Holy Prophet Mohammad’s birthday Meelad Un Nabi

Prophet Mohammad’s birth anniversary will take place on  24th. December 2015. Accordingly this will be the 12th. day of the muslim calender month of Rabi ul Awwal..

Eleven budgets without amendments in a row

Ronnie de Mel earned the reputation of having held the post of the Minister of Finance for 17 years under the UNP government which was elected in 1977. He was first elected as MP for Devinuwara in 1967 under the SLFP ticket.

the coming constitution: A ‘SYSTEM CRIME’

Three speeches last week revealed our future. Each concerned an aspect of this island’s fate.Together they show the whole. The Prime Minister announced that the country will have a new political system next year.

The World of Tamil Cinema

Full length feature films, short films, documentaries and other forms of digital presentations are rapidly being produced in the Thamil language over the world. 

A season of remembrance

Christmas has been called many things by many people. It has been called the giving season, the rejoicing season and the festive season. Saint Paul called it the season for hospitality,...

Christmas message - 2015 - “ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given”

We enter the season of Advent and Christmas this year in a land that has undergone significant political changes. Last year we kept the feast of Christmas alongside a keenly fought election campaign.

PEACE AND RECOCILIATION, THE KEY ISSUES - EDITORIAL

In a significant move, the National Christmas Festival for the first time was held in Jaffna last Sunday and President Maithripala Sirisena -- the first Head of State to preside at such a festival...

The Ranil Wickremesinghe Factor in 2016 and beyond

One year ago, around the time of Christmas, there was tension in the country.  The people were about to vote in a presidential election which would decide the destiny of the country -- one way or the......

“India’s Daughter” - The story of Jyoti Singh, a symbol of freedom

As featured in the documentary film “India’s Daughter”,  there is a Jyoti Singh in every woman. Like her, every woman has her own dreams, aspirations and goals to be free and independent.  She also has......

Birds and bees info for those with functional difficulties

I recently had an interesting conversation with a friend who uses a pair of crutches. He insisted that people with physical or mental impairments should be referred to as ‘disabled’ -- and not the.....

Does the release of detainees under the PTA pose a threat?

Eelam People’s Democratic Party Leader Douglas Devananda served in the Cabinet of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. However, after the change of government, his party was relegated to the.....

TNL Pioneering the air waves

Sri Lanka private television broadcasting pioneer Shan Wickremesinghe’s colossal contribution to the media knows no bounds. If it was not for Mr. Wickremesinghe’s staunchness and perseverance...

Literature and the politics of memory

As the saying goes, “Reading maketh a full man” and of course, sometimes, books can be your best friends. Literature has been there for generations, and some have changed history, made revolutions, and have generated revolutionary ideas and concepts. 

Listening Western Classical music through Indian tradition

?There are many text books by Sri Lankan authors for those studying eastern (Indian) music, while students of Western music have a wide choice of mostly Western publications and a very few of local origin. 

Underutilisation of funds allocated to Provincial Councils - EDITORIAL

Douglas Devananda, the leader of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) told  Parliament on Thursday during the budget debate that the Northern Provincial Council run by the Tamil National Alliance.....

Strikes are examples of good governance - Harin Fernando

Minister of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure, Harin Fernando, is a dynamic politician who has embraced the warmth of the good governance regime in all ways possible. However, during the past few weeks......

GMOA wants duty free cars, but not private universities

The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) threw a tantrum when the government proposed to abolish duty free duty vehicle permits granted to certain categories of public....

The Hippocratic Oath has many versions

Many who hoped that the Yaha government would deliver ‘good governance’ must have heaved sighs of relief that the PM was able to defuse a volatile countrywide ‘tools down’ threat challenging......

The push-bike Parliamentarians of LSSP

Comrade Colvin R. de Silva, was elected the President at the inaugural meeting of Lanka Sama Samaja Party on 21st December, 80 years ago. The 28-year old young advocate in his address.....

Trade tricks of the TNC Mafias - EDITORIAL

In an editorial last week, the Daily Mirror exposed some of the subtle ways in which the rich world is continuing to plunder the resources of the poor third world through sophisticated economic.....

How will TNA solve the problem of Northern Chief Minister Wigneswaran?

Veteran Indian Journalist P.K.Balachandran who has been resident in Sri Lanka for many years has over the years  acquired  a remarkable insight into the politics and politicians of  the Island known once as the pearl of the Indian ocean .

Virtual war criminals on Republican list for presidency

?The Republican Party’s debate on Tuesday in Las Vegas looked like nothing but a competition to decide who among the party’s nine presidential hopefuls was the most ruthless of all. 

The peals of your laughter still ring in my ears …

The passing away of Prof. Manique Gunasekera in Michigan in the USA on Friday 04th December, just four days after her 62nd birthday, came as a horrible shock to those who knew her and loved her.

Role in social issues for creative artistes - EDITORIAL

The role of creative, imaginative musicians and other artistes in reviving Sri Lanka’s historic culture and civilization was underlined by President Maithripala Sirisena when he spoke at the 2015 State Music Awards Festival on Thursday. 

Elephant in the room:

?I have begun to dislike elephants.  My fellow villagers have the same sentiment about the menacing elephants in and around  our village.  I have no doubt you will see the rational of our position in this regard.

Urbanisation and leveraging Economies of Agglomeration

The urban population of Sri Lanka has reached, over the past few decades, a staggering 48%...

Sangayana for the betterment of the Buddha Sasana

Many voices are being heard from many quarters on the need to conduct a Sang?yan?...

A sensitive issue is to be regularised legally Separating ‘Hate Speech’ from freedom of speech

Inevitably anybody would be reminded of the anti-Muslim propaganda campaign carried...

EDITORIAL - Shared progress and prosperity

Sunday, December 20 is International Human Solidarity Day and this year’s celebration comes...

President and PM agree to have LG polls before April 10

President Maitripala Sirisena had made a special point at last Saturday’s All Party Conference. “Although woman candidates were fielded  in the past, even woman voters were not keen to elect them”, the president had remarked causing peals of laughter in the audience that included Prime Minister Ranil