By Yashraj Sharma Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost its national majority after suffering major losses in key states, marking a dramatic shift in a political landscape it has dominated for the past decade. The BJP emerged, comfortably, as the country’s single-largest party in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of …

Continue reading ‘Defying Doomsday Predictions of Exit polls the Congress -led INDIA -Bloc of Opposition Parties Shock the Ruling BJP in vital states, thereby resetting India’s political landscape.’ »

BY VARGHESE K. GEORGE ,NISTULA HEBBAR Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a third term in power on June 4, but he will be dependent on allies as the BJP fell almost 32 short of the halfway mark of 272 seats in the Lok Sabha. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 291 seats against the …

Continue reading ‘Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins third term in Elections; BJP led NDA gets 291 seats while the Congress -led INDIA Bloc wins 234 seats’ »

Ahead of the general election that concluded on June 1st Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, was expected to romp home. His charisma, combined with an emphasis on infrastructure development, welfare payments to the poorest and a polarising Hindu nationalism, looked unbeatable. Mr Modi exuded a confidence that matched those predictions. He claimed that his Bharatiya …

Continue reading ‘Stunning Election Results Humble India’s Strongman Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is Forced to Form Coaition Govt with Alliance Partners – “The Economist”’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ் ஐக்கிய தேசிய கட்சியின் பொதுச்செயலாளர் பாலித ரங்க பண்டாரவின் ஓரங்க நாடகத்தினால் இலங்கை அரசியல் அரங்கு கடந்தவாரம் சுறுசுறுப்படைந்தது. பொலிஸ்காரராக இருந்து அரசியல்வாதியாக மாறிய அவர் மே 28 கொழும்பில் செய்தியாளர்கள் மகாநாடொன்றில் உரையாற்றியபோது இவ்வருடம் நடைபெறவிருக்கும் ஜனாதிபதி தேர்தலும் அடுத்த வருடம் நடத்தப்பட வேண்டியிருக்கும் பாராளுமன்ற தேர்தலும் ஒத்திவைக்கப்படவேண்டும் என்கிற அதேவேளை ஜனாதிபதியினதும் பாராளுமன்றத்தினதும் பதவிக்காலங்கள் இரு வருடங்களினால் நீடிக்கப்படவேண்டும் என்று யோசனையை முன்வைத்தார். அதற்காக பாராளுமன்றத்தில் தீர்மானம் ஒன்று நிறைவேற்றப்படவேண்டும் என்றும் …

Continue reading ‘ரங்க பண்டாரவின் உரத்த சிந்தனையும் ரணிலின் தேர்தல் பிரசாரமும்’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former Cabinet Minister,Nuwara Eliya district Parliamentarian and Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) leader Arumugan Thondaman would have celebrated his 60th birthday on 29 May,if he were alive today. Thondaman passed away due to a cardiac arrest four days before his 56th birthday four years ago on 26 May 2020. He was serving as a …

Continue reading ‘The Six Face(t)s of CWC Chief Arumugan “Thamby” Thondaman’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Sri Lanka’s United National Party (UNP) suffered a humiliating electoral defeat in the 2020 Parliamentary elections. Electoral debacles were nothing new to the UNP which is referred to by some as the grand old party. In 1956 the UNP got only eight seats in a Parliament of 101 MPs. In 1970 the party …

Continue reading ‘“Operation Sajaba” Intends to Deplete SJB Through Large Scale Crossover of MPs to Ranil Wickremesingh’s Side..’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Sri Lanka’s last official census was taken in 2012. According to that census, Sri Lanka’s majority ethnic community the Sinhalese comprises 74.9 % of the island nation’s population. Numerically, the second largest ethnicity is the Sri Lankan Tamils who are 11.1% of the population. The third largest ethnicity is the Sri Lankan Muslims …

Continue reading ‘Can Ranil Wickremesinghe Regain the Support of Tamil and Muslim Voters at the 2024 Presidential Elections?’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham When the Colombo High Court sent Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera to prison two months ago, it was not unexpected that intense efforts would be made to get him out as soon as possible. The Chief Prelates of Sri Lanka’s three main Buddhist chapters have jointly …

Continue reading ‘Gnanasara Thera was able to say and do anything without fear of the law during the Rajapaksa regime. During the reign of the Rajapaksas, Gnanasara Thera criticised Ranil Wickremesinghe in words that are Unmentionable.The Thera was so useful to the Rajapaksas that he was appointed head of a Presidential Task Force.’ »

By Kshama Ranawana Each year in May, since the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009, Tamils gather together to remember their dead. And every time they are harassed by the police, even to the point of being arrested. It was no different this month; media reports stated that four …

Continue reading ‘Be it the ethnic conflict or the attempts to overthrow the government, innocents paid with their lives. Under the guise of national security, many who had no involvement in either of the conflicts were also killed.’ »

By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene Amidst the not-so-happy transformation of Vesak from the serene marking of an incomparably sacred event in the Buddhist calendar to an indulgent if not excessive race to compete with the ‘biggest pandal’ or the largest ‘dansal’ (generous gifting of food to the public), President Ranil Wickremesinghe has sublimely remarked that the long …

Continue reading ‘The dubious record of our police is primarily for arresting Tamil women cooking porridge or dragging away a Sinhalese comedian or a Muslim) poet on the basis of advocating national, racial or religious hatred’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ் இலங்கையில் உத்தியோகபூர்வ சனத்தொகை கணக்கெடுப்பு 2012 ஆம் ஆண்டில் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டது. அந்த கணக்கெடுப்பின் பிரகாரம் இலங்கையின் பெரும்பான்மை இனத்தவர்களான சிங்களவர்கள் சனத்தொகையில் 74.9 சதவீதத்தினராக இருந்தனர். எண்ணிக்கையில் இரண்டாவது பெரிய இனத்தவர்களான இலங்கைத் தமிழர்கள் 11.1சதவீதத்தினராக இருந்தனர். மூன்றாவது பெரிய இனத்தவர்களான இலங்கை முஸ்லிம்கள் 9.3 சதவீதத்தினராகவும் நான்காவது பெரிய இனத்தவர்களான ‘ மலையகத் தமிழர்கள் ‘ என்று அறியப்படும் இந்திய வம்சாவளித் தமிழர்கள் 4.1 சதவீதத்தினராகவும் இருந்தனர். எண்ணிக்கையில் சிறுபான்மை இனத்தவர்களான இலங்கைத் …

Continue reading ‘2024 ஜனாதிபதி தேர்தலில் தமிழ், முஸ்லிம் வாக்காளர்களின் ஆதரவை ரணிலால் மீண்டும் பெறமுடியுமா?’ »

BY MEERA SRINIVASAN When Antony Jesurathnam Mariapushparani, 62, recalls the horrific final days of Sri Lanka’s civil war in striking detail, it is hard to believe it has been 15 years since its end. “That is where we prepared and had the kanji (porridge); that is where we headed to cross the Vattuvagal bridge; that …

