The hotel project after reaching its completion

• When the proposal to construct the floating hotel was initially presented, the Central Environmental Authority questioned Kelum Perera about its feasibility
• The designer of this facility claims that it is the first time that a floating hotel complex has been constructed featuring all facilities in one place

The primary source of income for the people in Bolagala area in Negombo was the clay industry. The manufacture of clay-related products such as tiles and bricks enhanced their livelihoods. Despite the prosperity resulting from their involvement in the clay industry, large pits, measuring 40-50 feet deep, were dug to extract clay from around 200 acres of land. Consequently, significant environmental damage could be observed in Bolagala.

Although profits were generated from clay production, what remains in the area today are not expanses of land, but rather pits filled with water, resembling small lakes from a distance. After the clay extraction, the pits were not adequately refilled with soil; allowing water to accumulate. Large pits spanning hundreds of acres were excavated for clay extraction, but the failure to properly close them resulted in significant environmental damage.

Pits in those lands needed either large amounts of soil or sand to be fully covered. This required bringing soil and sand from other areas; which was both costly and time-consuming. Consequently, an alternative solution to mitigate this environmental damage was explored. A person by the name of Kelum Perera, who was once involved in the clay industry, proposed constructing a floating hotel complex on the land spreading for hundreds of acres. The land was subject to excavating activities and was in a destroyed state. Initially, it appeared to be a promising endeavour, but as the project commenced, it became burdensome as there was little interest in the floating hotel complex.

200 direct and indirect job opportunities

When the proposal to construct the floating hotel complex was initially presented, the Central Environmental Authority questioned Kelum Perera about its feasibility in Sri Lanka and requested a sample floating hotel room to be produced for demonstration. Despite the submission of the plan- after the prototype’s creation- immediate approval for the project wasn’t guaranteed. Numerous obstacles arose, stemming from both government officials and political influences. A prominent politician, who operates a sand refinery in the area, also joined in opposing the construction of the floating hotel complex. As a result, the construction of the hotel complex was subject to a delay of about a year. Upon the completion of the floating hotel complex and its utilization of water from the clay pits, insufficient water remained for the sand purification operations of the said politician. Refusing to halt sand refining activities due to the hotel, the politician sought to portray the hotel construction as creating environmental damage in the area, according to Kelum Perera.

“It was shown that upon the construction of the hotel, all its waste will be disposed of into the water in the pits; resulting in another environmental issue. Additionally, the floating hotel complex requires continuous access to water. In this context, it was alleged that the spring water of the area will be utilized for these pits; leading to a shortage of water for the villagers, even for drinking purposes. Claims were made that following the construction and opening of the hotel, villagers will find themselves unemployed, as there will no longer be any area left for clay excavation. The politician worked to rally villagers against the project. There were many such accusations. After the construction of the hotel there were accusations that the water was drained by excavating the banks using backhoes. All efforts were aimed at halting its construction. Despite encountering these obstacles, I built the world’s first floating hotel complex,” said Kelum Perera. 

“The politician worked to rally villagers against the project. There were many such accusations. After the construction of the hotel there were accusations that the water was drained by excavating the banks using backhoes. All efforts were aimed at halting its construction. Despite encountering these obstacles, I built the world’s first floating hotel complex”

- Kelum Perera, Designer of the hotel 

Hotel rooms, restaurants and swimming pools-made using the concept of floating structures- exist separately around the world. However, for the first time ever, a floating hotel complex has been constructed with all facilities in one place. “This concept emerged based on my idea of revitalizing the area, that had been excavated and left barren. The Geological Survey & Mines Bureau spearheaded this initiative and provided comprehensive support throughout the process,” he said. According to Perera, he and his team had successfully overcame numerous obstacles along the way; not forgetting the help offered by the local authorities.

“It is worth acknowledging that the world’s first floating hotel complex was exclusively created using local technology and under the supervision of local engineers. Situated in a vast clay pit spanning 13 acres, this hotel, named Bolagala Agro Floating Resort, stands as the first ever floating hotel complex. Approximately 2 billion rupees was spent on this project; exceeding the initially planned budget of 1.25 billion rupees. The 13-acre site of the hotel has depths ranging from 30 to 50 feet. This hotel has 37 rooms, including 10 separate floating rooms managed through GPS technology. Moreover, the fiberglass swimming pool and restaurant can be relocated as desired. Visitors can dine, bathe, and sleep while floating, and also enjoy services such as massages done underwater. The resort also offers an array of amenities, including water sports and bike rides,” said Perera.

When visiting this area, one can experience that the natural environment hasn’t been disturbed. All the waste generated by the hotel is repurposed as organic fertilizer for cultivation. Following the greenhouse concept, fruits and vegetables are cultivated alongside each room; allowing tourists to pick and enjoy them at their leisure. Additionally, through fish, crab, and shrimp farming, visitors can satisfy their seafood cravings in keeping with their preferences.

Booking a room at this hotel might cost a guest around US$ 400. “Our primary objective is to attract tourists who would otherwise visit countries like Malaysia and the Maldives. The company’s goal is to bring revenue to the country and provide tourists with an unforgettable experience. The new hotel complex has the potential to generate more income than the closed down section of the clay industry which, when operated, was done in a manner that damaged the environment,” he said. 

This hotel project has topped the list in the world’s best project selection programme which was organised by the World Bank. Perera said that the World Bank had donated 500,000 US$ to aid the construction of this facility. Additionally, in line with the hotel concept, a rural village setting has been introduced. Here, an old village featuring traditional medicinal practices, traditional industries, sweets, and food will be available throughout the day. It is noteworthy that a village, complete with a village headman and Bali, Thovil, Shanthikarma and handicraft industry, has been established as part of this initiative.

“While many focus on building hotels, we took to this project from a different angle. Our primary goal is to position this hotel as a focal point of conversation within Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. Making a significant contribution to the advancement of tourism in Sri Lanka would be where we are heading in terms of success,” he said. Perera also mentioned that this hotel has created approximately 200 direct and indirect job opportunities for the local community. 

The local engineers who designed this hotel complex also prioritised addressing security during heavy rains and floods. Even during a severe shower the water does not infiltrate hotel rooms and the complex remains stable without overturning or other risks if water levels rise or there are floods. Additionally, the hotel has been uniquely designed so that in the event of the pits filling with water due to heavy rain or flooding, the structure will rise along with the water level. 

“Restoring a devastated environment to its green state is no simple task, but we have successfully accomplished that. We’ve planted valuable woody and medicinal plants around the hotel. Additionally, guests staying at this hotel will experience an atmosphere more akin to a farm than a traditional hotel,” said Perera adding that being able to rejuvenate a once-destroyed environment in this manner is truly a triumph.

An art piece by Mahesh Aluthge

This fascinating story is about a very special individual who exemplified the virtue of perseverance, the gift of knowledge and skills, and unfathomable passion for art.
His name is Mahesh Aluthge, a mechanical engineer, who graduated from the University of Moratuwa. He now calls Brisbane, Australia his home. In recent times, Mahesh received recognition from elite fine arts societies in Queensland. Currently he has a home art gallery and a virtual art gallery where he attracts art enthusiasts who value his work.
Since his childhood, a glimpse of his born talent started to unveil through his drawings made out of charcoal, pencils and pastels. During early days, his surreal art in charcoal, pencils and ballpoint pen was quite popular among his peers and teachers at his primary and secondary schools. He believes that the practice of art helped him later with his engineering designs.
His brush and canvas mostly create beautiful landscapes, portray nature and human feelings via abstract and realistic art forms. His critics believe that he possesses the makings of a high calibre artist.

