Easter Sunday, nightmares of past and fears for the future

On the 31th of this month Catholics and Christians of all denomination will celebrate Easter Sunday. The festival without a doubt brings to mind the Easter Sunday bombing of 2019. On Easter of 2019, terrorists exploded their deadly caches of explosives in three churches where Christians were celebrating what to the community was the most sacred of Christian festivals. Separately on the same day, in three five star hotels members of the same terr

“Col” Karuna’s Eastern Tiger revolt against LTTE 20 years ago

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) organization fought the armed forces of Sri Lanka for 33 years in pursuance of its political goal of establishing a separate state called Tamil Eelam in the Northern and Eastern provinces of the Island. The LTTE known generally as the Tigers had the reputation of monolithic unity. This image was seriously dented in 1993 when the LTTE’s former Deputy Leader Gopalswamy Mahendrarajah alias “Mahathaya” was

Nation building, Zen and art of Motorcycle maintenance’ - EDITORIAL

These are days when parents have to motivate children with positive thoughts and help them envisage victory after being engaged in a struggle. We are in an era where we have to make a struggle....

Gaza famine: Food aid before the slaughter

Just as the people sentenced to death are fed their best meal before they are executed, the Gaza Strip’s people, in the midst of a deadly famine, are being fed meals sent by the United States....

Ushering in a new era for marketing

‘Sensational marketing’ is a term that is not widely recognised or defined in the field of marketing. However, it could refer to a marketing approach that aims to create excitement, generate attention....

Happiness a fundamental human goal for all people

Are the people of Sri Lanka happy? Most independent and non-party analysts would say a clear no. Millions of people are suffering from a lack of food, shelter, clothing, healthcare needs, education and other facilities. So it is clear that except for the politicians– most of whom make money illegally– and big business magnets, most of Sri Lanka’s people are unhappy. Next week, the United Nations will mark the International Day of Happiness. In a

Economic Policies in an Election Year: Suggested Priorities

Part I of this article, which was published on February 29, laid out the grim fiscal and debt sustainability outlook for Sri Lanka. The key driver of debt dynamics is the gap between real GDP growth and real interest rates on government debt. Sustained annual growth of 5-6% and low real interest rates through disciplined fiscal policy would significantly improve debt sustainability. With slowing labour force growth due to an ageing population,

IMF meeting snub and the opposition’s opportunism at the nation’s misery

This political grandstanding is nothing more than benefitting from the country’s misery. When even a remotely cohesive nation is faced with an existential crisis, its disparate stakeholders momentarily set aside their differences. The survival of the state takes precedence over everything else. For a recent example, consider Israel, where political opposition has joined a war cabinet and people of the Left and Centre who loath Benjamin Netanyahu

Sri Lanka failed to ‘meet’ 33% of IMF commitments due by end-Feb

Sri Lanka verifiably failed to meet 33% of the commitments due by end-February 2024 in its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, according to the February update of Verité Research’s ‘IMF Tracker’. Many of these commitments that are classified as ‘not met’ on IMF Tracker were designed to improve governance. These include commitments related to publishing information (transparency), and those that require the passage of governance-improving

Malnutrition among young girls and the Hippocratic Oath - EDITORIAL

Our Health Ministry, according to a recent report in the ‘Daily Mirror’ has rejected out-of-hand a report published in the prestigious British ‘Lancet’ magazine concerning child malnutrition and...

Russian economy grows despite sanctions- study

Of the two countries that at each other’s throats now - Russia and Ukraine - it is Ukraine which appears to be the underdog despite massive American and Western arms aid. While the Russian....

Women’s political enthusiasm must be encouraged

Sri Lankan women seem to have gained an unprecedented and considerable importance in Sri Lankan politics lately, thanks to the record gatherings of women by JVP/NPP as a part of their show off of power, as the major elections are around the corner. These gatherings have some sort of copycat effect on some other political parties as well, which is also a good sign, as far as women’s politics is concerned. It is within that context that the Inter

Americans advised to bury their gold, while ours is in pawnshops

As a turbulent world races into year 2024, the only remaining superpower is a troubled giant (China is a great power, but its military (especially naval) and nuclear forces are still no match for America’s, and it would be economically disastrous for China to start an arms race with the US now with its economy in trouble). The American economy is in trouble, too, with the US dollar losing its value and dire predictions of another Great Depress

What Leadership Qualities does Imitiaz lack that Other Party Leaders possess?

A political leader is a public servant dedicated to enhancing society, elected through votes from the community. More than just....

COMMONWEALTH DAY: Commonwealth family: A strong and respected voice in the world

On 11 March, some 2.5 billion of us will come together to celebrate the Commonwealth family. Seventy five years after the London Declaration....

