Looking back on 72 years of independence

The day on which we got Independence is a long way back on memory lane for me , in a genteel era far removed from the world which is ours today. As a child it meant little to me then, I think I must have been far more interested in getting my own independence, freedom as a new teen, living in an age where we were protected and brought up like hothouse flowers which we

Post-war defence budget ‘inefficiently’ overspent, study reveals

Ten years after the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war, the country still seems to be spending its defence budget similarly to that of conflicted-affected states, a new study reveals. It also states that spending is significantly higher than its regional, island and population-size peers. The study done by Daniel Alphonsus, who had served as an advisor to Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister with

Don’t discriminate against Chinese

Yesterday’s Daily Mirror reported about Chinese government’s concern over the incidents in Sri Lanka where its nationals having been refused to be entertained by shops and taxis, subsequent to the worldwide media hype over the outbreak of 2019-nCoV disease caused by a novel coronavirus since last month, mainly in China. Earlier too local newspapers had published pictures of a restaurant having put up a notice saying it had temporarily shunned Chi

Seventy-two years since the independence Sri Lanka at the crossroads, yet again

The critics of the government base their criticism primarily on symbolism and prejudice. That is the wrong choice for analysis. The shattered hopes of a half a decade of Yahapalayana, heralded as a sea change, is proof. Five years ago, by electing the Yahapalanaya, Sri Lanka surely halted a dangerous slide into authoritarianism. But, the political leadership failed the economy and national security with devastating c

Who took tea plantations to the brink of collapse?

If the tea industry is on the brink of collapse now, it is not because of the rise in workers’ wages but because of the big plantation companies’ failure to replant periodically to increase the yield, asserts Ramiah Yogarajan, a trade unionist who had represented the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) and the United National Party (UNP) in the Sri Lankan Parliament. Yogarajan, who cut his teeth in tr

Strengthen readiness to respond to New Coronavirus

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region must continue to strengthen their readiness to respond. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The highest level of international solidarity and cooperation is needed to protect health and keep people safe. Since the novel coronavirus emer

Polarisation, Consolidation and Fracture

Politics in many parts of the world today are polarised. The tremendous division with forces supporting and opposed to Trump in the US and the Brexit divide in the UK reflect such political polarisation.

Forensic prompts Cynics; Ignores Basics: Nation Faces the Music

In Forensic Audit, the term ‘forensic’ means; ‘pertaining to, connected with, or used in courts of law or public discussion and debate’; ‘application of scientific methods and techniques to the investigation’; ‘use of knowledge and techniques derived from various sciences....

72 years after independence, where are we now?

The Fourth of February is a special day for all Sri Lankans. Most of us will eagerly take a break from our daily schedules, watch the Independence parade on TV, read a few feature stories about our Independence in the newspapers and, maybe, have a chitchat with friends about the current political scenario over dinner.

From Brexit to Coronavirus: SL battles global complexities

International media is inundated with reports, analysis and future projections from two different shocks that are continually shaking the global system. One is political by design, the second a viral outbreak, both with serious human....

BRITAIN HAS LEFT THE EUROPEAN UNION - EDITORIAL

Brexit has happened. At 11 pm on January 31, 2020, the UK officially left the European Union (EU) after 47-years of membership and three years after it voted at a referendum to leave EU.

Defusing the ethnic bomb before it goes boom

Conspiracy theories come a dime a dozen these days. So does fake news. You can count on Facebook and to a lesser extent Twitter for diminishing the space for truth. And yet, strange as it may seem,

Tale of Ravana and Vijaya: Reality or fabrication?

Prof. Raj Somadeva had recently made a controversial statement that any archaeological evidence was not available to establish the story of advent of Prince Vijaya in Sri Lanka. Prof. Somadeva has been for the last several years pursuing archaeological research on a pre-historic civilisation in Sri Lanka.

Don’t be an open-mouthed idiot

To be good citizens who make a substantial contribution to the sustainable, eco-friendly development of our country for the common good of all, we need to be healthy in addition to being creative, imaginative and enterprising.

How deadly is China’s killer coronavirus?

In mid-December 2019, a mysterious respiratory disease (now known as the coronavirus) was reported from China. The Chinese city of Wuhan appeared to be the epicentre of the outbreak. To date, the virus has killed more than a hundred people and infected up to 4,000 others worldwide. Around 3,000 of the those affected have been from the city of Wuhan in China.