In his view, born skills are not essential to become a good artist but having born skills can make the journey more convenient especially if you have an artist’ eye. In his view this special attribute can be developed if you are committed to growing your skills.
He was asked about the prospect of becoming a professional artist in Australia, he expressed that it’s a very challenging trade for someone to become a full-time artist. In his view it’s not wise to give up your normal profession and totally rely on selling paintings to sustain your family’s income.
Technical advancements and novel trends can also pose a threat to a developing artist. Conventional artists need to find new ways to survive and thrive in the current environment.

Pahan Tharuwa outreach programme takes on two main forms: an Ordinary Level Seminar series and a health camp. For the past three years, the Ordinary Level seminar series has been held continuously at the Doluwa Maha Vidyalaya. The programme is conducted over a seven-week period with an emphasis on the subjects English, Mathematics and Science. The seminars are conducted not as a replacement for normal primary education, but as an adjunct to it to prepare students for the examination. The Doluwa Maha Vidyalaya is a school situated barely a kilometre away from the Doluwa town which houses many students from less affluent families. The administrators of the school explained that, while the academic performance of the school was nothing to boast about, there was a significant upward trend in their Ordinary Level examination results since the beginning of the seminar series. 
Pahan Tharuwa 2024 health camp was held at the Sri Pragnarathana Central College, Gelioya, aiming to serve the residents of the area of Gelioya. Surgical and medical consultations were provided and any pharmaceutical prescriptions, obtained via the health camp, were also fulfilled, completely free of charge, using a stock of both donated and purchased pharmaceutical drugs.

“While Pahan Tharuwa”, may come across as simply a musical show, featuring popular classical artists of Sri Lanka, in reality, it is much more. The smiles that are seen on the students faces, the relief and gratefulness that is palpable during the health camp, all contribute to making every effort worthwhile,” one of the organisers of the outreach programme commented. The organisers said that they sincerely wish to expand this programme, but that could only be done through the contributions and support that these hardworking students and what they receive from their own faculty and the community. “As undergraduates of one of the most prestigious universities in South Asia and as representatives of free health care, we wish to repay the debt we owe to the community and that is what Pahan Tharuwa is all about” said the undergraduate. 

A protest against the government’s cremation-only policy in December, 2020 
Photo by Pradeep Dilrukshana 

• According to Prof. Channa Jayasumana the Task Force was never empowered to take a decision on the 
• burial issue
• The cremation policy caused immense distress to the Muslim community whose members were also accused by some authorities of posing the greatest risk of spreading the virus
• The World Health Organization approved burials for 
• COVID-19-related deaths, emphasising the absence of evidence for groundwater contamination 

 “I was not allowed to see my baby for the last time and that haunts me even today. It’s an inconsolable sadness,” Mohamed Fahim, the father of 20-day-old baby Shaykh, who was forcibly cremated back in December 2020, told Daily Mirror. Fahim and his wife, who were blessed with a baby after six years, are still reeling from the pain of being deprived of giving their baby a religiously-mandated burial. 
“When my father passed away, we didn’t inform our mother. We were worried that she would fall ill. And if anything happened to her, we were afraid that we’d have to cremate her too. When my father was taken to the Udumulla Crematorium, area residents protested, fearing the smoke released during cremation would affect them. When we were taken for quarantine, we were transported in buses escorted by the Police and Army and there were sirens blaring. We were taken like criminals or terrorists. We were under immense stress during that period,” Fayaz Joonus somberly recalled, reflecting on the events that transpired around the time of his father’s death in April 2020. His 73-year-old father was among the earliest Muslims to be cremated.
“After my father was cremated, a medical officer appeared in an interview on a popular media channel and claimed that my father had links to drug addicts in Suduwella and Ja-ela. These claims are false. My father was suffering from a kidney-related illness and could barely walk for 2-3 weeks before being admitted for COVID-19. He wasn’t a drug addict; in fact, he was a retired mechanical foreman at the Department of Prisons. We contacted the medical officer directly and asked him how he could make such allegations without knowing the patient. He responded by saying that they had come across this information. The case is still pending with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL),” Joonus added.
The stories of Fahim and Joonus are just two harrowing experiences under Sri Lanka’s ‘cremation-only’ policy for COVID-19 deaths; justified by a claimed risk of groundwater contamination. This policy was imposed despite the World Health Organization (WHO) approving burials for COVID-19-related deaths, emphasising the absence of evidence for groundwater contamination. The policy, criticised against for discriminating against Muslims and certain Christian groups, drew condemnation from international organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and UN bodies. Despite the global outcry, the government persisted in enforcing the cremation policy based on recommendations from an expert committee appointed by the Ministry of Health.
Apart from having to helplessly stand by and watch their loved ones being cremated, the policy caused immense distress to the Muslim community whose members were also accused by some authorities of posing the greatest risk of spreading the virus. This was presumed to be due to many in the community delaying seeking treatment for fear of cremation. Notably, there was also an incident where an individual contacted a popular media channel requesting them to provide a breakdown of the COVID-19 deaths by ethnicity in their daily reports.

What caused the recent apology?

Early this month, Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Jeevan Thondaman extended an apology to the Muslim community for the pain inflicted on many families by the enforced cremation policy. He alongside Minister Ali Sabry announced plans to submit a Cabinet paper seeking a formal government apology for the harm caused.
Thondaman explained that since assuming office as the subject Minister he had requested officials to conduct an independent study to determine the truth about allegations of groundwater contamination through COVID burials. “The findings of this study have now proven to us that the concerns regarding water contamination were misguided and the decision to forcefully cremate those who succumbed to COVID-19 was not based on any science,” Thondaman stated in a Tweet.  Days later, President Ranil Wickremesinghe acknowledged the challenges and “immense distress” that “the pandemic posed” on the Muslim community in conducting last rites. 
A press release from the President’s Media Division announced the establishment of a new committee to coordinate arrangements for the last rites of individuals in keeping with their religious customs or the final wishes, including those within the Muslim community.
“Future legislation will enable individuals to carry out their last rites in accordance with their religious beliefs or final wishes, ensuring everyone’s right to burial or cremation. We are committed to formulating the necessary regulations to honour individuals’ preferences in this regard,” the press release added.
The President, however, made no mention of an official apology.

What does the recent research say? 

The recent research that inspired Minister Thondaman’s apology is an update to a study conducted in 2021 by the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. The initial study investigated the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in surface and wastewater across various locations in Sri Lanka to assess the risk of viral transmission through water.
When contacted by Daily Mirror, a representative of the Ministry of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development - who spoke on terms of anonymity- clarified that the recent update was a comprehensive review of all literature available on the subject. This review compiled all published data related to COVID-infected burials and groundwater contamination from around the world. 
“The COVID virus doesn’t survive for more than two days after the patient who contracted it dies. If proper WHO guidelines are followed with deep burials in sealed body bags, there is no possibility of the virus contaminating water. In a worst case scenario, if by chance the virus does seep into the water, with the addition of 0.5mg per litre of chlorine to drinking water, the virus will not be able to survive at all. However, there is a risk of groundwater contamination through faeces and urine from COVID-19 patients, as the previous study conducted in 2021 found,” the representative explained.

Who should really apologise?

