January 7, 2019 · 1:56 pm

Focus on the Eradication of Poverty NOW

Mervyn De Silva, former Director Ministry of Plan Implementation, Ex-Member of Parliament, has formulated a Scheme to eradicate inquality and poverty …. and sent it to Madam Chandrika Kumaratunga recently (see text below)

 

Poverty And Inequality Continue As Persistent, Unjust Socio-economic Issues Of Our Time

In his 84 – page document or, Apostolic exhortation as it is called, Pope Francis, firmly and eloquently drew the attention of all global leaders, big and small, to fight poverty and growing inequality with the sharpest words and phrases ever, on the dominant economic system, which he pointed out derives from “the tyranny of unfettered capitalism and the ideology of money”. Continue reading →

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January 7, 2019 · 3:25 am

Sri Lanka’s Economic Prospects Here and Now

Nimal Sanderatne, in Sunday Times, 6 January 2019, where the title is “Economic expectations and prospects in the year ahead” ... with highlighting being the imposition of The Editor, Thuppahi

Recovering from the economic disruption of six weeks of political chaos, restoring international confidence and reviving the economy in 2019 are challenging tasks. A stable and credible administration is vital to resolve the economic crisis facing the country this year. However, the current political developments do not demonstrate a serious concern about the daunting economic issues facing the country.

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January 7, 2019 · 1:14 am

Constitutional Amendments are Vital for Sri Lanka

Neville Ladduwahetty, in Island, January 2019, with title “The Need To Revisit the 19th Amendment”

Recent political developments have brought into sharp focus the need to revisit the 19th Amendment (19A) despite the unanimous approval it had received in Parliament in May 2015, with the notable exception of one brave Naval Officer Rear Admiral MP Sarath Weerasekara. The primary aim of the 19A was to transfer power from an Executive President to a Prime Minister and a Cabinet of Ministers. The first attempt to indulge in such an exercise was in 2002. Having failed in 2002 a fresh attempt was made in 2015. The 2015 attempt succeeded subject to the Supreme Court determining that some named provisions required approval of the people at a Referendum. Notwithstanding this judicial intervention the fact that certain provisions that should have received the attention it deserved escaped attention makes it necessary to revisit 19A in order to address at least some of the omissions that matter for the sake of clarity.

 

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January 6, 2019 · 11:37 am

Fairway Galle Literary Festival for 2019

Nan in Sunday Island, 6 January 2019

The year 2019 is well established, with mercifully a legitimate government in place and people having celebrated the Christmas Season in joy and peace in a milieu of stability. The first item in many an English speaker’s diary – interested in creative writing in English – and maybe others’ diaries for the New Year is the Fairway Galle Literary Festival (FGLF) scheduled from January 16 through 20.  Nan has been lucky in that she has attended all festivals from the very first one in 2007. She’s making her way to Galle for the Festival with three friends and her son:  hotels booked; festival  passes bought and anticipation running high to savor writing in English literature, including drama and other side items. The two national languages are also catered for.

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January 6, 2019 · 10:47 am

Incisive Thoughts on the Presidency in Today’s Situation from Rajan Philips

Rajan Philips, in Sunday Island, 6 January 2019, with this title “Leaving Sirisena alone and finding a way to change the Executive Presidency”

There is redundancy in the 2019 air. Impeach, censure or force his resignation – all targeting Maithripala Sirisena for his rampant violations of the constitution in 2018. He deserves any and all of them. The question is whether he is worth the effort and energy that any one of them will involve. Impeaching him or forcing his resignation will only remove the man but will leave in place the institution of executive presidency that became Sirisena’s wrecking wrench. It would be more worthwhile to spend time in radically reforming the executive presidency than waste time getting rid of Maithripala Sirisena who will be gone in one year anyway. Keeping it simple, leave Sirisena severely alone and keep targeting the executive presidency.

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January 4, 2019 · 2:04 pm

Fortresses in Lanka in Past Time

Shannine Daniel, in Roar Media, where the title is “Forts and Fortresses of Ancient and Colonial Sri Lanka,”

There are many forts and fortress cities in Sri Lanka which were built by Sinhalese kings, the Portuguese, the Dutch, and British settlers in the country. Each of these buildings are landmarks of the different historical eras of our country. Here’s a look at some of the ancient fortress cities—which have been mentioned in the chronicles such as the Mahavamsa—and some of the notable forts which date back to the colonial eras.
Another lesser known ancient fortress is the Mapagala fortress—the ruins of this fortress can be found close to the Sigiriya rock and the Sigiriya tank. Image courtesy triposo.com

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January 4, 2019 · 9:09 am

Tangram’s Study of the Tamil Tigers enters our world

This book offers an accurate and easy to follow explanation of how the Tamil Tigers, who are officially known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was defeated. Who were the major players in this conflict? What were the critical strategic decisions that worked? What were the strategic mistakes and their consequences? What actually happened on the battlefield? How did Sri Lanka become the only nation in modern history to completely defeat a terrorist organization? The mind-blowing events of the Sri Lankan civil war are documented in this book to show the truth of how the LTTE terrorist organization was defeated. The defeat of a terrorist organization on the battlefield was so unprecedented that it has rewritten the narrative in the fight against terrorism.

THIS NOTE is from http://www.lulu.com/au/en/shop/damian-tangram/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-tamil-tigers/paperback/product-23830132.html

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January 2, 2019 · 12:51 pm

In Memoriam: Gamini Gunatileka flies West to Another Life in the Skies

Capt Gihan Fernando, in Island, 30 December 2018 … where the title reads “Gamini Flies West”

A few days ago Capt. Gamini Gunatileka, flew west. He had a few initials ahead of his surname, but preferred to be known as Gamini. Gamini, fondly known as ‘GG’ or Capt. ‘GG’ in the flying circles, studied at Isipathana College, Colombo 5. Even from his young days he had been ‘plane crazy’. He joined the Flying Training School Ratmalana soon after leaving school. That was where I met him. Like for most of us, it was a long and arduous struggle for ‘GG’ to achieve his ambition of being an Airline Pilot in Air Ceylon. Learning to fly aeroplanes was relatively very expensive even in those days.

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January 2, 2019 · 2:29 am

As Ominous As Ludicrous: Snaps Epitomizing Our Politics in 2018

…… and …..

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December 31, 2018 · 2:34 pm

A City within Colombo City in the Hands of Cecil Balmond

Alvin Sallay, in Sunday Times, 30 December 2018, … where the title is “Infinity and beyond with Balmond and Cinnamon Life”

Cecil Balmond has borrowed my pen. I’m watching the master at work, bent over my reporter’s notebook, as he sketches the initial drawing which was the blueprint for the ‘iconic’ Cinnamon Life landmark which is set to transform Colombo by 2020. In a previous story I had written on this project for this newspaper, more than a year ago, I learned that the world-renowned architect had sketched his vision on a paper napkin after visiting the site for the first time back in 2011. “I can’t remember, but it must be true, for I tend to do very small drawings at the beginning when I imagine something,” smiles Balmond when I ask him if the story of the genesis of Cinnamon Life is true.

Cecil Balmond. Pic by M.D. Nissanka

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