Continue reading ‘Poverty of Hope Among Sri Lankan Tamils due to Widespread Economic Misery Compounded by the 2022 Financial Crisis and a Fractured Tamil Polity’ »

By Lionel Bopage Sudath Mahadivulwewa’s latest film, now in cinemas, is openly political and experimental. A major aspect of the film is a debate between the old view of revolution and a more modern one Sudath Mahadivulwewa, the producer of the film ‘My Red Comrade’, is well-known for his various feature films, documentaries, theatre work …

Continue reading ‘Sudath Mahadivulwewa’s “My Red Comrade” is an excellent film, with fine direction, a masterful script, skilful use of sound and lighting and impeccable performance from the leads.It is a commendable and brave experimentation in filmmaking.’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “A state of permanent war…where violence pervades all spheres of life, where the rich flourish and the poor live in misery; a state that will be deserted by the best of its children?” Yuri Avnery (Countercurrents) In Sri Lanka of 2024, kanji is a four letter word. During the long Eelam war, …

Continue reading ‘‘In Sri Lanka of 2024, kanji is a four letter word.By criminalising kanji making, another generation of Tamils is being told that even such a simple act of mourning can turn you into a criminal. Your dead have less value your grief less legitimacy because of your ethnicity.”’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj This is the fourth article in a series focusing on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his evolving strategy to contest the forthcoming 2024 Presidential elections. In a political climate where deliberate attempts are being made to mislead people about Wickremesinghe’s presidential election plans and prospects, the objective of this series is to …

Continue reading ‘Tamil and Muslim Voting Trends in Past Presidential Elections.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Thousands of Tamils on May 18 converged in Mullaivaikkal, along Sri Lanka’s north-eastern coast, to pay homage to their relatives killed in May 2009, in the final battle of the island’s protracted civil war. As the war escalated before its gruesome end, lakhs of Tamil civilians were pushed to this narrow strip …

Continue reading ‘Thousands of Tamils Converge at Mullivaaikkaal On Mullaitheevu district coast to remember their Kith and Kin were killed 15 years ago in the Final phase of the war in May 2009’ »

By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene If the Sri Lankan State tried with all its might and main to look ridiculous in the eyes of the world, it could not do better than the preposterous performance of law enforcement agencies in the North and East during the formal remembrance of those who died during the ending of …

Continue reading ‘Is s it too much to allow the North and the East to remember lives of their loved ones felled in the conflict as much as the Sinhala-South remembers their fallen soldiers?’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham Fifteen years have passed since the end of Sri Lanka’s brutal civil war, which lasted for about 30 years. None of the main political problems have been resolved. The country is not progressing economically either. Instead, we saw that all the problems worsened and the country reached a state of chaos and …

Continue reading ‘If the Current situation continues, there is a danger that Sri Lankan Tamils will become a group of people that the world does not pay attention to and Tamil politicians will become a group of people who make impractical political slogans and only crow within the confines of the peninsula.’ »

By Kshama Ranawana It’s high time Diana Gamage took a hard look at herself in the mirror! When the Supreme Court ruled in favour of petitioner Oshala Herath, that Diana Gamage is not a citizen of Sri Lanka, she told a media conference that she does not accept the ruling. She also went on to …

Continue reading ‘Diana Gamage’s speech, body language and behaviour in parliament often outdid unruly behaviour usually associated with bullies and thugs.’ »

By Patrick Lawrence I had the most salutary email the other day, a reviving lift amid these, humanity’s darkest days, surely, in the memory of anyone living. It was from George Burchett, an Australian painter who resides in Hanoi, the city of his birth. George was born in Hanoi because he is the offspring of …

Continue reading ‘70th Anniversary of the Historic 55 Day Battle of Ðiên Biên Phú , from March 13 to May 7, 1954. In which the French Army was catastrophically defeated by the Vietnamese Forces led by Ho Chi Minh and Võ Nguyên Giáp’ »

By M.A.Sumanthiran MP This week we commemorate the 15 year anniversary of the Mullivaikkal killings and other atrocities. It was a time when our people were locked into a narrow strip of land with no avenue for escape and had to survive only on kanji, while losing many loved ones and seeing many others maimed …

Continue reading ‘“I consider this moment, 15 years after the end of the armed struggle, as the opportune time to reflect and act on the changes that had happened in the political, social and economic positions of the Tamils.”’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ் 2024 ஜனாதிபதி தேர்தல் எதிர்வரும் செப்டெம்பர் 17 ஆம் திகதிக்கும் அக்டோபர் 16 ஆம் திகதிக்கும் இடைப்பட்ட ஒரு திகதியால் நடத்தப்படும் என்று இலங்கை தேர்தல்கள் ஆணைக்குழு கடந்தவாரம் அறிவித்தது. ஏற்கெனவே தெரிந்த விடயத்தையே தேர்தல்கள் ஆணைக்குழு திரும்பக் கூறியிருக்கிறது. பிரத்தியேகமான திகதி ஒன்று அறிவிக்கப்படவில்லை என்றபோதிலும், தேர்தல் செப்டெம்பர் பிற்பகுதியில் அல்லது அக்டோபர் முற்பகுதியில் நடத்தப்படக்கூடிய சாத்தியம் இருக்கிறது. கடந்த காலத்தைப் போன்று ஜனாதிபதி பதவிக்கு பலர் போட்டியிடுவார்கள். சிலர் தேர்தலில் போட்டியிடும் …

Continue reading ‘கடந்தகால ஜனாதிபதி தேர்தல்களில் தமிழர்களும் முஸ்லிம்களும் வாக்களித்த போக்குகள்’ »

By Ranga Jayasuriya Like the rest of his ilk in this part of the world, Mahinda Rajapaksa overstayed his welcome in power. He ran the economy to the ground as he did with the national carrier, which he re-nationalized out of a fit of rage after its Emirates management refused to deplane fee-levying passengers to …

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Opposes Re-structuring of Economy. If Wickremesinghe fails to save the do-or-die reform agenda of the government from the Rajapaksa’s dynastic scheming, history would not be kind to him.’ »

(Text of speech made in Parliament by ITAK Jaffna District Parliamentarian M.A.Sumanthiran during Adjournment motion debate on 14 May 2024) Thank you deputy speaker for the time allocated for me to speak on this very important, adjournment motion that has been moved by Honorable Rauff Hakeem. I wish to approve of and support the sentiments …

Continue reading ‘“We are hypocritical when we say what happened in Sri Lanka is an internal matter for Sri Lanka, but what happens in Palestine is not an internal matter for Israel. That is double speak. ! If you are true to what you are saying Sign the ICC Rome statute “- MA Sumanthiran MP’ »

By Meera Srinivasan The recent arrest of four Tamils in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province — when they commemorated their loved ones killed in the final phases of the civil war in 2009 — has put Tamils’ right to memorialise in sharp focus yet again. The police said the arrests were based on magistrate court orders …

