Gamini ‘Gamma’ Weerakoon: From Reporter to Editor

Veteran scribes who have been enriching journalism for decades are like great oaks that leave lasting voids when they fall. Gamma was unarguably one of them.”

Migrants, communal tensions leave Batti’s original cattle farmers ruffled

In Sittandy, a small township in the Batticaloa district, cattle farmers of Mylathamadu and Mathavanai have been protesting for over 55 days to save grazing lands on which their cattle have been....

A life without taxes, that’s what the people want

Mohideen Ifthikar from Maligawatta makes a living as a kitchenware vendor. His daily income ranges between Rs. 1500-2000. Having left his previous job as a site supervisor, Ifthikar worries about not being able to save enough money for his future. This is a common story shared by a majority of Sri Lankans who are facing hardships to survive the prevailing economic crisis. The government imposed multiple taxes on people to meet the conditions l

Sinhala Brigadier Who Won the Hearts and Minds of Tamil People

Today November 11th is observed in many parts of the World including Sri Lanka as Remembrance Day or War Memorial Day.

How I was Released by Police and Cleared of Charges by Courts

As stated last week, one of the CID officers quizzing me on the fourth floor had told me confidentially that I was going to be detained indefinitely to prevent me from reporting on the fighting between the Indian Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Though I had been taken into custody under the emergency regulations, I was going to be charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)soon. While conversing further this Police O

Independent Collective School (ICS) An alternative school for inventive students

For Yasodhara Pathanjali, co-founder Independent Collective School (ICS), Sri Lanka’s first formal educational establishment for alternative education, homeschooling and alternative education has laid the foundation for herself as well as her children to explore the world through a different lens.

How the CID ‘Grilled’ a Journalist on the 4th Floor

The first and second parts of this article published on 14 and 21 October respectively narrated the story of how I was arrested by the CID in October 1987 and detained on the 4th floor for having exposed....

Electricity tariff revision in October: Sri Lankan consumers struggle to beat govt.’s third electric shock

At least one hundred thousand electricity consumers in Sri Lanka have been left in the dark over the past one year as they have been unable to pay the accumulated electricity bills by the expected....

How I Went on a Hunger Strike in CID Custody on the 4th Floor

As stated last week, the CID director DIG Bennet Perera showed me the letter written by Defence Secretary Gen. Sepala Attygalle instructing the Police to question me for information regarding the murder of four Rupavahini employees in Jaffna.

Is justice so far away from cries of victims of grave sexual abuse?

On October 13, the Kumbukgete Police Station had received a complaint with regards to an incident of grave sexual abuse. The victim is a 15-year old girl. She had become the victim in this unfortunate....

Will Online Safety Bill crush virtual freedom of expression?

The Online Safety Bill gazetted on September 18 and tabled in Parliament by Public Security Minister Tiran Alles has come under much scrutiny by media groups, rights activists and civil society organizations. Some of the concerns raised regarding the Bill include vague definitions and the fact that a gamut of offences, which already exist in the Penal Code, have been included in this new Bill with higher penalties. Many policy analysts observe th

How I was Arrested by the CID and Detained on the 4th Floor

Thirty-six years ago in October 1987, I was arrested by the Sri Lankan Police and detained at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Office on the fourth floor of the Police Secretariat in Fort, Colombo.

5000 days later, Sandya still awaits truth and justice...

A cartoon of a politician removing the eyes off the common man caught the attention of the writer amidst many other black and white....

Sri Lanka: The killing field of elephants?

Eleven deaths within 36 hours. That is the alarming rate at which Sri Lanka’s elephants were killed several weeks ago. On September 27, six elephants were killed in two separate train collisions – four elephants died after colliding with a night mail train travelling from Colombo to Kankesanthurai, while another female tusker and a calf succumbed to injuries after colliding with the Meenagaya Train en route from Batticaloa to Colombo. While the n

How and why Azad Maulana fled to Europe

The first part of this article was published in the Daily Mirror of 16 September 2023 under the heading Who is Hanzeer Azad Maulana the Whistleblower on Channel 4?.