Coronavirus, Panic and Racism

The media hype worldwide - created on newfound epidemic ‘2019-CoV’ and known to Sri Lankans as Coronavirus - seems to have both negative and positive impacts. Almost all local and international media outlets including CNN, BBC, ABC, DW, NHK, Al-Jazeera and CNA...

Attacks on Judiciary in Recent Times

The time has arrived for us to think of potential negative consequences of unbridled and unrestrained attacks made on the judiciary consequent to the release of many audio clips to the mass media.

Middle East peace plan from paper pharaoh and fake Moses

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu was slapped corruption charges this week while he was hobnobbing with US President Donald Trump in Washington. Bibi has, apparently, done his homework in psychology. He knew the quickest way to get round Trump was to flatter him.

Can Coronavirus strain SL-China relations? - EDITORIAL

The tourism industry in Sri Lanka seems to be experiencing a never-ending bad period. This is a nation where most television stations engage morning viewers with astrology programmes and most often than not so much negativities are inserted into their minds.

Coronavirus to have economic ramifications for SL

India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s visit to Sri Lanka sheds light on his country’s interest in making sure that things agreed upon bilaterally are implemented on the ground. During the past five years, most bilateral projects did not take off the ground despite political will on both sides.

Renewed Calls to probe attacks on scribes

Engaging in the media business in Sri Lanka is not an easy task given that there is often an aggressive government to deal with and readers who at times wish to remain drifted away from the truth..

Looking for the nation in the wrong places and losing ourselves in the process

There are nationalists and they are vilified. There are people who vilify nationalism and nationalists and they are called traitors. It’s a pick-your-enemy kind of political culture that we live in. It makes for easy, convenient and in the cheap political engagement. People are spoiling for a fight. Perhaps out of boredom, but more likely because ‘fight’ is what makes certain people feel their lives are worthwhile. It’s the fighting that counts a

Vigilance is the Price we Pay to be Safe -EDITORIAL

Reminiscent of the Sena Caterpillar which devastated crops across the country leaving epidemiologists and health authorities helpless on how best to control it leave alone eliminate or eradicate it from Sri Lanka’s soil comes the more alarming news of the deadly Coronavirus, a bigger health risk lurking on the side-lines waiting to invade Sri Lanka from Wuhan in the Chinese Province of Hubei thought to be the epicentre of the disease which is spr

HOSPITAL HOAXES AND HAZARDS !!!

There is no other country in the world where ‘MAN’S INHUMANITY TO MAN’ is more explicit, more brazenly displayed than in this BUDDHIST COUNTRY of ours!!! The first HOAX is the Government promising FREE MEDICINE, FREE HOSPITALIZATION to its citizens.

Divisions which make us Ponder on Independence

The governments of Sri Lanka has thrived on the divide and rule policy. And the irony of it is that the people of this island have fallen for this trap for far too long. This is the practice that the British adopted....

‘Politicians should Appoint Historians as Advisers - Dr. Rupesinghe

While the Department of National Archives is currently undergoing a much-deserved facelift, its doors are open to many researchers, academics and students who walk day in and day out, accessing and perusing important documents of yesteryear.

No more false demi-gods in the age of phone recording apps

Journalists are generally a pompous lot. I have been one for long enough to know this. The arrogance comes with the territory. Most of my colleagues feel that the extraordinary work they do and possibly the really bad hours they keep, entitle them to be a cut above the rest.

Promises are Hanging on a Thread - EDITORIAL

Some of the promises given by the two main candidates of the last Presidential election had attracted the attention of even the people who are normally not concerned about them.

Try ‘Holy Basil’ to fight Coronavirus - EDITORIAL

One of the issues hitting the headlines these days is the possibility of China’s Coronavirus affecting Sri Lanka also. Various preventive strategies have been put in place by the authorities at airports and by SriLankan Airlines with various

Wuhan, the city of life, and the virus

Wuhan, the capital of the Central Chinese Province of Hubei and now the epicentre of the deadly Coronavirus was my home for four memorable years. It is a fabulous city! If you had not heard much of it before, that is because it is also a grossly underrated one. With a population of 11 million, more people than London, and a five-year infrastructure budget of $ 500 billion, it should ha