The president we never had 37TH REMEMBRANCE OF UPALI WIJEWARDENE

February 13, 1983 became yet another day of national mourning following the sudden disappearance of the Lear Jet Plane of Philip Upali Wijewardene, a unique Sri Lankan Entrepreneur. Upali, ano

Monetised vehicle parking in Colombo Parking metres, scammers give users the jitters!

If you have ever parked along Galle Road, Duplication Road or connecting by-lanes, you would have noticed new parking metres. While common in certain countries for many years, parking metres were installed in Colombo in July 2017. Following numerous complaints, Mayoress Rosy Senanayake suspended charging parking-metre fees in 2018. After editing the structure for fees, the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) re-introduced the system in May 2019. But

Maudgalyana’s holocaust Dhatusena’s peak

If Parakramabahu I unified the country, the writing of the Culavamsa sealed his position and legacy for posterity. His legacy, unfortunately, could not be maintained for very long after his death, and the polity which he had u

Fr. Harold Panditharatne: The Ideal Guru

Fr. Harold Panditharante was the second of seven children born to a leading family of Pitipane in Negombo on 9th March 1926. Having done his schooling at Maris Stella College and successfully passing the matriculation examination in 1943....

Kirk Douglas finishes his learning process

Flashback to the 1970s. You remember the film version of Jules Verne’s story The Light At the Edge of the World at the old Majestic Cinema, the first in the country to boast of six-track stereophonic sound when it screened movies such as Patton.

56 years of love is lost, till we meet again

My comfort and solace have ended after 56 years that include trials and tribulations. I married Noeline Selvanayagi, daughter of Navam Alagaratnam, a staunch Hindu from Jaffna and Jane Perera, a Buddhist from Aluthgama.

Gentleman with pleasant disposition

It is hard for me to believe that Major Malcolm Peiris is no more. He was a much respected gentleman whom I knew for many years.

Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away...

“Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away” and so was it with Tony Rajudin, as he was popularly known, when having attended the obligatory Friday prayer, kept a date with destiny on September 13 last year to bid farewell to his family and the Malay community at large.

Significance of Navam Poya

Bringing together all monks for the first-ever Buddhist congregation, the appointment of Arahants Sariputta and Moggallana by the enlightened one as his chief disciples,

Navam Poya

Navam Perahera in Colombo, scheduled to be held on February 7 and 8, coincides with Navam Pasalosvaka Poya. A pageant which brings out rich cultural splendours associated with the Lankan Perahera tradition and organised by the Hunupitiye Gangarama Viharaya....

Resolute leader and gentleman of integrity

It will always be a matter of pride and gratification to the people of Sri Lanka that the struggle for political emancipation was launched, supported and sustained by a long line of patriots so fired.....

Illegal sand mining; Dismay as sand seeps through legal system

River sand mining has been an illegal money-spinning business filling the pockets of politicians and many other stakeholders in related industries. However, with the new Government’s decision to suspend the licence system for transporting sand....

Every child deserves a future

Twelve children from tea estate sector had the opportunity to share their experiences in child-led advocacy and monitoring as well as membership in children’s clubs at Save the Children’s forum on Child Protection in Plantations held in Colombo last month. The forum, designed to share and demonstrate learning and experience from the sector, ended in a stirring discussion on issues including dropping out of school, corporal punishment and the prev

Activists sing the National Anthem in Tamil on 72nd Independence Day

When the Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Government announced the National Anthem would be sung in ‘Sinhala Only’ at the 72nd Independence Day celebrations, the public received it with varied reactions. While it evoked a smile from certain Sinhala-Buddhist elements, those standing in solidarity with minorities, especially the Tamil community, frowned upon the decision. Keeping this in mind, a group of activists gathered at the Kanatte Roundabout Borella yest

Fierce tussle for nominations on SLPP ticket

According to inside sources, President Rajapaksa is planning to give his assent on March 2 to the gazette notification that declares Parliament dissolved. The country awaits official conformation in this respect. However, it is common knowledge among the political parties that Parliament will be dissolved. So, they have now started oiling their political machinery to face the elections. Accordingly, the country is sliding into election mode g

Challenging Infectious Diseases

Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a recently identified organism in the coronavirus category. Coronaviruses can affect animals as well as humans in different virulences. MERS and SARS are classified under coronaviruses. Although 2019-nCoV hasn’t made complications as severe as MARS or SARS, it is of high virulence. As this outbreak instills the fear of a vast community

Celebrating Independence again…. Do we know what enslaves us?

