More than 15,000 litres of alcohol are consumed daily in the former war-torn district of Jaffna – a dramatic increase in liquor consumption patterns, statistics from the Excise Department reveal. Figures show some 6 million litres of arrack and beer and 5m litres of toddy were consumed last year in Jaffna district, which has a …
Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa has been appointed the new Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella announced today.
In response to former SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena’s announcement yesterday at the Colombo New Town Hall that he would be standing for the upcoming presidential election as the common opposition candidate, President Rajapaksa at a gathering at Temple Trees has Mr Sirisena has fallen into a trap by the Opposition. The President made these …
By Sudat Pasqual The normally intransigent Tamil National Alliance has suddenly started acting as if they care about presidential politics in Sri Lanka. The president, deputy president and at least one of the deputy secretaries of the TNA have been making coy statements about who the Alliance will support if a presidential election were to …
by Shamindra Ferdinando UPFA General Secretary Susil Premjayantha and National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday said that incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa was capable of securing a third term hands down regardless of who challenged him at the next presidential election. Addressing the media at SLFP headquarters yesterday afternoon, they said the UPFA was …
By Dharisha Bastians The United National Party Working Committee, the party’s apex decision-making body yesterday endorsed the candidature of Maithripala Sirisena as the common Opposition candidate. Following months of uncertainty about whether UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe would contest President Rajapaksa in the 2015 election, the Working Committee formally endorsed the selection of the former Health …
By Dharisha Bastians The Opposition pulled off a coup early barely 24 hours after the declaration of snap presidential polls, stealing President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s party stalwart to run as the incumbent’s main challenger. Maithripala Sirisena, Health Minister and General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party – the main constituent in the ruling UPFA coalition …
Polonnaruwa District Parliamentarian Maithripala Sirisena has announced that he would contest as the common candidate of the opposition at the forthcoming Presidential elections. He made this announcement at a special press conference at New Town Hall Colombo a short while ago. He has released his slogan for the upcoming Presidential election next year titled,‘Supirisidu Nayakathwayak, …
The Department of Elections has now confirmed that the declared presidential election will be held on January 8, 2015. According to officials of the department nominations for the presidential race are to be called on December 8.
By Deepal Warnakulasuriya Parliamentarian Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has said that the Executive Presidency was the cause for the start and the end of the war. Speaking at a special media briefing, Dr. Senaratne stated that the Executive Presidency had also been the cause for several problems within the country including the the JVP insurrection.
By Deepal Warnakulasuriya Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge said that she had come back home to the SLFP through today’s move to back Maithripala Sirisena’s candidature as the common candidate. Addressing the special media briefing today said she was forced out of the SLFP on her birth day and no one stood up for her. …
Former Health Minister and General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Maithripala Sirisena today revealed that he would be the ‘Common Candidate’ from the opposition to challenge President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the upcoming presidential election in January. Sirisena made the announcement at a tightly packed media briefing held at New Town Hall in …
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MPs who formed a breakaway group to support the opposition’s common candidate have been stripped of their ministerial portfolios and privileges on the orders of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
SLFP General Secretary Minister Maithripala Sirisena addressing an event at Battaramulla a short while ago said, ‘this may be my last state function’, amid widespread speculation that he might break ranks with the incumbent regime.
By K.G. Karunarathene and Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena told our sister paper in Gampaha that that there was talk going around that he was going to resign from the government. The Minister had gone to the funeral of Silumina Consultant Editor Karunadasa Suriyaarachchi in Gampha as a representative of President Mahinda Rajapaksa …
By Dharisha Bastians President Mahinda Rajapaksa put Sri Lanka on the mark for snap presidential polls early in the new year, by signing a proclamation yesterday announcing his decision to seek re-election for an unprecedented third term in office. At the auspicious time of 1:32 PM on 20 November, President Rajapaksa placed his signature on …
United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Gampaha District Parliamentarian Wasantha Senanayake joined the United National Party (UNP) a short while ago at party headquarters, Sirikotha. Speaking to journalists at a media briefing a short while ago at Sirikotha, Senanayake said that he considers transparency to be vital and the present Constitution was behind many of the …
(Text of Press Release Issued by the United National Party) It is with a profound sense of sadness and shock that we condemn the attack on the Sadaham Sevana Buddhist Temple, the residence of Venerable Athureliye Rathana Thero, the parliamentarian representing the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU).
