Crisis Dynamics and Attack on Labour

A crisis disrupts and creates disorder. The economic depression devastating Sri Lanka has gruelling consequences for workers and their families, including lack of food, malnutrition, and school drop outs. They are unable to afford basic needs such as transport, electricity and cooking gas. Furthermore, the crisis has also created longer term dangers for workers’ rights. The regime in power and the crony business lobby are now taking forward a con

Karunanidhi; From Film Script Writer to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister

If cinema and politics are intertwined in Tamil Nadu, then Kalaignar Karunanidhi’s family continues to be immersed in both with great rewards. This is due to the patriarch’s path-breaking venture from films into politics in the past

Poson Poya: Celebrating the Advent of Buddhism in Sri Lanka

Poson Full Moon Day holds great significance for Sri Lankan Buddhists as it commemorates the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka by Arahat Maha Mahinda Thero. This cherished event, which took place more than two millennia ago signifies the transformative moment when Buddhism took root in the country, shaping its spiritual and cultural landscape. The story of Arahat Mahinda Thero’s encounter with King Devanampiyatissa and the subsequent spread o

Religion: Not for public debate

Unlike in the case of social media activist Sepal Amarasinghe, the issues with regard to Pastor Jerome Fernando and standup comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya seem to be quite tricky for the authorities to handle, despite all three have been accused of insulting the Buddha or Buddhism.

Govt.’s objective is to guarantee the complete development of Sri Lanka as a thriving nation by 2048 - President Ranil Wickremesinghe

President Ranil Wickremesinghe in a televised address to the nation last night reiterated his commitment to prevent any regression of the country to its previous state, emphasizing his determination to transform....

Free speech and the right to criticise religions

The possible arrest of a popular preacher, and the arrests of a stand-up comedian, a loquacious monk, and several others in recent days have triggered a debate on freedom of expression....

Let’s borrow something from these stand-up comedians! - EDITORIAL

Sri Lankans over the years have seen much religious tension and also loads of violence. Even if the majority of people from all religions have not attained the supreme bliss of enlightenment...

Listen to the Ocean

Sri Lanka is still suffering from the devastating consequences of the X-Press Pearl disaster. It started on May 20, 2021 after it caught fire off the coast of Colombo. The vessel was engulfed in flames by May 27 and declared a total loss. It was

Republicanism and its discontents

There are words that seem to be very popular among politicians and political groups when it comes to naming a new part or coalition. ‘Jathika’ or ‘National’ would top the list. We have the Eksath JATHIKA Pakshaya (United NATIONAL Party). Whenever this party led coalitions, ‘pakshaya’ was replaced with ‘peramuna’ or ‘front,’ but ‘jathika’ was left

Comedians, persons of the cloth and hate speech - EDITORIAL

In the run up to what is now referred to as ‘Black July’ the media was one of the culprits in propagating hate speech, often quoting person of the cloth who roused racism.

Lankan economists call for revival of road, rail bridge across Palk Strait

Two Sri Lankan economists, Gayasha Samarakoon and Muttukrishna Sarvananthan say that a road and rail bridge across the Palk Strait will bring down the transport cost in India-Sri Lanka trade by 50%.

Raheem: A product of current sociopolitical culture - EDITORIAL

The arrest of Parliament Member Ali Sabri Raheem on his way from Dubai by the customs officials at the Katunayake International Airport on May 23 with gold and mobile phones worth around Rs. 80 million...

Mihintale Back to its Sylvan Glory after Seven Decades of Artificial Décor

King Devanampiya Tissa was on a hunting expedition on Mihintale, the mountainous area. Chasing wild animals on Poson full moon day; his famous form of delight, and seeing a deer cruising, he was....

It’s time to end the conflict in Ukraine - EDITORIAL

It’s over fifteen months since the war in Ukraine started. On February 24, 2022 Russia commenced what it referred to as a special operation in Ukraine. That ‘surgical strike/special operation’ is still continuing....

