By Col R. Hariharan Two recent incidents of crime using revolvers in quick succession in and around Chennai show gun culture is making headway in Tamil Nadu. The significance of real estate business connections in these incidents cannot be ignored at a time when ‘land grabbing’ cases is hogging the headlines. People are shocked because …
By K.S. Sivakumaran As we all know there are different kinds of dialects in some languages. Even in English, there are different kinds of English and there are Literatures in English apart from English, American, Canadian or Australian Literature. So it is in Tamil Language and Literature. There are Indian, European, Canadian, Sri Lankan, Malaysian, …
Continue reading ‘“Arabu Thamil Engal Anbuth Thamil” Book by AMA Azeez Reprinted and Launched’ »
By Premalal Ratnayake Uva Chief Minister, Shashindra Rajapaksa, yesterday urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to give up the Ministry of Defence as the war has been over for more than three years. Addressing a meeting at Welimada, the Chief Minister said he requested this of the President at this essential hour of need. He also requested …
By Dilrukshi Handunnetti On 19 September, the government officially announced the closure of Menik Farm, a camp for the war-displaced and set a deadline of concluding the process of return by 25 September, just six days after the announcement. At that point, within the camp lived 367 displaced families and 110 of them were from …
By: Rajasingham Jayadevan A painful homage to our dear ones INTRODUCTION: Twenty five long years have gone by since the Indo- Sri Lanka agreement was signed by the late Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India and the late J.R.Jayawardene, the then President of Sri Lanka on 29th July’1987. The intense involvement of India …
Erik Solheim, former Norwegian Minister and the Chief Negotiator between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government played important roles in bringing both sides to the negotiating table to work out a political solution. Recently, in an interview with the BBC Tamil Service Osai, in London, he made an open statement about the failure to …
By Dilrukshi Handunnetti Amidst allegations of international cricket umpires being involved in match fixing during the recently concluded T20 World Cup Series, Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage refutes the involvement of Sri Lankan umpires or cricketers in any match fixing. In an interview with Ceylon Today, Minister Aluthgamage said the International Cricket Council (ICC) was looking …
by Risidra Mendis The destruction of large areas of mangroves to make way for prawn farms and salt pans has come under severe criticism by environmentalists who say speedy measures need to be taken to protect the remaining mangroves. It is learnt that vast areas are being cleared in many parts of the country destroying …
The areas are Dehiwala – Mount Lavinia, Ganga Ihala Korale and the Kandy Four Gravets and Gangawata Korale, Matale, Lankapura and Welikanda in Polonnarwua, Ratnapura, Balangoda, Mawanella, Kekirawa, Vavuniya South and Dehiattakandiya. The President has made the order under the constitutional provisions that enable him to declare that both languages be used for administrative purposes …
BY Tisaranee Gunasekara “Terrorist – one who favours or uses terror-inspiring methods of governing or of coercing government or community.” – The Oxford Dictionary The attack on the Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is an act of terrorism. Lawyers protest attack on JSC secretary ~ Oct 8, 2012 – pic courtesy: VikalpaSL Not …
by Kishali Pinto Jayawardene The attack on the Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) last Sunday, which some have read justifiably as an attempted abduction, is certainly quite unprecedented in the history of this country. We may have had tensions between the judiciary and the executive before. But the level of impunity with which …
Continue reading ‘The President and Sri Lanka’s judiciary’ »
by Shamindra Ferdinando Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday called for the abolition of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution without further delay. The ongoing efforts by a political grouping led by one-time LTTE mouthpiece, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to hinder the passage of the Divineguma Bill in parliament meant that in spite of Sri Lanka’s …
Continue reading ‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Wants 13th Constitutional Amendment Abolished Without Delay’ »
Text and Pix by Arthur Wamanan in Jaffna Three years down the line, Jaffna is on the way to become one of the sought after tourism spots in the country. Once cut off from the rest of the country, and probably the world, Jaffna has indeed come quite a long way, since the end of …
Continue reading ‘Jaffna on the way to Become Sought After Tourist Spot in the Country’ »
Merely a year after being formed, the Institute of Hairdressers and Beauticians (IHB) has secured a steady footing in the Hair and Beauty sector of the country with their constant and unparalleled contribution in streamlining the standard of hairdressing and beauty therapy in Sri Lanka. IHB is accredited to the World Federation of Hairdressers (OMC) …
Continue reading ‘Hair Dresser and Beautician Courses and Exams in English,Sinhala and Tamil’ »
