Can we truly place a value on human life in Sri Lanka?

Judging by the conduct of our politicians and top administrators during major disasters in the recent past, the answer is a firm no. We had clear advance warnings before the 2004 Tsunami, yet over 30,000 Sri Lankans died because the system failed to act. The Easter Sunday attacks followed the same tragic script: credible alerts were ignored, and over 290 lives were lost. Most recently, despite more than 10 days of warnings, a severe storm devast

Tilvin Silva’s Encounter with the Tamil Diaspora in London Protests by a few sections had no impact

Everyone is climate vulnerable now Urgent need for better disaster relief

Cyclone Ditwah which created terror during four frightening days finally moved away. It made landfall on Wednesday, November 26. The death toll is now put at 300, with almost 200 missing, displacing 78,000 and causing enough destruction to bring back vivid memories of the 2004 tsunami.

Ditwah’s Fury Exposes...: Decades of Building Houses in Rain

Concerning disaster management, successive Sri Lankan governments have behaved like monkeys attempting to build houses during a rainstorm, a damning but apt comparison for decades of reactive, haphazard crisis response.

From Easter Sunday to Climatic catastrophe: The Deadly Symmetry of Inaction in Sri Lanka

The recent climatic disaster that ravaged Sri Lanka, causing immense human suffering and resource crises, has tragically exposed a familiar and dangerous pattern of negligence, incompetence, and failure of the government within the corridors of power. This is not merely a natural calamity but a devastating echo of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, a man-made disaster enabled by a systemic failure to act on ample and timely intelligence. The fundame

Make free education more meaningful!

The Supreme Court, in a judgment delivered on a Fundamental Rights petition filed by 66 graduates from foreign universities, observed that they too, are proud citizens of this country, just like those graduating from state universities. It is a landmark observation by the highest court of Sri Lanka. Education is a fundamental right of individuals. It is a universally acknowledged right. Whatever the background, anyone is entitled to pursue educa

Solidarity with Palestinians: UN Day demands justice despite NAM’s betrayal

Tomorrow is the United Nations Day of Solidarity with Palestine. Diplomatically, it delivers a powerful message, urging the world community to take the measures necessary to end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory. Yet, in practice, the day passes without bringing any tangible change on the ground. In the early years, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Arab and Islamic states carried the Palestinian torch, burning with the zeal that fue

What is the purpose of massive drug hauls?

Despite headlines claiming that the “value” of drugs detected in Sri Lanka being huge, prompting us to think there is such a big demand, the reality is very different. These massive hauls do not reflect local consumption. Sri Lanka has become a transit hub on one of the world’s busiest narcotics routes linking South Asia, East Africa,

Sri Lanka’s sugar paradox

Sri Lanka has experienced the best and the worst when it comes to privatisation attempts. Privatisation affected many industries including the sugar industry which eventually led governments to import sugar, impose taxes and pushed farmers towards a crisis.

Human-Elephant Conflict: Time to Rethink Our Mitigation Approach

Sri Lanka’s human-elephant conflict (HEC) has reached a breaking point. In 2023, Sri Lanka became the deadliest country for Asian elephants, with 488 killed a 115% increase since 2010.

Make supermarkets accountable for polythene waste

From November 1, supermarkets began charging Rs. 3.00 for small shopping bags and Rs. 5.00 for large ones. While this token charge has reduced polythene use slightly, it has done little to change consumer behaviour. Many shoppers continue to pay these small sums without a second thought—while supermarkets keep profiting and the environment keeps suffering.

Commemorating JVP and LTTE ‘heroes’: Lessons the North could learn from Southern reconciliation with the JVP

I have an improvised gauge to predict when the JVP, the main constituent party of the National People’s Power government,captures the State. That would be the day you will witness astate-sponsored beatification of Rohana Wijeweera as the saviour of the nation.

Who cares for the poor? Your guess is as good as mine

It’s now a year since the NPP government was overwhelmingly voted into power at the 2024 general elections. The new government in the run-up to the general election promised much, but today has little to show.

What’s the govt.’s solution to recurring landslides?

Landslides have now become an everyday occurrence for people living in hilly areas. The tragic landfall in Kadugannawa, claiming lives of six people, speaks volumes about negligence of authorities to provide a solution.

Government threatening media is counterproductive

The National People’s Power (NPP) Government is under fire these days after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) summoned a Newspaper Editor to question him over a news item published in his paper. The Free Media Movement (FMM) and the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA), the leading media organisations in the country have decried the government’s move as a threat to media freedom.