Daily Mirror reached out to the then State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation, Prof. Channa Jayasumana, to obtain his opinion on the cremation policy and about the discussion of a formal apology from the government.
“From the beginning, I was of the opinion that cremation, disregarding religious beliefs, was not appropriate or acceptable. At the same time, there was no scientific evidence to support the claim that the virus could spread through COVID-infected burials and contaminate groundwater. It’s impossible, and is basic biological knowledge. By definition, viruses are inactive forms and need living tissues for survival. The decision taken by certain people was unscientific. At that time, I expressed my displeasure regarding this particular decision. As far as I know, this decision was taken by a panel of experts who were basically non-medical persons. We were never contacted for our opinions. I was also wrongly accused of being in support of the cremation-only policy. But it was not me who was in favour of it. It was someone else who went by the same first name,” Prof. Jayasumana said. 
Reflecting on the meetings of the Presidential Task Force, established to combat COVID-19, Prof. Jayasumana mentioned that a senior official responsible for intelligence services made a statement asserting that the burial of Muslim bodies could cause tensions between ethnic groups. “The particular official said that if Muslims were allowed burials, extremist groups may exhume the bodies and cremate them. But it was obvious that during a pandemic, nobody would take the risk of exhuming bodies,” said Prof. Jayasumana. 
However, he also added that the Task Force was never empowered to take a decision on the burial issue.
Prof. Jayasumana added that if anyone should apologise, it should be the expert committee that recommended the cremation of bodies and not the subject Minister of Water Supply. “The government has some responsibility, but the ones who took this decision should be the ones who must apologise.” 
Attempts made to contact the then Health Minister, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, to obtain a comment were futile.

Is an apology a step in the right direction?

Helpless against the government’s imposition of the policy as well as the subsequent oppression by certain authorities, aggrieved parties sought the intervention of the HRCSL. 
Explaining the position of the Commission, Prof. Deepika Udagama, who served as the Chairperson of HRCSL during this period, informed Daily Mirror that if the Government had provided internationally accepted credible evidence of groundwater contamination through COVID-infected burials, the Commission would have accepted the decision. 
“However, in the absence of such evidence, we wanted to understand the rationale behind the authorities’ refusal to permit burials. We were unaware of who the scientific authorities that the government relied on. There was some indication that it was the University of Sri Jayewardenepura that commissioned a report. I cannot recall what the outcome was. If the government had scientific evidence, they should have presented it to the public categorically. My recollection is there was no such evidence,” opined Prof. Udagama. 
She added that although the Commission wrote to the Health Ministry requesting reasons for disregarding WHO directives pertaining to burials, they did not receive a response from the Ministry.
Speaking of a likely apology, Prof. Udagama said, “If the apology is sincere and is issued officially by the government, then it is a step in the right direction for a country that is not used to apology or accountability. Of course, the community affected has to decide on whether an apology is sufficient, because it was an extremely painful ordeal. From these painful episodes of our history, we have to learn lessons for our future.”

Would an apology suffice?

Human rights activist Shreen Abdul Saroor shared that many families affected by the cremation policy were still reeling from the distress of being deprived of performing the religiously-mandated last rites for their loved ones.
“On March 27, 2020, a circular from the Ministry of Health allowed for deep burials or cremations within 24 hours. However, when the first Muslim suspected of COVID died in Negombo on March 30, he was cremated within hours without family members being able to view the procedure. Later, the circular was revised, and the option for deep burials was removed. These were calculated moves by the then government and its structures to spread hate against Muslims, and thus, they came up with this racist policy. We went to the Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case; and the HRCSL could not deliver much,” said Saroor.
On December 1, 2020, by a majority decision, the Supreme Court dismissed twelve Fundamental Rights petitions challenging the Sri Lankan government’s cremation policy. These petitions were filed on grounds that it violated the right to freedom of religious belief and faith.
Speaking on whether an apology would be acceptable, Saroor said, “If this government is genuinely interested in delivering justice to victims of forced cremations, they need to get to the root of the racist policy and structures that were behind it and ensure that there is guaranteed non-recurrence. We know that both Minister Thondaman and the President are interested in this topic now because they need Muslim votes, and if that is the case then let them come up with a mechanism that can deliver justice to the aggrieved, not an apology”. 
When queried if he would consider forgiving the government if an official apology was issued, Fahim, mentioned earlier in this story, responded by saying, “It is only the people who were affected by this that know of its pain. Why should they ask for forgiveness now? No matter how much they apologise, I am not willing to forgive them.”
Joonus, mentioned at the inception of this story, also expressed similar sentiments about an apology from the government by saying, “I don’t know if a simple apology can reverse the pain, difficulties and stress we underwent. Minister Thondaman wasn’t involved in any of this. Why is he apologising for others’ mistakes? Justice should be served to those who were victimised at the time.”

Commissioner of Sri Lanka Inventors Commission Cyril Suduwella

The country marked another ‘World Creativity and Innovations Day’ on April 21 with a firm resolution to do better in the year ahead. Of course, we can be proud of our achievements but can we afford to rest on our laurels when the world constantly looks for new solutions to its unending problems?

The Daily Mirror spoke to the Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Inventors Commission Cyril Suduwella for his views on the role of the Commission in supporting the state in its journey towards achieving excellence in the creative sphere.

Q  How do you see creative ideas taking form and growing into strong enterprises? 

The Sri Lanka Inventors Commission currently operating under the purview of the Ministry of Education is at the forefront of bringing out the innovative capabilities of the nation which has made  noteworthy progress in the sphere of innovations across all sectors of the economy. The Commission was established by the Sri Lanka Inventors Incentives Parliament Act. No. 53 of 1979.It was a concept of the visionary  leader  Minister Lalith Athulathmudali. The main objective of setting up the Commission was to promote Sri Lankan inventions and innovations by providing technical, financial, and legal assistance to local inventors and innovators. 
The Commission encourages and promotes creative ideas of every segment of the society. As per the provisions of the Act, the Commission  supports inventors who have already filed patent rights for pending patents. Converting potential creative ideas into innovations is important. Thereby innovations  can be patented and converted into Intellectual Property (IP) assets. Some of the initiatives carried out by the Commission to convert creative ideas into IP assets and create an innovative culture in the country are:

  
Conducting programmes and workshops to raise awareness among people on the importance of inventions and innovations for the economy. 
Conduct mini-exhibitions in schools. 
Hold patent workshops. 
Conduct teacher-training programmes with the Ministry of Education. 
Holding the “Sahasak Nimewum” exhibition for innovations. 
Converting the “Sahasak Nimewum” initiative into an international event. 
Support from the Commission: 
Technical and financial support to file patent figures. 
Technical support for prototype development and  third-party certification through the incubator facility. 
Commercialization support. 
We have supported and converted inventions into enterprises. 
A tailor-made programme targeting various segments. For ex:- The“Inventor Champ” – with “Shardha Media” 

Q  Access to funding has been a major issue for SMEs and startups to develop. What are your views and suggestions on this?

 Access to funding has been a major issue for SMEs/startups to develop. In general, entrepreneurs have to take risks to achieve success in the commercialization journey. The process of converting inventions into innovations and achieving  success in commercialization is a tough task. However, inventors enjoy benefits such as (secured IP rights), a market monopoly for 20 years and creating a unique market as it is a novel product to the world. There is a major demand for non-tangible assets in countries like the USA which generates more than 30% of the revenue from IP assets and similarly a majority of developed countries generate a significant percentage of revenue from non-tangible assets. Earlier the Commission had financial schemes to assist the inventors’ fund and the innovator accelerator. Now the Commission has a special financial support mechanism for inventors from this year onwards. But due to various reasons and budget limitations and also to assure a sound return on investments to the country we are now proposing a new financial scheme to support local inventions.

Q  The ‘digital divide’ between rural and urban masses exists due to the high cost of broadband usage. What is your take on it and has the Commission taken up this matter with policymakers? 

Yes. A technology gap exists but when it comes to inventions and innovations it  may not be the case always. We agree with you that technology is  part and parcel of our lives and it plays a pivotal role in every sector. The ‘digital divide’ between urban and rural masses exists but in the case of inventions and innovation there isn’t a wide gap. Most of the work of inventors is aimed at addressing certain issues in society. The good side of it is when you come up with a solution on a commercial scale you have a market for your product. In 2016 with the intervention of the present Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha who was then the  Minister of Science and Technology and the approval of the Cabinet October 26 was declared National Inventors’ Day. We are planning to recognize and reward inventors who performed well in  2023.