The world of food has never been more open than it has now, being popularized by media through programmes such as Master Chef or through celebrity personalities such as Gordon Ramsey or Heston Blumenthal. This October, Sri Lanka and Jetwing Lagoon are proud to present a chef known as the Spice Queen – Chef Devagi …
Continue reading ‘‘Spice Queen’ of Singapore – Chef Devagi Sanmugan’ »
by P.K.Balachandran 10 October 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of the start of fighting between the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which engulfed the North and East Sri Lanka between October 1987 and March 1990. The two and a half year Indian campaign had military and political …
Continue reading ‘25th Anniversary of War Erupting Between the Indian Army and LTTE’ »
By Jagath Gunawardana The Black-capped Kingfisher is one of the most brightly coloured migrants that come to Sri Lanka but is not seen by many due to being present in and around water bodies. It is rather late to arrive, usually reaching Sri Lanka in November. There is a possibility that it is one of …
Continue reading ‘Black-capped Kingfisher is a Brightly coloured Visitor to Lanka in November’ »
by Aditha Dissanayake “Dear All, Please do your best to help me. I am Mali from Sri Lanka currently living in a South East Asian country. When they killed my mother even as I was sucking at her breast, I thought this is surely the worst thing that could ever happen to me. Little did …
Continue reading ‘The case of ‘Mali’ the Sri Lankan elephant and the Sanctuary vs Zoo Debate’ »
by Dharisha Bastians On Saturday (6) evening at Temple Trees, President Mahinda Rajapaksa made a strange proclamation to a few foreign correspondents he was hosting to dinner. Asked if he was going to watch the much-anticipated ICC World T20 Final between Sri Lanka and the West Indies, President Rajapaksa quipped that on two occasions he …
by Jayantha Dhanapala and Professor Savitri Goonesekere (This statement was written by Jayantha Dhanapala and Savitri Goonesekere on behalf of the Friday Forum) The Friday Forum is a group of citizens committed to the advancement of democracy, social justice and pluralism in Sri Lanka. The Forum has regularly issued public statements on issues of common …
by K S Sivakumaran I think it is pertinent to include my personal connection with the Eastern Province before I write in brief about the Festival. Please bear with me as it helps to understand the literary activities in that part of the world. What is known in Sinhala as Thirukunamalae and Thiru Koana Malai …
The Government yesterday lifted a travel advisory against South India after assurances by the Indian authorities that they would provide security to all arrivals, a statement from the External Affairs said. The travel advisory was issued last month after 184 Sri Lankan pilgrims were attacked in Tamil Nadu and had to be brought back on …
Continue reading ‘Entreaties by New Delhi Makes Sri Lanka lift Travel Ban on South India’ »
By Ben Saul The focus on offshore processing has overshadowed a quieter humanitarian crisis in Australia’s immigration detention centres. More than 50 refugees have been languishing in detention for between two and three years, after being refused visas on security grounds. All were recognized by Australia as refugees, most after fleeing from the Sri Lankan …
By Ifham Nizam With Sri Lanka having an extensive biodiversity, primarily due to the country’s geographic positioning, conservation has become a major focus. It is the need of the hour to have planned management of Sri Lanka’s natural resources, to prevent exploitation, destruction or neglect. According to senior naturalist and author, Jayantha Jayewardene, says there …
By Kath Noble Something has gone to Mahinda Rajapaksa’s head, and I’m guessing it’s power. Because that seems to be the only thing that interests him these days – how to bolster his own position and how to undermine everybody else’s. Hence his first priority after the end of the war was to get himself …
Continue reading ‘Something has Gone to Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Head and I’m Guessing it’s Power’ »
By Priya.M.Menon CHENNAI: The flower market of Tamil Nadu’s Madurai is a crowded, busy place. It is the place the perfumer creator of French fashion house Christian Dior, Francois Demachy, visits every year to imbibe the fragrances that help him create the floral perfumes that Dior is renowned for. Dior uses extracts of jasmine sambac …
By Farook Thajudeen The work on High Court, District Courts and the Magistrate Courts throughout the island came to a standstill yesterday due to the protest carried out by the judges against the assault carried out on Judicial Service Commission Secretary Manjula Tilakaratn by unidentified persons at Mount Lavinia on Sunday. Lawyers throughout the country …
Continue reading ‘Widespread Demonstrations in Protest Over Vicious Attack on JSC Secretary’ »
by Col R Hariharan (Retd) India’s National Security Advisor Mr Shivshankar Menon, while delivering the Cariappa Memorial Lecture last October summarised the changing Indian security environment as: “If Asia is our theatre, South Asia is our home.” Asian theatre is vast – after all it is the world’s largest and most populous continent covering 30 …
by S.P.Udayakumar Ph D A group of fisherfolk staging “jal satyagraha” in the sea, against the Kudankulam nuclear power project at Veerapandianpattinam coast in Tuticorin district on Sep 14, 2012. Photo : N.Rajesh ~ via courtesy: The Hindu
By Somapala Gunadheera Divineguma is perhaps the hottest topic of discussion today. It came into prominence after the Supreme Court ruled that the connected Bill could not go through Parliament without the concurrence of the Provincial Councils. All but the Northern Provincial Council have approved the Bill by now, which is a foregone conclusion under …
by Charitha Ratwatte When the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics were awarded to London, opinion on the probable success was divided. The pessimists expressed concerns that London’s worldly cynics, sophisticates and marginalised urban poor, will not be moved by the international sporting event and that the city will end up in gridlock due to the huge …
by N Sathiya Moorthy The current impasse in the peace process in Sri Lanka should worry friends of the nation, including India. Starting haltingly in the post-war months, the negotiations between the Government and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has been deadlocked, so to say, with neither side wanting to go the other’s way as …
by Shalini Singh In February, as rumours of the ambitions of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law swirled amidst the heat and dust of the election campaign in Uttar Pradesh, her daughter Priyanka moved to scotch speculation about Robert Vadra’s possible political future. “He’s a successful businessman,” the younger Ms. Gandhi said of her husband, “who …
Continue reading ‘Meteoric Rise of Robert Vadra’s Business Ventures Within Short Span of Time’ »
By Dilrukshi Handunnetti The day starts slowly for the people in the sleepy village of Periyathampanai in the Vavuniya District. To the visitor’s eye, it is a peaceful location that belies its recent violent history with acres and acres of paddy fields and vegetable plots greeting you. Today, it bears all tell tale signs of …
by MA Sumanthiran M.P Your home is your castle. By this abiding legal tradition, many ‘castles’ in Sri Lanka are under siege. During the War many non-combatants in the North and East were driven from their homes. Even after the War was officially pronounced over, most Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) were prevented from returning to …
Continue reading ‘Soldiers Occupying Homes of Displaced Prevents Resettlement of IDP’s’ »
by Hirunika Premachandra Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra was killed a year ago. We have seen a year of Investigations, court procedures, allegations, cover-ups and such. His murderers are still very much at large. This is how that fateful day is remembered by his loving daughter, Hirunika. There was nothing special about the 8th of October, 2011. …
Continue reading ‘Recalling the Death of my Father Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra One year Later’ »
by Chinua Achebe Almost 30 years before Rwanda, before Darfur, more than 2 million people – mothers, children, babies, civilians – lost their lives as a result of the blatantly callous and unnecessary policies enacted by the leaders of the federal government of Nigeria. As a writer I believe that it is fundamentally important, indeed …
by Kishali Pinto Jayawardene These are cataclysmic times marked by complete public cynicism regarding the value of the law, when the Judicial Service Commission has been unrelentingly attacked by the state media and its Secretary complains publicly that there are fears for the security of even ‘the person holding the highest position in the judicial …
by Gamini Weerakoon ‘Development’ is the name of the game. The country is going through rapid development, our government leaders tell us. Roads, harbours, airports, towns, etc. are being built at rapid pace – and cricket stadiums are sprouting up faster than the ‘sixes’ being pulled by Mahela Jayawardene, Dilshan , Kumar Sangakkara – by …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “…when the plague begins, it’s easy for people to see the first blackbird as a harbinger. But when it lands on the climbing fence it’s just one bird”. – Salman Rushdie (Joseph Anton: A Memoir) The constitutional path to tyranny is a well-worn one; its many previous travellers include a former corporal …
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “Time will say nothing but I told you so”… Auden (But I can’t) Last week, Sri Lanka experienced an outrage unprecedented in its annals. A group of uniform-wearing students, led, aided and abetted by a mob of parents, launched a violent attack on the incoming principal in a Galle school. Even police …
By Saman Indrajith UNP Gampaha District MP Karu Jayasuriya is among the key leaders invited and determined to attend a meeting organized by the United Bhikkhu Front to be held on Oct 18 at Hyde Park as a common platform for the abolition of the executive presidency and several other issues such as restoring good …
by Dr. Himantha Atukorale It is sometimes funny yet sad to see errors in menus of certain food outlets. This is because of many reasons, including lack of knowledge of correct terms, inability to translate the names of culinary delights from foreign countries and thirdly due to pure ignorance.
