DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS |
Tamil Headlines
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Virakesari: A consensus reached on the [provincial council] election and a solution [to the ethnic issue]: ITAK – Democratic Tamil National Alliance representatives meet and discuss | A ship carrying relief goods from Tamil Nadu arrives in Colombo Thinakaran: “Work with dedication to restore normalcy” – The president instructs after visiting disaster-affected areas | Former Minister Chelliah Rajadurai passes away in Chennai |
Thinakkural: Some tough work to be done in areas identified in Sri Lanka | “Do not grant permission for constructions not approved by local governments; cut off electricity” – The president issues strict orders Thamilan: Inclement weather: The death toll nears 700; Kandy District records the highest number of deaths |
Sinhala Headlines
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Lankadeepa: “The government to take over lands affected by landslides, amend property laws, and estimate the disaster within three months” – Commissioner General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi Divaina: “Gather accurate information and complete the payment of disaster compensation before December 31 so that it places no burden on the budget” – The president Mawbima: 97,850 students affected: 35 students from Kandy fall victim to Ditwah: 10 teachers have also died | Resettlement in crisis over NBRO tug of war
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Dinamina: “Complete the payment of disaster compensation before December 31; submit the crop damage list before December 12” – The president directs officials Aruna: Gangs have emerged to steal disaster relief: The IGP orders perpetrators to be apprehended Anidda: This paper is published only on Fridays |
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TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Ada Derana
Some tough work to be done in areas identified in Sri Lanka; US troops arrive | A ship carrying relief goods from Tamil Nadu arrives in Colombo
Thinakaran, Thamilan, Thinakkural, Virakesari
Thinakkural, Virakesari: The US officially launched rapid humanitarian aid operations yesterday (7th) to address the disaster situation caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka.
Posting on X, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung stated that, “An expert team from the US Airforce has flown in with C130s to provide logistics and airlift support”. She added that the team will provide support “to deliver critical humanitarian assistance to the island’s most devastated communities”.
Thinakaran published a photograph of the arrival.
Virakesari, Thinakaran: As international aid continues to reach the people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, a shipment of relief goods from Tamil Nadu arrived in the country yesterday (7th). India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha and a high-level delegation welcomed the ship’s crew and accepted the relief goods.
Consensus reached on [provincial council] election and solution [to the ethnic issue]; ITAK – Democratic Tamil National Alliance representatives meet and discuss
Thinakkural, Virakesari The ITAK and the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) reached a consensus yesterday (7th) to exert pressure on the government to hold the provincial council elections in 2026. The agreement was reached during a meeting held at the ITAK office in Jaffna, attended by ITAK Acting Leader C.V.K. Sivagnanam and General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran, alongside DTNA leaders Suresh Premachandran, Dharmalingam Siddharthan and Selvam Adaikalanathan. DTNA Spokesperson Suresh Premachandran stated that both parties also agreed to continue discussions to present a common solution to the national ethnic problem that is acceptable to the Tamil people. The discussion also covered issues faced by the Tamil people in the North and East, including Buddhistisation and militarisation. |
Former Minister Chelliah Rajadurai passes away in ChennaiThinakaran, Thinakkural, Thamilan, Virakesari Former minister and veteran politician Chelliah Rajadurai passed away at the age of 98 in a hospital in Chennai, India, yesterday (7th). Rajadurai served as the MP for Batticaloa from 1956 to 1989, the first mayor of the Batticaloa Municipal Council and Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Malaysia. Initially a founding member of the ITAK, he later joined the UNP in 1979 and served as the minister of regional development and Hindu religious affairs. |
While the election of a new vice-chancellor is to be held tomorrow, the University Grants Commission has invited the members of the Jaffna University Council to Colombo today! Academics express scepticism
Thinakkural
Suspicion has emerged among the University of Jaffna community as the University Grants Commission (UGC) summoned all external council members for a meeting today (8th), ahead of the special council meeting scheduled for tomorrow (9th) to select three nominees for the post of vice-chancellor.
While UGC sources claimed the meeting with UGC Chair Prof. Kapila Seneviratne was to clarify grading procedures, academics fear it is an attempt to influence the selection process, citing similar alleged interference by a high-ranking NPP politician at another university.
An unnamed professor expressed concern that the external members were invited to Colombo to be pressured into favouring a specific candidate suitable for ensuring the government’s political survival.
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Daily FT
“There is a serious issue on whether aid is reaching the people” – Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa
Divaina, Mawbima, Dinamina
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa stated that there is an issue as to whether the aid that was promised is truly being received by the people. Premadasa made the statement on Saturday (6th) when he visited the Yatiyanthota, Karawanella area to inquire about the displaced people.
Speaking further, Premadasa added that aid should be given directly to rebuild homes, care for children, generate income and support livelihoods. He noted that people have not yet received the aid that had been promised for cleaning up houses. Premadasa stressed that just as news is publicised stating that aid is being given, it is also important to ensure that this aid reaches the people.
The position of the auditor general: The president’s third nomination also dismissedLankadeepa, Mawbima The appointment of a new auditor general (AG) faces fresh uncertainty as the third nomination presented by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake failed to secure the necessary constitutional approval and was automatically rejected by the Constitutional Council (CC). The nominee, Senior Deputy Auditor General L.S.I. Jayaratne, did not obtain the minimum number of votes required for assent. Dissanayake had proposed Jayaratne’s name for a temporary three-month term as acting auditor general, and the decision came during the CC’s meeting held on Friday (5th), which was chaired by Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne. The rejection stems from a specific constitutional requirement: For the ten-member Constitutional Council (CC) to approve or reject an appointment, at least five votes are mandated. Since this crucial minimum threshold was not met, the recommendation was automatically deemed rejected, resulting in the current delay in filling the key post. |
“This is the best government formed since J.R. Jayewardene” – MP Chamara Sampath DasanayakeDinamina Commenting to journalists on Friday (5th) following the vote on the budget, New Democratic Front (NDF) MP Chamara Sampath Dasanayake stated that the NPP government is the best government created since the time of former President J.R. Jayewardene [in terms of the number of government MPs]. Dasanayake went on to say that the public is eagerly awaiting the aid the president promised in his address, noting that many properties in his area were destroyed. He stressed that aid must be given directly for land, homes, and all other necessities due to the current situation, and added that they [the opposition] would be satisfied if these promises are fulfilled. Dasanayake compared the current efforts to past national disasters such as the tsunami, stating that just as the country returned to normalcy after those events through rebuilding and resettlement, the president and the government must now work diligently to restore the country to normalcy following the recent destruction. |
“85% of the roads closed due to the disaster have been reopened” – The RDA
Dinamina
The Road Development Authority (RDA) reported that more than 85% of the roads blocked due to the recent disaster situation have now been reopened.
Director General of the RDA K.W. Kandambi stated that all roads damaged by the disaster are expected to be opened for vehicular traffic in the coming week. Kandambi made these remarks while participating in a press conference held at the Department of Government Information.
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS |
Photo credits: Daily News
“Complete the payment of disaster compensation before December 31; submit the crop damage list before December 12″ – The president directs officials | “An integrated mechanism is needed to build public life” – President Anura Kumara Dissanayake
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thinakkural, Thamilan
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake issued directives to state officials to complete compensation payments to the people affected by the disaster before December 31. The president added that since the compensation is allocated under the 2025 Budget, payments must be completed before December 31 so that the 2025 Budget does not incur any burden.
Dissanayake also informed state officials to report the number of farmers who incurred full losses due to the disaster, the extent of the farmlands affected, and the amount of money required, and to submit these lists before December 12. President Dissanayake issued these directives while participating in the District Coordination Committee meetings held at the District Secretariat offices in Kandy, Anuradhapura and Kurunegala.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also emphasised that an operational mechanism integrating all parties that transcends the ordinary state machinery is necessary when restoring normalcy to people’s lives following the disaster. The president delivered these remarks while participating in special District Coordination Committee meetings held in Kandy and Matale to discuss efforts to restore normalcy to the lives of the people in Kandy affected by the disaster.
The death toll from the disaster rises to 627: 190 still missing; the highest number of deaths reported from Kandy; 2.1 million affected; 90,000 in disaster camps
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Virakesari, Thamilan
The death toll from Cyclone Ditwah has risen to 627, with 190 individuals still reported missing in the aftermath of the storm. The highest number of fatalities was reported from the Kandy District.
The cyclone has also severely affected a total of 2.1 million people nationwide. Currently, 90,000 of these individuals are sheltering in official disaster camps across the affected regions.
Newspapers report that 97,850 students were affected by the disaster. Tragically, 35 students from the Kandy District fell victim to Ditwah, and 10 teachers were also among the deceased.
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Common priorities: Additional stories
1. New national hotline 1904 launched for reporting essential service disruptions – Divaina, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thamilan
2. Gangs have emerged to steal disaster relief: The IGP orders perpetrators to be apprehended – Aruna, Thamilan
3. Landslide red alerts issued to four districts – Mawbima, Virakesari
4. The University of Peradeniya suffers a loss of Rs. 3-5 billion from the recent disaster – Divaina, Thinakkural
5. The cyclone death toll in Indonesia exceeds 900 – Divaina, Thinakaran
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