holiday island of Jeju – near the city of Jindo.

One Jindo resident said on Sunday: "The rescue operation was too tardy to save the people, and I felt as if my own children were drowning. I cried a lot."

Yellow ribbons have been hung along the seafront at Jindo, where many family members are wiating to hear news.

Meanwhile, divers in the seas near the site where the ferry sank have failed to find any bodies for more than 24 hours as bad weather turns conditions challenging.

South Korean coast guard spokesman Ko Myung-suk said on Sunday: "A preliminary high seas watch has been issued since 4am, yesterday and we're expecting worse weather conditions today. The search operation is expected to face more difficulties today."

Investigations into the cause of the tragedy are focused on human error and mechanical failure.

Ukraine: kidnapped observers paraded by pro-Russian gunmen in Slavyansk

European military observers deny they are Nato spies while captors insist they are 'not our hostages – they are our guests'

Luke Harding in Donetsk and agencies-Sunday 27 April 2014 
Eight European military observers kidnapped by pro-Russian gunmen in eastern Ukraine have been shown off at a press conference in the rebel-held city of Slavyansk.

The group, looking tired but unharmed, appeared next to Slavyansk's self-appointed separatist "mayor", Vyacheslav Ponomarev. They include four Germans, a Pole, a Dane, a Swede and a Czech officer. The rebels did not exhibit five members of Ukraine's armed forces captured at the same time on Friday.

Speaking in German, the senior officer, Colonel Axel Schneider, defended his mission to the region, under the auspices of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). He saidclaims by Ponomarev that the group were Nato spies were blatantly false. "We are not Nato," he said. "Our mission was transparent. All OSCE members including Russia knew about it."

Meanwhile, in Donetsk pro-Russian separatists seized control of regional state television offices. Masked men with truncheons and shields were seen at the entrance to the building as a crowd of about 400 people surrounded it, while police stood nearby but did not intervene. One of the separatists told Reuters they had seized the TV building because "they try to influence the people and they broadcast misinformation".

In Slavyansk, Schneider said his team had acted within diplomatic protocols. He said they had not attempted to enter the town but were instead a few miles south of it, heading back towards Donetsk, when armed gunmen intercepted their mini-van. He said they had been looking for tanks and artillery at the time but had not found any.

The rebels have described the kidnapped Europeans as "prisoners of war" and have said they might be bartered for imprisoned pro-Russian activists in Kiev. Schneider said he had no idea what the method for a prisoner-swap might be, adding: "We are completely in the hands of Mayor Ponomarev."

Masked gunmen escorted the EU nationals into the room in Slavyansk's town hall. Schneider said they had not been ill-treated, but said: "I cannot go home of my free will."

Earlier, Ponomaryov, who was wearing a pistol in a holster and was escorted by two armed bodyguards, told reporters that the OSCE observers "are not our hostages – they are our guests".

Schneider said they had initially been housed in a basement but were transferred on Saturday to a comfortable room with light and air-conditioning. He said they had agreed to take part in a press conference at Ponomarev's suggestion "so our families might see us".

The account of the kidnapping raises questions as to whether the rebels were tipped off about the group's movements in advance. The road between Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, nine miles (15km) to the south, is usually safe, with traffic flowing regularly in both directions. The one rebel check point on the outskirts of Kramatorsk is low-key. The military observers were carrying ID but were not wearing uniforms and were unarmed.

Schnedier denied rebel claims he had come to the area with spying equipment and said: "We just had small cameras with us." The mayor could use the group to get his message out, he added. Ponomarev, however, said he would not release the kidnapped military observers despite negotiations between the separatists and the Vienna-based OSCE. "We are in a war situation," he said.

The pro-Russian militia is also holding Ukrainian journalists, local residents and the town's elected mayor, who has been allowed visits from her family and hairdresser. Another Ukrainian reporter, Lviv-based Yury Lelyavsky, was seized on Friday. The EU nationals appear to be high-value bargaining chips as the west prepares for further confrontation with Moscow.

The G7 is expected to announce on Monday an expansion of the list of Russian individuals and companies subject to sanctions. They will include close friends of Vladimir Putin as well as those allegedly involved in co-ordinating unrest across Ukraine. The US and EU accuse Moscow of failing to implement a deal agreed in Geneva under which illegal groups would end takeovers of official buildings and give up their weapons.

The British foreign secretary, William Hague, said that while diplomatic routes to de-escalate the crisis remained open, Europe and the US were also working on more far-reaching measures of economic, trade and financial sanctions in case Russia did not back down.

"Those are for the future. What we will hear about in the coming days, what we will agree … is an expansion of existing sanctions, measures against individuals or entities in Russia," Hague told Sky News.

He said Britain and its allies would be willing to accept the potential costs to their own countries of implementing further reaching economic or trade sanctions.

"It would be a price worth paying if this situation continues to deteriorate," Hague said. "We will calculate them in way that has the maximum effect on the Russian economy and the minimum effect on our own economy and the European Union's."