Why Sri Lanka’s children continue to be victims of sexual exploitation

On September 8, a shocking news item revealed that a nine-year old girl from Mawathagama, was reportedly severely abused...

Hanzeer Azad Maulana says ready to testify at independent international investigation

The first part of the article titled Who is Hanzeer Azad Maulana the Whistleblower on Channel 4? Was published in these columns last week. Even as I was writing the second part of the article, I received some interesting information about an event in Geneva relating to the Channel 4 TV documentary and Hanzeer Azad Maulana the chief whistl eblower featured in the film.

Who is Hanzeer Azad Maulana the Whistleblower on Channel 4?

Britain’s Channel 4 TV aired the documentary Sri Lanka’s Easter Bombings in its Dispatches programme on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, at 11. 05 p.m.

Voices of grief demand secrets from under the rubble

The 269 individuals who lost their lives to the Easter Sunday carnage may have never wished for such a brutal end. But their loved ones continue to live with flashbacks of the final memories they shared with the departed. Breaking the silence four years later, a chilling revelation by UK’s Channel 4 titled ‘Sri Lanka’s Easter Bombings’ narrates a more shocking tale of how the carnage was allegedly pre-planned. But whether the Easter Sunday carnag

Is MCC a Panacea or a Pandora’s Box for Countries in South Asia?

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is an independent United States government agency that was established in 2004. Its primary goal is to reduce poverty through economic growth in developing countries. The MCC provides funding and technical assistance to eligible countries for projects that promote sustainable development and poverty reduction.

Nagesh the King of Comedians in Tamil Cinema

The Tamil cinema firmament has produced a galaxy of stellar comedians over the years. Arguably the greatest comedian ever seen in Tamil cinema was Nagesh.

Is Sri Lanka on the mend?

Sri Lanka, known for its scenic beauty and rich cultural heritage, has long been grappling with economic challenges that have hindered its growth potential. With the effects of the global pandemic exacerbating its pre-existing issues, Sri Lanka faced mounting debt, declining foreign reserves, and a plummeting tourism industry.

Operation Fonny: Shameful Arrest of Ex-Army Chief Fonseka by the Army

Sri Lanka’s one and only Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka is very much in the news lately. The Gampaha District MP and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Chairman launched a People’s Revolution protest campaign against waste, corruption, irregularities and mismanagementon August 11, 2023.

Human carelessness, main cause of wildfires raging across Sri Lanka

2500 hectares. That’s the approximate extent of forests and grasslands that have been destroyed over the past seven months due to raging....

BUDDHIST PRELATE MUCH ADORED BY TAMIL PEOPLE

The conduct and pronouncements of some prominent Sinhala Buddhist monks have in recent times contributed greatly towards the deterioration of inter-ethnic amity and inter-faith relations in this country. It is indeed a matter of grave concern that the “antics” of these “patriotic” Buddhist monks have created a very negative image of the Buddhist clergy among the Island’s non -Buddhists in general and North-eastern Tamils in particular.

Pilots’ plight at SriLankan Airlines

In recent times, the skies above SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka, have become clouded with concerns expressed by pilots and their union. As the aviation industry continues to deal....

Lanka’s Finest Foreign Minister

Sri Lanka’s finest Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated in Colombo by a suspected sniper of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on August 12, 2005.

President’s Committee to Revolutionise Healthcare: Focus on Prof. Bibile

President Wickremesinghe aims to bolster the nation’s healthcare system by formulating a new Medical Act within six months....

The tale of the bridge on the bridge

During bilateral discussions between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 21, the two sides had agreed to conduct a feasibility study to establish land connectivity between the two countries for developing access to the ports of Trincomalee and Colombo, apart from connectivity in air, maritime, trade and energy domains.

President’s visit to India: Opportunity or crisis?

President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to India has sparked both excitement and concern among the citizens of Sri Lanka. The visit, aimed at strengthening economic ties and exploring various cooperation opportunities, has the potential to bring about much-needed development to the island nation. However, there are concerns that this visit may compromise Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and economic independence, turning it into a vassal state of India.