Unable to swim with a ruptured swim bladder, fish injured by an underwater concussive blast slowly sink to the bottom of the sea. (Image courtesy of Dharshana Jayawardena)

In 2020, six people from Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India were arrested by the Ramanathapuram Police for attempting to smuggle around 5000 explosive materials similar to gelatin sticks, purportedly for blast fishing. According to a Times of India report, one of the groups was contacted by a fisherman from Sri Lanka. Police investigations revealed that the suspects were anticipating gold or other valuable items instead of money in exchange to the smuggled explosives. While many such explosives including detonators are being manufactured in Tamil Nadu and are being smuggled by boats to be distributed among Sri Lankan fishermen, incidents of dynamite fishing or blast fishing along the Sri Lankan coastal belt has increased by manifold over the recent past, posing a threat to unique maritime ecosystems. 

History of blast fishing

Hundreds of dead fish lying at the bottom of the sea bed off the Trincomalee coastline were caught on camera recently, proving the devastating effect of blast fishing. Speaking about the history of dynamite fishing in Sri Lanka, Arjan Rajasuriya, former Marine biologist at the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) said that dynamite fishing was done in a small scale using a catamaran during the 1950s and 1960s.

“People put dynamite in areas where larger shoals of fish would gather and later go about picking floating fish in the sea. Blast fishing is common off the shores of the southern coastline including areas such as Rumassala and Trincomalee. It later expanded to shipwrecks where people would use dynamite to collect scrap iron from shipwrecks off Galle for example in places such as Gintota,” said Rajasuriya. 

But divers and marine experts observe that blast fishing has expanded into an organized operation. “Blast fishing is now more prevalent off the shores of Gulf of Mannar, Arippu, Silavaturai and Vankalai, Vidathalthivu, the Northern side of Mannar, Punkudithivu – between Delft and Punkudithivu, Nilaveli, Kuchchaveli, near Fort Fredrick, Batticaloa, Vakarai, Mankerni, a little bit of dynamiting happens in Kalmunai, and then again around Hikkaduwa, Gintota and Boossa. The issue with blast fishing is that nobody sees these incidents as it happens some 4-5km away from the coastline,” he added. 

An attempt to maximize the catch

Explaining how blast fishing is being done, Rajasuriya said that fish aggregate around rocks, shipwrecks and reefs that rise above the seabed. “So fishermen tend to do dynamite fishing around these areas to maximize the catch. What people usually do is use a purse sein, a type of net that operates like a purse to catch a large number of fish. In this type of net, the top is left afloat while the bottom has been pursed. Dynamite is used when there’s a larger shoal of fish and there’s a danger of the net breaking due to struggling fish. When dynamite is used it stuns the fish and it’s the vibration that kills the fish. Fish have a specific organ in them called the swim bladder. It basically acts like a buoyancy compensator in scuba diving which allows the diver to alter the pressure. During a blast, the swim bladder and the nervous system in fish gets damaged due to concussion. Therefore some fish will float on water while others would sink to the bottom if their swim bladders burst,” he explained. 

Experts opine that fishermen are now equipped with scuba gear, cell phones and other equipment to maximise the catch. He further said that it is difficult to observe signs of a blast in a dead fish. “It could be a broken spine, bleeding gills, but these could be observed if the fish were closer to the origin of the blast. But the impact is less when you go further away from the origin of the blast. As the radius of the blast increase, it is difficult to determine how the fish died,” he added. 

What the law states 

Dynamite fishing is prohibited under PART IV of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act No. 2 of 1996. The law prohibits the use or possession of poisonous or explosive substances. It states that “No person shall –

use or attempt to use any poisonous, explosive or stupefying substance (including dynamite) or other noxious or harmful mater or substance in Sri Lanka Waters for the purpose of poisoning, killing, stunning or disabling any fish or other aquatic resources;
carry, or have in his possession any poisonous, explosive or stupefying substance (including dynamite) or other noxious or harmful material (not being a fishing net) or any substance for any purpose referred to in paragraph

An organised operation 

However, experts opine that dynamite fishing now takes place as an organised operation. A maritime expert, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, said that authorities need to keep a close watch on how local fishermen get their hands on these explosives, how they are being stored, transported and traded to other individuals across the country. “In order to stop blast fishing in the sea, the distribution of dynamite on land needs to stop immediately.

The Navy had arrested several individuals over the past few years and the operation continues. In the presence of dynamite fishing it is difficult to provide evidence in courts. And if suspects don’t possess dynamite at the time of arrest how can it be proven that they were the actual perpetrators,” the source questioned. 

The source further said that the law is already in place, but its effective enforcement is required. “The use of explosives against wild animals is already banned. Therefore all these acts are effective to apprehend culprits,” the sourced added.

Impact on marine tourism 

The Government of Sri Lanka is in the process of drafting a marine tourism master plan. But divers opine that illegal activities such as blast fishing would pose threats to marine tourism initiatives. “Who will pay money to come here and encounter a blast while diving in Sri Lankan waters,” Rajasuriya questioned. “There is no data to see what has been done with regards to the perpetrators. The Fisheries Department and Coastguard should be involved in communicating the information to the public,” he said.  

Tamil Nadu influence 

Apart from Trincomalee, many local fishermen resort to blast fishing as an easier method of stunning larger shoals of fish. “Fishermen in Kalpitiya use dynamite to stun schools of medium-sized fish (trevally / paraw) caught in laila nets - small mesh surrounding / ring nets, operating illegally close to the shore,” said Dr. Steve Creech, British Fish Biologist and Fisheries Expert who works along the West Coast, from Kalutara to Jaffna. “Fishermen in Mannar Town use dynamite to stun fish aggregated around brush piles set up in the southern part of the Palk Bay, including within the Vidaththalthivu Nature Reserve,” said Creech.

He further observed that dynamite fishing is being done by local fishermen only. Even though local fishermen along the Northern coastal belt have been threatened by the influx of Tamil Nadu fishermen, engaging in bottom trawling for example, Dr. Creech said that it is the local fishermen who engage in this illegal and prohibited activity. “Tamil Nadu fishermen enter Sri Lankan waters illegally, that is without a foreign fishing licence and engage in bottom trawling and mid-water trawling using trawers and gillnet fishing using country boats or vallams,” said Dr. Creech. 

“Dynamite is used when there’s a larger shoal of fish and there’s a danger of the net breaking due to struggling fish. When dynamite is used it stuns the fish and it’s the vibration that kills the fish,”
- Arjan Rajasuriya, former research officer at National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency

Further explaining the dispute between Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu, over fishing in Sri Lankan waters, Dr. Creech said that the Central Government in New Delhi is not advocating for the rights of Indian fishermen to fish in Sri Lankan waters. “My understanding is that the Government of India in New Delhi respects the agreements drawn up between Sri Lanka and India in 1974 and 1976 and the Exchange of Letters also in 1976 which gives effect to the International Maritime Boundary Line between Sri Lanka and India in the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay and Palk Straits and contains the following;

“With the establishment of the exclusive economic zones by the two countries, India and Sri Lanka will exercise sovereign rights over the living and non-living resources of their respective zone. The fishing vessels and fishermen of India shall not engage in fishing in the historic waters, the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone of Sri Lanka nor shall the fishing vessels and fishermen of Sri Lanka engage in fishing in the historic waters, the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone of India, without the express permission of Sri Lanka or India, as the case may be.” - ‘Exchange of Letters’ between Kewal Singh, Foreign Secretary to the Government of India and W. T. Jayasinghe , Secretary to Ministry of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Government of Sri Lanka dated 23 March 1976. ,” he added. “There are more than 5,000 trawlers in Tamil Nadu and if even one of these vessels is given the right (by issuing a licence) to fish in Sri Lankan waters, this will have the same devastating effect on Sri Lankan fishermen as they are experiencing currently, when more than 500 Tamil Nadu trawlers are fishing illegally in Sri Lankan waters every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings,” he said. 
“But it is the State Government of Tamil Nadu that is advocating for the rights of Tamil Nadu trawler owners (and country boats) to fish in Sri Lankan waters

Arrests and explosives seized in 2024 

The Sri Lanka Navy has been providing facilities to the Ministry of Fisheries as well as the Sri Lanka Coastguard to apprehend perpetrators engaged in dynamite fishing. So far six people have been arrested in relation to dynamite fishing including one on land and five at sea. “We have been conducting regular search operations and we conduct patrols using smaller vessels. Once we arrest suspects we handover the cases to the Fisheries Department in the particular area or to the olive to conduct further investigations,” said Sri Lanka Navy media spokesman Capt. Gayan Wickramasuriya.”