Police security was tightened around the temple led by Jathika Hela Urumaya Chairman Athuraliye Rathana Thero yesterday, after the premises was surrounded by an angry mob days after the party announced it was quitting ministerial positions in the ruling UPFA coalition. Rathana Thero’s Sadhaham Sevana temple in Rajagiriya was surrounded by unidentified protestors who alleged …
(Text of Letter sent by Liberal party leader and National list MP Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha to President Rajapaksa on behalf of the party expressing disappointment at current developments) Your Excellency At the last meeting of the Executive Committee of the Liberal Party, it was decided, as requested by them, to support the request of the Left …
Tamil film director C. Rudhraiah, who took inspiration from the French New Wave Film Makers, and made two remarkable films—Aval Appadithan and Gramathu Athiyayam—died here on Tuesday. He was 67 and is survived by his wife, a daughter and son. ‘Aval Appadithan’, espousing the idea of feminism, failed to make any impact in the box-office …
By N Sathiya Moorthy It was waiting to happen. Rajnikanth-watchers cannot be blamed if they were expecting something like this from the ‘Superstar’ ever since his upcoming film, Lingaa, was launched. Now that the film is closer to release date — which is yet to be fixed but could be his birthday, December 12 — …
By Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. Underlying Basil’s solipsism was his political ambition. He made no bones about the fact that he saw himself as his brother’s successor. Indeed, he had been put into Parliament before the 2010 election, though a resignation of a National List member that was engineered, on the grounds that there had to …
By Dharisha Bastians “..And may the odds be ever in your favour” Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games ‘At the stroke of the midnight hour’ on 20 November, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who turned 69 years old on Tuesday was tipped to finally rubber-stamp and reveal the world’s worst kept secret. On 19 November 2014, President Rajapaksa …
by Zacki Jabbar The Joint Opposition Front (JOF) to contest the next Presidential Election was expected to be formally established on Friday, informed sources said. The parties to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) based on a six-point programme, would include the United National Party(UNP), Jathika Hela Urumaya(JHU), National Movement for Social Justice(NMSJ), Democratic Peoples Front(DPF), …
by Shamindra Ferdinando An influential section of the UNP is bringing pressure to bear on the party Working Committee to nominate its National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to contest the upcoming presidential election with newly appointed Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa, MP, playing a significant role. Convenor of UNP trade union organisation at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation …
By Upul Joseph Fernando It was reported in the media last week that President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Indian Premier Narendra Modi discussed the issue of the five Indian fishermen convicted by a Colombo Court for drug offences and sentenced to death.Though there were rumours earlier that Modi telephoned Mahinda, New Delhi reports indicated that it …
By Meera Srinivasan The five Indian fishermen on death row in Sri Lanka on drug-trafficking charges, walked free on Wednesday, after President Mahinda Rajapaksa used his executive powers to commute their death penalty. The five have been released into the care of the Indian High Commission before being sent back to India, an official said. …
By Suhasini Haidar Intense pressure from New Delhi convinced Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa to commute the death penalty of the five Indian fishermen. To begin with, the legal process was guided by the Indian High Commissioner Yash Sinha in Colombo. In addition, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is due to visit Sri Lanka in …
Kottarapattu Chattu Kuttan, the legendary hotel doorman, who served world leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Richard Nixon at the famous Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, has died. The Indian-origin doorman of the country’s iconic hotel, known as Kuttan, passed away peacefully at the age of 94 on Tuesday after a …
By Rajiv Gandhi (Statement of condolence issued by former Indian Prime minister Rajiv Gandhi when Comrade Pathmanabha was assassinated by the LTTE in 1990) I met Thiru K. Pathmanabna in Delhi just a few days before his tragic assassination. It is hardly believable that one so young, so bright, so full of life, with so …
Continue reading ‘“Thiru K. Pathmanabha Shared a Common Birthday with my Mother”- Rajiv Gandhi’ »
