July 2025

Michael Pradeep Williams Jeh is a man of many journeys—born in Sri Lanka as a Sri Lankan Tamil, raised in Australia, and shaped by cricket, Oxford philosophy, and a fierce sense of justice. A former professional cricketer turned scholar, wildlife ranger, and educator, he brings a rare blend of grit and grace to all he does. Today, he is a powerful voice against domestic violence and racial injustice—and a proud father to rising cricket star Zanden Jeh. This is Jaffna Monitor’s exclusive conversa

When you scroll through your social media feed and burst into laughter at the unapologetically absurd sketches of Yeah Mad, chances are you’re catching a punchline from Sath Nadesan. Or rather, Sathya Nadesan—as he was named at birth. Born to a Tamil father, Vasanth Nadesan of Kandy, and a Sinhalese mother, Araliya de Silva of Mount Lavinia, Sath grew up straddling identities in Sri Lanka before making his way to Australia. Today, he’s a Sydney-based stand-up comedian, a full-time cast member o

What drives a surgeon born into a well-to-do Colombo family, educated at prestigious schools, and trained in Manchester’s finest hospitals, to choose rural Polonnaruwa as his first consultant posting? For Dr. Gamini Goonetilleke, the answer lies in his daredevil spirit—a trait that has defined his extraordinary four-decade career and continues to shape the man he is today. While most surgeons sought comfortable urban postings, Dr. Goonetilleke made a deliberate choice—to become the sole surgeon