by Hasan Suroor The excitement over the robust growth of the Indian news media needs to be tempered with a hard look at some of its seamier aspects, N. Ram, former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu has said warning against “romanticising” the “buoyant growth story.” Delivering the prestigious James Cameron Memorial Lecture 2012 at City London …
Continue reading ‘Don’t romanticise Indian media’s ‘buoyant growth’ story: N. Ram’ »
By Izeth Hussain I believe that a very plausible case can be made out to show that the major contemporary problem in the world is that of minorities, – ethnic, religious, linguistic and other minorities. Their maltreatment at the hands of majorities- perceived or misperceived – leads to restiveness and sometimes outright violent rebellion. Sometimes, …
Continue reading ‘Unwillingness to Recognize Minority Problems will not make them go away’ »
by Gotabaya Rajapaksa (Full Text of Speech made by Secretary Defence and Urban Development at the opening ceremony of the 6th Annual Sessions of the Institute of Environmental Professionals Sri Lanka) It gives me great pleasure to address you at the inauguration of the 6th Annual Sessions of the Institute of Environmental Professionals, Sri Lanka.
by Ian Cobain in London and Clar Ni Chonghaile in Nairobi The lawyer for three elderly Kenyans who were tortured during the Mau Mau uprising hails the ruling on Friday that allows them to sue the British government Three elderly Kenyans have won an historic legal victory over the British government after the high court …
by A Special Correspondent Training its guns squarely at the Congress’ first family, India Against Corruption (IAC) on Friday asked how companies promoted by Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, came to acquire properties worth hundreds of crores of rupees in the Congress-ruled States of Haryana and Delhi over the past four years …
Continue reading ‘Corruption Charges Levelled Against Sonia Gandhi’s Son in Law Robert Vadra’ »
by Vishnuguptha Assessment of performance of any officer/official or employee is of great significance not only to the body or company, corporation, department or ministry that employs the officer/official; it carries even greater weight and consequence for the officer whose performance is assessed. One of the main components of the assessment is the periodical intervals …
Continue reading ‘Assessing 18 Year Long UNP Leadership Record of Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »
by Wright Thompson Three years ago, the Sri Lankan cricket team rode through the streets of Lahore, Pakistan, on the third day of a Test match. Captain Mahela Jayawardene, who is to his country what Derek Jeter is to the city of New York, rode near the back of the bus. The convoy, with a …
by Ben Doherty A Sri Lankan newspaper editor – threatened by a senior government official and brother to the President that she would be killed – has had an asylum claim to resettle in Australia rejected. Frederica Jansz was last month sacked as editor of The Sunday Leader by the newspaper’s new owner, whom she …
By Saman Indrajith Gen. Sarath Fonseka describes himself as a key man of a new alliance of political forces – for which the name has not yet been decided yet —to be launched on Oct. 18. He makes no bones about the fact that the avowed goal of this alliance being forged is to overthrow …
By S.S. Selvanayagam The Court of Appeal yesterday ( Oct 4) submitted to the Supreme Court a reference for its interpretation/determination on the question relating to the interpretation of the Constitution whether the expression of the views of the Provincial Council includes the expression of the view of the Governor when a Provincial Council is …
WHEN the prisons department recently advertised for hangmen, several shortlisted hopefuls asked an unexpected question of its board of interviewers: What, pray, would they be expected to do? Currently, 369 convicts are on death row, and a further 471 have appealed against their sentences. Yet though capital punishment remains on the statute books, it has …
Continue reading ‘No Hanging for years yet Sri Lanka needs Two Hangmen – Economist’ »
by Wright Thomson in Colombo An American talking cricket with Pakistan fans in Sri Lanka. Plus, a garden party Sri Lankan high-society style Last night, already in a haze from jet lag, cheap beer and the seething energy on the eve of a Pakistan-India match, I stood in a living room and listened to friends …
Continue reading ‘What Does Winning a World Cup in Cricket Mean for a Country?’ »
by Raashid Riza The last few months have seen a rapid increase in anti-Muslim sentiment amongst sections of the political class in Sri Lankan society. The situation has yet to deteriorate to the extent that the default image of a Sri Lankan Muslim is one represented by an anti- Sri Lankan or anti-Buddhist element. But …
Continue reading ‘Rise of Buddhist Extremism in Sri Lanka and Response of Sri Lankan Muslims’ »
by Dharisha Bastians The battle between the Judiciary and the Government looks set to intensify with the Tamil National Alliance yesterday firing another salvo at the controversial Divi Neguma Bill proposed by the Government by seeking to prohibit the Northern Province Governor G.A. Chandrasiri from approving the bill in the absence of a provincial council …
