April 2026

India’s Vice President Urges Sri Lanka to Hold Provincial Elections Without Delay

India’s Vice President Urges Sri Lanka to Hold Provincial Elections Without Delay

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — India’s Vice President, C. P. Radhakrishnan, said he had personally urged Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to hold long-delayed provincial council elections without further postponement, during a meeting between the two leaders on Sunday. Mr. Radhakrishnan disclosed this during a subsequent discussion with representatives of Tamil political parties at the Taj Samudra in Colombo on Monday afternoon, a source who participated in the meeting told Jaffna Monitor.
April 2026 JM Exclusive
Our Reporter

Our Reporter
Accountability delayed is accountability denied.

Accountability delayed is accountability denied.

By: Lankan The resignations of Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody and Ministry Secretary Prof. Udayanga Hemapala are a welcome — if belated — step toward accountability. In a political culture where public office is often treated as a shield against scrutiny, stepping down to allow an unimpeded investigation is the appropriate course of action. The National People’s Power (NPP) government, elected on a platform of uncompromising integrity, could scarcely have done otherwise. But let us be clear:
April 2026 Guest Column
Lankan

Lankan
India–Sri Lanka Ties: Partnership in Practice, Distrust in Memory

India–Sri Lanka Ties: Partnership in Practice, Distrust in Memory

By M.R. Narayan Swamy Relations between India and Sri Lanka have depth and are blossoming. But all is not hunky-dory, notwithstanding the generous multi-faceted help India has provided during crises, more so in recent times. Yes, more and more Sinhalese, the community most cross with India for more than one reason, have begun to view India sympathetically but it will take a long time for bitter memories to fade and the irritants in overall bilateral ties to dissipate. Indeed, if Sri Lanka’s eco
April 2026 Book Review
M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy
Sri Lanka’s Reform Government Struggles to Deliver on Its Promises

Sri Lanka’s Reform Government Struggles to Deliver on Its Promises

COLOMBO — Eighteen months after a landslide election victory that swept away Sri Lanka’s discredited political dynasties and promised a new era of transparent, accountable governance, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his National People's Power government are struggling to deliver on the sweeping changes they rode to power on, according to a new report by the International Crisis Group titled “Sri Lanka’s Bumpy Road to a Political Reset.” The findings, drawn from dozens of interviews with
April 2026
Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor
Xi Presses China’s Case as Middle East Peace Broker in Talks With Emirati Crown Prince

Xi Presses China’s Case as Middle East Peace Broker in Talks With Emirati Crown Prince

With the Gulf reeling from a U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran, Beijing advances a four-point framework positioning itself as a steady, alternative diplomatic voice. BEIJING — President Xi Jinping of China used a high-profile meeting at the Great Hall of the People this week to outline China’s approach to peace in the Middle East, presenting a four-point framework that underscores Beijing’s growing diplomatic ambitions in a region unsettled by war. Receiving Khaled bin Mohamed bin Z
April 2026 OP-ED
Li Wei

Li Wei
Colombo Eyes Control of Jaffna’s Cultural Centre

Colombo Eyes Control of Jaffna’s Cultural Centre

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s Cabinet is expected to consider a proposal to place the Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre under a new seven-member governing body dominated by central government representatives, according to officials familiar with the plan. If approved, the move would formalize national oversight of a complex built with Indian grant funding on land owned by the Jaffna Municipal Council — and presented, repeatedly, as a gift to the people of the North. The proposal has not b
April 2026 JM Exclusive
Our Reporter

Our Reporter
The Tamil Renaissance

The Tamil Renaissance

By Jeevan Thiyagaraja Generations have scattered across the globe while others remained, tending to the soil of their ancestors through the unimaginable. Though separated by oceans and time, all share the same roots. The time has come for the North to reclaim its narrative—a Tamil Renaissance where a smart, confident, and contented North acts as catalyst for a proud, cultured, and developed community found around the world. I. The Ancient Maritime Spirit: A Legacy of Global Connection Long b
April 2026 Guest Column
Jeevan Thiyagaraja

Jeevan Thiyagaraja
Iluppai Tree and the Young Generation

Iluppai Tree and the Young Generation

Translated from the original Tamil short story iluppai maramum iḷanñcantatiyum (இலுப்பை மரமும் இளஞ்சந்ததியும்) from the 1976 collection of short stories titled kōṭukaḷum kōlaṅkalum (கோடுகளும் கோலங்களும்) by Kuppilan Ai. Shanmugan. He woke up at around seven in the morning, when it was already rather bright. His little sister shook him awake, calling out, “aṇṇai, aṇṇai.” He stretched lazily, rolled up the reed mat and stood it next to the wall. The house was buzzing with activity. His sibling
April 2026 Story
Eḻuttukkiṉiyavaṉ

Eḻuttukkiṉiyavaṉ