When I was penning these words, the preparations for the 72nd Independence Day celebrations were taking place at Independence Square, Colombo 7. The fact that it is not being held at Galle Face, as was the case previously, suggested that it was not going to be the type of extravaganza that we saw during the reign of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the elder sibling of the

STEPPING STONE TO QUALITY EDUCATION OF CHILDREN

The ceremony commenced with a word of prayer by the Bishop of Colombo, Rt. Rev. Dhiloraj Canagasabey, followed by several other religious observances and a tour of the school. Many distinguished guests were present at the opening ceremony including Archdeacon of Galle Rev. Sunil Fernando and several members of the Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind including its

72 years of Independence-Freedom to pursue personal needs and wants

This year we are celebrating the seventy second anniversary after gaining independence. It is, therefore, high time now to contemplate as to whether we have made all efforts to make the best use of the in

Singing the national anthem Being in tune with national harmony

Singing of the National Anthem in the Tamil language too at the Independence Day celebrations has been gathering momentum with scholars, both lay and clergy, expressing their views and the media giving much publicity to it. This article is intended to draw the attention of the intelligentsia of the country and the Government to the issue. We inherited from the west the need of a

Taking a closer look at Independence

1832, 1910, 1931, 1948, 1956 and 1972: it is in these years that we see a transition in Sri Lanka’s position from a plantation economy to a semi-responsible Government to a dominion and finally, with the United Front’s victory, to a republic. Taken in isolation, these represent next to nothing, but it is only when we stop to consider that the attainment of independence in Sri Lanka was free of the turmoil and conflict which other European colonie

Wuhan and killer Coronavirus

Wuhan Coronavirus is one of the viruses that belong to the group of Corona Viruses that cause diseases in animals and would transmit respiratory infections in humans which are often mild but potentially lethal.

In my rose garden of memories, I know you’ll always be…

Your sudden demise came to me as a real shock. I just can’t imagine that you bade us farewell so soon.

SEVENTY-SECOND FREEDOM DAY

Seventy-second freedom anniversary felicitation day

Powdered milk: Necessity versus safety

Most of us start the day with a cup of milk. Some of us drink milk in the evening or at night which means many of us consume milk or milk tea twice a day. As Sri Lankans, we mostly consume powdered milk.

Musical extravaganza at Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre

An evening of music featuring Jugalbandi Esraj, flute and tabla recital by Pamalka Manjitha Karunanayake (Esraj), Asya Shivaya (flute) and Pablo Grace (tabla) will be held on February 3 from 6.00 p.m. onwards at Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (formerly Indian Cultural Centre), 16/2 Gregory’s Road, Colombo 7.

Fighting a battle for Prageeth

A decade has passed since cartoonist- journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda disappeared. Ekneligoda was reported missing on 24 January 2010, two days before the presidential polls that year.

Elephants Mahouts Victims of Tradition

The case of the Bellanwila temple elephant Myan Kumara, who was beaten cruelly by its caretakers (mahouts), has gone viral and raised an outcry locally and internationally.

ABCs of the Wuhan Illness

The current global healthcare sending waves of fear and shock throughout the world is the Wuhan illness or more popularly known as the Coronavirus. While it is easy to get caught in the circle of panic caused by news or social media...

President needs to resolve dispute over National Anthem

Some of them have openly declared that the national anthem will not be sung in Tamil on this occasion whereas Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that no final decision has been taken on this matter