October 31, 2021 · 1:23 pm

Amazing! Gnanasara Thera’s Appointment as Point Man for Reconciliation!

 Rajan Philips, in Sunday Island, 31 October 2021, where the title reads “One Country, One Law. What is it? Why now?”

The gazette announcement that Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera will be heading a new Presidential Task Force to study “the implementation of the concept, One country; One law, and prepare a draft Act for the said purpose,” was more befuddling than it was shocking or infuriating. “It defies comprehension,” said The Island editorial on Thursday. Many also found the announcement somewhat hilarious while mindful of its ominous implications. The hilarity stems from this government’s seemingly unlimited capacity to be ridiculously irrational in political tactics, even as it is utterly incompetent on matters of policy. Comprehending the government’s actions is not the problem. Fathoming how far the consequences of those actions will go and how damaging they will be to the public good is the challenge.

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October 30, 2021 · 8:20 pm

Israel buoyant from the Efficacy of Booster Vaccines

Tom Joyner and Fouad AbuGhosh,  at ABC net, 29 October 2021, …. where the title runs this  “COVID-19 is here to stay, but Israel shows that boosters, masks and vaccine passports can tame the virus”

It was the first country to vaccinate, the first to reopen, then the first to widely implement a booster shot.  Now Israel is returning to life close to normal only six weeks after the peak of its worst COVID-19 wave yet. In mid-September, new infections of the Delta variant had surpassed 10,000 per day and hospitals were groaning under the pressure. But today, its restaurants are bustling, cinemas and theatres are packed, university lecture halls are full and the major airport is heaving.

Deaths and new infections have plummeted to the single and triple digits, and the country will be welcoming overseas tourists from November 1.

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October 30, 2021 · 7:52 pm

Alan Davidson farewelled in Awe

Harry Solomons …. of St. Aloysius in Galle and Kingsgrove in Sydney

Inspirational former Australian cricketer Alan Davidson passéd away today. A sad sad loss of a absolute Legendary human being, admirable cricket administrator, allround cricketer and friend. He was an Australian cricket selector for many years,President of NSW Cricket for well over 30 years, a Director of the SCG Trust , and the greatest left arm swing bowler produced by Australia. So good was he, that Sir Donald Bradman named him in the Don’s best Australian twelve ever! Over 35 years ago , Alan Davidson got me my SCG membership within a week; a favour l never ever forget.
REST IN PEACE GREAT MAN!

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October 30, 2021 · 12:46 am

Pablo Neruda’s Excursions in Colombo and Wellawatte … As a Film

Randima Attygalle, in The Island, 24 Octtober 2021, where the title runs thus “The poem Neruda never wrote”

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Island, film maker Asoka Handagama shares the story behind his latest film- Alborada (The Dawning of the Day) inspired by the celebrated poet Pablo Neruda’s stay here as the Chilean Consul. The film is to be internationally premiered at the 34th edition of the Tokyo International Film Festival opening on October 30.

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October 29, 2021 · 8:02 pm

Vale Dr. Siran Deraniyagala: Assiduous Archaelogist & A Savant Servant for Lanka

Chryshane Mendis

It is no easy task to pen down few words on the life history of a colossus like Dr. Siran Deraniyagala, but nevertheless I will try. Life has its ways, its own twists and turns at times one would not expect; such was the shocking yet inevitable demise of Dr. Deraniyagala. The mystery of life will take us on many paths, and in the case of Dr. Deraniyagala, it took him to explore the mystery of life itself! While digging the earth to unravel humanity’s origins, perhaps he too realized where his journey would end, in the earth; and it eventually did come to pass on the 5th of October 2021. The Man who studied the past, of the lifeways of past peoples, now himself joined them; Siran Upendra Deraniyagala is now a person of the past! But what of his legacy? Will he be only a person of the past or will he be remembered in the present? Unlike the mystery of life, this is an easy question with a simple answer. Yes. Siran Deraniyagala will live on! Decades later even after fading from living memory, his name will be remembered even centuries on. Such is his legacy. Therefore let us briefly marvel at the amazing life of of Dr. Siran Deraniyagala.