In the West, even Protestant priests are switching to the Catholic church

Studies indicate a surge in the conversion of people from the Anglican and other Protestant churches to the Catholic church in the UK and the US. The converts are mainly young people but there is also a growing number of ordained Anglican priests among them.

Inclusive employment for persons with disabilities

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), in collaboration with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH) embarked on a trailblazing initiative to explore avenues for gainful employment of persons with disabilities (PWDs). This well-thought-out plan was designed to facilitate a pathway that would create a fruitful relationship between PWDs and potential employers who are passionate about fostering diversity

The unpriced pillar of governance Recognising the invaluable social discipline rendered by Sri Lanka’s religious leaders

In the complex tapestry of modern nation-states, governance is often viewed through the narrow lens of policy, legislation, and enforcement agencies.

Bay of Bengal countries celebrate small-scale fisheries on World Fisheries Day

To mark World Fisheries Day 2025, Sri Lanka and countries bordering the Bay of Bengal came together to celebrate the contributions of small-scale fisheries to coastal livelihoods, food security, and sustainable development.

NPP’s First 365 Days: Hits and Misses; Corruption Down, Poverty Up

As the first party to govern Sri Lanka outside the long-standing two-party system in generations, the NPP ran on a bold platform: wiping out corruption, rebuilding the struggling economy, boosting investment in public education, passing a new constitution giving more power to the regions, scrapping harsh anti-terrorism laws, and ending decades of failed two-party rule.

Can President Anura Kumara Dissanayake keep his anti- corruption drive alive?

A year into President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration, Sri Lankans are still weighing what has changed and what feels painfully familiar. Many of the promises made during the campaign, from cost-of-living relief to reforms in the North and East remain works in progress, and in some areas, barely that.

Selective police enforcement?

The recent police decision to restrict loudspeakers at a political rally in Nugegoda has created the impression of selective enforcement rather than a scientifically grounded action. Although five major schools lie within 500 metres of the venue, an 80 dB loudspeaker would reduce to roughly 40 dB at that distance—below the legal 50 dB limit for silence zones.

What in Genderation!

This country is accelerating towards a population crunch, a process that began with the popularisation of birth control drugs and devices and the “punchi pavula raththaran” slogan, facilitated by inter alia the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka (FPASL) which is the local presence of International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) – the largest abortion business in the world.

The Rs. 200 that nonplussed the Opposition

The proposal to increase the salaries of estate workers in the second budget of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the National People’s Power (NPP) seems to have put the Opposition, especially the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), in an embarrassing situation. It is something that the Opposition can neither swallow nor spit out.

Opposition disunity and rabble rousers raising ethno-religious divisions

After one full year out of power, sections of the parliamentary opposition in our country are attempting to join hands to oppose the year-old National People’s Power (NPP) government.

Clean Sri Lanka betrayed by political posters

The Clean Sri Lanka initiative that began with such fanfare has quietly faded. The early displays of politicians cleaning public spaces have stopped, exposing the effort as little more than a photo opportunity.

Muddy mess at Maligawatte Flats

During a recent visit to a close friend of mine residing in Block B47, adjacent to Block E1 of the Maligawatte Flats, Jayantha Weerasekera Mawatha, I observed a concerning situation behind the Maligawatte Public Market (near the Ruby Theatre). A large quantity of garbage has remained uncollected for an extended period. This is not only an eyesore, but also a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes and other health hazards.

UN Resolution 2803: Subterfuge outsourcing Israel’s unlawful occupation

On the elusive path towards peace in Palestine, any development that seems to trigger hope is hailed as significant, even if it is an outright subterfuge disguised as a peace proposal to prolong the Palestinian plight under Israeli occupation.

Let elusive mastermind to elude forever !

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his recent remarks to Parliament, outlined how the government acted on specific intelligence to pre-empt what could have been a terrorist attack in Arugam Bay. He described how security authorities had received advance information about a potential plot targeting this internationally renowned tourist destination and convened urgent meetings—even at 1.00 a.m.—to make rapid decisions and deploy preventive meas

Ethno-nationalism to raise its ugly head again?

Sri Lanka doesn’t seem to have taken certain lessons from the past. There was an ugly era that allowed ethno-nationalism to thrive, causing communal tensions and divisions in various parts of the country. There were Buddhist monks who threatened minority communities and politicians who convinced these communities to vote for Sinhala-Buddhist leaders by instilling a fear psychosis. In the North of the country, ethno-nationalism is an issue that pe