By the EPRLF Central Committee (Comrade Pathmanabha alias Nabha a.k. a. Ranjan ,the Secretary-General of Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation front(EPRLF)who was born on November 19th 1951. The following Excerpts are reproduced from the blogspot in his memory run by a loyalist faction of the EPRLF to commemorate his 63rd birthday. Comrade Nabha was gunned down …
Continue reading ‘Comrade Pathmanabha Our Leader and Mentor’ »
by Vishwamithra 1984 “Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.” ~Margaret Mead Allow me to say it at the very outset: No campaign run by a group of elite-strategists, cloaked in suits and ‘Satakayas’, cooped up in air-conditioned rooms in Colombo and smoking cigars …
By Dharisha Bastians Striking a heavy blow on President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 69th birthday yesterday, the JHU, a key constituent ally in the ruling UPFA Government, threw in the towel and refused to support his re-election bid. Making a widely-anticipated announcement in Colombo yesterday, Jathika Hela Urumaya monks and laymen announced that the party would quit …
by Shamindra Ferdinando Having failed to clinch an agreement with the SLFP on a seven-point plan to address several contentious issues including parliamentary democracy and good governance among other matters ahead of the next presidential election, JHU General Secretary Patali Champika Ranawaka yesterday announced an action plan to pressure the government. Addressing the media at …
by Col R Hariharan (Text of an E-mail interview with Dr Parasaran Rangarajan, editor-in-chief of the International Law Journal of London, on November 16, 2014 is reproduced here) Q: It is well known that the official position of the government of India never advocated for the separation of Sri Lanka with Tamil Eelam but operations …
By N Sathiya Moorthy Three Chinese naval vessels calling on Sri Lankan ports in over six months – two of them submarines that can only be offensive platforms – and sections of the Indian strategic community is disturbed once again. They are even more concerned about Colombo’s purported nonchalance to India’s concerns, expressed to visiting …
Democratic National Alliance (DNA) parliamentarian Tiran Alles who successfully supported the enthronement of Sajith Premadasa as the Deputy Leader of the UNP, had carried out another political feat. If one thought he was serving the interests of the UNP earlier, this time, however, it became clear that he was serving the interests of the UPFA …
The dinner at the Moratuwa residence by the Bolgoda Lake of Mangala Samaraweera on November 3 was something both special and significant. The guests were President Mahinda Rajapaksa and son, HambantotaDistrict parliamentarian Namal. It was special because it was the first time since being sacked as a Minister seven years ago from the Rajapaksa Government; …
By C.A.Chandraprema One thing that became clear over the past few days is the manner in which president Mahinda Rajapaksa has kept the lines of communication open between himself and even his bitterest critics and opponents. On Thursday last week, the websites were full of the news that the president had met Ven Maduluwawe Sobitha …
By Waruni Karunarathne Former Sri Lanka cricket captain and opposition MP Arjuna Ranatunga says he is ready to be the common opposition candidate for the next Presidential elections. Ranatunga has already extended support to the campaign led by the leader of the People’s Movement for a Just Society, the Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha thero. “My politics …
After spending three thousand two hundred and eighty eight days in office as Sri Lanka’s fifth Executive President, President Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to issue a proclamation calling for a presidential election within the next four days. It will be, arguably, his most controversial political gamble yet Rajapaksa cleared the first hurdle in his third …
Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa is Foxier than the Old Fox Junius Richard Jayewardene’ »
By Uditha Jayasinghe Brilliant and brave are two appropriate words to describe Ruwanthie de Chickera. Her latest venture, a play without words titled ‘Walking Path,’ is returning to the Lionel Wendt on 21 and 22 November. It will be staged at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Grab your tickets for a thought provoking and unique …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA Karu candidacy would rattle the regime’s cage far more than a Ranil one would, and that cage badly needs rattling The best, as they say, must not be the enemy of the good. I have long advocated that the best kind of candidacy for the Opposition would have been or would …
