Mannar Wind Power Project: Sri Lanka’s Lifeline in the Face of Misguided Opposition
Mannar Wind Power Project: Sri Lanka’s Lifeline in the Face of Misguided Opposition

Mannar Wind Power Project: Sri Lanka’s Lifeline in the Face of Misguided Opposition

Sri Lanka: Where Coal Gets Love and Windmills Get Hate In Mannar, people — sadly swayed by calculated misinformation and a carefully packaged malicious agenda — once again poured into the streets to protest the windmill project. Curious about the logic behind this opposition, I asked my correspondent to call Mannar MP Selvam Adaikalanathan and bluntly inquire why he was against it. Of the many reasons he rattled off, one stood out for sheer originality — and sheer absurdity: “These windmills wi


Kaniyan Pungundran

Kaniyan Pungundran

"The LTTE's 2009 military defeat was the culmination of the diplomatic and moral isolation that began with Rajiv Gandhi's assassination." — Anirudhya Mitra, journalist and author of 90 Days, and writer behind the series The Hunt
Anirudhya Mitra

"The LTTE's 2009 military defeat was the culmination of the diplomatic and moral isolation that began with Rajiv Gandhi's assassination." — Anirudhya Mitra, journalist and author of 90 Days, and writer behind the series The Hunt

The teleseries The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case has emerged as both a cultural flashpoint and a streaming triumph — celebrated by many and debated with particular fervour within Sri Lankan circles and the global Tamil diaspora. At the heart of this narrative stands the man whose original work inspired the series: Anirudhya Mitra, author of the bestselling 90 Days: The True Story of the Hunt for Rajiv Gandhi’s Assassins. A gripping account of India’s most high-stakes manhunt, 90 Days


Our Special Correspondent

Our Special Correspondent

"If Sri Lankan Tamils Truly Want to Shape Their Destiny, They Must First Become Financially and Institutionally Self-Reliant” – Prof. Thavam Thambipillai in Exclusive Interview with Jaffna Monitor
Prof. Thavam Thambipillai

"If Sri Lankan Tamils Truly Want to Shape Their Destiny, They Must First Become Financially and Institutionally Self-Reliant” – Prof. Thavam Thambipillai in Exclusive Interview with Jaffna Monitor

In many ways, Prof. Thavam ThambiPillai stands as an inspiring role model for Sri Lankan Tamils—and a guiding light for a community long in search of grounded, visionary leadership. A distinguished transplant surgeon, educator, and institutional leader, he became the first Sri Lankan Tamil—and possibly the first Tamil globally—to be elected World President of the International College of Surgeons (ICS). His journey is a masterclass in transforming tragedy into triumph and pain into profound purp


Our Special Correspondent

Our Special Correspondent

‘Jews and Jaffna Tamils Share Intellectual and Cultural Bonds’ — Israeli Envoy Pledges Israel’s support for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and sustainable growth
Ambassador Reuven Azar

‘Jews and Jaffna Tamils Share Intellectual and Cultural Bonds’ — Israeli Envoy Pledges Israel’s support for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and sustainable growth

Ambassador Reuven Azar currently serves as Israel's Ambassador to India and Non-resident Ambassador to both Sri Lanka and Bhutan. A seasoned diplomat with over three decades of experience, he has played a pivotal role in shaping Israel's foreign policy across Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Reuven Azar has previously served as Deputy National Security Advisor for Foreign Policy at Israel's National Security Council and Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel. His story


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

Two Centuries, Zero Extremists: How Bohras Became Sri Lanka's Model Muslims

Two Centuries, Zero Extremists: How Bohras Became Sri Lanka's Model Muslims

The usually bustling streets of Colombo took on a distinctly vibrant hue late last month, as over 10,000 members of the Dawoodi Bohra community from around the world descended on the city for a week-long spiritual convention. Held from June 27 to July 5, the gathering coincided with the global Ashara Mubaraka sermons led by the community’s spiritual leader, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, in Chennai, India. The Colombo leg of the event, held primarily at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centr


Kaniyan Pungundran

Kaniyan Pungundran

Trump's Tariff Cut: From 44% to 30% – Will This Crisis Break Us—or Remake Us?

Trump's Tariff Cut: From 44% to 30% – Will This Crisis Break Us—or Remake Us?

Sri Lankans awoke this week to a curious cocktail of relief and dread. On July 9, 2025, in a characteristically dramatic turn, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that the steep 44% tariff slapped on Sri Lankan exports would be trimmed to 30%. Set to take effect on August 1, the reduction is part of Trump’s aggressive “reciprocal tariff” doctrine—his claim to level the playing field by matching the import taxes that other nations impose on American goods. While 30% is still a heavy blow, it’s


Economics Desk

Economics Desk

Archbishop, Archbishop, why hast thou forsaken us in our hour of sorrow and slaughter?

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


Kaniyan Pungundran

Kaniyan Pungundran

Why Extremism Never Found a Home: The Bohra Approach to Faith and Scripture

Why Extremism Never Found a Home: The Bohra Approach to Faith and Scripture

"Tell me something," said a dear friend of mine—an expert in security studies—as we spoke about the Dawoodi Bohras over coffee one evening. "Have you ever heard of a Bohra being involved in a bomb blast? A shooting? Any terrorist group claiming to defend Islam through violence that had Bohra links?" He paused. "No, right?" "That's not a coincidence," he continued. "It's actually one of the most remarkable things about the Bohras—whether in Sri Lanka, South Asia or anywhere in the diaspora. Whil


Kaniyan Pungundran

Kaniyan Pungundran