Continue reading ‘Four Sri Lankan Tamils in Eastern Province Arrested for commemorating their loved ones killed in the final phase of the civil war in 2009 ;Tamils’ Right to Memorialise the dead Put into Sharp Focus’ »

By Kishali Pinto- Jayawardene Leaving apart the typically hysterical political brouhaha about the unseating of Diana Gamage, former (and largely unlamented) Member of Sri Lanka’s Parliament, what is greatly interesting about this otherwise distasteful saga is the different approaches taken by the Supreme Court and a majority decision of the Court of Appeal with profound …

Continue reading ‘What is greatly interesting about the Diana Gamage Saga is the different approaches taken by the Supreme Court and a majority decision of the Court of Appeal with profound implications on the roll of the judicial dice in each instance.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj May Day was at one time a significant event of the workers,for the workers and by the workers. It is not so nowadays where the working class has been relegated to the back seat. The political class has taken over. The rhetoric however echoes and re-echoes on May day but the reality is …

Continue reading ‘“Ranil Ralla”: Will Wickremesinghe ride on a Winning Wave?’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham The Sri Lankan Supreme Court’s landmark judgment last week that State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage was legally ineligible to serve as a Member of Parliament (MP) on the grounds that she was not a Sri Lankan citizen raises some crucial questions. The Supreme Court gave the ruling after hearing an appeal …

Continue reading ‘Diana Gamage who came to Parliament on the Samagi Jana Balawegaya(SJB) National List, has been an MP for almost four years without being a citizen of any country.’ »

by Krishantha Prasad Cooray There is no day in the calendar that can be called ‘Mother’s Day,’ not as far as mothers themselves are concerned. They don’t cease to be mothers on days that are not called ‘Mother’s Day.’ And yet, the 12th of May or rather the second Sunday in the month of May, …

Continue reading ‘Your mother is the one who will stand by you even if the entire world is against you. Christobel Cooray my Amma stood by me. She stands by me. It’s love, unadulterated. Children are reminded of all that when Mother’s Day comes around’ »

ம. ஆ. சுமந்திரன் பா.உ 2009 மே மாதம் நிகழ்ந்த முள்ளிவாய்க்கால் படுகொலைகளை இந்த வாரம் நாம் நினைவுகூருகிறோம். யுத்தத்தின் இறுதிக்கட்டத்திலே எந்தத் திசையிலும் தப்பியோட முடியாமல், தொடர்ச்சியாக அன்பானவர்களை இழந்தவண்ணமாக, வெறுங்கையர்களாக எமது மக்கள் , உணவில்லாமல், கஞ்சி மட்டும் குடித்தபடி, பாரிய நெருக்கடியிலும், துயரத்திலும் கழித்த நாட்கள் இவை. துப்பாக்கி, வெடிகுண்டு சத்தங்கள் மௌனித்த பின்பு, தாம் அகப்பட்டிருந்த இடத்திலிருந்து மக்கள் வெளியேறிய போது, பலர் அரச படைகளினால் சுட்டுக்கொல்லப்பட்டதும், மற்றவர்கள் பல விதங்களில் …

Continue reading ‘முக்கால் நூற்றாண்டு போராட்டமும் எமது தேசத்தின் எதிர்காலமும்’ »

Embattled former State Minister Diana Gamage yesterday expressed her refusal to accept the recent Supreme Court ruling that disqualified her from Parliament, due to the political conspiracy behind it. Addressing the media for the first time following the ruling, Gamage levelled accusations against Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa, SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma …

Continue reading ‘Unseated MP Diana Gamage Alleges that she was Disqualified as a Parliamentarian due to a Conspiracy Orchestrated against her by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya; Accuses SJB of Hatred Politics and Urges Women to be Cautious in voting for the Leader of the Opposition in Elections’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka has agreed to purchase power at $0.0826, or 8.26 cents, per kWh from Adani Green Energy, which is executing a wind power project in Mannar and Pooneryn in the island’s Northern Province. The country’s Cabinet cleared a proposal on Monday for a 20-year power purchase agreement with Adani Green Energy …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka to Purchase Power at 8.26 cents per kWh from India’s Adani Green Energy which will generate 484 MW Power Annually from a 442 $ millon wind power project at Mannar and Pooneryn in the Island’s Northern Province’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The protracted struggle by Sri Lankan Tamils to achieve justice and equality in the Island has brought into prominence several colourful and controversial personalities. Among such persons was a Tamil Nationalist political activist who adopted the nom de plume “Eelaventhan”meaning King of Eelam. Eelaventhan whose real name was MK Kanakenthran was active in …

Continue reading ‘The Tamil Nationalist Who Dubbed Himself as the “King of Eelam”.’ »

The Supreme Court in a unanimous verdict delivered yesterday unseated State Minister Diana Gamage. The Court held that Gamage was disqualified to be a Parliamentarian as she has no Sri Lankan citizenship. As a result a new seat in Parliament opens up for Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). Justice Janak De Silva reading portions of the …

Continue reading ‘State Minister Diana Gamage Unseated as MP ! Supreme Court in Unanimous Ruling States the Samagi Jana Balawegaya Appointed National List MP is disqualified to be a Parliamentarian as she has no Sri Lankan Citizenship.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan A fortnight after Sri Lanka switched to a new visa issuing system, authorities are facing a backlash over higher visa costs that could deter tourists, “Indian involvement”, and “corruption” in the subject minister’s push to outsource visa processing. Beginning April 17, 2024, Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration directed travellers to …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan authorities are facing a backlash over higher visa costs that could deter tourists , after a new visa portal, run by VFS Global, for online visa application processing Started Operations from 17 April 2024.’ »

By Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene Do the actions of the Wickremesinghe Presidency and his Cabinet reflect strategic decision-making on the cusp of majorly significant national elections in Sri Lanka?\ The Government’s markedly asinine behaviour The latest controversy to erupt is over the Cabinet outsourcing the handling of on-arrival visas to foreigners at the national airport …

Continue reading ‘Public Security Minister Tiran Alles has a penchant for conduct that sits oddly with his ministerial duties, the latest being his declaring ‘Open Sesame’ to the police to use their weapons to ‘eliminate criminals.’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The first part of this article published in the “Daily Mirror”of 20 April 2024 under the heading “Ranil Wickremesinghe caravan moves on despite barking dogs” has evoked a lot of reader responses. In a climate of Ranil-bashing many seem to be happy that Wickremesinghe’s courageous decision to accept the challenge of leading …

Continue reading ‘Ranil Plans to Contest 2024 Presidential Election as an independent non -party common candidate (Nirpakshika Podu Apekshaya) backed by a group of parties, organizations and key individuals’ »

By Meera Srinivasan With a presidential election expected later this year,the May Day rallies o fall main political parties in Sri Lanka seemed a prelude to their poll campaigns. Leaders of various political camps made a direct pitch to the people in their respective public events, seeking their support in what would be the first …

