Mutual understanding among religions and races

Sri Lanka is embroiled in crisis after crisis, crisis within crisis and conflict after conflict. The latest is the appointment of the Presidential Task Force to look into how we could have “One Country, One Law”.

Constitution the only worthwhile alternative

On January 8, 2015 we had so much hope for good governance, decency, law and order. There is no point in going over the Bond Scam and other scams, again and again. It is like scratching an itching wound and renewing it. All of them have betrayed us and the nation

Constitution-making should be open, public and transparent

A group of leading academics, professionals, human rights activists have issued a joint statement urging the government to ensure that a strong degree of accountability and transparency is maintained in the ongoing constitutional reform process. Following is the full text of the statement;

The booster dose and responsible citizens - EDITORIAL

Sri Lankans must learn what discipline is before they learn the intricacies of how Covid-19 spreads and forms new clusters. Right...

COP26: Issues beyond global warming

About four weeks before world leaders gathered in Glasgow for a do-or-die climate summit, a little known incident had almost....

An aggressive leader and 11 angry parties

The Government is under fire these days from an ‘opposition’ that has arisen from within the Cabinet. This is a good sign for the people and a bad one for those who wield real power within this government.

Farmers’ agitation weighs heavily with Govt.

Farmers’ agitation has become an issue that weighs heavily with the government. Rice, fruit and vegetable growers took to the streets urging the government to provide them with fertilizer for cultivation.

Saving Planet Earth, the only home we have

The highly anticipated United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP26 meaning Conference of the Parties has begun in the Scottish City of Glasgow attended by delegates from some 200 countries to announce how they will help the planet by cutting emissions by 2030.

Zeroing in on the ‘Mahamolakaru’

Here is a sequence of events that makes for interesting commentary: a) Rev. Father Cyril Gamini makes a public statement regarding the Easter Sunday Attacks where he points an accusing finger at the Director,

Challenging Impunity For Crimes Against Journalists

November 2 is the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists...

Power, politicians and people - EDITORIAL

Power blinds and power intoxicates. Too much power in the hands of a single individual, especially in the hands of individual....

The culture of serial workshop hunters

This week, the 12th edition of the Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC21) takes place virtually. Over 1000....

Fertilizer ban: Is food crisis on the offing?

The debate between the leaders of the government and farmers over the prevailing fertilizer shortage reminds us the Sinhala folk tale called Hathara Beeri Kathawa or the story of four deaf men. One man puts a question to another wh

The reality of Gnanasara Thera’s appointment to head ‘One Country-One Law’ task force

Two weeks back, I wrote that the Sri Lankan reality under the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government is both more ludicrous and grimmer than a dark comedy. Given the history of key protagonists in the play, I must add, it is also a sinister one. The app

Roots of the cow protection movement in Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan government is to enact an integrated law banning cow slaughter. The government is portraying the ban as an economic and development-oriented measure to enhance domestic production of milk and secure greater income for the farmer

The Velupillai Prabhakaran Movie: Inaccurate

The film, however, is effectively banned in Sri Lanka by arresting persons in possession of a copy, presumably because it has been released by “Thamileela Thirai Kalanjiam

Served Ten Months; Ranjan Deserves Pardoning!

“Mung Okkoma Horu Malli” – handcuffed Ranjan Ramanayake [RR] was making a general appraisal of our legal fraternity, the outspoken law-maker yelled to the media crews that thronged...

Human-Elephant conflict in Sri Lanka; A lesson from Thailand

The Bajrasudha Gajanurak Project originated from a concern shared by His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty Queen Suthida, having learned of the conflict between local communities...

Climate change, Global warming and COP26 - EDITORIAL

The much-hyped 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland commenced yesterday, 31 October. US President Biden’s Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry.....

The ground beneath the President’s feet

Continuing failures and confusion in policymaking and implementation are at the heart of Sri Lanka’s governance crisis What has Gotabaya....

ARCHITECT OF THE MAHAWELI DIVERSION SCHEME – C.P. DE SILVA

“Men of an era are rarely born, but once born they live in the hearts of people long after their demise” King Mahasen who earned the encomium “Mahasen Deviyo” was a king amongst a long line of kings who did yeomen service to the country.

Constitution the only worthwhile alternative

We are a battered people battered by a variety of Covid-19 strains, by the RAT racketeer, PCR hucksters and quarantine hotel sharks,

Remembering the Eviction of Northern Muslims

One of the darkest moments of the long war in Sri Lanka was the eviction of the Northern Muslims. In October 1990, the LTTE in an act of ethnic cleansing forced the entire Muslim population of the North to leave behind their homes,

Environment, the most unpublicized victim of war

World religious leaders are often proclaiming that as part of our spirituality we need to get actively and effectively involved in the climate change battle which could have catastrophic consequences for the human race, nature and its extraordinary biodiversity.

Rhetoric won’t grow food

When the leaders of the government say farmers’ protests against the shortage of fertilizer were not spontaneous but engineered.....

SL must remain vigilant on FETO - Turkish Envoy Demet Sekercioglu

Turkey has urged Sri Lanka to remain vigilant on the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which was accused of being....

Is shifting to organic fertilizer unthinkable? - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka is slowly working towards promoting organic fertilizer in its attempt to eliminate chemical fertilizer. That initiative....

Glasgow climate summit: Rich countries must stop grabbing and start giving

Come Sunday, world leaders or their representatives will gather in Glasgow, Scotland for talks aimed at making the planet habitable....

From farmers’ agitation to commercial dispute with China

The government decided, all of a sudden, to implement organic farming in place of chemical agriculture which Sri Lankan farmers are accustomed to for nearly 60 years.

They called power to account

We focus today on journalists, Maria Ressa and Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov, who were awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace”.