Rayappu ‘Goebbels’ Joseph – a viper in the underwear of the local Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
Posted on January 14th, 2014
Mario Perera, Kadawata
In a recent commentary I referred to the declaration by Mr.Rapp the visiting US ambassador at large that hard core LTTE’ers should have been prosecuted and not rehabilitated. Now, as is well known, there is a section of them who have neither been prosecuted nor rehabilitated. A key figure of this number is Rayappu Joseph who has been duly tagged ‘Rayappu Goebbels’. I wish also to make reference to the public utterance over the BBC during an interview, by Gota that had General Fonseka made the white flag comment he would be hanged because it is treason.
What Rapp and Gota have stated are legal remedies available to a State under those dire circumstances. What would have been Gota’s reaction if a Sinhalese had come public with the declaration that the army used chemical weapons against the Tamils and tried to convince a visiting empowered enquirer of that fact? Gota would, as he did with reference to Fonseka, have said: I will hang him high. Now this is precisely what Rayappu ‘Goebbels’ has done. How come he is immune? Are we not thereby accepting the reality that Tamil criminals of the North are of a different jurisdiction? We are compelled to accept the fact that between the ‘south’ and the ‘north’ there is, to say the least, some separation – if not ‘de facto’ then at least ‘de jure’. They are under an international ‘white power’ government fuelled by their diaspora which MR is bending backwards to please.
Rayappu Goebbels told Rapp in other words that the army used chemical weapons against the Tamils. Considering his unwarranted, prejudicial, pernicious and destructive repeated intrusions into the political and diplomatic arena I suggested that the State has the right to demand the removal of Rayappu from his administrative function within State territory. This is quite a normal procedure of the State against any NGO functionary spreading seditious ideas within the country, and the Church is a glorified NGO. In this respect Rayappu is no different from Gordon Weiss or similar.
For national purposes the title ‘bishop’ in itself has no more sanctity than that of ‘poosari’ or ‘lebbe’. They can call themselves what ever name they want, give themselves all the powers they want, and rig themselves up in all the colours of the kaleidoscope, all that is their matter. What matters is that no Sri Lankan citizen or any other as a matter of fact, engaged in treasonable and seditious practices should be allowed to continue in his functions with impunity within national territory.
Now how did the peers in religion of the Tamil Goebbels react to the latter’s utterance? They did so with innuendos that still suggest the culpability of the State! They said: that is his opinion, indicating that he has a right to his opinion. They conveniently side-stepped the real issue which is one of truth and falsehood, of right and wrong.
With reference to the question of Rayappu’s removal from his present functions it has been stated in these columns that Rayappu’s appointment was made by the Pope. This is true. Yet such appointments they are nevertheless not made ‘in vacuo’ or on a papal hunch. Candidates for bishoprics are scrutinized, and so to say placed under the microscope of papal diligence and concern. Candidates for bishoprics do not advertise themselves. They are proposed by the body of local bishops the head of whom is the cardinal. The recommendation of the bishops’ conference, the local governing body of the church is an absolute prerequisite. The head of this body is once again the Cardinal although they seemingly share the honours among themselves as regards the chairmanship of that body as a sign of their fraternity: a sort of I tap your back and you tap mine. The cardinal nevertheless remain the ‘primus inter pares’ – the first among the equals. Therefore if the removal of a bishop from his charge is in issue, there too the opinion and advice of the bishops’ conference and its head will have great weight, even the conclusive weight, as the Vatican (the pope) will not act on his own personal initiative and will bow to legitimate national constraints.
Now what is the ‘Local bishops’ conference’. It comes into question because of what the cardinal said: that Rayappu’s opinion is not that of the bishops’ conference. The body referred to is a consultative and deliberative assembly of all the bishops of the country. It is true that the two Tamils did not make their declarations at one such sitting. Yet, Malcolm Ranjith’s assertion that the view aired by the two Tamils of the North is ‘their opinion’ and not that of the bishops’ conference amounts to splitting hairs. The bishops’ conference is an assembly of all the bishops, the two Tamils included. If the subject was dealt within the ambit of an official get together, that the two Tamils would nevertheless have stuck to their guns is a foregone conclusion. The bishops’ conference need not assemble in a plenary session to know that. Whether gathered together or isolated, all the bishops are, whether individually or collectively, members of the bishops’ conference. They must therefore take collective responsibility for each others statements on matters that profoundly affect the life of the nation. How can there be ‘WE’ and ‘They’ factions within that unity? The simple truth is that the bishops are divided to the core on ethnic lines. It is also the simple truth that the two Tamils concerned are die-hard LTTE’ers and separatists and toed the LTTE line all long with all the Tamil clergy with them throughout the thirty year war and are doing the same now.
Also the statement of the cardinal, that the bishops’ conference (meaning the Sinhala bishops) does not hold itself responsible regarding the opinion of the two Tamil bishops with reference to their accusation of the use of chemical weapons by the army against the Tamils, puts the cardinal in a very dubious light. What the nation and the Catholics in particular want to know is whether, in the judgment of the Sinhala bishops, that opinion is right or wrong: whether what Rayappu and his ally said is true or false. On this the Sinhala bishops remain as silent as church mice. The cardinal does not at any time decry or denounce that accusation as the Sinhala Catholics would expect. Truth is not a matter of opinion but of conviction. The silence of the Sinhala bishops speaks volumes of their own positions. They take resort to innuendos thereby casting doubt as to their own loyalty to the nation. By putting the truth in doubt the Sinhala bishops are giving weight to the Tamil opinion or the Goebbelian lie.
The issue regards the bishops themselves and not elements outside. The condemnatory fingers of the two Tamils continue to point at the entire body of bishops, putting them to the test with the assurance that they will never be contradicted or brought to book. Did not Emmanuel say Prabha was Jesus Christ in person and get away with it? What is at issue is truth and falsehood which is beyond the scope of volatile opinions. What is in question is the guilt or non guilt of a nation. It is irrelevant that the utterance in question was not made at a sitting with all bishops present at a round table called the bishops’ conference. Must issues be raised at the round table for the Sinhala bishops to stand up to the truth and condemn falsehood?
By washing his hands of the matter instead of being a ‘witness to the truth’, the cardinal is doing what Pontius Pilate did to Christ. It is the royal ‘We’ of Pilate that opposed the ‘They’ of the Jewish mob. The net result was that Christ was crucified. The two individuals the bishops are leaders of the Tamil mob seeking the crucifixion of the Sinhala nation and the Sinhala bishops have washed their hands of their involvement. Pilate said: I have nothing to do with this man. The Sinhala bishops are saying: we have nothing to do with this issue.
Foes within and without are pushing for this country to be condemned at the international forum at all costs. The Tamil bishops are playing a leading role in pushing for this condemnation. The Sinhala bishops say they are perfectly free to think as they do without voicing their own stand on the issue. In other words what the cardinal and his Sinhala colleagues insinuate is that the two Tamils might be right! What more can one expect from a group that upheld the Tamil homeland theory before the LLRC.
The message that the Catholic hierarchy is giving to this nation is clear: we are washing our hands in the matter of your eventual condemnation before the Geneva assembly. The truth or untruth of the matter raised by our Rayappu, our man in the north, is for you to debate. We are not concerned. We have no convictions as regards the honesty and integrity of your State. We have only opinions, and as regards opinions one is as good as the other. Both Rayappu and we are appointed by the same source and there lies our dependence and loyalty. Accordingly as a multi-national and supra-national body, why should we influence his removal for a cause that does not concern us?
Can Catholics find fault with the Buddhists, laity and monks, who accuse them of being anti-national? The hierarchy does not care a red cent about the well being of Catholics in this country. They have the Vatican as their refuge leaving the Catholic laity in the lurch to face the brunt. This has been their attitude since time immemorial. Just think of the School Take over issue of 1961. The Catholic hierarchy led their devotees to the brink and let them fall over while ‘they’ pulled out into safety at the last moment behind the back of a cardinal sent by the Vatican and imported from Mumbai. The Catholics of Sri Lanka are like ‘the boy who stood on the burning deck’ when all but he had fled.
Though quite late in the day, it is still time for Catholics to have a representative lay body empowered to take decisions for the Sinhala Catholics on national issues and concerns. It is time they distance themselves from this unreliable and anti-national body called the bishops’ conference so similar to the duplicitous oracle of Delphi. They have only this country to live in and no places of refuge to run to should that need arise. It is time to draw the dividing line between the robed elite motivated by their own concerns and the laity with diametrically opposed imperatives on crucial national issues.
Mario Perera
Kadawata
January 14th, 2014 at 12:19 pm
Isn’t time to draft legislation and pass an Act in Parliament titled “PATRIOTIC ACT”? Why are we delaying it?
Such a legislation is not in-appropriate. Our President himself said “There are no Minorities and Majority. We have only those who “Love” the country and “Oppose”the country. So what more pinching is necessary to do the right thing, to bring in legislation under a PATRIOTIC ACT and round up all these Terrorists in robes, uniforms, three piece suites, NGO cover, political hoodlums of green;blue;red, professorial agents, and such other globe trotters.
This must be the DEMAND of all PATRIOTS.
January 14th, 2014 at 12:51 pm
Well said Mario.
The problem is these 2 bishops – Mannar and Jaffna.
There are more Tamil bishops for Batticaloa, etc. and they have not been SO BAD.
e.g. Joseph Ponniah – Bishop of Batticaloa, Joseph Kingsley Swampillai – Bishop of Trincomalee
IF Kasippu Joseph Goebbels goes unpunished SOON these 2 bishops will also follow him. Otherwise Tamils will brand them traitors and do what they do to their traitors.
What’s with Sinhala bishops? Why are they silent?
By OMISSION they fuel this racism. Unless this racist is stopped the Catholic Church is DOOMED.
What is the possibility our powerful Christian First Lady protecting this dirt?
January 14th, 2014 at 1:42 pm
Fonseka and Shirani B were stripped off from their patriotism. If they were christians or Tamils, MR would have not dare to touch them. The two Tamil racists are christians and racist Tamils. IF Malcolm Ranjith cannot disciplene the two Tamils he should resign from his glorified position. As MR is not taking any action against the two Tamils, he is betraying the Sinhala Buddhists who installed him in power. Sinhala Buddhist’s aspirations are being denied by the racist Tamils and the President of the country by protecting the church and the racist Tamils. How much longer the Sinhala buddists can bear this up. Bring Maduluwawe Sobitha into power. So the anti Sinhala Buddhist elements can be destroyed for ever.
January 14th, 2014 at 3:01 pm
When clergy not from the Buddhist hierarchy do misdeeds, does the law of the land apply to them or not ?
January 14th, 2014 at 3:08 pm
“So the anti Sinhala Buddhist elements can be destroyed for ever.”
It is a MUST. One commentator here in LW is SO OFFENDED that SL is a Sinhala Buddhist UNITARY country!
Why have (other) enemies when there are “friends” like this!!
BUT Sobitha is NOT the answer. I know he plans to contest the nest presidential election (either by himself or by his rep). He will DIVIDE the patriotic vote and help RW or CBK win the election.
January 14th, 2014 at 3:09 pm
Fran,
That is so true.
ANY Tamil criminal can get away in SL. IF arrested, they scream ABDUCTION and seek asylum aborad!!
January 14th, 2014 at 3:19 pm
Good Man !
“Mahinda Rajapaksa today vowed to take stern legal action against all perpetrators of wrong doing irrespective of their status and to build a virtuous society for future generations.
He said that the government is dedicated to consolidate the goodwill of the public while protecting the peace and discipline of the island.
Participating in a ceremony today to inaugurate a replica of the Sri Pada built in the Maniyamgama Rajamaha Viharaya in Kegalle, the President said the government will take stern actions against people who are engaged in corruption and crimes disregard of their political involvement.
He added that the country never in history has achieved so much development as in the past few years and some groups try to disrupt that massive development process by spreading false information and claiming the government is corrupt.”
So he is saying “Government is not corrupt”
“government will take stern actions against people who are engaged in corruption ”
meaning, those who are outside government ( since government is not corrupt), who are corrupt will be prosecuted.
January 14th, 2014 at 3:31 pm
“virtuous society ” headed by Mervyn Silva , Duminda Silva , Joesoph Geobbels and Saundarnayagam !-
This is corruption of the MIND at its best !
Virtuous society should start by the President following five precepts, the easiest being stopping alcohol intake.
Then not associating with evil friends but associating virtuous friends.
January 14th, 2014 at 3:34 pm
Nanda,
That is right.
“some groups try to disrupt that massive development process by spreading false information and claiming the government is corrupt.”
So it is FALSE. That means govt. is NOT corrupt. What a joke!
“the government will take stern actions against people who are engaged in corruption and crimes”
Stern action against those who BLAME the govt. for corruption!!
Mark my word NO action will be taken against Kasippu Joseph Goebbels for violating the constitution, engaging in child abuse and protecting Mannar drug smugglers. He is ABOVE the law!!
January 14th, 2014 at 3:42 pm
I hate to say this but NARCOTICS PREVENTION BOARD comes under the MINISTRY OF DEFENCE!!
(Just like UDA).
1. Why haven’t they taken ANY action against the 230kg drug container?
2. Why was Dumbinda Silva a well know heroin dealer appointed an ADVISOR to the ministry of defence?
3. Why MOD/UDA is working closely with Muzammil another person connected to well known drug dealers including Heroin Nauffer?
4. Why MOD is silent about Kasippu Joseph Goebbels’s protection to kingpins connected to Mannar-Kanyakumari-Rameswaram heroin-marijuana ring?
I fully support using drugs to destroy TNA voters but that is NOT happening either.
January 14th, 2014 at 3:44 pm
“Think smart act blur” Ranjith has distanced himself from Geobbles but did not take any action.
How do you build a “virtuous society” when Bishops break the precepts openly and bravely , betraying the land ?
Then you take action against peasants who take Rs 150 bribes.
January 14th, 2014 at 3:45 pm
Muzammil is the head of “Muslim Brotherhood” Sri Lanka branch.
January 14th, 2014 at 5:00 pm
Well said Mario!
Lorenzo: Your name “Joseph Goebels” has been well noticed!!!!
Stanley:
**Fonseka and Shirani B were stripped off from their patriotism.**
Not true. Fonseka was a patriot during the war (100% agree) BUT he became a traitor he opened his mouth on bogus war crimes and joined hands with the TNA. Shirani B was always a traitor, a federalist and a good “golaya” of the Bandit Queen.
Nanda: you are right. Like Morsi, the pretend to be “non-traditional” (aka like the Taliban) but when they get power they do just that!! They are worse than the Taliban.
January 14th, 2014 at 5:01 pm
Stanley: I do agree when you say had they been Tamil nothing would have been done. That is 100% true. The gov has no guts to take action against racist minorities.
January 14th, 2014 at 5:36 pm
Nanda !!
Mellifluous words can do a lot of “DRESSING” to fool the fools.
January 14th, 2014 at 6:21 pm
Mario, what a great analysis. I commend you.
January 14th, 2014 at 9:18 pm
Q : Last week Minister of Media Keheliya Rambukwela accused of you being a spokesperson for the LTTE, that you have embraced them from the beginning and says he has enough evidence to prove that. How would you respond to him?
Dr. Kasippu Geobbels : I think he is misusing his position as Government spokesperson, using official platforms to utter personal opinions. It would be good if you and other journalists ask him whether this is his official position or that of the government. I have personally met the President and government Ministers many times, and they have not expressed what Mr. Rambukwella has said. He speaks about the Miraculous Statue of our Lady of Madhu being handed over by me. to the LTTE for protection and that I had rejected the offer of the Security Forces to protect the same during heavy battle between the parties of the Divide in this region. This is Mr. Rambukelai’s wild imagination and is totally baseless.
So, MR has not said that ( many times). Malcom is the same. So… he continues….
January 15th, 2014 at 4:37 am
Lorenzo: All the four questions raised by you are very important and of National importance. In the light of the questioning and obvious answers, the blame falls on the lap of your named “Cabinet” No. 1 viz: GR.
Now it is time for you to “kick him out” and replace him with another. Can you or will you do it?
January 15th, 2014 at 5:20 am
Doglas,
The minister of defence is NOT GR.
I wish you knew. :(
January 15th, 2014 at 7:07 am
High time all dubious and inimical COLD WAR (1946-1991) outfits in Lanka are disbanded. Tamil Caste Wars and imagined solutions thereto exported to Lanka and riding on the back of the Cold War, have to do the same. It’s all exposed now and the public are aware of what is going on ……
More good news !
“Sri Lanka police confiscate Rs. 1.5 billion worth property of drug kingpin - Sun, Jan 12, 2014, 12:53 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Jan 12, Colombo: The Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of Sri Lanka police has taken measures to confiscate all the immovable property of a notorious drug lord.
The property belonging to a drug dealer named “Moratu Vasantha” is worth nearly Rs. 1.5 billion, according to report in the state-owned Daily News.
Moratu Vasantha was reportedly involved in an international drug distribution ring and was distributing heroin and other drugs throughout the country.
The CID has taken measures to confiscate his immovable property which includes an eight-storey building at Wakwella, Galle valued at over Rs. 1.5 billion and also his movable assets including the money in his bank accounts.
