M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy

M. R. Narayan Swamy is a renowned Indian journalist and author known for his multi-dimensional reporting—from politics to insurgencies. Best known for his definitive works on the LTTE, he brings depth to South Asian affairs and conflict journalism.

Voice of Tigers: The Rebel Radio That Echoed Through Sri Lanka’s War

Voice of Tigers: The Rebel Radio That Echoed Through Sri Lanka’s War

By: M.R. Narayan Swamy Bettering the proverbial cat, the Tamil Tigers radio had two dozen lives! From its rudimentary beginnings in Jaffna, the Voice of Tigers (VOT), or Puligalin Kural, grew into a powerful radio station that broadcast news and other programmes in Tamil from the dense forests of Sri Lanka. The station chronicled the war fought by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), albeit with an inherent bias favouring the Tamil guerrillas, till May 2009 when the Sri Lankan m
Guest Column March 2026
M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy
Easter bombings is about inaction despite specific warnings

Easter bombings is about inaction despite specific warnings

By M.R. Narayan Swamy Former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay may or may not be involved with the deadly 2019 Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, but the carnage will rank among one of the worst examples of officials failing to act despite pin-pointed, credible and actionable intelligence received in advance about the impending disaster. The island nation’s security establishment has been shaken although it was anticipated by many that Sallay could be taken into custody someday over the terror attac
February 2026
M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy
DEPARTMENT OF CHOSEN ONES: What Really Ails Sri Lanka? An Insider Dusts the Cobwebs

DEPARTMENT OF CHOSEN ONES: What Really Ails Sri Lanka? An Insider Dusts the Cobwebs

By M.R. Narayan Swamy When kings become authoritarian and develop disdain for their subjects, their kingdoms collapse. This is what happened in modern Sri Lanka when a president and his kin presided over the picturesque country as if it were family property. A child prodigy who grew to be an insider with a conscience, Thisuri Wanniarachchi, unveils the story in a most chilling and gripping manner. Thisuri was just 15 when she bagged Sri Lanka’s most prestigious literary award for her first
Book Review February 2026
M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy
Switzerland’s U-turn and the limits of Western peace making

Switzerland’s U-turn and the limits of Western peace making

By M.R. Narayan Swamy Switzerland’s sudden decision to indefinitely postpone a meeting of select Sri Lankan Tamil political parties scheduled for February 19 must be welcomed, as the gathering would likely have provided oxygen to a self-serving and divisive agenda rather than contributing anything positive to Sri Lanka. The Swiss Embassy is understood to have invited the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), whose main constituent is the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC); the Ilankai Tami
February 2026 Guest Column
M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy
COLOMBO PORT OF CALL: Foreigners who came to adore Sri Lanka

COLOMBO PORT OF CALL: Foreigners who came to adore Sri Lanka

By: M.R. Narayan Swamy American dancer Jane Sherman fell in love with Sri Lanka at first sight. The train journey from India to the island nation may have been ghastly but the teenager, who would later become famous, was wide awake at dawn in 1926 to see the sun come up over the luscious green foliage in the country. She was full of admiration for the blue sea water, and described the people in Sri Lanka as “cleaner than Indians”. During the time she spent in Sri Lanka, Jane gave full m
Book Review February 2026
M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy
“We Are Being Discriminated”: Hill Country Tamils Accuse Sri Lankan State

“We Are Being Discriminated”: Hill Country Tamils Accuse Sri Lankan State

By: M.R. Narayan Swamy Hundreds of thousands of Tamils living in Sri Lanka’s prosperous tea estates want justice and quicker rehabilitation after suffering the worst of deaths and destruction in a catastrophic cyclone that ravaged the island nation in late November. A prominent MP and leader of the hill country, or “Malaiyaha,” Tamils—who are of Indian origin—has accused the government of President Anura Dissanayake, whom he otherwise counts as a friend, of discriminating against Tamil workers
January 2026 Special Article
M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy
A Peacemaker’s Belated Wisdom

A Peacemaker’s Belated Wisdom

By: M.R. Narayan Swamy Reading this otherwise invaluable book will give the impression that academic-turned-politician G.L. Peiris was a distant observer of Sri Lanka’s peace process (which collapsed) and not the government’s chief negotiator with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and a key player in a dialogue that had been expected to end a protracted and bloody conflict. Peiris raises several vital issues that he feels led the peace process to unfortunately unravel, trig
Article Book Review
M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy
Sri Lanka placing roadblocks on Tamil refugees’ return from India

Sri Lanka placing roadblocks on Tamil refugees’ return from India

By: M.R. Narayan Swamy Even as many Tamils who fled Sri Lanka to escape the ethnic conflict want to settle down in India, those who seek to return to their homes are facing numerous governmental challenges in the island nation, a leading NGO based in India says. An estimated 58,000 Tamil refugees are spread across 105 camps set up by Indian authorities in 29 districts of Tamil Nadu, while another 30-40,000 live on their own in the southern state separated from Sri Lanka by a narrow strip
Article January 2026
M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy