Yahapalanaya: Wake up to reality

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, having won the Presidential Election, in his first address to the Nation in 2005....

MUMS SHOULD KNOW BETTER

“Thuhooot! What is this commotion of some schools asking papas and mamas of school kids to follow what they call a ‘dress code’, Tommo?” Ooty, an owl employed as a vermin exterminator at the 

Study: Green tea may help in dementia

Findings from University of Sri Jayewardenepura suggests possible protective effects of Ceylon 

Rainwater Harvesting: why wait till next drought?

A recent study on water stress published by the World Resources Institute, identified 33 countries 

NAM is as relevant today as it was to yesteryear

The 17th Summit meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held in Venezuela last September is over, done and dusted with.   

SUNETRA ILLANGAKOON—MY FRIEND FOR LIFE

Sunetra Illangakoon nee Seneviratne and I entered the kindergarten of Bishops’ College together and 

Challenges faced by Elders in Sri Lanka

On October 1, we commemorated the International Day of the Elders. Sri Lanka has become a country 

‘Motor Bicycle’ review

The film feels exactly the right length, neither too short nor too long. It’s about a hard up young 

Israel’s self-obsession.

The many world leaders who gathered in Jerusalem last week for the funeral of Shimon Peres, the 

Ethical concerns and media

In the afterglow of the January 8 change last year and the formation of a National Government 

Pilgrimage to the National Shrine of the Holy Cross

‘No one can be the slave of two masters; such a slave will hate one and love the other, or will be loyal to one and despise the other.’   

Give Peace a Chance

Sri Lanka’s bitter near two-and-a-half decade long ethnic war ended in 2009. During that period nearly 

People’s participation answer to racist outbursts

The present Constitution-making process seems awfully narrow and politically dictated by the leaders of this government. This is not a “public driven” drafting process. What is highlighted by this government as “public consultation” is a collection of proposals from interested individuals, groups and some organisations. Done through a Committee appointed for that job. The “Report on Public Representations on Constitu

Lanka’s India policy: Mind the balance

Foreign policy making is like tightrope walking. Performing a balancing act in foreign policy making is not only a science that the mandarins at a foreign ministry need to excel in, but also crucial for a country’s survival. 

Calling in Ashraff in support of merger Leave Ashraff alone

Amidst the controversy over the “Ezhuga Thamil” procession and the rally held by the Tamil People’s Council (TPC) led by Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran on September 24, another controversy is slowly brewing between some Tamil and Muslim politicians over the stance taken by the founder leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) M.H.M. Ashraff on the merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces.  

Let us value teachers and improve their status

We have much to learn from October 5 which was the United Nations World Teachers’ Day with the theme for this year being Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status– highlighting the importance of the teaching profession for global development and the need for urgent action to address the shortage of teachers.  

Forced vomiting ends a precious life

A police sergeant who sought treatment in the form of a shanthikarma from a temple in the Rasnayakapura area to rid him off the effects of an alleged poisoning, had been subjected to a forced vomiting that lasted two days and at the end of which he died helplessly.   

Banned polythene bags clogging up market

The ban on the manufacture, sale and use of polythene products below 20 microns was brought into effect on January 01, 2016 and strictly enforced from February 01 onwards by the Government.  Nevertheless, polythene products such as lunch sheets and polythene bags below 20 microns are still available in the market though illegal, as pointed out by polythene manufacturers who have complied with the ban implemented earlier this year. 

Prisoners’ otherside Mandela Shield: Bogambara prisoners and Peradeniya Law Students debate

Behind every heinous crime committed there is an untold story. Often we tend to ignore the untold story for the gravity of the offence and the destruction inflicted on victims. We fail to realize that perhaps ‘prisoners’ simply needed a compassionate word to set them on the right track and perhaps they themselves were victims. 

President Sirisena has spoken (on Eelamist myth-mongering)

On many occasions when the issue of ‘homelands’ (traditional ones, that is) have come up, I have made the following observation: the current provincial boundaries (which are the basis for the Tamil chauvinists’ claims and demands for forms of regional autonomy ranging from augmentation of the 13th Amendment to a federal arrangement and to even a separate state) are lines arbitrarily drawn by some white man even as he played his

The war within

Two political protest marches took place in recent times- one organized by the Joint Opposition from Kandy to Colombo and the other by the Tamil parties under the leadership of Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran in Jaffna. The contexts in which these marches took place are different, and therefore the responses evoked also varied. 

The Curse in the bottle Alcohol dependence should stop in SL

Alcohol is undoubtedly the commonest toxin willingly consumed the world over. In Sri Lanka, alcohol dependence is a major health and social problem. Most medical and social workers are aware of this. Unfortunately, a few speak openly of this grave malady which is destroying our countrymen in the prime of their lives. Consumption of increasing amounts of alcohol over a period of time leads to the development of ‘Alcohol Dependence Syndrome&r

Punitive measures not to be strictly considered - Maxwel Paranagama

Retired High Court Judge, Maxwel Paranagama, Chairman of the Presidential ‘Commission on Missing Persons’ discussed its mandate, final report, recommendations and other related issues with Dailymirror.

We can’t ignore the ageing population

Two news items published in the Daily Mirror on Monday about the ageing population in Sri Lanka points to the bleak picture of a section of Sri Lankan society that had been neglected after rendering a great service to society. As pointed out by the Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy in one of those stories, this is a grave issue that “could be considered the single most serious socio-economic issue faced by policy makers in Sri

Searchlight on Local Authority Leadership

Since time immemorial, whether rural or urban, the basic amenities and services to the residents have been provided by the Local Authorities (LAs). A standard all over the world.    

THE UNSOLVED PÃNAMA LAND STRUGGLE

After a nine-hour long drive, we reached a beautiful village in the Ampara District called Panama, a village that struggled during the 30-year-war  

Secularism will erode moral values espoused by religions -Ven Bengamuwe Nalaka Thera

Eminent Buddhists monk Ven. Bengamuwe Nalaka Thera, who has spearheaded national movements for decades against separatism,

The Battle of the Bottle

Monday, October 3 was World Temperance Day and it is an appropriate time for us to reflect deeply on 

Sri Lanka already a secular State - Lal Wijenayake

Lal Wijenayake, the Chairman of the Public Representation Committee, that deliberated with the general public and engaged

The chocolate malted milk enigma

Malted milk or chocolate milk has replaced our daily cup of tea or coffee. We find schoolchildren skipping their meals with a....