Continue reading ‘President Ranil Wickremesinghe Announces 700 Rupee Pay Increase to Plantation Workers at Ceylon Workers Congress May Day Rally at Kotagala; Current Daily Wage Rs 1000 Goes up to 1700 Rupees.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj In life, he was a controversial character who was mostly in the news for the wrong reasons.. He was a Parliamentarian who brandished a knife against a fellow MP during a brawl in the House. He had a notorious reputation for getting things done in the way he wanted by engaging in pressure …

Continue reading ‘UNP Kalutara Ex-MP Palitha Thewarapperuma was Called a “Hitha Honda Chandiya”(Good Hearted Strongman/Thug)’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “Doubt is not a pleasant condition. But certainty is an absurd one.” Voltaire (Letter to Fredrick the Great – 28.11.1770) Sri Lanka’s road to ruin was marked by miracles. The story, born in mystery, spread across the land at the speed of light. Luminous rays were emanating from Buddha statues. For three …

Continue reading ‘The SJB and the JVP/NPP do not seem to have broken with Rajapaksa economics entirely. Both parties seem to think that Sri Lanka can have guns, rice, low taxes and low borrowings if corruption and waste are eliminated.’ »

Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam on Thursday accused the infamous Tripoli platoon, a paramilitary intelligence unit, of involvement in the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019. Speaking during the debate on the Easter Sunday attacks, Rasamanickam said the group had been involved in a spate of killings since early 2005, long before …

Continue reading ‘ITAK Batticaloa MP Shaniyan Rasamanickam Urges President Wickremesinghe to Arrest TMVP B’caloa MP Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan to find out the truth about Easter Bombing attacks’ reveals explosive details about alleged crimes committed by “Tripoli Platoon” in Parliament speech’ »

By Ranjith Padmasiri The Anuradhapura High Court on Friday passed a death sentence on five police officers who were found guilty of killing eight Tamil civilians at the Bharathipuram village in Kantale, Trincomalee 26 years ago. The sentence was passed by High Court Judge Manoj Thalgodapitiya. The five police officers were attached to the Bharathipuram …

Continue reading ‘Five Policemen Comprising an Inspector,Sub-inspector and three Constables Found Guilty of Killing Eight Tamil Civilians at Bharathipuram in Trincomalee district 26 Years ago Sentenced to Death by Anuradhapura High Court Manoj Thalgodapitiya’ »

By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene An (un)holy row has erupted between Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, head of Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church and former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa regarding ‘who said what’ in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks on April 21st 2019 by ‘home grown’ jihadists. Symbolic punishment is insufficient Examining several aspects of this dispute is relevant …

Continue reading ‘The “Unholy “Row Between Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and Ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Regarding the Easter Sunday Attacks by Home Grown Jihadists on 21 April 2019’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “ The Dogs bark but the Caravan moves on”is a proverbial saying of supposedly Turkish origin. Caravan in this instance refers to a group of people, animals or vehicles on the move. As is natural members of the canine species respond to the strange sight of a caravan in their midst by barking. …

Continue reading ‘The Ranil Wickremesinghe Caravan Moves Forward Despite Barking Dogs.’ »

by Krishantha Prasad Cooray Robert Frost once wrote, ‘Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.’ It’s a place like Hotel California in the popular Eagles song by that name — you can check out any time you like but you can never leave. It’s all …

Continue reading ‘Why is there so much braggadocio about drug pushers being arrested and drug caches being seized, but nothing concrete is done to stop the inflow of drugs?’ »

By Kshama Ranawana Election fever is hotting up in Sri Lanka, and this time around the most coveted by Opposition parties are those affected by the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. It’s been a long five years of waiting for the masterminds to be publicly named and brought to justice. Yet, incumbent governments choose to ignore …

Continue reading ‘For five long years , Sri Lankan governments have thumbed their noses at the Catholic church leading the call for accountability and justice for the Easter Sunday bombings.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan The Global South must strive for their strength and autonomy, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Wednesday, even as he thanked his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi, who inaugurated a key power and irrigation project in the island nation. Expressing “gratitude to Iran for their technical support”, Mr. Wickremesinghe emphasised that without …

Continue reading ‘Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Arrives in Sri Lanka to Inaugurate Iran -funded Irrigation and Power Project amid Media Reports of “Western Pressure” on Colombo; Lankan President Wickremesinghe Thanks his Counterpart and says “Global South must Strive for Strength and Autonomy”.’ »

By Ranga Jayasuriya Five years ago, on Easter Sunday, a group of local Islamists carried out coordinated suicide attacks targeting three churches and tourist hotels, killing over 270 worshipers and tourists and wounding 500 others. The fifth anniversary of that heinous crime, which fell last Sunday (April 21), turned out to be a sordid display …

Continue reading ‘The whole discourse of the Easter Sunday attack is degenerating into a sordid freakshow where the state, and not the Islamists who blew up the innocents, stand accused.’ »

By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene That a State Minister has called upon President Ranil Wickremesinghe to pardon Gnanasara Thero now serving his most recent sentence of four years handed down by the Colombo High Court last month for ‘outraging religious feelings’ of adherents of the Islamic faith in 2016, should surprise no one. Politico-military-religious impunity No doubt, …

Continue reading ‘Gnanasara Thero’s rhetoric, which eminently qualifies as hate speech during a press conference called by him, was directly aimed at the Muslim religion and its founder in referencing the Kuragala pre- historic archaeological site.’ »

By Arjuna Ranawana Five years on, Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday bombings has left us with more questions than answers. Both the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government and now the Ranil Wickremesinghe tenure has been shown up poorly in terms of ensuring the masterminds and those who failed to prevent the bombings are bought to book. As one …

Continue reading ‘The Easter Sunday victims have been political pawns these past five years, just as the many others who lost family members in the various conflicts the country have been through.They too, are still awaiting justice.’ »

By Krishantha Prasad Cooray Mangala Samaraweera would have turned 68 today, and had he not succumbed to Covid-19, I am certain we would have met and raised a cheer for all that is worthy of celebration even in the worst of times. He left us at a critical moment in our political history. Indeed, critical …

Continue reading ‘Mangala Samaraweera was a leader who saw things that others didn’t see. He was bold and had the courage of his convictions, never afraid to stand up for what he believed, whether or not the world appreciated it, and indeed whether or not it was a marginal or minority position that he was espousing.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party will celebrate its 75th Birthday in December this year. The premier political party of the Sri Lankan Tamil people known as “Ilankai Thamizhar”in their mother tongue was born on 18 December 1949. On that day, a group of sixty Tamils including …

Continue reading ‘SJV Chelvanayakam and the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK)/Federal Party(FP).’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The encounter between the Fox and Crow is an ancient tale heard by most Sri Lankans in their childhood days. The crow has a vadai or kavun or piece of cheese in its beak. The crafty fox wants it and flatters the crow into thinking it is a harmonious singer with a sweet …

