The Baby Drought: Subfertility and the Struggle for New Life in Northern Sri Lanka
Opening of the first subfertility clinic and IVF center in Kilinochchi—a milestone in reproductive healthcare for Northern Sri Lanka.

The Baby Drought: Subfertility and the Struggle for New Life in Northern Sri Lanka

At Kilinochchi District General Hospital, something significant was happening without much fanfare. Dr. Sivalingarajah Raguraman—a consultant obstetrician who teaches at the University of Jaffna and graduated from there himself—was at the center of it all. He's the kind of person who doesn't need to announce his presence in a room, but you notice him anyway. Tall, thoughtful, with the quiet confidence of someone who knows his purpose. They were opening a subfertility clinic and IVF center—the f


Dr. Shane Halpe

Dr. Shane Halpe

Reservoir Politics: How a Tragedy Became Sumanthiran’s Protest Stunt
The deceased, Edhirmannasingham Kapilraj

Reservoir Politics: How a Tragedy Became Sumanthiran’s Protest Stunt

The death of a 32-year-old man whose body was recovered from the Muththaiyankattu reservoir in Mullaitivu has led to the arrest of three army personnel and reignited debate over the military’s role in the North. But an autopsy has poured cold water on the most sensational claims — no, the army didn’t beat him to death, despite what some hardcore Tamil nationalists and websites insist. The Victim and the Incident The deceased, Edhirmannasingham Kapilraj, a father of a seven-month-old infant fr


Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor

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

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

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

MP = Minimum Payer: How Sri Lanka’s Lawmakers Made Tax Evasion Legal

MP = Minimum Payer: How Sri Lanka’s Lawmakers Made Tax Evasion Legal

A political grenade was lobbed into the tax debate when Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Jagath Withana casually dropped his salary slips on Facebook—only to reveal that Sri Lankan MPs are paying as little as 1% in income tax. While average citizens cough up tax rates three times higher, our honourable lawmakers seem to enjoy a VIP pass through the tax maze. The revelation raised not just eyebrows but also blood pressure across both the public and private sectors. Irritated and clearly not amused, the


Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor

Chettiar’s Head Bears All Sins

Chettiar’s Head Bears All Sins

From a Facebook post by Siva Ramasamy | Translated by JM Amid the ongoing controversy over whether Sara, also known as Pulastini, is alive or dead, MP Mujibur Rahman stated in Parliament that a SIM card was recently obtained in her name. Upon hearing this, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ishara Sewwandi—allegedly the mastermind behind the courtroom assassination of underworld figure Ganemulla Sanjeewa—also ends up with a SIM card in her name. Though I sometimes consider avoiding political commen


Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor