Why not go digital with Pandals?

As Vesak approaches, the familiar sight of pandals being put up in Colombo, including Kosgashandiya, Thotalanga, Maradana, Peliyagoda, Orugodawaththa, Dematagoda and other prominent places brings a sense of festive anticipation.

Will Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam be the Future Tamil Political Leader?

Island-wide local authority elections are scheduled for 6th May 2025. At the national level, the local authority polls will provide the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)led National People’s Power(NPP) government an opportunity to prove if it is still as popular as it was at the time of the Parliamentary elections in November 2024.

MOUs with India and conflicting ministerial theories

The professed moral high ground of the National People’s Power (NPP) is being seriously questioned in respect of some of its actions such as the using the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) against suspects and the Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with India signed last month

Marx, Engels and Lenin would be rolling in their graves

Thank God Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Vladmir Lenin have passed on to a what we hope is a better place. Had they witnessed the May Day rallies in Lanka, especially that of the National People’s Power rally at Galle Face Green the trio would be turning somersaults in their graves.

A Call for Accountability and Better Planning During large scale Sacred Events

The recent Exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, a deeply revered and historic event, was sadly marred by the overwhelming mismanagement of crowds, queues, back door queues, sanitation, and garbage collection.

Brutal university ragging has to stop!

The news of a university student who was asked to take off his clothes as part of a ragging incident at the Sabaragamuwa University took his own life on Wednesday. Students enter universities with much hopes and aspirations, to fulfil their dreams and achieve their career goals. But, not many of them could get over the brutal ragging culture that had prevailed within the university system for many years. What began as harmless ways of having fun,

Why India and Pakistan won’t go to war

United States President Donald Trump is right when he said India and Pakistan would figure out the current crisis between them one way or the other. Then he displayed his historical illiteracy by saying that the two countries had been fighting over Kashmir for 1,500 years, putting history professors in a spin and making them scour the books they have read.

When the civilised society doesn’t fear the cane!

There is much debate taking place about the presence of corporal punishment and the laws being amended to stop children from being physically abused in the name of instilling discipline.

Going beyond the calendar on Labour Day

Ever since the 19th Century, exploitation has been the order of the day for Sri Lanka’s working class. But two centuries later, the struggle to obtain better wages and a better standard of living has kept this segment of society on the edge. They are often at the receiving end of multiple crises, be it economic or political, falling from the frying pan into the fire, becoming vulnerable to societal pressure and discrimination with each passing da

INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY

It is clearly visible that May Day is a European Festival of ancient origins, marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on the 1st of May, around halfway between spring and summer. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve

The Pahalgam terrorist attack: What Sri Lankans should know and ponder

Last week, terrorists associated with The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Pakistani-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, attacked the scenic tourist spot of Pahalgam in Kashmir valley, massacring 25 tourists and a horse rider in the deadliest terrorist attack since the 2008 Mumbai attack.

April 30 marks fall of Saigon, ending Vietnam War and uniting the nation Victory of the resistance war against the US for national salvation

Vietnamese President Luong Cuong has penned an exclusive article for the Daily Mirror to mark April 30, a landmark date that commemorates the Fall of Saigon in 1975. The historic day brought an end to the Vietnam War and paved the way for the reunification of North and South Vietnam. This article is published ahead of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s official visit to Vietnam on May 3.

Indus Water Crisis Sri Lanka must tread carefully

Recent events in South Asia offer critical lessons for Sri Lanka as it navigates new energy and infrastructure agreements with India. While relations between India and Sri Lanka have historically been more cordial than the often-hostile India-Pakistan relationship, recent tensions between India and Pakistan illustrate how resource dependency can be weaponised during diplomatic crises, irrespective of existing goodwill.

Local government elections, rising poverty and need for transparency

Local government elections are around the corner. Our President, the Leader of the Opposition and all political parties big and small are busy canvassing our very important vote.

Regulating standards of confectionary items

A leading confectioner has recently warned about substandard products flooding the market. Children are a vulnerable lot in this situation as they are attracted to various kinds of chocolates and biscuits.

JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED AN APPEAL TO EXPEDITE CASES OF CHILD ABUSE

During the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence against Children on 7-8 November 2024, the Government of Sri Lanka pledged to complete the legislative process to ban corporal punishment in all settings by mid-2025

The gaps in the higher education sector

The Education authorities announced the results of GCE Advanced Level examination on Saturday and mainstream media as usual have given wide publicity to the top scorers in various streams of the exam. Although earlier there were discussions whether media hype only on those who are successful would further discourage the low scorers, media continue to praise only the high achievers. Around 222, 800 school applicants and around 51,600 private can

A Closer Look at State-Run Lotteries

Sri Lanka currently hosts over twenty different lotteries conducted by the government-owned National Lotteries Board and Development Lotteries Board. The enthusiasm with which people gather around sales kiosks to buy tickets and check results clearly shows how widespread the lottery culture has become. While each ticket is priced at an affordable Rs. 40 — making individual losses relatively minor — the sheer popularity raises concerns about poten

STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS OF A POSSIBLE INDO- PAKISTAN WAR AND SRI LANKA’S STAND

The growing tensions between India and Pakistan, fueled by historical disputes and recent tragic incidents in Kashmir, threaten to destabilise not just South Asia but the broader global order. Sri Lanka, as a strategically located South Asian nation, faces critical decisions in maintaining regional stability and balancing diplomatic neutrality with emerging security and economic realities.

Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC partners with Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd for the grand re-entry of the iconic Piaggio Apé Range of 3 wheelers

SINGER Sri Lanka PLC, one of the country’s most iconic and trusted retail brands, has announced its strategic entry into the mobility sector through a groundbreaking partnership with Piaggio, the globally renowned Italian manufacturer. With a long-standing legacy of delivering reliable products and services to Sri Lankan families, SINGER is now extending that same trust and dependability to the transportation sector backed by its extensive island

Vietnamese Spiritual leader forced to make U-turn in Sri Lanka

Minh Tue is a Vietnamese who describes himself as an ordinary learner and practising what Buddha has taught in scripture.

Of books in libraries and people who don’t use them

I was recently invited to give a talk as part of the centenary celebrations of the Colombo Public Library.

Justice delayed, justice denied and a mockery of justice

On the morn of Easter Sunday 21 April 2019, suicide bombers exploded their deadly payloads of explosives in three Churches and three luxury hotels in the country killing over two-hundred civilians and injuring over five-hundred others.

Inequality at the Sacred Tooth Relic: A Reflection of a Deeper Malaise

The recent scenes at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, where thousands gathered to pay homage, offer a sobering reminder of the entrenched inequalities that continue to plague Sri Lankan society.

How and Why the Banda-Chelva Pact was Signed by Bandaranaike and Chelvanayagam

Today, the 26th of April, is the 48th death anniversary of respected Tamil political leader Samuel James Veluppillai (SJV) Chelvanayagam.

Masterminding the mastermind

n spite of more than ten local and foreign investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks targeting Christians which have been conducted for the past six years, the victim community has not been content yet.

Indo-Lanka defence, Indo-Pak conflict and growing Indian footprint

Pakistan and China have traditionally been among Lanka’s most loyal friends, defending it at sittings on the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), when our country was accused of a plethora of rights violations.

The Dalada Vandanawa chaos

When the government announced an exposition of the sacred Tooth Relic after a lapse of 16 years, it may not have imagined that a mass exodus of people is likely to visit Kandy – a heavily congested city on a usual day and that proper planning is required to curtail the crowds.

Spiritual ecstasy in Kandy and a death in Rome

Sri Lankans have been in spiritual mode since April 18, the first day of the special exposition of the tooth relic of Gautama Buddha to the public. The exposition of the tooth relic will continue till April 27 (Sunday).

Pope Francis and Gaza: Whither the papal power?

As the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics mourn and tens of thousands of people queue to say their last goodbyes to Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, orphaned are the many causes that the pontiff championed throughout his papal mission.