TRIBUTE TO PROF. C.C.DE SILVA - SL’S FIRST PROFESSOR OF PAEDIATRICS My father, idol, mentor and my guide

With each day that passes, it seems I miss my father more; he was a man with tremendous presence, tall, incredibly handsome, compassionate, brilliant as a doctor and as a writer. It is to him that I owe my love of reading and writing which still remain my favourite pastimes which were instilled in me by him almost from birth. He was born on February 25, 1904,

Negombo fishermen hit by Port City Project

When the house of 48-year old Lalith Priyashantha, a fisherman in Negombo, area, was washed away partially in November 2018, the authorities promised to provide him lands in safer locations.

Playing Gota’s Game

If Ranil Wickremesinghe and his cohorts in the UNP thought they could subjugate the Sajith Premadasa faction by reducing its power in the Working Committee, they couldn’t be more wrong.

Spiritual life education guru par excellence

The world has been imprudent in merely promoting and procuring different branches of knowledge and people are left with a barren intellect. The consequences of such negligence are immeasurable.

Kidney transplant patient seeks help

P. H. Nishantha Pradeep Kumara of Pethiyagoda, Kelaniya is undergoing treatment for chronic renal failure and he needs to undergo an urgent kidney transplant. At present Kumara is undergoing dialysis treatment twice a week at the cost of Rs 7850 for each.

Devoted wife, loving mother, doting aunt

I pen this appreciation in gratitude to the life and times of Aurasie Weerasinghe, an aunt who not only I but our entire family is indebted to, for her help in numerous ways we recall with gratefulness. Lord Buddha advocated that gratitude was one of the finest qualities of a human being but also a hard act to practice.

Vibrant lady and epitome of kindness

“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” Proverbs 31:10

Beacon of light fades away

Venerable Ampitiye Sri Rahula Nayaka Thera, the last of pupils of the Most Venerable Pelene Vajiragnana Mahanayake Thera, passed away peacefully on February 17, creating a deep void in the Bhikkhu Sasana.

Blood, sweat and tears, fall on deaf ears

Sri Lanka’s female domestic workers in the Middle East undergo multiple forms of abuse and harassment, much of which remains ignored or unknown. Migrant workers contribute immensely to the national economy by earning foreign exchange. In 2018, Sri Lanka earned over 7 billion US dollars from domestic workers, accounting for 7.9% of GDP. Despite this, migrant workers in the Middle East face a desperate plight, and their labour is akin to modern-day

Leadership training for undergrads at Buddhist temple

University of Peradeniya, the premier university in the country, has deviated from the norms in order to bring about an end to inhuman ragging and instill the message in the minds of the undergraduates that their main task is to become

People-friendly app to control tobacco industry

The Centre for Combatting Tobacco (CCT) recently introduced the trilingual mobile app ‘Tobacco Unmasked (TU) HotSpots’ to boost public participation in combating tobacco use. Colombo University Medical Faulty Dean Prof.

Girls to break barriers!

When many girls are questioned after OLs about their AL stream, most answers would be either Arts or Commerce. Some girls would say they would pursue Biological Sciences or bio technology streams, but very few girls would state

Maudgalyana’s holocaust: The inferno

The third and final part of the retelling of Buddhamitra’s account of Sigiriya: The traditional view of Kassyapa as a renegade who walled his father to death is not present in Buddhamitra’s account. The Culavamsa is emphatic on the point that Kassyapa’s murder of Dhatusena was instigated in part by the scheming of Dhatusena’s son-in-law Migara, whose mother Dhatusena had burnt naked when she injured his daughter “without blame on her part” or f

Citizen Participatory Audit Novel approach for State accountability

In spite of the fact Sri Lanka had ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, had endorsed freedom of information legislation and had established different sorts of anti-corruption agencies, corruption is still perceived as one of the biggest problems that is currently being faced by the country. Hawkers on restricted areas of public roads pay routine protection money to officers of various State entities to run their businesse

Sinhalese nationalism’s bid to limit Indian labour immigration before independence

A major part of Ceylon’s history in the first half of the 20th Century before independence, was the struggle of Sinhalese nationalists to limit the immigration of plantation workers from India. According W.T.Jayasinghe, for

Fathoming Lankan Tamil Literature

Sri Lankan Tamil Literature and Culture by K. S. Sivakumaran is the latest addition to the series of books published over the past several years. These contain the writer’s articles, literary criticism and reviews on literature...

