Unique perspective on IPKF operations Jaffna 1988-89

The Indian Peace Keeping Force’s (IPKF) operations is one of many tragedies in Sri Lanka's history. A podcast by an ex US Navy SEAL examines it from a military history/counter insurgency perspective as meditation on the nature of discipline The centre of the discussion is the book Assignment Jaffa by IPKF commander Lt Gen SC …

Curfew, moonlight, and Sri Lanka’s War

Curfew. An adult word. Floats across the power cut dark to the veranda. To us kids sitting around the carom board. Lit by a candle on an upturned Milo tin. Curfew. A thrilling word. It means no school. Waking late. Street cricket. Assorted fun with the gang along the lane. My ears pick up other …

Ancestral protrait 1938

The photograph is black and white of course. Time has slightly yellowed its lighter shades of gray. Its clearly taken at some sort of party in the evening. The two of them are barely recognizable. She is striking young and beautiful. The sari feels glamorous and contemporary. He has hair, no visible cigarette and wears …

Independence anniversaries

A hurricane is sweeping through Cernoland (medical emergencies aside). Its hard to keep track of what day it is. Days not spent in the office are called public holidays and weekends apparently. Such as our first truly independent, independence day. Without a war that defined the last 30 years, the corrupt politicians who kept it …

Sri Lankan elections summed up in short video clip

Elections in Sri Lanka can be summed up in a short sentence. However the concept is best illustrated in the allegorical video below. The short sentence appears at the end of the video clip. It graphically depicts the relationship between the coolest people in Sri Lanka (politicians) and the voters (the partially cooled and the …