Vijay Crosses Majority Threshold, Bringing Dravidian Duopoly to Historic End

Vijay Crosses Majority Threshold, Bringing Dravidian Duopoly to Historic End

By M.R. Narayan Swamy After days of uncertainty, movie heartthrob Vijay is finally set to be Tamil Nadu’s new chief minister after securing the support of three smaller parties, which helped him cross the magic number needed to form a government in the southern state. Losing no time, Vijay, 51, one of India’s highest-paid film stars, on Friday staked claim to form a government at his third meeting in as many days with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who until now refused to let him take


M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy

ITAK Chairman’s Luxury Vehicle Lease Raises Questions

ITAK Chairman’s Luxury Vehicle Lease Raises Questions

VAVUNIYA, Sri Lanka — The chairman of the Vavuniya South Tamil Pradeshiya Sabha spent more than 1.7 million rupees of public money in five months on a rented luxury pickup truck, even as residents in the area say the council repeatedly cites budget constraints to explain crumbling roads, broken drains, and unlit streets. The expenditure came to light after the Pradeshiya Sabha was compelled to release the information following a Right to Information request, prompting scrutiny from residents an


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

After 17 Years of Protest, Tamil Mother Dies Without Knowing Fate of Missing Sons

After 17 Years of Protest, Tamil Mother Dies Without Knowing Fate of Missing Sons

MULLAITIVU, Sri Lanka — A Tamil mother who spent nearly 17 years searching for her two sons and son-in-law, who disappeared after surrendering to Sri Lankan military forces during the final days of the country’s civil war, has died without learning their fate. Murugesupillai Sellamma, 74, from the Muthaiyankattu area of Mullaitivu District, died on April 27, according to relatives and local advocacy groups. Her death comes after years of public protests, appeals, and activism demanding truth an


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

Former SriLankan Airlines Chief Found Dead After Court Orders Rearrest in Bribery Case

Former SriLankan Airlines Chief Found Dead After Court Orders Rearrest in Bribery Case

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Kapila Chandrasena, the former chief executive of SriLankan Airlines who was facing charges in one of Sri Lanka’s most consequential corruption investigations, was found dead on Thursday at a residence in Colombo’s Kollupitiya neighborhood, police said. He was 58. The death came one day after a Colombo court ordered his rearrest over what prosecutors described as violations of his bail conditions. Police said they suspected suicide. Investigations are continuing. Mr. Chand


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

Unafraid and Unbowed

Archbishop, Archbishop, why hast thou forsaken us in our hour of sorrow and slaughter?

Archbishop, Archbishop, why hast thou forsaken us in our hour of sorrow and slaughter?

"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." - Isaiah 58:1 His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo and chief shepherd of the Catholic flock in all of Sri Lanka, has recently marked fifty years in the sacred priesthood. As the highest-ranking prelate whose dominion spans the entire island, he now stands as a mighty voice crying for justice, calling upon the nations of the earth for interv


Kaniyan Pungundran

Kaniyan Pungundran

Jaffna Library Burning: The Day They Burned the buddha and his dhamma

Jaffna Library Burning: The Day They Burned the buddha and his dhamma

Why South Asia Reveres Books-and Fears Their Destruction Irrespective of religion, across the Indian subcontinent, books have long held an exalted status. In the indigenous spiritual traditions that emerged from this land-Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism-knowledge is not merely valued; it is venerated in the highest order. In homes, temples, and schools across the region, people treat books with profound reverence-never touching them with their feet, and if done accidentally, offering a


Kaniyan Pungundran

Kaniyan Pungundran

Chemmani: Where Justice Was Buried

Chemmani: Where Justice Was Buried

The dead do not speak - but the earth does A few years ago, I visited Cambodia. My original aim was to see the Angkor Wat temple complex. But, as always, my journalistic instincts led me deeper into rural Cambodia, where I found myself in quiet conversations with a few former soldiers of the Pol Pot regime, now living ordinary lives as toddy tappers, farmers, and small shop owners. One of them - a former henchman of the Khmer Rouge - opened up after a few glasses of toddy. In a hauntingly calm


Kaniyan Pungundran

Kaniyan Pungundran

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The Ones Who Warn Power: Why Every Nation Needs Its Brave Dissenters
Ngiam Tong Dow

The Ones Who Warn Power: Why Every Nation Needs Its Brave Dissenters

By Jeevan Thiyagaraja There is a particular species of public servant that institutions simultaneously need and resent. They are not contrarians for sport. They are not leakers or rebels. They are people who have earned, through decades of credibility and demonstrated competence, the standing to say the thing that everyone in the room has already thought but nobody will speak aloud. Call them institutional dissenters. Call them honest brokers. The label matters less than the function: they exi


Jeevan Thiyagaraja

Jeevan Thiyagaraja

In Jaffna Killing, Family Seeks Justice as Police Conduct Comes Under Scrutiny

In Jaffna Killing, Family Seeks Justice as Police Conduct Comes Under Scrutiny

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — The family of Arul Payas, the youth killed in a police shooting in Jaffna’s Allaipiddy area earlier this year, publicly accused Sri Lankan authorities on Wednesday of denying them justice, alleging intimidation, institutional indifference, and political abandonment in the months following his death. Speaking through tears at a press conference held at the Jaffna Media Centre, relatives said their efforts to seek accountability, including a visit to Colombo in hopes of meetin


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

Tamil Nadu Thrown Into Political Turmoil as Governor Blocks Vijay’s Path

Tamil Nadu Thrown Into Political Turmoil as Governor Blocks Vijay’s Path

By M.R. Narayan Swamy Tamil Nadu was in a state of unexpected flux as superstar Vijay battled with the New Delhi-appointed governor to get a crucial invite to prove his legislative majority, with some political parties saying the drama was being orchestrated by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After leading his Tamilga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to stunning victories in 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, Vijay faced a sudden googly from Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who sa


M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy

Chandrika Congratulates Vijay, Signaling Regional Interest in Tamil Nadu’s New Political Era

Chandrika Congratulates Vijay, Signaling Regional Interest in Tamil Nadu’s New Political Era

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has formally congratulated Tamil film star-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay on his election as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, praising his rise as a “remarkable achievement” and expressing hope for stronger ties between Sri Lanka and the southern Indian state. In a letter dated May 6, 2026, addressed to Vijay, Kumaratunga acknowledged his electoral victory and highlighted the longstanding relationship between Ta


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Our Reporter

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