Continue reading ‘Key Factor in Govt – Judiciary Crisis is the Divi Neguma Bill Controversy’ »
by Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. Uniquely as far as the developing world goes, and pretty much as far as the whole world too, Sri Lanka does not in theory permit private education. There are a few official exceptions that we all know about, namely a few private schools that are immensely popular. Then there are official …
Continue reading ‘FUTA’s Trade Union Action and the Politicization of Education’ »
By Bhavani Fonseka, Luwie Ganeshathasan and Mirak Raheem Since its establishment in May 2010, the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) has generated significant national and international interest, especially following the presentation of its final report to President Mahinda Rajapaksa in November 2011and the subsequent tabling of the report in Parliament in December 2011. The …
Continue reading ‘Action Plan for Implementing LLRC Report:Constructive Criticism and Suggestions’ »
by Jagath Gunawardana The Forest Wagtail is a regular and common winter visitor that usually arrives in Sri Lanka during September and October. It has already arrived in time in Sri Lanka for this season, and hence, can be seen now in shady areas of forests, parks and even in home gardens, wandering about at …
Continue reading ‘Forest Wagtail Bird Wags Tail from Side to Side Instead of Up and Down’ »
by Karu Jayasuriya M.P We witness that the Government is behaving dictatorially at present without paying heed to public opinion or democratic principles. When it becomes a daily occurrence, we are unable to remain silent any longer. The way the government behaves forebodes threat to the democracy in the country.
by Mehdi Hassan Dear Muslim protester, Where do I begin? Having watched you shout and scream in front of the world’s television cameras, throw petrol bombs and smash windows, I reluctantly decided to write this open letter to you.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to New Delhi last week has helped clear some of the air on India-Sri Lanka relations. Since India’s vote for a resolution pulling up Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva in March this year, Colombo has nursed a sense of betrayal. Competitive politics in Tamil Nadu, …
by Jayadeva Uyangoda The demand made by the FUTA for increased allocation of annual government expenditure on education has now emerged as a national policy slogan, with many sectors of society adopting it as their own demand. This is a key achievement made by the FUTA in its three-month long struggle. ‘Save State Education’ | …
Continue reading ‘How the Envisaged GDP 6% Allocation for Education Could be Utilized Concretely’ »
by Kath Noble As university teachers were marching from Galle to Colombo to press their now well known case for the education sector, an equally impressive mobilisation was taking place just a few hundred miles away in Tamil Nadu. The villagers of Kudankulam were burying themselves up to their necks in sand in a last …
by Arunadale Wijeratne and Shalika Wimalasena Minister of Higher Education, S.B. Dissanayake has emerged the rather bumptious villain in the continuing saga of the university academics, their demands and their strike action, which is now in its third month. The minister has maintained the dons’ issue is a conspiracy cooked up by some alien forces …
By Salma Yusuf The recently released film which ridicules Islam and depicts the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) as a fraud, a madman and a sexual deviant, has resulted in an international outcry. Every moderate in any part of the world would condemn such anti – religious propaganda. At the same time, the …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Today October 1st is the 84th birthday of Sivaji Ganesan one of the brightest stars among the Tamil Film firmament. V.C. Ganesan known as Sivaji Ganesan was widely regarded as the greatest Thespian of Post –Independence Tamil Cinema. This doyen among Tamil actors was one of my favourites. An updated version of an …
Continue reading ‘Sivaji Ganesan: Greatest Thespian of Post-Independence Tamil Cinema’ »
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray The profound sense of loss I was to feel upon news of his death was not simply because Uncle Evans was a relative. He was so much more than my uncle, Evans Cooray; he was my friend. I pen these lines, therefore, not merely as his nephew, but because of the …
Continue reading ‘My Uncle Evans Cooray: Extraordinary Personality with Unwavering Loyalty’ »
by Charitha Ratwatte Harvey and Bather in their seminal publication on the British Constitution, begin the Chapter on the Separation of Powers (19) with an extract from a poem by the Nobel Laureate poet, Rudyard Kipling, who lived for decades in India and understood the South Asian temperament intimately. The poem is ‘My Father’s Chair’: …
by Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar Karel Roberts whose sudden death a few months ago came as shock to her colleagues and associates. Though cruel death has snatched her from our midst her name and fame as an excellent writer and veteran journalist will be remembered for many more years. As a leading journalist and writer she had …
Continue reading ‘Karel Roberts: Versatile Writer Who Loved the Arts and Literature’ »
by N Sathiya Moorthy The India visit of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in September, to be followed by a TNA delegation in the first half of October, “at the invitation of India” are both the first of their kind after the US-sponsored UNHRC vote at Geneva in March and the otherwise scheduled Universal Periodic …
by Dilrukshi Handunnetti At the entrance to Zone 0 or what is referred to as the Kadirkaamam Village, stands the usual sentry point. Puppies at Kathirkaamar zone of Menik Farm in Chettikkulam ~ pic by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai ~ via twitter.com/DushiYanthini There is barren land, piles of roofing sheets, the occasional UN Co-op vehicle transporting whatever …
Continue reading ‘Cattle and Dogs Roam Inside 700 Hectare Precincts of Closed Menik Farm IDP Camp’ »
By M. S. Shah Jahan “This is what Islam is like: Islam of killing, Islam of terrorism,Islam of setting things on fire. We are stating the truth and showing the path of redemption. I wish you would be civil and be reasonable and respond to what is said against Islam with calm reason. They are …
Continue reading ‘The Mischievous Guru Behind the ‘Innocence of Muslims’ Film’ »
By M.A.Sumanthiran M.P. Teachers and students across the island have succeeded in securing space in national discourse for Sri Lanka’s degenerate education system. They have raised fundamental concerns about the quality of education being provided and the quality of student being produced. For three months, nearly 5,000 university professors have been on strike forgoing their …
by Asif Fuard Sri Lanka’s endeavours to strengthen diplomatic ties in the region hit a snag, with the country becoming entangled in what is being viewed as the latest spy scandal to rock the South Asian diplomatic arena. The scandal comes in the wake of Indian intelligence reports implicating Pakistan of recruiting Sri Lankan nationals …
Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Gets Entangled in Espionage Controversy Between India and Pakistan’ »
by Dilrukshi Handunnetti Removed from Sri Lanka’s onetime largest facility for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the Menik Farm, on Monday (24) and relocated to Seeniyamottai in the Mullaitivu District, these 346 IDPs have little hope of resettling in their place of origin. Closest Access This is the closest access ~ From top of the lane …
by Arthur Wamanan ‘Suththam Sugam tharum’ (Cleanliness gives good health) is an age old Tamil adage that underscores the importance of a healthy life. Cleanliness is an important aspect for a healthy environment. Healthcare in Jaffna has gone through several phases during the war and after.Healthcare system in the North is still finding its feet …
by Lasanda Kurukulasuriya The controversial Divineguma Bill appears to be yet another move by the Government that points to a pattern of rushing legislation through without due regard for the need for, and the right to, debate and discussion on matters of public importance. It was not so long ago that the 18th Amendment was …
by Kishali Pinto Jayawardene President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s indignant retort to newspaper editors this week that he did not attempt to interfere with the independence of Sri Lanka’s judiciary has all the hallmarks of the classic ‘swing and swerve’ tactics adopted by his administration. In other words, this refers to its now entrenched policy of swinging …
“the real tyrant is a man who sacrifices a whole nation to his ideal or his ambition”. – Camus (Caligula) By Tisaranee Gunasekara Separation of powers and power-devolution are alien to Rajapaksa thinking and inimical to the Dynastic Project. History’s watershed moments are generally identifiable only with hindsight. Sri Lanka might be experiencing an exception …
Continue reading ‘Can The Judiciary Resist The Rajapaksa-tide?’ »
by Pulsara Liyanage It is well known that a man named Samuel Clemens wrote as Mark Twain, those wonderful adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn and many more, in the 19th century. In the 21st, we still refer to the author as Mark Twain. His assumed name was a term which he had borrowed …
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “A situation has arisen where there is a danger to the security of all of us and our families, beginning from the person holding the highest position in the judicial system”. – Manjula Tilakaratne, Secretary, Judicial Services Commission (Daily Mirror – 29.9.2010) The main budgetary allocations for 2012 are out; and the …
by Nirmala Kannangara The Sunday Leader journalist and the photographer who were in Mullathivu last Wednesday and Thursday were stopped from entering the Suriyapuram camp in Nanthikadal by the army officers on guard. This was the camp where the last batch of IDPs from the Manik Farm was brought to although the government claimed they …