Journey into a World of Fantasy

Ravi a Senior Graphics Artist at MAS Holdings holds an exhibiiton of water colour paintings to showcase his talent. The painting will be auactioned following the exhibition.

A Bigger, Better M.U.N

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and right. They are endowed with reason and conscience, and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood” -United Nations Charter, 1945....

Whither or wither NGOs?

Recently, a friend of mine observed that many if not most NGOs, in their quest for values like transparency and reconciliation, embark on lavishly-funded projects which target a broad and mass audience but end up appealing to a discerning minority.

Darling Amma, the irreplaceable anchor in my life

Amma Dora, the core of my very existence, left eight years ago, reducing my life to ground zero. I wasn’t loved but absolutely adored by my only affectionate guardian. I was a parasite on her in every way.

37th remembrance of Upali Wijewardene

February 13 marked the 37th year since business tycoon Upali Wijewardene went missing in his Learjet. He was the Founder Chairman of Upali Group of Companies and Chief Basnayake Nilame of Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya.

Conversations on Gender Equality and Equity: Our own long walk to freedom

Sri Lankans take great pride in their traditions, customs and the unique way of life. Indeed, there are many things to remember and celebrate within this beautiful culture. At the same time, there is a quite uncharted dark side as well.

Tribute to a Mathematics Educator Par Excellence

Dean, Director/ Professional & General Education, Faculty of Education, Horizon Campus. The 102nd birth anniversary of late Emeritus Professor J.E. Jayasuriya falls on 14th February 2020.

MCC and the Land Project: A Gordian Knot in the making

MCC or the Millennium Challenge Compact is to be signed between US acting through the Millennium Challenge Corporation and The Government of Sri Lanka. This compact deals with....

Death knell to dengue

As many as 100,212 Sri Lankans were victimized by the dengue menace last year, according to statistics provided by the Ministry of Health’s Epidemiology Unit. The number certainly has risen since 2018 amid various approaches taken to eliminate the breeding of Aedes Mosquitoes. Recently, a German Scientist visited the island to introduce a cheaper, non-toxic and biodegradable compound, which has proved to work on local mosquito larvae. Prof. Donat

A poetic star is born

The process by which a star is born is not visible to our naked eyes. But we know that this is not an overnight process. We only see the final product shining in the night sky. Likewise, the birth of a good poet is a long drawn, arduous process not immediately apparent to outsiders.

A Ballerina’s Tale Students’ ballet concert

The students of the Russian School of Ballet and Dancing will be showcasing their talents in this year’s concert “A Ballerina’s Tale” at the BMICH Main Hall on 29th February 2020. Celebrating 19 years since its inception, the Russian School of Ballet currently houses 850 aspiring ballerinas under the guidance of 9 ballet instructors namely, Galina, Samantha, Niluka, Radeesha, Lasni, Sadani, Kavishka, Shenaalie and Samindi accredited and guided

Protect your tropical forests

It seems that, although Sri Lanka takes pride as a wise and moral nation, we often fail to appreciate how fortunate we are to be blessed with nature and its wonders.

Illegal gem and river sand mining in Nivitigala Dredging for fortunes amid threats to nature

Ratnapura, the land of gems, is one big mine today. As you go towards the interiors one could witness almost every tributary and main river separated by makeshift dams to aid mining activities. While a handful of these

Desperate family atop Ambuluwawa seeks help!

A helpless couple living with six children in a wattle and daub hut on the top of a hill where there is no human habitation. This family lives in Ambuluwawa area in Gampola.