Let me begin this article with a few paragraphs excerpted from William Mcgowan’s book about Sri Lanka “Only man is Vile”   

The marathon protest march “Jana Satana Pada Yathra” launched by loyalists of former President and current Kurunegala district MP Mahinda Rajapaksa is currently underway in Sri Lanka. The march organized by pro – Mahinda political s

Violence reared its ugly head again in the Northern city of Jaffna on Saturday July 16th, 2016 when student groups fought each other within the Jaffna varsity precincts in Thirunelvaeli known generally  as Thinnaivaeli.

The finest phase in the history of peaceful political protest by Sri Lankan Tamils was in 1961. A non-violent “Satyagraha” campaign conducted by the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) virtually paralyzed the administration in the predomi

“All changed, changed utterly” – The memorable lines from Irish poet Yeats came true on the morning of July 2, 2016 for Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy after he received a telephone call at 6. 30 am. The early caller was none other than M

The Central Bank Governor crisis has been dominating the political landscape at a national level for the past few weeks. However other issues too have surfaced at sub-national level. For instance the question of Muslim political leadership has been c

“Kollanta Pavement, Kellanta Garment” was a humorous saying frequently repeated during the days of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa. It was an allusion made in lighter vein about the proliferation of garment factories employing girls

(Former National List MP and Prominent Academic – Author  Rajiva Wijesinha has a reputation for speaking out forthrightly on issues affecting the nation at large. In this exclusive interview with the “Daily Mirror”  Prof.W

Jayalithaa “Amma” has done it again! The supreme leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (AIADMK)has triumphed at  polls  held for the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Rajiv Ratna Gandhi – India’s Prime Minister from 31st October 1984 to December 2nd 1989  was assassinated  at Sriperumbudur in the Indian state of  Tamil Nadu exactly twenty – five years ago on May 21st 1991.  Ra

Former Sri Lankan Army Commander  Sarath Fonseka came out with a bombshell statement some days ago in Parliament. The ex-army chief now a Cabinet minister in the Sirisena – Wickremesinghe Government accused his erstwhile comrade -at - arms

A widespread security crackdown has been underway in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. Over  20 former members of the Liberation Tigers of  Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organisation have been reportedly  taken into custody  o

The  “Good Governance” Government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe  has embarked upon a historic exercise to enact a new Constitution for Sri Lanka. 

A 44-year old  Kandyan Sinhalese  widow of aristocratic “Radala”  lineage  gained global fame for her country in 1960  when she became the world’s first woman prime minister. She was none other than Sirimavo

“Maestro”  Lester James Peries  will celebrate his 97th  birthday next  Tuesday. The  master movie maker  of Sinhala cinema was born on April 5th 1919. Lester James Peries is the man whom I regard as the grea

Mangaiyarkkarasi Amirthalingam known widely among Tamils at one time as “Mangai Akka”(elder sister Mangai) passed away at the age of 82 in Britain where she had been residing for the past 27 years.

Our sister paper “Sunday Times”revealed details  last week about an incident of friction between a senior cabinet minister and a senior military official that  had occurred in Jaffna  a few weeks earlier. 

The Birth Centenary of Sri Lanka’s third executive President Dingiri Banda (DB) Wijetunga was celebrated  last week. DB  Wijetunga was born  during British rule on February 15, 1916. He passed away on September 21, 2008 at the ag

Gardihewa Sarath Chandralal Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s one and only Field Marshall is very much in the news these days. The former army chief who was once described as the “world’s best military commander” by former Defence Secretar

“Sri Lanka Thaayae, Nam Sri Lanka,Namo, Namo, Namo,Namo Thaayae..” (Sri Lanka Mother, our Sri Lanka,we salute,salute,salute,salute thee)

The premier political configuration representing the Tamils of Sri Lanka in the Northern and Eastern provinces is the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

A news report from the Vatican Information Service(VIS)  datelined January 14th 2016 stated that  His Holiness Pope Francis has  accepted the resignation presented by Bishop Rayappu Joseph upon reaching the age limit...

For  more than two decades the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC)  has remained the foremost  political party of the Sri Lankan Muslims. The SLMC co-founded  and...

Political developments in Sri Lanka during  the post–independence years have devalued the concept of power sharing through the federal idea. Each major ethnicity has viewed the question suspiciously through its particular prism. 

The new year has dawned on a note  of hope and  optimism for Sri Lanka. On January 9, 2016 President Maithripala Sirisena is scheduled to present a resolution in Parliament proposing that Parliament be converted into a Constitutional Assemb

Blessings of Christmas are once again  upon us all! Even as we immerse ourselves in this universal season of peace and great joy,   my thoughts hark back to a terrible incident which marred the spirit of Christmas and sanctity of a Church a

Veteran Indian Journalist P.K.Balachandran who has been resident in Sri Lanka for many years has over the years  acquired  a remarkable insight into the politics and politicians of  the Island known once as the pearl of the Indian ocea

Political tensions  prevailing  within the Tamil National Alliance(TNA) underwent a dramatic transformation last week. In an unexpected twist’, Leader of the Opposition and TNA leader , Rajavarothayam Sampanthan...

The age of seventy or three score and ten  regarded as the span of life  has a special aura about it. The Bible (psalm 90 verse 10) says “The days of our years are threescore years and ten...

The Investigation launched by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has in accordance with its terms of reference   probed the period of time from the 2002 February  ceasefire until the end of the war in