I want to respond to the report published in the Daily Mirror raising concerns about the fairness and transparency of the Indian Housing Project for the plantation community.
This report makes a serious allegation that the Indian Government’s decision to select the National Housing Development Authority and the State Engineering Corporation as the implementing partner as a scam.  This allegation questions the integrity of the processes adopted and decisions taken by the Indian Government and risks the strong bilateral relationship between our two countries.
The Indian High Commission has clarified in the article itself that the India funded housing project is being executed in phases with a transparent tender process led by India for selecting implementation agencies.
For the latest phase, both the NHDA and SEC were selected by the Indian Government based on criteria established by India itself. In this case, the Government of India has taken the decision that local housing building agencies are better suited to implement projects of this nature than private foreign NGOs. This should be a welcome decision and must be respected.  The Government of India is free to select the implementation agency for a project funded through the generosity of the people of India. The Government of India would have no intention of scamming the people of Sri Lanka, particularly the marginalised plantation community from this selection.
The contractors for the various housing schemes are selected by the NHDA with the participation of the Government of India.

In the article, the NHDA’s Senior Manager Development, Mr. Hemantha Tennakoon, has himself refuted allegations of any favouritism.  As outlined by him, the selection process for contractors is yet to commence and are required to follow guidelines and criteria agreed to by the Government of India.
The same requirement applies to the selection of beneficiaries for the houses. A criteria for selection of beneficiaries has been established together with the Government of India. As iterated by the NHDA in the article itself, it is the responsibility of the management of every estate together with the NHDA to ensure that all housing beneficiaries meet the established criteria. This list will be further cross checked by the Government of India.
Publishing allegations that my political party, the CWC, is selecting undeserving beneficiaries without appropriate fact and sense checking is hugely damaging to the reputation of the Indian Government.
The procedural details outlined above affirm that the governance and oversight mechanisms have been set up to ensure the successful completion of this project in a transparent manner. The portrayal of these administrative processes as compromised in the media is not only a misrepresentation of the efforts being undertaken by all parties involved, but is accusatory towards the Government of India, risking our bilateral relationship and India’s generosity to the marginalised plantation communities.
The article also highlighted the misappropriation of funds by an estate management official in the Elkaduwa estate. This misappropriation had occurred during Phase III of the Indian Housing Project. These pre-existing issues, including those connected to the previous NGOs implementing Phase III, were highlighted by the Indian High Commission to me shortly after I assumed office in January 2023. The letters mentioned by the article itself on the investigation of the misappropriation date back to April and August of last year and not this year (when the new Phase IV began).
Questions regarding past misappropriations under Phase III of the housing scheme should have rightly been directed by the journalist at the Ministers, MPs and officials in charge at that time. Unfortunately the journalist concerned has failed to direct those questions to the relevant MPs, despite having interviewed some of them for this article. Instead, the author attempts to wrongfully mislead readers by suggesting that this misappropriation is linked to the present phase of the housing scheme - which it wasn’t.
It is important to note that the current phase, Phase IV, of building 10,000 new homes commenced only in February this year under my direction.  As no funds have been misappropriated under the current phase, allegations suggesting otherwise are misleading and not rooted in the present administration’s actions.
I sincerely hope that the reputational damage caused to the Government of India by such an irresponsible and poorly written article does not discourage the generosity extended by the Government of India to the plantation community.

Despite the demoralising nature of these allegations, I remain committed in our mission to ensure that every aspect of this project is conducted with the utmost integrity, serving all members of the plantation community equitably and fairly.

Reporter’s Note
Following the Daily Mirror expose titled ‘Plantation Community Alleges Presence of Scam Behind Indian Housing Project’, the Ministry of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development, in their clarification state that the article has caused damage to the reputation of the Government of India (GoI). The Ministry has further stated that the Indian Government has no intention of scamming the people of Sri Lanka marginalizing the plantation community.
Although the Ministry claims that this article has caused damage to the GoI, it has failed to directly address the allegations on why the Estate Superintendents have failed to follow the instructions given by the GoI when selecting the beneficiaries. It is alleged that the representatives of the CWC trade union have demanded the Estate officials to put their members’ names to the list of beneficiaries. Hence the Ministry should know that it is these allegations which were raised with the newspaper by multiple sources that has caused damages to the Indian Government but not this newspaper.
It is also surprising why Minister Jeevan Thondaman failed to reply to any calls or messages directed to him, seeking a comment and his side of the story before the article went to print. 
 I stand by my reporting.

I write in response to the ‘Expose’ titled ‘Plantation community alleges presence of scam behind Indian Housing Project’ in Daily Mirror edition on 17 April 2024.
At the outset, we would like to mention that certain points mentioned in the Article are outdated and do not reflect the factual position with respect to the current status of Phase-IV of the Indian Housing Project. Further, a specific instance which refers to the Indian Housing Project in Elkaduwa estate pertains to Phase-III of the Project, under which 4000 houses are being constructed in plantation regions of Sri Lanka.
In the above backdrop, the following specific points may be noted:
i)  Selection process of Implementing Agencies - High Commission of India engaged four Implementing Agencies through a selection process in the second and third phases of Indian Housing Project. This included NHDA as well.

As regards Implementing Agencies for the fourth Phase, the High Commission of India followed a very transparent selection process – the details of which are available in newspapers and other open sources. An Expression of Interest was floated and several interested parties including those who were associated with the third and fourth phases responded to the same (Relevant newspaper notice is attached). Thereafter, the selection process involved both technical and financial evaluation of the bids submitted by interested parties. These bids were opened in front of all the parties and evaluation results were duly publicized. The technical evaluation results clearly detail the scores which each of the entities obtained along different evaluation parameters. 

The relevant link is placed herewith - 

Following the publication of results and decision to award work to NHDA and SEC, the parties were given the chance to seek clarifications, if any and no such clarifications were received. Therefore, the process of awarding work to NHDA and SEC was done in a manner that was to the satisfaction of all concerned.

ii)  Contractors/Suppliers associated with Phase-IV – Both NHDA and SEC published notices for selecting contractors/suppliers to be associated with Phase-IV of Indian Housing Project. The relevant link on NHDA website is as below https://www.nhda.gov.lk/latest-news/91  The said notice details out the evaluation parameters in depth. Selection of such contractors/suppliers shall be carried out strictly on the basis of documents submitted by the participating entities. The said process will involve the High Commission of India as well.
iii) Current status – As is true with all development projects implemented by Government of India in Sri Lanka, needs of the people and priorities of the Government of Sri Lanka are at its very heart. Driven by this philosophy, certain aspects of a project like beneficiaries, site selection etc are decided by the Sri Lankan authorities. In case of Phase-IV of Indian Housing Project, both Governments have mutually agreed on eligibility criteria for beneficiaries. As on date, High Commission of India has not received the list of beneficiaries from Sri Lankan authorities. Further, High Commission of India is aided by the Implementing Agencies to ensure that the list of beneficiaries meet the prescribed eligibility conditions.
In closing, I would like to mention that India’s overall development portfolio in Sri Lanka stands at close to USD 5 billion with USD 600 million being in grants alone.  Projects under the bilateral development cooperation partnership are people-centric in nature and India has touched upon all aspects of daily lives such as education, health, livelihood development, housing, among others. Transparency is a central principle which we strictly adhere to in the execution of projects in Sri Lanka.

