Commercialising Universities

One of Sri Lanka’s great achievements beginning in the late colonial period and continuing to this day is its free education....

President’s Committee to Revolutionise Healthcare: Focus on Prof. Bibile

President Wickremesinghe aims to bolster the nation’s healthcare system by formulating a new Medical Act within six months....

Ajahn Brahmawanso - The Remarkable Monk

Recently this venerable priest was in the news when he was offloaded from an outgoing flight from Sri Lanka to Singapore. It created....

The tale of the bridge on the bridge

During bilateral discussions between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 21, the two sides had agreed to conduct a feasibility study to establish land connectivity between the two countries for developing access to the ports of Trincomalee and Colombo, apart from connectivity in air, maritime, trade and energy domains.

The National Anthem and Much Ado About Nothing - EDITORIAL

A journalistic colleague once said, “In politics, nothing ever happens by chance. It’s the art of distraction.” This was brought forcefully to mind a few days ago.

The story of upcountry Tamils: Two hundred years of humiliation and exploitation

As the month of July has ended, the minds of many a citizen are drawn to the sad events of July 1983. A time the then government permitted thugs and hooligans to attack members of the Tamil community, killing....

Calls to transform our education must be heeded! - EDITORIAL

School education has changed dramatically over the years and it’s amazing to see old teachers and their old school teaching methods still being in use. The present principal of Royal College R.M.M Ratnayake....

Revisiting Hiroshima A-bomb horror

On Sunday, the world will mark the 78th anniversary of one of the worst crimes against humanity: the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, an act that was as cruel as the Holocaust, which ended with Germany’s....

Another export target destined to be missed? Sri Lanka is aiming to double its goods export revenue by 2027, but history is not on its side

In a recent statement, Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board (EDB) announced plans to secure USD 31.3 billion revenue from total exports (both goods and services) by 2027. The EDB expects to double goods export revenue from 2022’s USD 13.1 billion to USD 26 billion in five years – a yearly growth rate of 15%. Sri Lanka has a history of seemingly ambitious export targets being missed and subsequently downgraded, and these fresh export aspir

Humanitarian worker, a Crusader for conflict-filled world

In Sri Lanka, despite a multitude of problems, democracy still survives. Traditionally the norms of democracy are the Presidency, Parliament, the Judiciary and the Free Media. For democracy to thrive, the spirit of humanitarianism is also needed. This often comes out of spirituality that brings love, joy, peace patience and kindness, humility, meekness, faithfulness and kindness. To what extent humanitarian thrive in Sri Lanka cannot be cal

“Our education system should cater to the child of the 21st Century” - R. M. M. Ratnayake, Royal College Principal

Having passed the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service Exam in 1988, Mr. R. M. M. Ratnayake had initially assumed duties as principal of a national school in the Kandy education zone.

Ceylon’s tea legacy and harsh reality of Indian labour

A Padayatra ‘Malaiyaha Ezhuchchi Payanam’ commenced its journey on 28th July to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Tamils of Indian origin in Sri Lanka. It was organized by the ‘Maanbumigu Malaiyaha Makkal’; a group of Civil Society Organizations and individuals associated with the Malaiyaha community.

APC and hypocrisy of the TNA

The All-Party Conference on the 13th Amendment convened last week (26) ended in predictable discord, but that was not so much for the hypocrisy of the convener, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, as you might have already heard from a horde of lawmakers.

Inflation drops... but not reflected at the market - EDITORIAL

Inflation has dropped to single digits according to the Colombo Consumer Price Index. Hooray! and three cheers to the economic miracle. Our President and his band of economists need to be congratulated for their handling of the economy.

