Strikes should strike a balance

With fuel supplies being gradually restored to normal by yesterday evening, there appeared to be widespread public support for the national unity government’s decision to crack down and issue a gazette notification declaring fuel supplies as an essential service.

Jerusalem: Horror in the holy city

Etymologically, Jerusalem means ‘the foundation of peace’. But Jerusalem, one of the oldest cities in the world, has seen enough wars and violence and more will be its lot in the future, too. Clashes since July 14 in the nearly 5,000-year-old city, considered sacred by Jews, Christians and Muslims, have raised fears of a Palestinian uprising or the third Intifada. 

President has no mandate to abolish executive presidency

National List MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, who played a pivotal role in the election of President Maithripala Sirisena, speaks about the constitution making process and what should be done

Crisis of credibility

Thirty four years ago on 24 July 1983, a Sunday that triggered an organised pogrom against Tamil people and set Colombo and its suburbs on fire the next morning, Senior Thondaman Saumyamoorthi was to tell a then Madras audience that in Sri Lanka, “It is Sunday Sil. Monday kill”. 

Humanity surpasses all How Nallur incident is used by all to further their agendas

The motive behind shooting at the Policemen providing security to Jaffna High Court Judge Manikkavasagar Ilanchezian is not clear yet.  One of the Policemen injured i

Back to Senanayakeism for the benefit of nation Commemorating Dudley, the liberal democrat and inco

Dudley Senanayake vehemently opposed a proposal by JR to a grand coalition with SLFP in government. Ceylon National Congress was dominated by politicians of Victorian vintage who followed the principles of liberal democracy of the era of Gladstone and Disraeli. 

Ravi Karunanayake goes through a political turbulence

It appeared to be a politically malefic time for Foreign Affair Minister Ravi Karunanayake. Hot on the heels of revelations against him during the proceedings of the Presidential Commission investigating the Bond scam the other day, he was in for a rude shock as three of his Cabinet papers were turned down by President Maithripala Sirisena on Tuesday.  

‘SAITM won’t be nationalized’ -Rajitha

Our sister newspaper Sunday Lankadeepa met with the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senarathna two days after the government acquired the Malabe Neville Fernando Hospital. At the time Sunday Lankadeepa sat down to interview the minister, there was a protest being staged against SAITM in front of his ministry. Following are excerpts of the interview done with Dr. Senaratne. 

O Zorro, Zorro, wherefore art thou Zorro?

There’s a singular vacancy in this country, according to some. Ranil Amirtthiah of the popular local band ‘Black,’ whenever he speaks and in whatever forum he chooses to do so, is often poetic but sometimes he flushes subtlety down the tube. He says it straight from the heart, always. This is clearly evident in a vacancy ad he posted a few hours ago.   

What in place of lunch sheets and ‘silli silli’ bags

The Government has decided to ban the use of polythene and rigifoam from September as one of the measures to reduce the quantity of garbage countrywide and as a measure to protect the environment. 

The story of Mahaweli…

At the very outset, allow me to draw your attention to an oversight in my previous column on ‘Who represents the real SLFP’. In the 8th paragraph I write thus: “The passage of the 19th Amendment...” It should read as the “18th Amendment”. Please forgive me for this error. Now to my current column:     

Mindfulness - why not in Sri Lanka?

Mindfulness has taken the world by storm.  From Hollywood’s Hugh Jackman to farmers in South Africa call it the new age panacea that heals the mind. That’s more than 2500 years after the practice was originated in the East, with its pioneer, Buddha advocating it to his disciples thus introducing a new psychological tradition to the world.

Country needs departure from Colombo 7 centric thinking - Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera

Leading Buddhist monk Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera, who works with the nationalist groups, speaks about the present status of politics in the country and what he envisages. Here are the excerpts of the interview:   

Sino-Indian troop confrontation in Bhutan - EDITORIAL

On June 16, 2017, Chinese road construction workers accompanied by Chinese troops began moving into the tri-junction of Doko-Lam where the....

Blotched ‘abduction’ of a student activist

In the recent history of this country, repeated failure by successive governments to address proactively incipient threats and peripheral....

Is the Govt. playing ‘good cop, bad cop?’

It seems to have become customary for the yahapalana government to make significant gestures towards compliance with the demands....

Why India’s down-trodden Dalits drift towards Hindutwa, BJP?

By putting up of a Dalit, Ram Nath Kovind, as its candidate for the Indian Presidency and ensuring his victory with a 65% majority, the Bharatiya...

No need to have a fresh law to regulate NGO activities

Minister of National Co-existence, Dialogue and Official Languages Mano Ganeshan, in an interview with....

In unity the best values will manifest - EDITORIAL

Thirty four years after ‘Black July’, Sri Lanka today has many good reasons to believe that what happened in 1983 will not happen.....

Black July The absence of the collective guilt

This year marks the 34th anniversary of the July riots of 1983 which reshaped the socio political history of our nation forever. Many still....

Strategic relevance of Soft Power

Harvard Professor and International relations guru, Joseph Nye, coined the term to coincide with the fall of Soviet Union providing the United States....

Can elitist ‘economic’ summits really help reduce inequality?

A leading private sector business chamber will be holdings its annual ‘economic’ summit yet again this week. The event will provide Sri Lanka’s...

Liu Xiaobo’s death holds China to the light

China, since the days in 1793 and the mission of Earl Macartney, emissary of King George 11, has kept its distance from the West, preferring to be “as self-contained as a billiard ball”, to quote the great historian Alain Peyrefitte. 

FROM A SOCIAL OUTCAST TO PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST DEMOCRACY

On Thursday, 20 July 2017, Ram Nath Kovind a member of India’s poorest and most oppressed caste –the Dalits- was elected President of India. Ram Nath Kovind is the second member of the Dalit caste to become president of India; the first being  K.R. Narayan, who held the post for five years commencing 1997.  

Don’t strike with all your might

Though we hear and talk a lot about human rights, responsibility ranks among our noblest virtues. Major religions teach and we need to be aware that we are responsible for the welfare and well-being of all people, specially the oppressed people enslaved in the poverty trap. Beyond that, in this modern era, we are also responsible for all creatures—ranging from elephants to ants. We are responsible for the oceans and rivers, trees and plants

India, China on brink of war: Where are the peace mediators?

Is there anyone who can prevent India and China from going to war? For the past one month, the two countries have been involved in a major military standoff.  

A constitutional change is needed - Prof. Rohana Laxman Piyadasa

Professor Rohana Laxman Piyadasa, a lecturer of mass media, reflected on the SAITM issue, unrest in universities, the forming of a new constitution and the act proposed by the government to control media. Here are excerpts of the interview. 

SLFPers: More reasons to remain than to quit

Are there eighteen Sri Lanka Freedom Party Parliamentarians who are supporters of President Maithripala Sirisena planning to resign from the Government, as claimed by the Joint Opposition?  Mahinda Rajapaksa camp says that those defectors are to join their camp while some SLFP members in the Government are declaring that they would sit as independent MPs in the Parliament in the near future.

A ragdoll that cannot be ‘stitched together’ anymore

Bound by their MoU, they are not formally separated yet. But they may have to. Now, the indications are, PM Wickremesinghe is out to break the jinx, on his string of Presidential Election defeats. 

Int’l Convention for Protection from Enforced Disappearance Bill

The Government statement declares that “The Bill does not provide for jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC)”. This is false.