Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor

C.V.K. Sivagnanam Alleges Fraudulent Transfer of Jaffna Municipal Council Property

C.V.K. Sivagnanam Alleges Fraudulent Transfer of Jaffna Municipal Council Property

Acting President of the ITAK, C.V.K. Sivagnanam — who is also a former Jaffna Municipal Commissioner and former Chairman of the Northern Provincial Council — has alleged that a property belonging to the Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) was fraudulently transferred to private ownership, with even the council’s own asset registry records allegedly altered to conceal the transfer. Sivagnanam further claimed that municipal taxes were being paid to the same council by those who had obtained the proper
Monitor Memo November 2025
Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor
Former PLOTE Local Council Member Dies After PUBG Addiction Leads to Suicide Attempt
Sivakumar Akeeban

Former PLOTE Local Council Member Dies After PUBG Addiction Leads to Suicide Attempt

A former local council member of the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) has died after a tragic sequence of events linked to addiction to the online game PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds). Sivakumar Akeeban, widely known as Comrade Billa, a former member of the Valikamam East Pradeshiya Sabha, passed away at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital following a suicide attempt reportedly driven by severe financial distress and prolonged gaming addiction. Akeeban, a resident of Urump
Monitor Memo November 2025
Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor
Puttalam Municipal Council in Turmoil Over ‘Fake Mayor’ Controversy
SM Isham Marikkar at the Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS) 2025 in Dubai — his name tag identifying him as “Mayor of Puttalam.”

Puttalam Municipal Council in Turmoil Over ‘Fake Mayor’ Controversy

A major dispute has erupted within the Puttalam Municipal Council — in what many wryly describe as something that “could only happen in Sri Lanka.” Puttalam Mayor Eng. Rinsad Ahamed has accused Councillor and Clean Nation Party (Thuya Desathirkana Katchi) Leader SM Isham Marikkar of falsely presenting himself as the Mayor of Puttalam during the Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS) 2025 in Dubai — a global forum exclusively meant for mayors, not for those merely aspiring to be one, mayoral sources
Monitor Memo November 2025
Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor
Beyond the Rubble of Simple Stories: A New Sri Lankan Consciousness Emerges

Beyond the Rubble of Simple Stories: A New Sri Lankan Consciousness Emerges

Dear Editor, For decades, the story of Sri Lanka has often been told through the distorting lens of reductionism. a complex conflict simplified into binaries of hero versus villain. Narratives were kept in protected silos: a Tamil story of state persecution, a Sinhala story of national defence, and a Muslim story of a community caught in the crossfire. These isolated accounts, while containing truths, perpetuated division. From the rubble of these siloed histories, a more complex and honest co
Letter to the Editor November 2025
Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor
No Minority Politician Can Solve Ethnic Issues Without the Trust of the Majority: Faiszer Musthapha
Faiszer Musthapha

No Minority Politician Can Solve Ethnic Issues Without the Trust of the Majority: Faiszer Musthapha

At Jaffna Monitor, we believe that meaningful conversations about ethnic representation, national unity, and pluralistic governance are essential for Sri Lanka’s democratic future. For decades, ethnic politics has shaped — and often fractured — the country’s political landscape and the fate of its people. Yet critical questions remain unanswered: What is the most effective path for minority communities to secure their rights and interests? Should minority leaders work within majority-led nationa
October 2025 Cover Story
Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor
Unholy Deals? ‘Not Signed, Just Prayed,’ Says Bishop

Unholy Deals? ‘Not Signed, Just Prayed,’ Says Bishop

The Bishop of Mannar, Antonypillai Gnanapragasam, has said that the government remains determined to proceed with the installation of all 14 wind turbines in the district, despite ongoing public opposition to the project. He also vehemently rejected claims that he had struck a deal with the government. Speaking at a recent discussion with representatives of the interfaith group, civil organizations, and the people’s protest committee in Mannar, Bishop Gnanapragasam disclosed details of his meet
Monitor Memo October 2025
Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor
The War That Reached the Temple Gates: Father of LTTE Brigadier Vithusha Passes Away in Jaffna

The War That Reached the Temple Gates: Father of LTTE Brigadier Vithusha Passes Away in Jaffna

Kanthiah Kurukkal, father of late LTTE commander Brigadier Vithusha and fallen cadre Vithushan, passed away in Jaffna this week. Hailing from a respected Tamil Brahmin family in Kappoothu, Karaveddy, Kanthiah Kurukkal lost both his daughter and son to the armed struggle. His passing has rekindled reflections on how the war reached even the most traditional families — those once devoted entirely to temple service and religious life. Born in the Vadamarachchi region, Kanthiah Kurukkal was known
Monitor Memo October 2025
Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor
EY Report Exposes Higher Education Crisis in North as Thousands of Students Shut Out

EY Report Exposes Higher Education Crisis in North as Thousands of Students Shut Out

Each year, thousands of academically qualified students in northern Sri Lanka are denied access to university education, perpetuating regional inequality and threatening the nation's ambitions to become a digital economy leader, according to a new feasibility study. The study, conducted by Ernst & Young (EY) in partnership with the Magick Group, reveals that across Sri Lanka, only 40,000 of the nearly 280,000 students who sit for university entrance exams gain admission to state universities —
Monitor Memo October 2025
Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor