The film ‘Rani’ absolves the Ranasinghe Premadasa government of the murder of Richard de Zoysa, whose ghost still haunts Sri Lankan arts and society – and tarnishes the legacy of his mother, Manorani Saravanamuttu
This week in Himal
This week, Sohel Sarkar reviews three recent books unpacking the violent roots of caste-based vegetarianism. Sarkar writes that vegetarianism in India continues to be framed in
A conversation on the failed attempts at accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka and hopes from the country’s new political dispensation for movement towards transitional justice.
The Sri Lankan Tamil journalist Nimalarajan Mylvaganam, called “the voice of Jaffna” and known for his critical reporting on government-linked paramilitary groups, was shot dead in his home in 2000. His case remains unsolved.
This week at Himal
This week, Devana Senanayake writes about the fight to decriminalise same-sex relationships in Sri Lanka, following the path of dedicated queer activists who continue to challenge
The history of LGBTIQA+ organising and activism in Sri Lanka contains many hard-won victories, but the target of undoing the colonial-era Sections 365 and 365A remains unrealised
The delays, denials and obfuscations in the investigation into the Sri Lankan editor’s murder reveals continued impunity around the killing of journalists in Sri Lanka
Sunela Jayewardene’s search for Ravan’s presence in Sri Lanka offers a counter to Sinhala Buddhist appropriation of the mythic king, but comes with its own pitfalls
Putting the year in perspective, editor Roman Gautam and the hosts of Himal’s podcasts take a look back at the highlights, stories and episodes that shaped an extraordinary and challenging year
Social media has usurped the traditional media’s influence in Sri Lankan politics, particularly after the Aragalaya – and even any improvement in media freedom under the new NPP government cannot solve the industry’s entrenched problems
The NPP, which was the victor in Sri Lanka’s recent presidential election, prioritised women’s political inclusion and appointed Harini Amarasuriya as prime minister – but still needs to do much more to achieve lasting change
The ‘Oddamavadi’ project, comprising a book and documentary film, takes on a shameful chapter in Sri Lanka’s recent history when Muslims were barred from burial in violation of their religious beliefs