 ‘Exposes’ with sensational and misleading titles does not reflect the spirit of India’s multi-dimensional engagement with Sri Lanka, while also creating a biased impression about India and the projects executed by us for the people of Sri Lanka.  You are, therefore, requested to kindly capture the specific points outlined in this letter and carry a clarifications/ rejoinder in the next daily edition of Daily Mirror so as to suitably inform its readers of the actual state of play with respect to Phase IV of Indian Housing Project.

Reporter’s Note -
The Daily Mirror wishes to state that the newspaper at any point did not accuse or level allegations against the Indian Government or the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka for their involvement in any scams in the Indian Grant housing project for the plantation community, but only highlighted how a powerful trade union is attempting to get the Estate Superintendents to include names of their trade union members as beneficiaries.
Although the High Commission in its statement claims that the Daily Mirror has given a ‘sensational and misleading title’ to the article, the Daily Mirror wishes to state that this newspaper at any instance did not mislead our valued readers by giving wrong information but highlighted the factual details.

Attachments to sensual objects increase our greed, clinging and grasping, and keep us bound to the wheel of samsara

The Buddha using analogy stated that the mind with five mental hindrances is comparable to gold contaminated with five impurities such as iron, copper, tin, lead, and silver which make the gold not pliant, wieldy, or luminous but brittle and cannot be wrought well

Nyanaponika Thera in his Buddhist writings states: “unshakable deliverance of the mind is the highest goal in Buddha’s doctrine. Here deliverance means; the freeing of the the mind from all limitations, fetters, and bonds that tie it to the Wheel of Suffering, to the Circle of Rebirth. It means cleansing the mind of all defilements that mar its purity; removing all obstructions that impede its progress from the mundane (lokiya)to the supermundane consciousness (lokuttara citta )that is, to Arahatship”. 

Life’s spiritual path is paved with many hindrances and obstacles.  Out of those many obstacles, Buddhism stresses five recurring hindrances (Nivaranas) that impede a person’s spiritual progress. They are (1)Sensual desires (Kamachanda) derived from gratification from the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and physical sensation. (2), Ill will (Vyapada) feelings of hostility, resentment, hatred, and bitterness. (3), Sloth and Torpor(Thina Middha) halfhearted action with little or no effort or concentration (4), Restlessness and Worry(Uddachha Kukucha) inability to have a composed mind and focus one’s energy. (5), Skeptical Doubt or Indecision (vickiiccha) lack of conviction or trust in one’s abilities. These five hindrances are potent negative forces in the mind that make a person lose mindfulness, hinder his ability to see things as they are and become mentally focused and concentrated. Moreover, the five negative states of mind prevent a person from seeing clearly and making the right decisions and derail him from his spiritual path to liberation. These hindrances are forces of distraction encountered by a person engaged in meditative practice and his daily life. They prevent the development of concentration (Samadhi) which is a cornerstone of the path to liberation from suffering. It is only by constant and earnest efforts that the harmful influence of the five hindrances could be avoided.  The Buddha using analogy stated that the mind with five mental hindrances is comparable to gold contaminated with five impurities such as iron, copper, tin, lead, and silver which make the gold not pliant, wieldy, or luminous but brittle and cannot be wrought well. But the mind that is free from such hindrances will be malleable wieldy, luminous, and pliant and be able to concentrate properly by eradicating mental impurities and attain wisdom. It is believed the five mental defilements (kileses) are not inherently wrong as they can provide opportunities for deeper insights into the nature of life’s suffering, compassion, and deliverance. The hindrances occur to a greater or lesser extent in every person.
The first hindrance,  sensual desire is the craving derived from the gratification of our five senses: sight, sound, smell taste, and touch. It is normal for an average person to get tempted by alluring sensual objects. Lack of self-control results in the inevitable arising of passions. They arise from positive emotions associated with our senses but tend to cause us to lose track of our goals.

 It is in the very nature of sensual desires that they can never be satisfied as the mind is constantly detecting objects that are coming in through our five senses. There is no end to the seeking of our enjoyment of pleasurable objects and their sensation. These sensual objects arise and disappear as do all other phenomena. Once you enjoy them you are left with the same unsatiated desires for more gratification. As soon as a person experiences one object of sensual delight rather than finding contentment and satisfaction from it,  he becomes obsessed with new desires. A person who is obsessed with sensual pleasures assumes that happiness consists in submitting to the dictates of sensual desires but real happiness eludes him as craving for sensual pleasures becomes insatiable. This drives him to ceaseless pursuit of new sensual gratification. When the mind is attached to sensory experience it gives rise to too many attachments in the world and it becomes completely entangled in worldly ways and you become so trapped in delusion that you cannot see things in their true perspective. Attachments to sensual objects increase our greed, clinging and grasping, and keep us bound to the wheel of samsara.   Although the five hindrances cannot be eradicated before achieving stages of Awakening they can be lessened to a great extent through mindfulness.  The misconception that buddhism gives an unfair valuation to sensual pleasures, to the neglect of their positive aspects is not sustainable as the Buddha never dismissed sensual desires outright but admitted that sensuality can give a person a certain measure of happiness and satisfaction. But he declared that happiness based purely on sensuality is ephemeral and shortlived. It is the constant pursuit of sensory pleasures that bars inner peace, and mindfulness distracting us from our spiritual goals. that Buddhism does not approve of.  Seeking pleasure is natural but excessive craving can tether us to the wheel of samsara preventing deeper spiritual fulfillment. When that happens the hope of reaching the end of suffering would become dismal until you overcome the sensual desires that cloud your mind. 
 Antidotes to sensual desires include renunciation turning away from distracting stimuli, and investing the experience of desire with mindfulness that clouds our mind and prevents us from seeing the true nature of things.  Similarly, when we are overcome by sensual desires we should reflect and meditate on the true nature of our life and its ephemerality, and one day we are all going to end up as decaying corpses. This kind of reflection weakens lustful thinking as we realize the imminence of our death (Joseph Goldstein). Regarding sensual desires arising out of taste, a person is expected to indulge in moderate consumption of food solely for maintaining and sustaining the body not for enjoyment, beautifying, or adorning the body. Association and maintaining friendships with wise and noble friends also tend to mitigate sensual desires. 

