Posts filed under 'Guest blogger'
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Hello Friends
Some very interesting questions were raised by the reader Nalaka at comment #147 made in response to my article “The magic behind the Mahinda Rajapakse victory”.
I forwarded them to two experts at Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) in Colombo for their opinion. Both Asanga Welikala and Rohan Edirisinghe were kind enough to respond and I thank them for that. Incidently both were called upon to testify before courts on this issue of the President’s second term .
Continue Reading February 4th, 2010
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Hello Friends
The presidential election campaigns of both Mahida Rajapakse and Sarath Fonseka seem to have got off the ground with customary procedures.
Mahinda Rajapakse began his with a visit to Anuradhapura on Undu wap daypoya day and was seen hugging the Sri Maha Bodhi tree with devotional fervour.
Continue Reading December 3rd, 2009
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj
Hello Friends
This is just a brief introduction to another thought-provoking piece by writer, journalist and activist Kusal Perera.
Present trends indicate that the question of abolishing the executive presidency will be the central theme of the current presidential election.
Continue Reading December 1st, 2009
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj
Hello Friends
The question of abolishing the Executive Presidential system has received fresh focus after the foray of Gen.Sarath Fonseka into politics.
Campaign hoarding in Colombo-pic by: indi.ca
The UNP along with the UNF led by it and the JVP are all part of an “unholy alliance” now in backing Fonseka’s candidacy.
The main reason trotted out by these strange bedfellows for supporting Sarath Fonseka is the Generals promise to abolish the Executive presidency.
Continue Reading November 29th, 2009
Hello Friends
Ten years ago on this day (July 29th 1999)that Dr. Neelakandan Tiruchelvam known generally as Neelan was brutally assassinated by a suicide killer of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) near his office on Kynsey terrace.
I was perhaps one of the last persons to speak to him on that fateful day. I spoke with him on the telephone from Toronto for 50 minutes from 7.50 am until 8.40 am (Sri Lankan time). I used to call him almost every week then.
Usually he winds up the conversation after a while saying you are going to run up a massive phone bill. But on that day he was in a mood to talk and was quite reflective of maters.
Continue Reading July 28th, 2009
Hello Friends,
Last month I posted on this Blog a letter written by a grand uncle to his grand nephew. The grand uncle was none other than the well-known trade unionist and human rights activist Upali Cooray.
This former stalwart of the Ceylon Mercantile Union was an active member of the Lanka Sama Samaaja Party (LSSP) who later broke away from it.
Upali Cooray a lawyer is now resident in Britain. He is senior lecturer in Law at the Metropolitian University in London. He is also involved with the centre for democracy and justice.
A vulgar and cruse exhibition of triumphalism was let loose in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Cooray’s young grand nephew was also one of those engulfed by the triumphalist tide. Observing the jingoist and triumphalist remarks posted by his grand nephew on his facebook the grand uncle wrote him a letter.
Stating “it is obvious that you have been swept by the chauvinist fever” Upali proceeded to point out precisely in the letter the inherent dangers of this misplaced triumphalism.
Continue Reading July 15th, 2009
Hello Friends
It is six months since the fearless editor of “The Sunday Leader” was brutally assassinated in broad daylight.Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge was murdered in cold blood at Ratmalana by a killer squad of eight riding four motor cycles. He was driving alone to work on that fateful January 8th.
pic by: indi.ca
Six months have passed and the Police are yet to progress in their so called investigation into the killing. The only “suspect” netted by them is the man who misappropriated Lasantha’s cellular phone.
Continue Reading July 8th, 2009
Hello Friends,
The conditions prevailing at the Internally displaced person (IDP)camps in Vavuniya and Chettykulam are far from satisfactory.
Many of those who serve or have served as volunteers in these camps are upset over the continuing humanitarian tragedy .
It is widely acknowledged that the authorities are making sincere efforts to improve conditions as far as possible.
It is also accepted that conditions are improving gradually. But there is a crying need for vast and quick improvement .
Recently a team of volunteers returned after a stint at IDP camps in Manik Farm.
Continue Reading July 1st, 2009
Hello Friends,
The troubles and travails faced by the displaced civilian population of the Northern mainland, Wanni is indeed a tragedy of our times.
I have in the past written extensively about the Wanni civilians who lived in tiger-controlled territory and described them as the wretched of the Wanni earth.
These people are now uprooted from their homes and compelled to live as “Internally Displaced Persons” in various camps described as welfare centers.
The conditions in these camps have been described as abysmal. The only silver lining is that by all accounts these conditions are improving though not perhaps at a pace desirable to the IDP’s
A redeeming feature in all this has been the silent, selfless service rendered at these camps by volunteers from all communities in Sri Lanka.
Continue Reading June 29th, 2009
Hello Friends
“Can the Tamils Seize a new opportunity” ? was the heading given by Ajith Ratnarajah to his well-written piece on the future of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Though lengthy the post evoked a lot of constructive discussion and debate on this blog.
Ajith had written it from a Tamil perspective and outlined certain ideas and proposals envisaging a bright future for the Tamils of Sri Lanka who at the moment face bleak prospects.
Another person of Sri Lankan origin now resident in Britain has sent an interesting , thought provoking article on what the future holds for Sri Lankans in general and Sri Lankan Tamils in particular.
Gus Mathews the writer in an e-mail sent to me says:
Continue Reading June 29th, 2009