Continue reading ‘A US “Kaputa” (Crow) ,a Lankan “Nariya” (Fox) and a Presidential Election “Feast”.’ »

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama Mage Rata organization president Sanjaya Mahawatta today, lodged a complaint with the Illegal Assets Investigations Division, calling for an inquiry into model Piumi Hansamali using the Range Rover vehicle previously used by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. “It is clear that an election is near and politicians tend to inject all their …

Continue reading ‘Complaint Lodged with Illegal Assets Investigation Division that Actress – Model Piyumi Hansamali is Allegedly Using Range Rover vehicle (CBH 1949) Worth 100 Million Rupees that was Earlier Used by Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Current media coverage in Sri Lanka is heavily focused on the forthcoming Presidential elections. Though officially not announced yet, it seems a foregone conclusion that the presidential poll would take place later this year. Several potential candidates ranging from incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe to media magnate Dilith Jayaweera are tipped to be in …

Continue reading ‘“Siva Senai”(Siva’s Army) Leader Sachithananthan Weakens Tamil Nationalism Further by Widening the Hindu-Christian Divide.’ »

The killing started on April 7th 1994, as members of the presidential guard began assassinating opposition leaders and moderates in the government. Within hours the genocide of Rwanda’s minority Tutsis was under way. It was among the fastest mass killings in history: 100 days later three-quarters of Rwanda’s Tutsis, about 500,000 people, were dead. Most …

Continue reading ‘The International Court of Justice has no jurisdiction over war crimes other than genocide, which encourages complainants to allege genocide even when the facts do not support it. That cheapens the taboo against genocide and discredits the ICJ- “The Economist”’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The once powerful Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) waged war against the Sri Lankan state for over thirty years. The LTTE known popularly as the tigers was the determining force in Sri Lankan politics for nearly two decades. The decline of the LTTE began in 2004 when its Batticaloa and Amparai district special …

Continue reading ‘Karuna”s Rebel Tigers May Have Lost the Eastern Battle but Ultimately the Prabhakaran-led LTTE Lost the Eelam War.’ »

By Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene National People’s Power (NPP) presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s pronouncement in Jaffna earlier this week that he did not come to bargain for votes by assuring that he would give ’13 plus’ or a ‘federal solution’ begs the crucial question as to what exactly is the NPP’s public position in …

Continue reading ‘What Is NPP Presidential Candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s Position on Thorny Issues like “!3 Plus”, “Federal Solution” and Militarisation of the State?’ »

By Shiranee Mills In the bicentennial year of Uduvil Girls’ College, especially during the month of April, our thoughts dwell closely on the founder principal of the school, Harriet Wadsworth Winslow (née Lathrop), whose birthday falls on April 9. Born in 1796, in Norwich, Connecticut, in the USA, Harriet from a young age, was filled …

Continue reading ‘Remembering Harriet Winslow the Founder Principal of Asia’s First All-Girls Boarding School – Uduvil Girls’ College in Jaffna.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Putting your foot in your mouth” is a figurative expression about a person saying or doing something that should not be done or not have been said, especially if it embarrasses the person concerned or someone else. Among those who frequently put their feet into their mouhs are politicians of all kinds and …

Continue reading ‘When “Aiyo” Sirisena Accused India’s RAW of Plotting to Assassinate Him While he was the President.’ »

By Krishantha Prasad Cooray When people who have the same first name meet up, there’s name-related humour. The more, the merrier, obviously, especially if they are good friends and enjoy friendly banter. Today I am thinking of three people who share the name Michael: Michael Tissera, Michael Sproule and Michael De Zoysa, all three who …

Continue reading ‘There are cricketers and gentlemen, but gentleman cricketers are rare. Lanka’s Former Cricket Captain Michael Tissera who Celebrated his 85th Birthday is one, for so many reasons.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka sees no reason for re-opening talks on Katchatheevu that India gave up 50 years ago, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry has said, in the first official reaction yet to the recent remarks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the island. “This is a …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka sees no reason for re-opening talks on Katchatheevu that India gave up 50 years ago says Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry in First Official Reaction by Sri Lanka to Remarks made by Indian PM Modi and Foreign Minister Jaishankae’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The course of war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) and the Sri Lankan armed forces was drastically altered by the 2004 eastern revolt headed by former tiger commander of the Batticaloa and Amparai districts Vinayagamoorthy Muralidharan alias “Col”Karuna. The LTTE was split vertically and horizontally as a result and gradually weakened. …

Continue reading ‘How the LTTE Crushed “Col” Karuna’s Eastern Tiger Revolt Through Force.’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “We too live in a time when political structures we inhabit are fluid and perhaps on the cusp of great and potentially dangerous changes.” – Richard Whatmore (The end of enlightenment) Namal Rajapaksa had his crowning as crown prince last week. The SLPP titled the Tangalle meeting, “Let’s begin the Battle from …

Continue reading ‘Namal Rajapaksa anointed at Tangalle Meeting as king-in-waiting plus enabler and defender of Sinhala-Buddhist Lanka Torch of leadership passing from father and uncle to son/nephew. The SLPP is the only Lankan party founded to enthrone a family.’ »

(Text of Editorial Appearing in the “Daily Financial Times”of 2nd April 2024 Under the Heading “Katchatheevu was not India’s to “give away”) Last week, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again raised a popular trope on the sovereignty of Katchatheevu and criticised his political opponents, the Congress party for ‘ceding’ the island to Sri Lanka …

Continue reading ‘The constant provocative claims on Sri Lankan territory, especially from the highest echelons of power in India, would only force our country to seek security guarantees elsewhere. it would be tragic for all concerned if Sri Lanka needs to apply the foreign policy theory of finding ‘friends’ elsewhere to protect itself against a ‘near foe’. -Daily FT’ »

(Text of Editorial Appearing in “The Hindu”of 2nd April 2024 Under the Heading “No man’s land: Playing politics over Katchatheevu “) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, by raking up the contentious matter of Katchatheevu, has set an unhealthy trend of politicising an issue for electoral gains, and one that has bearing on ties with Sri Lanka. …

Continue reading ‘“By raking up the contentious matter of Katchatheevu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set an unhealthy trend of politicising an issue for electoral gains, and one that has bearing on ties with Sri Lanka.”- The Hindu’ »

By Meera Srinivasan The Sri Lankan government is yet to comment on the recent remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Katchatheevu, but the island nation’s media took a critical view of the development, while fishermen’s associations urged Sri Lankan authorities to take up the issue of bottom trawling …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Newspapers Hit out Strongly Against “Katchatheevu”Remarks by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar’ »

By LAKMAL SOORIYAGODA Former President Maithripala Sirisena has informed the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court that he will not provide a confidential statement before the magistrate in connection with his controversial revelation regarding the Easter Sunday attacks. Court had earlier directed the former President to appear before Court on April 4 following a request by the Criminal …