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October 29, 2021 · 7:04 pm

Prejudice & Patriotism: Cricket in This Space

Roshan Kishore, in Hindustan Times, 29 October 2021, with this title “Cricket and patriotism: What links them in India”

Pakistan’s victory over India in the ongoing T20 cricket World Cup match on October 24 has kicked up a political storm in India. First there was uproar over online trolling which targeted India’s pace bowler Mohammad Shami along religious lines. Many Opposition leaders came out in Shami’s support, and several cricketers and the Board of Control for Cricket in India also spoke up for him. Meanwhile, reports of Muslims celebrating Pakistan’s victory started doing the rounds. Those who did so will be booked under sedition charges, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in a tweet on October 28.

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October 29, 2021 · 5:37 pm

An Exemplary Teacher at Ussangoda: Philanthopy topped with Genius

Siri Ipalawatte of Canberra writing in The Island, 23 October 2021, where the title reads “An amazing Sri Lankan  – ‘the power of one’ 

From Tidbinbilla to rain forests, red wines to thelijja, cappaccino to kurumba, five-stars to homestay…. Just when I thought I had touched every nook and cranny of Sri Lanka, it sprung yet another surprise. An old Uni friend suggested ‘why not visit the unusual and weird landscape called Ussangoda—the place in Hindu Mythology where King Ravana landed his air machine, dandu-monara? And off came another nugget! He said a batchmate of ours lived in a century-old house in a village called Kiula — an exotic name from the fact that the water in the area is kiul as it gets mixed with an underground seashell bed and salt water —very close to Ussangoda. This chance encounter led to a number of texts and mobile calls, and a few days later, a memorable sleepover in his house located between the 217 and 218t kilometre-post on the A2 highway between the sleepy towns of Hungama and Ambalantota in the southern Sri Lanka.

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October 28, 2021 · 9:44 pm

Quinton De Kock Takes Fresh Guard, but … Unease Remains?

Firdose Moonda

t may be tempting to think that Quinton de Kock‘s refusal to take a knee ahead of the match against West Indies earlier this week is out and out racism, but ignorance of racial inequalities that have resulted from slavery, colonialism and apartheid might be what caused him to not comply with Cricket South Africa’s directive, and to consequently withdraw himself from the match.
That’s not the soft view, nor one that seeks to justify de Kock’s continued inaction over antiracist gestures, but rather one that aims to add nuance to the ever-complex conversation around race and sport, and especially race and sport in South Africa.

 

 

 

The array of gestures before the game against Australia that probably drove CSA to mandate the whole team taking the knee  ICC via Getty Continue reading →

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October 28, 2021 · 9:04 am

A Connoisseur’s Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka

Gehan de Silva Wijeyratne, in Ozlanka, https://www.ozlanka.com/2021/10/10/a-naturalists-guide-to-the-birds-of-sri-lanka/,…… where the title is  “A Naturalist’s Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka”

British company John Beaufoy Publishing has published a significantly revised third edition of A Naturalist’s Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka. Previous editions of this pocket guide have served as a first book on birdwatching in Sri Lanka to many visitors and local residents. The third edition has been extensively revised to reflect current taxonomic thinking influenced by advances in molecular phylogenetics. The arrangement of birds to reflect their evolutionary relationship to each other is the science of taxonomy or systematics, which has been in a state of flux for centuries as taxonomists attempt to construct the evolutionary relationship between birds. The new arrangement of families will hold many surprises. For example, consider the familiar Sri Lanka Woodshrike, an endemic bird that is easily seen in popular dry lowland sites such as Yala. Many local birders will be surprised to find that it is now included in the family Vangidae, which comprises birds known as Vangas better known from Madagascar. The exact placement of some bird species still remains unresolved despite significant advances in genome sequencing.

 

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October 26, 2021 · 11:34 am

Misreading the Asian Political Scenario: Ameer Ali’s Six Misconceptions

Fair Dinkum

Ameer Ali’s essay of 6 June 2021 in the Colombo Telegraph [reproduced recently in Thuppahi ……… https://thuppahis.com/2021/10/24/betwixt-india-and-china-little-lanka/) suffers from three fatal flaws. First, there is a failure to identify his political affiliations and to show some understanding of how this might influence his opinions. Second, by failing to do so, he presents his claims and arguments as if these were absolute truths. Third, he fails to critically evaluate US, Indian and CBK interests and intentions. He presents a false representation of what is occurring in the world today in the context of US efforts to demonize China as “a threat” in an attempt to undermine its rise. He makes a dangerous recommendation as to how Sri Lanka should manage India and China interests by urging the government to join the US confrontation against China. He is clearly a cheerleader for CBK and the anti-Rajapakse crowd in Colombo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this response essay, I will unpack six claims made by Ameer to explain why each are blatantly false.

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