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Home » ColumnsQuestions over who wants to talk to you about what!
My dear Pillayan, I am writing to you because everyone is suddenly talking about you when they should be talking about the New Year, the Dalada exhibition or the local government elections. This is because you were first arrested, then detained under the PTA and various people wanted to contact you after that. Some will [...]
Thin-skinned politicians keep running to make police complaints over mild criticism

Deputy Minister Chaturanaga Abeysinghe faced a lot of ridicule on social media after a speech he made at a public rally claiming that US President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze tariffs for 90 days was prompted by the letter sent by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to his US counterpart. He may not have said so [...]
Impact of US tariffs on our trade-, tourism- and remittance-dependent economy

The unpredictability of US tariffs makes an assessment of their impacts on our trade-, tourism- and remittance-dependent economy difficult. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the US tariffs and the likely global recession would impact adversely on our economy. It is most likely that our trade deficit will widen; the balance of payments could be [...]
Rajapaksa chuckles and the NPP’s governance deficit

As expected, the eagerly hyped parliamentary debate on the ‘Batalanda’ Commission of Inquiry report on April 10th 2025 turned out to be ‘full of sound and fury signifying nothing’ with little focus on Sri Lanka’s systemic impunity. Transparent pre-election ploy A media engineered controversy over a twenty seven year old Commission of Inquiry Report (1998) [...]
All roads lead to Kandy as Sri Dalada Vandana begins

How divine right to rule concept brought sacred Tooth Relic to Lanka Even as Avurudhu blossoms lay strewn and wilted on the ground, a million lotuses bloomed to let their sweet fragrance waft the air as the sacred Sri Dalada exposition began on Friday in Kandy‘s Maligawa, in hushed reverential worship. After Monday’s annual [...]
Forget about soul, save the country first

I wonder whether our whizz-kids in the tourism industry grant frequent visitor passes for those who set foot in our country like no other, especially now that Emperor Trump has trumped the rest of the world and gathered up much of what he could to negate the rest of the universe. Personally, I doubt that [...]
Easter attack mastermind claims: Govt. contradicts FBI and Australian police findings
In reply to letters from Sri Lanka’s police chief, US and Australian authorities state no further investigation is needed into the Easter attacks Public Security Minister Wijepala refers to Pillayan in Easter Sunday investigation In his book, Pillayan explains rise of extremism and ideology of terrorists behind the attacks By Our Political Editor Sri [...]
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