Continue reading ‘Former President Maithripala Sirisena Informs Maligakanda Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrema that he would not Provide a Fresh Confidential Statement in Court as he has already done so to the CID’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (Peoples Liberation Front) led Jathika Jana Balawegaya ( National People’s Power is a left-leaning, working class-oriented broad front consisting of the JVP and 27 other organisations. These entities comprise small parties, trade unions, rights groups, Women, student and youth organisations. The JVP is the pivotal, pre-eminent force in the …

Continue reading ‘How FSP Leader Kumar Gunaratnam Fought the Indian Army in 1989 as the Trincomalee JVP Commander “Gemunu”’ »

By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene Does the Sri Lankan Government believe that posting hundreds of military officers with guns at the ready in front of churches during the Christian Holy Week, will suffice to mitigate monumental lapses on the part of the State in not (properly) investigating or prosecuting those responsible for the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks? …

Continue reading ‘After unforgivably allowing a disaster of the magnitude of the 2019 attacks on churches and hotels to occur at the hands of local jihadists, what is the point of parading military men before churches now?’ »

By Mimi Alphonsus When renowned global TV chef and documentarian, Anthony Bourdain, tried street food on Galle Face Green for his episode in Sri Lanka in 2017, the public seaside walkway bustled with “issovadai” carts and “kottu” stands. Today, it’s a starkly different story. The vendors say the authorities have told them to clear out. …

Continue reading ‘“Isso vadai”Cart and “Kottu Rotti”Stand Vendors Forbidden on Galle Face Green from 2024 Independence Day; SLPMCS Cites Sanitation Issues as Reason but Others Suspecct “Gentrification” of vendors and Plans of moving them to Underground spaces as real motive’ »

By Lakshmi Sreeram (Lakshmi Sreeram is a musician and teaches at Ahmedabad University.) The Sangitha Kalanidhi is a coveted award given annually by The Music Academy, Chennai, to a Carnatic musician. By convention, the designated awardee presides over that year’s prestigious Music Conference and over the other concerts in December. This year, The Music Academy …

Continue reading ‘Sections of the Tamil Brahmin Community Protest Strongly against Controversial Singer T.M.Krishna Being the Recipient of the “Sangeetha Kalanidhi”Award from the Chennai Music Academy.’ »

By T. Farook Thajudeen Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige yesterday handed down a sentence of four years of rigorous imprisonment to Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera and a fine of Rs. 100,000 over a contentious statement made by him about Islam and Muslims in 2016. The Judge ordered an …

Continue reading ‘Gnanasara Thero Convicted for causing harm to national and religious harmony by making a threatening statement against the Kuragala Islamic religious site during a 2016 press briefing in Colombo. “Remarks during the press conference were intentional and malicious expressions of religious animosity”Concludes Court’ »

By Ranga Jayasuriya These days, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)/National People’s Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and top-level party stalwarts are busy receiving a beeline of foreign diplomats, who seem eager to know what is going through those elusive minds. That is an achievement for the party that languished on the sideline. Their luck …

Continue reading ‘Why are the Foreign Diplomats in Colombo Taking a great Interest in the JVP/NPP and Meeting with Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Other Leaders?’ »

By LAKMAL SOORIYAGODA Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galaboda Atte Gnanasara Thera was today sentenced to four-year-rigorous imprisonment for making a hate speech against the Islamic religion on Kuragala Temple. Colombo High Court Judge Adithya Patabendige further ordered Gnanasara Thera to pay a fine of Rs.100,000 for making hate speech on Kuragala Temple …

Continue reading ‘Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galaboda Atte Gnanasara Thera sentenced by Colombo High Court to four-year-rigorous imprisonment for making a hate speech against the Islamic religion’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj This week’s Column is the second of a series of articles denoting the 20th anniversary of the revolt headed by former eastern tiger commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias “Karuna Ammaan” against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) hierarchy. Although the rebellion was crushed, its impact and consequences helped greatly to determine the course …

Continue reading ‘Tiger vs Tiger: How Prabhakaran’s Mainstream LTTE and Karuna’s Eastern Tigers Prepared for Fratricidal Conflict.’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “Whether the victims of October 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims of dehumanisation, how do we resist?” Jonathan Glazer, director of The Zone of Interest (Oscar acceptance speech) The Pali Canon has the original tale but it’s the version in the commentaries we know. In both …

Continue reading ‘The growing public disenchantment with Israel, and the mounting protests, is forcing many American, British and European politicians to rethink their unconditional support for Israel’s genocidal war.’ »

By Jamila Husain President Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed his close associates and hinted to his cabinet that the Presidential Election will be held as scheduled, indicating Basil Rajapaksa’s failure in convincing the President to hold the Parliamentary Polls first, the Daily Mirror learns. A senior political source said that Wickremesinghe had in the past two …

Continue reading ‘Presidential Election to be held first in October First week. President Wickremesinghe Rejects Basii Rajapaksa Proposal to Hold Parliament Elections First. Ranil, Anura and Sajith in Triangular Tussle for Presidency’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) organization fought the armed forces of Sri Lanka for 33 Years in pursuance of its political goal of establishing a separate state called Tamil Eelam in the Northern and Eastern provinces of the Island. The LTTE known generally as the tigers had the reputation of monolithic …

Continue reading ‘How and Why Eastern Tiger Commander “Col” Karuna Revolted Against the LTTE Leaders Prabhakaran 20 Years ago.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan A wind power project being executed by Adani Green Energy in northern Sri Lanka has run into controversy, with locals and environmentalists raising concern over its possible impact on the coastal region and livelihoods. In February last year, Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment cleared the company’s $ 442-million project at two wind …

Continue reading ‘Environmentalists and Mannar residents fear that the Adani wind energy project could spell danger to the biodiversity of the area and impact people’s livelihoods that are tied to the coastal environment.’ »

By Kishali Pinto- Jayawardene As familiar wrangling in Geneva takes place over the review of Sri Lanka by the United Nations Human Rights Council, there is an eminently sound argument to be made, (ad nauseam until the point is acknowledged) that the country’s many ineffective bodies on transitional justice established to meet ‘international scrutiny’ actually …

Continue reading ‘The West’s Double Standards and Hypocrisy is not a Justifiable reason for Sri Lanka to plead bland denial of its own responsibilities and indulge in patently superficial ‘transitional justice’ exercises. Has this charade not gone on long enough?’ »

By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka “…The point I made about the Aragalaya being fundamentally, an anti-Sinhalese and anti-Buddhist enterprise from the beginning to the end” (Gotabaya Rajapaksa, THE CONSPIRACY, p 172) Dr. Colvin R. de Silva’s position on the executive presidency was slightly more nuanced than the flat denunciation by Dr. N.M. Perera. While criticising the 1978 …

