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Pittance for families of ‘war hero’ policemen

Pittance for families of  ‘war hero’ policemen

Pittance for families of  ’war hero’ policemen The next of kin of policemen from among the thousands who were killed or went missing in the two and half decades of fighting with Tiger guerrillas are in for some relief. Now, the Cabinet has decided to pay an annual allowance to them. Interesting enough, next of kin [...]

Jayaratne defying President: Who’s backing him?

Jayaratne defying President: Who’s backing him?

For President Mahinda Rajapaksa a daily pre-dawn work out at the gymnasium in ‘Temple Trees’ is routine. Occasionally, personal staff meet him for briefings whilst he is on the treadmill. However, last Wednesday morning he was at the Nuwara Eliya President’s House, the former colonial style Queen’s Cottage of the British era. So he chose [...]

Beauty and the politics of beasts

Beauty and the politics of beasts

My Dear Hirunika, I thought I must write to you when I heard that you had accepted an appointment as an electoral organiser for Colombo Central for the Blue party from Mahinda maama. Used as we are to political high jumps and about turns, it takes a lot to surprise us, but with this latest [...]

Road Map for 2014: Not a balanced scorecard

Road Map for 2014: Not a balanced scorecard

Central Bank Governor Ajit Nivard Cabral presented the Road Map for 2014 on January 2 against a backdrop of scepticism about official statistics. Revelations in parliament disclosing evidence of massaging national accounts figures hurt credibility of official statistics. Nevertheless, the wide-ranging Road Map is a review of the country’s recent economic performance and expectations in [...]

We do not need a truth and reconciliation commission

We do not need a truth and reconciliation commission

Despite Sri Lanka’s most disgraceful history with a plethora of demonstrably useless Commissions and Committees established by successive Presidents, it is a matter for considerable astonishment that the Rajapaksa Presidency’s near desperate proposal of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission at the turn of this year, appears to have found support in some quarters of our [...]

New Seed Act sows destruction of farmers’ rights

New Seed Act sows destruction of farmers’ rights

Environmental activists, scientists, grassroots farmers organisations and other concerned citizens have joined forces to mobilise opinion against a new Seed Act they say will undermine the rights of farmers from time immemorial and will threaten biodiversity. The draft ‘Seed and Planting Material Act No. … of 2013′ being contemplated by the Government will benefit the [...]

Protect Articles of Faith from Saffron terror

Protect Articles of Faith from Saffron terror

The Buddha was the first missionary; and the first to set the Wheel of the Dhamma in motion to reach the ends of the earth for the welfare of all beings. By his precept and deed he emphasised the right of every man to propound without bar the tenets of his religious beliefs provided the [...]

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