By Don Manu The most envied minister in the UPFA cabinet this Sunday morning must undoubtedly be the Minister for Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Dilan Perera. Not only for his dashing looks and his jet black hair for a man of his age but mainly for receiving presidential benediction and special dispensation for his …
By Don Manu Leader of the House Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said it best when he told Parliament on Tuesday, “The Supreme Court has given an excellent judgment.” Now with the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling, a vehement ‘yes ‘resounded ten times round the table for added comfort, the sibilant squeaks of moribund dodos that …
By Arthur Wamanan Jaffna District Parliamentarian and General Secretary of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), Douglas Devananda, says that he welcomed the Supreme Court determination that allowed President Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest the Presidential polls for the third time since he was the only leader to provide a dignified peace to the country where …
By Zahrah Imtiaz When Leader of the House, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, announced in Parliament on Tuesday, 11 November, the Supreme Court Opinion on the third presidential term of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the immediate reflection in the minds of many was; ‘if Mahinda can, so can Chandirka’. The matter, however, is not so straightforward. As …
Eksath Bhikku Peramuna, affiliated to the UNP has warned that it will withdraw support for the party at the upcoming presidential election unless UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya is declared the presidential candidate. Ven. Girambe Ananda Thera has, in a letter to UNP National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, insisted that it is the UNP prerogative to name …
By Lakna Paranammana While rejecting the allegations of supporting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Norwegian peace facilitator Erik Solheim said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was fully supportive of Norwegian peace efforts and encouraged Norway to continue and had asked Norway to keep him informed of developments. Responding to the allegations levelled against him …
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has demanded that the Norwegian government must probe the funding of the LTTE during the island’s three-decade civil war, alleging that Norway financed Tamil Tigers. “They (Norway) gave money to the LTTE. The Norwegian government must investigate. We have evidence on how they funded the terrorists,” Rajapaksa said addressing a political gathering …
By Udeni Saman Kumara (Former Lance Corporal of Sri Lanka Military Police, Indrananda de Silva, reveals the last moments of JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera before he was killed after interrogation) Q: What is your name? A: Indrananda de Silva. Q: Do you remember November 1989? A: The most unfortunate incident of my life took place …
By Rajavarothayam Sampanthan (Text of Speech made in Parliament on November 14th 2014 by Tamil National Alliance Leader and Trincomalee District MP Rajavarothayam Sampanthan) 1 14/11/2014 ගරු ආර්. සම්පන්දන් මහතා (மாண்புமிகு ஆர். சம்பந்தன்) (The Hon. R. Sampanthan) I believe I have 30 minutes, Mr. Chairman, but the Hon. John Amaratunga has agreed to grant me …
Text and Pictures by Thulasi Muttulingam To many people the world over, the ‘people’s princess’ might be an accolade reserved for Diana; for the people of Jaffna however, it is the Yarl Devi. They have waited a long time now for her home-coming – a long anticipated reunion realized only recently with the opening of …
Continue reading ‘Princess “Yarl Devi” Rules the Hearts of her People Once Again!’ »
By Anura Bandara Rajaguru United National Party MP Ranjan Ramanayake, in an interview with our sister paper Mawbima said, there was a plot to assault him at the Hiru TV debate and he left in order to avoid an unpleasant incident. Following are excerpts: Q: What actually happened at that television debate? What happened behind …
by Meera Srinivasan A day after Sri Lankan Deputy Minister Prabha Ganesan announced that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was ready to pardon the five Indian fishermen facing death penalty, presidential spokesperson Mohan Samaranayake on Wednesday told The Hindu: “Until now, no decision has been taken to that effect.” Asked why Mr. Ganesan made an announcement to …
By Lakshmi Jayakody Leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), R. Sampanthan, and Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Rauff Hakeem, have reportedly met Indian High Commissioner, Y.K. Sinha last Saturday (8), authoritative sources disclosed. They said the two minority party leaders have had detailed discussions with the Indian Envoy. These talks have …
