http://www.granta.com/Magazine/Granta-109-Work/Hippocrates/4

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My mother’s mother was a stunningly ugly woman, with a long, skinny, black birthmark running down the left half of her face, and the milky blue rings of her sclera showing around her eyes. I was old enough now not to be afraid of her ugliness, and to know that later, I could be her, and that in fact the odds were in favour of that. She was the first ugly person I had ever loved, although she would not be the last. At nineteen, I was young enough to value beauty and old enough to know that certain types of it would die, while other kinds would grow stronger.

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Some female suicide bombers use pregnancy as a disguise, not only because it is easy to conceal explosives, but also because it weakens the resolve of police officers to see a mother. Each of them, of course, has his own. A transgression against a mother is a universal transgression; when a man treats a mother kindly, he imagines that somewhere else, someone is getting up on a train to offer a seat to his own mother, or perhaps helping her to carry her groceries from the market. He is remembering what his wife looked like in her first trimester; he is thinking of his younger siblings or perhaps his own children. He is thinking of life, and of repetition, and of things happening again, as they have happened to him. He is not thinking that anyone carrying a belly that size, that shape, would carry death.

This is why it is the best disguise. And that is why I was sick; I knew that the woman in the office building, who had ridden the elevator to the top floor, must be Saavi. Because the voice on the radio had said that: they had been able to tell that the bomber’s pregnancy was not a disguise, but real. I knew how she had become pregnant; I had had to tell her that she was. And I knew the bomber had to be her. Anyone but Saavi would have faked it.

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This was what our mothers had warned us about: men and their desires, men and their wills, men and their bodies encroaching on ours. Some man had taken everything inside her house that was sacred; some man had taken everything inside her that she thought sacred.

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I inserted the needle. She had made no noise before, but now she hissed at the pain.

Do you want the morphine? I asked.

No, she said. I am feeling something, you know? I want to know what is happening and if the pain goes away then that might be worse.

She was right. Pain informs. Pain draws a map. Doctors resolve to relieve pain, but pain is information, and to lose it is to lose something valuable. Pain is useful, even as a distraction. If it hurts, it is there. And if your body hurts, then your mind is occupied and cannot think too deeply about what has happened to you.

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The above article is written by a Sri Lankan Tamil, who worked as a doctor in Jaffna. She treats a village belle who had been brutally raped by soldiers, and much later discovers that the same girl had carried out a suicide bombing in Colombo in revenge. I first read about the atrocities inflicted on the Tamils in Sri Lanka through a book by the pioneering journalist, Anita Pratap. The LTTE did not drop on planet Earth on a meteorite; the Tamils needed a defender.

Dhanu, the woman who blew up Rajiv Gandhi, was said to have been raped by Indian soldiers.

The LTTE is no more, but the turmoil in Sri Lanka continues; journalists are whisked away to prison, and now there is a serious shakeup in the army.

Here’s hoping peace will come to the island nation.

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]]> http://magerata.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/general-still-at-war/ Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:44:38 +0000 magerata http://magerata.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/general-still-at-war/

Looks like General SF is still at war. DBS Jeyaraj has posted a nice account of the event of his arrest.  I could not leave a comment though, system refused my comment! But I did comment or pulled a coup d’etat on Indi’s blog. As usual SittngNut had his own way of expressing the arrest of SF.

All are good reads but DBSJ’s article takes you for a walk through of the arrest.

Those like me could say, He should have not protested the arrest as resisting arrest itself is a charge because it is better to fight it over at the courts! (I have no knowledge of Sri Lankan military tribunals) but it is promised that he will be provided with what is necessary to defend himself.

Others can cry foul and talk about the mistreatment of  one of Sri Lanka’s heros. I personally do not know what he did to become a hero. If anyone want to tell me because he won the war, yes he and hundreds thousands of others. And the general is known to mistreat his own subordinates. May be some of those who arrested them from that group. Revenge comes from different directions.

What ever the case, I hope people can talk about this justice / injustice in a civil manner, without pulling out the reserved vocabulary on your opponents. We want to reduce  the tension not increase.

If you are really passionate, get a license and hold a protest rally, peacefully. You want let your ideas and ideals known, not destroy your neighbors house because he hoisted a blue flag. (Don’t come to my house, we have a fierce Chihuahua!)

blue dog

One thing Lord Buddha preached was that “Everyone has potential to become a Buddha so treat everyone as you would treat a Buddha”. I know most of those in the land wearing saffron robes would not even know that, but you know now.

