Corruption is not the way forward

The NPP finally won the second reading of the Colombo Municipal Council budget. During its first reading, the ruling party lost, and this loss was followed by a rather emotional speech by the mayoress. She requested those who voted against the budget to knock their conscience and check whether they could have a peaceful sleep.

Budget defeats may be contagious under current LG laws

The first budgets presented by Chairmen and Mayors of several local government bodies including the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) representing mainly the National People’s Power (NPP) have been defeated. However, only the CMC budget made headlines as it happened when the NPP captured the council in May.

Deep fissures in Trump’s MAGA camp Race and religion dominate American politics

US President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) camp is now a house divided on racial, religious and doctrinal lines.

A Garbage Tax to Stop Roadside Dumping

Following the publication of my recent article on measures to curb roadside garbage dumping, I observed that the small wall-mounted notice board indicating penalties has since been removed. However, the garbage accumulated directly beneath that board remains unchanged.

Douglas Devananda who fought with the Sri Lankan Army against the LTTE

Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Chief and Secretary-General, Douglas Devananda became the latest political leader to be arrested in Sri Lanka.

Transformation agenda risks being forgotten:Governance Crisis: System Change Promise Under Scrutiny?

The National People’s Power (NPP) government, elected on an overwhelming mandate to transform governance and strengthen accountability, now faces growing criticism over decisions that contradict its core principles.

Fair return for a nation that invests in its youth

Sri Lanka is bleeding talent. Each year thousands of graduates walk out of our state universities with degrees fully funded by the taxpayer, only to walk straight into foreign embassies, recruitment agencies and overseas job markets. Doctors, engineers, IT professionals and academics trained at public expense are leaving in record numbers.

The New Year Should Bring Hope — Not Sirens, Burns, and Blindness

As Sri Lanka prepares to welcome the New Year 2026 on the night of December 3, 2025 it is imperative to pause and reflect on the serious dangers associated with the use of firecrackers —particularly the substandard products currently flooding the market.

Another Christmas arrives amidst challenging times..

This year, in many Sri Lankan households, Christmas would just be an after thought. The devastating impact of Cyclone Ditwah has left many unhealed wounds, sometimes in the form of loss of loved ones, and sometimes, the loss of property and all belongings.

Nightmare of the South Asian Springs Bangladesh’s descent into Islamist extremism

South Asia’s youth revolutions began with the Aragalaya in 2022, followed by deadly protests in Bangladesh that ousted Sheik Hasina last year and in Nepal, where the pro-China government of K.P. Sharma Oli fell this year.

Delay in clearing vehicles: Bad show by SL Customs

According to a recent news report, Sri Lanka Customs took nearly one year to release 166 vehicles imported by John Keells Holdings (JKH), one of the country’s most reputable conglomerates. This unusually prolonged delay raises several serious concerns that merit public clarification:

Social media videos reach saturation point Violence against women as popular entertainment

A short video I saw recently on You Tube compels me to write this. It shows a passenger, a man in his thirties, confronting an airline steward. The steward is telling him repeatedly, ‘Sit down, sir, sit down! Put on your seat belt!’ The man keeps warning, ‘Don’t touch me!’ though nobody’s trying to touch him.

Auditor General issue and AKD’s credibility

The fourth name submitted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for the post of Auditor General in permanent or acting capacity has also been rejected by the Constitutional Council last week. The nominee, O.R. Rajasinghe, a member of the Audit Division of the Army was proposed by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya had the backing of only four members in the ten-member CC -- namely, Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake and MPs M. Athambawa and

‘Experienced’ vs. ‘inexperienced’ politicians: ‘Ditwah’ and the Bankruptcy of All Political Leadership

Sri Lanka’s worst flood disaster in a decade has exposed an uncomfortable truth that transcends any single administration: the catastrophic impact of Cyclone Ditwah reveals not merely the current government’s inability to protect its people, but the bankruptcy of an entire political class that has systematically failed the nation through decades of mismanagement and negligence.

Are we falling victim to substandard drugs?

Another questionable drug is now doing its rounds. According to sources, this drug has already claimed the lives of two youth raising doubts about the procurement of such medicines.

Relocation of flood victims and Problems the govt. must face

This writer has written about three massive flood disasters -- in 1989, 2016 and this year, which affected hundreds of thousands of people in the lower valley of Kelani Ganga. And he was personally a victim of two of these massive floods, the ones that devastated his area in 2016 and 2025.

Cyclone Ditwah - a wakeup call to the government

With a ferocity rarely seen in this country, Cyclone Ditwah hit the country for three days. Our much maligned Met department after a long time got its predictions right.

Burnt Elephant, Absent State

An elephant has died from burns after terrified villagers tried to chase it away with firebrands. This was not cruelty; it was desperation, the outcome of a human–elephant conflict the State has failed to resolve for decades.

Why no alcohol test?

The police always face the allegation that law enforcement is not even-handed. The saying ‘one law for the rich and another for the poor’ is commonly heard among the ordinary folks. Or else, they would say ‘big fish escape, small fish get caught’. With the politicisation of the police service, people started doubting fairness in law enforcement. The current government pledged to end politicisation of the law enforcement agencies. At times, th

Bondi Beach massacre proves terrorism has no religion

As Jews and peace-loving people in Australia and across the world mourn the victims of last Sunday’s Bondi Beach massacre—which claimed 15 lives, including that of ten-year-old Matilda, remembered by Australians as “our little ray of sunshine”—it is clear that the two terrorists who carried out this heinous crime stand far removed from the noble teachings of Islam they claimed to profess.

Should we celebrate as others suffer?

The festive season is upon us. But should we as Sri lankans go ahead with celebrations planned? I note with concern that some have decided to go ahead with festive merry making. Is it morally correct?

Another brutal elephant death highlights humanity’s wickedness

Another heartbreaking elephant death was reported from Seeppukulama, Mihintale on Tuesday December 16. Villagers have attempted to chase this elephant that had suffered a previous injury in one leg and was blind in one eye by throwing burning torches at it. The elephant is suspected to have succumbed to burn injuries.

Natural disasters and economic inequality World Inequality Lab links poverty with climate change

The devastation caused by Cyclone “Ditwah” in Sri Lanka cannot be understood in its entirety unless it is seen in the light of economic inequality in the country, and indeed in the comity of nations.

People should leave landslide areas like they discard old phones

Unsuspecting Sri Lankans often fall prey when getting into land deals. There are still some visuals of billboards circulating on social media platforms which carry advertisements of lands for sale in areas which are prone to floods. There is a billboard, submerged two thirds by flood water, which states that the land on sale is the best available in the area. The question posed now is whether the fourth generation of children is ready to let go o

Using the clergy as cover won’t fool people

Recent events show that the much-promised “system change” has yet to take root. Attempts by sections of the clergy to publicly defend the government — arguing that there was no prior warning of an impending storm — ring hollow, when even a child could sense the change in weather through the chill, thunder, wind, and rain.

Al Haj A. J. M. Ismail Farook of Kahawatte Death of community leader brings tears to entire village

On December 13, 2025, Kahawatte in the Ratnapura district, mourned across all religious lines, a community leader, Al Haj A. J. M. Ismail Farook of Kahawatte, who passed away on December 12, 2025, after Jumma at his Colombo Ward Place residence. The Janaza was taken to Kahawatte for last rites and burial at the Kahawatte Jumma Mosque, where he had served as its Chief Trustee for three decades until 2024.

Navigating the Crucible: The search for visionary leadership in Sri Lanka’s crucial moments

Sri Lanka, once envisioned as a potential economic powerhouse in South Asia, has navigated a tumultuous path since its independence in 1948.

From insight to impact ‘Great HR Quiz 2026’ shapes tomorrow’s HR leaders

Sri Lanka’s most anticipated intellectual showdown in the people profession is back, bigger, bolder, and more future-focused than ever before.

Beyond Cyclone Ditwah: The government should turn disaster into an opportunity

As Sri Lanka heads into the post-disaster reconstruction phase following Cyclone Ditwah, the government seems clueless about how to proceed.

When screens steal our children from us

There was a time when evenings in Sri Lankan homes were filled with sound. The clatter of plates being set on the table, the familiar arguments over homework, a mother calling out to children to wash their hands before dinner, a father asking about school.