The North Eastern

Sign-up for our newsletter.

By agreeing, I also agree to the user agreement (including class action waiver and arbitration provisions) and the privacy policy.

M

Madura Rasaratnam

Senior Lecturer in Politics at City, University of London. Author of Tamils and the Nation (2007).

features

Rebuilding Jaffna's Literary Culture After Decades of Silence

Tamil writers and publishers are cautiously reviving a literary tradition suppressed by war, censorship, and displacement.

April 21, 2026
Rebuilding Jaffna's Literary Culture After Decades of Silence
features

The Women Who Rebuilt Vanni: Unsung Stories of Survival

In the aftermath of the war, Tamil women in Vanni took on roles as breadwinners, builders, and community leaders — largely without recognition.

April 14, 2026
The Women Who Rebuilt Vanni: Unsung Stories of Survival
interviews

Fishing Bans and Livelihoods: The Economic War Continues

Restrictions on Tamil fishermen in the north continue long after the guns fell silent, devastating coastal communities.

April 13, 2026
Fishing Bans and Livelihoods: The Economic War Continues
essays

Sri Lanka's Killing Fields Cast a Long Shadow

Post-war repression has deepened in the north and east as impunity for war-era crimes goes unchallenged.

April 7, 2026
Sri Lanka's Killing Fields Cast a Long Shadow
interviews

The Temples They Couldn't Destroy: Cultural Resilience in Mullaitivu

Despite wartime destruction and post-war military occupation, Tamil communities in Mullaitivu continue rebuilding their sacred spaces.

April 3, 2026
The Temples They Couldn't Destroy: Cultural Resilience in Mullaitivu
essays

The Grandfather's Garden: Growing Tamil Vegetables in Birmingham

One man's project to cultivate forgotten northern Tamil crops in his Midlands allotment has become a story of memory, migration, and meaning.

March 29, 2026
The Grandfather's Garden: Growing Tamil Vegetables in Birmingham
essays

World Bank Report Flags Persistent Inequality in Sri Lanka's North

A new report finds that the north and east lag behind national averages on nearly every economic indicator.

March 28, 2026
World Bank Report Flags Persistent Inequality in Sri Lanka's North
archive

The Food of the North: How War Changed What Tamils Eat

Chefs and food historians trace how displacement, blockades, and post-war poverty have reshaped northern Tamil culinary traditions.

March 15, 2026
The Food of the North: How War Changed What Tamils Eat
features

Tamil Food in the Diaspora: Adapting Tradition Across Continents

From Wembley to Scarborough, Tamil restaurants and home cooks are navigating the tensions between preservation and adaptation.

March 7, 2026
Tamil Food in the Diaspora: Adapting Tradition Across Continents
archive

Remembrance and Resistance: Maaveerar Naal in the Diaspora

Every November, Tamil communities around the world mark Heroes Day — an act of memory that remains politically charged.

February 28, 2026
Remembrance and Resistance: Maaveerar Naal in the Diaspora
editorials

The Cost of War: Estimating Economic Losses in the Tamil North

Researchers attempt to quantify the staggering economic toll of three decades of civil conflict.

February 22, 2026
The Cost of War: Estimating Economic Losses in the Tamil North
essays

Ageing in the Diaspora: The Isolation of Tamil Elders

For many older Tamils who arrived as refugees, growing old in a foreign country brings particular challenges of language, culture, and loneliness.

February 15, 2026
Ageing in the Diaspora: The Isolation of Tamil Elders
features

The Tamil Novel After the War: New Voices, New Wounds

A generation of writers who survived or were born after the conflict are producing Tamil fiction that grapples with its aftermath.

February 13, 2026
The Tamil Novel After the War: New Voices, New Wounds