Why are women a minority in Engineering ?

When the word ‘engineer’ comes into your mind, what is the picture that your mind conjures? A man in overalls and the protective head gear. The word ‘engineer’, while gender neutral, in society, it is mostly attributed to males.

Battling Dengue with Multisectoral Approach

With unprecedented rain wreaking havoc in many parts of the country, one has to take extra precaution to prevent the threat of dengue; a menace that has not been curbed successfully to date. As per the latest statistics of the Epidemiological Unit of the Ministry of Health, a total of 100, 212 dengue cases were reported during 2019. Colombo recorded the highest number of dengue cases with as many as 20,183 cases being reported in 2019. The Epidem

Ekneligoda Disappearance: Decade of struggle for truth and justice

January 24, 2020, was 10 years since the disappearance of journalist and cartoonist Prageeth Ekneligoda. It also marked 10 years of struggle for truth and justice by his wife, Sandhya Ekneligoda and two young sons.

It’s time to rethink how humans and elephants could coexist

Sri Lanka is a blessed land with gentle giants roaming its territory and the Blue Whale occupying its waters. Or so we think. With increased number of humans encroaching into wildlife abundant habitats......

Dog killing at Buddima Farm Give a dog a ‘Bill’

Over the past few weeks, social media had been abuzz with reported incidents of animal cruelty. One incident was reported from a chicken farm in Kobeigane where the watchman was seen shooting a dog and later assaulting it with the weapon.

There’s plastic in our fish!

A study led by a young Sri Lankan marine biologist tells us that over 90% of small fish found in samples from Negombo, Kudawella and Trincomalee contain microplastics. In other words, if your diet includes small fish, you’re most likely ingesting plastic as well. Fish is widely considered as one of the healthiest foods, vital for wellness. It is rich in nutrients such as protein, vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids, important elements of a hea

Laws that make child brides powerless

At 26, Noor* was a divorcee, a widow and a mother of a 9 year-old-boy. She was married twice, first at the age of 17 and later at the age of 23. She was deserted by her first husband when she was 18, just days after their son was born. She later found out that her husband had been cheating on her and then applied for divorce. Noor had to bring her son up as a single mother.

CHAINED ’PRINCE’ SUFFERS in silence at place of worship

As a Buddhist country, Sri Lanka’s temples undoubtedly practise Metta (Loving Kindness) meditation and chant the Metta prayer, wishing ‘all beings to be happy’ and most importantly ‘free of suffering’ on a daily basis. But it is appalling to see the same places inflicting pain and allowing living beings to suffer while in captivity.

Ranja, Wad of Bubble Gum Spit Away by Leadership? Or a ‘Cow Boy’ who Herded Cattle?

Is Ranjan Ramanayake, a wad of bubble/chewing gum spit away by the leadership or an actor in a Hollywood‘Cow boy’ film of 1940s-50s, playing the role of a cattle herder on horseback on ranches in Texas and North America....

Mourning the death of three undergrads killed in Azerbaijan

The remains of three Sri Lankans who studied at the Western Caspian University (WCU) in Azerbaijan – who died on January 9 due to toxic suffocation after a fire broke out in the building they occupied at Baku – were repatriated on January....

Colombo University incident Escalating trend towards youth violence

When news went round that a student at the Colombo University was severely beaten by a group of students, it didn’t take long for people to realise that this too would have been another case of ragging. Justifying suspicions, this case too was a retaliatory action to continuous ragging that existed within the Colombo University. Ragging within the local university system has

Tamils want to sing national anthem in their mother tongue

This is my third and final column in the trilogy of articles about the singing of Sri Lanka’s national anthem in Sinhala and Tamil languages. I would have very much liked to write about hot topics like Ranjan Ramanayake’s voice recordings or President Gotabaya’s policy speech or internal troubles of the UNP,

Cattle Killer

A number of Sri Lankan dairy farming families have been left devastated after investing in a fresh milk scheme which saw the import of dairy cattle from Australia and New Zealand. Dozens of cattle in local dairy farms have died following a government brokered import deal with Australia’s largest cattle exporter, Wellard Ltd, which Sri Lankan dairy farmers say, has left

Calling for stricter protection to Save Leopards

Sri Lanka recently made it to CNN’s 20 Best Destinations to visit in 2020. This wouldn’t have been possible if it was a bare island with no heritage and no wildlife. But the fact that we are blessed with a rich biodiversity needs to be taken on a more serious note. Yet, the aggravating Human-Elephant conflict and the recently reported leopard deaths near Udawalawa National

Singing National Anthem in Sinhala only Tug of war continues over ‘Matha’ and ‘Thaaye’

Singing ‘Sri Lanka Matha’ while standing to attention has always given Sri Lankans that sense of pride. Having graced many occasions since the islanders gained Independence in 1948, the song too has a history to itself.