UNHRC Robust on Lanka, Hypocrisy in Gaza - EDITORIAL

Earlier this month, the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) once again took up the issue of its resolution...

Ambitious Presidential candidates and a powerful constitution

This article has been prepared based on a discussion with K. B. Gunaratne, Former Director of Agriculture, who worked directly with three presidents of this country. The Executive Presidency was introduced to Sri Lanka by Junius Richard Jayewardene (JRJ) under the 1978 Constitution. JRJ became the Prime Minister for the first time in 1977 after obtaining a 5/6 th majority at the General Election held on July 21, 1977 and created a sustainable gov

Can protesting undergrads think of a ‘new’ colour?

Parents of university students are a worried lot at present. This is because there is speculation that their children in university may be featuring in a number of protests throughout March, according media reports. There are the pluses and minuses of such protests. Protests of this nature will certainly be of news value to the media. Protesting undergrads have often won their rights and also the hearts of the down-trodden masses. But from the p

The executive prevails ultimately

Despite the executive colliding head on sometimes with the Parliament and some other times with judiciary, the Constitutional Council and “independent Commissions in the recent past, the former has emerged victorious always, sometimes at the expense of the rules of the duel. For instance, in spite of the battle between the executive on behalf of the two ruling parties and the Election Commission backed by the Opposition parties over the local g

Harin Fernando is right Sri Lanka is part of civilizational India and should aspire to be part of economic India

Eighteen months back, when the people languished long hours in lengthy queues to buy that elusive gas cylinder and regular blackouts punctured the day and night amidst economic hardship, there was an unusual unity. Hundreds of thousands people who gathered at the Galle Face Green protest site and took part in many demonstrations across the country came from all walks of life. Petty ethnic politics that pitted people against each other was relegat

Investment in women as a pathway to societal progress

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate women and girls around the world and applaud all they have achieved in the fight for equality. However, despite progress, girls and women continue to face systemic barriers that undermine their rights, limit their opportunities, and diminish their well-being. When global crises such as climate disasters, poverty, and hunger occur, women and girls are affected the most. This is also the case

International Women’s Day and Women in Lanka - EDITORIAL

The world celebrates International Women’s Day, today. March 8 is a day set apart to recognise the cultural, political, social and economic achievements made by women. It also serves as an opportunity...

Famine looms in Gaza as Biden, Trump play politics

With a dangerous Donald Trump just one hurdle away from breasting the 2024 presidential tape after his sweeping victory at the Super Tuesday poll to pick the Republican Party candidate....

Women belong in All Places where Major Decisions are being made

Traditionally, in democracy, there are four major Pillars; The Executive, the Legislature, the Judiciary and the Free Media. However, the common people are sovereign, and they exercise that power mainly at elections. In Sri Lanka today there is confusion and controversy on whether, when and what elections will be held with the President and the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) expressing one view while the opposition parties including th

“One of the Tests of Leadership is the Ability to Recognize a Problem before it becomes an Emergency” A Fight for Survival fuelled by ‘Inferior’ Thinking

At the next Presidential Election, the National People’s Power and even current President Ranil Wickremesinghe are key factors that will decide whether Sri Lanka will recover from its economic disaster or plunge into a darker abyss. Sri Lankans as a whole haven’t read enough about politics or believe too much about its abilities that it’s the cure for all ills; otherwise, Sri Lankans would not have been cheated by their lawmakers for 76 long year

Honouring the Unsung Heroes of Sri Lanka on International Women’s Day

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it prompts us to wonder, what does it truly mean to be a woman? In a world marked....

Could Party Politics Resolve Ongoing National Crisis in Sri Lanka?

It has been observed that divisive politics is one of the inborn deficiencies in party politics although political parties are considered...

The ‘Gentlemen’s Game’ in need of Gentlemen - EDITORIAL

Hooray and congratulations! Our national cricket team won a full series of matches. It was against Afghanistan, but no matter....

Public sector lethargy and employee rights

In January 2016, in a rare show of accountability, the General Secretary of the Government and Provincial Council Public Service Trade Union Federation, Ajith. K. Thilakarathne had taken up an issue of time squandered by public sector employees with the then President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. No trade union leader had dared before to complain against his own members. In a letter addressed to both the leaders,

Gaza war, Red Sea crisis and sea of issues for merchants

The Red Sea crisis, which is having a great impact on international trade, is unlikely to end anytime soon despite the US-led naval and air forces’ hitting Houthi targets in Yemen. Since the Houthis insist that they will not cease attacking ships in the Red Sea unless a ceasefire is enforced in Gaza, the Red Sea crisis will end only if there is a ceasefire in Gaza. And that appears to be a far cry. Neither the Israelis nor Hamas is willing to gi