The second hindrance ill-will is characterized by negative emotion towards a person, object, or situation. It refers to feelings of resentment, anger, and hostility. it is an unwholesome mental state that wishes harm and misfortune on others. It clouds our judgement, prevents us from looking at situations from their true perspective, and hampers our ability to feel compassion and empathy. A specific way of dealing with ill will when it is overpowering is to generate loving thoughts, wishing happiness, and love to all beings everywhere and the specific person towards whom you direct your anger. Although, initially, you may find it difficult to cultivate those wholesome thoughts eventually anger is bound to dissipate and the mind becomes calm and collected. Another insightful way of dealing with anger and aversion is to reflect upon the law of karma and understand that we are all heirs to our actions.   Kamma is an immutable law of cause and effect and we cannot avoid the consequences. The underlying intentions behind our actions determine the nature of their results. 
The third hindrance is sloth and torpor are a compound word that combines both the emotional and somatic aspects of excessively low energy. It is a morbid state of the mind that refers to physical laxity, mental dullness, and callous indifference. It can manifest as sleepiness, a lack of motivation, and depression.  It should not be understood as bodily drowsiness, because Arahhants who have conquered these two states, also experience bodily fatigue. (Narada). An antidote for strong sloth and torpor would be refreshing the body by giving it a rest so that our mind becomes clear-headed and focused. Engaging in walking meditation and vigorous bodily movement will also act as an antidote.   
The fourth hindrance is restlessness and worry. It is another impediment to spiritual progress. Here the restless mind is likened to flustered bees in a shaken hive so that the mind cannot concentrate and focus on wholesome things. Moreover, an agitated and flustered mind prevents calmness and blocks the spiritual path. Similarly, worry is just as detrimental. People who worry over one thing and another, over things done or left undone, and over misfortunes, are unable to have peace of mind.  These unwholesome states of mind prevent concentration.
The fifth and last hindrance is skeptical doubt. It refers to a loss of trust and faith in Dhamma. There are two types of doubt. An unhealthy and unwholesome doubt that undermines a person’s spiritual practice, and a healthy doubt that informs the spiritual practice.  A person entertaining healthy doubt should seek intelligent clarification and investigation of Dhamma as Buddha expounded in Kalama Sutta, while a person nursing unhealthy doubt is so prejudiced and cannot be convinced by any reasoning  A person engaged in meditative practice sometimes tends to evaluate his practice pondering constantly whether any benefit would accrue to him by it.  Any doubt and lack of confidence entertained by a person in this regard is bound to impede his spiritual practice. When a doubt arises in a person, it is important to recognize it as a doubt and realize that it is constantly changing. Another way to resolve a doubt concerning meditative practice is to seek clarification from a knowledgeable teacher. Any doubt entertained about any person or matter can evidence itself in a person’s behaviour and conduct, as a result of his unsettled state of mind. 
In brief, to subdue the hindrances a person has to develop five psychic factors known as jhana.  Sense desire is subdued by ekagatta one-pointedness or unification of the mind. Ill will by joy(piti) sloth and torpor by applied thought (vittakka) restlessness and worry by happiness(sukha) and doubt by sustained thought(vicara) Psychic factors raise a meditative person from lower to higher levels of mental purity.(Piyadassi). 

In the global society a handful of individuals emerge above others for their talent, contributions and services rendered for the benefit of others.
Among them are mostly scientists, inventor’s religious dignitaries and national heroes and philanthropists.
Most Ven Meewanapalane Siri Dhammalankara, is one such exemplary being who is worthy of appreciation.
The Thera was born on a New Year’s day in 1942.
Initially he was named as Sirisena Hapu Arachchi and hails from a remote village in Rigam Korale (Meewanapalana). He was the eldest son of William and Alice Hapu Arachchi in a family of five children.. Being a bright student he was sent to Thakshila VIdyalaya from where he entered the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya. He went on to become the first graduate from his village in 1963.

At first Sirisena attended the Government school in his village
Having passed his Bachelor’s degree, Sirisena proceeded to Haig University in Netherland to follow his post graduate studies on Agriculture.
Soon afterwards to furtherance his education he entered the North Carolina State University to study Economic Statistics.
On his return to his motherland, he served in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Co-operative, as a Statistician. During the Dudley Senanayake regime he was appointed as Chief Statistician to the Ministry of Education. During his tenure in office he introduced vast beneficial schemes for the benefit of students. Among these schemes were the ones that took into account dates pertaining to students not attending schools, student disputes, school uniforms for children, school text books and free mid-day meals for children with the aid of International childhood education fund. Afterwards the government implemented the programme of giving away free school uniforms and text book besides free mid-day meals.
Most sympathetically, for the estate workers’ children- who enjoyed free education facilities, up to grade five- were granted higher education opportunities.
In view of his vast experience and knowledge, Sirisena Hapu Arachchi was finally elevated to the post of Director General at the Ministry of Agriculture 2002 until his retirement.
At the time of his retirement Sirisena lived with his wife- the principal of a leading girl school- and two children. Briefly afterwards- in spite of his high social status and substantial means to live comfortably in retirement- Sirisena took a life-changing decision to enter the spiritual path.
As a stepping stone to achieve his Noble objectives his next move took him to a meditative retreat in Kurunegala.
Having spent one calendar year in meditation, Sirisena began to write scripts on his meditation experiences; which were subsequently printed and distributed among devotees for free.
On August l5, 2007. Sirisena Hapu Arachchi gave up his lay name to become a Buddha Putra.
Accordingly he received his ordination as Meewanapalane Siri Dhammalankara under the stewardship of Ven. Madalagama Vajirabuddhi Sangha Nayake of Amarapura Maha Nikaye Ratnapura.
Today Mewanapalane Maha Thera is internationally respected for his countless Dharmadeshana which can be followed on Youtube as well.
Beginning with writing Dhamma scripts the Maha Thera has completed a 500-page Dhamma volume; which has already seen 23 prints up to 2023.
He has also established Parama Nibbana Dharmayathanaya, with residential facilities for the benefit of local and foreign devotees.
We wish health and longevity to most Ven. Mewanapalane Siri Dhammalankara Maha Thera.
(The writer can be reached at [email protected]) 

File photo: Gaza’s health ministry says more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed

The UN which was quick to condemn Lanka failed to prevent the ongoing massacre in Palestine

The 47-member United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a Resolution on Sri Lanka “Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka” on  March 23, 2021. Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan voted against the Resolution. The motion was brought by Britain with the support of the US.

The Resolution pertains to our country’s 30-year civil war. It demands that “The Sri Lanka government ensures prompt, thorough and impartial investigation, and if warranted prosecution of all alleged crimes relating to human rights violations and serious violations of international human rights law.”
Around sixty-thousand Tamil civilians are estimated to have died in the military campaign which ended in 2009 with the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). 

Our governments, despite appointing numerous commissions and panels that submitted reports on the issue, failed to punish the culprits. 
Yes, justice needs to be done for the victims of war crimes.

In the more recent present, Francesca Albanese -United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories- speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, presenting her report, titled ‘Anatomy of a Genocide’ said: “There are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of the crime of genocide…has been met...”  She was speaking on the Israeli attacks on Gaza in Palestine since October last year.

On October 7 last year, the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israeli- occupied Palestine. The attack led to the death of over 1,000 Israelis, including civilians. Hamas also took hundreds of Israeli civilians hostage.
In retaliatory attacks, Israel has killed over 34,000 Palestinian civilians in Gaza during the past six months. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health over 10,000 of Gaza’s 1.1 million children -1% of the total child population have died in the Israeli assault on Gaza’s civilian population.

By November 2023, at least 21 of Gaza’s 35 hospitals had stopped functioning because of Israel’s attack on them. Israel also imposed a total blockade of water, food, fuel, and medicine to the inhabitants of Gaza since October 7, 2023. 

Cutting off water, attacks on hospitals and use of starvation as a method of warfare are banned under International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Israel has also attacked refugee camps, schools, universities and UN compounds housing Palestinian refugees.

Sadly, the UN though quick to condemn Lanka, failed to take any action to prevent the ongoing massacre in Palestine or even condemn Israel for the commission of genocide. 
This despite its own Special Rapporteur confirming Israel was committing genocide. 
Western leaders from President Biden merely spoke of Israel’s right to defend itself, completely ignoring the ongoing Israeli atrocities amounting to genocide in Palestine.

Strangely these same rules did not apply to Israel as they did when the West judged Lanka’s right to protect itself from a group whom the US Federal Bureau of Investigations described as being a bigger terrorist menace than either al Queda, ISIS or Hamas. 

However, public sympathy in the West for Israel has plummeted amidst its ongoing atrocities in Gaza. Massive anti-Israel protests have broken out across the US, the UK, the Middle East and the EU. 
Mainstream human rights organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch published scathing reports accusing Israel of apartheid in the occupied Palestinian territories and finally days ago, the US did not veto a vote on a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. 

Again, huge protests within Israel for the ouster of Israeli Premier Netanyahu continue across Israel. Residents are protesting the military action in Palestine and blaming the Netanyahu regime for its inability to organise the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. 