By Nirmala Kannangara from Pudukudiyiiruppu and Nanthikadal in Mullaitheevu District The government last week announced moves to resettle the last batch of IDPs who were in the Kadiragamar and Ananda Kumaraswamy relief villages at Menik Farm for the past three years. However, many of the remaining IDPs hailing from Kepapilaw Grama Niladhari Division and Manduwil …
by Ben Doherty AUSTRALIA – the tiny slice he saw of it, the Cocos Islands and the immigration detention centre at Christmas Island – was heaven, Anthony Sujith says. ”They were very nice to us, the food was very good, warm showers, and good houses to live in. We could play sport and take English …
by Shabna Cader When in need of a short but quick vacation, it’s best to choose to go to a country that is situated close by. On this week’s Travel Guide, we give you a tour of a city in the southern region of India known as Chennai. The city is certainly full of life, …
Continue reading ‘Chennai City is Apt Destination for a Short, Quick Vacation’ »
By Dilanthi Jayamanne The Ministry of National Languages and Social Integration yesterday said that it had issued instructions to the Police to take legal action against bus operators who failed to display the destination boards in Sinhala and Tamil. Media Secretary to the Minister, Mahendra Harishchandra, said that the Ministry had repeatedly instructed the Private …
by Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka On September 28th, 2012, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Paris held “ Sri Lanka in Bloom”, an international photographic exhibition arranged by Mr. Sudath Silva, Media Director to H.E. the President of Sri Lanka. The exhibition depicted Sri Lanka ’s experience in combating terrorism, as well as the ongoing development …
by N Sathiya Moorthy Three episodic developments in as many weeks, and suddenly there is an ‘air of permissiveness’ in southern Tamil Nadu, as never before at least over the past decades. Independent of one another, street-protests over the post-war revival of the ‘Sri Lankan ethnic issue’, the re-launched ‘Koodamkulam anti-nuclear demonstrations’ and the Islamic/Islamist …
by Gibson Bateman As the 21st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (HRC) ends on 28 September 2012, ongoing human rights developments in Sri Lanka will undoubtedly linger in the minds of many. Observers will look forward to the country’s upcoming Universal Periodic Review, which will take place this November, and to the …
By Vishnuguptha However much the Opposition in general or the United National Party in particular, tries to dislodge the present incumbent regiment, they will not succeed unless and until they find a game-changing issue. If an issue is found that has the potential for changing the game, the issue itself will find a leader to …
by Vinod Moonesinghe Hector Abhayavardhana, the last of the early leadership of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), passed away last Saturday (September 22). He was the principal theoretician of the party and was responsible for the formulation which enabled it to join the coalition government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1964.
by Jagath Gunawardana The Layard’s Flycatcher, also known as the Brown-breasted Flycatcher, is a common winter migrant that arrives in Sri Lanka every year around early October and keeps itself unnoticed and unidentified with its drab colouration and silent and quiet demeanor. It also closely resembles the Asian Brown Flycatcher. However, it is a bird …
Theirs has been a successful on-field partnership as captain and deputy, and Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara’s rock-solid bonding has helped them become successful business partners too. pic: facebook.com/MINISTRYOFCRAB The Sri Lankan skipper and his deputy have jointly invested along with the country’s most well-known Master Chef, Darshan Munidasa, to run a restaurant called ‘Ministry …
by Dhaneshi Yatawara The National Zoological Garden in Dehiwala has been a favourite spot for both local and foreign visitors. It carries memories of everyone’s childhood and each one of us will be sure to have a story to tell of some incident during a visit. It is such an attractive place that a school …
Continue reading ‘Congestion at Dehiwela Zoo Places Lives of Animals at Risk’ »
by Dharisha Bastians The academics are marching. The students are marching. The Muslims are marching. Every day hundreds images of throngs of people shouting slogans and demonstrating blare across television screens, newspapers and of course, the internet. SMS news alerts about road closures and barricades abound as popular discontent rises to the surface through trade …
Continue reading ‘Locked horns, pitched battles and marches of discontent’ »
by Camelia Nathaniel The Kilinochchi grid substation was opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa last morning (25), connecting the Northern Peninsula to the national grid, after a lapse of 25 years. Constructed at a cost of Rs. 3200 million, the project was funded through a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) grant, at concessionary interest rates.
