Jaffna Monitor - Unafraid and Unbowed

India Helps Restore Sri Lanka’s Northern Railway, but Questions Over Its Fragility Persist

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — April 10, 2026 — After months of disruption caused by Cyclone Ditwah, passenger trains resumed full service on Thursday between Colombo and Kankesanthurai, restoring Sri Lanka’s most important north–south rail link just days before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. For thousands of travelers in the Northern Province, the reopening offered immediate relief — and a familiar sense of uncertainty. “We can travel again, but we don’t know for how long,” said S. Tharmalingam, a sma

Our Reporter

Apr 10, 2026 — 3 min read

A Minister’s House — and the Questions It Built

April 2026 JM Exclusive

Our Special Correspondent

Apr 9, 2026 — 7 min read

The Leader Prabhakaran Was Not — But Laldenga Was

April 2026 Guest Column

M.R. Narayan Swamy

Apr 8, 2026 — 6 min read

Former LTTE guerrillas battle hardships, trauma and taunts.

April 2026 JM Exclusive

M.R. Narayan Swamy

Apr 6, 2026 — 11 min read

Kneeling, Beaten: Tamil Fisherman Accuses Navy Intelligence of Abuse in Batticaloa

April 8, 2026 BATTICALOA, Sri Lanka — A fisherman in eastern Sri Lanka has filed a formal complaint with the Human Rights Commission, accusing Navy intelligence personnel of subjecting him to prolonged physical abuse and public humiliation following his arrest over the alleged use of a banned fishing net, according to documents submitted to the commission on Wednesday. The fisherman, identified as Nandheesan, said he was detained on April 5 while fishing off Chettipalayam beach in Batticaloa b

April 2026 Monitor Memo

Our Reporter

Apr 8, 2026 — 2 min read

Sri Lanka Sells Seized Indian Fishing Equipment in Jaffna Amid Ongoing Maritime Strain

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — April 7, 2026 — The Sri Lankan government auctioned gas cylinders, cooking stoves and batteries seized from Indian fishing boats on Tuesday, drawing large crowds to a public sale in Jaffna that offered a rare glimpse into how the state disposes of assets taken during maritime enforcement operations in the Palk Strait. The auction, organized by the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, featured equipment confiscated from both Sri Lankan and Indian vessels — some of i

April 2026 Monitor Memo

Our Reporter

Apr 7, 2026 — 2 min read

How Oil Writes History in Blood

By Nilantha Ilangamuwa Never forget: the Iran–Iraq war raged for eight brutal years. Iran survived. Saddam Hussein, once courted by the West for strategic gain, was dragged from his hideout near Tikrit and executed after a deeply flawed Iraqi tribunal. Today, Trump toys with another reckless scheme to destabilise Iran, a continuation of his “decapitation project,” even as Tehran struggles with fractures demanding the immediate redesigning and re‑engineering of its governing structure in the sty

April 2026 Guest Column

Nilantha Ilangamuwa

Apr 7, 2026 — 5 min read

The Pallava Shadow: How South India Reshaped Southeast Asia

By M.R. Narayan Swamy How did Hindu temples come to dot the skyline in parts of Southeast Asia at a time when Buddhism too was spreading its wings? To answer this, we need to turn to the visionary Pallava kings, who ruled a sprawling region in southern India with Kanchipuram as their capital, overcoming military defeats with patience, confidence, and bravery. And who better to unveil this story than William Dalrymple, one of Scotland’s foremost historians, who has made Delhi his home and has

April 2026 Guest Column

M.R. Narayan Swamy

Apr 7, 2026 — 4 min read

Unafraid and Unbowed

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

Editorial July 2025

Kaniyan Pungundran

Jul 14, 2025 — 12 min read

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

Cover Story June 2025

Kaniyan Pungundran

Jun 16, 2025 — 14 min read

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

Editorial June 2025

Kaniyan Pungundran

Jun 16, 2025 — 7 min read

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A Dark Date in the Contemporary Calendar of Humanity

February 28, 2026, marks a dark date in the contemporary calendar of humanity; a day when the hands of the clocks went on strike in a state of protest and profound shock. On this day, the unlawful attacks by the Zionist regime and the United States against the territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran dealt a finishing blow to the discourse of international law regarding the prohibition of the threat or use of force in international relations. From this date onward, who can still re

April 2026 OP-ED

Dr. Alireza Delkhosh

Apr 6, 2026 — 4 min read

From Remittances to Investment: Rethinking the Tamil Diaspora’s Role

The Tamil diaspora has long been an integral part of Jaffna’s social, economic, and cultural landscape. Spread across countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and parts of Europe, this global community has maintained strong and enduring ties with Northern Sri Lanka. These connections have been expressed through family relationships, financial support, cultural exchange, and political engagement. During periods of conflict and immediate post-war recovery, diaspora contributions p

Guest Column OP-ED

Colonel Nalin Herath

Apr 6, 2026 — 5 min read

Judges’ Retirement Age: A New Proposal and Its Implications

By: Professor G. L. Peiris I. The Constitutional Context Independence of the judiciary is, without question, an essential element of a functioning democracy. In recognition of this, ample provision is made in the highest law of our country, the Constitution, to engender an environment in which the courts are able to fulfil their public responsibility with total acceptance. As part of this protective apparatus, judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal are assured of security of t

April 2026 Guest Column

Professor G. L. Peiris

Apr 6, 2026 — 5 min read

Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner’s Presence at Puducherry Political Event Raises Interference Concerns

CHENNAI, India — April 6, 2026 — Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner for South India, Ganesanathan Ketheeswaran, has come under scrutiny following allegations that he attended a politically linked gathering in Puducherry, drawing criticism from Indian opposition figures and raising questions about diplomatic conduct during an election period. Pawan Khera, a senior leader of the Indian National Congress, alleged in a social media post that Mr. Ketheeswaran participated in an event organized by

April 2026 JM Exclusive

Our Reporter

Apr 6, 2026 — 4 min read