June 2025

Prof. N. Asokan was invited to give a short “morning assembly talk” at his alma mater, Trinity College, Kandy. The following is the transcribed version of his inspiring speech, reflecting on the four major technological revolutions that have shaped our world—and his life. He writes under the pen name 'eḻuttukkiṉiyavaṉ', including for Jaffna Monitor. Forty-five years ago, I walked into this assembly hall thrice a week for morning assembly. My classmates and I always sat over on that side. Today,

I’ve spent most of my adult life building things. Businesses, brands, homes, arguments. Always chasing—the next goal, the next deal, the next piece of validation in a world that measures worth by margins and milestones. But this past week, watching my mother fight for her life in a small hospital in northern Sri Lanka, I was reminded of something I had forgotten: not all heroes chase. It began in Kumulamunai. A heart attack. A real one. Silent but severe. My mother—diabetic, hypertensive, and un