A firsthand account of Life in war-torn Ukraine

I made friends with a Ukrainian called Sergei A. on the internet. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he abruptly went silent, and I wondered what happened to him. I finally managed to.....

Kangaroo Vs Lions ; 140-Yr Sticks & Stones Rivalry Reconciled with All-Yellow Bat & Ball Game

Australian cricket authorities and players responded positively to a tour that was hanging in balance after political insecurity and the economic catastrophe that prevailed. Appreciating their gesture, spectators....

New political formation under Dullas in the offing?

In a time of crisis of epic proportion, the end result may be something unpredicted, and it is more so in politics. What Sri Lanka goes through currently is a period of social, political and economic turbulence with uncertainty hanging on the horizon.

Opposition dilemma over IMF programme

With the appointment of United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister on May 12, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa seems to have been relieved of a heavy burden and a massive pressure which had nearly ousted him from power.

How disaster reigns when greed replaces ambition

A private bus plying from Athurugiriya to Kollupitiya recently was packed mostly with office workers. A good number of passengers were standing and it went without saying that they were feeling the ‘heat’ inside the bus.

For public servants, there is no higher calling than serving others

Employees working for the Government service are often referred to as Government servants but in reality they are public servants because they are expected to serve the people sincerely, sacrificially and selflessly.

Minister Amaraweera: please spare North-East forest land - EDITORIAL

The forest cover of Sri Lanka which stood at 50% in 1949 is today reduced to 18%. Last November Minister of Agriculture, Wild Life and Forest Conservation Mahinda Amaraweera.....

India, Quad and BRICS: Shifting realities in Indo-Pacific region

Yesterday’s virtual BRICS summit, when seen against the backdrop of the Quad leaders’ gathering in Tokyo a month ago, not only explains India’s diplomatic manoeuvres and power-political....

‘Intl. community,’ Opposition and ‘The People’

Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the worst President we’ve had. He is the worst leader, counting all presidents, prime ministers, ministers, chairpersons of local government authorities and maranaadhara samithi. He is the worst Sri Lankan ever. Let’s assume.

Govt. going round in circles as crises worsen

“How often the great interests of society are sacrificed to the vanity, to the conceit and to the obstinacy of individuals” Alexander Hamilton

FUTURE OF ENGINEERS, ENGINEERING SECTOR AND SRI LANKA

Ceylon was known as the pearl in the Indian Ocean in ancient times and as well as at present. Hence, it was known to other countries for centuries. We have 2500 years of written history and that was one of the developed civilizations in Asia.

From the depths of despair King Cricket rises again

Whenever the Lankans have been at a seemingly bottomless pit of despair, it has been cricket that has helped the nation, irrespective of race, ethnicity or religion raise its collective head.

Fighting in a minefield

Clashes at filling stations and at cooking gas distributing centres are increasing with the heightening uncertainty over the fuel and gas supply in the near future. The number of reports of police and the army using firearms to control the angry mobs at fuel stations and gas distributing centres are also increasing. This seems to be a bad omen of

Why Gotabaya should go? Why now?

Those who have followed this column might know that I have regularly expressed strong reservations about Gotabaya

Strengthening parliamentary committees is critical for making 21A meaningful

The proposed 21 st. Constitutional Amendment (21A), which is meant to reduce the powers of the Executive President and e

People explode when suppressed and repressed - Fr. Jeewantha Peiris

The protest at Galle Face is continuing despite President Gotabaya Rajapaksa refusing to step down. Rev. Fr. Jeewantha Peiris is a key figure in the struggle at Galle Face....

Journalists and protestors - EDITORIAL

On Sunday last, we were told how senior journalist of the Daily Mirror Jamila Hussein was allegedly prevented carrying out her duties by a section of the protestors outside the home.....

Why CEB?

All eyes are on the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). But why now and what is at stake for the working people? I address below the dangers of privatising CEB, the IMF’s push for market pricing electricity....

Gotabaya, Ranil and the Frog and Scorpion Fable

Let me rewind back to my boyhood when I first read the fable about the scorpion and frog which I believe is of Russian origin.

Basil was totally correct

The remark by former Finance Minister and the National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) at his farewell press briefing that those who voted for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the present government was also responsible for the current political and economic crisis gives much interesting food for thought.

What happened in the Senaka Bibile era is happening again

With the main Aragalaya or public revolt continuing for the third month against what the Rajapaksas wanted to build up as a family-government,

How far should you go to ensure election of ‘good MPs’?

The genesis of the slogan demanding 225 clean and virtuous Members in Parliament has a long political history. In the 4th century B.C. Aristotle in “The Politics”, argued that if it is inevitable that not all.....

Sri Lanka hears the faint noise inside community kitchens - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka is seeing the first signs of some sections of the community thinking of whether the ‘neighbour’ had his or her meal. Just the other day ‘Sarvodaya’ together with ‘Singularity Sri Lanka’ organised....

Breakdown of society as economic crisis and Ukraine war continue

The 16th-century British philosopher Thomas Hobbes had a negative view of human nature. Human beings are, by nature bad, the pessimistic thinker believed. Hobbes said people were.....

Political stability fundamental to economic revival: AKD

In the midst of an unprecedented economic and political crisis, the NPP’s approach has resonated with many who blame the wrong policies followed by the two main political parties for the last 74 years.....

The ‘ada davase mahanakama’

‘Upasakamma ipaduna heena kule…’ (Translatable as ‘[of] the devout mother who was born into a lower caste…’) is one of the songs in Nanda Malini’s ‘radical’ album ‘Pawana (The wind).

Corrupt politicos and personal agendas

The past couple of weeks have been significant judicially and politically when considering the number of related events that took place during that period.

Loving families create a just and fair society - EDITORIAL

Philosophers and theologians have described the family as a domestic temple, church, mosque or other sacred place because.....

Why are we hated so much?

In the month since May 9, journalists, especially those reporting the protests up close have had to take a reality check. Till then, many....

Mirihana land reclamation project leaves farmers fuming

At present reclamation activities are underway at an 80-acre paddy land close to Galwala Road in Mirihana and Pita Kotte Rajamaha Viharaya. As a result.....