BY Mirudhula Thambiah Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Chairman, C.V.K. Sivagnanam replying to the allegations kept forward by the Opposition Leader S.Thavarasa said the TNA- council is definitely a better administrator.”We are better administrators. I’m responsible for what I’m saying. We are not second to any administrators, we have no corruption or any extortion,” he said. …
By N Sathiya Moorthy. On his 60th birthday on November 7, Tamil cinema’s ever-green actor Kamal Haasan signed up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s‘Swachh Bharat’ (‘clean India) campaign. With that, he also took with him, his fan-following under the ‘Kamal Haasan Narpani Mandram’ (welfare club). It is one thing that Modi promptly tweeted Kamal’s initiative, …
(Text of Editorial Appearing in “The Island” of November 13th 2014 Under the heading “Monk’s advice to mandarin”) Politics is a disease which popularity predisposes some people to. Those who excel in their chosen fields are often asked whether they intend to take to politics. Some of them stoop so low as to go behind …
by Zacki Jabbar President Mahinda Rajapaksa who once walked from Colombo to Kataragama calling for the abolition of the executive presidency could become another Mahasen if he only listened to reason, a constituent member of the UPFA government said yesterday. Leader of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Omalpe Sobitha Thera addressing a rally at Muttiah …
By Upul Joseph Fernando Two years ago everyone who visited Temple Trees or the President’s House and came out used to say, ‘Mahinda is confident’ and was focusing on the immediate challenges before him. However, within the past years those who go there to meet Mahinda say, ‘Mahinda is confused’. Mahinda who thought that Ranil …
By Vishwamithra 1984 “Political language… is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” ~George Orwell No politician in the world would ever relinquish power on his or her own volition, unless there is something drastically imposed upon him or her by an outside …
By Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. (Text of a presentation by Prof Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. at the international seminar held on November 6th and 7th 2014 on “An Appraisal of India’s Neighbourhood Policy: Way Forward“at the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Kolkata.India) In the period leading up to the victory over the terrorist Tigers …
By Pheroze L. Vincent A survey by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, among the one-lakh-odd Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India has found that 67 per cent of them want to remain in India. Only 23 per cent of the 520 families surveyed wanted to return to the island nation, while four …
By B. Kolappan The overwhelming feeling among the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India is to return home, but the repatriation process should be well-structured with the backing of a Memorandum of Understanding among India, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, according to S.C. Chandrahasan, founder, Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OfERR). Asked about Sri Lanka’s …
The Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran, made a strong case on Monday for the return of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu to their homeland, saying it was necessary to prevent the government’s “design” to settle the Sinhalese in the traditional Tamil areas. Addressing a press conference here along with …
by B. Kolappan Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran on Sunday made a fervent appeal to India to prevail upon his country to reverse the ongoing militarisation of the Tamil-majority region and stop what he called harassment and abuse of minorities there. Mr. Wigneswaran, on his first visit since being elected, alleged …
By Saman Indrajith Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa has called for a clarification from Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as regards a statement attributed to Indian Defenec Minister regarding India acquiring weapons from Sri Lanka. The statement has been made in the Lok Sabha. The Speaker was responding to a query …
by Zacki Jabbar Leader of the UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe while urging the European Union Council to appeal against last month’s decision by its General Court to lift the ban on the LTTE imposed on May 29,2006, yesterday expressed regret that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had still not taken any steps in that regard. “I will also …
