First we were stuck between two poles of violence. Now we’re stuck between polls. Mahinda is trying to consolidate power and Ranil is trying to consolidate something, the opposition, I guess. The Sri Lankan people are stuck in between.
Mahinda
Mahinda’s behaviour is blatantly shameless, merging the state and himself. In the end this leaves us with [...]
For lack of a better word, I tell Indians that I’m a journalist. To my surprise, they react well. But why am I surprised? Because for years the reaction to that word has been ‘oh, you’re going to die.’ From out here I realise that this isn’t normal at all.
Journalists
Being a journalist is a profession, [...]
People travel to India to find themselves. I am, in a way, trying to piece together the story of Indrajit, my namesake. Son of Ravana, invisible warrior, character in the Ramayana, doomed to die in the course of a greater tale. I write this from Hampi, near ancient Kishkinda, the home of Hanuman. He who [...]
Generally the guy with the guns has staged the coup and the other guy is in jail. Well, Mahinda Rajapaksa has all the guns and Sarath Fonseka is in jail. Coup is not the right word because that’s short and sweet. This government take over is long and getting more and more bitter by the [...]
Right now I’m in Chennai, waiting for a train. Chennai seems well developed but it also smells like pee, at least around here, and I kinda want to go. No, I’m not on the run or anything, I just wanted to have a look around, get some perspective. The elections have defined this country and [...]
The election was unfree and unfair, but so is life. Mahinda Rajapaksa is the next President of Sri Lanka and I wish him and the country well. As the election showed, it’s not rule of law but rule of man, but some order is better than none. General Sarath Fonseka put up a brave fight [...]
Free-lance journalist Malinda Seneviratne wrote something in the Daily News questioning those who support Sarath Fonseka, specifically me. His points generally are that it is ‘right’ to vote for Sarath as an expression of party support (either UNP or JVP) but ‘wrong’ (or perhaps naive) to support SF in opposition to corruption or on the [...]
On January 26th, I’ll cast my vote for Sarath Fonseka. I’m voting against Mahinda, but I’ve also found real reasons to vote for Sarath. I read his manifesto and it sounds great. He’s pledging a nation of laws, not men. He’s promising discipline and order, not a free lunch. Mahinda’s got a slick (and unethical) [...]
This season, I saw more jolly Mahindas than Saint Nicks. Sri Lanka is now a different place and even New Year’s is not as big a deal as Avurudu. This is, I think, a reflection of the broader changes here and in the world. I don’t know where they will lead, but I think we [...]
War is putting hot lead and shards of metal into enough internal organs that there aren’t bodies or minds left to resist. It’s pretty terrible for everyone involved. However, as Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama said, There will be times when nations – acting individually or in concert will find the use of force [...]
