Hole in the sky: why it happened and how we tackled it

Sri Lanka is still struggling with a confusing political and economic crisis. Which way and where we will go is given different interpretations by political leaders and economic experts in such a crisis within a crisis, we are giving little attention to the preservation of the ozone layer—a vital factor that could affect the whole world. On September 16, the United Nations marks the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. In

Large scale infrastructure, small scale disclosure: Fertile ground for corruption

Large sums of money borrowed for large infrastructure projects is a key contributor to Sri Lanka’s Mountain of foreign debt, which the country is struggling to pay back. Lack of transparency, coupled with poor governance frameworks within which decisions are made about such projects, makes them highly vulnerable to corruption. To reduce such vulnerabilities, it is vital to enhance transparency of the decision-making process. This is why section 9

The battle against violent crime - EDITORIAL

A total of 23 persons have been killed in shooting incidents reported in the country since the 30th of May this year. Media reports showed, that of the 34 shooting incidents in the first six months of the year....

The cynical logic of brain drain

‘Brain drain’ has now become a political football, though none of the players in the blame game seems to offer solutions. Instead, the whole discourse has become a freakshow where the top ten percentile....

The roots of Chandrayaan success

If the Indian moon probe Chandrayaan 3 was an unqualified success, it was due not only to the scientists who toiled on the project resolutely against odds but also due to Jawaharlal Nehru, the man who built, brick by brick as it were, India’s scientific and technical infrastructure from the day the country became independent. In his 17-year stint as Prime Minister from 1947 to 1964, Nehru gave India a national policy on science and built res

“Navigating Sri Lanka’s Foreign Relations in a Turbulent World”

‘How a stormy Sri Lanka can navigate a turbulent world’ was the focus of a speech by former Foreign Secretary H.M.G.S. Palihakkara at the ‘Foreign Policy Forum’ held by the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies recently. We publish excerpts of the speech for their current relevance. “If the world is deemed turbulent it is also very much a tempestuous Sri Lanka that has to negotiate and deal with this wor

Govt. promises to tackle underworld crimes

According to statistics that has been revealed to the media by the police, 40 people have been killed in shootings so far this year in the country while several more have been injured. Against this backdrop the Daily Mirror on August 25 reported quoting Western Province Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon that the police, in collaboration with the Special Task Force (STF), have launched special operations to crack down on organised criminals and indi

A generation of hewers of wood and drawers of water - EDITORIAL

As August draws to a close, we are about to enter a somewhat tumultuous month ahead. The 1st week of September (1 to 7), is observed every year....

13A; Chronic ‘Beggar’s Wound’: ‘Dr’ Ranil, the Healing Touch!

The Sinhala adage ‘Hingannage thuwale’ or ‘a beggar’s wound’ that the beggar never wants to heal, carries a significant meaning in the context....

Operation Fonny: Shameful Arrest of Ex-Army Chief Fonseka by the Army

Sri Lanka’s one and only Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka is very much in the news lately. The Gampaha District MP and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Chairman launched a People’s Revolution protest campaign against waste, corruption, irregularities and mismanagementon August 11, 2023.

Solving the problem of missing persons: A wishful thinking?

Media reported that the Office on the Missing Persons (OMP) is to resolve the issue of people who had disappeared during the war between the armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) within the next six months.

Anachronisms in dress and address in modern-day Lanka - EDITORIAL

Just last year we were in the midst of a financial crisis. Our government ran out of foreign currency and was unable to repay its international debts. The Government declared the country bankrupt and we as a nation had to put up with the indignity of seeing ourselves declared uncreditworthy.

With or without the mask the youth identify who’s fake - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka values its next generation and that’s why parents will go to any extent to spend on their education. Much of this education will happen abroad and will be termed as higher education. There will....

BRICS to build new bloc, but challenges persist

Is the BRICS, a group of five emerging economies, falling apart or strengthening its position as a potential challenger to the G7, the Western-led alliance of the world’s most developed ....