He added that international observers being held by pro-Russian separatists should be released "immediately and unconditionally" and called on Russia to assist by lobbying the rebel groups.

On Saturday, a standoff continued between armed pro-Russian militias in Slavyansk and the Ukrainian army down the road. Ukraine's national guard established a checkpoint 13 miles to the north of the rebel city, on the main road to Kharkiv. "I love my country. I'm defending it against the fascists over there," said 23-year-old soldier Andrei, gesturing towards Slavyansk.

Officers made clear they had no orders to storm Slavyansk. Instead they said their role was to prevent weapons reaching the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic".

Andrei said he had arrived at the checkpoint that morning. "We are going to win," he said cheerfully. "We're stronger." Another soldier, lying under a blossoming tree, added: "We're going to win because we believe in God. He's on our side."

Despite the threat of war, the situation in Slavyansk was remarkably calm. Traffic, including scheduled buses, flowed in and out of town, waved through tyre checkpoints by militia volunteers. One militia checkpoint proclaimed "Stop Nato" and "Love, family and peace".

"The government in Kiev doesn't want to listen to us," said Volodya, a 49-year-old electrician. "They say they're the good guys and that we are bad guys and separatists." He added that when he went to school in the Soviet Union in the 1980s he learned that Stepan Bandera – the Ukrainian nationalist leader during the second world war and venerated by the west of the country – was a fascist. He called Ponomarev a "hero on the barricades".

Muslim schools 'plot' teacher: 'I am not an extremist'

SUNDAY 27 APRIL 2014

A senior teacher connected to an alleged Muslim plot to take over a number of Birmingham schools tells Channel 4 News there was a campaign to employ more Muslim teachers - in order to raise standards.

Muslim Schools 'Plot' Teacher 'I Am Not an Extremist' by nelvely

Holocaust 'most heinous crime' of modern history, says Mahmoud Abbas

European military observers deny they are Nato spies while captors insist they are 'not our hostages – they are our guests'

Israel suspended negotiations in response to a reconciliation deal between Mahmoud Abbas (above) and Hamas. Photograph: Xinhua/Landov/Barcroft Media

Sunday 27 April 2014

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has called the Holocaust"the most heinous crime" of modern history and expressed his sympathy for the victims – a rare acknowledgment by an Arab leader of Jewish suffering during the Nazi genocide.

Abbas's comments appeared, in part, aimed at reaching out to Israeli public opinion at a time of deep crisis in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. The remarks were published by the Palestinian official news agency WAFA hours before the start of Israel's annual Holocaust commemoration.

The decades-old conflict has been accompanied by mutual mistrust among Israelis and Palestinians. Many Israelis fear that Palestinians are not truly ready to accept a Jewish presence in the Holy Land, and that widespread ignorance or even denial of the Holocaust among Palestinians is an expression of that attitude.

Denials of or attempts to minimise the scale of the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were killed during the second world war, are widespread in the Arab world.

Many Palestinians fear that if they acknowledge the Holocaust they will diminish their own claims based on years of suffering, including their uprooting during Israel's creation in 1948 and decades under Israeli occupation.

Abbas's office said he discussed the Holocaust in a meeting with an American rabbi, Marc Schneier, who visited Abbas's headquarters in Ramallah last week.

Abbas told Schneier that "what happened to the Jews in the Holocaust is the most heinous crime to have occurred against humanity in the modern era", WAFA said in a statement in English published on Sunday.

The wording in an earlier WAFA statement in Arabic was slightly different, with Abbas using the phrase "ugliest crime" instead of "most heinous crime".

In the English statement, WAFA quoted Abbas as expressing his "sympathy with the families of the victims and many other innocent people who were killed".

Abbas said the Holocaust was an expression of the idea of ethnic discrimination and racism, and connected it to Palestinian suffering.

"The Palestinian people, who suffer from injustice, oppression and [are] denied freedom and peace, are the first to demand to lift the injustice and racism that befell other peoples subjected to such crimes," he said.

Abbas's statement came as the latest US attempt to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal was on the verge of collapse. At the start of negotiations in late July the US secretary of state, John Kerry, had set an end-of-April target date for a peace deal. He later lowered expectations, calling for the outlines of an agreement and, in a last attempt, for a deal on extending the talks.

However, none of Kerry's objectives appear within reach, since no progress has been made. Instead, the two sides have been bogged down amid mutual accusations.

Last week, Israel suspended negotiations in response to a reconciliation deal between Abbas and his political rival, the Islamic militant Hamas. At the time, Israeli leaders alleged Abbas preferred peace with the militants, who have called for Israel's destruction, to peace with Israel.

Hamas has traditionally refrained from acknowledging the Holocaust and in 2009 protested against the subject being taught in United Nations-run schools in Gaza. Hamas and Israel are bitter enemies. Hamas has killed hundreds of Israelis in militant attacks and Israel routinely targets it in air strikes and military operations.

Speaking on Sunday before a cabinet meeting, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, largely dismissed Abbas's statement.

"Instead of making declarations intended to pacify world opinion, [Abbas] needs to choose between the agreement with Hamas, a terror group that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel and denies the Holocaust, and between true peace with Israel," Netanyahu said.