By Col. R. Hariharan Sri Lanka Deputy Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan, known as Karuna Amman in his earlier incarnation as LTTE commander of Batticaloa, accused the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) of rape and killings during its war against the LTTE in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 90. Speaking in Parliament on November 4, he said …
by Prof.Carlo Fonseka Jerome de Silva is manifestly the brains, brawn and high-voltage energy behind this production of the world famous The Phantom of the Opera, I was invited to see on 10th of October. In the 1970s Jerome’s haunting voice impinging on my consciousness through radio mesmerized me long before I met in the …
by Col. R. Hariharan security concerns are not limited to the PLA N submarine’s visit to Colombo only, but to the larger issue of Sri Lanka becoming China strategic ally and partner in China’s strategic power projection in the Indian Ocean Region India expressed “serious concern to India’s national security” to Sri Lanka Defence Secretary …
By Ashwin Hemmathagama President Mahinda Rajapakse has received what a Senior Minister described as the “much-wanted favourable interpretation” from Supreme Court. Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management and the Leader of the House of Parliament Nimal Siripala de Silva yesterday informed the Parliament the Supreme Court has given the greenlight, allowing the President to …
by M.S.S. Pandian (Noted scholar and Jawaharlal Nehru University Professor M S S Pandian, considered an authority on the study of Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu, has passed away following a cardiac arrest.This Article written by him 16 years ago is reproduced from “Outlook India”magazine of Nov 2nd 1998.MSS was then with the Madras Institute …
By Aakshi Magazine Noted scholar and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Professor M.S.S. Pandian, considered an authority on the Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu, died on 10th November 14, following a cardiac arrest. Pandian, 57, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, where he was rushed following a cardiac arrest. …
Continue reading ‘Remembering MSS Pandian, the Mentor and Teacher Extraordinaire’ »
By S. N. Vijetha M.S.S. Pandian, an eminent social scientist who wrote extensively on the Dravidian Movement, south Indian politics, cinema, caste, identity and several other socially relevant issues, passed away after a sudden heart attack here on Monday. Prof. Pandian, 53, was moved from his residence at the Jawaharlal Nehru University to the All …
* Ven. Sobitha Thero, Ranil, Chandrika and Fonseka and others form common platform * Key demands: Abolish executive presidency; implement 17th Amendment; introduce new electoral system * Ven. Sobitha says President must walk the talk and deliver his original promise and he can do it in the next two years without holding snap polls * …
By Shamindra Ferdinando The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has rejected submissions as regards accountability issues in Sri Lanka on the basis the complainants couldn’t provide English, French, Spanish or Russian translations of all supporting documents. Petitions and Inquiries Section of the OHCHR has ruled that those wanting to lodge …
by Mohan V.Raman It’s not a nickname; it’s not a surname, middle name or even a first name. It’s a unique phenomenon that takes a film you became famous with, or a character you played, adds it to your name and lo and behold — you get a totally different name. It’s the process by …
by C.V. Wigneswaran (Text of the Inaugural Kannabiran Memorial Lecture Delivered by the Sri Lankan Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister Justice C. V. Wigneswaran at the event organized by the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties in Chennai on November 9th 2014) 1 Gurur-Brahmaa Gurur-Vissnnur-Gururdevo Maheshvarah | Gurure[-I]va Param Brahma Tasmai Shrii-Gurave Namah Honourable Chairman, distinguished …
By Ranil Wickremesinghe Leader of the United National Party and the Opposition The Republic of Sri Lanka established by the 1970 Constituent Assembly is based on two legal instruments. Firstly, the Constitution of the Republic of Sri Lanka enacted by this Constituent Assembly; Article 12 (1) of this 1972 Constitution reiterated the validity of Ceylon …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA I suppose it takes the Sri Lankan Opposition to make the slogan of a common candidate, a source of fissure and the search for unity a source of division. But that’s Sri Lanka, or rather, that’s the Sri Lankan Opposition. It would be fun to have good old CBK as common …
By Peter Schwarz pic courtesy of: twitter.com/ABC Sunday, November 9 marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. This event heralded the end of the German Democratic Republic (GDR—East Germany), forty years after it was founded. The anniversary celebrations planned in Berlin are extensive. Some 8,000 glowing balloons marking the route of …
