Patriotism is the last refuge
Nearly 250 years ago, on April 7, 1775 to be precise, the celebrated man of letters Samuel Johnson made the now famous pronouncement, “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” His intent was not to criticise patriotism –– which is the quality of being devoted to and vigorously supporting one’s own native land — [...]
On the trail of Comrade Shan’s wife in Chennai
A few weeks ago, I wrote about following a foreign lady from Colombo to Palaly Airport. Today I write about another tale on the trail – following a Sri Lankan woman from Colombo to Madras (now known as Chennai). It happened at a time when the JVP was attacking police stations and seizing arms and [...]
Nihal Seneviratne on his experiences in Parliament
“A clerk reminisces & humour in Parliament” will be the title of the lecture by former Secretary General of Parliament Nihal Seneviratne at the 113th Session of the monthly lecture series of the National Trust – Sri Lanka. It will be held at the HNB Auditorium, 22nd Floor, HNB Towers, 479 T.B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo [...]
RASSL lecture: “The Illustrated Mahavamsa: Paintings from a 12th Century Myanmar Temple”
The Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka (RASSL) will hold a public lecture on “The Illustrated Mahavamsa: Paintings from a 12th Century Myanmar Temple” by Dr. Hema Goonatilake tomorrow at 5 p.m. at the Dissanayake Auditorium, 96, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7. All are welcome. When Myanmar gained independence, the first country it wanted to [...]
Mosque tours catch on
Mosque tours are fast catching on in Sri Lanka. The latest Open Mosque Day held at the Kollupitiya Jumma Mosque in Colombo on January 22 had around 800 people of other faiths participating. Besides a tour of this beautiful mosque, participants were taken around clearing misconceptions of Islam, given free calligraphy of their names in [...]
5th ADC Dancesport Championship at the Galadari
Antonio’s Dance Circle will hold yet another prestigious Dancesport Championship on February 23 at the Grand Ballroom of Hotel Galadari, Colombo. ADC (Antonio’s Dance Circle) is one of the oldest Ballroom Dance Schools in Sri Lanka. It is headed by Toni Fernandez, who has earned acclaim and medals at international level in both Modern and [...]
How globalisation of crime and corruption killed our mother
LONDON – The worldwide network that facilitates transnational organised crime and corruption is, tragically, one of globalisation’s most enduring success stories. It is also, therefore, one of its deadliest flaws. While the produce and proceeds of crime flow seamlessly across borders, justice and law enforcement remain largely trapped within national boundaries, and are being steadily [...]