In a democracy, a thumping majority is expected to result in cool heads among the victors and cold feet among losers. Not in Sri Lanka. 64 years after seeing the back of British settlers, Sri Lanka moved on. But far from progressing towards true democracy and self-determination these 64 years have seen rivers of blood and [...]
“A season of brutal hypocrisy…” Anatole France (Monsieur Bergeret in Paris) By Tisaranee Gunasekara The draconian land-grabbing Bill is back. The resurrected Bill empowers the regime to acquire any piece of land, anywhere, by the simple expedient of declaring it of economic, social, historical or environmental import or as a sacred area. The first attempt [...]
By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema UNP Southern Provincial Councilor and Attorney-at-Law Maithri Gunaratne says the outcome of the election for UNP office bearers would have been different if a proper secret ballot had been held. Gunaratne has now challenged the appointment of party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe before court and the case is to be taken up [...]
By Captain Elmo Jayawardena Our island was called Lanka in pre King Vijaya times. Valmiki’s immortal Ramayanaya had King Ravana ruling the land from the city of Lankapura. That was almost four thousand years ago. The Arab traders termed it Jaziratul-Yaqut, island of rubies. Some called it Serandip, some Ceilan, from which the Portuguese picked [...]
By Raisa Wickrematunge Q: It was just announced that you won the DSC prize for South Asian Literature. How does that feel? Is it something you expected, or is it very surreal? A: It was not something I expected. I was at Jaipur to meet Oprah and hang out with Rushdie, neither of which I [...]
Two Stroke Penalty The Air Chief better make sure his ejector seat and parachute are in full working order. Cos sooner rather than later the excreta is going to hit the fan. This ole rag is gonna be digging around the Eagles Golf Links (we have been refused membership – boo! Hoo!) to find out [...]
For a government vested with enormous powers and no real obstacles ahead – at least domestically – the performance of the Rajapaksa administration, to say the least, has been pathetic. The unchecked constitutional powers vested in President Rajapaksa could be compared to that of a near totalitarian ruler and to give it a shine of [...]
“Buying the army off tends to be a good insurance policy for would-be dictators”. Christian Caryl (Foreign Policy – 24.1.2012) By Tisaranee Gunasekara Some walls should never be built; some should never be breached. Many of Sri Lanka’s most devastating ills emanated from our habit of building unnecessary walls, and demolishing necessary ones. Our school-system, [...]
By Ranee Mohamed It was the stirring of her little sons that woke her on the night of January 20. When Jayasinghe ArachchigeGeetha opened her eyes, and looked at her sons aged four and five years of age, they were both cuddled up to her from both sides. She had been tempted to turn towards [...]
By Lakshman Indranath Keerthisinghe Attorney-at-Law The Supreme One said : “I am made evident by my own power, and as often as there is a decline of virtue and an insurrection of vice and injustice in the world, I make myself evident and thus I appear from age to age for the preservation of the [...]
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