Lanka caught up in a whirlwind of tariffs and threats

In April 2022, our government announced that it was defaulting, making it the first sovereign default. Our external debt for 2023 was 61.71 billion US dollars. The country was facing shortages of all basics from food and fuel to power. Blackouts were the order of the day.

Empowering Citizens Against Bribery: A Step Further

The new Bribery Commissioner and his team are indeed performing a daunting task in combating corruption and promoting transparency in governance.

Political thuggery refined to the level of crude art

While researchers have worked hard over the years to study a plethora of socio-economic, archival and archaeological phenomena – from cults to beggary, ghosts, ola leaf manuscripts and ancient inscriptions, to mention just a few – I have not found yet an authoritative study of Sri Lanka’s political violence and thuggery.

Constitutional reform:An acid test for NPP

The promise given by the National People’s Power (NPP) at the last Presidential and Parliamentary elections to introduce a new Constitution had resurfaced last week following an oral question raised by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) member Ajith P. Perera in Parliament on July 25.

Tourism, foreign exchange and loss of dignity

In July 2022 our then government accepted that the country was bankrupt. We had lost the ability to repay our foreign debts and import essential food items for our people.

Income tax and EPF arrears

We read in the news from time to time that there are huge sums of tax and EPF payments that have gone into arrears, in many cases without any chance of recovery.

Sri Lanka’s Tariff Triumph: A Cool President in a Hot Crisis

Donald Trump’s tariffs shook the world. Financial markets around the world plunged. The US stock market registered its largest two day loss in history. Businesses and politicians were in panic.

Minting money during the Kandy Esela Pageant!

The Kandy Esela Pageant started with all its glory on the 30th of July with the Kumbal Perahera. There is much to learn about this historic pageant which began during the time of King Kithsiri Mevan (301-328 BC). This event could easily be named the most prominent pageant that takes place in this Buddhist majority country.

Amir: Gaza’s little boy preyed upon by vultures

Let me begin today’s column with the story of Amir, a boy barely 10 years old. His story depicts the everyday tragedy that awaits starving and highly emaciated Palestinian children and adults at the US-Israeli food distribution points in Gaza.

R2P and the stench of the dead global conscience

In response to last week’s column titled ‘R2P RIP: Its grave is in Gaza’, Iranian Ambassador Alireza Delkosh makes a comment:

The state should protect its citizens

Recently, the Supreme Court declared that the former Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Hasalaka Police Station had violated the Fundamental Rights of a woman who was arrested and detained for wearing an item of clothing bearing a ship’s wheel, which was mistakenly interpreted as a depiction of the Dhammachakra.

The Unravelling of a Presidency: Why Gotabaya Rajapaksa Failed in 2022

Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s meteoric rise to the presidency in 2019 was built on a formidable reputation. As the Defence Secretary credited with orchestrating the decisive victory against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009, and for his perceived efficiency in beautifying Colombo, he embodied the promise of strong and decisive leadership.

A lament on Sri Lanka’s public service

Much has been spoken about Sri Lanka’s administrative service and its culture of lethargy and inefficiency. While certain citizens have had the privilege of getting the required services within a span of a few hours or in one day, most citizens have experiences of walking in to government offices on multiple rounds to obtain a simple document.

Sri Lanka wins top travel award despite twisted history

Sri Lanka is at present cock-a-hoop after topping the list in a survey done to find out the 50 best islands to travel to. Sri Lanka fared extremely well in this survey, conducted by www.enjotravel.com

What happens to our bus services at night?

As early as eight-to-nine p.m., one can see so many people walking for miles at night on Colombo streets. This is because there are no buses plying even on some of the major routes. If this is the situation in Colombo, it must be worse out of Colombo and in distant areas.

Proposed Education reforms: A momentous opportunity that should not fall victim to cheap politics

The government’s proposed education reforms, in their snippets that are still available for public knowledge, appear to be transformative.

NPP’s ten months - promises fulfilled and hopes hanging fire

On September 21, 2024, the National People’s Power (NPP)’s Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD), was elected president of this country.

Safe Sea Swimming Pools: A Lifesaving Initiative

I want to express my appreciation to the Sri Lankan Army for declaring July 29 as Sea Shore Cleaning Day. This initiative showcases the Army’s commitment to protecting our environment and ensuring the well-being of our citizens. Kudos to the Army for taking the lead in keeping our shores clean and safe for seabathers!

Will the promised Constitutional reform see the light of day?

Despite every government since the nineteen sixties having promised to replace the existing Constitution with a new one, only two governments did so, but only to be rejected soon, resulting in an eternal pursuit of a new Constitution.

A way out of card transaction charges

It was recently reported that, according to Wasantha Alwis, Director of Payments and Settlements at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), companies have no legal right to impose additional charges—typically ranging from 2.5% to 3%—on customers for transactions made using credit or debit cards.

Universal adult franchise - an ideal not realised even in democracies

Adult franchise, or Universal Adult Suffrage, refers to the right of all adult citizens to vote, regardless of gender, race, caste, religion, education, or income. It ensures that each adult has an equal voice in choosing leaders and shaping public policy. It is deemed to be a fundamental feature of a democracy.

Nothing of worth in RW Education Reforms rebranded as “NPP”

Education Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister of this NPP government, travelling around marketing “her education reforms” says, they would be implemented from January 2026 despite false accusations, criticisms and protests. She is yet to release the complete draft of the proposed “Education Reforms”. What has now been hastily released through social media is a PowerPoint (PPT) presentation that the Ministry of Education (MoE) perhaps

A Bold Foray into Education Reforms in a Corrupt Society

Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, the Prime Minister holding the Education Portfolio, has made a bold foray into education reforms. We all know how grave and intractable the problems are, crying for urgent resolution. Right-thinking Sri Lankans wish her success.

Sri Lanka’s enduring struggle Reasons for our post-independence underdevelopment

​Sri Lanka, an island nation blessed with abundant natural beauty and a strategically vital location, has, for over 77 years since gaining independence, remained entrenched in the category of a developing country.

History: A Double-Edged Sword EDUCATION - Safeguard Child’s Birthright to Create

Every child is born with the same creative power. This is not just a nice idea—it is a fact. All human brains, no matter what race, religion, or class can imagine, invent, and create. The genius we see in great artists and inventors lives inside every child, waiting to grow.

Victims of Black July and Easter Sunday await justice

As the month of July 2025 draws to a close, it is a good time to reminisce on the events of July 1983, which led to the coining of the term ‘Black July’ in our country.

Public Nuisance: Huge Containers on City Roads during Peak Hours

Through your esteemed publication, I would like to bring to the attention of the concerned authorities a pressing issue that affects the daily lives of commuters in our city. The placement of huge containers on city roads during peak hours, specifically between 4 pm and 9 pm, has become a significant public nuisance.

The “Weeping Widow” who Became the World’s First Woman Prime Minister

History was made 65 years ago in July 1960 when 44 year old Sirimavo Bandaranaike assumed office as the prime minister of Sri Lanka known then as Ceylon. Sirimavo shattered a glass ceiling by becoming the world’s first elected woman prime minister. It is said that the British press coined a new word “stateswoman” after Sirimavo became PM.

Cracking down on corruption and need for changed strategies

Prior to 2023, it was a very rare instance for parliamentarians, ministers or presidents of this country to be held responsible for crimes they committed wittingly or unwittingly. It had become a culture where politicians could even commit murder with impunity. Police inquiries and judicial sentences were halted or overturned on political affiliation.

The story of mass graves in Sri Lanka

The reports about finding skeletal remains of children from what now seems to be a mass grave at Chemmani, the entrance to Jaffna city, inevitably remind the writer of a similar scenario that occurred some forty years ago, in 1984.