Debate on genocide without a credible death toll

These numbers are not determined by authentic evidence or facts but by political outlooks and agendas. And all those who refer to these numbers seem to have forgotten that they are talking about human lives

Protest by Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Sri Lanka

Many Sri Lankans engage in protests on variety of grievances, but protests by refugees and asylum seekers, one of the most marginalized communities in Sri Lanka, are rare. From my memory, the protest held on 23rd May 2023 outside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Colombo is the second protest by refugees and asylum seekers since I started working with them about ten years ago. I have heard that those involved in

Do Sri Lankans know to value their work?

There is focus on Sri Lanka for many reasons these days. Still despite the doom and the gloom the island stakes a claim to be one of the major tourist attractions among tourist destinations. When tourists are pouring into this nation in their numbers we get to hear economist Steve Hanke rating Sri Lanka among the 15 most miserable nations.

Sri Lanka-Japan relations: A historic bond reignited - EDITORIAL

The official visit of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to Japan amidst Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic crisis holds profound significance. It not only rekindles close ties between the two nations but also...

G7: A mixed message from Hiroshima, city of peace

Hiroshima is known as the city of world peace. The people of the city are proud of their peace culture which has its roots in the aftermath of the atomic bomb attack that reduced the city....

Children: The revelation of a society’s soul

Child labour does not appear to be a serious problem in Sri Lanka. But social volunteers in their research have found that many wealthy families force children to work for them. Most of these children are from remote villages or estate areas

Why tracking the IMF programme implementation is of public interest

As Sri Lanka enters its 17th International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, a critical question remains. Will the country break from the past patterns of inconsistency and failure in following the plan it lays out with the IMF, or will those patterns be repeated? In this instance, what is required is not to lay the groundwork for another IMF programme in the future, but to develop the ability to sustainably recover from the present debt-driven econ

NATO/G7 quest to quell Russia and China - EDITORIAL

On Sunday - May 21, 2023 - the G7 countries comprising the US, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada (All member states of NATO) plus Japan concluded their annual summit in Hiroshima....

My friend, the super star

It was the week after Avurudhu in 2009. The war was entering its last three weeks. The international media attention on Sri Lanka was unprecedented. I was working as a freelancer for TIME and working....

Commemorations and reconciliation - EDITORIAL

Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry had summoned Canadian High Commissioner Eric Walsh to his ministry on Friday to convey Sri Lankan Government’s strong rejection of a recent remark by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on what is called “Tamil Genocide Week” that had been declared by a section of the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in Canada.

G-7 and Sri Lanka: Maithri’s moment of glory and how he let down the nation

Last time, when the world’s richest industrial nations, G-7, met in Japan, the only Asian country in the group, in 2016, then president Maithripala Sirisena was invited for the outreach meeting, alongside regional heavyweights from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Vietnam.

Pastor Jerome, Jesus, Buddha, and Sangha Discipline

Gautama Buddha or his Dhamma cannot be subverted by anybody; but by the members of the Sangha community themselves; and today, a few among the Sangha community is quite enthusiastically engaged....

Genocide remembrance, Justin Trudeau and protests - EDITORIAL

On May 18, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau condemned what he referred to as loss of life during the final days of the war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the armed forces....

The Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE

Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 21 May 1991. He was killed at a place called Sriperumbhudur in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Death came in the form of Dhanu a young Tamil woman from Sri Lanka. Dressed in a churidar she came up to the smiling Rajiv and garlanded him. The girl bent low to touch his feet as a mark of respect. Then came the deadly explosion. Rajiv Ga

Celebration and Catastrophe in the Month of May - EDITORIAL

Israel and Palestine are once again in the news, for all the wrong reasons. Seventy-five years ago, the UN without the consent of the Palestinian people decided to divide Palestine into two States Palestine and Israel.

Governors: A political tool in the hands of the executive

It is interesting and sometimes amusing to note some politicians and legal luminaries theorizing anything to suit their political agendas or personal grudges against others. This was once again evident in some of the interpretations of the recent change of provincial Governors by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.