Continue reading ‘Twenty five years since the fall of the Berlin Wall: A balance sheet’ »
THE fall of the Berlin Wall was not big news in Russia. Neither was it a surprise. It was a logical consequence of the process that began in Moscow in 1985 when Mikhail Gorbachev came to power. By 1989 his perestroika, or reconstruction and opening, was in full swing. Andrei Sakharov, Russia’s most famous dissident …
Continue reading ‘The Rise of Mikhail Gorbachev and the Fall of the Berlin Wall.’ »
By C. Gouridasan Nair It seemed the protest would end without so much as a public hug but, the “kiss of love” campaigners surprised everyone with a display of affection leaving behind some iconic images of a new daring. They were outnumbered, subjected to vituperative attacks online and offline and their leaders put under preventive …
By C. Raja Mohan An explanation often is worse than the presumed offence. Statements from Colombo and Beijing this week on the frequent appearance of Chinese submarines and ships at Sri Lankan Ports are likely to worsen New Delhi’s concerns rather than blunt them. Both Colombo and Beijing have countered India’s concerns by stating that …
Continue reading ‘“Is Sri Lanka About to give a Naval Base to China?”’ »
By Veerasingham Anandasangaree The latest developments in Tamil Politics are causing great anxiety to the people. The TNA and more particularly the ITAK is running at a tangent without knowing where they are taking the Tamil people who are in the dark. The time has now come to let them know the true history of …
By Meera Srinivasan Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sunday discussed possible options regarding the five Indian fishermen who were recently sentenced to death by a Sri Lankan Court. Sources in the Sri Lankan President’s office confirmed that Mr. Rajapaksa telephoned Mr. Modi and the two leaders discussed a range …
Ailments could not dampen the spirit of former Supreme Court judge V.R. Krishna Iyer as he joined his well-wishers to cut a cake here on Saturday on the occasion of his 100 birthday celebrations. People from various walks of life recalled Mr. Iyer’s multi-faceted roles as an eminent jurist, legislator, and a human rights crusader, …
Mangala Samaraweera, a former Foreign Minister in the Rajapaksa administration and now a Vice President of the United National Party (UNP) is to decide soon, possibly in a week, whether he should join the UPFA Government or continue to remain in the opposition party. He has already held talks with both sides, including the UPFA …
By Nirmala Kannangara With the continuous unruly behaviour of Hewa Koparage Malaka Manojith Silva, the son of Public Relations and Public Affairs Minister Mervyn Silva, nightclub owners in the city say they fear that there would be a decline in foreign and local arrivals to their clubs since last week brawl at Rhythm and Blues …
By Don Manu With President Mahinda Rajapaksa invoking the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court on Tuesday to submit an opinion as to his eligibility to contest the presidential election for a third time and the Government announcing on Wednesday that it will be issuing after the 19th of November, the proclamation to hold the next …
A delegation from the Vatican was briefed in detail last Monday on arrangements currently under way for Pope Francis’ scheduled visit. External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris who chaired the meeting spelt out the different measures that were being taken. Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, armed forces commanders and several officials were present at the meeting. The …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene There is considerable confusion prevalent in Sri Lanka’s urban circles. At one level, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka is confused as to how (reportedly) an in camera sitting of the Supreme Court was held to consider the Reference by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on his ability to contest a third term …
By Waruni Karunarathne With the resolution passed by the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) asking for a separate administrative district for the Muslims in Ampara, many directed accusations at the SLMC stating that it is an attempt to create a Muslim Eelam. Denying such allegations, the SLMC insists that they do not look for a …
By Camelia Nathaniel According to the police Malaka Silva had been denied bail and was transferred from a private hospital to General Hospital last week and he would be produced again for an identification parade on the 18th of this month. While this is not the first time Malaka has been involved in such incidents, …
