COVID-19: No respecter of nations or persons

These days it is all about the coronavirus also known as COVID-19. Having had its epicenter in Wuhan in the Chinese Province of Hubei, it has spread its tentacles to nearly all parts of the world with Italy being the worst affected European country. Its massive obituary columns show the extent of the tragedy that has overwhelmed the country.

Food for thought

I want to share all this with you because they are ALLl worthwhile messages so read and be guided accordingly:

Time of crisis brings out the best and the worst

A time of great crisis can bring out the best of some but the worst in many. The coronavirus or COVID-19 episode in Sri Lanka showed this without any doubt. Some acted with self-sacrifice, dedication and a sense of common good but for many it was yet again individual salvation and greed. It started when the GMOA asked for a special allowance for doctors and medical staff to

COVID-19: The defining global health crisis of our time

The spread of coronavirus or COVID-19 has prompted the following question: how responsible are we as citizens? This is not a disease like Dengue which is close to home for the local populace. Coronavirus is the first-ever malady to spread almost worldwide within a short spell of time. Just within three months, the latest member of the coronavirus family has invaded more

Colvin’s warning and the course of history

Racial tensions have devastated Sri Lanka, but some parties still continue to play that populism card to win elections. After the Official Languages Act widely known as the ‘Sinhala Only’ Act was enacted by Prime Minister S.W. R. D.

Virus and the ill-timed Parliamentary election

It does not take much persuasion to convince someone that holding a countrywide snap parliamentary polls on the eve of a global Coronavirus pandemic is a dangerous idea. More so when the local health officials advocate social distancing.

The third wave: Prasanna Vithanage

Somewhere between Sisila Gini Gani in 1992 and Ira Madiyama in 2005, I grew up. The Premadasa government fell, Chandrika Kumaratunga was sworn in as the new president, and the war, which she had made an integral part of her manifesto, was soon to accelerate. It was an unpredictable decade, certainly less gruesome than the 1980s, but

Roots of unrest in ethnically diverse post-colonial countries

Most multi-ethnic and multi-religious countries, which had come into existence as a result of the post-World War II de-colonization process, are facing problems of national integration in varying degrees. Pakistan split in 197

Geopolitics of a pandemic: Decoding Politics of Corona

The massive spread of Covid 19, has exposed a fatal flaw in the global security architecture. From Wuhan to Los Angeles, the virus has exposed the vulnerabilities of so-called global success stories of controlled political eco....

Long Wait for Ravi K; his grandfather was arrested in 10 minutes, 58 years ago

Ravi Karunanayake’s eldest daughter Onella posted an emotional plea three years ago on Facebook asking why only her father to be blamed “in such a huge Government?” Ravi K while testifying at the PCoI on Bond scam....

Economic Democracy and the Coronavirus Pandemic

Fear and panic are all present the world over. As communities shrink under the weight of the Coronavirus, the global economy is grinding to a halt. What does this time of pandemic mean for our society? How does the process....

Coronavirus can be defeated - EDITORIAL

COVID 19 or the coronavirus is now in this country. According to latest figures issued by the Ministry of Health the number of patients testing positive for the disease has now risen to 18, with five of this number being returnees from Italy.

Ranasinghe Premadasa’s “Citizen’s Front” revolt in UNP

“Gedara Hitiya Rosa Kekula Rosa, Rosa” was the opening line of a lilting Baila song in Sinhala that was hugely popular in the seventies of the last century.

Delhi’s shame is India’s shame

More than 100 days since protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or the CAA began, and weeks after the worst ever communal riots in Delhi since 1984, questions are being raised as to what went wrong. It is quite evident by now that collective failure lay at the root of what could have been restricted in scope, if not entirely prevented.