Next is our “President Beep Going Rogue” segment… Papparapaaa. Main sponsors. Harpic. Wash your toilet everyday, and be patriotic…. Welcome to President Beep Going Rogue…. “They can shake my penis, but they’ll never shake the foundations of this nation” said our beloved king, President Beep in a special media conference held today in the Temple Trees. “My dear patriotic citizens. I will never betray this country. NEVER”…. Moving on to our next story, the Opposition Leader, forever the loser, Ranil Wickramasinghe died today of natural causes. Expressing his views on the matter, Media Minister Wimal Weerawansha stated that the Opposition Leader did a great service to the UNP by dying. When asked about the bullet found in Mr. Wickramasinghe’s brain, Minister Weerawansha said “it is great mystery to us as well. However we are quite sure he died of natural causes”…. Prof. Nalin de Silva was today appointed as the new Cultural Minister as a part of the government programme called “Let’s Reform Mother Lanka”. Addressing the media shortly after his appointment, Prof. De Silva had only one thing to say. “You bitches. Look what’ll happen to you whores”…. Former Parliamentarian Sarath Kongahage registered a new political party named “Vickramabahu’s Thattama Gone” today. Talking to the media Mr. Kongahage said “I do this just for fun. The Doctors told me to have some. You know, life has been difficult for me since I separated from my second wife”…. “Anal Sex leads to Nirvana” said the Parliamentarian Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero in a press conference held today in a super holy, super spiritual, secret place. “Our deep understanding of the teachings of Lord Buddha has led us to believe us the path to Nirvana is through the rectum” said Ven. Rathana Thero as a response to a question asked from him about the fact that Ven. Malwatte Mahanayaka Thero was raped in the anus before he was shot dead into enlightenment. Meanwhile the journalist who asked this question has been found dead just few moments ago… That’s the “President Beep Going Rogue” for you. Over to you Chethana.

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We, Sri lankans celebrated our 62nd independence day on 4th Feb 2010.  We achieved  independence and self rule from the British empire 62 years ago (in 1948). This is considered as a remarkable milestone of Sri Lankan history as the country (or a part of  it) was always under some foreign custody since 1505 A.D.

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1505 – Portuguese come in

1660 – Dutch take over the control

1802 – British get the Dutch controlled areas

1815 – British take the control of whole island by defeating last kingdom (Kandy) of the country

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4th Feb 1948 is the day we got the full political freedom after about three and half centuries. So no doubt it is a glorious day we should celebrate. However this time independence day celebration was very much special. Actually it was a celebration of real independence after 30 years of war(people like me who were born in the era of war, had not ever witnessed a real independence). It was the first independence day celebration after defeating Tamil tiger terrorist group (LTTE) which is responsible for 30 year war in Sri Lanka. The day the LTTE leader “Velupille Prabhakaran” was killed (18th May 2009), should be the second independence day of Sri Lanka.

Deviating from the tradition, this independence day celebration was held in Kandy,  being the last sovereign kingdom of the country, seems to be the most suitable place for the purpose.

]]> http://lahirusandun.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/national-bird-2/ Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:57:29 +0000 lahirusandun http://lahirusandun.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/national-bird-2/

The bright brown hued fowl,the Ceylon Jungle Fowl(Gallus lafayetti)known as the Wali Kukula in Sinhala has been elevated to national satus.

It can be found strutting about and scratching the ground for food in typical fowl fashion,in many parks of the country.

Even after we gained independence we continued to use the British emblem,but a select committee was later appointed to devise a new state emblem.

Initially it had a lion with a sword in its right fore paw encircled by a palapethi open petal design at the top.A strip carrying our country’s name in all three languages was at the bottom.

When we became a Republic in 1972 a new emblem was chosen.Retaining the original design,a punkalasa,the dhammachakka,sun,moon and two sheaves of paddy were added to make the state emblem what it is today.

The hand that signed the paper felled a city – Dylan Thomas.
The hand that signed the paper
Gave degrees away. The hand that fit the cap and
Smoothened the cape, in the meantime, withdrew
And to the people its hands will sway.

Same evening, my hands were clasped and bangled
Only two hands can wave at the distance.
Only two hands can hold up your chin
And kiss you. In this land that charmed the Buddha
You can’t play Vishnu.

Plane stops, doors open, hands wave at the people,
Cheers erupt like Vesuvius is now.
I remember when I walked away with my BA
(I earned 120 credits for that), the Chancellor’s hands
Did not speak of love.

Hands will punch in fists, where the hands demand,
Hands will shoot at will, for willing hands.
History will be framed with hands drumming tables
As their foreskins will be ironed by actresses’
Tender seasoned hands.

A doctor delivering a baby, and the baby ***
Kicking, spreading wide its hands, will
Grow up, then, to sign, to drum, to iron,
To clasp and to be clasped. To either stand apart
Or to be the lion. In her heart.

2010-02-10

*** – alternate ending:

A doctor delivering a baby, and the baby
Reticent, with folded hands, will
Grow up, then, to sign, to tear, to finger,
To bang and to be banged at. To either cut his way through
Or to make room for me or you.

Lanka Matha
Apa Sri Lanka Namo Namo Namo Namo Matha
Sundara siri barani surandi athi soba mana Lana
Dhanya dhanaya neka mal palathuru piri jaya bhoomiya Ramya
Apa hata sapa siri setha sadhana jeevanaye matha
Piliganumana apa bhakthi pooja Namo Namo Matha
Apa Sri Lanka Namo Namo Namo Namo Matha
Obave apa vidya
Obamaya apa sathya
Obave apa shakthi
Apa hada thula bhakthi
Oba apa aloke
Apage anu prane
Oba apa jeevanave
Apa mukthiya obave
Nava jeevana demine nithina apa pubudu karan matha
Gnana veerya vadawamina ragana yanu mana jaya bhoomi kara
Eka mawakage daru kala bawina
Yamu yamu wee nopama
Prema wada sama bheda dhurarada
Namo Namo Matha
Apa Sri Lanka Namo Namo Namo Namo Matha

The pinnawala elephant orphanaga is in the Kegalle district.The road that leads to the orphanaga is about two kiloetres from kegalle town’on the kandy road.It was started 1975.There are baby and abult elephant in the orphanaga.They are all rescued elephants.farmer shoot at elephants when they come to their village.

The ironwood (mesua nagassarium)or the Na tree which is a rainforest tree indigenous to the lower Wet Zone of the country was named the National tree in 1986.THis tree which grows to about 30 feet in height has a radiant white flower with a golden centre which is used by many Buddhist devotees as offering to the Buddha.

The beautiful bright Red leaves,mature to a deep green.The wood of this tree is hardy and has been used to construct even bridges,but the reason it was chosen as our national tree is not because of its hardiness,but its religious connection.It is believed that the Buddha’s first visit to Mahiyangana was to a grove of Na trees and also that the next Buddha,will attain enlightenment under a Na tree.

The water is main character of living creatures existence.The man and all living beings cannot live without this valuable thing.It has mainly three characters.Oderless,colourless and tasteless are the character of water.This is mainly supposed to the day today activities  0f human beings.Such as for Electricity,Bathing,Drinking,Agricultural purposes and Industriesn etc.  My country is called “THE PEARL OF THE INDIAN OCEAN”.Why is my country called like that name?Because sri lanka is sorrounded with all sides to the sea.The sea is made by water.But some mans are don’t know about the water and they pollute the water without thinking what was happen after pollute the water.

My   school   is  MR/Methodist  central  college.The  entrace  to  my  school  is  Attractive   the  name  ward  of   the   school  is  visible  to  very  far. Flowers  are  Grown  at  the   either  sides   of  the   entrance  there  are  number  of   large  buildings. There  nicely  plainted   and  name.There   children  in  in  our   school  is  won  many  places  from  studies,sports  and  extra  curricular  Activities. There  fore  our  school  is  famous in  the  District. The  teachers  in  our  school  are  Dedicated   and  the   do   Hard  work  they  are  behind  the  success  of  the  school. our  school  has  won  the  First  place  in  sinhala  day  competitions, English  day  competitions  and  from  sports  competitions.  ’ CHAMILA ‘ brought  fame  to  the  school  in  sports

இலங்கை இறுதிப்போரில் விடுதலைப்புலிகள் இயக்கத்தலைவர் பிரபாகரன் இறந்துவிட்டதாக சிங்கள ராணுவம் சொல்லிவருகிறது. Read More..

Fresh from his electoral victory, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has dissolved parliament to pave the way for new parliamentary elections. Rajapaksa’s main rival in the recent presidential election, former Sri Lankan Army chief General Fonseka was arrested on what are said to be “military matters,” New York Times.

New video obtained by Al Jazeera apparently shows Nigerian security forces executing members of Boko Haram, an Islamic group, Al Jazeera.

An appeals court in Saudi Arabia has upheld the conviction of a man who was sentenced to 5 years in jail and 1,000 lashes for speaking about his sex life on television, BBC News.

A shop owner in Britain has started using a fingerprint scanner to identify his customers in an effort to stop minors from buying cigarettes and liquor. Customers voluntarily submit their identification to verify their age and then allow their fingerprints to be scanned, BBC News.

After defeating its Tamil minority in a bloody 26-year civil war, Sri Lanka appears to be turning in on itself. After a bitter but successful election campaign, President Rajapaksa has arrested the leader of the opposition, General Saratha Fonseka, and dissolved Parliament. In some ways, Fonseka’s arrest is unsurprising in Sri Lanka’s imperfect democracy; he refused to concede defeat, argued that the election was rigged and asserted that he would give war crimes evidence against the president. However, the heavy-handed charges against the general (accusing him of planning a coup d’état) and subsequent decision to spring an election on the leaderless opposition seems like political opportunism of the worst kind.

Sri Lanka’s government has long been noted to have some significant autocratic tendencies, most notably restriction of hostile press coverage. As ever, the question of the day; is Mr. Rajapaksa’s move merely political opportunism or the beginning of something darker?

A good job by UNDP.
These people , for no fault of theirs ,but of LTTE and self seeking Tamil politicians of Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu rhetoric and megalomaniac few of Sri Lanka are undergoing unspeakable misery.Only option for them will be to move out of Sri Lanka, leaving aside sentimental bravado, for life and future of children are precious.Those Sri Lankans settled abroad may initiate action as Tamils can no longer live peacefully in Sri Lanka ,not withstanding Govt.assurance.Or They should follow Isralei route to carve a Nation for themselves away from Sri Lanka

Tech-Ed will be into its final day tomorrow.. Today we had a .NET Developer forum. It was very interactive and got lot of valuable feedback. Will planning to write a review about this year’s Tech-Ed after it finished.

Historical changes are afoot in Sri Lanka – an island that for the last 30 years has been synonymous with a bloody civil war and the terrorist attacks of the Tamil Tigers. Finally, the war has ended and a strong government is in power which aims to steer the country towards speedy development after too much suffering at the hands of the conflict and the devastating tsunami of 2004. Recent elections saw a strong opposition candidate, who could have split the country and led to further political instability, lose by a substantial margin. This means that the incumbent – Mahinda Rajapakse – will remain in power for the forseeable future. While not everyone agrees with his politics, his victory means stability on the political front and therefore bodes well for economic development.

In January, the New York Times released its list of the 31 places to go in 2010 and top of the list was Sri Lanka, described as ‘rich in natural beauty and cultural splendors’. Only last week, the British High Commision announced that travel advice had changed to Sri Lanka opening up new and previously off limit areas such as Jaffna to British travelers. A new international airport is being built in the south, as is a new highway to ease traffic on the southern Galle road and cut travelling times to the pristine southern beaches. Sri Lanka is certainly gearing up for a boom in tourism.

The Sri Lankan stock market in 2009 was one of the best in the world with 125% growth on post war optimism, and with growth of 9.5% in 2010 it looks as if this trend will continue. Recently, the IMF upgraded Sri Lanka’s status to a ‘Middle Income Emerging Market’ from that of a low income country, but the challenge is now to ensure that this growing wealth is experienced by the majority of Sri Lankan citizens rather than the wealthy minority.

There are without doubt substantial challenges still facing Sri Lanka despite all this optimism and excitement. The most pressing concern is the plight of the internally displaced Tamil people in the north of the country, who have suffered terrible losses during the war, and who were living in closed camps until the end of 2009. Resettlement of these people – who numbered over 280,000 at the end of the war – is vital in order to bring about real and lasting peace. At the recent elections there was a clear divide between those who voted for Mr Rajapakse and those who voted for his opponent Sarath Fonseka. This divide was clearly along ethnic lines with the Tamils in the north and east choosing Mr Fonseka over the eventual winner.

Linked to this is the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. Whether the allegations and denials are based in fact or not, this has led the EU to suspend trading privileges worth $150 million per year. The government is accused of indiscriminate killing of civilians during the final stages of the war, killing of combatants after surrender, disappearing and intimidating media professionals, and murdering aid workers among other things. On top of this, the treatment of internally displaced people in the north continues to be a concern, despite the Presidents calls for unity at the recent National Day celebrations in Kandy – the last city to fall to the British in 1815.

Despite these concerns, Sri Lanka remains a country poised to develop rapidly and welcome more visitors than ever in the coming years. For those who want an unforgettable holiday, Sri Lanka is certainly a country to consider. For those who want to live and work overseas, Sri Lanka has the infrastructure to live comfortably with English language being widespread among its citizens. While the general economy is improving, there needs to be increased focus on professional business skills in Sri Lanka. Areas of specific need are IT development, business skills training, organizational development consultancy, and human resource management.

In addition, work with groups in society who remain outside of broad development is vital. These include women, internally displaced people, disabled people and poor rural people.

If you would like to experience a country emerging from civil war and terrorism, discover places virtually untouched by tourism, and support the process of economic and social development then contact CWW on 0845 2000 342 or +44 (0)131 225 9549. To apply for a volunteer position, send your CV and covering letter to apply@challengesworldwide.com. Alternatively you can search the latest volunteer opportunities on our website: www.challengesworldwide.com.

Written by: Cath (CWW Sri Lankan Country Coordinator)