Easter Sunday Attack Tragedy and Farce

Operations are under way to nab the so-called mastermind who planned and executed the Easter Sunday attacks a couple of years ago. The Mastermind? Really, well, technically, there could have been such a person. Outfits, especially terrorist organisations, have leaders. Such persons could be called masterminds, one supposes. Megalomaniacs thought they may be.

‘Tolerance’ in a nation ruled by the powerful

Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist country; hence its people are expected to be tolerant of other’s ideas.

Why disturb the surroundings of Parakrama Samudraya?

“Do not let even a drop of rain water falling onto the land of this country go to the sea without being used” –King Parakramabahu

Reflecting on the PTA and Amirthalingam

UN Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other Human Rights organizations emphasised that Sri Lanka must withdraw the PTA,

Pandora Papers - how the super-rich hide their wealth - EDITORIAL

On Sunday October 3, the ‘Pandora Papers’ published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.....

Facebook optimising its profit motive over our safety – Whistle blower

Yes, it did really happen. A social media giant, whose three platforms Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram between them....

GARLIC SCAM AND QUESTIONING

Two Pettah businessmen and a Deputy General Manager of the SATHOSA have been arrested and four SATHOSA officials have been interdicted over the Garlic scam that has allegedly taken place at SATHOSA. The two businessmen

Two tales of rule of law: Shooting porn and threatening to shoot

Last week, the Balangoda Magistrate passed a suspended prison sentence on a young couple who was found guilty of shooting a pornographic video in the idyllic settings of the Pahanthudawa waterfall. The sentencing w

What is the difference between a bus owner and a doctor?

The horror stories are too legion to be repeated here – so and so contracted Covid-19, recovered and returned home only to die while sitting on a chair. Veteran journalist Elmo Gunaratne and his son were gone in a day, the son suffering a heart attack when he got the bad news about his legendary father. Even Mangala Samaraweera, at 65, seems too young to die. Faced with stark choices, the population is hunkering down, feeling besieged

The case against prolonged lockdowns Experts say that ‘short and strict’ shutdowns have worked, not the prolonged ones

Lockdowns have no doubt stemmed the spread of the COVID-19 virus. But prolonged shutdowns have been a failure, studies across the world have shown. Prolonged lockdowns have not only been difficult to enforce, but have added to the woes created by the pandemic enormously.

Crocodile tears over children on ‘Children’s Day’ - EDITORIAL

Children’s Day is traditionally held on October 1. It is a date set apart in honour of children. The observance of the date varies...

Crisis, Class and Consumption

Week after week, shortages of imported goods and rising cost of living are crippling the day-to-day lives of ordinary people. As the economic....

State Militarists vs. ‘Church Militant’?

The signs are there and they aren’t good. It started weeks ago. Minister Sarath Weerasekara and Secretary/Defence....

Lionel’s scoff at Nehru and Chou, stunned World Leaders

Third Prime Minister, Sir John Kotelawala, represented Ceylon at the first large-scale Afro–Asian Conference, the ‘Bandung Conference’.....

Non-violent action: Do not co-operate with anything humiliating

In this day and age when most politicians are despised as being selfish and self-centred, power-hungry and corrupt while trying to dominate or dictate to the people instead of being servant-leaders as they should be,

President and the Tamil Diaspora

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa seems to have kept in mind the threat posed by the resolution on Sri Lanka passed by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in March,

Prevention of Terrorism Act; We Cannot play to the gallery - Mohamed Ali Sabry

The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) continues to be a sticky issue for Sri Lanka with the international community calling....

When the habit of maintaining oneself is threatened - EDITORIAL

Sri Lankans would be out on the streets from early morning today (October 1) given that the lockdown is lifted by the Government....

The Taliban and the UN’s democracy dilemma

The United Nations is often derided as a talk shop. Once a year, the Glass House by the East River offers a stage for world leaders....

GOVT’S FERTILIZER DEAL A HIGH-RISK ADVENTURE?

The much controversial fertilizer tender, that was offered to China without analyzing samples to check its compliance with the standards published by the Sri Lanka Standard Institution, has been suspended due to the continuous failures in proving the samples are free of microorganism.

Let’s brace ourselves to face the hard times ahead

While on the one hand, Sri Lankans are battling the Covid-19 pandemic, on the other hand, they are compelled to grapple with the sky rocketing cost of living and the shortage of essential commodities such as milk powder,

Covid-19 and responses: notes for doctoral theses

The Political Economy of Covid-19 and Responses to it. That would be an excellent topic for doctoral dissertation. Of course, ‘Combatting Covid-19’ would also be an interesting and important study.

Easter Attacks and Ethno-Religious Thought Patterns

We have been critical in these columns, admittedly, of the role played by His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith in times....

UN a toothless tiger… or an appendage of the US? - EDITORIAL

Yesterday (September 27) brought the curtain down on the final day of world leaders addressing the august body. Addressing.....

Bribing to win elections HC verdict; a silver lining in the dark clouds

The landmark judgment delivered by Moneragala High Court Judge Ranga Dissanayake on September 13 over an election petition has not been sufficiently discussed within the political circles or civil society, as it deserves. At a time the country is longing

Pernicious dominance of Western corporate interests over the world food system Food System Summit turned blind eye to democracy deficit

The World Food Systems Summit, which was held virtually on September 23, evoked both enthusiasm and strong disapproval. The division was between rich and poor countries, the proponents of corporate export-oriented agriculture on the one hand, and people’s movements fighting for food democracy and the interests of the poor farmers on the other

The 76th session of the UNGA - EDITORIAL

Traditionally the ‘general debate’ of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is the most high-profile UN event.....

Politicians prisoners are also “Human” Beings

The recent fantasized prison tragedy, ‘Lady goes to Gallows’ reminds a line in the traditional Appalachian old time folk song, “The Maid Freed.....

Rhetoric & Pretensions

The reform of the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA)that Muslim women have been demanding for over four decades,is back on centre stage.

Ranaviru Seva Authority dedicated to transform war heroes to organic warriors