Abbas has said he is ready to extend negotiations beyond Tuesday's deadline, provided Israel halts settlement construction and keeps a promise to release a group of veteran Palestinian prisoners. Those are steps Israel has refused to take and which initially imperilled the talks.

Abbas said on Saturday that any interim unity government with Hamas would be based on his political platform, not that of Hamas. On Sunday, he said Israel must not walk away.

"On the incredibly sad commemoration of Holocaust Day, we call on the Israeli government to seize the current opportunity to conclude a just and comprehensive peace in the region, based on the two states vision, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security," Abbas said.

தந்தை செல்வாவின் நினைவு தினம் அனுஷ்டிப்பு

Posted On 26 Apr 2014

By : tnn

தந்தை செல்வாவின் 37ஆம் ஆண்டு நினைவு தினம் இன்றுகாலை 9.30அளவில் யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் அமைந்துள்ள தந்தை செல்வா சதுக்கத்தில் அனுஸ்டிக்கப்பட்டது. இந் நிகழ்வின்போது தந்தை செல்வாவின் உருவச் சிலைக்கு மலர்மாலைகள் அணிவிக்கப்பட்டு அஞ்சலி செலுத்தப்பட்டது. நிகழ்வின் நினைவுப் பேருரையை ஓய்வுநிலை நீதிபதி திருநாவுக்கரசு அவர்கள் நிகழ்த்தினார். இந்நிகழ்வில் வட மாகாண முதலமைச்சர் சி.வி.விக்னேஸ்வரன் தமிழ் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பின் நாடாளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்களான மாவை சேனாதிராஜா, சுரேஸ் பிரேமச்சந்திரன், ஈ.சரவணபவன், புளொட் தலைவரும், முன்னாள் பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினருமான தர்மலிங்கம் சித்தார்த்தன் மற்றும் ரெலோ அரசியல் செயலர் எம்.கே சிவாஜிலிங்கம் உள்ளிட்ட தழிழ் தேசிய கூட்டமைப்பின் வட மாகாணசபை உறுப்பினர்களும், மாகாணசபை அமைச்சர்களும், பிரதேசசபை தவிசாளர்கள், அங்கத்தவர்கள், தந்தை செல்வாவின் ஆதரவாளர்களும் பங்கேற்றிருந்தனர்.

பழந்தமிழில் தமிழின் வரலாறு 

,ஆதித்தமிழர்கள், 


நண்பர்கள் கவனத்திற்கு...

தமிழ் மொழியின் வரலாறு பற்றிய இந்த நூலை, சகோ. அருண்குமார் Arun kUmar தனது முகப்புத்தகத்தில் பதிவிட்டுள்ளார். நான் இப்போதுதான் படிக்கத்தொடங்கியுள்ளேன். பழந்தமிழில் தமிழின் வரலாறு ,ஆதித்தமிழர்கள், 

அவர்களின் வாழ்க்கை முறையென மிகவும் சுவராஸ்யமான முறையில் எழுதப்பட்டுள்ளது.

73 பக்கங்களைக் கொண்ட இந்தப்புத்தகத்தில் முதல் 12 பக்கங்களும் பொருளடக்கத்தைப்பற்றியே கூறுவதால் படிக்க விரும்புபவர்கள் 13 வது பக்கத்தில் இருந்து படிக்கத் தொடங்குங்கள்.

இப்படியான அருமையான புத்தகத்தை படிப்பதற்கு உந்து சக்தியாக இருந்த சகோ. அருணுக்கு மிக்க நன்றிகள்.

நண்பர்களே இது ஒரு பொக்கிஷம். இதனைப் படிக்கிறீர்களோ இல்லையோ... முடிந்தவரையிம் உங்களின் முகநூலில் ஷேர் பண்ணுங்கள். அது எவரோ ஒருவர் இந்த அரிய வரலாற்று ஆவணத்தை படிப்பதற்கும் தமிழின் தொன்மை பெருமைகளை அறிவதற்கும் கட்டாயமாக உதவும்.

இது எங்களின் கடமை.. வரலாற்றுக் கட்டாயம்.....Kalaichelvan Rexy Amirthan

தமிழ்-மொழியின்-வரலாறு by nelvely

The National Question: All about State Power

• by Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne 
 
• - on 04/26/2014 

S.J.V. Chelvanayakam Memorial Oration, 26 April 2014

I am thankful to the S.J.V. Chelvanayakam Commemoration Committee for inviting me to deliver this memorial oration on the occasion of the 37thdeath anniversary of S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, Q.C., a revered leader of the Sri Lankan Tamils. I am told that I am only the second Sinhalese, after Comrade Bernard Soysa whose birth centenary we celebrated last month, to be invited to speak at a Chelvanayakam memorial event. While I am happy to follow Comrade Bernard, I am sad that it is indicative of the divide between the two communities, a divide that we must endeavour to bridge.

State power- at the core of ethno-political conflicts

The National Question All About State Power by nelvely