“This modest collection is dedicated to those few Sri Lankans, women and men, who have publicly and persistently stood up for values which would make the county a truly ‘beautiful’ island: a happier place for all, irrespective of ethnic group, religion, sex or class. (I mean attributes such as freedom and justice, decency and equality: sama samaja). In different ways and in different degree, they have paid a price.” ……..ISBN 978-93-84129-59-0
Publisher: CinnamonTeal Publishing, Goa, India ………………Email: contactus@cinnamonteal.in
II. ‘Race’ versus religion: sharing some thoughts ….. A fresh essay by Charles Sarvan
One of my sons took me to see the Martin Luther King film, ‘Selma’, which opens with 15 September 1963 and the explosion at an African-American Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four children. The scene reminded me of the poem ‘Ballad of Birmingham’, published in 1968 by African American Dudley Randall (1914-2000): “Mother dear, may I go downtown Instead of out to play, And march the streets of Birmingham In a Freedom March today?” “No, baby, no, you may not go, For the dogs are fierce and wild, And clubs and hoses, guns and jails Aren’t good for a little child.” “But, mother, I won’t be alone. Other children will go with me, And march the streets of Birmingham To make our country free.” “No baby, no, you may not go For I fear those guns will fire. But you may go to church instead And sing in the children’s choir.” She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair, And bathed rose petal sweet, And drawn white gloves on her small brown hands, And white shoes on her feet. The mother smiled to know that her child Was in the sacred place, But that smile was the last smile To come upon her face. Continue reading →
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There was a struggle against the model of 19A first presented by Ranil Wickremesinghe, but there was no struggle against 19A as such—by which I mean the idea that the executive presidency required downward readjustment. The UNP-CBK-TNA-JVP Quartet had envisaged decapitation of the Executive presidency while the masses, the SLFP-UPFA and JHU envisaged trimming; downward revision.Thus, there was no struggle against 19A; there was a struggle over 19A; its scale and scope. Continue reading 
