June 21, 2025 · 6:32 pm

A Veddah With A Blog …..

It seems that a Sri Lankan “VEDDAH” launched a Blog in 2015 ….with this opening note “Throughout the centuries Sri Lanka had its own identity. Its idntity appears to have gone missing in the latter part of the twentieth century. Is it regaining it now?

         &&&&
An EDITORIAL COMMENT From Michael Roberts, 20 June 2025:  “The assertion that Sri Lanka lacked an identity in the latter part of the 20th century is a sweeping claim that requires elaboration and groundings. Let Vadda provide support for these contentions here in Thuppahi as well as his website [which I could not access]”

Leave a comment

Filed under Aboriginality

June 21, 2025 · 12:54 pm

Nayeem Secures 5-Wicket Haul at Galle

Madushka Balasuriya in ESPNcricinfo, 20 June 2025 …………..In article entitled “Shanto, Shadman stretch Bangladesh’s lead after Nayeem’s five-for”

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh ran each other neck and neck all day, with Bangladesh now 187 runs ahead

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

June 20, 2025 · 7:37 pm

Hill-Country Cosmopolis – A Review Of Obeyesekere’s Booklet

Richard Simon … reviewing The Many Faces of the Kandyan Kingdom by Gananath Obeyesekere

 In this slender but fact-filled volume, the author presents an alternative and, to my mind, more truthful view of the Kingdom of Kandy in its heyday than the perspective afforded by modern Lankan historians and scholars. The latter must, of course, hew closely to Sinhalese-Buddhist ‘nationalist’ orthodoxy if they hope to obtain academic publication or preferment in our country. The effect of this censorious regime on national life has been stifling, not only in the study of history but in every intellectual and cultural field from fine art to marine archaeology. Music, perhaps, has suffered most grievously of all.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under historical interpretation, life stories, politIcal discourse, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, unusual people

June 20, 2025 · 7:12 pm

Friends, Colleagues & Countrymen … Meandering Memories

Gamini Seneviratne, whose chosen title is different: viz, being “Vignettes of the Public Service –The Foreign Beat”

My acquaintance with officers in the foreign service was, for the most part, casual, that is to say, not related to our work, and, despite a hiccup or two, cordial as well.

I knew of my namesake while I was busy through each interval seeking, as we all were, championship honours at French Cricket. Actually there were four of us Gamini Seneviratnes at the time in school, including one who took to medicine and Aetaya who opened batting, the senior-most who is wrapped around or within these lines was better known as Gadaya, a nickname he had inherited from his brother who retired as the IGP, G A D E A Seneviratne, (better known as Ana). I do not know whether the same nom de guerre had been conferred on brother Nalin, who retired as the Army Commander.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under historical interpretation, life stories, politIcal discourse, self-reflexivity, Uncategorized

June 20, 2025 · 6:34 pm

When Wisdom overcomes Ignorance: An African Leader’s Example

  Brian Victoria …. responding to the TPS item presenting Ibrahim Traore’s Response to A White Racist  = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELNfnbU-Kc0 …
June 20, 2025 ….. Dear Michael,
Many thanks for sharing. In these dark days, that are becoming ever darker, it is beyond inspiring to see a bit of ‘light’ shining threw the clouds, to see that it is possible that ‘truth’ still has the power to dispel ignorance!

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under life stories, politIcal discourse, self-reflexivity, unusual people, world events & processes

June 20, 2025 · 1:49 am

When An African Major undermined a White Racist

SEE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELNfnbU-Kc0 …

‘Karoline Leavitt Tells Traoré “Sit Down, Boy” — His Reply Leaves America Speechless’

Ibrahim Traoré (French pronunciation: [ibʁaim tʁaɔʁe]; born 14 March 1988) is a Burkinabé military officer and politician who has served as the interim President of Burkina Faso since 2022. Traoré took control of Burkina Faso in September 2022, ousting interim president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba in a coup d’état.