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Insidious. Book on the Alleged Conspiracy to Oust him is drenched in inflammatory racism and religious hatred. It qualifies as incitement.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Mountains have laboured and brought forth a mouse!. Former Sri Lankan President Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa has after many poya days reportedly authored a book. The political grapevine had been buzzing for several months that a book by the ex-president known popularly as Gota and Gotabaya was in progress. It was supposedly a …

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Book “The Conspiracy” is a Banal Conspiracy Theory Repetition Without Substantive Proof to Bolster it.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The 105th birth anniversary of the man named Manjeri Narayanan Nambiar or M.N. Nambiar fell on 07 March 2024. The popular Tamil film actor excelled in playing the villain on screen. Nambiar was a terrible villain who could terrify people by merely grimacing and scowling. M.N. Nambiar was arguably the greatest screen villain …

Continue reading ‘M..N. Nambiar: Legendary “Villain” of Tamil Cinema who Terrified People by his Grimaces and Scowls.’ »

By Maneshka Borham Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M. A. Sumanthiran stood as the only Opposition member in attendance at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) proposals review meeting for opposition party leaders held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday. Despite President Ranil Wickremesinghe extending invitations to the opposition including the main Opposition party, the Samagi Jana …

Continue reading ‘ITAK Jaffna Parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran the only Opposition MP to Participate in IMF Proposals Review Meeting for Opposition Leaders; Raises Concerns Over Lack of Transparency and absence of published technical assistance reports from the IMF regarding several recommendations’ »

President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday (Mar 10) said the government has launched a revolution with relief for the people and these efforts will be intensified in the future despite challenges. The President emphasized that the current era and challenges faced by the country demands everyone to work in unity to rebuild the country sans narrow politics. …

Continue reading ‘United National Party members find themselves marginalized within the Samagi Jana Balawegaya states President Ranil Wickremesinghe at Kulliyapitiya Rally; appeals to former UNP members who joined the SJB to return to the UNP’ »

Sixty-nine Sri Lankan fishing boats are in Indian custody, Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda has said during a recent televised interview.Hundreds of Indian boats arrive in Sri Lankan waters and use destructive bottom trawling techniques in the territorial waters of Sri Lanka, the Minister said. “They have destroyed all marine resources in the Indian territorial …

Continue reading ‘“ Indian Fishermen have destroyed all marine resources in the Indian territorial waters using destructive bottom trawling techniques and they are doing the same in our waters also for a long time and things have gradually become worse. That is why our fishermen are protesting.” Says Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda’ »

By Nadine Yousif A Sri Lankan father who survived the mass murder of his family in Canada said he returned home from work on Wednesday to find his wife and four young children had been killed. Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, 34, was also attacked but managed to subdue the suspect. He is now recovering in hospital from …

Continue reading ‘34 Year old Dhanushka Wickramasinghe Returned Home From Work to Find his Wife, four Children and an acquaintance killed: 19 Year old Febrio de Zoysa a Sri Lankan Student at Algonquin College in Ottawa Charged in Courts as Suspect’ »

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam accused Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena of attempting to assault him in the Parliamentary complex yesterday. Raising a privilege issue in Parliament, MP Shanakiyan said that the incident occurred at the Prime Minister’s Office at the Parliamentary complex when he went to meet the Prime …

Continue reading ‘Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam Accuses Kalutara District MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena of attempting to Assault him Within Parliament at Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s Office; Says Attack on him was prevented by State Minister Ashoka Priyantha and Raises Privileges Issue’ »

By Ranga Jayasuriya Eighteen months back, when the people languished long hours in lengthy queues to buy that elusive gas cylinder and regular blackouts punctured the day and night amidst economic hardship, there was an unusual unity. Hundreds of thousands people who gathered at the Galle Face Green protest site and took part in many …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka is part of the social, cultural and civilizational landscape of the Indian subcontinent. Sri Lanka could have become the window to India in the 80s and in the early 90s when New Delhi underwent liberalization.’ »

By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene An exceedingly strange ‘logic’ underlines Governor of the Central Bank Nandalal Weerasinghe’s claim that bringing legislative controls to prevent the Central Bank granting gargantuan salary hikes to its employees from the highest level to the lowest office assistant, will impact on the ‘independence’ of the Bank. Morality or the law? This …

Continue reading ‘The Central Bank of Sri Lanka Increases the Already High salaries of Employees by 70 % across the Board while Preaching to the Suffering Public to Tighten their Belts and Pay Higher Taxes for the Country’s Benefit’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The ascension of Junius Richard Jayewardene to the premier seat of poitical power in 1977 paved the way for a drastic transformation of Sri Lanka’s politico-economic landscape and environment. J.R. Jayewardene known popularly as “JR” ushered in political, economic and electoral changes that utterly changed Sri Lanka. In the words of William …

Continue reading ‘Ronnie De Mel the Socialist MP who Ushered in a Capitalist Economy as Finance Minister.’ »

By Joy SpearChief-Morris, Mark Colley, and Jennifer Pagliaro Police have charged a 19-year-old man with the murder of two adults and four children in an Ottawa-area townhouse Wednesday night, which police say is the largest murder in recent memory in the city. Febrio De-Zoysa is believed to be in Canada from Sri Lanka as a …

Continue reading ‘Two Adults and Four Children Brutally Murdered in Suburban Home in Ottawa,Canada. Another Hospitalised with Injuries. All victims of Sri Lankan Origin.Police Arrest 19 Year old Student from Sri Lanka as Lone Suspect’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “Are we so morally sick, so deaf and dumb and blind, that we do not understand this?” Ariel Dorfman (The Washington post – 24.9.2006) In 2023, bankrupt Sri Lanka added $ 16.6 billion to its central government debt, an increase of 21%. Sri Lanka ranks a high 43 in Global Militarisation Index …

Continue reading ‘The JVP, by organising ex-military as ex-military, seems to be making a great leap forward in militarising politics and – indirectly – politicising the military. Another Rubicon is being crossed, with predictable results’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Two years after his dramatic ouster from office by a popular people’s movement, Sri Lanka’s former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has sought to defend his tainted regime, by launching a book that attributes his political downfall to a “conspiracy” involving foreign and local parties. Announcing his book ‘The Conspiracy to oust me from …

Continue reading ‘Ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Writes Book in which he Attributes his dramatic ouster in 2022 by a citizen’s uprising to a conspiracy hatched by ‘certain foreign and local parties’’ »

The name of a top Sri Lankan politician has emerged in the latest release of Pandora Papers two years after the first leak of financial secrets of shell companies in overseas tax shelters. The individual, a minister in President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s cabinet, has been identified as the beneficial owner of two such firms registered in …

Continue reading ‘Pandora Papers name Sri Lankan Public Security Minister Tiran Alles as the owner and director of Banham Ventures Limited and Brompton Properties registered in the British Virgin Islands Since July 2017’ »

