The veil and the ‘Arabanisation’ of Lankan Muslims

Girls too young to understand the essence of religion adorn the Nikab. Some forced due to cultural imposition, and others too young to know why. Madrasas spread across the island ignore history, art culture, literature and theology which form the core of religious education. Instead the focus is on rituals and taboos. Kattankudy, in the East, is but one example of cultural alienation and segregation.The effects of the alienation and archaic pract

Whither NMRA? - eDITORIAL

During the past few decades, after Prof. Senaka Bibile’s essential medicines policy was scrapped under pressure from the United States Government and transnational pharmaceutical corporations, the health sector has become one of the biggest profit-making businesses.   

Tale of woe of a mother and daughter

If you are a frequent passer-by near the Kelaniya station road, you should be familiar with the sight of a temporary shelter which is occupied by a family comprising of a mother and daughter directly opposite the railway station.

Election Day in Taiwan

It is the morning of Saturday January 16 2016 a sunny day in Taiwan, people are out to do what they usually do during the weekend despite it being  the Election Day in the country.   

Playing a broker’s role or a double agent’s role is dicey

The Minister of Social Empowerment and Welfare S. B. Dissanayake who has taken over the task of bringing the two factions of Mahinda and Maithri together was recently interviewed  on the.....  

Saving a life is quite rewarding : Michael Vlasto

Risking one’s life to save another’s is a humble act of generosity. Events such as natural disasters are quite spontaneous and in such instances, many lives are at risk. Taking a step towards rescuing the lives of commercial fishermen and others who find themselves in......

REDD + in Sri Lanka’s Blue Green Era

Nature plays a prominent role in everyone’s life;  the air we breathe, the water we drink, the rivers, lakes and waterfalls, the mountains which are full of greenery, and all of nature’s resources are natural gifts of Mother Nature. We are also a part of.....

Sri Lanka The cost of Lawlessness?

Sri Lanka has gone through difficult times economically, socially, culturally, politically and even due to lawlessness over the last couple of decades. How did they happen? Most of our leaders in

Not crumbs but crusade from UN banquet table - EDITORIAL

With a selfish greedy and wicked world system having created a monstrosity where 62 super billionaires have more wealth and resources than half the world’s population of more....

Tamils: Log on to southern situation

Terrorism has left a trail amongst the northern Tamils, feeling of a need for a separate state; brainwashed by the LTTE and kept alive by the remittances of the Diaspora. With the Provincial Council positioned, dawned on the.....

JANUARY 8 AND AFTERMATH: Are we moving in the right direction?

This day will always be remembered in the history of our country thanks to an Astrologer and an over ambitious, somewhat naive Peoples’ President, as the day when the country was saved from a drift towards becoming a totalitarian.....

Who can say we are not a nation of cheats?

Cheating: bribery, corruption, together with nepotism and manipulations of all kinds are usually part and parcel of politics and politicians. However, their modes of operation differ in divergent settings. Interestingly, according to international......

G. K. Mandawala: Teaching profession personified

Every time I write about the teachers of yesteryear, I am saddened by two things; one is that these teachers, who are worth their weight in gold are no more; the other is that there is no sign of the present day teachers  ever coming even close to......

Bridging economic growth and social justice - EDITORIAL

In what the government described as the mega development project of the development year 2016, President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe, along with Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka presided at.......

Responsibility, Autonomy and the Geneva Resolution (2015)

The resolution co-sponsored by our government at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a mutual agreement entered into by Sri Lanka, as a Sovereign Member State of the UN, which.....

Homagama Incident and the law being equal to all

On the 25th and 26th of January a group of monks came in to conflict with the law when  Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero, General Secretary of the infamous Bodu Bala Sena stormed into.....

Law and Homagama incident - EDITORIAL

The  actions of Ven. Galagodaththe Gnanasara Thera at the Homagama Courts were not  approved by many and have drawn condemnation as no one is above the  law.  Also the Homagama incident and......

International players in corrupt politics

Politics is a head-deep mud hole. Those who walk into it, even if they wear the world’s best...

EDITORIAL : Action on corruption

One of the former regime’s biggest alleged acts of corruption has been widely known...

The fall out of the Ashraff betrayal

After almost five months after the Parliamentary elections the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress...

Police spokesman missed ‘if in doubt-leave it out’ principle

The infamous Embilipitiya incident turned yet another page of the story of the Sri Lanka...

Let’s say ‘no’ to Sinha-Le and to Sinhale-bashers

Even a simple matter of identity assertion (again, for whatever reason, including response...

Bickering over SLFP split keeps everybody on their toes

The allegation about attempts to compromise the country’s national interests persists. But, President Maitripala Sirisena asserted in the past few days that he would not jeopardise national security come.....

In politics, authenticity matters is Maithri a personification of authenticity?

Leadership in politics has been a subject many psychologists and social scientists have attempted to analyze, dissect and write about over and over again. These analysts and writers have ascribed strong.....

Embilipitiya attack: Police probe your self - EDITORIAL

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has joined several other independent civic action movements in expressing it’s grave concern over what it calls the unacceptable conduct of the Police as seen......

Donald Wijayaratna - the great don of photography

I first met the great don of photography, as he has often been referred to; many decades ago, during my school days. His niece Indrani Ratnam was a school friend and Donald and his pretty wife Sushila were always the cynosure of all eyes on the dance floor at her parties.

Basil speaks of a new political party

After a long spell of silence, former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, in an interview with Daily Mirror says the country is in need of a new political party. He expresses that there were both positives and negatives during the past year. Excerpts of the interview;

A new party is not a threat to us

 The Minister of Public Enterprise Development Kabir Hashim, in an interview with the , says [ the govt] is facing difficulties triggered by the global economic situation. But, he remains optimistic that new opportunities would emerge amidst them. 

Simple food and plenty of exercise - EDITORIAL

?A National Physical Health and Sports Week was launched on Monday by President Maithripala Sirisena to emphasize the need for good physical health so that the time-tested principle of a healthy mind in a healthy body will produce citizens who are physically fit and mentally creative or imaginative.

The Constitutional Imbroglio

The Government has promised a new Constitution in the New Year. It was only last year that the current Constitution was updated. Although the project was announced with much fanfare in the wake of victory,