My attention was drawn to what appeared to be a comment by K. S. Sivakumaran on my recent anthology of poems in his column ‘As I Like it’ in the Midweek Review of The Island, 09.01.2008. His comment had very little on the contents of the book, a few overly flattering remarks about my linguistic and poetic skills, and its bulk directed at negating my reputation as a critic, and in the process attempts at character assassination. This is not the first time that he has done it.

I do not take seriously his comments on my writings, complimentary or otherwise. What I object to is the length to which Mr KSS has gone to create a false literary and political image of me. As I am not in the habit of writing about myself, I will only say that his account of my academic and literary background is poorly informed and draws considerably on his imagination. I also take exception to his comments on my political views and affiliations. I have my political views and sympathies, about which I make no secret, but am in no political party or a consultant or mentor to any.

I was amused to note that Mr K. S. S. has yet to read my anthology ‘on another matter’ in English. One K. S. Sivakumaran commented on it in 2004 in the same newspaper and in the same vein as in the present piece. I wonder if it was another K. S. Sivakumaran.

It is sad that very few of those who are knowledgeable on the Lankan Tamil literary scene contribute to the English media; and even more sadly the little space allocated for the purpose is mostly abused by the one or two who write.