Despite having the best-equipped military in the Middle East, in its war with Hamas -whose supporters are armed mainly with bricks and stones -Netanyahu has not been able to achieve his objective of eradicating Hamas or freeing the hostages Hamas took on October 7 last year.

The international backlash against Israel for its atrocities in Gaza is making the continuation of the war unsustainable. But a retreat from his position would mean political suicide for Netanyahu and his Likud Party. The Israeli premier is caught between a rock and a very hard place.

The Israeli attack on the Iranian Consulate in Baghdad days ago comes in this background. 
With external support crumbling and internal pressure seeking his removal growing, Netanyahu is attempting to provoke Iran into a major escalation to divert attention from Israel’s crimes in Gaza and force the US and its allies to rally to the Jewish state’s defence. 

Unsurprisingly, the West limited its criticism for Israel’s breaking of international protocols in attacking Iran’s Consulate in Iraq to a few words, but the US in particular, sharply warned Iran against retaliating against the Israeli attack.

But anger in Iran at Israel’s blatant disregard of international protocols in attacking its Consulate in Baghdad was growing among Iran’s military and the general public.
And so it was, Iran’s reaction came on April 14 in the form of hundreds of drone and missile attacks on Israel. The US used its air power to down many of the incoming missiles and drones. However, a number got through. Reports spoke of Israelis running for their lives in droves.

According to a report on Sunday by ‘Axios’, Biden told Netanyahu -in a phone call- ‘Israel had essentially prevailed in this clash with Iran’ and ‘advised’ him to “take the win.” He also made it clear during the call, that any retaliatory action by Israel would not be supported by Washington.

Netanyahu, according to reports accepted Biden’s suggestion. Iran in turn said its retaliatory action was complete.
It appears Iran and Israel both gave up their aggressive posturing under US pressure.
It can only be hoped that rising international opposition to the Israeli genocide in Gaza, combined with the fear that future clashes may not have the backing of the US, helps halt Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza and leads to a permanent ceasefire being declared. 

It is essential the UN proactively adopts a resolution ‘Promoting Reconciliation and Israeli accountability for its human rights violations in Palestine’. 

As in the aftermath of WW II when Nazis were tried for crimes against humanity and genocide, this time around Israeli leaders need to be taken to task for crimes against humanity and genocide against the Palestinian people.
The reality is if there is ever to be peace in Palestine and indeed in the Middle East as a whole, a complete Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territory to 1967 borders becomes a sine quo non. 
Only severe deterrent action on all those involved in human rights violations and crimes of genocide will ensure that a similar situation will not occur again.

Rubble at the site of the Israeli strikes on the Iranian Consulate in Syria’s capital Damascus (Courtesy Middle East Eye)

13-year-old Nulara charts course to plant 100,000 trees worldwide

It may take a few years before 13-year-old Nulara Ekanayake sees the jack trees she planted on the outer perimeter of the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo grow large enough to bear fruit, but her hope is that at least by then more young people would have engaged in meaningful environmental initiatives, similar to her project to plant 100,000 trees worldwide. 

A case for the imperativeness of such initiatives, that also highlights the worsening effects of global warming, could be made simply by walking out of the shade of the park onto the pavement just outside, where direct exposure to the sun feels harsher than it ever has been.

The rising temperatures have been attributed to climate change, and while she can’t do much to reverse the inaction of those before her, Nulara does encourage young people to take even little steps that could positively impact the planet in the future. 

“When I carry out my tree planting project I tell young people to switch off lights when they are not using it – we can do little things that will help a lot to mitigate the impact of climate change,” Nulara told the Daily Mirror.  
Her efforts have been amplified and nurtured by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Sri Lanka, for which climate change is a core area they are working on in promoting child rights. 

Nulara’s ‘Grow and Glow with Nuli’ project is particularly significant in this regard, given that today is designated as the ‘Mother Earth Day’ by the United Nations.
It is evident that this cause is not a hobby or a mere fleeting interest for Nulara who first became interested in the environment at the age of seven. 

Nulara’s ‘Grow and Glow with Nuli’ project is particularly significant in this regard, given that today is designated as the ‘Mother Earth Day’ by the United Nations

Poor children

“When I was 7 years old, I joined the Environment Society in school. The following year, I went to  Wewugala, which is at Kurunegala. There are a lot of poor kids who don’t even have food to eat. At that time, I was really sad, but I was really small too,” Nulara, a student of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo said narrating her beginnings as an environmental enthusiast. 

Her enthusiasm became an actionable project three years later, when as a 10-year-old, she won the Silver Award at the Royal Commonwealth Essay Competition. 

“They invited me to join a World Schol Forum and there I had to initiate a project,” she recalled. 
“Since I was an environment lover from a small age, I thought of doing a tree-planting project.”
The project has evolved to take on a bigger purpose and plan, with Nulara introducing a ‘3G concept’ to her tree planting. 

“I have introduced a 3G concept which is Growing for Food, Growing for Habitats and Growing for Environmental Protection and up to now 7,206 trees have been planted,” Nulara says, adding that she has planted 5200 trees herself, having distributed a further 2000 trees for others to plant. 

“I have distributed and planted mainly jack trees because it is a good tree for food. I chose jack trees because when I was 8, I saw poor kids who didn’t have food to eat,” Nulara explains. 
And in trying to solve one environmental concern, Nulara says she discovered another problem that she has taken upon herself to address through a second project. 

“Because I found lots of old plastic pens in some of the areas we dug holes in to plant trees, I started a second project. Many authorities have taken action for plastic bags, plastic bottles etc., but for pens, no action has been taken,” Nulara said. 
“Together with a pen factory, I am collecting used pens and recycling them and giving back to students, professionals and university students.”

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise then, if young Nulara was to soon become one of those children playing an active role in defining solutions that will bring about a better climate for the future of Sri Lanka

Rising temperatures 

While the rising temperatures that the country is experiencing at the moment may be just a sweaty inconvenience to some at present, the long term impacts could be hardest felt by children, effectively making it a crisis that infringes on the rights of children including that of the right to food, water, healthcare and education. 

“The climate crisis gets worse every day and it is children and young people who are the worst affected. It is also something that requires everybody to take action. For UNICEF, young people are a very big part of mobilizing action around climate, and young people like Nulara, who is doing tree planting and leading an environmental conservation programme is part of that action because everyone can do something to conserve the environment,” UNICEF Sri Lanka Chief of Communications, Partnerships and Advocacy, Bismarck Swangin told the Daily Mirror.  
“UNICEF engages with several young people as well as other stakeholders to make sure that all of us can do what we can to make sure we are conserving the environment and responding to the risk that is created by the climate crisis.”

The vulnerability of Sri Lanka’s children to extreme changes in climate was underscored in 2021 when it ranked  61st out of 163 countries in UNICEF’s Climate Risk Index, which captures the exposure of children to multiple climate and environmental shocks and stress.

Climate crisis

“We are living with the worst effects of the climate crisis every day. There’s either too much rain, or there are high temperatures and heat waves, and in all these the survival of children is affected, including their growth and development. If there is flooding they can’t go to school; heat waves affect children the most because their bodies do not have enough fluids and adequate mechanisms to balance between the heat waves,” Swangin said.  
This, Swangin emphasized, should put children at the heart of conversation about climate.

“It’s  important that children are at the centre, first of all in the discussions that happen around climate. They should become aware, and they should be able to talk about how they are affected -- children and youth should be part of defining the problem, because they experience it first-hand, they are the worst affected -- and they should also be a part of defining the solution.”
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise then, if young Nulara was to soon become one of those children playing an active role in defining solutions that will bring about a better climate for the future of Sri Lanka. 

Nulara Ekanayake (in white) planting trees along with two UNICEF volunteers at the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo