The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

 

 

 

The patriotic military films of Tamil cinema had taken a back seat for a while. The subject matter is now seldom a prominent theme of a film, instead lurking in the shadows peeking through such as via the heroes in the works of Nelson Dilipkumar. The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

The film follows the tale of Major Mukund Varadarajan (Sivakarthikeyan) and his partner Indhu Rebecca Varghese (Sai Pallavi), who meet at college and soon become lovers. Indhu grapples with her lover’s life ambition of becoming a soldier for the Indian army, admiring his courage and more than willing to become his doting wife at home. We then watch as Mukund is stationed in Kashmir and follow along with his various missions in the volatile area. The film’s depiction of the Indian army is one solely made up of heroes rescuing civilians and looking out for the public’s interests. It is not necessary to delve too much into why this is an oversimplified and problematic portrayal.

The central performances by Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi carry the almost three hour film adequately. Despite moments where Sivakarthikeyan lacks the intensity to land highly emotional scenes, the pair deftly share the screen between them, with Pallavi picking up any slack. Another notable performance comes from Geetha Kailasam, a character actor who has featured in many films recently in the role of ‘the mother.’ ‘Amaran’ gives her another opportunity to showcase her own humorous brand of motherhood.

Technically, the film runs smoothly. The film is decently shot and edited. Other than a few overly melodramatic moments, the screenplay is solid, albeit a little superficial. GV Prakash Kumar continues his trend of matching the quality of the film with the quality of his music. The track ‘Hey Minnale’ is an earworm, but the rest of the score and soundtrack does not shine through.

Overall, ‘Amaran’ is a straightforward piece of propaganda. A shot in ‘Amaran’ depicts a soldier of the Indian army blocking a closing door with his rifle. On the other side of the door is a Kashmiri child. To appease the child, the soldier sneaks a chocolate bar through the gap in the doorway. The reverse of this tactic is what director Rajkumar Periasamy employs to hook his audience in: the sweetness of the Penelope-Odysseus relationship between Mukund and Indhu hides the intrusion of the weapon of jingoist ideology. 

Krishna's rating: 2.5 stars

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Official trailer for film below.

Following a historic victory, which secured the National People’s Power (NPP) coalition a two-thirds majority in Sri Lanka’s parliament, India’s High Commissioner, Santosha Jha, met with Sri Lanka’s President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

HC @santjha called on President & Leader of NPP @anuradisanayake to congratulate on NPP’s victory in #ParliamentaryElections2024. As a fellow democracy, welcomes the mandate & remains committed to further strengthening bilateral ties for the benefit of our peoples. pic.twitter.com/1qMEBn3uSO

— India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) November 15, 2024

Following a historic victory, which secured the National People’s Power (NPP) coalition a two-thirds majority in Sri Lanka’s parliament, India’s High Commissioner, Santosha Jha, met with Sri Lanka’s President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

On X, Jha noted that he welcomed “the mandate & remains committed to further strengthening bilateral ties for the benefit of our peoples”.

India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, has previously pushed Dissanayake to allow greater devolution to Tamils through the 13th amendment. Dissanayake’s party, the JVP has long opposed any reforms which would enable greater devolution to Tamils.

 

Following his electoral victory at Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections, Sivagnanam Shritharan, paid tribute to fallen Maaveerar at Kanagapuram Thuyilum Illam in Kilinochchi.

The elections saw ITAK leader elect Shritharan secure a victory in the Jaffna district. While speaking to Tamil Guardian at the start of the year he stressed the importance of remembrance – claiming that Tamil nationalism must begin from the graves of Eelam fighters.

Read more here: Tamil nationalism must begin from graves of Eelam fighters - Shritharan's exclusive interview

Sri Lanka’s elections have seen the National People’s Power (NPP) coalition secure a two-thirds majority in parliament. However, the election also witnessed a historically low turnout across the Tamil homeland.

 

The Sri Lankan army held a pooja at the Tissa Raja Vihara, a Buddhist temple which was illegally constructed in Thaiyiddy, Jaffna. 

Tamil protesters joined by the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), held black flags outside the illegally constructed temple to demand the return of the land privately owned by 14 Tamil families but is occupied by the Sri Lankan army. 

Since May 2023, Tamils have been protesting to demand the removal of the vihara. However, there has been no action from the Sri Lankan government or its military to remove the Buddhist structure. 

Since the end of the armed conflict, there has been a surge of Sinhala Buddhist structures and symbols across the Tamil North-East where they previously did not exist. 

The Sri Lankan government, aided by its military and archaeology department, continued to alter the demography of the Tamil homeland by seizing Tamil and Muslim lands and places of worship.

Even though hundreds of thousands of Tamils took to the polls on Thursday, turnout remained historically low for the Tamil homeland.

According to figures released by the Election Commission of Sri Lanka, turnout for the North-East was recorded as below.

Figures slight dropped or matched the rest of the island, but were significant lower in Jaffna.

 

How does this compare with the Tamil vote historically?

In comparison to the previous two parliamentary polls, turnout was lower in every district in the North-East.

The 2020 parliamentary elections were held a year into the presidency of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whilst the 2015 elections took place under the presidency of Maithripala Sirisena.

Looking back further to 2010 and the 2004 polls, the turnout has increased but both those elections were marred by the armed conflict and the aftermath of a genocide.

In April 2004, though a case fire was in places, tensions remained high. Just weeks before the polls. Karuna had defected from the LTTE and joined hands with the Sri Lankan state, with his cadres in the East reportedly engaged in forced recruitment and other human rights violations, with the aid of the Sri Lankan army.

The 2010 elections took place less than a year after the Mullivaikkal genocide, in which tens of thousands of Tamils were slaughtered by the Sri Lankan state. The period saw hospitals repeatedly bombed, widespread sexual violence and the execution of those who surrendered to the army.

Read more: 15 years today - A massacre in Mullivaikkal

 

How does this compare with the Tamil vote earlier this year?

A more recent comparison could be made to the presidential polls earlier this year, which only took place in September.

Though the nature of the elections are different – voting for local representatives rather than a head a state – turnout was still lower across every district and the island as a whole.

The 2024 election a record number of candidates stood for election this year. In Jaffna and Vanni alone, more than 800 candidates from hundreds of political parties stood for just 12 seats. In the East, more than 1,200 candidates vied for their 16 seats.

Sri Lanka’s National People’s Power (NPP) coalition has secured a two-thirds majority in parliament, granting it a ‘super majority’ with the ability to amend the island’s constitution, as it swept polls this morning – taking home the most number of seats ever.

The NPP also performed strongly across the Tamil North-East, an area usually dominated by traditional Tamil parties. Many saw a reduced vote share, with overtly Tamil nationalists now holding 11 seats in parliament, down from their 13 in 2020.

It was a night of major upsets as Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s coalition gained 159 seats in the 225-member parliament. Many of those elected are coming into parliament for the very first time, with a host of veteran politicians unseated. The result is the highest number of seats secured by a single coalition in Sri Lanka's history.

The opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will have 40 seats, whilst the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) is now the island’s third biggest, with 8 seats.

A record number of Tamil candidates

In the Tamil North-East a record number of candidates stood for election this year. In Jaffna and Vanni alone, more than 800 candidates from hundreds of political parties stood for just 12 seats. In the East, more than 1,200 candidates vied for their 16 seats.

The sheer number of candidates and political parties, some of which were newly formed, raised concerns that the Tamil vote would be split amongst the hundreds of choices on offer.

Infighting within the largest political party – the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) – also dealt it a blow, in addition to the death of party stalwart R Sampanthan earlier this year.

However, the ITAK still managed to secure 8 seats in the North-East, making it the third largest party overall.

The Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) secured one seat, with party leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam winning in Jaffna.

The Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA), made up of parties that broke away from the ITAK-led Tamil National Alliance (TNA), also won a seat with Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) leader Selvam Adaikkalanathan winning in Vanni.

Independent candidate Ramanathan Arcuna who came to the fore after protests erupted over corruption in Chavakachcheri Hospital also won a seat in Jaffna.

Overall, there will be at least 11 overtly Tamil nationalist MPs in Sri Lanka’s next parliament, a slight decrease from the 13 previously.

Big blows for paramilitary figures

Veteran government linked paramilitary leader Douglas Devananda of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) was one of the night’s major causalities, losing his seat for the first time since 1994.

Other losses included paramilitary figure Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, also known as Pillaiyan, who failed to retain his seat in Batticaloa. Another pro-government figure Angajan Ramanathan of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) also failed to hold his seat. People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) leader Dharmalingam Siddarthan also failed to win a seat, alongside Suresh Premachandran of the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF).

Senior ITAK figure M A Sumanthiran, who was involved in the infighting with the party, was yet another casualty, failing to retain his Jaffna seat for the first time since becoming a national list MP in 2010. In a press release prior to the voting, Sumanthiran said he would not take a national list seat if offered, potentially putting an end to his parliamentary career.

A host of new names and first time parliamentarians have taken their place, include several NPP members. The NPP coalition managed to top Jaffna, Vanni, Trincomalee and Amparai, but not Batticaloa.

 

See the full results below. More to follow.

 

 

 

 

Jaffna - 396 candidates standing for 6 seats

ITAK
Sivagnanam Shritharan – 32,833

NPP
Ilankumaran Karunanathan – 32,102
Dr Sribavanadarajah Shanmuganathan – 20,430
Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy – 17,000

Ind. 17
Ramanathan Arcuna – 20,487

ACTC
Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam – 15,135

 

Vanni – 423 standing candidates for 6 seats

NPP
Selvathambi Thilakanathan – 10,652
Arumugam Jegadishwaran – 9,280

ITAK
Thurairasa Ravikumar – 11,215

SJB
Rishad Bathiudeen – 21,018

DTNA
A Adaikkalanathan – 5,695

SLPP
Cader Masthan – 13,511

 

Batticaloa – 392 standing candidates for 5 seats

ITAK
Shanakiyan Rasamanickam – 65,458
G Srinesan – 22,773
Srinath – 21,202

NPP
K Prabhu – 14,856

SLMC
A M Hizbullah – 32,410

 

 

Trincomalee – 217 standing candidates for 4 seats

NPP
Arun Hemachandra – 38,368
Roshan Akmeemana – 25,814

SJB
Imran Maharoof – 22,779

ITAK
Shanmugam Kugathasan – 18,470

 

Amparai – 640 candidates standing for 7 seats

NPP
Wasantha Piyathissa – 71,120
Manjula Ratnayake – 50,838
Priyantha Wijeratne – 41,313
Muthumenike Rathwatte – 32,145

ACMC
M M Thahir – 14,511

SLMC
Meerasahibu Uthumalebbe – 13,016

ITAK
Kavindran Kodeeswaran – 11,962

 

 

Breakdown of Jaffna District

 

Breakdown of Vanni district

 

 

Breakdown of Batticaloa District

 

Breakdown of Amparai district

 

 

 

Breakdown of Trincomalee District

As Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election draws to a close, Tamil Families of the Disappeared gathered in Trincomalee to continue their demands answers about the fate of their loved ones, many of whom were forcibly disappeared at the end of the armed conflict.

On the last day of campaigning for #Srilanka's general election relatives of the #Tamil disappeared staged a protest in the eastern town of #Trincomalee seeking answers about the fate of heir loved ones. pic.twitter.com/McfwobUGci

— LankaFiles (@lankafiles) November 12, 2024

As Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election draws to a close, Tamil Families of the Disappeared gathered in Trincomalee to continue their demands answers about the fate of their loved ones, many of whom were forcibly disappeared at the end of the armed conflict.

Amnesty International reports Sri Lanka has the second highest ranking of enforced disappearances with an estimated 60,000-100,000 cases. Despite years of protest, Tamil families of the disappeared have not been provided answers and over 280 have died amidst their ongoing calls for justice.

Ahead of the elections, the Association for the Families of the Disappeared urged Sri Lanka’s President Anura Dissanayake to take concrete action and not simply empty election pledges.

Under Dissanayake, the Sri Lankan government has rejected the UN resolution and refused to repeal the PTA, as did successive presidents before him.

 

Since his start in the Telugu film industry and Tamil debut with 2011’s ‘Siruthai’ starring Karthi, Siva has unabashedly aimed to provide nothing but mindless entertainment for his audience. If you are looking for leave-your-brain-at-home, escapist cinema, Siva will provide by the bucket.

 

 

 

Nuance is a word missing from director Siva’s cinematic vocabulary. Since his start in the Telugu film industry and Tamil debut with 2011’s ‘Siruthai’ starring Karthi, Siva has unabashedly aimed to provide nothing but mindless entertainment for his audience. If you are looking for leave-your-brain-at-home, escapist cinema, Siva will provide by the bucket. Following a string of collaborations with Ajith Kumar and a unanimously panned feature with Rajinikanth, Siva’s latest film is with Suriya, with action fantasy ‘Kanguva.’ 

The film follows bounty hunter Theodore Francis (Suriya), who works with his partner Colt (Yogi Babu) against rival bounty hunters Angela (Disha Patani) and Accelerator (Redin Kingsley). The arrival of a young boy complicates these characters' lives, connecting Theodore to a story of war from almost a milennia ago. The film, in both content and style, brings to mind many films. 'Assassins Creed,' '7aam Arivu,' the 'Mad Max' series, the films of SS Rajamouli, the films of Zack Snyder are a few of the many whose traces can be found in ‘Kanguva.’ What Siva fails to do is cohere these samples into an engaging screenplay, instead focussing on which spectacle to wow the audience with next. 

Siva certainly has an eye for visuals and a unique cinematic flair. His maximalist aesthetic may be due to his earlier work as a cinematographer. However, he has repeatedly struggled with writing well thought out, logical stories and a clean narrative throughline. Siva’s films also rarely stray from the basest thoughts and emotions, revelling in its own immature concepts. Siva’s signature unfunny sense of humour can be found throughout the film too, filled with references which are sure to be outdated in a few years. 

The cast of the film have almost nothing to work with. Most of the time, they are expected to portray single-shade emotions, dialled up to maximum. Suriya spends a lot of the film screaming to the skies, Disha Patani barely has any screen time outside of a ‘glamorous’ song sequence, and Bobby Deol’s inclusion seems to be another blatant attempt at capturing the ‘pan-Indian’ market, the new bane of the Tamil film industry. 

The film is edited at breakneck speed, keeping in mind those who require constant stimulus to keep them engaged. This considerate intention unfortunately loses its initial charm quickly, and soon becomes nauseating. The camera is used like a child with a new toy, with zooms, pans, tracks aplenty with no rhyme or reason. The production designers, costume, makeup, art departments and location scouts deserve praise for their work, especially in the portions set in 1070 AD. 

Film composer Devi Sri Prasad is a great match for ‘Kanguva.’ Not only is Suriya constantly screaming onscreen, Siva screaming through his directorial voice, but DSP joins in with the discordant chorus with the loudest score in recent memory. The constantly blaring music ensures not a single thought enters your mind as you watch the film. The soundtrack is not memorable at all, with the tracks ‘Fire Song,’ ‘YOLO,’ and ‘Mannipu’ providing no respite from the rest of the film. 

Overall, ‘Kanguva’ is a painful experience. There is the promise of a sequel at the end of the film to tie up its numerous loose ends. Although Siva should be praised for his efforts to thoroughly entertain the audience, I do not wish to sit through another instalment of testosterone-fuelled, chest-bashing, incoherent cinema. You may enjoy ‘Kanguva’ if you enjoyed Siva’s other films ‘Veeram,’ ‘Vedalam’ or ‘Viswasam,’ but I would recommend taking some earplugs to the cinema.

Krishna's rating: 1.5 stars

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Official trailer for film below.

Polls have closed across the island with a voter turnout lower than expected in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections.

Initial figures suggest lower participation in polls today compared to September’s presidential polls.

There are 17.1 million eligible voters, including 1 million first-time voters, who will elect lawmakers to the 225-member parliament for a five-year term. In the Tamil North-East, more than 2,000 candidates are standing for the 28 seats on offer.

Read more - Explainer: How Sri Lanka’s Parliamentary elections work

See photographs from across the Tamil homeland below.

Mullaitivu

 

Jaffna

 

Mannar

 

Vavuniya

 

Batticaloa

 

Amparai

 

The polls closed in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections on Thursday, with a 65% turnout across the island and an even higher turnout in many regions across the North East. 

The parliamentary elections are decisive for President Anura Kumara Dissanayake who is currently consolidating power along with only two ministers from the National People's Power, including Vijitha Herath and Premier Harini Amarasuriya. It will be crucial for Dissanayake to at least secure a 2/3 majority if he were to govern on his own terms. It is however early to predict which way the polls will sway. 

In many places across the North-East, an even higher turnout was recorded. See final turnout figures from the electoral districts below.

Jaffna – 69%
Batticaloa – 61%
Mannar 70%

Trincomalee – 67%
Mullaitivu – 63%

Election results are being counted shortly and will be released throughout the day on Friday. 

See how voter turnout in the North-East compares with previous parliamentary elections below.

Millions of voters across the island are heading to the polls today, as Sri Lanka’s parliamentary polls get underway.

There are 17.1 million eligible voters, including 1 million first-time voters, who will elect lawmakers to the 225-member parliament for a five-year term.

Why the election?

The current election follows the early dissolution of Sri Lanka’s parliament on September 24, just days after the newly elected President Dissanayake took office. Though parliament’s term was due to end in August 2025, Dissanayake had only three MPs from his National People’s Power (NPP) coalition in parliament, necessitating a fresh election to gain support for his platform.

The campaign period wrapped up 48 hours before election day.

How does it work?

Sri Lanka’s parliament consists of 225 seats, with members serving a five-year term.

Voters will elect 196 members across 22 constituencies under a proportional representation system.

The remaining 29 seats are allocated based on the proportion of votes each party receives island-wide, creating a “national list” to reflect the overall support for each party.

Voters can cast up to three preferential votes for candidates from their preferred party.

For national list seats, the number of national list candidates for a party is determined by dividing the number of votes the party wins by the total votes cast and multiplying by 29.

Polling is held at 13,421 stations across the country from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time. Paper ballots are used, and voters must present a valid form of identification—such as a National Identity Card, passport, or other official ID—to vote.

The Sri Lankan police and military, which continues to occupy the Tamil homeland, will be heavily deployed. Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said they were using drones for the first time to monitor an election, with 80,000 police officers deployed.

What is happening in Tamil Eelam?

In the Tamil North-East, more than 2,000 candidates are standing for the 28 seats on offer.

Jaffna - 396 candidates for 6 seats

Vanni – 423 candidates for 6 seats

Batticaloa – 392 candidates for 5 seats

Amparai – 640 candidates for 7 seats

Trincomalee – 217 candidates for 4 seats

Read more: Candidates target the Tamil nationalist vote as Sri Lanka's general election looms

Turnout

Initial figures suggest turnout may be slightly lower than previous elections. In the Tamil North-East, turnout in Sri Lankan elections has usually lagged behind the rest of the island, as part of a longstanding mistrust of Sri Lankan state institutions.

See previous turnout in the last two island-wide elections, as per Sri Lankan govenrment data, below.

 

Counting votes and declaring results

Once voting ends at 4 p.m. local time, counting begins immediately.

Final results are expected within days, with the Election Commission announcing the winning party by Friday.

To form a government, a party or coalition must secure a minimum of 113 seats.

Following the announcement of results, the winning party will form a cabinet, and the new parliament will meet on November 21.

 

The Indian Navy submarine INS Vela completed a three-day visit to Sri Lanka this week, in a move that seems aimed at building closer ties between the two militaries.

INS Vela, a Kalvari-class diesel-electric submarine, was commissioned just two years ago and is in Sri Lanka for what is officially described as an Operational Turn Around (OTR) visit. According to India’s High Commission in Colombo, the purpose of the visit is to replenish provisions, with the crew given opportunities to visit Colombo's local attractions.

Commander Kapil Kumaris of INS Vela and Rear Admiral WDCU Kumarasinghe, Commander of the Western Naval Area met, and a basketball match between the submarine’s crew and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) personnel at the Sri Lankan Naval Base in Welisara was organised.

This submarine visit comes as part of a series of increasing military exchanges between India and Sri Lanka. India’s partnership with Sri Lanka’s military has faced scrutiny, especially as the Sri Lankan armed forces are implicated in atrocities against Tamil civilians.

In a massive show of political engagement, over a thousand Eelam Tamils have been running for election across the North-East, ahead of Sri Lanka’s parliamentary polls in just a few hours time. In Jaffna and Vanni alone, more than 800 candidates from hundreds of political parties are standing for just 12 seats. In the East, more than 1,200 candidates are vying for their 16 seats. The surge in candidates wanting to represent the Tamil homeland is most certainly welcome. It is not a sign of division within the electorate, as some may suggest. Instead, it reflects the desire for the fresh representation of Tamil interests, an appetite for much-awaited change and a politically savvy electorate. With Tamil aspirations still unmet and the failure of parties that have represented the region for decades, this week marks a new chapter for Tamil politics.

^{Illustration by Keera Ratnam / wavesofcolour}

In a massive show of political engagement, over a thousand Eelam Tamils have been running for election across the North-East, ahead of Sri Lanka’s parliamentary polls in just a few hours time. In Jaffna and Vanni alone, more than 800 candidates from hundreds of political parties are standing for just 12 seats. In the East, more than 1,200 candidates are vying for their 16 seats. The surge in candidates wanting to represent the Tamil homeland is most certainly welcome. It is not a sign of division within the electorate, as some may suggest. Instead, it reflects the desire for the fresh representation of Tamil interests, an appetite for much-awaited change and a politically savvy electorate. With Tamil aspirations still unmet and the failure of parties that have represented the region for decades, this week marks a new chapter for Tamil politics.

For years, particularly since the 2009 Mullivaikkal genocide, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and its key constituent, the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), dominated the Tamil political landscape, positioning themselves as the custodians of Tamil aspirations. They had the legacy of the LTTE behind them and grassroots that continued to espouse Tamil nationalist positions. But over 15 years since the end of the armed struggle, Tamils have long-grown disillusioned by the failure of these political leaders to make any tangible gains. Many more are angered by the frequent willingness of Tamil politicians to capitulate to Colombo on key nationalist stances. As the students at Jaffna University said earlier this year, the Tamil people have long felt abandoned. Discontent is rife.

But with the disintegration of the TNA, the death of party stalwart Sampanthan and infighting continuing to plague ITAK, there is now a space for alternative voices and a search for fresh leadership. Candidates across the North-East, from a range of political parties including some which are newly formed, are seizing this opportunity to make the case that they are best positioned to speak for Tamil interests. A vast range of voices have come to the fore – from former LTTE cadres to social activists, doctors, teachers and more. This diversity and soaring level of participation is a positive sign. Individuals across the electorate are still politically engaged and eager to represent the Tamil nation on the very frontline of politics.

Though an array of candidates are running, almost all of them have similar stances when it comes to pledges of justice, accountability, and self-determination—core pillars of Tamil nationalism. In recent weeks many have sought to demonstrate their commitment to the Tamil cause openly, visiting the cemeteries of LTTE fighters or paying tribute to the victims of the Mullivaikkal genocide. Even candidates for Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s National People’s Power (NPP) have espoused nationalist stances, with supporters at one rally in Point Pedro positively comparing the new Sri Lankan president to LTTE leader V Prabhakaran. Indeed, none of the major parties in the North-East have run on a platform criticising those sentiments, a marker of how deeply rooted they are. With the ethnic question still unresolved, Tamil nationalism remains relevant today.

With an NPP parliamentary majority on the cards, this wider appetite for change is something that resonates across the whole island. Since independence, Sri Lanka has been mired in ethnic turmoil, political instability and brutal violence. The NPP and Dissanayake have an opportunity to change that and their message of ‘system change’ has even managed to turn some Tamils who have longed demanded a revamping of the state. Early signs have not been promising however, with the leftist party already reneging on pledges to repeal draconian anti-terrorism legislation that is still used to detain Tamils. The decision is even more frustrating knowing that it was once used to target Dissanayake’s own party. Party leaders have used the upcoming parliamentary polls to excuse this inaction. The weeks ahead will tell if Sri Lanka's new regime will bring about change or if it will simply be a continuation of the same rotten governance before it.

For the Tamil nation this surge of fresh candidates holds the potential to revitalise its political power. Diverse Tamil voices can express varied perspectives towards a common goal, fostering a more robust Tamil nationalist agenda that can challenge a status quo which has failed to deliver. This new political moment is an affirmation of Tamil resilience and determination. Despite years of political marginalisation, suppression, and broken promises, there is still hope, and a collective reimagining of what Tamil politics could look like in the years to come. Students at the University of Jaffna captured this moment last month as they called for political parties to “mould Tamil nationalism into a progressive force” and bring about a “new political culture” for Eelam Tamils. This week could see its beginning.

Vivek Ramaswamy, an American entrepreneur and Republican politician of Tamil Brahmin heritage, has been appointed by US President-elect Donald Trump to co-head a newly formed Department of Government Efficiency.

^{Photograph: Gage Skidmore}

Vivek Ramaswamy, an American entrepreneur and Republican politician of Tamil heritage, has been appointed by US President-elect Donald Trump to co-head a newly formed Department of Government Efficiency.

The department, created to streamline US government operations and reduce bureaucratic overhead, will be jointly led by Ramaswamy and tech magnate Elon Musk.

Ramaswamy’s nomination marks a step forward in Trump’s ambition to “slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” according to a statement from the president-elect.

At the age of 39, Ramaswamy is recognized as one of the youngest prominent figures in American conservative politics. He was born to Tamil Brahmin immigrants in Cincinnati, Ohio. His parents, V G Ramaswamy and Geetha Ramaswamy, moved from Kerala to the US.

A reportedly fluent Tamil speaker, Ramaswamy attended Harvard University, where he graduated with a degree in biology, before earning his JD from Yale Law School.

Ramaswamy rose to prominence as the founder and CEO of Roivant Sciences, a biotech firm aimed at transforming drug development. Following his success in business, Ramaswamy expanded his presence in the public sphere, focusing on critiques of corporate culture and “woke” ideology.

His political journey gained momentum during the 2024 Republican primaries, where he ran for the nomination to become president of the US. Ramaswamy positioned himself as a non-traditional conservative voice though later aligned with Donald Trump.

"This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!" said Musk, as Trump made the announcement.

“I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans,” declared Trump.