Past under Mahinda resurfacing under Gota

2020 has dawned! Greetings for the new year to all readers. My article in this column last week about moves being contemplated to forbid the singing of Sri Lanka’s national anthem in Tamil at the 70th Independence Day event seems to have been received well, judging by the positive responses I have been getting from readers this week. What makes me most happy is the fact that an overwhelming number of these responses have been from Sinhala reade

WHEN CONSERVATISM GETS IN THE WAY OF SEX EDUCATION Comprehensive Sexuality Education in SL

The attraction towards the opposite sex is one of many behavioural changes experienced during puberty. But a lack of education on the various hormonal changes that happen during adolescence could put any teenager in a dilemma.

New Year Reflections

As 2019 winds down and the democratic space quickly closes around us, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past year and the monumental human rights challenges ahead.

A long road for Human Rights

Human Rights in Sri Lanka has been something widely discussed about on various platforms domestically and internationally. In lieu of World Human Rights Day which fell on 10 December, Daily Mirror spoke to Attorney-at-Law Rajeev Amarasuriya, LGBTIQ activist Rosanna Flamer Caldera and Human Rights activist Shreen Abdul Saroor.

Singing national anthem in Sinhala and Tamil languages

The news item appearing in Dailymirror last week was like a bolt out of the blue. It said the national anthem would be sung in Sinhala language only at the forthcoming celebratory event of Sri Lanka or Ceylon gaining full independence from the United Kingdom in 1948. The practice adopted since 2016 of singing the anthem in Tamil too would not be followed. This is what the news item penned by Sandun A. Jayasekera said:

“Truth plus justice plus reparations equals reconciliation”

The Apartheid could be described as one of the most gruesome blows to human existence. Non-whites not only had to work as slaves, but were isolated from society, separated by law and were denied basic human rights. With the involvement of iconic figures such as Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Apartheid system was put to a halt during the early 1990s. Thereafter, the struggle was continued to ensure that justice was served to survi

Dawn of Ceylon independence and birth of Tamil Federal Party

December 18, 1949 was a red letter day in the political history of Sri Lankan Tamils known as “Ilangaith Thamizhar” in their mother tongue. On that day, a group of sixty Tamils including two parliamentarians and two senators launched a new political party with the avowed goal of establishing an autonomous State for Tamil-speaking people of Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was known then) within a united island. The new party was named in Tamil as “Illankai T

Focusing on God through the Rubble

Christmas is around the doorstep, but the festive spirit will not be the same again for those families that lost their loved ones on Easter Sunday; another special day in the Catholic and Christian calendars. Out of the eight locations that were bombed, Zion Church in Batticaloa received much attention as many of the victims were children.

New street art trend Drawing the line between purpose, standard and creativity

Days before the new regime secured power Sri Lanka witnessed many changes, one of them being the much-spoken-about street art trend. Today, every nook and corner of the island is being transformed into a work of art under different themes. But art is not only about colours and figures. Quality, structure and attention to detail also come into play. As such, the new wave

When health risks say hi to mobile phone users!

New innovations in technology have sped up human activities and made them simpler. Among these innovations the mobile phones play a significant role in one’s life. Benefiting humanity to a greater extent, phones have facilitated human activities that we found to be difficult earlier. Phones have made it easy to make connections with people belonging to different ethnic and geographical areas

Switzerland connection in LTTE fundraising activity

Recent events have focused the media spotlight on the Federal Republic of Switzerland known officially as the Swiss Confederation. The landlocked European nation is respected highly on a global scale due to its policy of armed neutrality. Despite the impeccable credentials of Switzerland, the country is being viewed negatively by influential sections of the Sri Lankan people. There is suspicion that an orchestrated campaign is being pursued by ce

13 A Just a cudgel in India’s hand

It was India that first sent its External Affairs Minister to Sri Lanka within 24 hours after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was sworn in as Sri Lanka’s President on November 18.

The Dark Side of Transport Apps

The introduction of transport Apps have made life easier for all of us. Apart from being convenient and budget-friendly, privacy and safety are top concerns for any user. Today, there are many of these services available for users including local and foreign Apps. Uber is one of the Apps that gained much popularity with time. People pay for a service to get maximum out of it or the

Exposing the Foreign Job Mafia

Sri Lanka’s foreign recruitment industry plays an essential role in the country’s migrant labour sector with the industry expecting to secure jobs for Sri Lankans within conditions of safety, security and dignity. Despite these conditions, however, a complaint has been lodged to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) to investigate cases of corruption during the 2015-2018 period.

Education reforms an education beyond campaign promises

When Dr. C. W. W Kannangara introduced the Free Education Bill in 1943, two of its main components were to introduce free education to every child from kindergarten to university and a curriculum for the child’s ‘head, heart and hands.’ But, 76 years later education is neither free nor a holistic experience for children. Clogged by exam stress, children don’t have an opportunity to enjoy schooldays, but are constantly satisfying the needs of thei