By Krishantha Prasad Cooray Approximately 2,456km from Kuala Lumpur, where I now reside is Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, my home country. Something happens in Colombo over three consecutive days in early March that tugs at my heartstrings. It’s a cricket game between two schools, Royal College, and St Thomas’ College. They are …

Continue reading ‘Reflections on the Royal-Thomian Match in Colombo from 2,456km away in Kuala Lumpur.’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK)known in English as the Federal Party(FP) is in the eye of a legal storm. The premier political party representing the Sri Lankan Tamils of the Northern and Eastern provinces is currently undergoing an internal crisis mainly due to recently held inner-party elections. Issues relating to the intra-party …

Continue reading ‘Internally Divided ITAK in the Eye of a Legal Storm: Courts Restrain Newly Elected Party Officials From Functioning.’ »

By Satya Dissanayake The worst crisis Sri Lanka faced was in 2022, when it had to declare bankruptcy. A 30-year civil war, two insurrections, racial riots and a tsunami had not deterred this nation from repaying its loans on time. But one corrupt family and their cohorts had brought our country to its knees. Overnight, …

Continue reading ‘It is accepted today and proven beyond doubt that Ranil was the best man and the only man who could have pulled the country out of the abyss it had fallen into.’ »

By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene It is perhaps one of the many painful ironies afflicting Sri Lanka’s political landscape that though an ecstatic song and dance was made about the country’s ‘first ever’ law regulating election expenditure passed by Parliament last year, no elections were held thereafter to practically ‘test’ its legal strength. Morbid fear of elections …

Continue reading ‘“There is great political inequality in India…this inequality is driven by money. As a result, people with deep pockets influence political decisions… Large Donors to Political Parties Influence Policy’’ »

Veteran journalist and columnist Lucien Rajakarunanayake passed away on February 29 at the age of 85. Late Mr Rajakarunanayake began his career in journalism as a reporter at the (former) Times of Ceylon and the Sunday Times from 1960 to 1971. He was a reporter, sub-editor, feature writer, and a lobby correspondent. He was a …

Continue reading ‘Veteran Journalist Lucien Rajakarunanayake Passes away at the age of 85; funeral in the Evening of Sunday March 3rd 2024 at the Borella Cemetery’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Three years after objecting to a Chinese energy projectin northern Sri Lanka, barely 50 km off Tamil Nadu, India is set to implement a hybrid power project in three islands off Jaffna peninsula with a $11-million grant. Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, the Government of Sri Lanka, and Indian company U-Solar Clean …

Continue reading ‘Three Years after Ousting China from Sri Lanka’s Northern Island Hybrid Energy Project, India Signs “Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems” Power Project for Neduntheevu,Nainatheevu and Analaitheevu i Islands in Northern Sri Lanka’ »

Lyca Group owned by Sri Lankan born Allirajah Subaskaran has gone to court against it being disqualified from bidding for the Government’s stakes in Sri Lanka Telecom and Lanka Hospital Corporation PLC. Lyca Group companies were among those figured during the Request for Qualification (RfQ) stage of these two SOE divestitures but were rejected for …

Continue reading ‘UK’s Lyca Group Owned by Lanka born Allirajah Subaskaran Goes to Appeal Court and gets enjoining order against being rejected by Cabinet Sub-committee from bidding for control of SL Telecom and Lanka Hospitals PLC’ »

By Arun Janardhanan T Suthendiraraja alias Santhan a Sri Lankan national who was one of the six convicts released in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, died on Wednesday morning at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital (RGGH) in Chennai. Santhan, who was released by the Supreme Court in November 2022, was kept at the special camp …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan National T.Suthendirarajah alias “Santhan” passes away on 28 Feb at the Rajiv Gandhi Govt Hospital in Chennai; 55 year old Santhan convicted over former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi’s Assassination by the LTTE was released in 2022 after decades of imprisonment’ »

By Mark Salter “This seems familiar” was the response of many Sri Lankans to the Israeli military action in Gaza initiated in the wake of the appalling 7 October Hamas attack. While every conflict is different, there were – and are – features of the Gazan conflagration that resonate strongly with the final stages of …

Continue reading ‘As in Sri Lanka then and in Gaza now y, is the international community unable – or simply unwilling – to intervene to prevent large-scale civilian suffering in the manner envisaged by Right to Protect (R2P)?’ »

By Arjuna Ranawana They lie buried in numerous mass graves, all evidence of Sri Lanka’s murderous recent past which has been punctuated by multiple civil conflicts. Whatever remains is evidence of Sri Lanka’s grisly history of the extrajudicial executions of rebels in both Northern and Southern insurrections. Most of the bodies remain in mass graves …

Continue reading ‘Relatives of victims of Sri Lanka’s Grisly Violence Unlikely to find closure until justice is served and those whose hands are bloodstained are held accountable for their actions.’ »

By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene As much as lawyers, activists and civic conscious citizens, South Asia’s judges seem to be fighting with their backs proverbially against the wall in these extraordinarily fraught times. Concerns on judicial independence across South Asia At a forum of constitutional lawyers in Katmandu last week, a Nepali legal practitioner confessed deep standing …

Continue reading ‘Disregarding Court ruling on Bills has ominous consequences given that the Sri Lankan judiciary lacks the power to review enacted law.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Marie Catherine Colvin, the respected war correspondent of Britain’s “Sunday Times” was targeted and killed on February 22, 2012 by Syrian forces as she reported on the suffering of civilians in Homs,Syria. At the time of her death, Marie Colvin was reporting from the Baba Amr Media Centre, a makeshift broadcast studio run …

Continue reading ‘Marie Colvin : Intrepid War Correspondent who Lost her Eye in Northern Sri Lanka.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Jeyaraj’s Jottings The Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party(FP) recently elected a new President and other key office bearers for a two year term from 2024 to 2026. However in an unexpected twist of fate the new President Sivagnamam Shritharan as well as other newly elected party officials …

Continue reading ‘Enjoining Orders Issued by Trincomalee Courts Restrain Newly Elected ITAK President Sivagnanam Shritharan and Other Office Bearers from Functioning in their Party Posts.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Jeyaraj’s Jottings Today (Feb 24) is the Birthday of yesteryear Actress and former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalaithaa Jayaram. If she were among the living, the alluring actress- powerful poitico would have celebrated her 76th birthday today. She passed away eight years ago at the age of 68 in 2016. Jayalalithaa was born …

Continue reading ‘Though Branded Wrongly as a Kannadiga, Actress Turned Politician Jayalaithaa was a Tamil Brahmin who was Proud of her Ethnicity’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Today (Feb 17) is the birthday of Sri Lanka’s popular business magnate Philip Upali Wijewardene. If Upali Wijewardene were among the living now, he would have celebrated his 86th birthday this year. Alas, this was not to be as the Lear Jet he was travelling in disappeared on 13 February 1983 just …

Continue reading ‘Memories of Interacting with Upali Wijewardene as a Journalist.’ »