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


Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor

Bimal Rathnayake’s Ports Docked and Aviation Grounded by His Own Racist Politics

Bimal Rathnayake’s Ports Docked and Aviation Grounded by His Own Racist Politics

Bimal Rathnayake, arguably the most controversial minister in Anura Kumara Dissanayake's government and widely accused by Tamil parties of obstructing Northern development for racist reasons, has been removed from his powerful Ports and Aviation portfolio and reassigned as Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development. Tamil political circles have long accused Rathnayake of personally blocking the development of Palaly Airport and Kankesanthurai (KKS) Harbour — two projects viewed as cr


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

From Philanthropy to Academia: The Evolution of Jaffna Teaching Hospital and Its Medical Institutions
The First Dispensary in Pandatherippu, Jaffna

From Philanthropy to Academia: The Evolution of Jaffna Teaching Hospital and Its Medical Institutions

The origins of organized healthcare in Jaffna, in the North of Ceylon can be traced to the pioneering efforts of the American Ceylon Mission in the early 19th century. Rev. Dr. John Scudder, the first medical missionary to Ceylon, arrived in Jaffna in 1819 and, in June 1820, established a small dispensary at Pandatherippu—the first medical mission dispensary in the world. This modest initiative marked the beginning of Western medical practice in the region. Combining Christian service with medic


Dr. Gamini Goonetilleke

Dr. Gamini Goonetilleke

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


Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor

Don’t Give Stones to Haters to Throw at You

Don’t Give Stones to Haters to Throw at You

Dear Editor, When I first came across Jaffna Monitor, I was flabbergasted. Here was something our Tamil community had never seen — a publication unafraid to say what the mainstream Tamil narrative refuses to say, unconcerned about being branded or sidelined. Intrigued and concerned, I reached out through my channels and met your editor, known as Kaniyan Pungundran. I expected a well-funded operation with strong backers. Instead, I met a man who had walked to our meeting, explaining that nearly


Reader's Voice

Reader's Voice

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


Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor

Business Cycles: Why Balance Sheet Economic Truths Should Guide Sri Lanka's Recovery

Business Cycles: Why Balance Sheet Economic Truths Should Guide Sri Lanka's Recovery

Modern economic discourse is often fractured by ideological debates that obscure a more fundamental, mechanical reality. Beneath the surface of political agendas and economic schools of thought lies an immutable operating system: the universal framework of double-entry accounting. This is not merely a corporate bookkeeping tool but the fundamental grammar of all economic activity. Every transaction, from a local purchase to a sovereign debt issuance, creates an inseparable duality—an asset for o


Dr. Kenneth De Zilwa

Dr. Kenneth De Zilwa

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 —


Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor