Editorial

The Ritual of Self-Defeat Once again, on February 4th, as Sri Lanka marked its 78th year of independence from British rule, a familiar theatre of political spectacle unfolded across the North and East. Black flags were hoisted. Placards were raised. Slogans denouncing the Sri Lankan state echoed through the streets of Kilinochchi, Batticaloa, and Jaffna. Tamil political figures — some elected, others self-appointed — declared the day a “Black Day,” a day of mourning and defiance. To the uninit

Note: This editorial was originally published in the February 2025 issue of Jaffna Monitor to mark Sri Lanka’s 77th Independence Day. It is reproduced on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day. February 4th, Sri Lanka’s Independence Day, is a day of both celebration and contention. As the nation marked 77 years of sovereignty, some Tamils—whose lands remain militarily occupied and whose sons and daughters have vanished without a trace—chose to observe the day with symbolic defiance. For them