However, the suspect has fled the country despite an operation launched by the CID for his arrest.
Moratu Vasantha’s involvement in the drug trade has come to light following the arrest of four suspects in possession of heroin at Hikkaduwa recently. Four other accomplices of the drug kingpin are already in remand custody”.
January 15th, 2014 at 7:45 am
Why should Catholic priests represent the Tamils, when the majority of Tamils are Hindus?.In fact the Chief Minister Wigneswaran is moving around like a devout Hindu, dressed up like a Brahmin, to attract the majority Hindu vote at elections. The reason for Catholic Bishops to come up with lies against the Govt, such as the use of Chemical weapons, could be because, any lie told by them could be washed away at a “confession” to another priest, whereas, Hindu Priests do not lie as they know they will have to face the consequences in their next birth. Had what the Catholic Bishops told was true, then, the Hindu priests would have told even before. But since they are utter lies, the Hindu priests wouldn’t dream of making such allegations, even if they are killed. Is my reasoning correct?
January 15th, 2014 at 2:35 pm
Sooriarachi,
Throughout the war that has been the case.
Hindu priests at least FEAR karma but Christian priests do NOT fear karma. Another reasons is Hindu priests are UNEDUCATED and uncomplicated. They have a simple life and logic THAN Christian priests who are educated, English speaking (can communicate with the WIDE world), WELL CONNECTED to the Vatican and other Christian countries, have MANY NGOs.
LTTE was a Hindu group (the tiger wears “vibuthi”) supported by Hindustan. AFTER the LTTE Christian priests have become MORE active.
January 16th, 2014 at 7:39 am
‘LTTE was initially a Hindu group’ – but later guided & trained by whom ? Initially, the LTTE members were too illiterate and unsophisticated to guide themselves. After some time, the LTTE and its off shoots were composed of Hindu/Catholic/Christian groups mainly, and even Muslim groups (TNA Tamil/Muslim group).
Tamils of low caste/Dalit and others of poor origins jump religions like grass hoppers, when necessary. It has nothing to do with actual practice or faith in a religion – religion is just a convenience for them, and they will hop from one to another, depending on the unfolding events. Thus the many dangers from illegal migrants – religion hopping will be on the cards. Here Security & Religion are intertwined, as seen Rev. Reyappu Joseph. GoSL must stop illegal migration into Lanka, starting with the revocation of the SAARC rule of ‘visa on entry’.
January 16th, 2014 at 7:41 am
read as : as seen with Rev.Reyappu Joseph.
January 16th, 2014 at 7:28 pm
The first comment on this article starts with a demand for a ‘patriotic’ act with capital. Do the people at the top think that way?. The headline of todays Daily News say a mega deal has been signed with Cairn India for Gas. many writers have been commenting in these columns to say that the activities of that company looks dubious. Some were even suggesting that it is possible for Indians to draw oil from a well located on the Indian side from our territory. Is government satisfied with slow pace of work by this Indian outfit to award another contract or is it nepotism by the minister in charge disregarding what India did to us at last UNHCR?. It simply is not a patriotic act.
January 16th, 2014 at 10:03 pm
Aloy,
I suspect Endian have paid a LOT of money to MR & CO ( carrot) and threatened with invasion and whorecrimes ( stick).
Now we have a No-ball Gov. They keep bowling No-balls and collect money. LTTE get “Free Hits” all the time
I am waiting to see a single legitimate bowl ! The over never ends.
January 16th, 2014 at 10:06 pm
Aloy,
I think ENdias have paid a lot of bribes to Gov ( carrot) and threatened with whorecrimes and invasion ( stick).
Now we have a No-Balls gov. They keep bowling No-balls and LTTE getting free hits.
I am waiting for a single legitimate bowl in this endless over.
January 16th, 2014 at 10:14 pm
Aloy,
Agreed.
January 17th, 2014 at 6:33 am
Cairn Oil Head Office is in Scotland, UK. Cairn Oil India is a branch. India’s Rajasthan vast oil field is 70% Cairn Oil India.