NOTE THE WIKIPEDIA ACCOUNT

Ibrahim Traoré (French pronunciation: [ibʁaim tʁaɔʁe]; born 14 March 1988) is a Burkinabé military officer and politician who has served as the interim President of Burkina Faso since 2022. Traoré took control of Burkina Faso in September 2022, ousting interim president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba in a coup d’état.[4]

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under accountability, life stories, politIcal discourse, self-reflexivity, unusual people

June 19, 2025 · 6:43 pm

The World Today: On the Brink of Armageddon

That Observer at World’s End

The St Petersburg Economic Forum is being held from 18-21 June 2025. On Friday, Vladimir Putin will deliver a speech which will be followed by Q &A. People from all over the world will be in the audience and can ask the President questions.  The forum is one of the world’s largest platforms for discussing global challenges and new models of cooperation in a rapidly changing world.  Today, Putin held a Q &A session with foreign journalists. Questions from West Europeans were, as expected, revealing- they displayed the Western mindset which seems fixed in 200 years of stone.

Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under accountability, historical interpretation, politIcal discourse, self-reflexivity, unusual people, world events & processes

June 19, 2025 · 5:37 pm

Ranil Wickremasinghe at an International Forum in Moscow …. NOW

An Observer at World’s End**

Interesting to see former President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in St Petersburg yesterday (18/6), attending the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
I am not sure what the true purpose of his visit to Russia is but he said it was his first time there ….. in orderto attend the St Petersburg forum, that he was very impressed by the range of people and countries at the forum,  the issues of global significance being discussed, and that it was very important for countries outside of the West to meet at such a forum for cooperation and to discuss how best to deal with the great challenges, and to make progress for a better future.

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under historical interpretation, life stories, politIcal discourse, self-reflexivity, unusual people, world events & processes

June 19, 2025 · 4:57 pm

Angelo Mathews: Epitome of A Fighting Spirit in Cricket, 2015

Dominic Machado in his blog-site Murali End

On the morning of September 1, 2015, I was frantically trying to connect to the Wifi at Charles de Gaulle Airport. When I had boarded the flight the previous night, Sri Lanka were in a precarious position in the third and final test of a series against India. Sitting at 67/3 in a chase of 386 on a fifth day SSC pitch, any result other than a loss would have been a most unexpected triumph.

I fully expected to open the phone that morning and see Sri Lanka all out for 150 before lunch. But to my surprise, Sri Lanka had not capitulated. They were 183/5, with Kusal Perera (43) and Angelo Mathews (74) at the crease. For the next hour, I was glued to my screen, watching the runs tick over as tea approached, with Angelo getting to his seventh test century. I boarded the train with the hope that Angelo and Kusal might power Sri Lanka to a most unlikely victory.

India seal Test series win in Sri Lanka despite Angelo Mathews century | India cricket team | The Guardian
Angelo celebrates his 100 against India in 2015

Continue reading →

3 Comments

Filed under life stories, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, unusual people

June 18, 2025 · 4:36 pm

Ensuring Aviation Safety in the Context of the Ahmedabad Crash

Keshani Wickramarathna,** whose article is entitled  “Aviation Safety and Quality: A Reflection on Responsibility and Resilience”

First and foremost, may all those who lost their lives in the recent Air India air crash rest in peace. Let us hope this marks the final tragedy of its kind in aviation history.

In aviation, airline operators and their supporting industries share one ultimate goal: to deliver quality service grounded in safety. A sustainable aviation business model must be driven by an unyielding focus on delivering intended products and services, ensuring passengers reach their final destinations without compromise. Aviation is a complex chain of interdependent services, with each facility playing a distinct role in ensuring safe and seamless operations. While human factors inevitably influence all aspects of performance, it is our shared responsibility to resist the temptation of taking shortcuts. Tragic incidents serve as a stark reminder of the devastating cost when safety is overlooked.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, life stories, world events & processes