A pilgrimage during COVID - EDITORIAL

The pilgrim season to Adam’s Peak is set to begin on December 29 (Tuesday) and the challenge would be to control the crowds.....

Lanka’s grave problem: The solution is not outsourcing it to Maldives

One of the responsibilities of a government towards its citizens is to ensure their physical security from domestic or external.....

The Public Utilities Commission: should it go or stay?

On December 1, 2020, Presidential Secretary P.B. Jayasundera wrote to Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle to close down the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). This, Jayasundera wrote, was necessary ‘to create an efficient work environment to implement the power generation plan which has been lagging behind for some time.’

Dhammika Paniya: Better Look Before You Leap

The talk of the town these days is all about an Ayurvedic ‘paniya’ or syrup, supposedly prepared by using some secret ingredients in addition to nutmegs and bees honey, being sought by desperate Sri Lankans, who appear to have lost faith in the government’s ability to control or curb the rapidly spreading viral infection.

Was Ven.Jinawamsa ready for lessons on impermanence?

The mysterious death of Ajhan Jinawamsa Thera from the Netherlands gives us a reminder that things could go wrong even on a remote hermitage which most people think is the ideal place for mental progression.

COVID-19 cure syrup and the media hype

The difference between developing medicines for COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka and the developed countries is that Sri Lanka fist allows the distribution of medicines and then go for researches on them and the developed countries do the oth

Covid ‘miracle cure’ and Sri Lanka’s faltering pandemic response

In April this year, while the COVID-19 virus was rampaging through communities, forcing governments to lockdown cities, President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina, a DJ turned politician launched with much funfair a herbal concoction w

BJP’s lofty goals for 2021

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the right wing Hindu nationalistic party, is entrenched in the Indian national parliament. Besides, it is the leading party in 13 of India’s 31 States and Union Territories. In four other units it is a junio

A Hettipola Cluster or ‘Kali Pokura’ if Authorities Derelict!

Three health ministers, both Allopathic and Indigenous [a professor of pharmacology & two lawyers] apparently encourage the producer and the anxious Public, while the newly appointed Covid Minister had warned users. While

Working from home, the COVID-19 new reality - EDITORIAL

We are almost nine months into the pandemic. A number of smaller work places have been forced to shut down. Nearly 600,000 daily-paid.....

The Banana Republican: A Churl’s Last Stand

Nothing made him so despicable, as his manner of not conceding. Oliver Sacks published three case studies under the title, “The man who mistook his wife for a hat.

LTTE Political Strategist Anton Stanislaus Balasingham

Anton Stanislaus Balasingham the political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and political adviser to Tiger leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran died 14 years ago in his South London residence.

Recent Events in Mozambique and Ethiopia: Foreign Policy Implications for Sri Lanka

The great Greek historian, Thucydides, set out a principle he thought dictated relations between strong and weak nations during his time. He said, “The strong do what they will and the weak what they must.” The question is whether this dictum still holds true even for nations such as Sri Lanka.

To end corruption to restore social justice and equality

Corruption is one of the most devastating crimes because it makes the rich richer and the poor poorer. During the past five centuries, colonial powers such as Portugal, the Netherlands and Britain, plundered our country though they claimed their aim was to civilise Sri Lanka.

Struggle for justice against enforced disappearances

On February 6, 2007, the United Nations adopted the “International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances”. The convention foregrounds the need to ensure justice for victims, and the responsibility of States for guarantees of non-recurrence for disappearances which is a crime against humanity.

A freedom we might not enjoy

The December cold is setting in and Christmas is approaching, but people might not have the freedom to celebrate the festive season as they would wish.

A native medic against the odds - EDITORIAL

Sri Lankans are desperate as others the world over and keep their fingers crossed as native medicine practitioner Dhammika Bandara awaits the authorities....

Killing of top Iranian scientist: Lessons for developing nations

The killing of Iran’s top scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on November 27 is not an isolated incident only for Iran to worry about.

Sinophobia, Anglophilia and the language(s) of oppression

The other day, Sunanda Deshapriya (who used to convene the Free Media Movement, no less!) tweeted, “It looks like #SriLanka Railway Department has been sold to China! No other language, only English and #Chinese!” This came with a photograph of a train schedule. Deshapriya acknowledges, ‘Photo from FB.’ That’s the ‘all’ of his media ethics.

COVID vaccine: A light amid the darkness

Considering the rapidly increasing number of people testing positive for COVID-19 and the rising death toll makes us wonder whether the government is losing its grip on the virus. No doubt the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID -19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) headed by Lieut. Gen. Shavendra Silva is doing a good job—but should not the government enlist the assistance of the health authorities in the public and private sectors to spearhead th

High level interaction and commitment - the way foward on path to recovery

Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay spoke to Daily Mirror in an exclusive interview outlining the direction of bilateral ties and the status of bilateral projects. He also touched upon contentious issues. Excerpts:

A Ray of Hope - the message of Christmas - EDITORIAL

On December 25, people around the world will celebrate the feast of Christmas – the birth of Jesus Christ -- whom Christians believe is the Son of God.....

Where have all the prisoners gone?

The kith and kin of the inmates of the Mahara prison are still gathering in front of the prison to know the fate that befell their incarcerated family members.....

Beware of Drug Providers! FDA, WHO, Big Pharma’ and COVID vaccine

The ‘medical mafia’ of developing nations are off-shoots of the huge invasive Transnational Pharmaceutical conglomerates branded....

Does beef cause cancer?

Recently some prominent medical doctors in Sri Lanka claimed in electronic media that beef is a carcinogenic food which means a causative agent of cancer.

“There were no virologists in the committees set up” - Prof Vitharana

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National List MP Prof. Tissa Vitharana recently said that COVID-19 is now in the community and nobody has immunity against it since it’s a new virus.

Law’s delays and its resultant injustice

In most cases statistics, though representing serious social issues and problem, just become figures in the eyes of the people. Even the so-called educated people treat them as statistics reminding us of a famous quotation, “The death of one

Facts and Fiction of Chinese investments: Its economic projects are not bad; rather the discourse is heavily politicised

Last week, Batticaloa’s Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Shanakiyan Ragul Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam delivered a speech in Parliament, the essence of which was to appeal for the right of Tamils to mourn their dead and right of Musli

Disrupted lives behind bars

“Wrongdoers are imprisoned to turn them into good people. Nothing like that happens inside this prison. People who are imprisoned for com

When coffee and Ceylon were synonymous

Colombo, December 8: At present, Sri Lanka is synonymous with tea and not coffee. As on date, it is way down in the list of coffee producing countries, 43 rd. to be precise. But back in the 1870s, Ceylon, as Sri Lanka was then known, was amon