Plans to Decentralize Power Could Weaken Central Government

President’s speech to the Parliament is to be understood correctly. He keeps telling about the decentralization of powers through Provincial Councils (PCs). However, it is to be noted that he refers to TWO types of PC systems which are structurally and functionally different from each other. One type is the PCs created by the 13th Amendment. The other is PCs proposed to be created by the Steering Committee Report of the Constitutional Assembly da

The day of democracy-Vox Populi, Vox Dei

Democracy is not a joke but a witty writer—later identified as Dr.Riley Fernando—buried a famous obituary in the state-run “Daily News” after the Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s United Front coalition government took over the Associated Newspaper Ceylon Limited (ANCL) better known as Lake House. The famous obituary read: “D.E.M.O’ Cracy, beloved husband of truth, loving father of LI Bertie, Brother of Faith, Hope and Justia interned on Saturday 20th inst

Tourism, the financial meltdown and cricket - EDITORIAL

Since the financial meltdown in 2022, and following the US$2.9 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) reform programme that commenced in late March 2023, our economy has begun to show....

Bibile Formula: Unveil potential or divulge disregard

The replacement of Sarath Liyanage, Chairman of SPC, with Dr. Mendis has been likened to changing pillows. However, we emphasize that the real solution lies in adopting the Prof. Bibile Formula...

Drought; an upshot of perennial indifference

While revealing that 50,000 acres of paddy lands have been destroyed by the prevailing drought leaving thousands of farmer families destitute, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said on Sunday that the extension of paddy fields affected might rise up to 100,000 acres in a few weeks.

Why would early elections not solve But make worse- the economic crisis?

The rallying cry in political circles nowadays is a call for snap elections as if that would produce a magic wand to solve the economic crisis. This coterie of newly minted champions of electoral rights comes in all hues, many of whom do not see eye to eye on many issues. By extension of their argument, the current government does not have a political mandate to fix the country’s broken economy, implement the IMF program or pursue debt restructu

13A is here to stay but it has to be fine-tuned

The recent statements made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and those attributed to the leaders of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) make it clear that the 13th Amendment to the constitution (13A) that devolves some powers to the Provinces has the tacit support of the Sri Lankan political parties notwithstanding overt opposition to it. In his Special Address to Parliament on August 10, the President stat

Our ageing population amid the financial crisis - EDITORIAL

Our population is ageing and ageing rapidly. Old age is a very sensitive and fragile period in life where elderly people need extra care....

The ghosts of the war are still haunting us

Seemingly isolated incidents are related to larger events which concluded years ago. They concluded, but ...

BUDDHIST PRELATE MUCH ADORED BY TAMIL PEOPLE

The conduct and pronouncements of some prominent Sinhala Buddhist monks have in recent times contributed greatly towards the deterioration of inter-ethnic amity and inter-faith relations in this country. It is indeed a matter of grave concern that the “antics” of these “patriotic” Buddhist monks have created a very negative image of the Buddhist clergy among the Island’s non -Buddhists in general and North-eastern Tamils in particular.

WHICH CAME FIRST: ARAGALAYA OR THE CRISIS?

A reminder of the question ‘Which came first: the chicken or the egg The public uprising that shook the country last year was not an event organised by any political party or organization. It was largely a spontaneous response by the people to the unprecedented effects of an unprecedented economic crisis on their day-to-day life.

ADVERSE WEATHER, POOR PLANNING AND THE PLIGHT OF AGRICULTURE - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka is going through a prolonged period of dry weather this year. However, this is not the first time such variations in the climate have adversely affected this country. We underwent similar dry spells during the Presidencies of Ms Chandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa. The failure of the monsoon causes prolonged periods of dry weather leading to power cuts and crop failures.

Present day children need a better ticket to life - EDITORIAL

The youth of Sri Lanka are immensely talented and there are so many television programmes designed especially for them these days. Just consider the talent shows that are conducted for children these....

Is Govt. shooting blanks in fight against rising gun violence?

Adding to the people’s despair in a bankrupt country are regular reports of gun violence. Last Saturday, TV channels and news websites posted CCTV footage of a shooting incident in the Negombo wholesale....

Too many ‘known unknowns’ in Sri Lanka’s IMF programme

It has been five months since Sri Lanka entered the board-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on its 17th programme. Month-to-month progress has been tracked in the public domain by the IMF Tracker (https://manthri.lk/en/imf_tracker ), a platform maintained by Verité Research. The IMF Tracker identifies programme commitments that have been “met” and “unmet” on verifiable criteria. Those achievements for which no data has be

Do even small things with great love

President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Government—while giving priority to debt reduction and the stabilization of the economy—also need to take practical and effective steps for poverty alleviation. Most rich countries of the world and to some extent in Sri Lanka also, about 10-20 percent of the people have control over or manipulate about 80 percent of country’s wealth and resources.