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 …

Family Kovil Colombo Sri Lanka

Buddhist and Hindu cultures have coexisted seamlessly in my family. It extends to relationships with religious institutions as well. On the Buddhist side there is Asokaramaya, which has a long presence in family history. For more regular religious maters there's the smaller temple down our road. Palaya Kadiresan Kovil (pictured in the Google Earth screen …

Jaffna relatives

I am not related to Vēluppillai Pirapākaran however distantly. Stories by friends of relatives that Vēluppillai Pirapākaran once served them dinner doesn't count. My Jaffna connection is a branch of the family tree that broke off in a pre WW2 elopement (shocking no?). Jaffna Brahmins of that era didn't take the elopement of offspring lightly. …

LTTE shipwreck Mullativu Sri Lanka

Image below of shipwreck visible from Google Earth. It is located  off Mullativu Sri Lanka. According to a confusing post on Wikipedia, this ship is an LTTE freighter destroyed by the SLAF. The site I mentioned last week has more images of it. Consider it a literal accompaniment to the metaphorical LTTE shipwreck. This is not the only shipwreck visible on from Google Earth …

Sri Lankan Navy craft off Jaffna Google Earth

Military looking boat in the image below is just north of the first Sri Lanka Navy craft I spotted on Google Earth. I wonder what that white smoke coming out of the back is. Gunfire? Could this one be a sea tiger boat? Something for the experts who by now know where the comment box …