January 17th, 2014 at 7:23 am
Some details about Cairn Oil :
Cairn Energy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cairn Energy plc
Cairn Energy.svg
Type Public limited company
Traded as LSE: CNE
Industry Oil and gas
Founded 1981
Headquarters Edinburgh, Scotland
Key people Sir Bill Gammell
(Non-Executive Chairman)
Simon Thomson
(CEO)
Products Petroleum, natural gas and other petrochemicals
Revenue $ 0 million (2012)
Operating income $(247.3) million (2012)
Net income $72.6 million (2012)
Website http://www.cairnenergy.com
Cairn Energy plc is an independent Scottish oil and gas exploration and production company headquartered in Edinburgh. It has operational interests in Albania, Bangladesh, Greenland, India, Nepal and Tunisia and produces around 33,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Its largest activities are in India, where it has made more than 20 discoveries in Rajasthan, including a major oil discovery in Mangala. As at 30 June 2010 it had total proven commercial reserves of 247.4 million barrels (39,330,000 m3) of oil equivalent.
Cairn Energy has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. It has a secondary listing on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
History
The company was founded in 1981 by Sir Bill Gammell, the former international Rugby player, who remains its CEO, his father James (Jimmy), his brother Pete and others. Its initial operations were in the USA and, following its listing on the London Stock Exchange in 1988, it expanded into the UK North Sea and internationally (Papua New Guinea, Spain, Vietnam, China and Australia). Cairn acquired Conoco’s UK onshore acreage in 1988 and became one of the largest operators of UK onshore oil production with the Palmers Wood oil field just south of London, near Junction 6 of the M25, Humbly Grove (near Basingstoke) and others.
Cairn’s expansion started with a substantial (non-operated) gas discovery (East Cameron 331) in the Gulf of Mexico in 1993 followed by another large gas discovery at Sangu, offshore Bangladesh near Chittagong, in 1996. In parallel, Cairn launched a series of takeovers of public listed companies – Teredo Petroleum in 1994, Holland Sea Search NV in 1995[8] and Command Petroleum in 1996.
In 1996, Cairn farmed out a 25% interest in the Sangu field to Halliburton in return for Halliburton bearing a 50% share of the development costs.] In 1997, it sold half of all its Bangladeshi interests to Royal Dutch Shell in return for Shell assuming a $330 million carry of Cairn’s exploration and development costs.] This agreement gave Cairn an interest in Shell’s huge acreage position in Rajasthan onshore in North West India. Cairn drilled two unsuccessful exploration wells and Shell then sold its 50% share to Cairn for $7.5 million: Cairn’s third well, now 100% owned, found the Mangala oil field.
In December 2010, Cairn agreed to sell a stake of 58.5% of Cairn India, its Indian focused subsidiary, to Vedanta Resources for $8.67 billion. Talks between the two companies started in August 2010. However, approval did not come from the Indian government until September 2011 and the deal had to be restructured.
The company sold additional 3.5 per cent of its shares in its Cairn India for about USD 360 million in June 2012.
Operations
Cairn Energy operates in India, Bangladesh, Nepal,[17] Greenland and Tunisia in both exploration and production. Its average daily production in 2006 was 25,000 BOE/d.
Cairn India
In 2006 Cairn spun off its production interests in Western and Eastern India into a separate company called Cairn India Limited. Cairn Energy maintains a 69.9% initial interest in Cairn India.[18] Acreage held by its subsidiary Cairn India includes the Mangala Area in Rajasthan which is thought to contain up to 1 billion barrels (160×106 m3) of recoverable reserves and came onstream 29 August 2009 with a projected plateau production rate of 175,000 barrels per day (27,800 m3/d).
Cairn still maintains production operations in the Sangu Gas Field offshore Bangladesh as well as exploration acreage in Northern India, Nepal and Southern Bangladesh. In August 2009, Cairns started oil production in Rajasthan, India. This oil production is expected to meet about 6% of India’s oil demands over the next few years and will represent about 20% of current oil production capacity.
In September 2010, Vedanta Resources said that it was interested in buying a controlling stake of Cairn India. Union petroleum secretary S Sundareshan said that if Vedanta meets all the requirements for the deal there won’t be any issue..“If the no-objection certificate is received from these 10 PSCs, the deal can get the green signal, he added. We have written to Cairn stating that they should seek these approvals.”[20] Vedanta Resources acquired a 58.5% stake in Cairn India on 8 December 2011, for $8.67 billion.[21] Navin Agarwal is the new chairman of Cairn India.
Cairn has continued to sell of shares of Cairn India.