By Malinda Seneviratne Twenty-five years ago a man was killed. He was one of some 60,000 who had been killed in those gruesome days of the late eighties. It is reported that he had been tortured and shot. It is reported that he was still alive when he was tossed into the incinerator at the …
BY ISHARA RATHNAKARA Minister of Public Relations Mervyn Silva’s son, Malaka Silva is in custody once again as a result of trying to flex his muscles at a night club. Malaka who has become a nuisance in Night Clubs had in his recent jaunt caused mayhem at Rhythm and Bloom a.k.a. ‘R&B’ Night Club on …
by C.A.Chandraprema The present controversy within the UNP over the choice of a presidential candidate is not what one would expect given the electoral gains they made so recently. Less than eight weeks ago, the UNP was riding high in the wake of the Uva Provincial Council elections. They had got no less than 40% …
(TEXT OF STATEMENT BY TAMIL NATIONAL ALLIANCE LEADER RAJAVAROTHAYAM SAMPANTHAN M.P. ON NOV 8th IN RESPONSE TO STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS APPEARING IN “THE ISLAND”NEWSPAPER OF NOV 6th 2014) The Tamil National Alliance wishes to respond to the statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs appearing in the Island newspaper …
(Text of Letter sent on November 8th 2014 to UN Human Rights Commissioner Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein by Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha ,Sri Lanka’s envoy to the UN in Geneva in response to Press release issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights,Geneva on November 7th 2014) 8th November 2014 Prince Zeid …
GENEVA (7 November 2014) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Friday criticized the continuing attacks by the Sri Lankan Government on the integrity of the UN Human Rights Office’s ongoing investigation into alleged grave human rights violations and abuses in Sri Lanka, and condemned the intimidation of human rights …
by Shamindra Ferdinando The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Organiser for Vavuniya, Alva Pulle Vijendrakumar alias Sun Master wanted by police in connection with the ongoing investigation into an alleged plot to furnish false information to UN war crimes investigation team has escaped to India. Well informed sources alleged that Vijendrakumar had left Negombo in a …
Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran, yesterday arrived in Chennai, marking his first visit to India after taking office. The former judge is scheduled to address the K.G. Kannabiran Memorial Lecture on Sunday organised by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). An official communication said the lecture will be delivered by C.V. …
By Ashok. B.Sharma A definite shift in India’s Look East Policy is underway with added emphasis on Buddha diplomacy under the new dispensation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to market the Buddha card to the countries in the region as India is the place of origin of Dhamma and Sangha. He indicated such a change …
by Zacki Jabbar Attempts by lawyers to file motions in the Supreme Court contending that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was not eligible to seek a third term had been thwarted by the Registrar, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) said yesterday. President of the BASL, Upul Jayasuriya, addressing a hurriedly-summoned press conference at his association’s …
By Dilani Rabindran I was born & raised in Canada, but never once felt removed from my heritage, thanks to the movies and my mother. My parents immigrated years before I was born & my mother vowed that her children would always be connected to their culture, and the best way she knew to ensure …
By Chamitha Kuruppu Estate companies which fail to provide alternative housing for people in landslide prone areas will be taken over by the Government, asserted Minister of Disaster Management Mahinda Amaraweera, pointing out that the majority of estate companies have not provided ‘suitable’ land and as a result people have refused to leave the areas …
(TEXT OF MEDIA STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS) The Minister of External Affairs, Professor G. L. Peiris on Tuesday, 4th November, met the Heads of Mission and Representatives of the main proponents of the Investigation on Sri Lanka by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the High …
By Sudhir Srinivasan Kamal Haasan turns 60 this Friday Nov 7th. And in this chat with Sudhir Srinivasan, he takes stock of a career that has spanned almost all facets of films Sixty. Does it seem like a milestone that forces you to look back at the journey you’ve taken? Well, it’s definitely no surprise …
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