by Risidra Mendis The discovery of a new tree snake in the Kalutara District has caused confusion among researchers, with two herpetologists claiming its discovery. The new species, presently named the New Bronzeback discretion (Dendrelaphisspp), was reportedly discovered by researcher and herpetologist, V. Vijaya Anand recently. However, another researcher and herpetologist, Mendis Wickramasinghe, has claimed …
by International Crisis Group With the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) meeting again this month in Geneva, Crisis Group took the opportunity to write to council members with an update on the Sri Lankan government’s continued failure to address its grave human rights problems. Six month’s after the HRC’s important resolution on Sri Lanka, the government …
By Alan Keenan Masters of prevarication, the Sri Lankan Government is once again stalling the UN’s attempt to ensure an open assessment of the brutal final stages of the country’s civil war. The regime is probably hoping interest will fade, but every day it refuses a fair examination of some 40,000 civilian deaths is another …
Continue reading ‘International Community Must Demand Action not Action Plans from Sri Lanka’ »
by Rajavarothayam Sampanthan M.P. (Text of the statement issued by Rajavarothayam Sampanthan the President of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi after the Working Committee meeting of the ITAK held in Vavuniyaa on September 22nd 2012) The Working Committee of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (I.T.A.K.) met at Vavuniya on 22 nd September 2012. The Elections to …
by N Sathiya Moorthy It is heartening to note that after a series of incidents where visiting Sri Lankans were at the receiving end of mob attacks, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has promised that her Government would ensure the safety and security of the common man from the island-nation in the south Indian State.
By Kapila Punchimanna The battle between the government and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is likely to intensify, in the wake of certain decisions taken at an emergency meeting President Mahinda Rajapaksa had with several ministers and presidential advisors on Monday (24) According to highly placed government sources, one of the recommendations made at the …
by Prof.Kopan Mahadeva (Rasiah Parthiban alias Thileepan Fasted unto Death 25 Years ago in Nallur) He passed away in full view of a hundred thousand or more pairs of tear-filled eyes, Fasting in steadfast defiance of violence of seventy thousand misguided gun-toting guys, Consuming not even water for eleven whole days, not just his rice, …
by Adele Balasingham Thileepan, the young Tiger leader of Jaffna, took the podium on the 14th September at the Nallur Kandasamy temple to commence his fast- unto-death as a protest against India’s failure to fulfill her pledges, and to mobilise the frustrated sentiments of the Tamils into a national mass upsurgence. Thileepan’s non-violent struggle was …
by An Old Soldier A thrill starved, gullible Colombo population was once again titillated by the violent behaviour of two vicious sons of politicians. This time the victim of their behaviour was an army major who was pistol whipped in the car park/foyer of the Hilton Colombo Residence two weeks ago. He looked a sorry …
Continue reading ‘Silva and Wijeratne:Violent Behaviour of two Vicious sons of Politicians’ »
Secretary Defence and Urban Development Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa accompanied H.E. the President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a visit to Mullaitivu today (25th September). The President was there to attend to a series of functions organized to coincide with the final resettlement of the remaining IDPs in the Mullaitivu district.
Jaffna, the northern town with a unique flavor of Sri Lanka, has many features that only she can boast of. Thousands flock to this town just to get the feel of the culture, the people, and her exquisite cuisine The taste has just got better with the addition of its very own ice cream flavors, …
Continue reading ‘‘Rio’ Ice cream with Unique Flavours Going Strong in Jaffna for 40 years’ »
by Pushpa Iyengar Quiet, Pragmatic -Secrecy: They say Freemasons are more open than Chettiars, highlighting their secretiveness -Practical: Since the decline of Chettiars in business, many are taking up salaried jobs -Traditional: Are educated, keep a low profile, have a quiet elegance. Families meet in their huge village mansions for family functions. -Land all-important: Traumatised …
Continue reading ‘Economic Fall and Rise of the Tamil Nadu Chettiyar Community’ »
by Vaiju Naravane In what can be described as a fitting response to Anders Breivik’s brutal assault on Norwegian multiculturalism, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg appointed a 29-year-old Muslim woman of Pakistani origin the new Culture Minister. Hadia Tajik is the first Muslim and youngest Minister ever in Norwegian political history. Ms. Tajik, who has degrees …
Continue reading ‘Woman of Pakistani origin is new Norwegian Culture Minister’ »