News
LTTE Deputy Mahattaya left out of Mahaveer Naal commemoration
Rajiv assassination mastermind, suicide bomber, too, missing from ‘Heroes’ list
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Mahendraraja Gopalswamy alias Mahattaya, the deputy of the defeated LTTE, has been left out of its ‘Heroes’ list displayed in Nallur, Jaffna, during the recent Mahaveer Naal celebrations.
Sources based in Jaffna said that Mahattaya, who had been executed on Dec 28, 1994, on orders of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, wasn’t included in the list. Mahattaya was put to death after LTTE found him guilty of serving India’s premier intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)
Sources said that the list that consisted of 24,379 names must have been subjected to the approval of the LTTE rump, and hence the decision to leave out the one-time deputy of the group.
Mahattaya is believed to have been executed after being detained for about 16 months. He was about 38 years of age at the time of his execution by the LTTE.
Responding to The Island queries, sources said that the LTTE was believed to have initiated investigations after he was left out of a charge sheet in former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The LTTE assassinated Gandhi during the parliamentary polls campaign at Sriperumbudur, in South India, on May 21, 1991, less than year after India pulled its Army from Sri Lanka’s northern and eastern provinces.
Among those who had been left out of the ‘Heroes’ list were the suicide killer of Gandhi Puwaneshwari Rajaratnam and two other LTTE operatives who took cyanide when Indian security forces, following a three-month long manhunt, surrounded their hideout in Banglaore, in Karanataka State, on August 20, 1991. Sources identified one of them as one-eyed Sivarasan, who
masterminded the assassination of Gandhi. Military Intelligence sources told The Island that Uduppidy, Jaffna born Pakyachandran Chandrasekarampillai was one-eyed LTTE operative’s real name. Like thousands of others, Chandrasekarampillai had received military training in India in the early 80s as a member of another Tamil group TELO (Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization) before switching his allegiance to Prabhakaran.
Sources said that there could be many other cadres left out of the list as Prabhakaran executed quite a number of his men on suspicion they served Indian and Sri Lankan intelligence services.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