When we drink a glass of water, let us think of forests

When we drink a glass of water, write in a notebook, take medicine for an ailment or build a house, we are often not aware of the connection with forests. Yet, these and many other aspects of our lives are linked to forests in one way or another. Forests, their sustainable management and use of resources, including in fragile ecosystems, are key to combating climate change, and to contributing to the prosperity and well-being of present and futur

COAL POWER AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

Kalpitiya Peninsula in the Puttalam District is a beautiful stretch of land and rich natural resource. Territorially, it is 40km in length and there are nearly 18,000 families living in the peninsula whose livelihood is fisheries or agriculture.

No political virus please...

Although the fatality rate of COVID-19 (initially coronavirus or 2019-nCoV) is far less than that of Ebola which spread in some African countries, the pace in which panic spread about the new disease is far ahead than the virus itself.

Dealing with China and COVID 19 - EDITORIAL

The month of April is one of the most important months in the calender year for Sri Lankans, but concerns regarding the Coronavirus (COVID 19) have the potential to spoil the fun and also drive the nation into panic mode.

Deep State gangs up to derail Sanders’ campaign

Senator Bernie Sanders is losing his battle to become the Democratic Party’s candidate who will defeat the reelection bid of erratic and impulsive Donald Trump at the presidential election in November and bring back decency to the office of presidency.

China’s no longer the problem

The COVID-19 crisis has changed for the worse. In February, China was the problem – the rest of the world feared Chinese travelers and hoped to ride out disruptions to China’s economy. Today, the problem is outside China, and the fear in China is of foreigners carrying disease.

University ragging When fascist thinking blinds minds

Twenty-year old undergraduate Pasindu Hirushan’s life is in limbo. Like every child studying for the Advanced Level Examination, this boy from St.Peter’s College Udugampola made the grade in collegiate education. However, the brutal ragging culture present in university changed the course of his life onto a bumpy road.

More than 72 hours and still missing

Two important events took centre-stage this week, one being that of the warrants issued by Colombo Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake for the arrest of former finance minister Ravi Karunanayake and nine others

On misnaming victim, misconstruing victimisation and wishing away aggressor

Does withdrawing from Resolution 30/1 demonstrate a rejection of human rights and accountability? Does it indicate total disregard for the UN, UNHRC, UN-member states and the international community?

Taking a cue from Singapore Nurturing the Island’s Spirit to Work

We are dealing with a government which is boasting about employing people with patriotic feelings. Insiders say that the former military man is hellbent on employing in public service those who were educated either at that leading school in Maradana or at the popular cricket playing school in the vicinity of Punchi Borella.

LET’S THINK DIFFERENTLY !

A most informative message on my phone started me thinking of how different our country could be if we took examples from some of the other countries in the world, who have made their mark in world history!!! Apparently, the difference between poor and rich nations does not lie in the age of the nation and is ably demonstrated by countries like India and Egypt, which are

Why media trainers need to be trained first

Recently I was privy to a phone call between a journalist and a newly-minted editor at a government-owned Sinhala newspaper. The conversation dealt with the Right to Information Act (RTI). More precisely its use in a story to gain information.

Freshwater is Our Common Wealth - EDITORIAL

With Sri Lanka boiling in its hottest temperature and experts warning the heat could rise to as much as 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days or weeks and with the country also running dry in one of our worst ever droughts, we will this month join the United Nations in marking World Water Day.

Plastic and polythene menace grows unabated - EDITORIAL

An official attached to the Maskeliya Pradeshiya Sabha who is in charge of environmental issues had said on Sunday that the employees of the Pradeshiya Sabha and the armed forces had collected 1.5 million plastic....

UNP’s internecine war

Things cannot get any more ludicrous than this. As the Sri Lankan voters go to vote for a new Parliament on April 25, in little more than six weeks from now, the United National Party is feuding over who will own the party’s symbol.

Politicized Cricket run by Businessmen Ruined the Game

On April 6, 2014, we won the World T20 beating India in Dhaka. So what we are experiencing today is a very recent development.In the first quarter of 19th century, while Planting Whites introduced Rugby in the highlands, their military counterparts played Cricket down in Colombo.