Greenland
In Greenland Cairn operates through its subsidiary Capricorn Greenland Exploration Limited.In August 2007, it was announced that Cairn had submitted applications for two blocks located in the phase 2 of the Disko West licensing round offshore West Greenland. All together, it has six exploration licences, including Sigguk, Eqqua, Kingittoq and Saqqamuit blocks as an operator, and Atammik and Lady Franklin blocks as a minority partner in partnership with Encana Corporation.
Sri Lanka
In November 2011 the company announced that it had made a second gas discovery in Sri Lanka.
January 18th, 2014 at 4:12 am
Fran,
I, bet the ultimate control is by UK (English guys), perhaps they are very much active in Colombo these days and our people have succumbed to blackmail.
January 18th, 2014 at 5:32 am
ගහනකොට ගහනකොට වඳින එකා මෝඩයා
වඳිනකොට වඳිනකොට ගහන එකාත් මෝඩයා
Both the government and the bishop are shameless fools.
January 18th, 2014 at 8:51 am
aloy,
It seems that the world is still manipulated by ex-Empires. Old habits don’t go away easily – let the Games begin ! appears to be on the cards. Skillful skating necessary by small nations. Even India is ‘small’ in this regard ….
January 18th, 2014 at 10:20 am
Also, Cairn India ALREADY owns controlling stakes, not UK. Vedanta Group (Anil Agarawal – owner) owns 58.76% shares of Cairn India. See article below. So, Oil in India is India owned. Generally speaking, Indian business folk are loyal to INDIA.
——–
Cairn India to consider share buy-back on Tuesday
Press Trust of India | Updated On: November 22, 2013 13:41 (IST)
Cairn India Ltd board will on Tuesday consider a proposal to buy back shares, a move which will help promoters Vedanta Group increase its stake in the company without putting any money.
Cairn, which is sitting on a cash pile of about $3 billion, in a filing to the stock exchanges said “a meeting of the Board of Directors of the company will be held on November 26, 2013, to consider the proposal for buy back of equity shares of the company.”
Share buy-back is the process where a company repurchases outstanding shares in order to reduce the number of shares on the market.
Companies, as a rule, buy back shares either to increase the value of shares still available (reducing supply), or to eliminate any threats by shareholders who may be looking for a controlling stake.
As per Sebi rules, Cairn will buy a pre-decided quantity of shares from the market at a rate which is likely to be higher than current trading price. Such shares will be held as treasury stock and eventually extinguished.
This will lead to its promoter Vedanta Group’s stake in the company going up without putting any money.
Steel billionaire Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Group holds 58.76 per cent stake in Cairn India.
UK’s Cairn Energy plc, which had sold majority stake in Cairn India to Vedanta Group, still holds 10.27 per cent shares and may look at the share buy back programme to exit.
Vedanta Group had bought stake in Cairn India at Rs. 355 per share, a price the company stock has not touched in last one year.
“Cairn Energy is a known seller for long time and the share buy back may present it with an opportunity to exit from Cairn India,” an analyst said.
While share buy-back is considered an efficient means of returning capital to shareholders, it also indicates that the company is not looking at doing major acquisitions or has significant capex plans that may need its current cashpile.
Analysts said Vedanta holds 112.27 crore shares out of a total of 191.05 crore outstanding shares of Cairn India. Cairn UK Holdings Ltd has 19.61 crore shares while Life Insurance Corp (LIC) has 16.77 crore (8.78 per cent) shares.
ICICI Prudential hold 1.08 per cent shares while foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have 15.14 per cent holding. Financial institutions and banks have 8.7 per cent. Analysts said in case Cairn India buys 10 per cent of 19.10 crore shares in the buy-back programme and extinguishes them, the total outstanding shares will come down to 171.945 crore. The reduced outstanding shares would mean that Vedanta
Group’s stake would rise to about 65.3 per cent without it buying any new shares.
Cairn, which produces over 1,75,000 barrels per day of oil or a quarter of India’s crude oil production, was up Rs. 9.45 (2.98 per cent) at Rs. 326.70 at 1300 hours on the BSE.
January 20th, 2014 at 9:40 pm
As I expected other Tamil bishops are following the EXAMPLE of Kasippu Joseph Goebbels!!
Just a week after I predicted this.
“Bishop of the Trincomalee district Joseph Kingsley Swampillai said international investigations would be carry out when government fails to respond to genocide attacks carried out against Tamils during the time of war in this country.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa is fear to release former LTTE members.”
MORE Tamil priests will follow Kasippu Joseph Goebbels. MR can go to bed with them now.