Month: March 2016

Chennai Book Launch (8 March) Good turnout and strong panel contributions from Erik Solheim, N. Ram (Editor in Chief, The Hindu) and Gopalkrishna Gandhi (Ex-W. Bengal Governor). Vigorous debate focusing on India’s role in Sri Lanka the result at yesterday’s Chennai book launch event. Many thanks to the Madras Book Club for organizing and the Asian College of Journalism for hosting the event.

3 March book launch at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) in Colombo. Full house, stimulating panel, and a  feisty discussion!

Thoughtful coverage of the recent Colombo launch of my Sri Lanka book from event panelist Jehan Perera of the National Peace Council. It comes in his weekly column for The Island newspaper. The context in which Jehan places it – Sarath Fonseka’s recent parliamentary pronouncements on the role of international observers in Sri Lanka – is, however, rather more controversial. The continuing need for international presence The Island, March 14, 2016, Jehan Perera The issue of international participation in Sri Lanka’s transition process continues to remain a matter of speculation with different pronouncements being made by different members of the… More

The Hindu on Chennai Book Launch They’re coming thick(ish) and fast(ish…. The Hindu‘s report on last week’s Chennai launch of my Sri Lanka book. Very strong panel at this event – and The Hindu’s Editor in Chief N. Ram in particular was highly effusive in his praise for the book. (And now I think of it, followed a close second by ex-Bengal Governor and senior Indian diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi). Not the best photo of yours truly. But Erik S and Gopal G are obviously getting into the swing of things . . . Sri Lanka ready for peace, says Erik… More

Here’s Narayan Swamy’s report from last week’s Delhi book launch. And it’s India & LTTE – not Sri Lanka itself – that are very much in focus . . . ‘Killing Rajiv Gandhi was LTTE’s biggest mistake’ Indo Asian News Service IANS New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) Assassinating former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was the Tamil Tigers’ biggest mistake, a new book quotes the late LTTE ideologue Anton Balasingham as saying. Balasingham told Norway’s former Special Envoy to Sri Lanka Erik Solheim that LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his feared intelligence chief Pottu Amman initially denied their involvement in… More

Chennai Book Launch Looking forward to this evening’s book launch here in Chennai with Erik Solheim, The Hindu‘s Editor in Chief Ram Narasimhan, Ex-West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and Sashi Kumar, Chief of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ). Starts 18.00, at the ACJ.