Tribute to Amal Sanderatne

Amal, at different times has been my boss, fellow board member, mentor and most recently, friend. He is one of the handful of people who I can say, has had a significant impact on my life. Although I worked for him for a mere 3 months, his genuine appreciation and value for my passion and interest in education has led me to be where I am today, engaging in the most meaningful and rewarding work I’ve ever done, with the most humble and genuinely c

Blood money involving public health crisis

While President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna government are acting effectively to pull Sri Lanka out of the debt trap and the worst economic crisis since independence, the vital public health service is on the brink of collapse—which means the poor people will die, and the rich will live. The public health service was strengthened in 1971 when Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s government implemented the Se

National Leopard Day 2023 Bridging the gap of coexistence between leopards and humans

In 2021, the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS), one of the oldest wildlife organisations in the country together with the Department of Wildlife declared August 1 as Sri Lanka’s National Leopard Day. This was an attempt to improve the conservation status of leopards at a time when they were being killed due to snares, poaching and other anthropogenic activities. The leopard being a top carnivore in Sri Lanka’s ecosystems draws special

Drama and dichotomy of democracy

On Friday (July 28) evening President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his wife Maithree Wickremesinghe sat at the Lionel Wendt theatre to witness...

Mafia, monopolists and citizens held to ransom - EDITORIAL

Mexico has become infamous for its notorious drug wars, where drug cartels fight to control Mexico’s lucrative drugs trade. The aim...

Cricket lovely cricket, how we mourn thy passing

On Thursday, a group of persons having watched the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) grounds stood mournfully and sang “Nearer My God to thee”

The never ending talks on ethnic issues

The All-Party Conference (APC) held on Wednesday (26) was the second one to be called so and convened by President Ranil Wickremesinghe

Gary Anandasangaree Canada’s First Sri Lankan Tamil Cabinet Minister

History was made on July 26, 2023, when Sri Lanka-born Gary Anandasangaree was appointed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations to his Cabinet

An Indian author and lessons on morality - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka is now known as a nation that has driven its people to despair. With regard to the health crisis and the shortage of drugs in the island many medical professionals have aired the view that state...

Quran burning: Western liberal ideology reduced to ashes

Quran-burning demonstrations by Islamophobes in Sweden, Denmark, and other liberal Western nations continue despite condemnations from Islamic nations, protests by Muslims, and the passage of a recent....

Youth Day: Only 2% are MPs

With President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Government taking practical and effective measures to pull Sri Lanka out of the debt crisis and restore economic stability within a few months, it is important to give a vital place to the role of youth in the economic development strategy. They could get involved practically and effectively in major social problems such as poverty alleviation, and the battle aga

Towards an intellectually robust political lexicon

At the Galle Literary Festival in 2008, I believe the late Sunila Abeysekera pleaded that ‘LTTE’ and ‘Tamil people’ not be conflated. She was pointing fingers at Sinhala nationalists. The following question was put to her: ‘Is there no conflation when the LTTE insists it is the sole representative of the Tamil people and others either agree or remain silent?’

Civil societies condemn Muslim MP’s attempt to derail MMDA reforms

Women and Media Collective (WMC) releasing a press statement has condemned the demands made by the Muslim Members of Parliament (MPs) seeking to block crucial reforms proposed to the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) of Sri Lanka. These demands have been made through a letter dated 8th June 2023 and addressed to the Minister of Justice. The letter, signed by 17 Muslim MPs, endorses discriminatory and harmful practices, which Muslim women hav

President’s India visit: opportunities and dogmatism

During his last week’s visit to New Delhi, President Ranil Wickremesinghe signed a host of agreements, which, if followed up earnestly, would interlock the Sri Lankan economy with the world’s fastest-growing....

The begging bowl cannot solve our debt crisis - EDITORIAL

On 12 April last year, our government signalled the country was bankrupt and announced suspending the repayment of our external debt, saying the country could no longer honour its commitments owing....

Crisis in the health sector - EDITORIAL

The recent statement by Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella that all those who are admitted to hospitals do not return home alive is no doubt outrageous, despite it being indisputable. It is outrageous as it was made following recent controversial deaths that were suspected of being caused due to poor quality medicines which were said to have been withdrawn after the said deaths. The minister while speaking in Parliament had stated that if a hun