October 2025

Jaffna Swami
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Jaffna Swami

Translated from the original Tamil short story yāḻppānaccāmi  (யாழ்ப்பாணச் சாமி)  by Shobasakthi. The original story is available at his website. If you have any questions or feedback, please contact ez.iniyavan@gmail.com. This story is not about the Aruḷampalam Swami who was immortalized in song by the great Tamil poet Bharathiyār, calling him the eye of the world and the enlightened vessel that delivers sinners from their suffering. I am about to tell you the story of a different Jaffna Swami
Story October 2025
Eḻuttukkiṉiyavaṉ

Eḻuttukkiṉiyavaṉ
WE ARE SORRY

WE ARE SORRY

Editorial Thirty-Five Years of Silence, Thirty-Five Years of Shame On October 30, 1990 — thirty-five years ago — the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, with we Tamils as mute spectators, committed an atrocity that erased whatever moral or ethical ground our struggle once stood upon. In an orchestrated act of ethnic cleansing — not in scale, but in spirit comparable to the mass expulsion of the Rohingya from Myanmar; reminiscent of the 1948 Palestinian Nakba; echoing the forced displacement of
Editorial October 2025
Kaniyan Pungundran

Kaniyan Pungundran
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
October 2025 Cover Story
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
Article October 2025
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
Article October 2025
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
Monitor Memo October 2025
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
Letter to the Editor October 2025
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
Monitor Memo October 2025
Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor