Tamil Tigers seek patriotic bards for 'catchy' anthem

[T_i_B]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4386382.stm

Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka are advertising for "bards and minstrels with patriotic fervour" to write a catchy national anthem.
Aspirants have a month to pen a maximum of 18 stanzas in "immaculate Tamil", the pro-rebel TamilNet website said.

The rebels began fighting for an independent homeland, called Eelam, two decades ago, in a war that has claimed the lives of more than 60,000.

Last year they adopted a national flower, the poisonous Gloriosa Lily.

[sam sarrha]

1. sorry

[T_i_B]

2. What's to be sorry for?

I dunno, I miss things sometimes.

Anyway, at least i have the chance to post another article about Sri Lanka while I'm at it.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1604583,00.html

On 17 November, more than 12 million Sri Lankans will go to the polls in what is seen as a straightforward head-to-head between nationalist Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, and left-of-centre opposition leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe.

With more than 60,000 people known to have died here since the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam began their violent fight for autonomy for the island's minority Tamils over two decades ago, both politicians are campaigning on well-rehearsed pledges of lasting peace. But this time it is their promises to bolster an economy struggling for breath under the weight of post-tsunami reconstruction and steadily growing inflation levels that is attracting most public interest.

For the past two decades, politics here have been dictated by the failure of the peace process and, following the August assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, the fragile peace process appears to be in greater trouble than at any time over the past three-and-a-half years. Ceasefire violations are now so common that the country could be on the cusp of further civil war.

But outside Colombo there appears to be little enthusiasm for solving the Tamil issue or following the tedious pre-election political rallies that dominate mainstream television channels here. Amid the devastated remains of once vibrant fishing communities like Peraliya, there is today only anger and disaffection.