One hundredth Ariesen Ahubudu Commemoration

The one hundredth birth anniversary of Kalasuri Ariesen Ahubudu, a great poet (Maha Kavi), outstanding lyricist, and eminent scholar and linguist of the country falls on March 18, 2021.

Reopening of the Yakkure - Manampitiya road Silent villagers spurred on by arrogant minister

On November 30, between 10 and 11 I contacted a close associate of Uncle Simon, known as a ‘walking library’ of the last Yakka Generation. Here is a part of our conservation on the Yakkure - Manampitiya Road.

Threatened biodiversity hotspot on the road to destruction

The Neluwa-Lankagama-Deniyaya Road that is being built via the Sinharaja Forest Reserve – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sans a proper plan and an Environmental....

We will continue to struggle for justice and the right to bury our dead

20 civil and human rights activists have stated in connection with the recent Supreme Court judgement related to cremation of Covid-19 dead bodies.

Uncle Rama willingly extended a helping hand

Uncle Rama was my father’s friend, my mother’s friend and my friend. Yes, I came to know Uncle Rama as a toddler. He endeared himself to Malli and me, and became our mentor, friend, and a role model.

A Genuine Servant Of The People

Sri Lankans today yearn for well educated, cultured and efficient public servants and politicians. The vast majority of those who elect politicians though literate, are prone to have short memories. As a result, we have a parliament full of politicians who think of the next election only. Sri Lanka is bereft of statesmen who think of the next generation. In this regard, C P DE Silva is a role model for all politicians.

Memories of a school girl in Ceylon, 1960

The echo of frenzied cheering ebbing and flowing like a wave from the open pavilion of the Galle Esplanade fill my ears as if it were only yesterday.

Working with him was always a novel experience

Dr.Wickema Weerasooria, son of Queen’s Counsel NE Weerasooria, studied at Royal College, and entered the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, having won Harvard Memorial Prize and the Governor General’s Prize. He graduated in Law from Peradeniya, with First-Class Honors, and was later called to the Bar, as an Advocate.

Sociology Alumni Association of the University of Colombo

Sociology is a relatively new social science based on a strong European philosophical foundation. It is an academic discipline that takes a critical....

How much PCR Testing do we need to control COVID-19?

esterday (December 3, 2020), we published in a leading US health policy journal a major research study that we did to assess the impact of PCR....

Tourism and Madel Fishermen in Mawella to be washed away ?

Known to be one of the top five beaches in Sri Lanka, the Mawella beach in Tangalle is a two-kilometre stretch of an undisturbed marine environment surrounded by a Bay.

INNOTAL Talent Development and Co-Creation Lab opened at Peradeniya University

The International Relations Office organised the Opening Ceremony of the INNOTAL Talent Development and Co-Creation Lab under the patronage.....

Questions over billions of rupees in funding for Batticaloa Campus

Following last week’s announcement by Education Minister G.L. Peiris in Parliament on the Government’s decision to acquire the controversial Batticaloa Campus, the Auditor General had informed and issued certain directives to the Attorney General’s Department regarding the campus.

NSA Maritime Security Meeting: 3 Countries Agree to Trilateral Cooperation

The trilateral 4th National Security Adviser (NSA) level meeting on ‘Maritime Security Cooperation’, held on Saturday November 28 at Colombo Hotel Taj Samudra with the participation of Mr. Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser of India,

It was a long trek for Bishop Dushantha

What a disaster it would have been had his parents decided they had the perfect family, a son and a daughter. No, they embraced the addition.....

What happened at Mahara: Conspiracy OR sudden unrest ?

A violent protest erupted in one of the country’s largest high security prisons on Sunday, as gunfire rang out and some parts of the prison set ablaze.

T’was a Month Before Christmas 2020

T’was a month before Christmas, And all through the town, People wore masks, That covered their frown.

No money, paddy or rice

As President Gotabaya Rajapaksa completes his first year in office, the Consumers Affairs Authority (CAA) has issued five gazettes on the sale of rice.

Where is democracy if people’s privacy and personal data are not protected? - Sunil Abeyaratne

Contact tracing due to the COVID- 19 pandemic has led to privacy concerns. While this has become a global concern, unlike other countries, Sri Lanka has no law in place to protect privacy. The Data Protection Bill was presented to the p

Coronavirus Diary-No. 9 If you get infected, it’s your own fault

You can’t escape Covid 19. Just when you’re beginning to feel complacent in your thin-walled cocoon (which the virus can penetrate), it builds its own cocoon around you. When things sta

Budget Check 2021

For the very first time in Sri Lanka, the FactCheck team at Verité Research conducted the inaugural #BudgetCheck2021. The team carried out live fact checking on claims made by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in his 2021 B

How British colonialism impeded peasant agriculture in Ceylon

By the beginning of the 19th Century, when the British took over Ceylon from the Dutch, laissez-faire was being accepted as the ideal in Britain and Europe. It was based on free trade with the market determining economic decisions. Merca

COVID-19: We can’t prevent new outbreaks

Once again, emphatic declarations are being made that there are zero risks of new COVID-19 clusters, just as earlier there were declarations.....

She left an irreplaceable void

It is with great sadness that I write this tribute to you. When we lose a loved one, we have to endure pain, grief, desolation and emptiness, in fact, a loss of a mother is irreparable and devastating no matter how young or old the children are and remembering our mama who was always loving and devoted, understanding and affectionate.

Rising above the Pandemic Can Sri Lanka do better?

Nowhere in recent history have we come across a situation like this, where the whole world is controlled by an unseen virus.

A man with a ‘Heart of Gold’

A recent article about Susil Moonesinghe on his 90th birthday by my Aunt Sumi Moonesinghe, made me wish to share a few personal memories as a tribute to him.

Automobile Association presents road safety proposals to Transport Minister

Dhammika Attygalle, President, Ananda Dangalle, Vice President and Devapriya Hettiarachchi, Secretary represented the Automobile Association of Ceylon and met Transport Minister Gamini Lokuge at his office on 16th. November, 2020 and presented the following proposals to reduce road injuries and fatalities, in the presence of Monte Ranatunga, Secretary to Minister of Transport, Dr. Gamage of Transport Board, and Lasitha Gunaratne.

Always remembered by what he has done

Lalith Athulathmudali was indefatigable in his quest for knowledge and was continuously opening windows for our youth to the modern world....

Adivasi community struggle to preserve 37,000 -year-old heritage

Sri Lanka’s indigenous Adivasi community—the Vedda people—have historically maintained a diet of kurakkan roti and game meat.

Sword of Damocles over Freedom of Expression?

Media and the Government often don’t see eye to eye and this is applicable to most countries, be it democratic or not. Sri Lankan media platforms too have faced much censorship while many journalists also fell prey to draconian laws of yesteryear.