The other half: Unequal unions

Why should women obliterate their personalities, their lives, once they get married? Last week, a young man, 24 years old and a graduate, introduced me to his new bride.

The standoff in Egypt

The presidential vote in Egypt has split the society. The top two candidates reflect the extremes and go on to point out that the uprising hasn’t come a full circle.

No Lessons Learned From Chen Guangcheng Abuses

Two months before Chen Guangcheng dramatically escaped from illegal house arrest in Shandong Province, activist and legal advocate Feng Zhenghu was put under similar illegal detention in his home in Shanghai.

SARATH FONSEKA: HISTORIC CONFLUENCE OF TWIN PROCESSES

The “release” of  Sarath Fonseka Former Army commander and erstwhile contender for the 2010 Presidential stakes from jail due to remission of his prison sentences by President Mahinda  Rajapaksa has infused fresh excitement into the Sri Lankan Political scenario.

We have had enough

Democracy simply means rule by the people. Democratic form of governance permits people to elect representatives of their choice, by using their franchise at elections.The elections are expected to be conducted free of corruption, fraud, any form of malpractice and intimidation,..

Poor petropolitics

It is a sad irony that when international oil prices are on a downward spiral, India has administered its biggest increase ever in the domestic price of petrol. Behind this irony lies a story of gross mismanagement of the oil economy by successive governments.

Editorial - Undiluted patriotism of saving water

With heavy showers of blessings during the past few days, we may tend to think that we could use water freely or even waste it. But global warming has changed weather patterns and monsoons are generally limited, so there is a need to ensure that not even a single drop of rain water goes waste.

Al-Capone scenario at NATO summit in Chicago

Chicago was once notorious for lawlessness. In the 1920s, the infamous gangster Al Capone played havoc in the city by Lake Michigan when he and his men defied the law on the prohibition. They were responsible for...

The noise called ringtone

Having been diagnosed as almost deaf in one ear and driving through traffic chaos, the least I could expect was to be confronted by police with a challan for “mobile driving,” a term that means using the mobile phone while...

LLRC - A Buddhist Response

The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission was appointed by the President to investigate and report on the lessons to be learnt from a conflict lasting around three decades and submit...

Editorial - Private health sector, a big business

Just as the government for some suspicious reasons delays and delays vital structural changes and policies needed to restore a health service where the well-being of the patient is given top priority ,  ...

Reconciliation: The Symbolic and the Substantive

Against the backdrop of grave planetary changes, Sarath Fonseka’s release, G.L. Peris’ visit to Washington DC and the third anniversary of the defeat of the LTTE, an evaluation of the requirements of reconciliation are in order.

Sex in the city

Sex is not illegal in SL. Soliciting is a crime. Managing sex workers is also a crime. A tragic story reported yesterday was of a 17 year old girl from a remote area of Batticaloa, lodged by a woman in Maradana, ...

Editorial - Fathering freedom

It would not come as a surprise if the methods used to decide the ownership of the war victory are applied again when deciding the ownership of Mr. Fonseka’s release.

The cost of a struggle = the joy of a victory

Former Commander of the Army Gen. Sarath Fonseka who was imprisoned for more than two years has been released. It is through powers vested with the President to pardon convicted offenders as stipulated in clause 34 in the Constitution.

Destroying traditional SLFP Foreign Policy

The more extreme elements in the Ministry of External Affairs have at last put their cards on the table in the form of an article by the wife of one of its rising stars.

Editorial: Jayawewa! Significance of Fonseka’s release

The much awaited release of former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka – whatever the reason for it and whatever the change in strategic political alliances – is widely seen as a major step towards the restoration of democratic values and freedoms.

One Ocean, many worlds of life

Why is it vital to protect the seas and oceans? It needs to be remembered that ‘life’ originated therein. It is in the seas that the first bacteria and viruses were born,

The challenge in Chicago

The NATO summit in Chicago seems to be in a fix. Though the leaders had converged with a sense of understanding to scale down their responsibilities and walk out of Afghanistan in grace, and that too at the earliest, the change of heart from Washington has acted as a spanner in works.

Engaging the critics: an absolute imperative

Today, human rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) will launch its 50th global human rights report – “Amnesty International Report 2012: State of the World’s Human Rights”.

Tragedy of the Sri Lankan State

Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted and proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 10, 1948 states that;

PROTECT STATE BANKS FOR NATIONAL INTEREST

State banks, according to their annual reports, make a healthy profit every year. They are running smoothly without giving any burden to the treasury and credit their profit to the government consolidated fund annually while providing necessary financial assistances to the development of the country.

Editorial - Political leaders must take a pay cut

France’s new President Nickolai Hollande, taking a courageous step to pull his country and the European Union out of economic recession, has announced that the austerity package is being relaunched at the top with a pay cut of 30 per cent for him and his Cabinet.

Cope and the 18th amendment

Recently the Board of the National Savings Bank (NSB) sought to explain why it purchased shares of The Finance Company (TFC) from two or three of the latter’s directors with a premium exceeding 50% of the market value at a time when the entire Stock Market was in dire straits.

Clean hands, stay healthy

India is once again in the news for all the wrong reasons. Along with four other countries India in 2010 accounted for half the estimated number of global deaths from eight main causes in children younger than five years.

‘Home-truths’ – and, home-truths!

It could not have come at a better time, or worse. President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga’s speaking/reading about ‘home truths’ in Sri Lanka’s relations with neighbouring India coincided to the week with the conclusion of ‘Eelam War IV’ and the end of the LTTE.

Diversity Demands Social Integration

In April 2010, the Ministry of National Languages and Social Integration (MNLSI) was established in order to coordinate state and civil society efforts relating to National Languages, Social Integration and Ethnic Affairs.

Editorial - Freedom!

Be it the freedom that was celebrated grandly on Saturday or the one of Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka anticipated by many, it is always a reason for celebration.

The Aftermath of Victory

May 19th 2009 is a day that will be etched in golden letters in the annals of the history of Sri Lanka. It was on this day that our valiant armed forces secured a decisive military victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),

The Greek dilemma

Germany perhaps has a piece of advice for Greece. The suggestion that Athens should simultaneously hold a referendum along with the general elections next month is quite meaningful.